One thing that really gets me...I need to vent...

[Sweetcharlotte30]

We missed Key West due to bad weather, the thought never even crossed my mind about asking for anything extra. I don't get the "gimmie" aditude unless a fellow passenger was offered something and the other guy didn't get the same thing, then IMHO, that's unfair.

[M. St. Louis]

I think folks are perfectly right to complain about *not getting what they paid for*. You buy a Toyota Camry, and they deliver a Civic and say "the weather was too bad, we didn't get any Camry's in", you just smile and say "ok"? I think not.

 

Obviously, a cruise ship isn't such a tangible product, but there's still the promise of X destination they give. So, if they can't come through with that, they'd better offer an alternative that's of equal or greater value. Substituting a different port seems to be equivalent, I wouldn't complain about that.

 

If they can't deliver that, then they shouldn't be sailing in the season, or they shouldn't be publishing specific intinaries that list certain cities and countries.

 

As for choosing this season, many people don't have much choice about when they can vacation. That's like getting a lousy salmon at dinner in a restaurant, and being told "well, you shouldn't order salmon in this season". The fact is, you shouldn't sell it if you can't deliver it.

[JJS2K3]

Obviously, a cruise ship isn't such a tangible product, but there's still the promise of X destination they give.

 

Actually it is the opposite - your docs specifically say you're not guaranteed any port. To use your analogy, It's like buying a probability to get a Camry but all they actually owe you is a Civic.

[SUSANITA]

I'm sailing Sunday, and my plans have changed greatly over these past two weeks. First, I'm not sailing out of the embarkation port that I was, but I can't switch my airfare without heavy fees, so I'm now looking at a 4 hour bus ride to get to embarkation port. The resort that 80 of us booked a year in advance is now water damaged, and can't accept guests. We had to split up, and are now all staying at several different hotels. There goes our precruise party plan. We will be sailing late, hours late, there goes our meet and greet that was planned. I will most likely MISS my return flight, as I wasn't counting on an additional 4 hour bus ride back to port, won't that be fun to ride a bus for 4 hours, then travel all day to get home late, if we get home that day at all. I hope my MIL is understanding, and doesn't mind staying with my children an extra day. There is now another tropical storm that is increasing in severity heading straight for our ports, who the heck knows what will happen there.

 

Have I once complained to RCI? NO! Will I? NO! It is not their fault that hurricane Frances closed the port. It is not their fault if I don't make my return flight, and the hotel ordeal is not their fault either. They are giving us free transportation to the port, which is wonderful. Do I expect anything more, NO! I booked during peak hurricane MONTH (forget the 6 month season!), and took my chances. I'll roll with the punches. And Lord knows I wouldn't complain about it here anyhow, as everyone would just tell me that all of it is my own darn fault for booking during hurricane season.

[glrounds]

Well said, Sue. :)

[JJS2K3]

And Lord knows I wouldn't complain about it here anyhow, as everyone would just tell me that all of it is my own darn fault for booking during hurricane season.

 

Booked the date below because it's my DW birthday, as a gift. How shortsighted of her to be born during hurricane season :D

[halos]

I think folks are perfectly right to complain about *not getting what they paid for*. You buy a Toyota Camry, and they deliver a Civic and say "the weather was too bad, we didn't get any Camry's in", you just smile and say "ok"? I think not.

 

Obviously, a cruise ship isn't such a tangible product, but there's still the promise of X destination they give. So, if they can't come through with that, they'd better offer an alternative that's of equal or greater value. Substituting a different port seems to be equivalent, I wouldn't complain about that.

 

If they can't deliver that, then they shouldn't be sailing in the season, or they shouldn't be publishing specific intinaries that list certain cities and countries.

 

As for choosing this season, many people don't have much choice about when they can vacation. That's like getting a lousy salmon at dinner in a restaurant, and being told "well, you shouldn't order salmon in this season". The fact is, you shouldn't sell it if you can't deliver it.

 

 

I'm sorry but that is the most ridiculous analogy I have ever heard. :rolleyes:

I guess that if you do a land vacation and it rains you expect to be reimbursed as well.

[tef43]

but there's still the promise of X destination they give.

Read the Contract of Passage in your docs. They promise you nothing.

[hstrybuf]

Those of us who cruise during hurricane season, at least those that are informed, realize the chances we take cruising at this time of year. We read our docs and know that ports can be changed or skipped in order to preserve the safety of the ship and our lives. If we get compensation, great! But if not, I for one do not really expect it. It can't be a budget breaker for Pete's sake!

 

My DH and I have already discussed the possiblity that two of our ports if not all of them could be changed due to Ivan and any other storms that may come up between now and our cruise. Yes, we'll be disappointed since we've been planning this cruise for nearly a year, but we'll be happy if we just make the ship.

[Randy & Carmen]

Great attitude Sue!.....I totally agree.........I'll have fun despite the huricane issues!...Sorry for the 4 hour bus ride for y'all.....man, I'd be doing something personally to get out of that.......I'd rather take a beating....BUT....with all your friends on the bus it should be fun.....Enjoy!:D

[checker]

We are sailing 9/24 on RCCL and my dh and I have decided we don't care if we have to do a "Blazing Saddles" and go round and round out in the ocean by ourselves for the whole trip! Cruising is still the best vacation going1

[sandy toes]

And on a related topic, why is it that someone can not express their disappointment without someone inevitably reminding them how good they have it or how bad it is for others? Because others have it worse means you're not entitled to your feelings? That is just plain wrong.

__________________

 

You said that so very well...clap, clap, clap!!!! Everyone has a right to express their own feelings and what goes on around them outside their own space does not decrease what they feel.

[Cruising89143]

I think folks are perfectly right to complain about *not getting what they paid for*. You buy a Toyota Camry, and they deliver a Civic and say "the weather was too bad, we didn't get any Camry's in", you just smile and say "ok"? I think not.

 

Obviously, a cruise ship isn't such a tangible product, but there's still the promise of X destination they give. So, if they can't come through with that, they'd better offer an alternative that's of equal or greater value. Substituting a different port seems to be equivalent, I wouldn't complain about that.

 

If they can't deliver that, then they shouldn't be sailing in the season, or they shouldn't be publishing specific intinaries that list certain cities and countries.

 

As for choosing this season, many people don't have much choice about when they can vacation. That's like getting a lousy salmon at dinner in a restaurant, and being told "well, you shouldn't order salmon in this season". The fact is, you shouldn't sell it if you can't deliver it.

It's obvious that you have not read your cruise contract. The cruise line does not PROMISE you anything. The brochures also state what the cruise lines responsibilities are concerning the change of itineraries or vessels if the need arises. Therefore no one has the right to expect compensation if things do change. Especially when it comes to a weather situation. The main concern of the captain is for his guests, crew and the vessel.

 

Last week I cruised on the Fantasy out of Pt. Canaveral. Carnival gave us the option to cancel prior but we went anyway knowing that things could change and they did. Carnival did give the passengers that went an incentive to go. First of all I spent $300.00 to rent a car to drive to Pt. Canveral from Atlanta so that my car did not stand the chance of getting damaged if the port took a direct hit. We spent five days at sea with no port of calls due to Francis. I saw very few passengers upset with this change because they understood what was going on. We had to debark the ship in Miami. We decided to leave the ship on Tuesday morning even though Carnival could not get bus transportation back to Orlando or Pt. Canaveral until the next day. Carnival also gave everyone the option to stay on board until Thursday morning if they wanted. The money to rent a car from Miami to Pt. Canaveral was another $80.00. So this cruise did cost extra due to this but I just went with the flow that s*it happens and you just deal with it. I had a great time and Carnival did a very good job on trying to keep the passengers updated with a constant changing situation.

[hilltopfamily]

Booked the date below because it's my DW birthday, as a gift. How shortsighted of her to be born during hurricane season :D

LOL!!! Guess the blame lies with her parents, huh! The gall of her mother, giving birth that time of year. :)

[Travelitis]

It still baffles me why a person would expect a company to compensate them for the weather, like anyone can control that. Things happen that are the fault and responsibility of no one. Being kept safe from a life-threatening storm while being able to enjoy all the amenities of a cruise ship should be all the compensation needed or expected.

[judyf]

[quote name='steveaaaa']judyf...
Were you not complaining about a tender situation on your Inspiration cruise some time back and you called CCL and got the 10% off cruise discount and figured you should have gotten more?

That sure seems to be a change or delay to me.
Steve

PS.If it was not you, I apoligize[/QUOTE]

Yes, that was me and I had no idea when I booked that I would have the tender problem and I thought everyone stuck out in the heat & sun for 3 1/2 hours should have received more, especially the olderly as my mom who never sits in the sun. I only complained about the 10% cause I have read many cruisers just complaining about little things that happen on every cruise land they get the 10% too. I'm sure there was many in that situation the really mad life hard for CCL and got more.

I was just stating in this tread topic that I thing those that really make an issue out of delays and missing a port due to it being hurricane season should expect that to maybe be a part of their cruise, That's all

[halos]

[quote name='cruisingator2']I had a great time and Carnival did a very good job on trying to keep the passengers updated with a constant changing situation.[/QUOTE]


gator....my wish for myself is that one day I'll get on a ship and all the passsengers will be like you.
Great attitude!!

[headhurt]

[quote name='SevenVII']But therein lies another problem. I do hope that no one is hurt during a hurricane but these people are taking the danger of living in a hurricane area. Just like the cruisers who are cruising during later summer/fall. I guess if you really love the beach and you balance in the risk/reward of you living there then go for it. Yet to see many people who get their homes ruined and are now in despair so they could be beachfront....not my cup o tea![/QUOTE]
But you forget, many people who live on these islands are poor and cannot just up and move inland the way we might move from Florida to Nebraska. For many, island life is all they know, and moving inland just is neither an option nor a possibility. Heck, the U.S. would probably just turn their little boat around and send them right back. (I don't know about other countries).

Can you imagine what kind of excursion that would be, going to one of these islands ravaged by a hurricane? Can't shop because the shops have been leveled. The beach is filled with debris, so you can't go sun yourself there. And Paulo, the friendly native who will drive you all over the island, can't take your family anywhere because his van (his sole means of income for his family) is wedged in a palm tree.:rolleyes:

CCL makes no promises about ports, and I accept that. I also accept that if I were to cruise during hurricane season, chances exist that I won't get to go to all the ports as advertised. I also trust that the captain is going to make sound judgement when it comes to the safety of the passengers and crew, and if he says "We're not going to this port because it is not safe at this time"...I'm not going to whine about getting shortchanged on my trip and demand compensation. If the ship were to break down in the middle of the sea, yeah, I could see the cruiseline offering something. For a hurricane...no way.

[mysticalblues]

I'm sailing Oct 24th and if I have my choice between missing a port or 2 or the ship getting damaged or sinking, I would choose missing a port, even if it is a port I was looking forward to.

I'm the only one out of the six going that has cruised before and I made sure the others are aware ports can change or be missed. They are all fine with this and would rather miss a port than put themselves in danger.

I think people need to realize a cruise is a vacation, just like any other vacation and thing could go wrong. Canival IMHO is very generous with giving credits and discount, maybe this is why people get upset when they feel they don't get enough when something happens. Really, if you went to Disney and it rained the entire time, and some rides were closed, would you expect a refund from them?

Just my point of view,
Pam

[Lilylady]

[quote name='robbyxoxo']I keep hearing about best prices being during hurricane season....and yet year after year as i keep close track of prices I always find the cheapest weeks to cruise is generally the beginning of december.....if you go look out to 2005 prices and locate the cheapest weeks id be willing to bet that beginning of Dec ranks as cheapest time to sail during the year.......so hurricane season may provide better prices than sailing peak times, but better prices can still generally be had later on in the season...[/QUOTE]I agree with you. The beginning of Dec is very reasonable price wise. I found a really nice price for the first week of Dec but DD did not get home from school until the middle of the third week and of course the price then was sky high. I also live in an area of the country (midwest) where weather can be an issue from October through May. I prefer to cruise in the fall because the weather is nicer and I have a better chance of not dealing with snow. If a hurricane happens, then I just have to deal with it. That is why I purchase insurance. I don't expect to be compensated for something which is out of the cruiselines control.

[DreadPirateRobert]

On our first cruise a hurricane in the Pacific caused the Elation to totally scramble the itinerary. We got San Diego and Catalina instead of Puerto Valarta and Mazatlan.
We're we disappointed? Yes. but here's the thing. The ship was still beautiful,the deck was still bathed in moonlight at night, our every whim was taken care of, food was good, shows were entertaining and we had a great time.
A cruise will always be what you make of it.

[steveNcindy]

[quote name='JJS2K3']Booked the date below because it's my DW birthday, as a gift. How shortsighted of her to be born during hurricane season :D[/QUOTE]
I hope her parents have offered adequate compensation for this? :D

Hope you have a great cruise (you too Susanita)

[JJS2K3]

[quote name='steveNcindy']I hope her parents have offered adequate compensation for this? :D[/QUOTE]

Nope - not even a stinkin' goat :confused:


I guess I should have read the pre-nup :eek: :D

[M. St. Louis]

[quote name='cruisingator2']It's obvious that you have not read your cruise contract. The cruise line does not PROMISE you anything. The brochures also state what the cruise lines responsibilities are concerning the change of itineraries or vessels if the need arises.[/QUOTE]

I know exactly what my papers say, thank you very much. Yes, cruise lines have a ton of fine print that essentially invalidate what they sell you. But that doesn't stop them from spending a huge amount of effort to convince you that you're buying something specific. They're making promises on one hand, and have their fingers crossed on the other.

It's basically the same thing as software EULA's. They sell you the program, then the fine print says they don't even guarantee that there's a disk in the package, and that it contains software. Is a customer "unreasonable" to expect to find software when he opens the package, despite the fine print that tells him not to? I think not.

Fine, the cruise industry is volatile in storm season. That's understandable. So, the cruise lines should *admit* that up front, instead of hiding behind small print.

[JJS2K3]

[quote name='M. St. Louis']It's basically the same thing as software EULA's. They sell you the program, then the fine print says they don't even guarantee that there's a disk in the package, and that it contains software. Is a customer "unreasonable" to expect to find software when he opens the package, despite the fine print that tells him not to? I think not.

Fine, the cruise industry is volatile in storm season. That's understandable. So, the cruise lines should *admit* that up front, instead of hiding behind small print.[/QUOTE]

An EULA (End User License Agreement) references the 'disk' in the way you mention in regards to OEM software - software that comes preinstalled on a computer. And what it usually says is they aren't responsible for getting you the disk - you get that from the system manufacturer (usually on a 'recovery disk'). The only other instance I can think of is when you download software from a web site. Just thought I'd clear that up :)

As far as '*admit* - admit to what? Weather and other natural phenomenons are unpredicatble from place to place, year to year, day to day. This year is pretty active for hurricanes but not the norm. Are you saying that there should be a disclaimer in their advertising? Kind of like "Do not touch the iron while hot"? ;)