Carnival Sea-Air Debacle

[emt562]

Hello fellow cruisers !
I am about to embark on my 10th Carnival Cruise and made a huge bungle in allowing Carnival rep to sell us on the Sea-Air option.

After checking our documents today, I noticed that they have us booked on a 12 hour odyssey that includes a connection and air line change...This seems like a perfect opportunity for us to lose luggage..not to mention our minds The normal direct flight time from Boston to Fort Lauderdale is only 3 hours and change.

I called Carnival ( big mistake) and tried to effect a change...nothing doing...unless I want to fork over another $150 per person (still no gaurantee of a direct flight)..I am stunned by their lack of concern...they wouldn't even throw us a bone...If I heard " we do apologize for the inconvenience" one more time I was going to scream !

I can book two RT tickets for $500 direct to Fort lauderdale and forfeit the tickets they "bought" for us..My question is, if we do not show up for the flight they have scheduled for us, will they assume we are no-shows and deny us entry to the ship ?

I', way too annoyed to deal with the reps right now...Can anyone offer insight or advice ? Any way I look at it, we can just suck it up & go on a 12 hour odyssey each way, or preserve sanity and fork over another $500...BUT NOT to Carnival...Any feedback would be helpful..

Thanks, Dee

 

[Cruizer]

If you show up at the ship on time, you'll get to board.

But really, 12 hours from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale? Did they route through Los Angeles or San Francisco?

This is just another reason why I NEVER will book cruise air - with any cruise line. They don't care how or what they book you, just as long as it is cheap.

 

[Calgon1]

Ahoy There Dee -

I would say that this time, just suck it up and go with "Carnival Air". Pack a good book and look at this as a "lesson learned"

In the future, book through a good, CLIA certified travel agent. Your cruise fare won't be any more expensive, and you'll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have hired someone who will work in YOUR best interests, not theirs.

Also, next time, fly to the departure port the day before. Many advantages to this. Not the least of which is that you are not rushed getting to the ship; you have time for your luggage to catch up with you; and you can usually get a better fare.




(Also an EMT, on MI-1 DMAT)

 

[dhudd]

That's why we always book through our Travel Agent. She got us the only non-stop flight from San Francisco to Maimi. I hate flying six hours let alone twelve hours...I feel for you. Also our airfare is almost as much as our cruise. So just hang in there, bring along a portable DVD player & watch several movies. We are a member of that company who mails you almost any DVD that you want. That should help you pass the time.

 

[bob]

Bummer
Deviation fee is usually somewhere around $50pp but that is if it is requested up front at time of booking, so you are probably being quoted the change fee imposed by the airline plus the deviation. May not get you anywhere but try calling the airline and beg....
If all fails, San Francisco is wonderful this time of year..........:whistle:

 

[zydecocruiser]

Carnival closed the deviation department last spring.

 

[Mbandy]

It is never a good idea to book air through the cruise line for exactly the reason you mentioned. In addition to being at the mercy of the schedule they book for you, it is almost always more expensive...sometimes much more.

I would agree with Calgon about sticking with what you have and saving the extra $500. That would go a long way toward shore excursions or your on board spending. I also agree about using a T/A next time. They will have your best interest in mind. Cruise line agents have the cruise line interest and policies in mind.

bob also makes a good point . Deviation fees usually run $50 - $75 but Carnival doesn't offer air deviations any more. You were probably being quoted the airline change fee.

I deal with Carnival every day and I am sad to say that their customer service (or lack thereof) has been on the decline in recent years; including discontinuing air deviations. At least they apologized for the inconvenience. I had a problem with my room on the Victory two weeks ago and didn't even get that.

 

[Mbandy]

I forgot to ask... A 12 hour flight? No 12 hour flight from Boston would get you there in time to make the ship unless it is a red-eye.

What reasonable person would think you would be happy with a 12 hour red eye flight as opposed to a normal "3 hour and change" flight, especially someone who books flights for a living? :madd:

Cruiser is right. They don't care how or what they book you, just as long as it is cheap. It just adds to the cruise line's bottom line. That's just an example of a cruise line agent looking out for the cruise line as opposed to a T/A who looks out for his / her client.

Another thing about Carnival's air-sea program is that transfers used to be included in the pice of the air but not any more. :doubledown:

 

[zydecocruiser]

When Carnival did offer deviations, the price was very competitive with what you could arrange on your own.

Cruise air is not necessarily a bad choice for specialty cruise such as transatlantic.

While perhaps not the best deal these days, it would be foolish to not at least consider.

 

[Cruizer]

When Carnival did offer deviations, the price was very competitive with what you could arrange on your own.

Cruise air is not necessarily a bad choice for specialty cruise such as transatlantic.

While perhaps not the best deal these days, it would be foolish to not at least consider.

I did a one-way once. I went from Los Angeles to Miami via the Panama Canal. I still didn't use cruise air. Why? Besides the obvious (the routing is unbelievably strange sometimes), now a days, via the Internet, one can obtain one-way fares that are competitive with half of a round trip flight. In fact, I have booked several round trip flights as two one way flights because I was able to get what I wanted at a very reasonable price.

I cannot think of any valid reason to ever use cruise air.

 

[zydecocruiser]

I did a one-way once. I went from Los Angeles to Miami via the Panama Canal. I still didn't use cruise air. Why? Besides the obvious (the routing is unbelievably strange sometimes), now a days, via the Internet, one can obtain one-way fares that are competitive with half of a round trip flight. In fact, I have booked several round trip flights as two one way flights because I was able to get what I wanted at a very reasonable price.

I cannot think of any valid reason to ever use cruise air.

For our Carnival Dream b2b European/TA cruise last year, we used cruise air and no complaints.

Months before the cruise we asked for a deviation and was offered a choice of airlines and flight times and prices. The price we paid was significantly less than what normal cruise air was and basically what we would have paid on our own and included transfers (which we didn't use). In addition Carnival was on the hook to get us to the ship if there were any issues.

I wish they wouldn't have closed the deviation department - now I probably won't consider for long, but at least you know what the max cost should be. One way air for a transatlantic might still be competitive.

 

[sailaway2010]

I forgot to ask... A 12 hour flight? No 12 hour flight from Boston would get you there in time to make the ship unless it is a red-eye.

What reasonable person would think you would be happy with a 12 hour red eye flight as opposed to a normal "3 hour and change" flight, especially someone who books flights for a living? :madd:

Cruiser is right. They don't care how or what they book you, just as long as it is cheap. It just adds to the cruise line's bottom line. That's just an example of a cruise line agent looking out for the cruise line as opposed to a T/A who looks out for his / her client.

Another thing about Carnival's air-sea program is that transfers used to be included in the pice of the air but not any more. :doubledown:

Not a 12 hour flight from Boston...12 hours total travel time.