Gift Card Refunds (3/13 - Present)

[Linda the Book Lover]

I started requests in April for two canceled cruises. I still have one gift card outstanding. The other one I received in June. I have been patient as I just want to put it on another cruise but gee whiz. 

[HLGW60]

Today I received 5 gift cards totaling $1,773.00 for purchases mainly for shore excursions, transfers, and fun shop purchases.   We cancelled our Carnival Legend Norway Cruise for June 19, 2020 on March 13, 2020.   It took 133 days.   I still have $30 from the Fun Shops that has not been refunded. 

[Big Tillie]

We booked our 4 different excursions with gift cards. I just received about $750 in gift cards for our excursions we purchased for our November Breeze that was cancelled on July 9. I thought that was really fast. Carnival sent us 4 separate gift cards for the 4 excursions we booked and shipped each gift card separately by FedEx which seemed like a big waste of money. We chose do take the cruise credit for the cost of the cruise with the $600 extra cruise credit.

Edited July 25, 2020 by Big Tillie

[pamesacruisin]

15 minutes ago, Big Tillie said:

We booked our 4 different excursions with gift cards. I just received about $750 in gift cards for our excursions we purchased for our November Breeze that was cancelled on July 9. I thought that was really fast. Carnival sent us 4 separate gift cards for the 4 excursions we booked and shipped each gift card separately by FedEx which seemed like a big waste of money. We chose do take the cruise credit for the cost of the cruise with the $600 extra cruise credit.

Big Tillie, I'm curious why Carnival cancelled a November cruise?  Did they give a reason?  We're debating whether to book a December cruise. 

[Big Tillie]

Carnival cancelled all the Breeze cruises from Nov 7, 2020 to around April 2021, They are giving our ship to the people booked on the Radiance, which will not ready on time from its major overhaul. I guess the people booked on the Radiance are more important than those of us booked on the Breeze.

[TomCruise48]

After 3 phone calls from our TA to Carnival, we finally received our first gift card refund (one of many still due) today.  It took 136 days from the day Carnival cancelled the cruise until receiving the first refund gift card.

[pamesacruisin]

It really is rather frustrating getting our credits/refunds.  I can understand they're dealing with zillions of people wanting the same thing, but it's so easy for them to take our $$ when booking, dealing with the same amount of people, but refunds have to take over 4 months?  We are still waiting for the remainder of the taxes, fees and port charges. Why did Carnival only send part of it?  When I called and talked with a Carnival vacation planner, she said many times...."trust me, I'll make sure you get everything you are owed when you book your new cruise."  I asked if I could have something in writing to show what Carnival owes us, FCC, on board credits etc. and she could not do that.  Just "trust me"!🙄🤔 She really wanted me to go ahead and book something.  Of course she wants a commission too!  I said "but what if I book another cruise and that one is cancelled too?  Does our OBC transfer over to the new one?  First she said no and then later she said we'd get whatever was being offered at that time.  I don't think she really knew, but I am just supposed to trust her.  I do not know her and have never booked with her.  We are thinking about a December cruise but to book another cruise right now seems like it would make a complicated matter even more complicated.  I can't wait too long though. One thing folks need to realize is if you accepted the FCC and OBC for your cancelled cruise, even though you have until Dec. 2022 to take your cruise, it must be booked by the end of this year.

[HLGW60]

2 hours ago, pamesacruisin said:

It really is rather frustrating getting our credits/refunds.  I can understand they're dealing with zillions of people wanting the same thing, but it's so easy for them to take our $$ when booking, dealing with the same amount of people, but refunds have to take over 4 months?  We are still waiting for the remainder of the taxes, fees and port charges. Why did Carnival only send part of it?  When I called and talked with a Carnival vacation planner, she said many times...."trust me, I'll make sure you get everything you are owed when you book your new cruise."  I asked if I could have something in writing to show what Carnival owes us, FCC, on board credits etc. and she could not do that.  Just "trust me"!🙄🤔 She really wanted me to go ahead and book something.  Of course she wants a commission too!  I said "but what if I book another cruise and that one is cancelled too?  Does our OBC transfer over to the new one?  First she said no and then later she said we'd get whatever was being offered at that time.  I don't think she really knew, but I am just supposed to trust her.  I do not know her and have never booked with her.  We are thinking about a December cruise but to book another cruise right now seems like it would make a complicated matter even more complicated.  I can't wait too long though. One thing folks need to realize is if you accepted the FCC and OBC for your cancelled cruise, even though you have until Dec. 2022 to take your cruise, it must be booked by the end of this year.

You make good points. Right now I am frustrated with Carnival and quite honestly.....I am about through with them!    In retrospect, I wish I had took the full refund back in March when we cancelled and rebooked for the following June. The problem is that we mostly paid with gift cards for this cruise ( first time ever...LUCKY US🥺) and will have to use the cards sooner or later or just lose over $5000 ( includes some shore excursions, etc.)  I really don’t think it will be safe to cruise in June 2021 or even if Europe will let Americans back in.

 

It bugs me that even though our old cruise transferred over to our new cruise with $57 left over,  their accounting process and lack of transparency on  how they do things is less than desirable. Our total old cruise was $4,320.73 ( paid in full before final payment date) which Included gratuities($377.73) and taxes/port fees ($516.00)  The new cruise is $4, 065.78 which leaves a difference of $ 57.00. When we rebooked we got a receipt via email that said we had paid $4,065.78 and that $197.95 was due before final payment.  We made numerous phone calls trying to understand why we owed more money when according to us they owed us $57. We had the receipts to prove it. To make things settle up, they sent me a gift card in the amount of $254.95 and was told I could pay the $197.95 due with the gift card and then I would have $57 left on the card.  133 days later I received the gift card.  I could never understand why they just didn’t pay for the cruise in full to begin with and then just send a $57 gift card for the amount owed us.     They never could explain their reasoning but assured us we would get what was owed us😳

Edited July 29, 2020 by HLGW60

[n6uqqq]

4 hours ago, HLGW60 said:

You make good points. Right now I am frustrated with Carnival and quite honestly.....I am about through with them!    In retrospect, I wish I had took the full refund back in March when we cancelled and rebooked for the following June. The problem is that we mostly paid with gift cards for this cruise ( first time ever...LUCKY US🥺) and will have to use the cards sooner or later or just lose over $5000 ( includes some shore excursions, etc.)  I really don’t think it will be safe to cruise in June 2021 or even if Europe will let Americans back in.

 

It bugs me that even though our old cruise transferred over to our new cruise with $57 left over,  their accounting process and lack of transparency on  how they do things is less than desirable. Our total old cruise was $4,320.73 ( paid in full before final payment date) which Included gratuities($377.73) and taxes/port fees ($516.00)  The new cruise is $4, 065.78 which leaves a difference of $ 57.00. When we rebooked we got a receipt via email that said we had paid $4,065.78 and that $197.95 was due before final payment.  We made numerous phone calls trying to understand why we owed more money when according to us they owed us $57. We had the receipts to prove it. To make things settle up, they sent me a gift card in the amount of $254.95 and was told I could pay the $197.95 due with the gift card and then I would have $57 left on the card.  133 days later I received the gift card.  I could never understand why they just didn’t pay for the cruise in full to begin with and then just send a $57 gift card for the amount owed us.     They never could explain their reasoning but assured us we would get what was owed us😳

If the difference is 57 dollars then the cost of your new cruise is actually $4263.73 not $4065.78

[IWantToCruiseWithYou]

Oops......you are correct!   I was looking at the wrong number.    I should have double checked.   The difference between the two cruises is $57.   The problem was that initially they had us only paying $4, 065.78 ( on the confirmation email) until we called again.  That was a $254.95 difference and we knew that it was Carnival who owed us money rather than the other way around.  It was settled by sending us a $254.95 gift card.   We then could pay the $197.95 that was owed and then we would have the $57 refund.   I just don’t understand why they didn’t get their $197.95 to begin with and just send us a $57 gift card.    Hope this makes sense.   

[pamesacruisin]

So guess what showed up today?  2 Carnival Gift Cards delivered by Fed Ex!!! This is the balance Carnival owed us for taxes, fees, and port charges from our April 5th cruise that was cancelled.  Took almost 6 months, but finally got our refunds!  Received gift cards because that is how we paid.

[bury me at sea]

1 hour ago, pamesacruisin said:

So guess what showed up today?  2 Carnival Gift Cards delivered by Fed Ex!!! This is the balance Carnival owed us for taxes, fees, and port charges from our April 5th cruise that was cancelled.  Took almost 6 months, but finally got our refunds!  Received gift cards because that is how we paid.

 

Gives me a little hope for my last expected refund.  I have received, in 3 separate fed ex shipments, gift cards representing everything but one lone excursion.  Have not called to check into it but would like to close out my spread sheets.