Carnival Has No Customer Service Anymore

[jsglow]

9 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

On our last cruise, we'd planned to arrive two days ahead of time and spend some time chilling before cruising....  And then an ice storm hit, and flights were canceled.  The best that we could get for a rebooking were two days after our planned departure.  We wound up driving Chicago to Galveston and getting there on-time.  Not really an option for the OP to drive Raleigh to Los Angeles, but I'm pretty certain that unless a hurricane hits Raleigh, it should be possible to get alternate flights. 
 

Wow, a real 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' scenario.  We've never been faced with that serious a situation for a cruise but we have beaten the weather out of Midway once or twice.  Once I dashed to the airport as a storm was closing in and got wheels up just before the airport closed.  I developed the route myself (the computer wasn't even offering it) and called my suggestion in to the nice SWA Customer Service guy. 'Nice job there Mr. jsglow. Gotcha all ticketed.'  It was a long day of connections but I arrived at my destination safely.

 

Domestically, if they can get you airborne they can get you to major destinations most of the time.  But none of that EVER works if you simply run out of time.  We NEVER fly to a cruise the same day.  In your case, it was still possible to drive all the way to south Texas; a last ditch option no doubt.

[midgetcoach]

Same thing with all the cruise lines. The flights for our past trip to Alaska on NCL were changed three times. After the first change I called NCL and was told the flight information was more of a place holder and would be updated about 45 days before the cruise. They were finally confirmed about 6 weeks before and were totally different from the original flights.  Over all it worked out ok. 

Its the airlines not the cruise lines making the changes.  Its just the way it is for now.

[urbanhawk]

21 hours ago, wemjam said:

I was speaking under "normal" circumstances (not Covid).  I believe part of the Fly2fun guarantee is they would fly you to "meet" the ship if you missed boarding.

I really don't understand how they could do this-if my flight was booked thru Fly2fun, and I missed making it to the cruise port for my 23 day T/P cruise, would they fly me to the 1st port of call (Hawaii) 4-5 days later?? Maybe, they could put me on a helicopter, and fly me to the ship?😉 (Talk about making an entrance!😁)

[DanvilleCruiser]

@urbanhawkIt’s my understanding that, pre-Covid, the cruise line would fly you to the first port to catch the cruise if you booked airfare through the cruise line.

[greenie082756]

On 7/26/2022 at 10:36 AM, urbanhawk said:

You are so right-I live in AZ and wouldn't even take the hour flight to get to L.A. from here. (Just imo).

Hubby and I use to take 6 am flights from Phoenix to Los Angeles arriving at 7:30 am, a lot.

 

The only pain was sitting around waiting for the Princess bus to take us to the port. We knew it was not recommended but we both worked, and this is what we had to do. Figured there were 4 other flights behind the early bird one, so if something happened, we would get there in time. 

 

Now before I get hazed for this, we now drive in the day before and stay at a hotel. Hubby is retired and I have a pretty liberal boss, so it is what we do now.

[Joebucks]

On 7/27/2022 at 1:23 PM, LatinaInTexas said:

I'm not a seasoned cruiser, I just thought if Carnival offered the product they would be responsible if using said product wasn't possible due to circumstances. I thought flying thru them would guarantee you getting to the ship. Learned something new.

So what is the benefit of flying thru Carnival?

 

Do you see an issue with not being seasoned, yet you have entitlement expectations? No company or TA is refunding anything in these cases. It isn't a "carnival customer service issue".

[LatinaInTexas]

10 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

Do you see an issue with not being seasoned, yet you have entitlement expectations? No company or TA is refunding anything in these cases. It isn't a "carnival customer service issue".

Why do you say I have entitlement expectations? I have not taken a lot of cruises and did not know how the flying program worked that's why I asked questions, to gain knowledge. I assumed since Carnival offered it they were responsible. Not knowing something and wanting to learn by asking questions doesn't equate to me having any special opinion on the topic much less entitlement issues geez.

A very polite non judgemental poster took the time to answer my questions and now I know how the program works and can make a choice if it's something I might consider doing on future cruise.

[bamaone]

18 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

 

No, they're not canceling flights to save money.  Flight schedules change constantly due to a variety of factors (available crew, available airplanes, runway construction, and customer demand just to name a few).  Your actual flight times probably won't be locked in until 20-31 days ahead of departure.

 

No doubt flights are changed for reasons you mentioned. But if you think they’re not also being canceled for cost savings you don’t understand how economics work.

[Lane Hog]

4 hours ago, bamaone said:

No doubt flights are changed for reasons you mentioned. But if you think they’re not also being canceled for cost savings you don’t understand how economics work.

Uh, it's more like You don't understand airline economics... 

I've worked for over 35 years in the airline industry, most of it in operations and management, and currently do so from the worldwide operations center for one of the five biggest airlines in the world.

Cancellations cost money. 

You have to pay another airline to carry your passengers and/or put people up in a hotel. 

You have to pay the crew regardless if the flight operates.

You have to pay the people who need to rebook and reticket customers on alternate flights.

The ripple effect of not sending a crew and airplane where it's expected to be can screw up operations for an entire day or longer, costing even more money.

That all adds up pretty quickly, which is why cancellation is a measure of last resort.

It's simply not done to save money.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Lane Hog

[jsglow]

7 hours ago, greenie082756 said:

Hubby and I use to take 6 am flights from Phoenix to Los Angeles arriving at 7:30 am, a lot.

 

The only pain was sitting around waiting for the Princess bus to take us to the port. We knew it was not recommended but we both worked, and this is what we had to do. Figured there were 4 other flights behind the early bird one, so if something happened, we would get there in time. 

 

Now before I get hazed for this, we now drive in the day before and stay at a hotel. Hubby is retired and I have a pretty liberal boss, so it is what we do now.

Certainly well within the 'reasonable' realm.

[urbanhawk]

10 hours ago, DanvilleCruiser said:

@urbanhawkIt’s my understanding that, pre-Covid, the cruise line would fly you to the first port to catch the cruise if you booked airfare through the cruise line.

I did not know that. I only recently explored the possibilities with Fly2Fun. Some fares were cheaper, and some were higher. I always would book the flights myself. Thanks for pointing this out.

[momof3cruisers]

On 7/26/2022 at 5:18 PM, BlerkOne said:

One of the first issues I have with this is Southwest Flight 4389  was, is, and on Aug 6 will be a flight from Las Vegas to LAX.

Lol Interesting!

 

My first problem was paying $80  PER DOG per night. What kind of luxury accommodations are these? My dog is an old spoiled girl with medical issues who dislikes other dogs. The MOST expensive option I have ever seen in our area is $65 per night and that’s only for the first dog. For $45 she gets her own area with a solid wood door, an outdoor area she has free access to, 4-6 walks a day for potty breaks, an additional walk for 20 min +, a bedtime cuddle and a peanut butter Kong. And second dog always gets a discount in our area. 

[DanvilleCruiser]

7 hours ago, urbanhawk said:

I did not know that. I only recently explored the possibilities with Fly2Fun. Some fares were cheaper, and some were higher. I always would book the flights myself. Thanks for pointing this out.

From Carnival’s website:  (so apparently they still do this, even in a Covid world)

All Fly2Fun flights include flight protection!

Yes, for real!! If there’s any trouble with weather or flight delays that make you miss the ship, we’ll make sure you get the flights, hotels or transportation you need to make it to the ship. (Other services will charge you extra for this, so keep that in mind if you’re shopping!)
 

 

[Roscoe13]

18 hours ago, greenie082756 said:

Hubby and I use to take 6 am flights from Phoenix to Los Angeles arriving at 7:30 am, a lot.

 

The only pain was sitting around waiting for the Princess bus to take us to the port. We knew it was not recommended but we both worked, and this is what we had to do. Figured there were 4 other flights behind the early bird one, so if something happened, we would get there in time. 

 

Now before I get hazed for this, we now drive in the day before and stay at a hotel. Hubby is retired and I have a pretty liberal boss, so it is what we do now.

We do this too!!  Take one of the very early morning flights from Portland to LAX and then Uber to the cruise port and then have to wait for the terminal to start letting people inside.

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

Uh, it's more like You don't understand airline economics... 

I've worked for over 35 years in the airline industry, most of it in operations and management, and currently do so from the worldwide operations center for one of the five biggest airlines in the world.

Cancellations cost money. 

You have to pay another airline to carry your passengers and/or put people up in a hotel. 

You have to pay the crew regardless if the flight operates.

You have to pay the people who need to rebook and reticket customers on alternate flights.

The ripple effect of not sending a crew and airplane where it's expected to be can screw up operations for an entire day or longer, costing even more money.

That all adds up pretty quickly, which is why cancellation is a measure of last resort.

It's simply not done to save money.

Thank you for sharing that.

 

DW's late father was at the time of his retirement the head of computer operations for British Airways. He was a pilot in the RAF before emigrating to the US after the war. he went to work for British Airways (BOAC back then), and worked his way up.

[staceyglow]

8 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

Lol Interesting!

 

My first problem was paying $80  PER DOG per night. What kind of luxury accommodations are these? My dog is an old spoiled girl with medical issues who dislikes other dogs. The MOST expensive option I have ever seen in our area is $65 per night and that’s only for the first dog. For $45 she gets her own area with a solid wood door, an outdoor area she has free access to, 4-6 walks a day for potty breaks, an additional walk for 20 min +, a bedtime cuddle and a peanut butter Kong. And second dog always gets a discount in our area. 

It is seeming more and more that the information in the OP's post was either completely fake or grossly exaggerated in every respect.

[midgetcoach]

         My wife and I quit flying back in February. We had to fly to an Alaskan cruise a few weeks ago because it had been booked for the past three years. That airport experience confirmed our no fly policy. 

         We have been driving to the ports for our last five cruises. Even though this limits our ships and   itinerary , it makes for far less stress.

         Two more cruises this year, one in October and one for Christmas. At that time we'll review our air flight policy. 

[KimPossible1]

10 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

Lol Interesting!

 

My first problem was paying $80  PER DOG per night. What kind of luxury accommodations are these? My dog is an old spoiled girl with medical issues who dislikes other dogs. The MOST expensive option I have ever seen in our area is $65 per night and that’s only for the first dog. For $45 she gets her own area with a solid wood door, an outdoor area she has free access to, 4-6 walks a day for potty breaks, an additional walk for 20 min +, a bedtime cuddle and a peanut butter Kong. And second dog always gets a discount in our area. 

We used to pay $70 per dog 15 years ago and it was basic accommodations.  It depends on where you live in the country, so $80 isn't unreasonable....but there are so many other things wrong with the original post...like waiting for a heart transplant, but flying across the country to cruise...so when the OP to mention the cost of the doggy hotel that's pretty funny.  He can afford to cruise but not pay an extra night for his puppers??  😆😆  

[F27TW]

And as they say  ..     "Welcome To CruiseCritic".   🤭🤭

[travelplus]

I am sorry you are having these issues. Can you see if Carnival can get you on a nonstop AA or Delta  flight RDU-LAX? Even if you had to pay for your bags!  Also I would not use Southwest on long flights anymore even for their free luggage. 

[travelplus]

3 hours ago, midgetcoach said:

         My wife and I quit flying back in February. We had to fly to an Alaskan cruise a few weeks ago because it had been booked for the past three years. That airport experience confirmed our no fly policy. 

         We have been driving to the ports for our last five cruises. Even though this limits our ships and   itinerary , it makes for far less stress.

         Two more cruises this year, one in October and one for Christmas. At that time we'll review our air flight policy. 

I am the opposite fly to the Ports! Each to his or her own as they say!

[midgetcoach]

5 hours ago, travelplus said:

I am the opposite fly to the Ports! Each to his or her own as they say!

Don't get me wrong. We both don't have a problem flying. Its just that the airlines have become so unpredictable and congested . If we would fly a day early as we have done in the past we would need ten more days and ten more hotel stays this year a lone. Not to mention the airfare increases.Then we still have to deal with getting home.  Just saying we'll just hold off flying until things get better.

[knagl]

15 hours ago, DanvilleCruiser said:

From Carnival’s website:  (so apparently they still do this, even in a Covid world)

All Fly2Fun flights include flight protection!

Yes, for real!! If there’s any trouble with weather or flight delays that make you miss the ship, we’ll make sure you get the flights, hotels or transportation you need to make it to the ship.

 

This may be outdated information on their site. There was a Cruise Critic member who posted here not too long ago about missing their cruise due to a delayed flight, and Carnival's Fly2Fun resolution was to give them a future cruise credit -- they did not attempt to fly the person to join the in-progress cruise.

 

 

[Joebucks]

On 7/28/2022 at 5:27 PM, LatinaInTexas said:

Why do you say I have entitlement expectations? I have not taken a lot of cruises and did not know how the flying program worked that's why I asked questions, to gain knowledge. I assumed since Carnival offered it they were responsible. Not knowing something and wanting to learn by asking questions doesn't equate to me having any special opinion on the topic much less entitlement issues geez.

A very polite non judgemental poster took the time to answer my questions and now I know how the program works and can make a choice if it's something I might consider doing on future cruise.

 

Because it's assumptions like this that lead to employees not wanting to work in these industries anymore. How many people in this thread had the assumption that because "I bought a flight from Carnival, they should refund me at my slightest inconvenience". Where is that a thing anywhere? When the actual policy is dictated as Carnival will take best measures to ensure you get on your cruise, as soon as possible. That is the perk. 

 

The whole thread title is about Carnival not having good customer service. I'm sure the OP was a delight to the CSR they likely chewed out on the phone. I'm sorry if my post wasn't rainbows. After dealing with the public for a few decades, it gets old dealing with people who tell you what they thought they deserved. No employee deserves to get yelled at because of entitlements. 

 

The original complaint is a poor one. An airline no longer offers the flight. Any airline that changes the itinerary offers a full refund of the flight or change to another. It has happened to plenty of times over the past year. There is plenty of time to pick something else.  It has always worked out completely fine in the end. There is no need for me to yell at an employee. There is no need to me to mention personal concerns or demand an exact time or $4000 handed to me.

[jimbo5544]

14 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

Because it's assumptions like this that lead to employees not wanting to work in these industries anymore. How many people in this thread had the assumption that because "I bought a flight from Carnival, they should refund me at my slightest inconvenience". Where is that a thing anywhere? When the actual policy is dictated as Carnival will take best measures to ensure you get on your cruise, as soon as possible. That is the perk. 

 

The whole thread title is about Carnival not having good customer service. I'm sure the OP was a delight to the CSR they likely chewed out on the phone. I'm sorry if my post wasn't rainbows. After dealing with the public for a few decades, it gets old dealing with people who tell you what they thought they deserved. No employee deserves to get yelled at because of entitlements. 

 

The original complaint is a poor one. An airline no longer offers the flight. Any airline that changes the itinerary offers a full refund of the flight or change to another. It has happened to plenty of times over the past year. There is plenty of time to pick something else.  It has always worked out completely fine in the end. There is no need for me to yell at an employee. There is no need to me to mention personal concerns or demand an exact time or $4000 handed to me.

Possibly the best post on the thread