Sensation Wedding Horror Story

[Tapi]

...and on totally non related news: "Disgruntled Ex-Boyfriend Calls in a Fake Bomb Threat to Mess Up Ex-Girlfriend's Wedding Day"

 

:D

[big_duck]

...and on totally non related news: "Disgruntled Ex-Boyfriend Calls in a Fake Bomb Threat to Mess Up Ex-Girlfriend's Wedding Day"

 

:D

 

That sounds about right. :)

[Ashpalo]

...and on totally non related news: "Disgruntled Ex-Boyfriend Calls in a Fake Bomb Threat to Mess Up Ex-Girlfriend's Wedding Day"

 

:D

 

 

LOL - you just made my day! :D

 

Ashley :)

[cherbear4000]

Poor bride and groom. Hopefully it will be a funny story they tell years from now. A couple of years ago I was on an X cruise that had to miss a stop in the Bahamas due to 'mechanical problems'. I ran into a couple on the cruise that were supposed to get married at port in the Bahamas. Their entire family and friends were in the Bahamas waiting for them. They had already paid a resort for the wedding (non refundable). They also had no way of telling their family that the boat was no longer stopping in the Bahamas. This poor bride was just hysterical. She was demanding a helicopter to take her to the Bahamas to their wedding. X said per the cruise contract they had the right to alter stops and that they were not responsible for her missing her wedding. They did give them a $50 OBC for the inconvenience!

[rigs32]

This poor bride was just hysterical. She was demanding a helicopter to take her to the Bahamas to their wedding. X said per the cruise contract they had the right to alter stops and that they were not responsible for her missing her wedding. They did give them a $50 OBC for the inconvenience!

 

Now THIS is bad planning on the part of the couple. If I were to ever want a cruise ship wedding, I would not make plans in port. I've never missed a stop in the 7 cruises I've been on, but there is a first for everything and that is not an event I would want to risk.

[Mary Ellen1]

You know, it just so happens that I saved a picture of the Sensation's tracks that day (March 28) during the 5-hour delay getting into port due to the bomb scare. I thought it was interesting at the time... Everyone talks about missing flights, missing the cruise, bad weather, medical emergencies, but I'd never seen THIS kind of evidence (Reason #847 to fly in the day before cruise AND buy cruise insurance).

 

I feel so sad for that poor wedding couple & their families. If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny! People walking into your wedding reception with bright orange life jackets, who then eat all your food!!! You couldn't possibly make this up!

[oncruisecontrol]

Carnival doesn't advertise a pre-ceremony buffet in my wedding material sent to me last week.:confused: Just access to the Lido for non sailing guests for $10 a piece. They told us that our luncheon will be in an MDR which is closed off to guests.

 

"The Pidgeons had paid for a pre-ceremony buffet, but amid the chaos they found non-invited cruise passengers wandering in and out of their dining area. The buffet was not to be."

 

I am purchasing wedding insurance- i buy travel insurance, and I paid more for the wedding than the cruise so it just makes sense.

 

I feel sorry for this couple being short changed on their wedding- hopefully they come to a solution.

 

This is part of the wedding contract I have to sign:

AGREEMENT: It is understood and agreed that Carnival Cruise Lines and/or A Wedding For You shall not be liable and denies responsibility in the event a scheduled wedding cannot take place or is delayed due to circumstances beyond the control of Carnival Cruise Lines and/or A Wedding For You. Suit to recover any claim under this agreement shall not be maintainable unless commenced within 6 months after the date of loss. It is agreed between the parties that all disputes arising under this contract shall be litigated, if at all in, Miami-Dade County to the exclusion of any other jurisdictions. Carnival has the right to return to or enter any port at the Master's discretion and for any purpose and to deviate in any direction or for any purpose from the direct or usual course, and to omit or change any or all port calls, arrival or departure times, with our without notice for any reason whatsoever, all such deviations being considered as forming part of and included in the proposed voyage. Carnival shall have no liability for any compensation or other damages to the wedding couple or any of their guests due to any changes or deviations from the proposed itinerary and has no obligation to take measures to ensure the attendance at the wedding ceremony of any guests of the wedding couple. We have read and understood foregoing and back of this contract and we agree to the terms contained therein.

 

Because it was a bomb scare- that may fall in "out of their control" and if it does, then Carnival has offered them fair compensation IMHO.

 

 

Thank you for posting this. I am wondering if the wedding couple fully took into account the implications of this paragraph when they signed their agreement? Apparently not as, I'm sure, most people are just plain excited about their upcoming special day. I feel sorry for the couple, but this is a cautionary tale for others planning such an occasion......myself included, as I have often thought that when I get married I'd do so on a cruiseship.

[combatboots2jimmychoos]

Thank you for posting this. I am wondering if the wedding couple fully took into account the implications of this paragraph when they signed their agreement? Apparently not as, I'm sure, most people are just plain excited about their upcoming special day. I feel sorry for the couple, but this is a cautionary tale for others planning such an occasion......myself included, as I have often thought that when I get married I'd do so on a cruiseship.

 

Getting married on a cruiseship requires A LOT of flexibility. I found out that my luncheon can't have any music, they don't tell you the ceremony time until 2 weeks prior- including what room you'll be in, there can be 2 other weddings the same day, there's very little if any of the altering of packages............it's not for everyone...........but perfect for me

[ryanpatricksmom]

Ceremony yes, but from the article it appears to have been a sit down dining affair, like I said, dunno. It has been my experience that a lot of Carnival cruisers don't know what a sign marked "Private Function" means. :cool:

 

 

No kidding. Last week on the Pride during "the incident", the crew blocked off an area on the Sun Deck with stacked lounge chairs to prevent gawking thru the windows at David's. Now it wasn't the most efficient way to handle it to be sure, but, DH and I were lounging close by and watched what we called the "Breakfast Olympics". People with full trays of anything that they could find to eat were climbing over the chairs, dragging their children with them. It was an area about 75 feet long, hardly interfering with a need to navigate the ship, yet people would rather climb over than detour. :rolleyes:

[songbird1329]

Let me put the lawyer's $.02 in here.

 

 

This is a breach of contract claim, pure and simple. Because Carnival contracted to provide certain wedding services, and did not provide those services.

 

This is a much different scenario than, let's say, changing itineraries. Carnival reserves the right to change itineraries because of the vagaries of sea travel. It's also different than, let's say, a passenger cancelling a cruise for health reasons and expeting a refund even though insurance was not purchased.

 

Seems to me that when the Carnival wedding planners realized that thewedding party would board the ship 3 hours late, they should have modified the wedding plans to give this couple at least a semblance of what they ordered -- hold the ceremony first instead of a pre-wedding buffet, hold the reception in a secure area and provide staff to keep other passengers out.

 

I am glad that someone quoted the paragraph from the contract. the language that interested me most was this:

 

Carnival shall have no liability for any compensation or other damages to the wedding couple or any of their guests due to any changes or deviations from the proposed itinerary and has no obligation to take measures to ensure the attendance at the wedding ceremony of any guests of the wedding couple.

 

 

That provision exempts Carnival from liability for changes in itinerary, it does NOT exempt them from providing the services which they agreed to in the contract. they agreed to provide a wedding ceremony and redeption, which presumably were described in detail in the contract. what was delivered was not what was purchased. the measure of damages is the difference in value between what was purchased and what was actually delivered.

[big_duck]

Let me put the lawyer's $.02 in here.

 

 

This is a breach of contract claim, pure and simple. Because Carnival contracted to provide certain wedding services, and did not provide those services.

 

This is a much different scenario than, let's say, changing itineraries. Carnival reserves the right to change itineraries because of the vagaries of sea travel. It's also different than, let's say, a passenger cancelling a cruise for health reasons and expeting a refund even though insurance was not purchased.

 

Seems to me that when the Carnival wedding planners realized that thewedding party would board the ship 3 hours late, they should have modified the wedding plans to give this couple at least a semblance of what they ordered -- hold the ceremony first instead of a pre-wedding buffet, hold the reception in a secure area and provide staff to keep other passengers out.

 

I am glad that someone quoted the paragraph from the contract. the language that interested me most was this:

 

Carnival shall have no liability for any compensation or other damages to the wedding couple or any of their guests due to any changes or deviations from the proposed itinerary and has no obligation to take measures to ensure the attendance at the wedding ceremony of any guests of the wedding couple.

 

 

That provision exempts Carnival from liability for changes in itinerary, it does NOT exempt them from providing the services which they agreed to in the contract. they agreed to provide a wedding ceremony and redeption, which presumably were described in detail in the contract. what was delivered was not what was purchased. the measure of damages is the difference in value between what was purchased and what was actually delivered.

 

1. Carnival provided all services contracted for pre-buffet, ceremony, and post reception. None at an acceptable level, but now we are talking degrees.

 

2. Wedding planners do not run the ship. They have no control over general debarkation, embarkation or ship departure time, all of these are under the pervue of the Captain and the Hotel director. More then likely there was more then one wedding scheduled as well. I am sure they tried their best under the compressed time schedule they had to deal with due to external factors, albeit unsatisfactory for the cleints.

 

3. itinerary is a fancy word for schedule, the clause doesn't say "sailing itinerary" or "port itinerary", the word could mean anything.

[VentureForth]

No kidding. Last week on the Pride during "the incident"...

What was the "Pride Incident"?

[songbird1329]

Basic legal principle: If a term of the contract is ambiguous, subject to more than one meaning, it is to be construed against the party who drafted the contract.

 

Courts are also inclined to use the plain menaing of a word in consumer contracts.

 

i·tin·er·ar·y (ī-tĭn'ə-rěr'ē, ĭ-tĭn'-)

n. pl. i·tin·er·ar·ies

1. A route or proposed route of a journey.
   
2. An account or record of a journey.
   
3. A guidebook for travelers.
   

adj.

1. Of or relating to a journey or route.
   
2. Traveling from place to place; itinerant.
   

[Middle English itinerarie, from Late Latin itinerārium, account of a journey, from neuter of itinerārius, of traveling, from Latin iter, itiner-, journey; see ei- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

[big_duck]

Basic itinerary principle, it has a scheduled beginning and end. Embarkation was later then scheduled thus altering the beginning from the itinerary.

[TrinaLC]

Let me put the lawyer's $.02 in here.

 

 

This is a breach of contract claim, pure and simple. Because Carnival contracted to provide certain wedding services, and did not provide those services.

 

This is a much different scenario than, let's say, changing itineraries. Carnival reserves the right to change itineraries because of the vagaries of sea travel. It's also different than, let's say, a passenger cancelling a cruise for health reasons and expeting a refund even though insurance was not purchased.

 

Seems to me that when the Carnival wedding planners realized that thewedding party would board the ship 3 hours late, they should have modified the wedding plans to give this couple at least a semblance of what they ordered -- hold the ceremony first instead of a pre-wedding buffet, hold the reception in a secure area and provide staff to keep other passengers out.

 

I am glad that someone quoted the paragraph from the contract. the language that interested me most was this:

 

Carnival shall have no liability for any compensation or other damages to the wedding couple or any of their guests due to any changes or deviations from the proposed itinerary and has no obligation to take measures to ensure the attendance at the wedding ceremony of any guests of the wedding couple.

 

 

That provision exempts Carnival from liability for changes in itinerary, it does NOT exempt them from providing the services which they agreed to in the contract. they agreed to provide a wedding ceremony and redeption, which presumably were described in detail in the contract. what was delivered was not what was purchased. the measure of damages is the difference in value between what was purchased and what was actually delivered.

 

I am also a corporate lawyer, and I agree completely. The exculpatory language does not cover the situation that happened. I also agree with the measure of damage - they wouldn't be entitled to "pain and suffering", or entitled to a free cruise.

[songbird1329]

And while I am not familiar with Florida law -- and the contract is governed by Florida law -- I will relate two stories from my past.

 

20+ years ago, when I was a newly-minted attorney, my boss asked me to help him with some of the paperwork for his lawsuit against a hotel. He contracted with the hotel for a reception for his daughter's bat mitzvah. Although overall the reception was a success, there were a few glaring problems. (1) He paid extra for certain items to be served at the cocktail hour, and the caterer did not provide a sufficient quantity of those foods, so that halfway through the cocktail hour the caterer ran out of food. (2) the caterer used the wrong seating plan, so that in several cases 12 people were assigned to a table for 8, and 8 people were seated at the larger table. there were other, similar things, I don't remember the details ,,,but he did collect money from the hotel. Not a full refund, of course, but a significant sum.

 

A few years later, shortly after my own wedding, I attended the wedding from hell at a local golf club....the ceremony was supposed to be held outdoors, but the club promised a backup plan, a room that could be used as a chapel. It rained the day of the wedding, but the "chapel" was unavailable and the poor couple had to be married in the club's bar, with the golfers looking on...and no music during the ceremony, because the keyboard player couldn't find an outlet to plug in his keyboard. During the reception....the band showed up an hour late, the photographer was drunk, the waitstaff was clearing away dinner dishes from one side of the room before the other side of the room had been served their meal.

 

Yes, they collected some cash back from the country club.

 

I survived planning the bat mitzvah of each of my two daughters, in 2003 and in 2005. I made absolutely sure to be very specific in my contract with the caterer, the DJ, the florist....

 

this poor couple who contracted for a wedding on the Sensation....I am fairly certain that their contract called for something more specific than "a reception". what the contract called for and what was actually delivered are vastly different, and they are entitled to the difference in value between what they purchased and what they received.

[songbird1329]

I am also a corporate lawyer, and I agree completely. The exculpatory language does not cover the situation that happened. I also agree with the measure of damage - they wouldn't be entitled to "pain and suffering", or entitled to a free cruise.

 

I am sure someone in their position would want to seek emotional distress damages, but I just can't see this as a tort case.

[waldocruiser1]

So if Carnival gives them a full refund, does that mean they are single again?

 

Ask for a Do Over, maybe they will get a second cruise and wedding to replace the first one.

[Shelbyjane56]

That's exactly what the do. 99.9% it goes off without a hitch. Getting married portside is a lot safer then arranging for one in the islands where weather or other issues could force itinerary changes especially tender ports.

 

Not much Carnival can do about a frickin bomb scare though.

 

Son and his fiancee are getting married in july on the beach in st thomas, if it rains, ect then they will move it inside, so its not a bad option. We will all be sailing on the dream, so no problems with rushing to get everything done on the ship before the ship leaves port. I do feel bad for the couple who went through what they did, and hope they get a free cruise to make it up...hopefully they can have some wedding pics taken!

[newcatintown]

Knowing only what I've read here it sounds as if Carnival did nothing more than push the timetables up without looking for ways to make this flow a little better. All parties were available - Food & Dining Manager, Hospitality Manager, Wedding Planner, Bride & Groom. While they would not have gotten what they envisioned, a little thinking outside of the box with all these people would probably have resulted in a much more satisfactory outcome. It's not like they couldn't spend 30 or so minutes to brainstorm.

[big_duck]

Son and his fiancee are getting married in july on the beach in st thomas, if it rains, ect then they will move it inside, so its not a bad option. We will all be sailing on the dream, so no problems with rushing to get everything done on the ship before the ship leaves port. I do feel bad for the couple who went through what they did, and hope they get a free cruise to make it up...hopefully they can have some wedding pics taken!

 

When we sailed on the Glory there were 2 or 3 couples getting married on St Thomas.

 

Unfortunately, we developed a propulsion problem and never got anywhere near St Thomas.

 

Just sayin'.

[KBD1516]

Why was the wedding at 1:30 on embarkation day? It seems like they can't guarantee that time due to various reasons, some beyond their control. Do they allow wedding guests to go to the wedding and then get back off the ship before it leaves for the cruise?

 

 

Yes this is quite common. Sometimes the wedding is much earlier, and only guests on the guest list are allowed in the parking area early. In fact, they often take the bride around the ship for photos before other guests are on board so that the photos are not cluttered with cruisers.

[Tbay-eh]

We do marriage preparation at our church and we always state to the participants that it is the ceremony that is the most important and not the reception etc. I recommend that you have the ceremony at home, close by, or nearly there so that your friends, co-workers and family who cannot afford a cruise wedding or location wedding can attend. As you can see cruise weddings can have hitches and may not occur - the same with location weddings - anything can happen that people cannot attend. To me and me alone, the ceremony part is what counts not the buffet, cutting of the cake, first dance, tossing of the bouquet - these are all the icing on the cake - if the cake dosent topple for some reason.

[pe4all]

When we sailed on the Glory there were 2 or 3 couples getting married on St Thomas.

 

Unfortunately, we developed a propulsion problem and never got anywhere near St Thomas.

 

Just sayin'.

And it IS hurricane season! :eek: Congrats on the upcoming wedding! :)

[Tapi]

Son and his fiancee are getting married in july on the beach in st thomas, if it rains, etc then they will move it inside, so its not a bad option. We will all be sailing on the dream..

 

I'm curious. What happens if you've booked your island wedding through a local vendor, and then the ship changes itinerary and misses that port of call?

 

Do you get a refund? Can they make quick re-arrangements to get you married at one of the new ports of call?