Normal
We will be sailing on the Ecstasy on 4/23. We almost went on 3/7 since our kids were on spring break but decided to go in April instead. I'm sure glad we switched. We went on the Ecstasy in Oct and had a great time. But I have to agree with most people and feel that this incident was not handled properly. First, is this how Carnival would treat their Cunard passengers or Seabourne? I seriously doubt it. The fact that bookings are way up and a majority of the cruises are full or almost full gives Carnival the upper hand. Because Carnival employees can cruise almost anytime for very little, they have lost sight on what it is like for the average family to plan a cruise. Many people plan a year or so ahead of time and save their hard earned money to be able to take a cruise. I know that when you spend 9 months counting down the days left until your long awaited cruise, it must be very upsetting to get to the port only to find that your vacation isn't going to be as planned. Passengers were given a choice to cancel and get a full refund. Does that mean they are going to reimburse you for your airfare, hotel, gas, parking and other cost associated with transportation? What about time and hassle? What about trying to juggle vacation time? Years ago, almost all the cruise lines operated cruises that were 7 days or longer. Each cruise line would have one or two ships that sailed the 3 & 4 day cruises. Carnival was the first the recognize the demand for shorter cruises and now have quite a few cruises that are less than 7 days. If I recall correctly, Carnival realized that there was a growing market for the shorter cruises due to people not having enough vacation time to take a 7 day cruise in todays fast paced and hard working economy. I just think Carnival needs to try and see it from a guest perspective and compensate accordingly. What is a vacation worth? Someone referenced the airlines in an earlier post. An airline is simply a mode of transportation to get you from A to B. Yes I understand that a ship can and will break as any mechanical thing can. However, unlike an airline, the cruise ship is your destination and your vacation. There are people celebrating honeymoons, aniversaries, reunions, birthdays, divorces etc. In the brochure it says something about "a vacation of a lifetime". Certainly these people didn't have a that.Brian
We will be sailing on the Ecstasy on 4/23. We almost went on 3/7 since our kids were on spring break but decided to go in April instead. I'm sure glad we switched. We went on the Ecstasy in Oct and had a great time. But I have to agree with most people and feel that this incident was not handled properly. First, is this how Carnival would treat their Cunard passengers or Seabourne? I seriously doubt it. The fact that bookings are way up and a majority of the cruises are full or almost full gives Carnival the upper hand. Because Carnival employees can cruise almost anytime for very little, they have lost sight on what it is like for the average family to plan a cruise. Many people plan a year or so ahead of time and save their hard earned money to be able to take a cruise. I know that when you spend 9 months counting down the days left until your long awaited cruise, it must be very upsetting to get to the port only to find that your vacation isn't going to be as planned. Passengers were given a choice to cancel and get a full refund. Does that mean they are going to reimburse you for your airfare, hotel, gas, parking and other cost associated with transportation? What about time and hassle? What about trying to juggle vacation time? Years ago, almost all the cruise lines operated cruises that were 7 days or longer. Each cruise line would have one or two ships that sailed the 3 & 4 day cruises. Carnival was the first the recognize the demand for shorter cruises and now have quite a few cruises that are less than 7 days. If I recall correctly, Carnival realized that there was a growing market for the shorter cruises due to people not having enough vacation time to take a 7 day cruise in todays fast paced and hard working economy.
I just think Carnival needs to try and see it from a guest perspective and compensate accordingly. What is a vacation worth? Someone referenced the airlines in an earlier post. An airline is simply a mode of transportation to get you from A to B. Yes I understand that a ship can and will break as any mechanical thing can. However, unlike an airline, the cruise ship is your destination and your vacation. There are people celebrating honeymoons, aniversaries, reunions, birthdays, divorces etc. In the brochure it says something about "a vacation of a lifetime". Certainly these people didn't have a that.
Brian
