Will HAL match Carnival New Policy

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

That is going to be a pain for Carnival ..

[Scrapnana]

If you had a short (3 or 4 day) cruise with only one port (not a "distant foreign one), you could have the whole cruise but still get your money back if you complained.

[RuthC]

If you had a short (3 or 4 day) cruise with only one port (not a "distant foreign one), you could have the whole cruise but still get your money back if you complained.

Unless it's a cruise to nowhere, there's going to be at least one foreign port. Put you off there, and there's no PVSA problem.

[Oceanwench]

This new program runs through April 2015.

That is as far out as Carnival is booking right now.

 

A person could book a cruise out of Galveston and have two sea days before getting to Jamaica.

Or a cruise out of PortMiami and sail to HMC and have a sea day before reaching the first port of call.

 

Another thought: You don't need a passport on closed loop Caribbean cruises, so what if you get off in, say, St. Maarten? How do you fly back? I believe Carnival says this guarantee pertains to pax with passports only, but they're going to have to make that crystal clear up front, or they'll have to start requiring people to take passports.

 

They're doing this to attract new customers.

And the reason to cancel within the first 24 hours can be as flimsy as you'd like. Maybe the room is too small, the carpet clashes with the drapes, the ship rocks too much, the towel animals are intimidating.

[taxmantoo]

A one day cruise? Makes sense now that you can only bring one bottle of wine :D

[Hlitner]

We have been on 3 Carnival ships (among the 65+ other ships we have cruises) and never met anyone our Carnival cruises who were unhappy or whining they wanted to get off the ship (we cannot say the same about HA). Kudos to Carnival for making the offer. As to the Passport issue, this is just one more reason (of many) why everyone on a cruise should have a Passport.

 

I should add that DW and I are Seniors and have no big desire to back on Carnival (although it could happen). But many of the Carnival "bashers" we have met in person and online and either never been on Carnival or in many cases they tried the line many years ago. Although we are 4 Star Mariners with HA we would quickly acknowledge that there are some thing that Carnival does better then HA....and vice versa.

 

Hank

[TiogaCruiser]

I'm sure I've read this policy in the past too. They may have changed a word or two and called it new.

 

There was a thread on this board about 6-7 months ago about it, IIRC.

I remember someone adding the return flight would be economy fare.

[buckirj1]

I remember Celebrity had a similar policy some time back. Years ago, didn't somebody who used to post a lot on the HAL boards ditch a Celebrity cruise after a few days, invoking that policy? I sort of remember reading about it.

[localady]

I actually applaude Carnival for this move. :D If I have a serious mechanical problem in my cabin on the first day with HAL, they say they will try to rectify, the ship is full we haven't another cabin to move you to.... (and in essence too bad, deal with it.:rolleyes:)

But Carnival is now saying, we will make you happy or refund your cruise as the return flight and hotel if you are unhappy and it fits within the small print.

I like that additional guarantee! Too often I have read about other pax "trips from Hell" and although I've never personally experienced one (thank the Lord!). I would rather get off the ship and fly home, missing my vacation, than have to live through a vacation of serious mechanical issues and an unresponsive front office.....

[pms4104]

I believe Carnival's policy is pro-active and more than fair.

 

I doubt HAL would ever offer such a guarantee ... mainly because Seattle, for the most part, believes their product is so absolutely flawless that if passengers have issues onboard it likely is because they are grumpy, picky, or bat crap crazy.