Carnival Glory 1/7/17 Disaster

[Ddbraxt]

On January 7, 2017, I boarded the Carnival Glory for my wedding. I got married on the Carnival Glory at approximately 1:45pm this day, and the wedding ceremony and reception could not have gone better.

 

The Glory set sail on the following itinerary: Jan 8 2017 Half Moon Cay Bahamas, Jan 9 2017 Day at Sea, Jan 10 2017 St Thomas USVI, Jan 11 2017 Puerto Rico, Jan 12 2017 Grand Turk, Jan 13 2017 Day at Sea, Jan 14 2017 Return to Miami FL.

 

As soon as we left the port of Miami on Jan 7 2017, it began to rain, and on that evening, rumors began to surface about the cancellation of Half Moon Cay due to bad weather. Soon thereafter, an announcement was made confirming these rumors. Guests did not have an issue with this as it was clear the decision was made for the safety of the guests aboard the Glory.

 

It was at this time that we checked the weather for the remainder of the cruise and we discovered that high winds would be present during our time at Grand Turk Island. The weather channel reported winds in excess of 25mph at Grand Turk Island for January 12 2017. This is where the problems began.

 

The next 4 days both at sea, and on islands were battered with high winds, and rough waters. Fortunately we were able to enjoy sunshine on islands, however at sea it was a different story. Rocky waters caused several hundred passengers to become seasick. Dinners were ruined due to waiters spilling drinks, toilet water spilled out of the toilets in the bathrooms, and public areas began to be covered in vomit. My parents room flooded from the ceiling ruining several clothing items and putting them out of their room for hours at a time for maintenance. Passengers in wheelchairs fell over, and older passengers were unable to make it out of their rooms, or back to their rooms due to the rough waters.

 

The waters were the worst on the night from Jan 11 to Jan 12. The pool deck was closed, outside areas were not able to be enjoyed, and the entertainment had to be completely moved inside and adjusted to accommodate the weather and high winds.

 

On Jan 12 2017, we arrived at the beautiful Grand Turk Island running over one hour late. No rain, minimal wind (always wind on the ship), and clear skies were present. Our Captain made one attempt to dock at the port, did not come within a reasonable distance of the port (in my opinion more than 100 yards away), and turned around. We later received an announcement on how we would not be visiting Grand Turk Island due to bad weather conditions. No more than 30mins after leaving the island, it began to rain again.

 

As a result of missing this port, entertainers were unable to board the ship making all of the shows for the remaining days at sea repeats of the previous shows we had already enjoyed. The same comedy show is not too funny the second and third times around.

 

An immediate uproar erupted on the ship. People protested, and complained to customer service for hours. Myself and a few other close friends gained over 650 signatures of upset and disappointed passengers who wished we would have had the opportunity to go to another island.

 

The problem was not the cancellation of Grand Turk Island, but the manner in which it was done. We sped through the night in rough waters, with no regard to the safety and discomfort of passengers to arrive at a port over an hour late, and cancel the port over a condition that was reported days ahead of time. The port was cancelled due to high winds yet I have family members who were on the top deck of the ship taking pictures. If these high winds were present, at the port at sea level, I would expect that on the top deck of the ship would be closed. As these winds would certainly present a safety concern for those standing 200ft or more above the ocean.

 

Carnival learned about our situation and in return offered all passengers 25% off a future cruise. The issue that I have with this is that many passengers will not be able to make even with this offer. Passengers from England, Australia, or other foreign lands will not have the opportunity to cruise again with Carnival. The elderly may never be healthy enough to cruise again. 25% off a future cruise does not make up for my lost honeymoon, the wasted birthdays seasick, or anniversaries that will never happen again. I feel that it is clear that Carnival is using our bad experience as a marketing ploy to keep customers in the future instead of taking care of its current customers. Additionally, the 25% will likely be off of the “base rate” of a room. Carnival discounts its rooms so tis 25% off will likely leave customers at the same price advertised online, or at a higher price. It got worse.

 

In the days following the cruise we learned that every cruise ship that attempted to dock at Grand Turk Island from Jan 7 to Jan 13 had been canceled, or unable to dock due to bad weather. This supports my claim that we had no reason to attempt to go to Grand Turk Island to begin with and instead Carnival should have directed us to calmer waters where we could enjoy the days at sea. Additionally, the Marine Operations Manager/Port Agent of Grand Turk Port Mr. Sharrad Smith stated that the ship attempted to dock and was unable due to high winds however Jr. Agent of Grand Turk Island Mr. Rostand Malcolm stated that the port was closed for that week. Two people working together and directly impacting our ship at the port have contradicting stories. On top of this, I have yet to see a picture of anyone at the port. I am no ship captain, however I have never heard of a self docking ship. We also learned that the

'high winds" that causes us to not be able to dock at the port were only 18mph. Things just do not add up.

 

Their are many layers to this issue and myself along with over 100 others are working to have Carnival do right by its passengers. We understand that a contract is in place, and are not arguing a contract violation but instead an ethical violation in regards to customer service. We feel that Carnival knew ahead of time of the weather in Grand Turk and risked its passengers well being in route to the island when it had more than enough knowledge that it would not be able to dock. We feel that Carnival did this because it knew it was the only way to not violate its contract, and take advantage of its customers.

 

I’ll use this example:

If you went to Olive Garden and ordered $15 soup but got $.99 soup from a can is it your fault, or does Olive Garden have the obligation to uphold a certain level of customer service, and customer consideration?

 

Thank you for listening to my story. If anyone can help please feel free to send me a message.

 

For those of you who are on the fence about cruising and are looking for advice I say cruise. This was my 7th cruise since 2011, (4th with my wife) and I feel it is an extreme outlier. Cruising is an experience unlike any other and I look forward to cruising time and time again through my life. May or may not be with Carnival, but cruising in general is still my number one vacation preference.

[cruisinpips]

Sorry you missed the port, but you and your petition signers have no leg to stand on, and the safety of everyone trumps your "right" to go to a certain port!

Had someone been caught passing a petition, that person could have been removed from the ship according to your cruise contract that each person agreed to before sailing.

No cruise line controls the weather, or the closing of a port, and that is part of cruising no matter the time of year.

Enjoy your next cruise!!

 

 

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[CharlesKru]

Congratulations on your wedding!

 

I am not sure there is anything you will be able to do, the contract is quite clear, and while you might feel there are mitigating circumstances, that does not change the contract.

 

Good luck.

[firemanbobswife]

Disaster? I consider a disaster the ship sinking or something that drastic. Disappointing? Definitely.

 

Carnival was in a no win situation unfortunately. If they would have slowed down to have regard "for the safety and discomfort of the passengers" as you say, then people would be up in arms that it wasn't even attempted.

 

Look, I get that it wasn't the cruise everyone was expecting. But it was far from a disaster. Ports are never guaranteed and no one has control over the weather. It would have been in Carnival's best interest to call on HMC and GT as they run the island. They lost a lot of money those days and the decisions don't come lightly. If one questions the integrity and judgement of the Captain, then it's best to find an alternate mode of vacation.

 

I'm glad that you had a great wedding and hope you can put all the things that didn't work out as planned behind you and start working on the next one :).

[3redheads]

I understand your disappointment. Look at the positives, you were married on a beautiful ship and have the rest of your lives to cruise to some of these islands.

 

I'm not sure what's involved when switching from one island to the next, but I imagine there's a lot involved.

 

Unfortunately, bad weather affects cruise ships.

[packer99]

A Petition? What would that do? They can't just pull up to a port and say, here we are? There are rules and laws they have to follow and not alone that, there were probably other ships that had rights to the other ports first.

 

Sounds like it did suck, but they can't control the weather or high the seas were.

[VvvKkktchm]

Congrats on your wedding and I'm sorry the trip was not what you had hoped for. But it seems as if the captain was trying to get to Grand Turk in hopes of docking, only to find out out it was not possible. With so many cruise ships in the water these days it is increasingly difficult to just drop in on another port. Cruising is one of those vacations where you must understand there is the risk of bad weather.

 

And your Olive Garden example is entirely irrelevant. The restaurant has control over which soup they give you. No one controls the weather. Besides if you eat the rest of the meal you still would expect to pay for part of it.

 

 

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[sanmarcosman]

IF the ship was sailed to a port Carnival knew to be closed and IF this was done solely to be in technical compliance with the passage contract I believe this to be an unethical business decision.

 

I enjoy sailing with Carnival and will continue to do so but IF the above is true, it stinks.

[Rynerson27]

If the weather was bad in Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay then odds are it was bad at any other island within reach of the ships allotted time at sea, they only go so fast. Sorry about your run in with poor weather.

[BNBR]

Who would order a $15 soup at Olive Garden? :eek:

[I Am The Average American]

This is all really bad and I don't think its fare at all. I think you should contact your local media and see if you can get them to do something. Once somebody who does those "fare deal" shows or something heres about this I bet you're result would be better.

 

I think you should also take your petition to a site like change.org or something. Those seem to work reel good. Getting a petition started was a good idea.

 

Sorry you're trip was bad but I'm glad you were able to get married.

[florisdekort]

Congratulations on your wedding.

 

No reason to complain however. Carnival does not control the weather and if it's safe, they'll dock as they have no incentive whatsoever to deliberately disrupt people's vacations. More importantly, safety first. Lastly, ports are booked 36+ months in advance and it's increasingly difficult to just sail into a different port. You were unlucky, and I sympathize, but you have no reason to complain and demand compensation. Time to move on.

Edited January 17, 2017 by florisdekort

[florisdekort]

PS. The word "disaster" discredits your entire post. It's a disaster when people die, not when you miss a port.

 

 

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[cruizinisthebest]

Congratulations on your wedding! Glad to hear that went well for you. The rest...yawn. Good luck with that petition.

 

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[ryano]

Wow, melodramatic much? When I first read the subject title, I thought Glory sank or something and I just hadnt heard about it :rolleyes:

 

Good luck with the rest of that

Edited January 17, 2017 by ryano

[stobe1]

Wow. The thing that amazes me is how the OP knows more about basic seamanship and is better suited at operating 100,000+ ton ships and making safety decisions than the Captain.

 

Maybe she should be Carnival's first female skipper.

 

And disaster?? Come on. Titanic and Concordia were disasters. I'd say you fared better than they did.

 

I wish your husband luck in your time of wedded bliss.

 

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Edited January 17, 2017 by stobe1

[poz222]

So if you signed a dinner contract with Olive Garden in which it states that you agree you will pay $15 for soup and they reserve the right to use a 99 cent can... THEN when they serve you the 99 cent can of soup you complain that you don't like the taste you feel that your dinner contract should be voided and that you deserve a FULL refund (including the food you DID eat)?

 

Suck it up buttercup and find a different type of vacation. Cruising is not for you!! Carnival is in no more control of the weather OR decisions to open/close a port in a sovereign foreign country than you are!!

 

FYI, there are NO viable ports within a reasonable distance that were NOT experiencing weather issues... CCL cannot just dock where they feel, they need to coordinate for dock space, longshoremen, customs, immigration etc... which is why they reserve the right to change the itinerary as needed!! It's winter and ALL ports are very full in the Caribbean as it is high season for cruises now, not a lot of "extra berths" sitting unused.

 

You blackmailed them into a 25% cruise refund already by threatening and causing a disturbance, stop while your ahead... it was your wedding for Christ's sake, you could not find ANYTHING more fun to rather than mindlessly bitch about missing a port and wind??

[h_blond2]

You are not guaranteed to stop at any of the ports listed on the itinerary. It does suck that you missed the ports, but it was done with the safety of the passengers and ship in mind. I do feel that the 25% off of a future cruise is reasonable. Carnival has no control over the weather. And I'm not exactly sure what you thought you were going to accomplish by having people sign a petition. It's not like the captain can just take the ship wherever he wants. This was not a disaster, but an annoyance or a disappointment.

[Micahs Grandad]

You would get 25% off the cost of your next cruise.

 

Wheelchairs falling over? That is a bit hard to believe.

 

Carnival doesnt have control over mother nature so do not think you have a leg to stand on and they didnt have to give you the 25%.

[asalligo]

I personally love a rough seas cruise. I know I am not the norm, but I love giant seas and a rolling boat.

 

There are just going to be bad weeks at sea sometimes, I have had a cruise in which it rains almost all week, but I do not fault Carnival for this. I am also a person who is perfectly happy with seven days at sea and no ports though, so maybe I am a bad indicator.

 

What compensation do you feel is appropriate from Carnival for two missed ports out of a seven day cruise with 4 ports?

 

Just going to another island is not so simple by the way, even adding a day at an already planned island requires approval.

Edited January 17, 2017 by asalligo

[mrsfuzzmo]

I understand your disappointment, really I do, but I freaked out when I saw the title. You see my family of 15 has a cruise set on the Glory in June and I thought something terrible happened.

 

I too, have been on a cruise in which the weather was bad. It was in Jan/Feb. and very rough. (I actually like rough seas). Grand Caymen was cancelled, Cozumel was a great day, and Ocho Rios......we pulled in and pulled back out due to the water conditions. We were disappointed, but not as much as the poor Bride and Groom, standing on the promenade deck in their wedding clothes, watching their dream island wedding sail off into the clouds. You can imagine her tears......at least you had your wedding.

 

We did not receive any kind of compensation (it was the Carnival Liberty), nor did anyone really complain. We all grabbed our warmest clothes, wrapped up in blankets and sat up at the pool bars and had a good time! Super cold, windy and rough........we missed two ports.....we still had a ball.

[cingroomer]

You will find out the posters here only care when something doesn't go their way so its no use to even attempt to explain your point. I agree, the 25% off next cruise is ridiculous. We had some similar happenings our last cruise including urine soaked carpet when we checked into our room and ended our last days with water logged carpet from them cleaning the deck and the room next to us flooded. We also had several other things happen including missing ports (which they should always have an alternate in my opinion) and the big screen wasn't working some of the time so no movies etc

 

Congrats on getting married.

[matj2000]

If they knew the weather was unfavorable in that area.

 

They should have moved to a Western Caribbean/Mexico itinerary instead of trying to tough it out in crappy weather.

 

I hate missing a port and am always suspicious that they don't try to reroute the ship to another port instead of a sea day.

 

In the end, I think they should have given you a minimum of 50% off another cruise.

 

Keep calling them and fight for it.....

Edited January 17, 2017 by matj2000

[krich_son]

Who spends their honeymoon collecting 650 signatures of complainers!!!! I know what I would have been doing instead.

 

I am sorry you missed 2 ports - that would be very disappointing - but I think you will be disappointed if you expect some sort of refund from Carnival. Maybe you should work on moving on and letting go of your disappointment and focus on the happy memories of your wedding.

[stobe1]

I would suggest booking your next cruise on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

 

I can guarantee that you will never have rough seas and you will never miss a port.

 

 

 

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