Glory to Miami - Guess I'm Cancelling

[TwinMom7]

We are currently booked on the Carnival Glory for a November 7, 2009 cruise out of Port Canaveral - which is now no longer happening.

 

Our option - fly into Miami and sail on the Glory on November 8th. Nice, new itineray - looks good.

 

Looks good, except for the fact that at Port Canaveral we had family - so we didn't have to pay for a hotel the night before.

 

Looks good, except that we had a rate of $739 for a balcony room and now that same room is $879 with a new reservation. That's a $280 difference for the two of us and Carnival is offering us a $50 OBC - sorry, but that doesn't seem quite fair.

 

The additional cost for the new reservation, plus the fact that our daughter was engaged last week and is planning a wedding for next summer - well let's just say I guess GOD is telling me to cancel and plan something for later.

[DarthGrady]

Sorry to hear that you'll have to cancel. I know some folks were hoping that their reservations would be rolled over onto the Dream. I guess they aren't gonna do that.

[pungo3]

I'm sorry this happened. I hope you have a fabulous "future" cruise. Maybe something better is out there waiting for you.:D

[SouthernCaribbean]

Sorry to hear that you'll have to cancel. I know some folks were hoping that their reservations would be rolled over onto the Dream. I guess they aren't gonna do that.

 

In her case there isnt a ship to roll over to...Dream doesnt arrive until Dec 5th.

 

 

To the OP..congrats on your daughter wedding!! I know losing a cruise hurt.

[TwinMom7]

In her case there isnt a ship to roll over to...Dream doesnt arrive until Dec 5th.

 

 

To the OP..congrats on your daughter wedding!! I know losing a cruise hurt.

 

This is exactly right. Those sailing between October 3 and December 5 of 2009 have to cancel and rebook at a higher rate. There are no 7-day cruises out of PC during this time frame.

[TwinMom7]

Sorry to hear that you'll have to cancel. I know some folks were hoping that their reservations would be rolled over onto the Dream. I guess they aren't gonna do that.

 

They are going to do this - if you're booked after December 5th.

 

We were booked for November 7th - and there will be no Carnival ship at Port Canaveral for a 7-day cruise from October until December. Nothing to transfer us to.

[MamaParrotHead]

Wait a minute. Before you cancel, check with someone else. We rebooked to Glory, same cruise, day later and have same rate and fuel supplement protected. ITA, everything else is a PITA and I'm all ready on the warpath about it all, but the rate and fuel supplement are the same (for us anyway).

[caribbeanboy]

Don't they match the price???

[lucigo]

I was booked for Nov 21, am considering the Miracle instead, it has a good price and an extra day. Still waiting to hear back from my PVP though. Sounds like you have to fight for what you want!

[TwinMom7]

Wait a minute. Before you cancel, check with someone else. We rebooked to Glory, same cruise, day later and have same rate and fuel supplement protected. ITA, everything else is a PITA and I'm all ready on the warpath about it all, but the rate and fuel supplement are the same (for us anyway).

 

I'll call again.

 

I called this morning and spoke with a Carnival rep. I told her I was booked at a rate of $739 for a Category 8A Balcony. She told me that I would have to cancel and rebook at whatever rate was being shown for the Miami sailing one day later. The rate is $879.

 

Another phone call won't hurt.

[TwinMom7]

Another phone call made no difference.

 

The rate we booked at was not honored.

 

Our reservation would have to be cancelled and rebooked on the same ship -same room - same week - but the new rate out of Miami would have cost a total of $280 more for the two of us. I told him that was not acceptable and his response was, "but Carnival is offering you a $50 OBC for your trouble."

 

It was all I could do not to laugh at him.

 

I informed him that this would have been our 3rd Carnival cruise in 3 years - but I'd be more than glad to give Royal Caribbean a try.

 

I'm always ready to try something new. There's lots of ocean out there and lots of cruise lines. It will be a very long time before I return to Carnival.

[debster11]

Another phone call made no difference.

 

The rate we booked at was not honored.

 

Our reservation would have to be cancelled and rebooked on the same ship -same room - same week - but the new rate out of Miami would have cost a total of $280 more for the two of us. I told him that was not acceptable and his response was, "but Carnival is offering you a $50 OBC for your trouble."

 

It was all I could do not to laugh at him.

 

I informed him that this would have been our 3rd Carnival cruise in 3 years - but I'd be more than glad to give Royal Caribbean a try.

 

I'm always ready to try something new. There's lots of ocean out there and lots of cruise lines. It will be a very long time before I return to Carnival.

 

I know you have already called twice but I would call again and demand to speak to a supervisor. It is not your fault the ship is being re positioned and you shouldn't have to pay for that.

[TwinMom7]

I know you have already called twice but I would call again and demand to speak to a supervisor. It is not your fault the ship is being re positioned and you shouldn't have to pay for that.

 

Thanks Debster. There's just no "fight" left in me. I was so aggravated during the second call that I just cancelled on the spot.

 

It's no skin off Carnival's back. They've got over a year to sell my cabin and they'll do it - a refurbished ship in a new location with a new itinerary - at a higher price. They don't give two cents about my cancelled cruise.

[zqvol]

Thanks Debster. There's just no "fight" left in me. I was so aggravated during the second call that I just cancelled on the spot.

 

It's no skin off Carnival's back. They've got over a year to sell my cabin and they'll do it - a refurbished ship in a new location with a new itinerary - at a higher price. They don't give two cents about my cancelled cruise.

 

This post answers it all. Carnival doesn't feel they have to do more because it is over a year away. The $50 OBC was more than generous under the circumstances.

[Travel Angel]

The $50 OBC was more than generous under the circumstances.

 

How in the heck is a $50.00 OBC (which is probably costing the cruiseline at best $15.00 in real costs) to be considered generous when the passenger is paying $280.00 more to cruise on the same ship in the same category stateroom ???

 

Respectfully disagree with you on this.... Carnival is making a huge mistake not allowing booked passengers the first chance to get onboard the ship, that THEY elected to move to a new departure port and at the exisiting rates originally booked at.....And you can argue the point that within the contract they have the right to change itinerary at anytime, but that just doesnt fly in this case. At minimum, they should have honored the existing rates.... Bad PR on CCL's part here.....Repeat passengers are a large % of their bookings and they will only be giving folks a reason to try other cruiselines that are not under their huge umbrella already !

 

For those booked thru a TA, and if the TA was looking out for your best interest, they would be contacting their Carnival DSM and fight this issue or get some type of compensation i.e. OBC, equal to any rate differences for the change.

[Chigirlcruzin]

Another phone call made no difference.

 

The rate we booked at was not honored.

 

Our reservation would have to be cancelled and rebooked on the same ship -same room - same week - but the new rate out of Miami would have cost a total of $280 more for the two of us. I told him that was not acceptable and his response was, "but Carnival is offering you a $50 OBC for your trouble."

 

It was all I could do not to laugh at him.

 

I informed him that this would have been our 3rd Carnival cruise in 3 years - but I'd be more than glad to give Royal Caribbean a try.

 

I'm always ready to try something new. There's lots of ocean out there and lots of cruise lines. It will be a very long time before I return to Carnival.

 

That is just wrong. I can't believe they won't match the rate (I mean, I believe you, but I'm shocked that they won't match:) ). And to make you pay $280 more but give you $50 OBC? You're a better person than I am...I would have laughed and told the person how assanine that is.

[fllady61]

I'll call again.

 

I called this morning and spoke with a Carnival rep. I told her I was booked at a rate of $739 for a Category 8A Balcony. She told me that I would have to cancel and rebook at whatever rate was being shown for the Miami sailing one day later. The rate is $879.

 

Another phone call won't hurt.

 

 

If you know who you originally booked through, go through them. Not just Someone on the phone. That rep will tell you anything to get the credit for the sail of the cruise.

 

Let me do some looking for you.

[Chigirlcruzin]

Does anybody know why they're moving the Glory 2 months before the Dream arrives? It doesn't make sense to me...Glory is the only 7 day option out of Pt Canaveral; Miami has several 7 day options. Now PC is left without a 7 day option for 2 months:confused:

[Steph123]

I booked the Destiny out of San Juan in Oct of 07,for a Nov 08 cruise. A few days later they changed to the Victory for that port. I had to pay the higher price with just the $50 OBC. So they are doing the same thing again. Nancy

[Chigirlcruzin]

I booked the Destiny out of San Juan in Oct of 07,for a Nov 08 cruise. A few days later they changed to the Victory for that port. I had to pay the higher price with just the $50 OBC. So they are doing the same thing again. Nancy

 

 

How can they do this? This just isn't right! Your situation especially...all they're doing is changing the ship...why should you have to pay more???:mad:

[magictam]

I agree with the OP that this is bad PR for Carnival.

 

I had a similar situation on HAL. I booked a cruise for 11/09 and they cancelled it. I was offered my choice of 3 other sailings to choice from, 1 catagory upgrade at NO additional cost then what I booked orignally and 75.00 OBC pp. This was a different ship (much smaller), different itinerary and different ports of call.

 

I would think at a mimumin Carnival could have offered the same cabin at the same price with the 50 OBC. I don't blame the OP at all for being upset.

 

Good luck with choosing your next cruise & cruise line.

[mrgame101]

I totally agree as well. They should allow you to rebook same week/cabin/and price!!

[DGP1111]

I'm going to beg everyone who is affected by the Glory/Dream situation, that has recently occured, to give it a short while before giving up and cancelling bookings.

When it comes to customer service via a call center, Carnival Cruise Lines is, at best, a second class operation. But that is not totally the fault of the person(s) answering the phone. They can only work with the information they've been provided. . . and CCL has done a piss-poor job of providing those individuals with the tools they need to handle these tasks. Not only are they having to deal with the Glory debacle, but they're still trying to solve the situation with the Carnival Freedom Europe cancellations as well. Some of those agents have reached nirvana, and and I wouldn't doubt some have resigned this week. The person I spoke to this morning (Kim in the Resolutions Dept) was doing her best, but came across as a total moron. She was not aware that the sailing dates in Miami had been moved to Sundays ("Really, are you sure?"), or that the cabins currently held had been put back into inventory("No, everything is still the same", followed several minutes later by, "You are right, but I can find something closeby"). She initially stated that everything would have to be re-booked and at the new rate, and later changed that to keeping the same rate but changing sailing dates.

Seven times (I kid you not) she said, "Umm, please hold". She was flustered beyond description, and I did feel sorry for her. This was a corporate screw-up much higher up the ladder.

I asked if it was possible to be connected to the office, or voicemail, of Lynne Torrent, and after that, Kim was not able to put together a complete sentence.

The last info I was given is that bookings are defintely going to be moved to other ships (including Carnival Dream) at the same booked rate. That process would begin "no later than mid-July". That really made no sense, but Kim was making noises like she was about to throw up, so I told her to take a deep breath, have a nice day, good luck, and then I hung up.

Robert, if you happen to be reading this (and I know you occasionally do), as a training supervisor for this group of individuals. . . you are a doofus. These people on the phones deserve better information. No wonder some of the best PVPs leave.

[TwinMom7]

If you know who you originally booked through, go through them. Not just Someone on the phone. That rep will tell you anything to get the credit for the sail of the cruise.

 

Let me do some looking for you.

 

I booked directly through Carnival Group Sales and that's where I dealt yesterday - with two different reps. Once I got through with the second one, I gave up and cancelled.

 

I spoke with the other members who are currently booked in our "group" and they are all cancelling today.

 

I sent a lengthy letter to Carnival Guest Relations - basically telling them that "they may be the biggest, but their definatley not the best when it comes to customer service when it comes to repeat customers".

[TwinMom7]

Does anybody know why they're moving the Glory 2 months before the Dream arrives? It doesn't make sense to me...Glory is the only 7 day option out of Pt Canaveral; Miami has several 7 day options. Now PC is left without a 7 day option for 2 months:confused:

 

I wondered the same thing. It comes down to the fact that those of us who had the misfortune of booking between October 3rd and December 5 got screwed.

 

My cruise on the same ship, same week, same itinerary and same room will now cost me over $600 more - rate increase, rental car, and hotel stay the night before. (We had family in Port Canaveral for overnight accomodations and transportation). All of that and a $50 OBC for our "trouble". Not worth it to me.

 

I'll be keeping my butt hear in Indiana next fall and I'll have more to spend on our daughter's wedding. It's not the Caribbean, but it will put a bigger smile on her face!!