Has anyone ever disliked their PVP (Personal Vacation Planner)?

For years I always booked all my cruises on various websites, and never involved a Carnival PVP (Personal Vacation Planner). At some point, I guess one got 'assigned' to me, and contacted me recently offering help with my cruise planning. So now, we are using one for the 1st time, but so far it's been frustrating dealing with him. I've called & emailed him with several questions or requests, and each time, it comes off as if he didn't really listen to my question, ie he gives me an answer but it wasn't even what I asked him. Even while speaking on the phone, he came across as 'distracted', or more interested in pushing sales rather than answer my question. I have no problem working with a PVP, but I'm just not comfortable with him, he doesn't seem to have MY interests as a priority. Has anyone ever had similar experience? How can I tactfully request to be assigned a different PVP?

For years I always booked all my cruises on various websites, and never involved a Carnival PVP (Personal Vacation Planner). At some point, I guess one got 'assigned' to me, and contacted me recently offering help with my cruise planning. So now, we are using one for the 1st time, but so far it's been frustrating dealing with him. I've called & emailed him with several questions or requests, and each time, it comes off as if he didn't really listen to my question, ie he gives me an answer but it wasn't even what I asked him. Even while speaking on the phone, he came across as 'distracted', or more interested in pushing sales rather than answer my question. I have no problem working with a PVP, but I'm just not comfortable with him, he doesn't seem to have MY interests as a priority. Has anyone ever had similar experience? How can I tactfully request to be assigned a different PVP?

Just call 1-800-Carnival and deal with whoever answers the phone. You don't have to deal with the same person. I've booked my 12 cruises with 12 different people. I've liked them all, but if you don't like one, hang up and call again. I have a PVP who e-mails me and calls periodically, but I've never booked a cruise with her. As long as you know which discounts you qualify for, which is pretty simple, there's only a handful, then there is no need to have a specific person hold your hand.

As stated above, just call the 1-800 # and talk to whovever answers. If you feel comfortable with that person, ask for their personal number and presto, you have a new PVP...:)

I usually just call the 800#. Many of the questions we have, PVPs don't seem to know the answer to. They seem to be more trained to just handle sales, as you've experienced. My latest one (I've had many), has been straight up with me about it, referring me to the customer service line. I appreciate that honesty. Call the 800# for general questions. If you want to book with someone different next time, call the 800#, and you will almost certainly get someone different. PVPs aren't like having a travel agent; you aren't forced to go through your PVP.

The only thing I disliked was when my PVP was changed. I really liked my previous PVP, but she was promoted to another position. I am not as pleased with the new person who has been contacting me. I currently have two cruises booked, and he has called me multiple times about booking another. Kinda irritating. :cool:

I wish I could share the name of my Carnival PVP but we are not allowed to do this on these boards so all I can say is please call Carnival and speak to a few until you find one that you click with. We got really lucky and ended up with a great PVP right away but I can say when he is on vacation and I need to speak to another one, I can really tell the difference. It is all in the little things that he does like being prompt in returning phone calls and E-mails, trying to help us out with getting the best deal and cabin location for our budget and with suggestions that we otherwise may have not known about. Keep trying, great PVPs really do exist. Good luck to you. :)

disliked all but my first one. now we will book online or call the 800# as others have said.

I didn't like useing a PVP because it was hard to get ahold of them and I didn't like not being able to be spontaneous. I've cruised quite a bit and I just call the 800# and talk to whom ever answers the phone.

I suppose I have been very fortunate, I have had two PVPs and both are excellent. The first is now one of the beards and she passed me to my current one. He is very proactive and always helpful to me. My only worry is that he will get promoted and the next will not be as good.

Our first PVP was great but she left Carnival for medical reasons after a couple of extended leaves. Her replacement did not work out well for us at all so we called the 800 number and they assigned us a new one. He has been almost as good as our first PVP. Often we've sent him an email in the evening to call us at his convenience the next day, but several times he called us back within an hour even though we knew his shift was over for that day.

Ok, maybe we get to know our PVP a little too well.

Don't need 'em. When you book on-line with Carnival you've done about all you need to do.

Once in a while you might have to contact Carnival for a change or something and just call the toll free# and they take care of it. Like yesterday I called to switch cabins because I had inadvertantly booked a connecting cove balcony when that is the last thing we want what with the noise factor in those cabins.

Within 5 min it was done. That was not a PVP. That was a customer service rep.. Had I waited for a PVP to handle this I would have been SOL by the time he/she called back, if ever.

Our PVP is wonderful!! She's attentive and helpful without being oppressive, she's amazingly knowledgable about all things Carnival, and she's professional and yet fun too - she's a real sweetheart and we've already passed others onto her. Anytime I need anything, I pick up the phone and if she doesn't answer right away (on another call) then she ALWAYS phones me back with 30 minutes.

Her tag line at the end of her emails is:

“The highest compliment I can receive is the referrals of your friends and family”

And I've taken that to heart - I'd recommend her in a heartbeat!!

Our first PVP left to raise her children. They appointed a replacement whom I thought was a horse's patoo. I got another one. He was worse. I asked for yet a third and a fourth and a fifth. This last one is great. He is responsive, responsible and wants to work with his clients in the manner in which they want him to help.

If you do not like the PVP assigned to you, ask for a different one. When you get the right one, you will know.

Doc

I got assigned a great one from Carnival! he knew I needed the best I could afford for the best price and found it for me. I was going to share his name but I see from above it is not allowed.

One thing I was wanting to speak with him again the other day but I guess he was on vaca himself as his mailbox was full, so I just called the normal Carnival number and I spoke with another great person who answered all my questions and was a huge help.

OP just call back on the normal line and if you like that person, as the above poster said ask for their personal extention! good luck!:)

I had a great one. She left

Got another one who I disliked booked two with her

Went on google dis some searchs found one called her and booked several from her she's great

I didnt care for my first one , so got another one. Hes OK, But I seem to know more than he does most of the time. I have kept him cause I use gift certificates alot and he handles those well. That in itself is a good thing. I dont need alot of handholding and most of time I know exactly what I want.

When we scheduled our first mother daughter friend cruise the PVP we had was awful, he did not return phone calls or emails promptly. Many of us were first time cruisers and had lots of questions, so after a couple of rounds with him we called the 800# and struck gold, the new PVP was awesome:) We used her for our second cruise and I have also referred her to a couple of my co-workers who love working with her as well.

I LOVE my PVP! We have had the same

one since we started cruising with

Carnival. I just got several e-mails

from mine yesterday. He called me

yesterday at the time I asked and hes

just made everything run so smoothly

for us. As the cruise gets closer, he calls

and asks if we have questions. He knows

alot about the places we go and can

recommend different things to us. I

think we'll keep him :D

I had always had good experiences with my PVP until last year. She knew I was interested in a cruise but wanted to wait to book. She told me that there was a very good chance that ES prices for the itinerary I wanted were going to go up in less than a week and that I should book right away. I figured that she was watching my back. I booked it. The prices started to come down about three weeks later and ended up going down close to $500 for my family. We had a great cruise and great cabin. But the booking process left a bad taste in my mouth. I realize that the PVPs want to strike when the iron is hot and don't want you looking at itineraries on other lines. But now there is a lack of trust there. We may not cruise Carnival again. I definitely will not recommend the PVP.

Just today I was wondering about this same problem. I am currently using the PVP who happened to answer when I called to book our inside passage cruise for May, '12. When I e-mail him he sometimes responds in a timely manner, sometimes days and days later, and sometimes not at all. Can I request another one even if I've done my booking with this one?

I did not really care for my first PVP, so I started calling a friend's PVP and have used him for five years now. I love my PVP. If you don't like one, you can always change. :)

I ve been on tweny plus cruise on 6 lines and the customer servive from carnival has been the best . My wife and i met our PVP on a seven day cruise several years ago. He is the best. He travels and always has good suggestions. you just cant beat getting a little extra for nothing. Yes I know he is a carnival employee making comission but travel agents and discount web sites do to. When I call G*** he always makes time and has an answer.

I love mine, Axxx. He always calls me even when I say he doesn't have to and an email is okay. I would love to meet him and his family one day.

Our PVP is wonderful!! She's attentive and helpful without being oppressive, she's amazingly knowledgable about all things Carnival, and she's professional and yet fun too - she's a real sweetheart and we've already passed others onto her. Anytime I need anything, I pick up the phone and if she doesn't answer right away (on another call) then she ALWAYS phones me back with 30 minutes.

 

Her tag line at the end of her emails is:

 

“The highest compliment I can receive is the referrals of your friends and family”

 

And I've taken that to heart - I'd recommend her in a heartbeat!!

I wonder if we have the same one! Love her....she started with carnival right before we did our first cruise...we were one of her first bookings. That was 6 years ago, and we just had our platinum this year. We have made many referrals to her. :)

It is so easy to book online, and it remembers all of your information from one cruise to the next. I really don't need a middle man in the process. :D