Thirty-two dollars. That’s all that separated a good cruise from a bad one, in Nick Prewett’s mind. That’s how much he’d paid Carnival for ground transportation back to Miami International Airport through its Web site.
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Carnival
Now there’s a headline I thought I’d never write. But it’s true: Carnival has refunded a passenger’s cruise fare after a last-minute cancellation.
Every now and then, it’s useful to take a peek behind the scenes in the travel industry to see how the machinery works. But don’t stare — it could drive you mad. That’s what almost happened to me when I tried to mediate the case between Jerri Olsen and Carnival Cruise Lines. Before you continue, a warning: The following case contains information that some travel agents might find offensive.
Stuart Harstrom applied for a Carnival Sea Miles MasterCard in 2004 and used it for most of his purchases, hoping to redeem his points for a “free” vacation. Then the cruise line pulled the plug on his plans, he says. His story is a cautionary tale about vague promises made by loyalty programs, imprecise wording on Web sites, and the fleeting nature of points.
Anne and Jack King couldn’t wait for their December cruise to Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize on the Carnival Miracle. But the tour of Panama City and the Panama Canal would have to wait for them. At the last minute, and with no warning to the Kings, Carnival abbreviated its itinerary to include ports of call in Costa Maya, Cozumel and Roatan. How could it do that?
Sometimes, only an apology and a full refund can make up for a disastrous vacation. Iesha Walker believes her experience on Carnival’s Destiny is one of those times.
The first of what could be several fuel charge-related lawsuits against the cruise lines was filed earlier this week in Miami. Coral Gables, Fla., attorney Harley Tropin submitted the complaint, which seeks class action status, on behalf of New York resident Jason Ablelove. It charges several large cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line, with colluding to fix unreasonably high fuel surcharges.
Carnival Corporation is the parent company of several cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, P&O Cruises, Ocean Village, Swan Hellenic and P&O Cruises Australia. Some have excellent reputations for customer service. Others, not-so-excellent.
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