Carnival asking for a payment before final payment due

[Illbcruzn4life]

10 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

TBH, I'm surprised payment reminders would cause such frustration.  I work for an independent insurance agency, where we send payment reminders frequently to get people to pay their bills.  People get angry when we don't send them and they miss their payment.

 

Not sure why this is cause for distress.

So your insurance agency sends out reminders 1 1/2 years in advance? That could be very confusing to some, like me.

[sparks1093]

5 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Not always the case. My sons PVP was off the day he booked so he booked it online.

 

He had a couple questions a few days later and called the PVP who told him to call the 1-800 and hung up.

Did the PVP retain his business after that? 

[Moviela]

I don't pay a lot for my cruises, but I have a final payment for two suites on Miracle in March due next week. Less than $300 due, but I get Email & texts every other day. I look at it as a courtesy. Easy enough to delete.

 

I did pay for one cruise with future cruise credit, and only 28 cents was due at final payment. I got a lot of messages about that one too. I paid it the day before.

[sparks1093]

13 minutes ago, Moviela said:

I don't pay a lot for my cruises, but I have a final payment for two suites on Miracle in March due next week. Less than $300 due, but I get Email & texts every other day. I look at it as a courtesy. Easy enough to delete.

 

I did pay for one cruise with future cruise credit, and only 28 cents was due at final payment. I got a lot of messages about that one too. I paid it the day before.

Now that I think about it I have received reminders that final payment is due about a month or so before hand and it includes the reminder that I have autopay turned on. What I don't recall seeing is an email requesting any sort of payment a year prior to a cruise (and we usually have one or two booked out that far).

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Not always the case. My sons PVP was off the day he booked so he booked it online.

 

He had a couple questions a few days later and called the PVP who told him to call the 1-800 and hung up.

🤦‍♂️ Just wonderful customer service. 😢

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

🤦‍♂️ Just wonderful customer service. 😢

Im sure he is long gone

[Illbcruzn4life]

4 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Did the PVP retain his business after that? 

Lol not a chance

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Lol not a chance

And for that very reason, it is extremely short sighted for the PVP to act that way.

[StephPS79]

22 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

So your insurance agency sends out reminders 1 1/2 years in advance? That could be very confusing to some, like me.

No, thar would just be stupid.  However, they are well in advance of a due date, but with the due date included on the payment reminder, just like these notices.  😒

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

No, thar would just be stupid.  However, they are well in advance of a due date, but with the due date included on the payment reminder, just like these notices.  😒

Well to answer your original question about you being surprised that the notice would cause frustration. The answer is they are sending out notices for 2024 cruises.

 

I can see 60 days but a year and a half is, as you said just stupid.            

[DallasGuy75219]

33 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Well to answer your original question about you being surprised that the notice would cause frustration. The answer is they are sending out notices for 2024 cruises.

 

I can see 60 days but a year and a half is, as you said just stupid.            

Carnival Corporation is just desperate for cash at this point. That's why Princess knew Crown had propulsion issues and couldn't make its scheduled itineraries this summer but waited until after final payment to announce itinerary changes and eliminated ports.

[Jamman54]

On 12/16/2022 at 1:03 AM, Illbcruzn4life said:

Not always the case. My sons PVP was off the day he booked so he booked it online.

 

He had a couple questions a few days later and called the PVP who told him to call the 1-800 and hung up.

I am not  condoning your son's PVP behavior, as it was unacceptable, but if you are working with a PVP, and you need to book something immediately for whatever reason, and your PVP isn't available, put a HOLD on the cabin you want as opposed to booking it yourself. That gives you time to connect with your PVP, who will get credit for the booking. If you book online they don't get credit, which is why your son's PVP didn't want to answer questions about it. Still unacceptable behavior. 😎

[ontheweb]

39 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

I am not  condoning your son's PVP behavior, as it was unacceptable, but if you are working with a PVP, and you need to book something immediately for whatever reason, and your PVP isn't available, put a HOLD on the cabin you want as opposed to booking it yourself. That gives you time to connect with your PVP, who will get credit for the booking. If you book online they don't get credit, which is why your son's PVP didn't want to answer questions about it. Still unacceptable behavior. 😎

It comes down to the PVP works for the cruise line, not you. If the same thing had been done with a TA, the TA would have no trouble taking over the booking and answering questions.

[DallasGuy75219]

2 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

If you book online they don't get credit, which is why your son's PVP didn't want to answer questions about it.

But still short-sighted. The good PVPs who stay with Carnival and make good money from meeting/exceeding their sales goals do so by cultivating a base of return customers who keep going back to them to book and also refer new customers to them.  

 

Telling a previously loyal customer who booked one cruise online to call the 1-800 number and hanging up on them is pretty much a guarantee for losing their repeat business.

[Illbcruzn4life]

3 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

I am not  condoning your son's PVP behavior, as it was unacceptable, but if you are working with a PVP, and you need to book something immediately for whatever reason, and your PVP isn't available, put a HOLD on the cabin you want as opposed to booking it yourself. That gives you time to connect with your PVP, who will get credit for the booking. If you book online they don't get credit, which is why your son's PVP didn't want to answer questions about it. Still unacceptable behavior. 😎

I agree 100%. He was younger when that happened and didn't know any better and was excited. He doesn't cruise much these days but when he does he usually goes on the Oasis class ships with Royal Caribbean.He is Platinum with Carnival from all the cruises we took him on when he was younger.

 

I booked my last cruise on the Horizon as you described by putting a hold on a cabin and getting in touch with my PVP as I might do this weekend with a Venezia booking.

[DirtyDawg]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:09 PM, DallasGuy75219 said:

Carnival can't record revenue until a passenger sails (or cancels or doesn't make final payment, and thus incurs penalties or lost deposits).  They're trying to increase cash flow to avoid issuing more debt or stock, which will come at a high price given their current precarious financial position. 

Maybe these notices are coming from the bondholders. "Please give Carnival some of your cash, we want to get our next coupon payment".

 

I just saw their 3rd quarter 10K. That is one ugly balance sheet!

 

One could say - it's the Blobfish of balance sheets! 😱

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

But still short-sighted. The good PVPs who stay with Carnival and make good money from meeting/exceeding their sales goals do so by cultivating a base of return customers who keep going back to them to book and also refer new customers to them.  

 

Telling a previously loyal customer who booked one cruise online to call the 1-800 number and hanging up on them is pretty much a guarantee for losing their repeat business.

That is not only a way to lose future bookings from a loyal customer, but also referrals from that customer.

[CajunOyster]

Despite the conspiracy theorists, it's not "fishy" or "suspect".  I've been getting them every few weeks for both of my currently booked cruises.  As others have said, just ignore them and pay on time.  There's no reason to let Carnival hold your money any longer than they have to.