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Carnival cruise line bans family for life
You would think that it would take a pretty serious infraction to cause a cruise line operator to ban you for life -- pushing the annoying commerical guy overboard, for example, or dumping soap in the water slide pool.But surely not for getting a few scratches on your dresser. According to one Mr. Chris Harvey who took a cruise docking into Ft. Lauderdale this summer, however, that's what got him and his family the boot. In addition to that, Mr. Harvey claims that the scratches were there long before the cruise says that they existed, suggesting that the staff falsely accused them of causing the damage.
In the end, Harvey signed a document accepting a life time ban from the entire cruise line, the only alternative to coughing up some cash for the damages. You can read about his experience at his website.
Since the ban, however, the plot has thickened. Harvey was able to produce a few photos showing that the dresser was already damaged before the cruise claimed, and now that his story has gained traction on his site, Carnival is reversing the ban.
In the end, the moral of this whole fiasco is to check your room before you move in. Like a rental car, you're liable for any damage during your stay.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
SMEE Sep 8th 2009 6:58AM
Carnival and other cruise lines want to be real careful in how they treat their customers these days. Considering the amount of people that have gotten ill from various viruses, especially with the swine flu going around, and also the number of missing people or people falling overboard, they might find themselves with ghost ships. I wouldn't go on a "free" cruise. Bad enough to expose yourself on an airliner and the abusive security and crews these days than be stuck on one of the ships with all the illnesses and large population of potential carriers of such. Besides I like to go to a place and get to really see the area.
Jerald Sep 8th 2009 7:38AM
Carnival Cruise has nothing to worry about. They cater to the people who are not suffering at all, and may even be benefiting, from our current economy.
Marianne Sep 8th 2009 9:06AM
Cruise lines treat their customers exceptionally well, it's just that you get a few morons who think they can just dress or behave badly. Sick people should not be on board, therefore would not carry viruses, swine flu etc. STAY HOME IF YOUR SICK!! People who fall overboard, please..........their just drunken idiots or someone has thrown them overboard. It's not like the cruise lines to opened up the gates and say "JUMP". People do not take responsibility for their own actions. Like the woman who said she lost her "sentimental gold earrings down the drain" .......come on .......the steward didn't do it, she did it. So lets just slam the cruise line.
Don Sep 8th 2009 7:07AM
I used to cruise once a year, but since the cruise lines slopied down (no more dress codes for dinner), charge extras for the meals that were free in the main dining room (specialized restaurants) and increased fees, I haven't cruised in 5 years. I miss it, but not the hassles of air travel and cruising that are part of the experience.
Terri K Sep 8th 2009 7:09AM
carnival cruise line must of been so hard up for money, that they will do and say anything to get it.
i really can not believe that grown adults would intentionally do any such damage to their cabin or another one's property. As if they had nothing else better to do.
Who knows, it could of been one of carnival's cleaning crew, who accidentally scratched the furniture without realizing it and of course, they will not put blame on their own, so who else, the person staying in that cabin.
i agree, people should check out the cabin before their stay, but, have them check it with the cabin stewart. this way here, no one can say, the damage was not there prior. they would see for themselves and also, take photos of the cabin before you stay and before departing your cruise. i work in a travel agency so i am well familar with what goes on and what the cruise lines and hotels in fact are capable of doing.
susan Sep 8th 2009 1:09PM
i really can not believe that grown adults would intentionally do any such damage to their cabin or another one's property. As if they had nothing else better to do.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
OMG Terri K...you really should get out more.
tracy Sep 9th 2009 4:47PM
Actually you would not believe what adults do intentionally. I work in a well maintained midscale hotel and I have seen firsthand what has happened in some guestrooms. I had an adult male drink too much Capt Moron and go through a double pained sliding glass door (needless to say he was in surgery having shards of glass removed from his body). I also had an adult male deficate in the bathtub, in the bed and smear it all over the bathroom (this was an adult male who was in his 40s). I have had another adult use our furniture as a bottle opener. This isn't a common occurance but there are people who have absolutely no respect for something that isn't theirs. What about the all people who "borrow" hotel towels, pillows or blankets? That, my friend, is stealing. If you didn't arrive with it, don't take it with you. And if you don't see the harm in the thousands of dollars spent to replace these things or the hours spent cleaning up after someone disgusting please don't send your clients to my hotel.
brad Sep 10th 2009 8:51AM
That is a great idea, and time stamp the photos. People think I'm weird for taking pictures when I park in a two hour zone, etc. but on a cruise or any hotel room I will take pics before and after. Good advice!!!!
jim Sep 8th 2009 7:10AM
if you don't tip your room svc attendant enough (15%) per day; The room attendant gets even bye inflating your refigerator svc bar. it has happen to me several times and they do nothing about it..
Anthony Sep 8th 2009 7:37AM
On Royal Caribbean my family and I had that experience when asking to pay the tip at the end. They claimed the mini refrigerator had been emptied and filled twice in a day. Luckily, I checked my balance for my room daily and caught that on the second day early in the morning. The crew only comes thru once a day, so it's impossible for them to fill up the mini refrigerator twice a day as they claimed.
ccc Sep 8th 2009 3:29PM
TRY Tipping....... If you can't afford to tip properly you can't afford the cruise....
Grumpy Sep 8th 2009 7:37AM
I have never had a problem with any cruise line I've used. As for the room service inflating the in room bar bill. I don't ever have that unlocked and it is the room steward that does that. Not room service. As far as gratuities go. They are already charged to you on your sail and sign card unless you specifically request you not be charged. Those gratuities are shared by all on the ship. If you choose to give extra, that is voluntary but not necessary.
Don, The cruise ships do have a dress code for the main dining room for dinner. Unfortunately, there are some that don't or won't follow it. The only problem I have with the dress code, is that it isn't enforced. I do get pissed when I see people come in in shorts, t-shirts and baseball caps. The majority do follow the dress codes though.
Shelly Sep 9th 2009 3:43PM
Royal Caribbean, until a few years ago, and I know because I've been on 8 cruises of theirs, since 1997, used to NOT put the gratuities on the bill--this has just been started in the last couple years for that cruise line, so the guy is right to say that you pay the tips at the end of the cruise. And, I know of one instance when the person said they were not tipping, and at the end of the cruise, Customs came to their cabin with dogs and said someone called in and said they had drugs in their cabin---they did not, which Customs verified, but the damage was done because everyone saw and heard what was going on so people thought they did have drugs in their cabin.
Chris Sep 8th 2009 8:50AM
I went on Carnival Cruise not to long ago....maybe the cruise line is doing him a favor. I am an experienced cruiser. Been on Royal Carribean many times and my travel agent encouraged me to go on Carnival. It was the worst mistake I could have done in traveling. This is and was the worst vacation I had ever had. The food was cold and just plain awful. Once we went into the pool there were...ummm. "floaties" as they called it. Turds!!!! Our room wasn't cleaned ONCE in the 4 days we were there. But they still managed to take out their money from my credit card. After I complained about this on their website, they refuned me 2 free cruise days and a voucher to a free gift on board. I sent it back to them with a letter that simply said....No thank you. If I had such a bad experience, why would I go back. Dude, be thankful that you got banned. They're not worth it.
Grumpy Sep 8th 2009 7:42AM
Don, in addition to my previous comment. I have never been charged extra for anything in the main dining room. I don't know what cruise line/lines you previously sailed on. I have sailed on 5 different cruise lines and never ran into that. You do pay extra for the specialty restaurants.
Jackie Sep 9th 2009 6:06PM
I don't think he meant that he was charged for food in the main dining room. My guess is he meant that the quality of food that used to be available for free in the main dining room is now only available for a charge in the specialty restaurants.
I love to cruise, but it used to be that dining on a cruise was something special because the food was of a quality that I don't get back home (at least not in restaurants that I can routinely afford). Now, however, the food in the main dining room is barely better than a typical family restaurant back home (Sizzler or TGIFriday's comes to mind). The food in the specialty restaurants is better, but still nothing to write home about. Nevertheless, I still love to cruise!
Elaine Allard Sep 8th 2009 7:43AM
Two years ago I cruised on the Carnival line and lost my gold earring. It was not the value that I lost, but the sentimental value since my mother had given them to me many years ago for my birthday. I was standing over the since, when it slid into the pipe, the since had no stopper in it. I reported it immediately, but they never did recover it. Then they tried to insist that the sink did have a stopper in it, even though it didn't! Needless to say, I have not wanted to travel on Carnival cruise line since!!
My second incident was with Norwegian Cruise line. They now charge you to eat in all the restaurants other than the main dining room. I was not happy with them either!! I have always loved the cruises, but now I am losing my enthusiasm!
Victoria Sep 8th 2009 9:19AM
Why would you fault the cruise line, stopper or no stopper, for your carelessness in bending over the sink with earrings on? Most women know to either check for a stopper prior to doing so, or to not do so while wearing earrings. To fault the cruise line for your stupidity isn't fair.
Elaine Sep 8th 2009 10:52AM
There is a saying...According to who's ox is being gored!! If it were you, I am sure you would have had something different to say! I would not have felt so bad if they had not lied and said there was a stopper in the sink!! Had there there been one, I would've had a better chance of keeping it from going down the drain!! I never had this problem at home!! Maybe if you HAD a brain that might've occured to you!!
carol Sep 8th 2009 11:40AM
Not sure what Cruise you took but the one i went on with Norwegian was fantastic. The only thing i had to pay for was a drink card for unlimited soda and any booze I drank. Even room service food was free. You could eat 24/7 if you wanted to. As far as the dress code you can choose to dress or not. I think that is a great option to have when on vacation.