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Cruise lines SCAMS / Last minute itierary changes

Cruise lines SCAMS / Last minute itierary changes

Old Apr 24th, 2012, 04:45 PM
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Cruise lines SCAMS / Last minute itierary changes

You bet it's a scam! Contract or not, these cruise companies lure you in with cheap prices and then systematically extract more cash out of your pocket while using calculated methods to reduce costs. A few years ago on NCL, one of the ports on our itinerary was Acapulco. this was the most distant port and the prime selling feature of this particular cruise. No other ship went there from the west coast. As we boarded the ship, we were told that there was a problem with propulsion and we wouldn't be able to make it to Acapulco. Sound familiar? There went two weeks of planning, dinner reservations and excursions down the tube. Many people were very upset like me, but the vast majority of cruisers are happy playing cards in the salon and hitting the buffet. The cruise line knows this and so they get away with this kind of BS. I mean its all covered in the contract and there really is nothing you can do.You are already there and you are not ever going to get your money back once they have it in there greedy hands. Meanwhile, the cruise line just saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel costs.
Friday, we are heading out on the Carnival Sensation for a Bahama cruise out of Port Canaveral. Any guesses as to what I received in my email this morning? You guessed it, an Itinerary change! Of coarse they were savvy enough to wait until the cruise was completely sold out. That way, no one could cancel or get their money back. They shortened the length of time in both ports. With the new shorter itinerary, there is no time for previously made plans.
This is the only industry that I know of where the merchant can change the product after you buy it. Truly a form of false advertising that should be illegal and not tolerated! How would you feel if you bought a brand new car with leather seats. When you picked up the car you were told that they had to substitute cloth seat because they were out of leather. Additionally, you were told you cant have your money back and that you just need to deal with it.....You would be mad as hell! Don't be in the 90 percentile that just bends over and takes it. Don't be naive in thinking that the cruise lines have your best interest at heart. It's a business operating on a shoestring margin. Join me in exposing these scamming cruise lines! Shame on you NCL and Carnival!!
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Old Apr 24th, 2012, 05:07 PM
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We have been on twelve cruises, mostly European, and have never had that problem. But we are not using the cheapest lines like Carnival either. Maybe you should use other cruise lines if the ones you choice do provide the service you want. It is call free market. I always suspicious of someone who has a bad experience and wants to blame the world.
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Old Apr 24th, 2012, 05:23 PM
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Since this has happened twice to you, perhaps cruising is not a good choice of vacation for you or you have to choose a different cruise line. I am not an experienced cruiser and have not cruised on either of the lines you mentioned, but on four cruises (7 days, 14 days, 12 days, 14 days) we have not had itineraries changed except once when a port in Israel was under military attack and was closed to all ships. Therefore, it doesn't seem to be the norm. You have just had bad luck, or so it seems.
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Old Apr 24th, 2012, 07:05 PM
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Well frankly I think you live on he edge of hysteria. You have two posts here two yrs. apart involving itinerary changes on cruises you've booked and are ready to expose all cruise companies as scammers and the vast majority of cruisers as (90%. And just how did you research this and derive this figure anyway.) sheep who need a leader to rise up against this abuse. Yep thats why we cruise. Luv that abuse.

I have seen some wacky things here but this one is the wackiest one I can ever remember.
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Old Apr 25th, 2012, 06:18 AM
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Interesting. It seems that when a cruise line is criticized on this site, there is an immediate response that the one complaining is some kind of wacko. I agree that when a product is changed significantly, there should be the opportunity to change or cancel. We had such an occasion this year (the itinerary changed a bit) and we were presented with several options, including full refund. The line is a bit more upscale. But I do believe that most cruise lines structure their contracts so that buyers retain little rights. I wonder if some one challanged a cotract if they might not win. On the other hand, the nationality of the cruise lines is pretty problamatic. In the meantime lets give the ones who are disapointed a break and not assign them to the loony bin.
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Old Apr 25th, 2012, 06:38 AM
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We all have opinions Ari. Thanks for expressing yours. In this case I disagree for the reasons stated. BTW FYI I don't always think that a poster is at fault when a criticsim is posted I do if I think its warranted as in this case.
Regards. Larry.
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Old Apr 25th, 2012, 07:30 AM
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I agree with you Larry. I find it strange that the OP said that no other ship went to Acapulco from the west coast. Living on the west coast we have over the years done many cruises that had Acapulco as a port of call. Have done it on HAL, Princess and Celebrity. Unless guyr wanted to cruise on a specific day out of a specific port on specifically Carnival I do believe he certainly didn't do his research.
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Old Apr 25th, 2012, 07:48 AM
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T69. I just think its weird for the only two posts in two yrs. to be c/o cruise lines scamming folks and to call for a sort of "storming of the Bastille" mentality. Just the way I see it.

I agree that the OP could have looked into his alot more. Sometimes things happen on vacation that are unfortunate. We could not port in the Cook islands for example due to rough waters so of course we were disappointed but its not the cruise lines fault. Things like this happen. Last yr. we could not port in Ashdod b/c of recket attcks from Gaza so we had to begin our 2 day tour of Masada, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem from Haifa. As we had private tours arranged the net result was a lot more $$ for gas ($10.00 per gal. in Israel then resulting in around $500.00! more) to get to these places but what can you do. You don't try to lay blame or suspect a conspiracy. Sometimes its bad luck. Other times you have really good luck too. Just like life.
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Old Apr 25th, 2012, 08:19 AM
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Oops. i stand corrected inre to one things. The other post was recent but was added to a two yr. old post.
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Old Apr 25th, 2012, 09:50 AM
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Here is my penny's worth ... I won't go to Acapulco by sea, by land or by air anyway. That's me. It's not safe there. Haven't been for years.

As to iteinary changes, S*** happens. It could be the weather, it could be political unrest, it could be a number of reasons. It could be loose ice floating around that prevented a cruise ship going up Tracy Arm, so it's a scam now? I think it is almost 33% chance the ship won't get up there on any given summer months.

I have been on cruises where the sea swell was so bad that we can't tender ashore. It's a scam too. The cruise line collabarate with Poseidon so they don't have to ferry passenegrs ashore. It took me until the third crusie there before I actually set foot on Grand Cayman, and that, I ended up landing on the alternate facility, and have to pay $5 cab fare to get into town.

There are real scams and then there are things that is beyond anyone's control.
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Old Apr 26th, 2012, 01:03 AM
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Well E good points. BTW you will be in the Baltic during midnight sun. Great time to go. This should be a memorable cruise. We were there in June as well on the Star Princess and on this hip there is a lounge way up, like the top deck or so and all the way astern so one night we were there at like around 0100 or so. The view was spectacular. it was like you could see the day beginning and night ending. Cheers. Larry
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Old Apr 26th, 2012, 12:30 PM
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"This is the only industry that I know of where the merchant can change the product after you buy it."

So let me educate you a little. The airlines can drop you off an oversold flight, or keep you on the tarmac without food.

Land tours can change the itinerary, so you miss that one place you want to see the most.

jacketwatch on Apr 24, 12 at 8:05pm
Well frankly I think you live on he edge of hysteria.

Agree. When an issue arise, try to make the best of what's left of your vacations.

As for me... maybe I should start posting on numerous websites about my cable TV provider that stopped my favorite show? Shame on them
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Old Apr 26th, 2012, 12:43 PM
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guyr said that he/she was told that there was a "propulsion" problem and that's why they weren't going to Acapulco. Not because of some hostile uprising; not because of rough seas or an iceberg. It was a problem with the ship - and it seems a major one to me. If the ship is not ship shape (ha) then I think the poster has a right to be angry and deserves a rebate of some kind.
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Old Apr 26th, 2012, 12:59 PM
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kenav: This is true though it seems guyr implies that this was a cover up to save fuel, esp. if you refer his cryptic "sound familiar" comment to the other thread he wrote in about this issue. In fact he out and out calls it a "scam."

As for a rebate for failure to deliver as promised my experience with this was recent. We received future OBC in a generous amt. from Celebrity for what they themselves called a failure to deliver what was promised. I must say initially they offered nothing and only after going up the ladder did we finally get frankly more than I had thought fair. OK!!

Dayenu: Like you I wonder how two weeks of planning, reservations, excursions, etc. got cancelled due to one missed port??? Then its stated that "the vast majority of cruisers are happy playing cards in the salon and hitting the buffet." Hmmm, maybe they made the best of it, this vast majority.
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Old May 3rd, 2012, 04:09 PM
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Word would get around that this cruise like CONSTANTLY cancelled the Acapulco port due to cost cutting or just scamming travellers.

If there was a problem with the ship would you rather the trip gets cancelled. I am sure there is a clause in the contract that would say that the cruise line can ammend the itinerary if need be.
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Old May 3rd, 2012, 04:10 PM
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Poster, how are you wanting folks to join you in exposing these scammers? You planning a march!
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Old May 13th, 2012, 08:20 PM
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Don't ever go with Carnival..they have a bad rep, and sell cheap for a reason. Sort of like you get what you pay for in a cruise.
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Old May 14th, 2012, 01:25 AM
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CCL is a matter of opinion really. We've gone twice with them and would go again w/o hesitation. JM2C.
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Old May 15th, 2012, 03:03 PM
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20-30 years ago most cruises were excellent with standards of food and service up there with the best land based hotels but you had to pay for them. We, the general public wanted to pay less money, we want everything cut-price nowadays so we only get what we pay for. Along came Carnival, they offer real cheap cruises for people who just want a cruise at any price. Not only has the Carnival influence spread to their own subsidiaries the effect is quite noticeable on some of the other lines who have had to reduce services so that they can compete. Last year we had a trip around USA & Canada, the cost was about 50% more than we normally pay, we only went on it because it covered several places that we'd always wanted to visit. We did the right thing, food, service and shore excursions were good. We are now convinced that this is the type of holiday for us. In future we will have shorter or fewer cruises but on the better class and more expensive cruise lines. There are only a few of these cruise lines around but they are well worth the extra for six star service and generally they include everything, that are no hidden extras so the total cost is not that much more than a budget cruise line with unexpected add-on costs.
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Old May 15th, 2012, 05:25 PM
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Interesting comments. The overall cost of a luxury vs. mass market line is roughly comparable but only if you get a discounted fare, like a 2 for 1 deal that so many luxury lines are offering. However you can choose an inside cabin on a mass market line and then it's not even close no matter what deals are offered.

Have you ever cruised CCL?
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