- Report: #356470
Complaint Review: Carnival Cruise Lines -The Ecstasy - Miami Florida
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Carnival Cruise Lines -The Ecstasy
3655 NW 87 Avenue Miami, 33178-2428 Florida, U.S.A.
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305-599-2600
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Carnival Cruise Lines (Ref. The Ecstasy) Carnival Cruises $300. Rip Off By Carnival Cruise Lines For Day We Were Not Even On The Ship! Miami, Florida
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES IS TERRIBLE! DON'T GO!!
Several months ago, we were booked to sail out on Oct. 25th 2007 on the Ecstasy out of Galveston on a four day cruise. We were due to begin boarding at 11:00 AM, but due to a weather delay during the prior sailing we did not even get on the ship until around midnight (12:00 PM) and did not sail until the wee hours of the morning of the 26th. We lost our entire first day on board.
We totally understand about bad weather... this being our third cruise. However, Carnival gave everyone $100 each ship board credit to make up for the lost first day. Nice, especially for people that only paid $400 or so for their entire fare... as that is about 1/4 of the total fare and is exactly the amount of the trip that was lost. But... for those of us that purchased the best accommodations at $250 each per day... that was not much comfort. My husband and I together paid $500 for each day... including the first... and only got $200 back in credits. That means that WE JUST DONATED $300 OF OUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES FOR A DAY THAT WE WERE NOT EVEN ON THE SHIP!
Several times during the trip I complained to the pursers office about the situation, but was just told Sorry, there is nothing I can do. I called customer service when we got back and was told basically that I was just "shot out of luck" because they could not do anything to help me. And they said if I wrote a letter to some official it would just end up back at customer service and I still wouldn't get any help.
Ignoring that advice, I did write a very nice informative letter expressing my unhappiness and... guess what? Customer Service was absolutely correct! I did however get a nice, placating response from the assistant to the president to which I wrote. She said that she would see that my letter was brought to the attention of people that could address my concerns. After a while I got another letter stating that there would be no refund. At that point I posted this letter on a cruise travel web site review. After that posting I got another letter from the same person who seemed to be more miffed that I referred to her prior response as placating than in defusing the situation with me... her angry customer! (What ever happened to customer service?) All communications were rather curt and... WE CERTAINLY NEVER GOT A FAIR REFUND!
Of course... we probably signed away all our rights in order to go on this cruise. You either sign all that stuff or you don't go! But that still doesn't make it ok to rip customers off! Right is right and these people don't have a clue as to what that means! Perhaps I should take them to small claims court.
I was so upset about this cruise that after my unproductive complaints to management... I tried to just forget about it. But even now... when I think back on how we were treated... it is still quite upsetting. So, I think I need to do my best to let as many people as possible know how Carnival takes advantage of its customers. Do not think that just because you purchase a penthouse suite... you will be treated fairly. That very fact worked against us!
And, to add insult to injury... the food was absolutely terrible and in scant supply apparently! You could sit at a dining room table for two hours and still leave hungry. Room service was the only decent food on the ship... believe it or not. Also, upon embarkation we all had to sit on the floor in the "VIP Waiting Area" as there were no chairs ... a precursor of things to come apparently. Then, upon debarkation, we were herded like cattle... marooned in the area in front of the elevators with no air conditioning and no open doors for over thirty minutes! There were so many people in that little area that you could hardly breathe, couldn't move and... every time the elevator doors opened more people and their luggage would unload to stand there with us! It was unorganized and very dangerous!
On the other hand... I will say that our penthouse suite and room steward were great!
After reading many, many other complaints about Carnival on several web sites... I realize that this company routinely rips off its customers... one way or another. It must be in their business plan!! Let me say it again... DON'T SAIL ON CARNIVAL!!!
Madtexaslady
Trinity, Texas
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Carnival Cruise Lines
Several months ago, we were booked to sail out on Oct. 25th 2007 on the Ecstasy out of Galveston on a four day cruise. We were due to begin boarding at 11:00 AM, but due to a weather delay during the prior sailing we did not even get on the ship until around midnight (12:00 PM) and did not sail until the wee hours of the morning of the 26th. We lost our entire first day on board.
We totally understand about bad weather... this being our third cruise. However, Carnival gave everyone $100 each ship board credit to make up for the lost first day. Nice, especially for people that only paid $400 or so for their entire fare... as that is about 1/4 of the total fare and is exactly the amount of the trip that was lost. But... for those of us that purchased the best accommodations at $250 each per day... that was not much comfort. My husband and I together paid $500 for each day... including the first... and only got $200 back in credits. That means that WE JUST DONATED $300 OF OUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES FOR A DAY THAT WE WERE NOT EVEN ON THE SHIP!
Several times during the trip I complained to the pursers office about the situation, but was just told Sorry, there is nothing I can do. I called customer service when we got back and was told basically that I was just "shot out of luck" because they could not do anything to help me. And they said if I wrote a letter to some official it would just end up back at customer service and I still wouldn't get any help.
Ignoring that advice, I did write a very nice informative letter expressing my unhappiness and... guess what? Customer Service was absolutely correct! I did however get a nice, placating response from the assistant to the president to which I wrote. She said that she would see that my letter was brought to the attention of people that could address my concerns. After a while I got another letter stating that there would be no refund. At that point I posted this letter on a cruise travel web site review. After that posting I got another letter from the same person who seemed to be more miffed that I referred to her prior response as placating than in defusing the situation with me... her angry customer! (What ever happened to customer service?) All communications were rather curt and... WE CERTAINLY NEVER GOT A FAIR REFUND!
Of course... we probably signed away all our rights in order to go on this cruise. You either sign all that stuff or you don't go! But that still doesn't make it ok to rip customers off! Right is right and these people don't have a clue as to what that means! Perhaps I should take them to small claims court.
I was so upset about this cruise that after my unproductive complaints to management... I tried to just forget about it. But even now... when I think back on how we were treated... it is still quite upsetting. So, I think I need to do my best to let as many people as possible know how Carnival takes advantage of its customers. Do not think that just because you purchase a penthouse suite... you will be treated fairly. That very fact worked against us!
And, to add insult to injury... the food was absolutely terrible and in scant supply apparently! You could sit at a dining room table for two hours and still leave hungry. Room service was the only decent food on the ship... believe it or not. Also, upon embarkation we all had to sit on the floor in the "VIP Waiting Area" as there were no chairs ... a precursor of things to come apparently. Then, upon debarkation, we were herded like cattle... marooned in the area in front of the elevators with no air conditioning and no open doors for over thirty minutes! There were so many people in that little area that you could hardly breathe, couldn't move and... every time the elevator doors opened more people and their luggage would unload to stand there with us! It was unorganized and very dangerous!
On the other hand... I will say that our penthouse suite and room steward were great!
After reading many, many other complaints about Carnival on several web sites... I realize that this company routinely rips off its customers... one way or another. It must be in their business plan!! Let me say it again... DON'T SAIL ON CARNIVAL!!!
Madtexaslady
Trinity, Texas
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Carnival Cruise Lines
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Gb
Ann Arbor,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Agree--don't believe you were ripped off
#2Consumer Comment
Mon, August 11, 2008
Myself, having been on 7 cruises, have never been mis-treated by a cruise line. If you re-read the contract between yourself and the cruise line, they DO NOT have to compensate you in any way for delays, inconvenience, missed ports, etc. They were, however, being gracious and offering you $100.00 per person.....take it. It's $200 more than you had before you came aboard. My wife and I once were given $200.00 per person to our onboard account on Princess Cruises because the ship was 2 hours late arriving at the private island due to bad weather.....I didn't complain a bit! At least the cruise line tries their best to keep the passengers out of danger. Am also a bit confused....2 hours in the dining room and you left hungry? How much do you eat??? I have a healthy appetite and have never left a cruise ship dining room hungry--EVER! And, most of my cruises have been with Carnival! If your salad, soup, appetizer, dinner rolls, entree, and dessert don't seem to fill you up, you can always ask for seconds, or thirds, or fourths.....I'm sorry that you were disappointed on your cruise, but I think that the company acted in good faith, considering the fact that they legally owe you NOTHING. Better luck on your next cruise....
Txcruisepro
Dallas,Texas,
U.S.A.
Disappointed yes - ripped off no.
#3Consumer Comment
Sat, August 02, 2008
I've been in the cruise travel business for 18 years. To say madtexaslady missed an entire day and was unfairly compensated is a stretch. Weather can affect sailings just like it can affect air schedules. When an airline delays you due to weather do they give you anything back? No. When weather delayed this departure - totally out of the control of Carnival - they gave $100 p/p shipboard credit. $100 alone would pay the gratuities for the crew for both her and her husband and have money left over. The sailing is normally scheduled to depart Galveston at 4 pm. If the writer knew the ship departed at "the wee hours" she must have been up doing something on board. At most this ship was 12 hours late, not a whole day. Since she did not comment otherwise, I assume the sailing proceeded as scheduled. At most she missed dinner and the show the first evening. This is hardly 1/4 of the trip and is symptomatic of what I call "the entitlement class." Things weren't perfect therefore I'm entitled to some kind of extreme compensation. Everyone got $100 for a situation out of the cruise line's control. Deal with it and move on. After 15+ cruises, I've never left a dining room hungry. The room service food comes from the same galley so the source is the same. To say you "totally understand about weather" but think you should be entitled to 25% of your cruise fare as compensation is inconsistent. It says "I understand but I'm entitled." When I read "I should take the to small claims court" and "they took advantage of me" I have no sympathy whatsoever. That tells me you're frustrated, but not realistic. Life happens. You were disappointed but you certainly weren't ripped off.
