Unhappy Carnival Cruisers

[izzinmac]

Some people don't like DCL's compensation for problems. Take a look at Carnival's!!!

February 27, 2005

Passengers angry about slow cruise

BY JOHN A. TORRES
FLORIDA TODAY

PORT CANAVERAL - Using words like "insulted" and "ripped off," angry passengers left the Carnival Glory early Saturday morning after spending a week slowly moving through the Bahamas and Florida Keys instead of the eastern Caribbean.

Many said they were eager to get home and start writing letters of complaint. Propulsion problems caused the Port Canaveral-based ship to change its route from traveling to St. Thomas and St. Martin.

To compensate passengers, the cruise line offered everyone a $100 shipboard credit.

"That was a damned insult," said Paul Marsh of New Hampshire.

About 3,400 people were on the ship, and most stayed on the cruise for its revised route.

About two dozen passengers left in Nassau -- the first stop on the amended itinerary, cruise line spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz said. They will receive the equivalent of five days of compensation.

"Carnival operates 1,300 voyages annually, so it is a rare incident to have a mechanical problem change a cruise itinerary," de la Cruz said.

The ship left later Saturday, planning to make a normal trip.

Jeff and Katherine Wallace said they would have done something else with their vacation had they known of the trouble.

"If there was a problem, they should have told us before we left," Jeff Wallace said. "We shouldn't have been out at sea. It was ridiculous."

His wife, Katherine, said she would write letters to Carnival and her travel agent.

"They need to do something to make this right," she said.

Pat Mabry and Wanda Cochran, sisters from Tennessee, said that sometimes the ship seemed like it wasn't moving.

"We had a good time but it's not what we paid to see," Mabry said.

 

[TooPure4u]

WOW...I would be extremely angry if something like that happened.....

 

[Kevin&Randall]

I too would have been annoyed, but the cruise contracts very clearly state that Carnival (or Disney, or any cruise line for that matter) is free to change itinerary without notice. They can also change ships without notice. The compensation to the passengers for those changes -- NOTHING.

While $100 seems a bit skimpy, Carnival does allow you to leave the ship at the first port of call and receive a pro-rated refund (a unique policy in the industry). From reading the article, it looks like very few took Carnival up on the offer and those complaining are people who stayed on board knowing full well what was going on. Part of their disappointment I believe would be of their own making.

I've never done a Carnival cruise, so I don't know what the onboard experience is like. I sail Disney for the ships and the crew, not so much for the itinerary. If Disney said they had to ammend the itinerary, I'd probably shrug it off and try to make the best of a strange situation.

Just my opinion....

Randall

 

[fireplug]

They paid for a cruise and they got a cruise. Sometime these things happen. We have missed CC on Dcl cruises because of wind. Stuff happens. While I would not have been "excited" I sure as heck wouldn't expect a refund!

Squid

 

[TrolleyGirl]

My parents were on the Carnival Glory ship you are referring to. After talking to them it seems most people expected the ship to be fixed in Nassau and so didn't get off then. They said the were disappointed they didn't get to see St Thomas & St Marteen. But they also said the cruise staff was fantastic and tried to make the best of the situation. On the positive side the ship was moving so slow, there weren't hardly any waves and no need for sea sickness meds.

 

[DancingBear]

I too would have been annoyed, but the cruise contracts very clearly state that Carnival (or Disney, or any cruise line for that matter) is free to change itinerary without notice. They can also change ships without notice. The compensation to the passengers for those changes -- NOTHING.

I think it's reasonable to make a distinction between situations which are out of control of the cruise line, like the weather, and a very substantial mechanical problem with the ship.

 

[Alexander]

Those who got off the ship in Nassau then had to find flights back to the mainland US. This can cost as much as the cruise depending on where you need to fly into.

I think it was a terrible compensation for Carnival. They never should have taken the ship out if there was mechanical issues that could not be resolved. This is the cruise lines problem. It has nothing to do with circumstances beyond their control, like weather. They are liable for compensating those passengers with something! Even the airlines are better than Carnival.

I wonder how badly this will impact their business. I wouldn't book with them.

 

[Chattyaholic]

Oh good grief!!

Maybe the complainers would like a little cheese with their "whine?"

When I cruise the SHIP is my destination. Ports of call are secondary. On one of our Disney cruises we weren't able to go to Castaway Cay. Sure it was a bit disappointing but it certainly didn't ruin my cruise!!

Carnival allowed people to get off at the first port and be reimbursed for the remaining portion of their cruise. That is enough compensation. For those who stayed on the ship and complained anyway, shame on them. The huge mechanical problem the ship had obviously was difficult to repair. Do you think Carnival really wants to have angry passengers? I'm sure they did what they could.

 

[dwkwootton]

I guess there's something positive about people having an unsatisfactory cruise on different cruise lines being subject to name calling, as opposed to only those who have an unsatisfactory DCL cruise. No name calling would be the better way, in my opinion.

Many people seem to like ports of call. I'm thinking that's why so many cruise ships go to ports, offer different itineraries, purchase islands, and advertise accordingly. Perhaps those in the minority on this issue should be more sensitive to the feelings of the majority and not be so quick to cast shame upon others.

 

[Skywalker]

Oh good grief!!

When I cruise the SHIP is my destination.

Well, gee I guess Disney and other cruise lines never realized they could save a ton of money on fuel, port charges etc. I guess you would be happy to just board a ship that just sits docked in Canaveral for the week. Whoopie what a vacation.

 

[NCRedding]

I feel for the Glory cruisers. I think it is a huge difference to pay for a seven night cruise to Nassau, St Thomas and St Marten, and instead get a seven night cruise to Key West, Freeport and Nassau. I would imagine that the weather would be different in February in the different ports.

From what I read, the offer to get off in Nassau did provide for people to be flown to Orlando, but it would then be up to the individual how to get home--change fees to air tickets, addtional cost for trying to fly home six days early, the additonal cost to get back to Port Canveral if you parked there (plus you pay for parking in advance) etc.

I think Carnival dropped the ball by just granting a $100 credit--which basically impacts the cruise line very little. When we were granted a credit for our hurricane cruise on DCL, I promptly spent it on things I ordinarily wouldn't (internet package), in addition to the things I normally would have.

 

[BuzzMan]

IMHO, this is simply a public relations issue for any cruise line. What should they do?

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Wow, that's a bummer for the Carnival passengers. I agree with some of the above posters in that there is definitely a difference between something beyond the cruise lines control (weather) and something mechanically wrong with the ship. In this case I think that Carnival does have some responsibiltiy to the passengers, and a 100.00 credit is almost laughable. And though some could have gotten off in Nassau, it sounds like most thought the ship was being fixed while there so they chose to stay on the ship. I can't blame anyone on that ship for being angry and upset, they have every right to be.

 

[Mickbee]

Did the problem with the engines occur after the ship set sail or was it known about prior to leaving the dock?

It's a bummer for the folks that sailed.

 

[jgmklmhem]

I think the bigger problem is that they continued the cruise at all. If the propulsion system completely failed even trying to go slow and do a smaller (distance-wise) trip then they would be in for a bigger headache. If the problem was that severe you would think they would get it back to home port and then give everybody a full refund instead of risking getting stuck out at sea.

 

[lookingforward]

What a total bummer for those aboard that week! I think $100 credit is not really adequate compensation. It would be really bad if the passengers thought all would be back to normal after Nassau and thus did not have the proper chance to get off the ship there.

I have cruised many times and it is my favorite means of vacationing. The ports are not THE most important factor to cruising but it is still one of the top three reasons I cruise. Not everyone is content to stay on the ship for a solid week. Many people cruise to see several destinations in one week. Take that away and they have a right to be upset.

As a "hurricane" DCL veteran I also agree that weather related port changes are unavoidable and without fault (except to Mother Nature). But engine problems? No excuse. Give me some sharp cheddar with my wine (whine)!

 

[CherCrazy]

As a "hurricane" DCL veteran I also agree that weather related port changes are unavoidable and without fault (except to Mother Nature).

I worked a part-time job at the cruise piers 2 summers ago. I thought I was going to get punched in the face by people so angry because a hurricane had wiped out Bermuda. NOBODY reads their cruise contract until after a problem happens. The cruise lines have a right to substitute ports....stuff happens! If it's too windy in Bermuda, for example, the ships cannot get into St. George to dock, so it gets skipped.

It's not like they can just pull up another ship and move everyone over. There have been lots of problems with ships over the years...we all just tend to forget them.

 

[Billinaz]

But wind, rough seas, hurricanes are obviously out of the cruise lines control.

If they had a mechanical problem they knew about and did not reveal to the passengers until it was too late... or if they knew they had a defective ship and sailed anyway....

Then I'd say they were not fair to the passengers.

 

[Chattyaholic]

Well, gee I guess Disney and other cruise lines never realized they could save a ton of money on fuel, port charges etc. I guess you would be happy to just board a ship that just sits docked in Canaveral for the week. Whoopie what a vacation.

Apparently you didn't read all of my post. I said the ports are secondary to the ship being my destination. And as someone else said, people dont' seem to read the "fine print" until AFTER something happens and they're upset about it. Yes, it's disappointing to not be able to go to an expected port, but why let it totally ruin your vacation? A vacation is only what a person makes of it.

On our excursion to Stingray City I was disappointed in the depth of the water. I had read over and over and over how the water is so shallow and only "waist deep", well most of the time it was over my head. I did have a life jacket on, but it was a blow-up kind and really didn't help all that much so I didn't enjoy the excursion as much as I expected to. I was disappointed but didn't let it ruin the entire experience. I was still glad to have had the opportunity to do it.

Stuff happens, get over it. Quit whining.

And maybe I am "in the minority" on how I feel about this, as someone else posted...but I still have the right to voice my opinion here, just as the "majority" has the right to voice theirs.

 

[allears]

It would be interesting to know if the problems were know before they sailed or once they were underway.