Cayman Island Tour Nightmare from Imagination

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kowkitty

Guest
Hi,
My sister and I went on a 5 night cruise on the Imagination 12/5-12/10/05. We had a great time except for the Cayman Island tour. We booked an excursion through Carnival for the Cayman Island, Turtle farm & Stingray City tour. It cost us a total of $118.00. WE were supposed to have a tour guide etc. When we got off the ship we found our tour and we were directed to a tour bus. Our "tour guide" never got on. WE had only a bus driver (a very nice one though) who drove us to the turtle farm and to hell - just dropped us there and told us when to be back. We never had a guide and had no idea what we were looking at. Anyway, back on the bus and off to Sting Ray City which we were all so excited for. Carnival put us on a boat called the last sand dollar which just so happened to break down on the way to Sting Ray City. It was a very choppy day so the boat was just bobbing away while awaiting rescue. They could not fix the boat so now we sat and had to wait about 30 minutes for another boat to come get us. They did send a very nice boat out to get us but... with the water being so rough the boats were bumping into each other causing the first boats windows to smash all over the deck of the second (we were not cut but 2 other passengers stepped in glass)
Well, finally did make it to Sting Ray City but we had a very short time with the fish because we were so late arriving and had to bacl on board the Imagination. We did not get any food to feed them either.
So, got back on board and filed a complaint with the excursion deck (very nice people) along with the rest of our fellow people on the tour. Followed up with Carnival when we got home and.... after requesting a refund or even a partial one seeing we did not get anything that we were supposed to on the tour... I just got a letter stating that to make it up to us they are going to give us $25 off of our sign and sail card for our next cruise!!!! What a scam!!
We are not planning another cruise and would certainly never book a tour through Carnival again.
Just our two cents on booking tours through Carnival.
Jackie
 
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Cruzman

Guest
Since Carnival contracts with individual tour operators to provide services, it would seem to me that Carnival's liability here would be limited to their selection process relative to such operators. You were right to complain about the services that were not rendered and I would hope that Carnival would cancel the contract with the tour operator, but don't place too much blame on Carnival. Your experience could have happened with any cruise line as none of them exercise direct control over tour operators. If you had posed the question on this board relative to private shore tours in Grand Cayman prior to your sailing, I'd betcha that you would have received some great recommendations for very reliable tour operators that would have actually saved you some money! I am certainly sorry that your tour turned out to be such a bad experience!
 
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kowkitty

Guest
Hi
Thanks for the reply. We had actually looked and almost booked a private tour on our own before booking with Carnival. The only positive thing about Grand Cayman was that we did not book on our own. WE would have missed the tour completely because we were actually 2 hours behind schedule due to having to turn after leaving Miami and headed closer to Key West so the coast guard could pick up a sick passenger. So all in all at least I got to Sting Ray City. We did love the sting rays!!
Thanks again
Jackie
 
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Gary Cotton

Guest
Cruzman, I have to disagree with you. Carnival is marketing and selling the tours (and making a profit from them). As you said, they contract with the tour providers - in essence, the tour providers work for Carnival when they carry a group from a Carnival ship. I think Cranival would have been money ahead to refund a portion of the cost (if not the whole cost) of the tour above - in cash or shipboard credit for the cruise they were on. I wonder how many of those people on the tour will never sail Carnival again because of this?

Gary
 
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serene56

Guest
For the Turtle farm and Hell-- there really isnt anything for a tour guide to tell you. What yousee is what it is.. (a big nothing-- a tourist trap-- an econimist dream.. This attractions suck in tourist by the thousands.

Now that you found a cruise message board-- do a lto of research ebfore you go on the next one-- to get the most value for your money..
 
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DiorDoll

Guest
I dont see how someone can say "don't place too much blame on Carnival". HELLLOOO if they are putting their name on something, a large company like Carnival should stand behind it! Its like seal of approval for the product. AND, if it goes wrong, especially this wrong, they are every bit of responsible for it! They should have refunded you half off of your excursion. Or at least have given you the $25 on the cruise that you were on at the time, $25 on the NEXT cruise, lol!

I wouldn't take that if I were you!

I see Carnival is not like most in the travel industry. If that were a hotel, you would have had a comped night or at least a meal or two. Airlines, free upgrade to first or some flight vouchers that would far exceed $25 bucks!
 
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ragtopdave

Guest
You're right DiorDoll. In my limited traveling experience, that is one of the most pathetic attempts for dealing with a bad experience. I can't believe Carnival didn't do more for them. At the very least, it should have been a full refund on the excursion. But that's at the very least. Kowkitty and her sister didn't only lose out on the excursion, but wasted their time that could have been used doing something else. I wonder how much does Carnival think THEIR time is worth?

This should be brought up the line higher than you could go on board with it kowkitty, and if that doesn't work, file a report with the BBB or whoever that controls that sort of thing with cruise ships.
 
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kowkitty

Guest
Thanks to all,
I agree that Carnival should have done more. They sold us the tour so they should have some responsibility. I know that our entire group was unhappy and after not receiving anything other than an apology on board we had all said we would never sail with Carnival again. I mean if it was a cheap tour than okay whatever but... it was a costly tour.. and they only will give us something if we sail with them again.
Well, no thanks..
Thanks again
Jackie
 
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