Complaint Review: Carnival Cruise Lines

My husband and I chose a Carnival Cruise as a way to bring in the new year. We were very disappointed. After driving 3 hours from Richland, MS to Mobile, AL, we arrived to the terminal only to be given a letter 5 minutes before boarding that the cruise to Cozumel was changed to a Cruise to Nowhere. We were first time cruisers and the very much looking forward to spending the New Years Holiday enjoying the sun and visiting a place that we had never seen before. That was not the case. Instead, we had to endure four days of seasickness, cold weather and very little entertainment.

I understand that because of propulsion problems, we were unable to proceed with the itinerary as planned. However, I do feel that it was Carnival's responsibility to advise us that we had the option of receiving a full refund of our money as was given to 100 of the passengers who did not go. There were representatives throughout the terminal who advised us that we could not use cell phones or cameras. I feel that these same individuals should have been instructed to verbally inform us of our right to a full refund should we choose not to go. Because we could not use our cell phones in the terminal, I was unable to check with our travel insurance to find out if we could receive reimbursement. This impaired our ability to make an educated decision about whether or not to take the cruise. My husband and I spent over $700 on a cruise that was supposed to give us memories to last a lifetime. While I will always remember this cruise, the memories will not be pleasant. I have since contacted representatives with Carnival and been told that no reimbursement would be offered. I feel that I paid for a service that was not given.

Sandra
Richland, Mississippi
U.S.A.