Carnival takes away casino perk!

[Cruisesfun65]

Anyone experienced this? Last week Carnival had a new offer called Hot Streaks bonus. (OTM)

This offer includes Free Drinks on Us while playing in the casino.

Lots of us switched to this rate code because of the perks.

Now, a couple of days later, the Free drinks on us is no longer offered as part of the offer and Carnival's casino dept basically says that it's been taken off the rate code. 

This is bait and switch!

[bafinegan]

I emailed them and got email confirmation that hubbs and I got the DOU card ( we booked last week)  Nice surprise that Hubbs got casino cash in addition to the OBC I got when I booked under my VIFP number!

[EZ1]

7 hours ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

Anyone experienced this? Last week Carnival had a new offer called Hot Streaks bonus. (OTM)

This offer includes Free Drinks on Us while playing in the casino.

Lots of us switched to this rate code because of the perks.

Now, a couple of days later, the Free drinks on us is no longer offered as part of the offer and Carnival's casino dept basically says that it's been taken off the rate code. 

This is bait and switch!

Our offer still shows the free drinks, inside cabin & $200 casino cash, & exp Dec30'20

[Cruisesfun65]

5 minutes ago, EZ1 said:

Our offer still shows the free drinks, inside cabin & $200 casino cash, & exp Dec30'20

With the free cabin, I'm pretty sure you don't have the OTM code.

In the meantime Carnival has confirmed that they took away the Drinks On Us Card. 

[NCTribeFan]

I switched a B2B group booking (Med/TA Oct 2021) through my TA (that included OBC and other perks) to the Hot Streaks mostly because of the DOU.  On that TA, especially, the DOU would really help because of all those sea days when the casino would be open.

 

Anyway, she advised me to email the Casino department, give them my original and new booking numbers, and request that they honor the DOU.

 

If they don't, not sure what she can do.  We booked these immediately after our 2021 Med/TA sailings (which I'd be on right now) were cancelled.  I expect we'd have to re-book at the prevailing fare, which has, of course, increased and no longer includes an OBC.

 

I'll be highly ticked off.  I have >30 Carnival cruises and get piddling casino offers.  I have 3 HAL cruises and get free or minimal cost offers.  Booked B2B on HAL for "free" OV cabins (pay $200 solo, get $250 casino cash & DOU).  Sadly, they're for 1/9 and 1/16, so I imagine they'll be cancelled.  But if Carnival does this to me (and my cruise buddies who have B2B2B sailings), they're going to lose me forever.  Tired of Carnival, anyway.  Just wish I could convince my friends to try other lines.

 

If Carnival wanted to drop the DOU, they should've removed the original offer and changed the offer code.  But should honor the terms of the original offer!

[NCTribeFan]

On 11/9/2020 at 4:14 PM, bafinegan said:

I emailed them and got email confirmation that hubbs and I got the DOU card ( we booked last week)  Nice surprise that Hubbs got casino cash in addition to the OBC I got when I booked under my VIFP number!

 

I'd love to know who your email was from!

 

i received a response today from Carlos and he said, basically, that looking at my VIFP offer, the DOU is not included.

 

I immediately wrote back and said it's not included NOW but it was when I had my TA drop us from her group and re-book under the casino offer!  I even copied and pasted the FB message from her telling me what my rates AND PERKS were under the offer (which included DOU).

 

I will NOT sail Carnival again if they don't honor the offer that I booked.  Even if my TA can put us back in her group at the rate & perks we had originally, I won't be spending time in the casino.  I'm also booked on 2 semi-B2B out of Australia Feb 2022.  The first is a great casino fare & OBC, the 2nd is a Premier sailing.  After that, I'm done. 😡

[bafinegan]

9 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

 

I'd love to know who your email was from!

 

i received a response today from Carlos and he said, basically, that looking at my VIFP offer, the DOU is not included.

 

I immediately wrote back and said it's not included NOW but it was when I had my TA drop us from her group and re-book under the casino offer!  I even copied and pasted the FB message from her telling me what my rates AND PERKS were under the offer (which included DOU).

 

I will NOT sail Carnival again if they don't honor the offer that I booked.  Even if my TA can put us back in her group at the rate & perks we had originally, I won't be spending time in the casino.  I'm also booked on 2 semi-B2B out of Australia Feb 2022.  The first is a great casino fare & OBC, the 2nd is a Premier sailing.  After that, I'm done. 😡

Attaching a screen shot of who sent the email.  We got a second email detaing Hubbs perks for this cruise ( if it happens!)  Hope this helps.

 

[NCTribeFan]

Thanks for that info.  Did you send your email prior to their dropping the DOU or after reading about it here?  Is it possible you qualified for the DOU anyway?

 

 I've never qualified for a DOU card prior to sailing except for Premier bookings where it was already included.  IOW, my level of play never qualifies me for that perk under a casino fare that's just a slightly-reduced fare and maybe some Free Play chips or cash.  I spend time and drop money in the casino, but rarely enough that I've ever even qualified for the card on a 7-night sailing.  Have received it during longer cruises but not very early on.

 

It just really annoys me that they think it's OK to do this.  You can't change an offer once you've put it out there and people have booked!  Like I said, pull the offer and put out a different one with different perks.  How many people out there booked this believing they'll get the DOU and won't find out about this until they board?  There's going to be some ticked off people in the casino!

[NCTribeFan]

Update - I did get an email from Carlos saying that they would honor the DOU for both legs of my Med/TA B2B for next October.  Fingers crossed that we'll actually get to sail!

 

Cruise buddy says he gave it to her on the Med/TA, too, but denied it on two other cruises she had switched.  Our TA is fighting for her.