Incorrect charges--Conquest

[cwestbrook]

I was in a party of 6 on the June 3rd Conquest sailing out of Galveston. We were supposed to receive our statement between 5 and 6 AM on our last morning but did not get it until JUST BEFORE they called our floor to disembark. All 6 of us had incorrect charges on our bill. Most added up to under $20 so we didn't take the time to go down and stand in a long line at the purser's desk to fight about it since we had just been called to disembark and were more than ready to leave. As we waited in line to disembark and to get through customs we heard many people with the same story. Most of the charges were for room service beverages we didn't use and bar drinks we didn't order.

 

I wasn't able to look at my statement on my TV because my remote didn't work. My daughter was able to look at it but from the time she looked at it til she got down to the purser's desk, $30 more had been added to it----incorrectly.

 

While it didn't add up to a huge amount for each of us, imagine how much it added up to for 2000-3000 people.

 

All 6 of us said we were done with Carnival. Food was sub par, service was sub par and it seemed like they just existed to get more money from us instead of to serve us. It's a shame because we live just hours from Galveston and would like to cruise more. We'll just have to spend more money to go on other cruise lines.

[Lashlock]

totally agree

we've also found 3 extra charges, each of $100, even though they assured us no holds on our cards and we paid our balance in full, in cash (including those lovely extra charges at the end of the cruise in the morning)

[mamaskittles]

From the reviews it sounds like this particular sailing had many difficulties. Write to Carnival and explain the problems. If they owe you money maybe they will refund it.

[thoneycu]

I was in a party of 6 on the June 3rd Conquest sailing out of Galveston. We were supposed to receive our statement between 5 and 6 AM on our last morning but did not get it until JUST BEFORE they called our floor to disembark. All 6 of us had incorrect charges on our bill. Most added up to under $20 so we didn't take the time to go down and stand in a long line at the purser's desk to fight about it since we had just been called to disembark and were more than ready to leave. As we waited in line to disembark and to get through customs we heard many people with the same story. Most of the charges were for room service beverages we didn't use and bar drinks we didn't order.

 

I wasn't able to look at my statement on my TV because my remote didn't work. My daughter was able to look at it but from the time she looked at it til she got down to the purser's desk, $30 more had been added to it----incorrectly.

 

While it didn't add up to a huge amount for each of us, imagine how much it added up to for 2000-3000 people.

 

All 6 of us said we were done with Carnival. Food was sub par, service was sub par and it seemed like they just existed to get more money from us instead of to serve us. It's a shame because we live just hours from Galveston and would like to cruise more. We'll just have to spend more money to go on other cruise lines.

 

Thanks for the warning. I will definitely be paying close attention to our bill and our tv/remote better be working so I can check it from the cabin.

[Lashlock]

Also check your drinks in your stateroom fridge if you are planning on having them removed. A few people that we know of had problems with being charged for drinks they didnt use out of the fridge, and the drinks were missing when they went to prove that they didnt drink them, or the fridge's were locked and of course the charge wasn't showing up until 8am when its time to disembark. Even if you have the drinks removed, I"m afraid that some faulty charging might still occur.

[viciouslysh]

Our remote didn't work either. Batteries were dying and had to press several times to get it to change if it would at all. It stayed on the cartoon channel the whole time. Which was fine for the kids. We called about it once but they said the Steward was off for the night. But we had charges too that we didn't make. Like you said, lines too long to worry about it.

[Carolinamamasita]

Also check your drinks in your stateroom fridge if you are planning on having them removed. A few people that we know of had problems with being charged for drinks they didnt use out of the fridge, and the drinks were missing when they went to prove that they didnt drink them, or the fridge's were locked and of course the charge wasn't showing up until 8am when its time to disembark. Even if you have the drinks removed, I"m afraid that some faulty charging might still occur.

 

I had this problem . I did not touch any of their drinks.

I brought & bought my own .

However upon my final bill there appeared a Stateroom Beverage charge . It was small, but I was in shock.:eek: I reported it to the pursers desk immediately. Then I talked with the Room Steward . He said that he would have it removed.

However it never was ...

 

My next cruise , I am going to ask that all their beverages be removed from MY cabin . And hope that it doesnt happen again.

[jessemon]

You can always stop by the pursers desk during the cruise and ask for a statement of your bill up to that point of the cruise.......

I always check mine a couple of times during a cruise.....;)

[Lashlock]

another large problem.. the pursers refused to print or show balances, or even tell you your balance, and always said to check your TV, or that they would have a statement delivered to your room. Often the statement never appeared. Our final statement appeared at 8am the sunday that we were leaving with extraneous charges...

[trarecar]

Hopefully they will have this corrected soon.

 

Don't other lines cruise out of Galveston already?

[Lashlock]

other lines? there are more than carnival for sure if that is what you are saying.. but I might be reading it incorrectly

[PINEVIEW01]

Sounds like from these boards this is a big issue on the Conquest.

[Tulip_Girl]

When we were on the Conquest last month, we never did get a statement of our charges. We checked the TV, and everything was correct, but after reading about these problems, I'm a little worried. We loved the cruise, though!

[trarecar]

Yes, I meant other cruiselines.

 

Maybe I should bring some extra batteries in case the remote doesn't work when we go. LOL I don't want to have to spend much time standing in line to get something fixed on my vacation.

[grandma bev]

Rather than pay for what we did not charge, I would contact my credit card company and dispute the bill. Do save every bit of documentation, including your handwritten notes re phone calls, visits to purser's desk, etc.

I once challenged a hotel room rate charge, the credit card company made a conference call, and when manager was told I had documentation, his memory suddenly "improved" ;) and the false charge was removed.

We always use credit cards for major/important purchases because most allow you to dispute charges.

Bev

[Timmys_mom]

I did have this problem on the Conquest - for one of those big bottles of water. It was never in the room, but I got charged for it. It took 4 tries to get it removed. This also happened to a couple of other people in our group. I reported my concern to guest relations and the response was "we will check into it".

 

However, of my four Carnival cruises, this is the only time I had problems with extra charges.

[Lashlock]

I agree, my previous carnival experiences with the pursers were fantastic and always prompt, and i also remember getting a statement at least once, sometimes twice a day

[southbayer]

Yeah that happens alot.... I had that happen to me on a drink I ordered but never recieved on the last night of the big show that lasted about 35 min. By the time I noticed it the next morning, the information desk was packed, so I let it go.

I was in a party of 6 on the June 3rd Conquest sailing out of Galveston. We were supposed to receive our statement between 5 and 6 AM on our last morning but did not get it until JUST BEFORE they called our floor to disembark. All 6 of us had incorrect charges on our bill. Most added up to under $20 so we didn't take the time to go down and stand in a long line at the purser's desk to fight about it since we had just been called to disembark and were more than ready to leave. As we waited in line to disembark and to get through customs we heard many people with the same story. Most of the charges were for room service beverages we didn't use and bar drinks we didn't order.

 

I wasn't able to look at my statement on my TV because my remote didn't work. My daughter was able to look at it but from the time she looked at it til she got down to the purser's desk, $30 more had been added to it----incorrectly.

 

While it didn't add up to a huge amount for each of us, imagine how much it added up to for 2000-3000 people.

 

All 6 of us said we were done with Carnival. Food was sub par, service was sub par and it seemed like they just existed to get more money from us instead of to serve us. It's a shame because we live just hours from Galveston and would like to cruise more. We'll just have to spend more money to go on other cruise lines.

[boogsmom]

I cannot believe that this seems to be a HUGE problem with this boat. You would think that if Carnival is receiving that many complaints that they would implement a different procedure.

 

When we cruised on RCL last year... they gave us a copy of our signed receipt. I don't see how they continue to do this over week in and week out. Maybe the feel that people are not going to dispute the charges. But with that said - not sure who benefits other than carnival... because it surely would not be the staff on board.

 

Well this is one of the things that I will be watching for this sunday!

[Snoozeman]

Four cruises on the Conquest and I've always received the bill early on debarkation day and I've never had an incorrect billing. Only once did I have weak batteries and they replaced the remote within an hour.

[irishgirl]

I've never been charged for something I did not have on any Carnival ship. I always have the steward keep the fridge locked and I sign the sheet for the steward that I want it locked.

 

Now on RCCL Voyager, I was charged for drinks on the last night that I never had, but got it removed.

[shargurl]

Four cruises on the Conquest and I've always received the bill early on debarkation day and I've never had an incorrect billing. Only once did I have weak batteries and they replaced the remote within an hour.

 

I agree! I've only cruised a couple times but my first time was on the Conquest and everything was GREAT! Our remote was replaced quickly and our billing was fine. You can view your charges throughout the cruise on TV. We never had a problem.:)

[kattharris]

Lashlock,

What were the 3 $100 charges for? Did you find out?

[trarecar]

I went and looked at the Conquest reviews forum after reading more than one of the pretty bad Conquest threads for this cruise. The Conquest has gotten consisent high marks. Maybe this was just a bad week? A manager in charge of this type of stuff was ill/replaced, etc? I look forward to a review from this week's sailing.

[pink roses]

I will tell you that we also sailed on the Conquest in Oct. and although we were not charged anything, I do agree with all of your other comments concerning that ship. I did make my comments known on the comment card and I never had anyone respond back to me. I also went to the Pursers desk the night before the end of the cruise to ask for a statement and they would not give me one said they were fixing to deliver them, but did not until that next morning. I will say that we decided to try Carnival once more and went on the Holiday in MArch. We were so very pleased with the service, friendliness and etc. that we now have another cruise with Carnival planned. I almost let that one cruise change my mind about Carnival and am very happy I did not .