Use Carnival online booking at your own risk

[tweety33]

I booked a Carnival cruise on-line, paid a $1,000 deposit, and thought my card would automatically be charged for the remainder. It was not, so my reservation was cancelled. When I called to check on it they told me I had to rebook the cruise at higher current prices or lose my $1,000 deposit. I talked to three layers of Guest Solutions personnel and was told that all of this was my fault so I was out of luck.

 

Obviously, this will be my last Carnival cruise but I hope to let others know that if anything goes wrong with your booking, Carnival is going to hang you out to dry.

 

Thank you for posting your experience, as this may be helpful to someone else. Sorry this happened to you. I hope you can still enjoy your cruise.

[finsupcruiser]

This is why we use a TA-- always recieve a bill before final payment

[MsTabbyKats]

Yeah, heaven forbid a company in the hospitality industry go out of their way to help someone who has spent thousands of dollars with them.

 

Although just about everyone else thinks "it was your responsibility" I agree 100% with you.

 

The only reason I am aware of this policy, is because I read these boards. Otherwise, I would have just assumed that the final payment would have been automatic.

 

Because it isn't...they should have it set up where you receive a notice or a bill...or some kind of reminder. Other businesses do....

 

OP-perhaps they will give you some OBC to compensate

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

OP-perhaps they will give you some OBC to compensate

 

 

Really????

[B and C Blake]

OP-perhaps they will give you some OBC to compensate

 

Well, if that's what it takes to get OBC then 300,000+ passengers a year should do that!:D

 

Unless you are dealing with a live person via in-person or by phone ... No you would not be paid in full automatically. The payment would need to be authorized by you.

 

Suppose you were issued a renewal of the CC you used. The old security code would be void and then the payment would not go through.

 

It always baffles me how people book their cruises and have no clue when final payment is due. Not to mention the lack of interest in getting things in order before hand.

Policies change, government requirements change etc etc but do these people think to be doing some research before hand.. Nope.

Procrastination never works out well.

 

OP sorry you did not mark your calendar tough lesson to be learned.

[AWCHIEF]

OP: An informed consumer is a happy consumer. If you had taken the time to read your documents you would have known about this. Final payment due date is plainly listed on them. It has been on every Carnival cruise that I have booked.

Lesson learned for you: When booking a Carnival cruise use a PVP and read your cruise documents.

[deborahjo]

My Final Payment is marked on my calander, my phone and my computer. I also have a marker that is a week before to remind me it is coming up. That way I remember to make that payment on time. It is my responsiblity to pay my bill or to make sure it is paid.

 

Sorry OP but I feel Carnival is not at fault here.

[tef43]

I talked to three layers of Guest Solutions personnel and was told that all of this was my fault so I was out of luck.

 

And they were 100% correct.

[Frank12]

Sometimes I'm amazed by the things that people "assume". CCL does not keep credit card numbers on file. Each and every time I call my PVP to make a payment I have to give him the full card number.

[Name Of The Game]

Other companies automatically charge the credit card you give them when payment is due unless they receive alternate instructions from you. You're booking a cruise months in advance and they expect you to count back 75 days from your cruising date and then let them know you want to make final payment? OF COURSE you want to make final payment! What would be so difficult about them sending an e-mail reminder?

[divemedic]

I booked a Carnival cruise on-line, paid a $1,000 deposit, and thought my card would automatically be charged for the remainder. It was not, so my reservation was cancelled. When I called to check on it they told me I had to rebook the cruise at higher current prices or lose my $1,000 deposit. I talked to three layers of Guest Solutions personnel and was told that all of this was my fault so I was out of luck.

 

Obviously, this will be my last Carnival cruise but I hope to let others know that if anything goes wrong with your booking, Carnival is going to hang you out to dry.

 

It's not just Carnival....most don't automatically charge the final payment and the few that do won't much longer. We got caught with that last year with Celebrity. Thankfully, that time we used an internet travel agent. I was told by the agent that when booking, the final payment would be automatic and we missed the final by about a week. I contacted the agent and they could see their error (thank goodness they taped the booking phone call!) (and a final payment date error) and they rebooked the whole thing..flights included and picked up the change in prices (over $1500 difference). Thats when they told me most don't automatically charge your card again without your authorization at the time (reflects..security, change in cards, storage of CC #'s, etc.)

 

I know it's a real PITA! Sorry you didn't get the break we were lucky enough to get. :( I remember my stress levels dealing with all that!!!!

[FlaParrotHead]

I booked a Carnival cruise on-line, paid a $1,000 deposit, and thought my card would automatically be charged for the remainder. It was not, so my reservation was cancelled. When I called to check on it they told me I had to rebook the cruise at higher current prices or lose my $1,000 deposit. I talked to three layers of Guest Solutions personnel and was told that all of this was my fault so I was out of luck.

 

Obviously, this will be my last Carnival cruise but I hope to let others know that if anything goes wrong with your booking, Carnival is going to hang you out to dry.

 

@Rhumbline. I am sorry that this happened but while CCL does go over and beyond where they can, there was nothing they could have done. Can you imagine if everyone who misses their final payment received compensation in one form or the other. There is nothing, anywhere in the booking process that i recall seeing that implies that a final (or any subsequent) charge will be automatically applied to your credit card by the due date.

 

I am not sure what gave you this impression, if there was something you read, I do hope you brought that specific statement to their attention so that changes can be made if needed. You also should have received email from CCL on the amount due and when.

 

Most cabins booked but not receiving final payment are grabbed up in minutes, we once got the coveted balcony/"inside" connected rooms on The Triumph which became available while on the phone with our PVP.

 

 

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[firefly333]

OP I agree its rather harsh to lose your whole deposit because of not paying the final payment.

 

I would be upset too... how far past final payment did you let it go before you asked about it? Id keep trying. Write to someone high up.

[MsTabbyKats]

Other companies automatically charge the credit card you give them when payment is due unless they receive alternate instructions from you. You're booking a cruise months in advance and they expect you to count back 75 days from your cruising date and then let them know you want to make final payment? OF COURSE you want to make final payment! What would be so difficult about them sending an e-mail reminder?

 

And a phone call.........!

 

I know this is hard to understand, but there are people who book a trip and simply go on it....they don't obsess for months.

 

Logically...if someone put a deposit down and didn't cancel it before final payment...why would Carnival assume that the passenger wants to cancel?

 

When this happens...then Carnival should give an automatic refund of the deposit...less the ES penalty, if any.

 

This is a very bad policy that Carnival has...and I wouldn't blame the OP for not wanting to do business with Carnival again.

 

Keep after them...and ask for that OBC. It's only fair.

[FlaParrotHead]

Sometimes I'm amazed by the things that people "assume". CCL does not keep credit card numbers on file. Each and every time I call my PVP to make a payment I have to give him the full card number.

 

@Frank. Another very good point, this is also why they only record the last 4 digits of your card during funpass checkin. When charging some or all of your cruise through their systems, the number and security code are used "real time" for the transaction with your card company/bank, and I do not believe they are not saved.

 

 

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[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

Anytime I book a trip (Cruise, AI, beach house, etc), and I make a deposit, I always get paperwork that spells out terms and conditions as well as final payment dates.

[RuthlessBoss]

Yeah, heaven forbid a company in the hospitality industry go out of their way to help someone who has spent thousands of dollars with them.

I see you are not getting the answers you hoped for on this site, as well as the "other" site.

Do not assume anything in life. I can't believe you didn't go ahead and make payment by due date on your own or at least checked back with Carnival to be sure it was done. Quite a bit of time must have gone by before you discovered payment wasn't made, Carnival does have a grace period built in.

[Billzilla66]

I booked a Carnival cruise on-line, paid a $1,000 deposit, and thought my card would automatically be charged for the remainder. It was not, so my reservation was cancelled. When I called to check on it they told me I had to rebook the cruise at higher current prices or lose my $1,000 deposit. I talked to three layers of Guest Solutions personnel and was told that all of this was my fault so I was out of luck.

 

Obviously, this will be my last Carnival cruise but I hope to let others know that if anything goes wrong with your booking, Carnival is going to hang you out to dry.

 

 

Firstly, never assume. It's up to you to make sure your trip is paid for in full.

 

Secondly, $1,000 deposit??????:eek: Where were you going, the moon?

[futaba951]

Never mind, I re-read the op.

[Vanessa L]

And a phone call.........!

 

I know this is hard to understand, but there are people who book a trip and simply go on it....they don't obsess for months.

 

Logically...if someone put a deposit down and didn't cancel it before final payment...why would Carnival assume that the passenger wants to cancel?

 

When this happens...then Carnival should give an automatic refund of the deposit...less the ES penalty, if any.

 

This is a very bad policy that Carnival has...and I wouldn't blame the OP for not wanting to do business with Carnival again.

 

Keep after them...and ask for that OBC. It's only fair.

 

Little dramatic aren't we? I hardly call taking responsibility for knowing when your final payment is due and then marking it on a calendar, or putting a reminder in your phone, or sending yourself an email (etc) is "obsessing for months." You mark it (or note it) once, then when you look at the calendar at the beginning of the month you marked it, or get your reminder on your phone (etc), you simply pay it. Now I would know that some people would obsess for months about "not forgetting the payment date", but really, if you mark it once, forget about it until the month comes up that you see it's due. This really is not rocket science.

 

Sorry OP, there is no way on this earth that this is Carnival's fault. You dropped the ball and didn't take responsibility for knowing when your final payment is due. That is 100% on you. I hope Carnival doesn't cave on this one. It sets a bad precedent :rolleyes:

[AdGuyMG]

And a phone call.........!

 

Last year 3.5 million cruised with Carnival. Based on double occupancy that adds up to about 1.9 million reservations. If a reminder call had to be made to each of those people it would be about 5,000 calls per day, 365 days per year. Seems to me that about 100 "reminder agents" whose sole job is to make 50 or so calls a day would have to be hired and paid in order to accomplish this.

[Vanessa L]

Last year 3.5 million cruised with Carnival. Based on double occupancy that adds up to about 1.9 million reservations. If a reminder call had to be made to each of those people it would be about 5,000 calls per day, 365 days per year. Seems to me that about 100 "reminder agents" whose sole job is to make 50 or so calls a day would have to be hired and paid in order to accomplish this.

 

Which is precisely why, when someone b*tches and whines about something so ridiculous as they forgot when their final payment is due and says, "I am never sailing Carnival again", Carnival's reply is, "OK then, don't let the door hit you on the azz on the way out! Buh-bye, now."

[big_duck]

 

Secondly, $1,000 deposit??????:eek: Where were you going, the moon?

 

Not hard to spot those who only take short cruises and or only cruise as a couple.

 

A 7 day cruise is a $250 deposit per person ergo the deposit for a family of four is a thousand bucks.

 

I just reviewed the documents I received for my upcoming cruise which I booked online. There is no mention that I am responsible for final payment, but on the other hand there is nothing to say it is automatic either. I does however direct me to the My Cruise section of the Carnival website which when I check the my billing tab clearly shows the date when final payment is due thereby saving me from having to do simple grade school arithmetic.

 

Should Carnival have made an extraordinary effort to contact the customer when final payment wasn't made ... maybe.

 

I am curious to know though how many "abandoned" reservations Carnival gets every year. Maybe a question for The Brand Ambassador .

[RuthlessBoss]

I booked a Carnival cruise on-line, paid a $1,000 deposit, and thought my card would automatically be charged for the remainder. It was not, so my reservation was cancelled. When I called to check on it they told me I had to rebook the cruise at higher current prices or lose my $1,000 deposit. I talked to three layers of Guest Solutions personnel and was told that all of this was my fault so I was out of luck.

 

Obviously, this will be my last Carnival cruise but I hope to let others know that if anything goes wrong with your booking, Carnival is going to hang you out to dry.

Have you noticed??? The OP gives absolutely NO INFORMATION of dates, cruise etc????

[ImmortalxKiss]

We've normally gone through a TA but this last cruise, we just used the website. On both occasions, we've had to keep track of when our final payment was due. I think it's a bit silly ..but just how it is. It tells you right on the page when the total is due and how much ..so *shrugs* Sucks that your cruise got cancelled though :(