Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

A

Are we there yet

Guest
Well, Carnival is still trying to keep those infamous fuel surcharges...

I just found out that CCL says we do not qualify for it - even though our cruise reservation met all the guidelines for the refund.

We booked and paid deposits in Sept, 2007, final paid in Jan. 2008 and sailed March 9, 2008.

The deadlines were - book before Nov.1 , 07 and sail after Feb 1, 08.

I changed our res from March 16 to March 9 - it was changed in Dec. and now CCL says that was a cancellation NOT A CHANGE.
Yet no money was ever returned to us - it was transferred to the next week.

The only reason we changed the res to begin with was because the price from one week to the next was DOUBLE in price (Spring Break/Easter, you know). We saved $3500.00 by sailing just one week earlier.

When I pointed out that we were repeat customers and in the travel industry ourselves - I was told to write a letter and they would put it in our "file". What file? I also asked to speak to a supervisor and was told it would do no good. I asked if the President of CCL or someone "up high' ever reviewed letters and was told - probably not!

I wrote my letter and also forwarded it to the FL Atty General Office. Probably won't do any good - but CCL owes me $420.00 in fuel charges,

Will let you know - otherwise I've sailed 5 times on CCL but no more.....

Karen
 
J

jetblue

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

I hate to say it but I think Carnival has you on a technicality rule. Unfortunately it does say that reservations are final and can not just be switched around from week to week or ship to ship. So in essence they did have to cancel your original booking to create your new booking and they simply just transferred the money already paid from one week to the other week. Now is it goodwill to not return the fuel surcharge? Absolutely not and Carnival should know better than that! But if they really wanted to pinch pennies they legally just followed what was in their terms of service.

Good luck on getting anything back.
 
A

Are we there yet

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

But it is just the point of it... do they want to get picky or do they want to keep repeat passengers. And I am a passenger with some travel industry inlets and I won't mind telling others. It will be our last if they want to be that way about it!

I'm a irritated women!!!

KC
 
M

Mbandy

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

Well KC, unfortunately jetblue is correct. Changing a date is considered a cancel and re-book. It is not just Carnival but all cruise lines that have that policy.

I do agree that Carnival COULD waive the surcharge as an act of goodwill since you did book early. The best advice is just don't let it ruin your cruise, the few extra dollars just isn't worth it.
 
J

Jamman

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

=yeah You would have been scr...d on just about every other cruiseline also. Take solace in the fact that you saved a bundle by changing the date the way you did!! :thumb
 
A

Are we there yet

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

Okay ...but I'm still not happy about it!
 
J

Jamman

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

Next, I would write your letter of comments like you have been doing, commenting on the good things that happened on your just completed cruise, and mentioning that you were a tad disappointed about the fuel surcharge not being refunded,when you had to change your booking. Then see what shakes out, when you book your next Carnival cruise. Good luck
 
S

sfrombl

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

Got my $70 bucks back. Gonna party like a rock star, or get a half tank of gas.
 
R

randk

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

as a large user of fuel, about 400 to 600 gallons aweek, I understand the need of Carnivals and others to add Fuel surcharges to the cost of a ticket. Us in the trucking industry nor Carnival in the cruise industry saw this coming with the cost of fuel. This week alone, from Monday til friday I had a 24 cent increase in fuel per gallon. Carnival I am sure, but not postive, gets a pretty good discount on the cost per gallon due to the amount they use but they in no way get a year to year deal on the fuel cost. If they did not collect a surcharge, as I do, they would have to double the rates for next year to make up for the cost of this year. You already see a large increase in your food and other items you purchase and must have. How about a doubling of your crusie from one year to the next? A surcharge helps keep the cost down now to avoid a sharp increase next week or next year. The surcharge is not a popular item but it is here to stay for the long run. Carnival is not out to screw you or anybody else let alone thier bussiness they are just trying to keep cost undercontrol for you and themsleves.
 
L

Los Abuelos

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

Sorry your experience wasn't better but take heart that they even talked to you! Across the board they meet almost all of our needs and generally at a few hundred bucks less than the competition (all things being equal). Try it with any of the airlines and see what happens!!
 
A

Are we there yet

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

I know that the cost of fuel is expensive - my husband works for a major airline and drives about 75 miles per day one way to work - 4 days a week.

My problem with CCL is that they are keeping my fuel surcharge on a technacality. I chged my res from one wk to the next because the fare was sooooooo high from one week to the next. My res fell between the guidelines of booking before and traveling after dates. They never told me a chg would be considered a cancellation after money was paid on the res.
 
A

Are we there yet

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

Follow - up


I wrote to the Florida Attorney General and I received a response from them concerning this matter. According to the AG office I am entitled to a refund - under the lawsuit!

The AG Office has contacted CCL and we are awaiting a response from them.

CCL needs to treat passengers (especially returning passengers) with respect. I'm sure they won't miss the little dab of money they refund me - considering the prices they were charging for the same cabins from one week to the next during Spring Break.
 
J

jtutak

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

[quote Are we there yet]Well, Carnival is still trying to keep those infamous fuel surcharges...

I just found out that CCL says we do not qualify for it - even though our cruise reservation met all the guidelines for the refund.

We booked and paid deposits in Sept, 2007, final paid in Jan. 2008 and sailed March 9, 2008.

The deadlines were - book before Nov.1 , 07 and sail after Feb 1, 08.

I changed our res from March 16 to March 9 - it was changed in Dec. and now CCL says that was a cancellation NOT A CHANGE.
Yet no money was ever returned to us - it was transferred to the next week.

The only reason we changed the res to begin with was because the price from one week to the next was DOUBLE in price (Spring Break/Easter, you know). We saved $3500.00 by sailing just one week earlier.

When I pointed out that we were repeat customers and in the travel industry ourselves - I was told to write a letter and they would put it in our "file". What file? I also asked to speak to a supervisor and was told it would do no good. I asked if the President of CCL or someone "up high' ever reviewed letters and was told - probably not!

I wrote my letter and also forwarded it to the FL Atty General Office. Probably won't do any good - but CCL owes me $420.00 in fuel charges,

Will let you know - otherwise I've sailed 5 times on CCL but no more.....

Karen[/quote]Let me get this straight - you saved $3500 and are complaining about the fuel surcharge. WOW
 
A

Are we there yet

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

Yes, I am! It's the principle of the thing. We are in the kind of business where we can travel any week - but chose the original travel dates to accomdate our kids. When we began to compare prices from week to week - we felt it was "unfairly expensive" from one week to the next , so we had the kids make arrangements to take off. We actually kept the same 3 cabin assignments from one week to the next! It wasn't like we upgraded or anything.

I don't mean to be ugly to you - so don't take it the wrong way - but I think I deserve the money as much as CCL. Times are hard, you know!
 
K

Kruzr41

Guest
Re: Getting Scr.....d by Carnival - Surcharge Refund

There's an old saying that whenever someone says, "Its the principle of the thing,"....Its the money!

You say you have ins in the travel business, then you KNOW or should have known that you were doing a cancel and rebook. Your old booking saved you $420.00 in fuel surcharges. But that was not enough. Your new booking saves you $3500 in cruise fare. But that is not enough. Why not tell Carnival you will whine, and cry until they refund everything.
Reasonable people would be happy with a NET savings of $3080. Carnival did not screw you on the fuel surcharge, YOU did it to yourself
K
 
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