Use Carnival online booking at your own risk

[kparc]

Fool me once same on you, fool me twice, and we won't be fooled again? :D

[Raven Days]

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.

 

I was thinking the same thing...and with the hiring of those new employees comes higher prices! I get yelled at day and day out because my company didnt notify a member more then once per EOB when their claims deny. Some folks can not take responsibility for themselves and will look for someone else to blame. I have never gotten a reminder email for my final payment, mostly because I am a nervous nelly and always pay before my due date.

 

I am sorry OP there is no way I would think that Carnival is even remotely responsible here. I would not want them keeping my CC info and charging it when ever either. To me that sets you up for fraud and that would be a whole other thread!

[Giggles319]

I'm sorry but if ANY vacation or bill ever just opted me in for auto-payment without it clearly stating so somehwere on my reservation then I'd be mad! If you didn't authorize it to be auto-charged anywhere then why assume it? And why not take note of the final payment date that is right there on your confirmation and check your bank account around that time to make sure it went through? This isn't Carnivals fault at all. If they did opt anyone in automatically without making it clear then there'd be 50 new threads of how wrong Carnival was for doing that!

[Neiner]

You buy something on your cruise...you pay with a credit card.

 

You check your bill....the charge doesn't show up.

 

You check it for months....the charge never shows up.

 

So...you take personal responsibility....and call Carnival to let them know that the charge was never submitted....and although you have the merchandise or service...Carnival never received payment.

 

Of course...you all would do this...since you all take personal responsibility.

 

Just sayin'...................:)

 

Seriously? And the OP didn't have the merchandise or service. It had been cancelled due to non-payment.

 

Besides that though, I can understand Carnival cancelling the booking but I don't see why they couldn't rebook them at the original price in the same category but if there is a good reason I'm sure someone here will point it out. ;)

[willy1094]

The OP never mentions it one way or another. This is rather strange as you would expect no notification to be part of his complaint.

 

Nice try though.

 

What part of the OP not knowing that the payment was overdue would lead you to believe that a notification was received? If you want to jump on others for making "assumptions" maybe you should leave assumptions of your own out as well. We do not have a full detailed story, but what else do you think the OP is complaining about. Op did not know that payment was due (or would not come out automatically), Carnival did NOTHING to help a customer out. That seems to sum up the post to me. Also seems to me that you are the one "trying" to form the story to your liking.:p

 

I love cruising with Carnival. I ALWAYS have a great time. However, I'm not so blinded by my "love" for Carnival that I can see them having no faults. I'm sorry, if they can reach me to sell me something then they can pay those same people to check in with me if I missed a payment. Again, simple customer service! At the very least Carnival could look at the booking and see that the OP made a deposit, at what rate he/she booked, and help OP out. Maybe even add a service charge but to just sit quietly by holding OP's deposit, really? They get free money if you miss your payment (they assess fees for missing your final payment). Just smells fishy.

[big_duck]

What part of the OP not knowing that the payment was overdue would lead you to believe that a notification was received? If you want to jump on others for making "assumptions" maybe you should leave assumptions of your own out as well. We do not have a full detailed story, but what else do you think the OP is complaining about. Op did not know that payment was due (or would not come out automatically), Carnival did NOTHING to help a customer out. That seems to sum up the post to me. Also seems to me that you are the one "trying" to form the story to your liking.:p

 

I love cruising with Carnival. I ALWAYS have a great time. However, I'm not so blinded by my "love" for Carnival that I can see them having no faults. I'm sorry, if they can reach me to sell me something then they can pay those same people to check in with me if I missed a payment. Again, simple customer service! At the very least Carnival could look at the booking and see that the OP made a deposit, at what rate he/she booked, and help OP out. Maybe even add a service charge but to just sit quietly by holding OP's deposit, really? They get free money if you miss your payment (they assess fees for missing your final payment). Just smells fishy.

 

I stand by my opinion -- if the OP wasn't notified he would have led with it.

 

I wish you people would make up your mind. On one thread I'm called a cheerleader and others a Carnival hater. All because I am capable of thinking for myself.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

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.

 

You have taken a pretty good beating today so I won't beat you up. I book online, thru a TA and via telephone call to the 800 number and each time it was up to me to make sure "I" paid final payment by the due date. I don't recall ever receiving an email that it is due however, I have never waited until the due date to make that final payment. My next cruise in February had final payment due date of today. I paid it on Sunday. I knew it was due because the first thing I do when I book a cruise is go to the Carnival website to fill in my funpass info. It clearly states the "next step" or actions still pending. It won't let me print my e-docs until final payment is made. THere are many opportunities to pay it.

 

However, I also think Carnival should have contacted you before they cancelled the reservation. Out of the thousands of cruisers out there that book, the majority have paid it off in full before the cruise gets to the point of automatically cancelling so the few phone calls they have to make would be courtesy.

[ManyMore]

Of course booking online it only takes the deposit amount...sheesh... do you know how many people would be complaining if they automatically took the remainder at final payment date?

 

You can say goodbye to Carnival but you might want to realize you won't be cruising any line if you are going to book online and expect them to do everything automatically. I work at the port in Boston with a few different cruise lines and every year there are people who have canceled bookings for the same reason and they aren't Carnival.

[jzygail]

 

OP-perhaps they will give you some OBC to compensate

 

 

Awesome. "I didn't pay my bill when it was due and the company cancelled my reservation!!!!!! Iwant compensation!!!!"

 

Clearly, those of us who pay our bills on time are doing it wrong.

[bythehex]

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.

 

This might come as a shock to you, but they don't come to your house and pack your clothes for you either. Passengers actually have to do things for themselves, and one of those things is to make sure they pay their balance due on time. Do you expect a representative from the electric company to make sure you pay the bill by its due date? Or the phone company? We're all supposed to pay our bills when they're due and if we don't then there are penalties. In the case of a cruise line, if they don't get paid on time, there's someone else waiting to pay for that cabin who would be happy to take their place.

 

The OP made an incorrect assumption and yet, in the end, they got the cruise they wanted.

[MissKIA]

I find this baffling. How anyone could assume it would be anyone's responsibility but their own to pay for something they purchased on time? If you look at your payment information it clearly states the due date.

 

Do you pay your credit card by the due date or do you expect Mastercard to call you to remind you your payment is due?

 

Do you know how many people would be on here screaming that they are never cruising with Carnival again if they HAD taken out the final payment automatically? Not everyone wants to pay their final payment with the same credit card they used to book their deposit.

 

It sucks that this happened to you, but really...

[Perfect Stranger]

I just got an e-mail from my virus protection company that they will renew next month using the same credit card unless they hear otherwise from me.

[MissKIA]

I just got an e-mail from my virus protection company that they will renew next month using the same credit card unless they hear otherwise from me.

 

That's a ongoing yearly payment though. Not the same thing as a one time payment with a known due date.

[cruise_girl2002]

Im usually not a mean person, but i have had it with reading threads about peoples whose reservations have been cancelled since they are children, but here i go...

 

I have booked my own cruise online using carnival.com...and this may be shocking to the OP but i wrote down on something called a piece of paper with a..whats it called?...a pen and wrote down my final payment date :eek:...i was responsible for myself. It wasnt late and i really enjoyed my cruise. (boy being an adult is hard) sorry you werent responsible for yourself and others have to watch out for you and remind you of YOUR responsibilities.

[willy1094]

Do you pay your credit card by the due date or do you expect Mastercard to call you to remind you your payment is due?

I wouldn't expect a call but I would expect a bill that tells me the payment is due that week. A one week notice is a lot easier to remember than months.

Im usually not a mean person, but i have had it with reading threads about peoples whose reservations have been cancelled since they are children, but here i go...

I have booked my own cruise online using carnival.com...and this may be shocking to the OP but i wrote down on something called a piece of paper with a..whats it called?...a pen and wrote down my final payment date ...i was responsible for myself. It wasnt late and i really enjoyed my cruise. (boy being an adult is hard) sorry you werent responsible for yourself and others have to watch out for you and remind you of YOUR responsibilities.

So you never, ever, in your whole life have made a late payment? Don't answer if someone else does the bills in your household. However, if you can honestly say you have never made ONE payment even a day late the keep casting those stones. OP never mentioned wanting compensation. If that were motioned I'd be all over this person as well. You would think OP was demanding Carnival to pay for the next cruise or something. I know plenty of people that think they never make mistakes and they are always ready to jump on someone else's mistakes. Often the fact of the matter is that those people often only miss the mistakes they made because they have their head shoved so far up their rears. Sorry, just had to be a little mean :rolleyes:

[willy1094]

Just to add, I DO think OP is at fault and should keep track of payment dates. I, however, also know that has humans mistakes happen. I also think Carnival, or any other company, could have (should have) helped out a customer. They wouldn't have lost anything doing so. In fact, they would have kept said customer and made future profits off of them. I know they don't have to. GOOD customer service is more about doing things you should do rather then have to do. My job is to listen to some of the biggest whiners there are and I still cannot get why so many are in the "screw the OP" mindset.

[pe4all]

When making a new booking with CCL, I always immediately mark down on my wall calender when final payment is due. Also, I check the "pending payments" on my CCL booking page under "To-Do List." It gives the due date for final payments there, also. That is open to me 24/7 to look at. While I think it wouldn't hurt CCL to send a reminder notice, I don't know if it is their obligation to do so....

[kbmeow]

What I am looking for and didn't find is, how long between when the payment was due and when the person called. I think that may have a say on if carnival can help you out and rebook

[jzygail]

So you never, ever, in your whole life have made a late payment? Don't answer if someone else does the bills in your household. However, if you can honestly say you have never made ONE payment even a day late the keep casting those stones. OP never mentioned wanting compensation. If that were motioned I'd be all over this person as well. You would think OP was demanding Carnival to pay for the next cruise or something. I know plenty of people that think they never make mistakes and they are always ready to jump on someone else's mistakes. Often the fact of the matter is that those people often only miss the mistakes they made because they have their head shoved so far up their rears. Sorry, just had to be a little mean :rolleyes:

 

 

Well, years ago, back in olden times when I was a teen with a job and people still used layaway pretty regularly, iwas about three payments shy of paying off an electric typewriter (it was like the internet, but without a router and you had to sent your instant message through snail mail). And i was late making that payment. They did not call me, nor did they snail mail an email notification. The deal was cancelled and I got a partial refund ( minus some fees that I don't remember what they were) and I had to start all over.

 

As a young, naive teen, I never really thought of blaming the store. I obviously know better now.

[kbmeow]

Well, years ago, back in olden times when I was a teen with a job and people still used layaway pretty regularly, iwas about three payments shy of paying off an electric typewriter (it was like the internet, but without a router and you had to sent your instant message through snail mail). And i was late making that payment. They did not call me, nor did they snail mail an email notification. The deal was cancelled and I got a partial refund ( minus some fees that I don't remember what they were) and I had to start all over.

 

As a young, naive teen, I never really thought of blaming the store. I obviously know better now.

 

 

Layaway and Typewriter. Wow that is old school ;) A lot of places are bring layaway back this year

[jzygail]

Layaway and Typewriter. Wow that is old school ;) A lot of places are bring layaway back this year

 

;) I know; I've been laughing at some of my son's generation who were talking about this "cool new service". I told them that it's like Aerosmith (who also weren't knew when they 'discovered' them way back in the 6th grade).

[willy1094]

Well, years ago, back in olden times when I was a teen with a job and people still used layaway pretty regularly, iwas about three payments shy of paying off an electric typewriter (it was like the internet, but without a router and you had to sent your instant message through snail mail). And i was late making that payment. They did not call me, nor did they snail mail an email notification. The deal was cancelled and I got a partial refund ( minus some fees that I don't remember what they were) and I had to start all over.

 

As a young, naive teen, I never really thought of blaming the store. I obviously know better now.

 

LOL...that is not too olden days. I have owned a typewriter and I have worked in a layaway department (Kmart). I am only 31! Computers were around but way too much $$ for anyone I knew to afford and they really did not do all the cool stuff they do now. I always thought layaway policies were horrible even when I worked in one. When I was there you had to make the payment weekly. Even then, if someone missed a payment we (the people I worked with NOT the store) would hold the stuff back for a week to give the person a chance to get back on track.

 

I am not trying to bash anyone and that is my point. I find it sad that people bash/flame someone for making a mistake. I also find it sad that it is becoming more common for people to just accept a business to do nothing to help a customer out. If people would say enough then companies would come back around to offering better customer service. Companies should be happy that people are spending their money with them in this economy.