Posted on 05/31/2024 9:37:10 AM PDT by Red Badger
A Kentucky family’s $15,000 Carnival Cruise vacation they had been planning for a year was canceled just two days before the ship was set to sail after they accidentally shared their booking number online in a case of identity theft.
Tiffany Banks was devastated to learn that her trip aboard the Carnival Celebration ship with her husband and their four kids was canceled without her knowledge the day before the family was going to fly to Florida to leave on the boat.
Banks said in a series of TikTok videos that she had no idea their vacation, for which they had already paid in full, was trashed until she got an email about off-ship excursion cancellations and called to investigate.
A Carnival customer service representative told her that she had canceled her $12,000 reservation for the ship’s largest room — the Excel Presidential Suite — through the online system.
The mom and nurse practitioner said she went into “a full-blown panic” and she and her four kids were all in tears.
“We have nearly $15,000 tied up in for this vacation including excursions. The room itself was I think $12,000 or $13,000, and then we’ve got a few grand tied up in excursions, and actually with almost $2,000 for flights,” she said in a May 12 TikTok video.
Banks said she never canceled the trip and wondered if it was a system glitch.
Carnival said the room they had booked was now reserved by another customer and offered the family two interior rooms — the cheapest on the ship — instead, but the mom did not feel it was an adequate replacement.
Carnival also refused to offer a full refund as its cancellation policy states that no money will be returned within 15 days of the cruise date.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
“We sail Princess.”
Us, too. Once we sailed Celebrity just to see what it was like. Not impressed overall. One thing that was glaring to us, which is no big deal to most, was one of the shows. I think it was called, “Pearl”, and the message throughout was that capitalism is evil.
Do they even get that most of their audience can afford to be there as a result of capitalism?
We’re looking at a 32-day South Pacific cruise in 2026. Just looking ... for now.
ProtectOurFreedom wrote: “Lol…we were the opposite. We enjoyed our shore excursions in Juneau (18 man canoe to a glacier), Skagway (White Pass railroad), and Victoria the best.”
Sounds like you maybe younger that we are. We did make an exception for the White Pass. BTW, the VIP White Pass is well worth the extra cost.
“We’re you ever able to capitalize on that?”
About three times. Good deals — around $500 for both of us for a 7-day cruise. We were thrilled until me met a man on deck who paid $200 for him and his wife. Turns out he’s a drinker and gambler, so they’re making more money on him than on us boring Baptists.
MayflowerMadam wrote: “Try two years out. Looking at 2026 sailings, and good cabins are hard to get in some cases.”
We booked a Jan 25 cruise in May 23. The cruise has gone up by 50%. We book Haven suite and I checked yesterday and all but two were booked. I went ahead and booked our Jan 26 cruise last week to lock in the price and a good cabin.
That was the first thing I thought.
Cruise ships would be a target rich environment for a believer to share the good news! 🙂
V_TWIN wrote: “Two words....TRAVEL INSURANCE”
Some high end credit cards offer travel insurance as part of their annual fee.
Younger? Nah...72
Had a coworker who, when he was in his 20s, would pick a cruise, go down to the cruise port with his GF and ask about last minute cancellations. He’d always go for a suite but sometimes had to settle for a balcony. He said he’d haggle with them right up to last boarding and could usually get around 80%+ off a cancelled suite.
Pre-Biden of course
We never book a cruise without travel insurance.....last time I checked it was around $100 per person......when spending thousands on a trip you’d be stupid not to.
I was a grocery store manager in High School It’s 100% correct.
So if I put up a sign that racism is allowed, it makes it legal? Or shooting people is permitted...then you’re allowed to shoot people. LMAO. People think they know the law just because they believed a sign.
I never said the Credit Card company is liable.
They just hold back the funds to the company. That’s why I said she should dispute it with the credit card. Never did I say they were responsible.
I agree. My ex-had a cruise scheduled and covid hit. They were trying to keep her money. I told her just call the credit card company. Issue was resolved.
My point is don’t deal with scam businesses trying to steal your money. This is why you have a credit card...use it.
V_TWIN wrote: “We never book a cruise without travel insurance.....last time I checked it was around $100 per person......when spending thousands on a trip you’d be stupid not to.”
Very much a function of age and the cost of the cabin. Ours would be over $500 per person. Our chase sapphire insures the cost of the cruise up to $10K per person. Medical coverage through Tricare for Life. Of course there is a $600 annual fee for the chase card but it pays for itself in many ways.
You could do that now- though i don’t think you can haggle.
The cruise prices are often 35% to 40% cheaper on available rooms the week before the boat leaves...
for-q-clinton wrote: “My point is don’t deal with scam businesses trying to steal your money. This is why you have a credit card...use it.”
So true. My wife ordered a very large outside storage box.
She didn’t realize she purchased it from China. They sent a box about the size of a bread box made from cloth and paper. Clearly not what she ordered. Vender said they would refund when we shipped it back. Chase said BS and refunded our cost.
My sister is absolutely hooked on cruises. The amount of money she spends (even at the expense of leaving something for her children heirs) is enormous. Two, three, four times year sometimes. For YEARs she’s been doing it. Even during Covid. I just don’t get the fascination.
She’s two years older than me and she drags her poor husband (who isn’t well himself - impending Alzheimer’s) to carry the bags and push her wheelchair when she needs it. Even when she’s home it’s only to go see all her doctors and search out a new cruise to book. $15K? Go find a lake and buy a boat and sit on it.
I wish I were 72 again.
“I was a grocery store manager in High School It’s 100% correct.”
But ... have you ever stayed At a Holiday Inn?
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