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[salty dingo]

One of the biggest misconceptions in cruising is the belief that if you use a ship-sponsored mode of transportation that "the ship will wait for you."

 

Not always! A ship with 3,000 people on a tight schedule will not wait long for a few people.

 

It is rare that people who think and plan ahead miss the ship on excursions. Usually, it is people who get drunk and forget there is a ship!

 

About the bus missing the ship, seems like they really dropped the ball on that one. I hope they made it up somehow!

[Grandma water beach]

Good news for you, re: New York City weather for this weekend. You shouldn't have any weather delays here as it is going to be sunny and 50 degrees F. (10 C) Good luck. Have a great cruise.

Thanks Janespup for wishing us well.

I have continued to read all the posts on this thread and when we arrive in Orlando at 2 p.m. if the bus is not ready to leave quickly then we will get a cab. I'm happy to read that the journey can be done in 35 minutes.

I do hope that cdnprincess has a satisfactory conclusion and I will be looking for news when we get back.

If we go on any future cruises we will definitely fly in the night before. As it is we are staying overnight in a hotel in Toronto before our early flight so we could have just as easily flown to Orlando on Friday night instead - but as I said before I thought I was doing the safe thing by going with Carnival Air. We will see! No matter how it ends, some of the fun and anticipation has been ruined because of the worry of getting there on time.

[Travelitis]

It's outrageous that transfers arranged through Carnival missed the ship. You would think that you would be protected by staying on the bus, but if you were to hop off and take a cab it would be a greater risk. There has to be legal liability here. If you don't start getting real satisfaction (Have you read all the fine print of their brochure?), I'd talk to an attorney. One reason people buy transfers through the cruiseline is that those are supposed to guarantee you get there, even if that means the ship has to wait. They should be reimbursing you in full and profusely apologizing. You need to get on that phone and talk to a supervisor. If you don't get satisfaction, get their boss, etc. Good Luck!

[cdnprincess]

Why? It actually weakens your case, it clearly states that embarkation ends at 3:30.

 

No it would help it. I was on the bus at 2:50 and if it had left on time we would have been there at or before 3:30. Our flight landed at 2:05.

As it was because we waited for Delta passengers we left late.

[steveaaaa]

I'm happy to read that the journey can be done in 35 minutes.

.

 

You realize that is going 80+mph with no traffic.It is about 48 miles.

Steve

[steveaaaa]

.(Have you read all the fine print of their brochure?),!

 

The fine print in the ticket (passenger contract) states that they are independent contractors and it even mentions if they use the name carnival or even wear a carnival shirt, they are still indepedent.

Steve

[cuyahoga11]

This is such a comedy of errors on Carnivals part. If this were me I would not stop until I got some satisfaction. You see everyday, when Carnival gets complaints of my steak was to tuff, my neighbors talk to loud, my suitcase was 10 minutes late, yada,yada,yada. Now this really is an issue and CARNIVAL needs to make it right. Please keep us informed of the outcome.

[cdnprincess]

The fine print in the ticket (passenger contract) states that they are independent contractors and it even mentions if they use the name carnival or even wear a carnival shirt, they are still indepedent.

Steve

 

If this were true why did they give us Carnival's business card? Linda was a Carnival employee and she checked us in. I could understand the bus driver, but there were 4 Carnival Employees on board as well.

[MamaParrotHead]

If this were true why did they give us Carnival's business card? Linda was a Carnival employee and she checked us in. I could understand the bus driver, but there were 4 Carnival Employees on board as well.

 

The recent debate here on CC regarding the court case that ruled Carnival isn't responsible for the doctors they hire and/or their misdiagnoses. Carnival doesn't even require them to have malpractice insurance to be employed. How is it that here I am fined if I don't have liability insurance on my vehicle, but people who have others' lives in their hands aren't held as accountable? It amazes me how little responsiblity everyone takes in this world for themselves and their actions. Beyond annoying or disappointing, bordering on shocking and depressing.

[truecruiser]

Good news for you, re: New York City weather for this weekend. You shouldn't have any weather delays here as it is going to be sunny and 50 degrees F. (10 C) Good luck. Have a great cruise.

 

are you located in long island, florida? LOL! b/c it's FREEZING in LI, NY, and no where near 50 degrees, LOL!

[truecruiser]

OP -- i apologize if this has been asked b/4 -- were there pax from another cruise line sharing the Mear's transfer with a later sailing time?

 

P.S. Why does Salty have an advertisement in his sig for Dove? Is anyone else seeing this, or is it a glitch w/ my computer?

[steveaaaa]

If this were true why did they give us Carnival's business card? Linda was a Carnival employee and she checked us in. I could understand the bus driver, but there were 4 Carnival Employees on board as well.

 

Because they are employees of Carnival, except the bus and driver are not.They are probably Mears.The Carnival employees have no control over the bus company.Read the ticket! It is in the back of the packet that was mailed to you and its # 13A. It states that you assume the liability. Your beef is going to be with the bus company.This billion dollar company has its backside covered so don't think you will beat them. What if the bus got a flat tire?Carnivals fault? What if Carnival arranged air, got delayed from weather? Carnivals fault? Should they hold the ship because your flight might be delayed 5 hours?

You can still write the letter but how would it read????

 

 

My flight was late,I finally got on the bus at 2.50pm 10 minutes before I should have ALREADY been at the port per the enclosed documentation that you mailed to me that clearly states I need to be there 1 hour prior to check in...........

 

 

Steve

PS.Nothing personal,just my 2 cent view of the facts.:)

[Vanessa L]

are you located in long island, florida? LOL! b/c it's FREEZING in LI, NY, and no where near 50 degrees, LOL!

 

If you'll look at the weekend forecast for Long Island they are calling for a high of 50 tomorrow and 51 on Sunday. I checked because it is supposed to "warm up" here too--hallelujah!!!!

[cdnprincess]

OP -- i apologize if this has been asked b/4 -- were there pax from another cruise line sharing the Mear's transfer with a later sailing time?

 

P.S. Why does Salty have an advertisement in his sig for Dove? Is anyone else seeing this, or is it a glitch w/ my computer?

 

We were all going to the Sensation ship. 9 pax from AA and 3 from Air Tran and 5 from Delta. The 9 from Americal were all on the bus at or before 3:00. We were picked up at terminal A and then went around to terminal B to pick up the remaining.

[big_duck]

Because they are employees of Carnival, except the bus and driver are not.They are probably Mears.The Carnival employees have no control over the bus company.Read the ticket! It is in the back of the packet that was mailed to you and its # 13A. It states that you assume the liability. Your beef is going to be with the bus company.This billion dollar company has its backside covered so don't think you will beat them. What if the bus got a flat tire?Carnivals fault? What if Carnival arranged air, got delayed from weather? Carnivals fault? Should they hold the ship because your flight might be delayed 5 hours?

You can still write the letter but how would it read????

 

 

My flight was late,I finally got on the bus at 2.50pm 10 minutes before I should have ALREADY been at the port per the enclosed documentation that you mailed to me that clearly states I need to be there 1 hour prior to check in...........

 

 

Steve

PS.Nothing personal,just my 2 cent view of the facts.:)

 

The clause covers Carnival should the bus break down or the driver be negligent in getting the pax to the terminal on time.

 

Once the driver was instructed by a Carnival employee to wait past the required departure time, Carnival assumed responsibility for the bus being late.

 

Just my interpretation of the facts.

[cdnprincess]

Because they are employees of Carnival, except the bus and driver are not.They are probably Mears.The Carnival employees have no control over the bus company.Read the ticket! It is in the back of the packet that was mailed to you and its # 13A. It states that you assume the liability. Your beef is going to be with the bus company.This billion dollar company has its backside covered so don't think you will beat them. What if the bus got a flat tire?Carnivals fault? What if Carnival arranged air, got delayed from weather? Carnivals fault? Should they hold the ship because your flight might be delayed 5 hours?

You can still write the letter but how would it read????

 

 

My flight was late,I finally got on the bus at 2.50pm 10 minutes before I should have ALREADY been at the port per the enclosed documentation that you mailed to me that clearly states I need to be there 1 hour prior to check in...........

 

 

Steve

PS.Nothing personal,just my 2 cent view of the facts.:)

 

I want your view, but what you don't understand is the bus or the driver did not make the decision to wait the Carnival Supervisor Linda did. She admited it to us several times. If the bus was in an accident or flat tire, I can understand, but the supervisor made the decision to wait. If we had left when we were on the bus we would be at the port at least 3:30pm. I am sure they would have let us on the ship. If not I would be going after the airlines. At no time did the Carnival Employees tell us that we may be too late. Had that been the case, we would have insisted they leave the Delta passengers and take us to the port. I was told that the last bus leaves at 3:00. I was on it. Again, had my flight come in at the time it was supposed to at 1:15, I still would have been on that bus, because one couple came in at 1:30 and they were told to get on this bus. They came in on an earlier AA flight from Kansas and were not late. The final bus leaves anytime after 1:30 (after it gets full).

[huhwhat]

She isn't going to "sue" so they might be able to get away with it. Even if she did sue, maybe the fine print that Steve cites might have them prevail. But it is a really bad way to operate a business.

 

On our prior cruises we bought transfers from the airport to the ship from the cruiseline, next week we won't. Why would I pay significantly more than a cab for the right to wait for a bus to fill up and then have the chance to be mislead (or lied to) by a Carnival employee? (Out of perverse curiosity, I wonder if Carnival charged OP for the transfer and/or for transportation back to MCO.)

 

I suspect that Carnival told the travelers that they wouldn't cover anything with the hope that a good number had travel insurance.

[cdnprincess]

She isn't going to "sue" so they might be able to get away with it. Even if she did sue, maybe the fine print that Steve cites might have them prevail. But it is a really bad way to operate a business.

 

On our prior cruises we bought transfers from the airport to the ship from the cruiseline, next week we won't. Why would I pay significantly more than a cab for the right to wait for a bus to fill up and then have the chance to be mislead (or lied to) by a Carnival employee? (Out of perverse curiosity, I wonder if Carnival charged OP for the transfer and/or for transportation back to MCO.)

 

I suspect that Carnival told the travelers that they wouldn't cover anything with the hope that a good number had travel insurance.

 

Well I booked the transportation when I booked the cruise, so I paid round trip, but I still have the one bus ticket.

 

I have a question on travel insurance, because it was disscussed. The insurance clearly states, that Carnival will cover 100% refund, if we are in a traffic accident (and injured)/jury duty/millitary service/illness. It does not say anything about being late (whether our fault or not). I don't think it would cover, would it? I read it on the Carnival site so I don't know if there is any fine print anywhere.

 

Does anyone know?

[maddea20]

Because they are employees of Carnival, except the bus and driver are not.They are probably Mears.The Carnival employees have no control over the bus company.Read the ticket! It is in the back of the packet that was mailed to you and its # 13A. It states that you assume the liability. Your beef is going to be with the bus company.This billion dollar company has its backside covered so don't think you will beat them. What if the bus got a flat tire?Carnivals fault? What if Carnival arranged air, got delayed from weather? Carnivals fault? Should they hold the ship because your flight might be delayed 5 hours?

You can still write the letter but how would it read????

 

 

My flight was late,I finally got on the bus at 2.50pm 10 minutes before I should have ALREADY been at the port per the enclosed documentation that you mailed to me that clearly states I need to be there 1 hour prior to check in...........

 

 

Steve

PS.Nothing personal,just my 2 cent view of the facts.:)

 

Wow you sure give it to a person hard. Just when the OP thinks everything is looking good for her and in her favor, you shoot it all down.

[Iamthesea]

P.S. Why does Salty have an advertisement in his sig for Dove? Is anyone else seeing this, or is it a glitch w/ my computer?

Yes, I see it too! :eek:

[cdnprincess]

Wow you sure give it to a person hard. Just when the OP thinks everything is looking good for her and in her favor, you shoot it all down.

 

I would think all that Steve is saying I would be hearing it from Carnival sometime soon, so I am getting my ammunition ready.

But yeah! I think I am getting somewhere and I get the fine print thrown at me !!! :) :) :)

[Ms Belvedere]

If you'll look at the weekend forecast for Long Island they are calling for a high of 50 tomorrow and 51 on Sunday. I checked because it is supposed to "warm up" here too--hallelujah!!!!

 

Amen to that. 81 was a nightmare on Wednesday. :rolleyes:

Ms B

[truecruiser]

cnd -- don't read the fine print. it'll only make you nuts for sure. i did not read what steveaaa was referring to, but wld think the carveouts wld not be discussing your assumption of liability for your situation. and, even if they do (and i'm not sure they cldn't be effectively argued anyway), reading it will only weaken your resolve to get this straightened out in the only manner that is fair.

 

here is my suggestion (FWIW), proceed w/ the premise that you have no independent agreement w/ Mears. the contractual relationship for transportation in general is btwn carnival and mears. your contractual relationship for transport is btwn you and carnival -- you did not purchase transfers independently, you purchased them through carnival to go on a bus with a company that carnival has a contract with. your right to a refund is independent of their right to get your reimbursed to them by Mears. they owe it to you, and mears owes it to them (but probably only a portion since there was clearly fault on the part of the carnival employees too).

 

insist that the errors of the carnival grounds crew and mears are the only reasons why you are in the position you are in, and that you are only rightly due a full refund, at minimum, and good customer svc wld dictate something else for missing the ship through no fault of your own. be adament about the fact that you stayed on that bus, and did not leave b/c you were specifically instructed to do so by carnival employees, and you were assured you wld not miss the ship --etc., etc. you know what to say...)

[cdnprincess]

cnd -- don't read the fine print. it'll only make you nuts for sure. i did not read what steveaaa was referring to, but wld think the carveouts wld not be discussing your assumption of liability for your situation. and, even if they do (and i'm not sure they cldn't be effectively argued anyway), reading it will only weaken your resolve to get this straightened out in the only manner that is fair.

 

here is my suggestion (FWIW), proceed w/ the premise that you have no independent agreement w/ Mears. the contractual relationship for transportation in general is btwn carnival and mears. your contractual relationship for transport is btwn you and carnival -- you did not purchase transfers independently, you purchased them through carnival to go on a bus with a company that carnival has a contract with. your right to a refund is independent of their right to get your reimbursed to them by Mears. they owe it to you, and mears owes it to them (but probably only a portion since there was clearly fault on the part of the carnival employees too).

 

insist that the errors of the carnival grounds crew and mears are the only reasons why you are in the position you are in, and that you are only rightly due a full refund, at minimum, and good customer svc wld dictate something else for missing the ship through no fault of your own. be adament about the fact that you stayed on that bus, and did not leave b/c you were specifically instructed to do so by carnival employees, and you were assured you wld not miss the ship --etc., etc. you know what to say...)

 

That is exactly what I have done.

Thanks

[PaddleAddict]

Forget about suing. I say you send your certified letters outlining everything that happened, and see what Carnival does. If they refuse to take responsibility, talk to the newpapers. If nothing else, this is a great story that people who plan on cruising should hear. I don't think Carnival will enjoy that negative publicity.