Terrible Experience on Carnival Cruise
Carnival Paradise Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Deck Hand
Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 6
4 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 06, 2024
Ship: Carnival Paradise
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: U45
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 5 months ago
Review summary
Although I understand its their policy, I did not see anything requiring me to hand carry my wine onto the ship. I primarily searched for prohibited items and saw that my party could easily bring 2 bottles. I also saved all of my emails from carnival and can find nothing there about this. I understand its in some agreement I signed when booking, so while the rest of their website is lacking in explanations I could have accepted this. However, I had planned to carry my wine on board as I don't trust leaving my bags with something this expensive in the hallway. However the porters were very effecient and took my bag while I spoke with the car valet and before I had the chance to remove them. But that's not the BAD part. I was lied to constantly by the service desk as to the fate of my wine. (LIED TO) I was orginally told that they would be returned the following evening. Intended for a depart celebration.. but I agreed. The next night I was told that the wine was back at port, but because the porters took it from me I would be given a complementary bottle later that evening. When I followed up to see where its at I was told it was to late to deliver and to expect it late the following morning. When we got back the next afternoon from our excursion I saw no wine, I called and was told they were not allowed to deliver this particular cheap brand to the room. I had to raise caine at the service desk to get it delivered. The following evening I asked the service desk where I could pick them up when we got off the boat and I was told "I've told you from the beginning that your wine was disposed of on shore before the ship departed." LIES LIES LIES.. constant LIES. Is this how you train your service desk? When I got off the ship I saw where devices like hair driers were being given back and I asked them if they might still have my wine. They said that items like that would have been put on the ship, that they have no control over those, and its up to the people on the ship what to do with them. What in the living heck is going on? Ship Security needed more attention. There were two large groups of young teens that were having an East Side West Side confrontation most of the trip. Several times I entered an elevator area to be confronted with these two groups threatening each other with severe violence including "You know you're going to die today. The water looks awfully nice and blue, you'll love it there." and several times my party was almost run over by them as they ran after each other like wild heards down the staircase. I wanted to report it, but felt with the service I was getting from the service desk.. why bother? They weren't going to do anything any way.Embarkation
Good except porter took my bags before I was ready. Had to bottles of wine that were taken. I'll call it stollen. Would have been able to keep them if I had carried them on board as planned, then constantly lied to by Customer Serivice about the fate of the wine.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The dinning was the only positive thing I can say about the trip. Our two servers were excellent and kept us from having a total let down.
Onboard Activities
Service and Staff
I have to rate this as a one star, and it only deserves that because our waitresses were exceptional and above 5 stars. I was constatnly lied to by Customer Service which ruined the entire trip.
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
I was shown a picture of a much larger room where there would be space to split the bed, a couch for one of us to sleep on and I would climb up into one of the overhead beds. The room was half the size I was shown on line, no couch, and no room the split the bed. My 2 guests did not want to share the bed so they (to include a 70+ year old woman) had to climb up ladders to get to their bunks. The windows were so dirtly you really couldn't see out of them, and the bed's mattress was in such bad shape that I spent the entire night climbing out from between the two twin mattresses. Fortunately my stewart was able to use a comforter to fill in the crushed side of my mattress and I was able to sleep the rest of the trip.
Ship tip
STAY OFF IT
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Disembarkation
20 Comments
karlgrgurich 5 months ago
Well. I once put my wine in my checked bags…..was my third cruise, but the first time I took wine on the ship…Princess…..I thought I was doing the right thing. Had bought it in our embarkation port, on a whim. My husband’s luggage came to our room very quickly, but mine didn’t. I went to the desk several times, and they told me just to give it time. My luggage finally showed up with the wine in it…but I’m sure that was the cause for the delay. I was just glad to get my luggage. Getting the wine was a bonus.
jbatten53 5 months ago
maryred,
Thank you for your polite reply. I had all of our bags tagged for delivery to our room, however; for space while packing my car I put the wine bottles in my bag, along with a small back pack to transfer the bottles once we got to the port. I didn't mind my bag being handled, but I didn't want it being left outside of my door with the wine in it. The porters grabbed it from the back while I was up front with the valet. I didn't report it right away because I believed (from reading the Prohibited Items write up within the Before you Go notice which makes no notice of the carry on restriction) that there would be no issue since I only had 2 bottles and would have been allowed 4 for my group. I further delayed reporting it until my bag was delivered which was after we set sail.
Again, I'll repeat this since there are those that simply don't understand. My issue was not that the wine was taken. Icould have dealt with that and made other plans. It was the repeated promises that were all lies that were told to me every day of the cruise. I suspect some that are replying are either employed by Carnival, or are Travel Agents that have a financial gain in belittling my complaint. Perhaps they are desk clerks at the Service Desk that don't like the fact that I'm calling them out for lying from the start instead of being honest and dealing with a potential situation up front. If that's the kind of person Carnival wishes to employ... so be it.
jbatten53 5 months ago
Lounray,
Thank you for your input, it's very informative. However; Carnival sent an email with "Know Before You Go" a few days prior to the cruise. Something that I read very carefully. In addition to the information in that email there is a link at the bottom for guest guidelines. Within that link is a section for Liquor, Beverage & Prohibited Items Policies. Within that section is discussion on hard liquor, beer and glass bottles. Within that section is a link to Beverage Policy. Since this paragraph is discussing Hard Liquors and Beer I had no interest in it. Further down is a link for Prohibited Items List which I thought would incompass everything. Within that section it states "Wine or champagne beyond the allowable limit of one 750 ml bottle per adult (21 years of age or older). Port, Vermouth, Sherry and other fortified wines cannot be brought on board even in the allowable limit."... nothing about the need to be hand carried.
The important thing to understand about my post is first, but inform people that there is a restriction and to be aware of it. I was dissapointed in loosing my wine, but I could have dealt with that if the Service desk had simply been honest about it. My anger comes from repeatedly being lied about the situation. I went from dissapointment, to frustration to anger throughout the cruise, but I never lost my temper, never yelled, never treated anyone at the "service desk" with anything but courtesy. I never created a disturbance, and even let fellow passengers to go ahead of me if I heard something like "I lost my key pass and am worried about my charges." I'm very easy to deal with, but Carnival should understand that they don't lie to me and expect me to just roll over and play dead.
MargieRita 5 months ago
So sorry this happened to you. But, in defense of Carnival, I don’t think they employee the porters who take baggage once one arrives at port. I was told (although it may be wrong information) that porters are contract employees of the port/city/state. So technically if that’s true, they wouldn’t need to replace your wine, but did so as a good will gesture.
jbatten53 5 months ago
Shh813... Yes, you can bring in the wine within your carry on... so long as you carry it on. However; if the porters check it in for you then you will loose your wine. Doubt me if you will, but please read my review. I admit that you can carry it on. But I do take exception with the fact that this information is only mentioned in one section where as there are several places that simply say you're allowed to bring it on without the stipulation that it has to be hand carried. (see, I read your reply, you've always had it in your carry on... alas my carry on was taken by the porters before I boarded. I was going to hand carry it because I wouldn't trust this being left in the hallway, however I didn't worry much since I had read the Prohibited items list and it clearly states that I could bring it on board, but that section says nothing about having to hand carry the wine.
jbatten53 5 months ago
NCLARRY, I'm sorry but you have read the whole thing wrong. 1st, I did not see a policy that said I need to carry the wine onboard, although I did check by inspecting the Prohibited Items list, which states I can bring it on board, but nothing about needing to hand carry it. Second, I was going to hand carry it, but the porters were in a hurry and took my bag before I could remove the items. Third, I was willing to accept that this was their policy, but I highly object to their lying to me about the state of my wine and subjecting me to extra unneeded stress.
There was no being cheap about this, the wine cost far more than what we would have had to pay at the bar (although less than the drink packages). The fact is that we don't drink that much (each bottle would have lasted us for two nights) and we wanted to have a quiet celebration within our cabin. We are not heavy drinkers and prefer to doing so in a quiet and private setting.
I have no doubt that hundreds bring wine on board each cruise, and I would have had no problem with the fact that their webpage could be better written to mitigate this issue. But I highly object to having been lied to repeatedly every day of the cruise about my property. Tell me the first night that my wine has been confiscated and destroyed and that would have been the end of it. Don't tell me that they have to send an email to the powers that be back at the dock to verify that they can releast the wine to us the next night. Don't tell me you're still waiting for the reply. Don't tell me that I'll get it my 3rd night. Don't tell me that it's really not on board but will be dock side when we leave. Don't tell me you're giving me a complemtary bottle the 3rd day, then change it to the 4th day morning, and then change the story to it can't be delivered to my stateroom. Don't tell me the afternoon of the 4th day that it can't be delivered to my stateroom.. and then don't tell me the evening of day 4 that you told me at the start of the mess that my wine had been destroyed shortly after we left port. My chief complaint is that they repeatedly lied, and therefore cannot be trusted with anything they say to anyone.