Disputing Charges on Final Bill

[NCardella]

Anyone ever need to dispute a charge on their final stateroom bill? If so, what was your experience?
I need to dispute a charge from "Signals" (which we never visited). (We just sailed on the 3/18/06 Magic). I called the DCL main number today and she took my information and said she would have someone investigate it. I was hoping she would be able to have someone pull the original ticket, but she said to the best of her knowledge they would only be able to pull the itemized final bill which is what I already have in my hand and am disputing.
Please post if you have had a similar incident, thanks.

 

[MickeyD]

I do know that if you ordered a drink or something while on deck, the charge would come from the nearest bar.
We had charges before from different places and that is what it was.
Just a thought

Lisa

 

[lbgraves]

I can't find anything about Signals in the PP to confirm but isn't this one of the open bars up on deck 9 or 10? If you ever got a drink from a CM on these decks or even in the atrium it could have been charged to that location.

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

We did this after we got home and I really took a good look at the detail. They had charged us for Bingo which we did not attend. I sent an email to Guest Services with detail of sailing date, charge date, amount, etc. and requested that a credit be issued to my CC. It took a few weeks, but I did receive the credit.

 

[WDWLVR]

Signals is the bar up by the adult pool. So if you got a drink at sailaway or maybe at the pirate party or when you were by the pool it most likely came from there.

 

[castlegazer]

It sounds like you are already off the ship. So this is totally not going to help you but for future reference............

I was just last night throwing away my receipts from my last cruise. This is what we do on the last night of the cruise. We have saved all receipts from all drinks, gifts, everything. We then go through the entire tally and mark each item with a check on the master list they provide to you on the last night. On our last cruise, not DCL, we found an error in pricing but not order and we brought it to guest services and it was quickly resolved before we got off the ship the next day.

I think it's important to go through the itemization they provide to you on the last night.

 

[WDWLVR]

It sounds like you are already off the ship. So this is totally not going to help you but for future reference............

I was just last night throwing away my receipts from my last cruise. This is what we do on the last night of the cruise. We have saved all receipts from all drinks, gifts, everything. We then go through the entire tally and mark each item with a check on the master list they provide to you on the last night. On our last cruise, not DCL, we found an error in pricing but not order and we brought it to guest services and it was quickly resolved before we got off the ship the next day.

I think it's important to go through the itemization they provide to you on the last night.

Good point. We do the same thing. We grab a copy from guest services and go over it. Then when we get the final one in the morning there might be only one or two things to check.

 

[NCardella]

Thanks for your replies. We did save all receipts but didn't really go over the itemized bill till a day after debarking.
Here's the details:
We're not big drinkers, for me to have a frozen drink once in a while is a definite treat. My DH ordered a beer in RBD on the last night of the cruise. That $4 charge was on the bill. I had a pina colada on deck on monday which my DH ordered directly from the bar at pinocchios, that $5 charge is on the bill.
The charge in question was from Tuesday, (St. Maarten day) for $17.54 at signals. We never ordered from one of the drink servers walking around. Plus, even if we did, or ordered directly from the walk up bar and ordered a drink for each of us (there are only 2 of us), 2 drinks wouldn't have added up to $17+. It couldn't be food, so what else could it be? We went to the adult pool, but never made it up to Signals or ordered from the drink servers.

Sorry to ramble, but I'm still scratching my head...

 

[2littlemonkeys]

Did you get anything like the water package, a soft-sided cooler with drinks in it, etc? I know when we got our bill it took us a while to figure out a large amount from one of the bars, then we realized it was our bottled water. So try to think of things you bought from people walking around the ship or set up at stands near gangways, pools and restaurants.

Melanie

 

[tvguy]

Now you know why I don't use a debit/atm card at home (except to get cash at the bank). Strictly cash or check, or in an emergency or if an online purchase, credit card.
I could NEVER keep all those charges straight.

 

[NCardella]

2littlemonkeys.....yes,yes,yes!!!!! That's it!!!! as we were leaving the ship on St. Maarten day I did buy one of those soft-sided coolers with a 6pack of Evian! Thank you!!!

Guess I have to call DCL back and eat a little crow....

 

[cruisnfamily]

Glad you figured it out!

We also had unidentified charges on DD's(11 at the time) card. It was around $10 and it was charged to a bar. We went down to guest services and finally figured out it was candy(M&M's I think) and drinks(soda wasn't free then) shared by she and a friend that they purchased outside of the movie theatre...not at a bar at all but that's how it was billed.

 

[rsjj]

on our first cruise, there was a charge on our itemized bill from the bar by the adult pool (signals?). and we've never been to the adult pool area at all! we have 2 little DSs, and stayed at the mickey pool most of the time. anyways...i thought maybe DH went there & ordered something. (we don't really drink, but since we're on vacation, a smoothie or something similar to that would be a special treat!) but he said no, and i knew i didn't. so i took the bill down to guest services to clarify. and they said they'd talk to the bar manager & see. and they called me & ask me to come down cuz there was a bill that i've "supposedly" signed. and so i had to see what i've signed for. it turns out, it wasn't me. another person w/our last name. but they didn't put down their room # or something, so i guess dcl just kinda looked it up & charged it to us (our room) as opposed to the other guest. anyways, i had to explain that that wasn't me, the signature wasn't mine, etc. and they even had the bar manager person be there, so i can talk to him. (maybe they thought he would recognize me? which i'm not sure how a person would be able to recognize a guest when they encounter so many at a time...)

anyways...long story short...yes, it's a good idea to double check your itemized bill on the last day. but a better idea to get the bill midweek, to see what you've charged up so far. cuz that's what i did. out of curiosity, i went to get our itemized bill midweek, just to see what we've spent, and we discovered the additional charges from the adult bar. it's more "calming" for me to go over them while it's still somewhat fresh in our minds, than having to do it all at the very last day, when you're overcome w/sadness that you must leave the ship, packing, last minute run to shutters, etc. i know i couldn't really think straight then! let alone think back several days of great time...wait, did i order a drink or two from that bar? or not?

i'm glad you got it all squared away!! technology is great! swipe your card, billed to you later! but there are glitches, i guess!

 

[WDWLVR]

2littlemonkeys.....yes,yes,yes!!!!! That's it!!!! as we were leaving the ship on St. Maarten day I did buy one of those soft-sided coolers with a 6pack of Evian! Thank you!!!

Guess I have to call DCL back and eat a little crow....

Glad to hear you figured it out with the help of some DIS friends!

 

[josetann]

We brought my aunt on our last cruise. She bought something, but decided to return it. Turns out, they charged instead of credited. So instead of one large charge, and one large credit, there were two large charges. I have to thank my wife for convincing me to go through each charge one by one. My aunt had kept all her receipts, so I just took them both down there, explained everything, and eventually had it taken care of.

 

[NCardella]

WDWLVR--yes, even though I'm a newbie, I am quickly discovering the value of DIS friends!

Thanks to all, what a great community!

 

[JeannieH]

Why not do what we do and pay bills at GS every day or so. No room for error then, and no big bills at the end of the cruise. Also........no waiting in HUGE line on last evening or morning of disembarkation!

 

[professorandmom]

I had similar confusion when I looked at my account - a bar charge that seemed impossible - went to GS and they explained it was the hairbraiding charge...yes, we did do that (didn't think I drank $25!)
The location listing can be confusing
Barb

 

[arlenesp]

On our first cruise there were 8 of us and the bills all went to us.When I got home I noticed a charge on DH card from the Promenade lounge. Now the kids (grown) were doing coffee each night after dinner but this was a signed receipt on my DH card. I started the phone calling right after and it took 2 months for them to give me the credit.
First I asked to see who signed the bill as my DS may have grabbed the wrong card.They told me the Wonder was going into dry dock and they told me it would be a week to research this and they would get back to me.I must have spoken to over 10 cm after that and never ,ever got a callback before they decided to just credit me as they couldn't find the bill?
That was my first bad experience. So now I keep all receipts and ck each day.The charge was prob ours but it angered me they couldn't help.

 

[castlegazer]

The charge was prob ours but it angered me they couldn't help.

You did the right thing and they did the right thing, but why does it anger you that they could not find the receipt? I agree that someone in that series of phone calls should have simply explained to you that there was little hope of recreating the paper trail, but then the outcome may not have been in your favor if that had happened. I think you got the refund simply because they realized they were stringing you along. Can you imagine if the cruiselines kept all the paper receipts for each cruise? I think that is above and beyond what I would expect them to do. I do expect them to keep my total tally for a while after the cruise.