jennztx Posted March 13, 2007 #1 Share Posted March 13, 2007 When I noticed that my credit card charges for my sign & sail account posted approximately $20 higher than the statement I received the morning of debarkation I called Carnival to request an explanation. I know I had put $2 of coffee that morning from the cafe on my card but nothing else from that morning or previous evening. It turns out they charged me for what must have been all the sodas and water bottle that were left untouched in our 2 cabins. Now I truly had no use for these sodas and had asked the room steward on the first evening if he could remove them to free up the room on the desk (as other cruise lines have done), but he stated he could not. So they sat untouched throughout my cruise and were left there. I had brought a small quantity of our own water & soda aboard and purchased coffee and some cocktails on the ship. We were parked at the pier for our drive home and certainly had no need for their beverages that day either. We left the standard tips on our account... nothing extra... room steward couldn't remember after multiple requests for tissue box refill in room, soap, dirty comforter on arrival not changed, wouldn't separate beds. He was plenty pleasant and always said 'no problem' when I made a request for these but just never done. Small stuff but I didn't have huge expectations for this my first Carnival Cruise (prior 4x RCCL, 1x HAL). And then the last day at sea he really wanted me to fill out the comment survey right in front of him. Said I'd have a much better chance of winning the drawing if I let him turn my survey in instead of dropping it off at the pursers desk. Problem was he didn't want to let me fill it out at my convenience. So right before that evenings dinner he asked again if I wanted to fill it out right then and there in front of him, and I asked if he could just leave it with me so I could fill it out that evening. Then he claimed he was completely out of surveys and he'd try and get me one later. Well I came back to my room later and found no survey forms so I called the pursers desk and explained the situation. So then the steward comes back to give me the comment cards, I tell him I will drop them at the pursers desk (which is what the pursers desk said should be done). I start to fill it out and notice that the steward had already filled the portions of the survey that applied to him (regarding cabin and his friendliness). These portions were prefilled out with exceeded expectations. Well I found that a bit annoying as this whole comment card business was the most hard time I had with the steward throughout the cruise. I told the pursers desk about this, and went on about filling out my comments appropriately. Anyways, it seems that if one doesn't insure the steward that all marks are 'exceed expectations' a nice extra bill for unused items is what one is in for. Perhaps many people don't check their sign/sail accounts but I do that kind of thing (always the accountant). I didn't understand why they wouldn't print off a statement in advance of the final morning one, as other cruise lines have no problem with that. Our dining room waiter was down right surly, and they received the standard tips as well as the assistants were very nice. I feel their tip level is very moderate and had planned to leave extra for good service. I felt the comment card was my only way to express some of this info. As I said I didn't come on expecting the level of service received on other cruises and kept all of this in mind, but feel there are basic standards of service one should receive anywhere that were somewhat on the edge. I had a fun time in spite, but will not be returning to Carnival. Any one had to dispute charges for in room beverages not used after returning home. I asked the Carnival service phone rep if this is common and she said yes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurbanfan Posted March 13, 2007 #2 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Any one had to dispute charges for in room beverages not used after returning home. I asked the Carnival service phone rep if this is common and she said yes! Not upon returning home, but our friends noticed on the last day on their bill they were charged the water and sodas that were in their room on their account. They did not drink them. They had to stand in line and argue with the pursers desk about it.:( Finally got it taken off. Since then we always make sure we check our bill. I have heard that happening alot. Never heard of anyone with a extra charge on their credit card bill after they got home........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribbean dreams Posted March 13, 2007 #3 Share Posted March 13, 2007 WOW! the Steward filled out part of the survey:eek: I have never run across that before. I always ask to have the desk or fridge items removed because i will not beusuing them, on some Carnival ships they say no problem and remove them and on some they say they can not remove thems. I am sorry you had a not so great steward, i have been on lots of cruises and so far have had very good luck, never any problems at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyjo143 Posted March 13, 2007 #4 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I can say that on our recent Fascination cruise, DH and I saw a room steward of assistant reading a comment card on his way upstairs to drop it off. I did find that strange and I would never let an employee drop off my comment card for me. I will be the one to fill it out and I will not be intimidated to say anything that I do not believe to be true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas_firefighter Posted March 13, 2007 #5 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I checked early evening on the t.v. screen on last day and found a charge for wine tasting(about $12.00) that i didn't attend . I went to pursers desk and after checking receipts,(all done while I went on my way to dinner),They left a message on my phone that it had been removed and a bottle of champagne at my door.I'm glad I went while there was no line,you should have seen it that next morning.:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guienevere_Arianette Posted March 13, 2007 #6 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I just got off the Ecstasy twelve days ago and am surprised and saddened by this ugly behavior. I can't imagine what happened; we had ordered a bar setup, so when we got to the room we were pleasently surprised to see that the fridge had been cleaned out (all sodas/water on the shelf) and was ready to house our personal drinks! Then, partway through the cruise, I realized I could not finish the remaining six pack of Seagrams Club Soda, prepaid through their gift service. I asked if we could get them switched for a six pack of coke, and voila! no problems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3boysvus Posted March 13, 2007 #7 Share Posted March 13, 2007 we had ordered a bar setup, so when we got to the room we were pleasently surprised to see that the fridge had been cleaned out (all sodas/water on the shelf) and was ready to house our personal drinks! Then, partway through the cruise, I realized I could not finish the remaining six pack of Seagrams Club Soda, prepaid through their gift service. Okay, sorry if this seems stupid, but where does the liquor for the bar come from - I thought that you couldn't bring it (or at least are not supposed to), and that the bottles purchased on board weren't delivered until the last night. - So what am I missing? I want a legal bar in my room:confused: . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartLittle Posted March 13, 2007 #8 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Okay, sorry if this seems stupid, but where does the liquor for the bar come from - I thought that you couldn't bring it (or at least are not supposed to), and that the bottles purchased on board weren't delivered until the last night. - So what am I missing? I want a legal bar in my room:confused: . You can order it legally ahead of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3boysvus Posted March 13, 2007 #9 Share Posted March 13, 2007 At onboard prices? (Or is that just wishful thinking?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deborahjo Posted March 13, 2007 #10 Share Posted March 13, 2007 The bottles of alcohol are more expensive and so is the mixer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartLittle Posted March 13, 2007 #11 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I've never done it as I prefer to smuggle my own, but I've seen posts here that say it's $40 +- per litre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaceguy Posted March 13, 2007 #12 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Well now I know where our cabin steward went from the RCCL Mariner....We had this same problem in Sep 06..... Did not receive a comment card at all in our room and the last morning found my weekly charges to include items apparently from the room, just like you. Yes, I went and waited in line and told the Purser. Since I had charged no drinks all week it was easy to see I wouldn't have used or charged those either and they removed the charges without any fuss. We turned in the cabin steward's name as the likely suspect and the fact he didn't leave us a comment card at all. We did write our own letter and provide feedback both good and bad... I never thought perhaps he and his buddies were filling the cards in themselves!! No wonder he got such a good recommendation from RCCL to move to Carnival! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesar68 Posted March 13, 2007 #13 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I checked early evening on the t.v. screen on last day and found a charge for wine tasting(about $12.00) that i didn't attend . Does this mean that you can see your spending/keep track of your spending on your S+S card via the TV????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guienevere_Arianette Posted March 13, 2007 #14 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I've never done it as I prefer to smuggle my own, but I've seen posts here that say it's $40 +- per litre. It's true; and, if you're like me and paid $40 for a liter of Vanilla Absolut Vodka and then walk by the gift shop where the same bottle is $15, you might be pissed... HOWEVER, keep in mind that what you are really paying for is the ability to drink it in your room from day one of cruise. I figured that a liter has 35 1 oz shots, approximately; depending on how strong I want my drink, that's 15-30 different cocktails with my mixers; at aprox $5 a cocktail, I figure I'm saving tons of money by buying the liter and mixing my own in my room ;) (in a suite or balcony, of course; see previous threads by YogiMax :D ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGP1111 Posted March 13, 2007 #15 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Once again I must consider myself the luckiest cruiser on the planet, as I've never had an error in charges - ever!! Never consumed the in-cabin items, and never been charged. When a shore excursion gets cancelled, I get an immediate credit. Never had a cabin steward say one word about the comment card in regard to my filling it out in their favor. And <knock on wood> I've never had a cabin steward that wasn't great. My only repeat challenge is somehow getting that one doofus purser each cruise who doesn't know how to accept advance payments, such as the gift certificates. I hear about people being incorrectly charged, but my problem is getting them to take my money. Go figure!!:p I'm bummed to hear others continue to have these unfortunate issues. I wish I could share a bit of my good luck/karma with them.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolone Posted March 14, 2007 #16 Share Posted March 14, 2007 My family and I will be sailing on the Valor in Nov. How Do I order a setup for our cabins. It would nice to have a few cocktails on the balcony before dinner:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethaniesmom Posted March 14, 2007 #17 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I checked early evening on the t.v. screen on last day and found a charge for wine tasting(about $12.00) that i didn't attend . Does this mean that you can see your spending/keep track of your spending on your S+S card via the TV????? yes, you can see your account on the room tv! we have only one time been charged for an item that was not ours and that was on RCL, newlyweds at our table ordered wine...we paid for it...unfortunately, we didn't realize it till we got home...oh well, our present to them I guess...they were nice people! but it did teach me to look a little closer at the statement that they slip under your door the last day.... Beverly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGP1111 Posted March 14, 2007 #18 Share Posted March 14, 2007 . . .yes, you can see your account on the room tv!. . . I had no clue on that one. Wow, thanks for sharing, Beverly!! Ya learn something new every time you log on to this here computer thingy.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiling Cruiser Posted March 14, 2007 #19 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Happened to us once. A quick call to the cruiseline resulted in the correct bill. It was handled professionally and without stress. Probably the luck of the draw with who answers the phone. Our DD had a major communication company charge her account $1000 for a deposit for new service instead of $100. She called them back the next AM and they told her it would take three weeks to refund her money.They had to "investigate." Thank goodness her bank was quicker to respond. She had her money back the next day. Remember that your credit card company or your bank can help out when necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guienevere_Arianette Posted March 14, 2007 #20 Share Posted March 14, 2007 My family and I will be sailing on the Valor in Nov. How Do I order a setup for our cabins. It would nice to have a few cocktails on the balcony before dinner:D Go to the carnival website and get the number for the Bon Voyage department; then, simply ask phone rep for a barsetup; you name some alcohols, they'll give you a few brand choices, and you can request mixers, as well. For 100 dollars I got a liter of Tanqueray Gin, a liter of Absolut Vanilla Vodka, and two six packs of club soda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2NnB Posted March 14, 2007 #21 Share Posted March 14, 2007 VODKA: Smirnoff, Absolute Reg, Vanilla & Citron and Stoli - $40.00 Kettle One, Grey Goose & Velvadeer (name could be with a B) - $60.00 RUM: Bacardi O, Meyers Dk Rum & Capt. morgans - $40.00 Malibu - $55.00 Bacardi 8 - $60.00 JACK DANIELS - $55.00 WHISKEY: Canadian Whiskey,Johnny Walker Red,Segram 7 Blk,J & B & Jameson-$38.00 Segram Crown Royal, Chivas Regal - $55.00 These are the only quotes I got. She said you can order up to 1 week before sailing date. I spoke with Vivian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolone Posted March 14, 2007 #22 Share Posted March 14, 2007 :D Thank's for the information , We think it will be cheaper than running to the bars for drinks, since it will be five of us. More money to do other things.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50cruiser Posted March 14, 2007 #23 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Ive been lucky that Ive never been charged for drinks but 2 years ago on HOL masdam I was charged for a complete spa treatment. I got it removed but it delayed me quite a while as they had to get the people in spa to get paperwoork to see what happened. Someone had given my room and name but didnt have my card to charge bill to. they signed my name which the purser said was not allowed without room key.WHEN they finally got bill. The person signed it MRS ------- /. And IM traveling solo no MRS in my room. . and it was obvious it wasnt my signiture . So they removed it but not after quite a bit of delay. They apalgised for inconvenice But to this day im stil a little upset someone would do that. And it delayed me my buffer time to airflight out. ALSO I ALWAYS INSIST ROOM STEWARD REMOVE ALL ITEMS IN MY ROOM I MIGHT BE CHARGED FOR .EXCEPT TOWELS . IF THEY GIVE ME A PROBLEM WITH THAT I CALL PURSERS DESK AND THEY WILL MAKE SURE ITS DONE I PREFER TO PURCHASE THE ITEMS I NEED NOT WHAT MIGHT COME UP MISSING> CARL . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennztx Posted March 14, 2007 Author #24 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I just got off the Ecstasy twelve days ago and am surprised and saddened by this ugly behavior. I can't imagine what happened; we had ordered a bar setup, so when we got to the room we were pleasently surprised to see that the fridge had been cleaned out (all sodas/water on the shelf) and was ready to house our personal drinks! Then, partway through the cruise, I realized I could not finish the remaining six pack of Seagrams Club Soda, prepaid through their gift service. I asked if we could get them switched for a six pack of coke, and voila! no problems! I assume only suites have fridges on the Ecstasy. Our oceanview cabin didn't have one. We brought a soft sided small rolling cooler, but weren't really concerned with keeping the drinks ice cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennztx Posted March 14, 2007 Author #25 Share Posted March 14, 2007 I checked early evening on the t.v. screen on last day and found a charge for wine tasting(about $12.00) that i didn't attend . Does this mean that you can see your spending/keep track of your spending on your S+S card via the TV????? I know other ships have this ability, but I don't believe so on the Ecstasy. Also the charge wasn't added to my statement until the date of debarkation, so checking the tv wouldn't have helped as the. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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