Beware Conquest Guests

[xeroxme]

We did in fact ask to speak with the bar manager, but were told that wasn't possible. We were trying to be reasonable; not make a scene. We trusted they would handle it and had every reason to think the bar manager would take this as seriously as we did and just remove the gratuities as we requested. After all, they weren't obligatory, the extra tips were given out of our graciousness. We of course had no idea we would be scammed by the guy.

 

Keep in mind that once you reported it, especially if you talked directly with his supervisor, then it became a personnel matter.

 

All they should do is acknowledge your report, credit the improper tips, and then conduct an internal investigation. No information beyond that should flow out of the company. At no point should they communicate what action they are going to take. If the investigation finds something and action is taken that is a matter that, like all personnel actions, should remain between the company and the individual.

 

At this point the only issue that you have is that they did not credit other tips which you wanted withdrawn, but were valid charges at the time you made them. The company really cannot and should not provide any more information about their actions concerning a personnel matter.

 

This is exactly how HR dept wants this handled legally these days. All very true because one violation to the employees rights Carnival Loses big-time. The problem is if the employee is a thief they get to walk away. This is exactly what's wrong with the planet. Lol. Spend your money now before the government does! Ha

[joeyancho]

I may be stupid for suggesting this, so please don't jump my case, but is it possible that the machine/computer was glitching? Can't imagine some one risking his steady job for a few bucks.

Edited February 12, 2014 by joeyancho

[CP89]

I agree Marine mom those extra tips should have been able to be removed as dishonesty was proved by you and your guests. They had opinion and you had facts.

Yes I agree check your account often for mistakes. However, I think we should not have to worry daily about being scammed by the people that are to provides us with a great vacation. Hopefully this was handled behind the scenes and appropriate action was taken by management to make sure no one else experiences the same from the individual. I'm not saying be fired everyone. Lol, but who knows this could be happening to lots of people and maybe firing needs done or maybe they don't know how to use the register.

All of us who cruise provide tremendous amounts of personal information to the cruise lines not just a credit card. Honesty of employees is essential and how Carnival handles it is important.

 

 

 

I would disagree...they didn't"prove dishonesty", or have facts vs opinions. They proved an error -- whether intentional or accidental. I went to a basketball game this week and just noticed they charged extra to my card & my husband's at the concession stand, but it doesn't necessarily mean that employee is a thief. It also doesn't mean the employee isn't a thief. He could have stolen the money....or maybe he charged for a drink that should have been free with Cheers, or is incompetent at running a register, or there could be a glitch with that particular machine, etc. Yeah, it's suspicious, but you don't know 100% certain that it was intentional. They will handle it if it is, because businesses don't like losing money.

 

Incidentally, if you found out a land-based bartender stole extra tips, you wouldn't produce copies of your receipts and demand to be credited for all tips since you began frequenting that bar, would you? Once you sign, the legitimate charges shouldn't be taken off...IMO.

 

I get why you're frustrated, but the manager will decide if the employee should be fired, reassigned, etc. Hope your next cruise is better!

Edited February 12, 2014 by CP89

[kona_wahine]

You should ALWAYS put a tip amount, $0 if you are not adding a tip, and then write the amount in the total line. You should always do this on every receipt, no matter where you are. A coworker spent $5 on lunch and left those lines

Blank. The server gave herself a $20 tip. Of course, he found it and complained. By then she had been fired.

[okgirl]

I had a problem with the Cheers program on one of my cruises last year.

 

I reviewed my S&S account and discovered that we had been charged twice for the program. I went to guest services to dispute the charges and they said they would look into it.

 

When I went back the next day, they said I had purchased the program for another couple..........What????? No, I didn't we are traveling alone and I don't even know this other couple. They said they would need to contact the other couple and to come back tomorrow.

 

Went back next day and they hadn't yet spoken to the other couple.....I said not my problem, take the extra charge off now.......well....they really needed to speak to the other couple first.......NOPE......let me speak to your supervisor.....who took the charges off.....3 days and probably 1.5 hours of my vacation time to fix there mistake......

[walty]

For something as serious as this you're wasting your time talking to a low level functionary with no authority to do much of anything. You should have immediately asked to talked to the guest services manager and the bar manager.

[MarineMom923]

Keep in mind that once you reported it, especially if you talked directly with his supervisor, then it became a personnel matter.

 

All they should do is acknowledge your report, credit the improper tips, and then conduct an internal investigation. No information beyond that should flow out of the company. At no point should they communicate what action they are going to take. If the investigation finds something and action is taken that is a matter that, like all personnel actions, should remain between the company and the individual.

 

At this point the only issue that you have is that they did not credit other tips which you wanted withdrawn, but were valid charges at the time you made them. The company really cannot and should not provide any more information about their actions concerning a personnel matter.

 

The very least I'm asking for from Carnival is acknowledgement that they have or are investigating the incident. I don't need to know the full details. Just tell me they understand the seriousness and are making every effort to ensure guests are protected from any situation where there is potential for theft. So far they've not acknowledged any of my correspondence with them other than the automated "Thanks for contacting us".

[MarineMom923]

For something as serious as this you're wasting your time talking to a low level functionary with no authority to do much of anything. You should have immediately asked to talked to the guest services manager and the bar manager.

 

You might have missed that in an earlier post, but we did in fact request to speak to the bar manager and were told he was not available. We were assured he would look into that night. If we had been more demanding then we'd have people saying we were being unreasonable because we were told something would be done. Don't fault me because a dishonest crew member chose to steal from guests. It could just as easily have been you.

[tncap]

We had a $10 bar tip "turn into" $100 on our last night on the Conquest. Guest Services promptly corrected it. We assumed it was just a mistake?

 

I've found the bar manager to be very accessible on the Conquest. He stopped by Alchemy regularly.

[thinfool]

We had something very similar happen on a Princess cruise a couple of years ago.

 

My take is this, a crew member is exposed to 1000's of people week after week. They all have more $$ than he does so he decides to help himself to a little.

 

So he turns in receipts for things that were never served and receives credit for the included gratuities, or adds them himself.

 

The purser does not verify the receipts, just totals them up and charges the noted cabin.

 

IF THE GUEST NOTICES THE ERROR, HE HAS IT REMOVED, NO PROBLEM.

 

However....HOW MANY GUESTS NEVER LOOK, OR ONLY LOOK AT THEIR TOTAL?

 

For the perpetrator it is a game of percentages. He knows that some will never contest the bill....and the bogus charges are his.

 

Complaints may trigger an investigation, especially if reported to the right person. But this is an ongoing situation and cannot be avoided by changing ships or cruiselines.

 

Your only protection is (as others have noted) to keep track of your expenses and raise a fuss if something is amiss.

 

Not unlike having your pocket picked in Rome.

[cruisinmeme]

I am sorry that happened to you, but wondering what you expected them to do right then and there? He did say the bar manager would look into it. What else did you want him to do? You got the money back on your account and possibly learned a lesson to tip them in cash when you have Cheers if you want to tip extra. Did you expect the guy at the desk to haul the bartender up front and fire him right there? I am just curious as to what exactly you wanted done right then.

 

Remember to not judge a whole cruiseline because of one person. It could have happened on any line.

 

I think the original poster expected a little concern in the voice of person at service desk. Funny how that can make a big difference. Didn't have to make any promises , just show concern. I bet that would of gone a Lon way with OP

[eedee]

Well I think they should have fired the employee right then and there. They had all the proof they needed. How many people has he gotten away with doing this to. The nerve. They should have taken it more seriously. That's stealing. Maybe others are getting a cut and that is why they didn't take it so serious.

[mousey]

This is why we NEVER add anything to the receipt. I always bring a wad of ones and fives on our cruises to tip bartenders and waiters in cash. It saves you a whole lot of headaches. We always prepay our tips then tip additional cash here and there. Even at steakhouse I leave cash and always put an x in additional tip space.

 

Ditto!:D I put a specified amount of money everyday and evening in my cross body bag and evening bag for tips as I don't like to carry a lot of cash on me at any one time. I usually have an idea of how many drinks I'm going to have at any given time on my cruise. :D

[grumplin]

I am Plantinum cruiser and don't ever recall seeing a line on the reciept where you can add an extra tip. 15% of the bill is automatically added to your Sail & Sign charge for beverages.

 

We just got off one last Saturday and there is a line for extra tip.

[cruiseclues]

I am sorry that happened to you, but wondering what you expected them to do right then and there? He did say the bar manager would look into it. What else did you want him to do? You got the money back on your account and possibly learned a lesson to tip them in cash when you have Cheers if you want to tip extra. Did you expect the guy at the desk to haul the bartender up front and fire him right there? I am just curious as to what exactly you wanted done right then.

 

Remember to not judge a whole cruiseline because of one person. It could have happened on any line.

 

I guess you didn't read the rest of it.

[larkz]

Assuming the OP's version of this event is as described -- not easy for us to verify -- then the facts would clearly suggest that the server was a thief. In that case, a pattern of stealing seems to have been established and cross-correlated between two different parties. Further investigation by the server's manager probably confirmed this.

 

But it isn't the place of anybody at Guest Services to do anything more than report it to the proper manager. They really shouldn't be expected to confirm on the spot whether an employee is stealing based on a complaint. Hopefully, they carried through with an investigation. I suspect they did, as an employee who steals from passengers is not doing Carnival any favors, and is just as likely to steal from other workers and the cruise line itself.

 

Most importantly, the OP does serve us in reminding everyone to scrutinize the bill each day, and be vigilant about strange or questionable charges. I went through my own cycle of multiple Guest Services visits while trying to fix a double charge, followed by a double tipping error, from the steakhouse on my most recent cruise. I didn't let it rest until it was corrected, and after arriving home, I continued to watch my credit card records for any indication of another "correction." I keep a full notebook of all receipts and daily printouts of my cruise account.

[walty]

You might have missed that in an earlier post, but we did in fact request to speak to the bar manager and were told he was not available. We were assured he would look into that night. If we had been more demanding then we'd have people saying we were being unreasonable because we were told something would be done. Don't fault me because a dishonest crew member chose to steal from guests. It could just as easily have been you.

 

Yes, you should have been more demanding. A request to speak to him is not speaking to him. You should have demanded that he call you or set up a time when he would be available. You should have also demanded to speak to the Guest Services manager as well as the head of Security. If you would have gotten no satisfaction from these folks, then go to the Hotel Director. Remeber...The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Edited February 14, 2014 by walty

[nickiefriend]

My husband laughs at me because I ask for a printout every morning, but this kind of stuff is the reason why. I don't expect someone to steal from me, but mistakes do happen.

 

Every receipt we get, I keep and compare. I still have receipts from our first cruise. On that cruise we were charged for a coke out of the room fridge that we did not drink. Got that reversed, but it did make me wonder where it went??

[Havingfun2010]

Thanks OP for posting this.

1. Why should a person have to carry cash to tip? Not a solution.

2. Why did no manager contact the guest? No excuse.

3. Why were all the tips not removed? No excuse

4. This is just of many examples of poor customer service found on Carnival.

[walty]

My husband laughs at me because I ask for a printout every morning, but this kind of stuff is the reason why. I don't expect someone to steal from me, but mistakes do happen.

 

Every receipt we get, I keep and compare. I still have receipts from our first cruise. On that cruise we were charged for a coke out of the room fridge that we did not drink. Got that reversed, but it did make me wonder where it went??

 

You don't need a print out, you can access your account on the TV in your cabin 24/7.

[winddawn]

You don't need a print out, you can access your account on the TV in your cabin 24/7.

Not all the ships have this on the TV, but the kiosks can provide the info.

[walty]

Not all the ships have this on the TV, but the kiosks can provide the info.

 

I've yet to be on one that doesn't. Is it the older ships that don't?

[DebJ14]

We always take a stack of one dollar bills and any extra bar tips are always given in cash. It is too easy for them to misread the amount or to key in the wrong amount. We also tip the servers in the steakhouses in cash so that all of the servers who attended us are given what they deserve.

[firemanbobswife]

I've yet to be on one that doesn't. Is it the older ships that don't?

 

Ours on the Conquest last month wasn't working. So we went daily to the self service kiosks and printed them out. That's when we noticed the errors. It really isn't that big of a deal to spend 1 min at the machine. Then you have it in black and white.

[tinlizzy]

I may be stupid for suggesting this, so please don't jump my case, but is it possible that the machine/computer was glitching? Can't imagine some one risking his steady job for a few bucks.

 

I would disagree...they didn't"prove dishonesty", or have facts vs opinions. They proved an error -- whether intentional or accidental. I went to a basketball game this week and just noticed they charged extra to my card & my husband's at the concession stand, but it doesn't necessarily mean that employee is a thief. It also doesn't mean the employee isn't a thief. He could have stolen the money....or maybe he charged for a drink that should have been free with Cheers, or is incompetent at running a register, or there could be a glitch with that particular machine, etc. Yeah, it's suspicious, but you don't know 100% certain that it was intentional. They will handle it if it is, because businesses don't like losing money.

 

Incidentally, if you found out a land-based bartender stole extra tips, you wouldn't produce copies of your receipts and demand to be credited for all tips since you began frequenting that bar, would you? Once you sign, the legitimate charges shouldn't be taken off...IMO.

 

I get why you're frustrated, but the manager will decide if the employee should be fired, reassigned, etc. Hope your next cruise is better!

 

I agree.

 

When I read that the OP had extra tips I thought the bartender was padding the bill, but when the friends also had extra tips, it made me think there is something wrong with the terminal or user error on the part of the bartender.

 

$11 is a weird amount. It could be his employee number or some innocent thing.

 

Even if it were an intentionally dishonest charge, I would suspect Carnival more so than the employee.

Edited February 15, 2014 by tinlizzy