This scenario happens, but perhaps not as often as some may think: You’re unsure whether you’ll enjoy a cruise, but decide to take the plunge after weighing the pros and cons. Your vacation dollars are an important consideration, however your time is valuable as well. Once on board, you discover a cruise just isn’t for you. What then? If you are on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship, you have a decision to make because the line is renewing its groundbreaking Great Vacation Guarantee which provides consumers an opportunity to receive a 110 percent refund, complimentary transportation home, and a $100 shipboard credit on a future cruise if they are dissatisfied with their vacation for any reason. Proof that the vast majority of passengers decide their cruise is a good choice for them is that in the year since Carnival originally introduced the guarantee, the line’s 24 ships have carried 4.5 million guests and the guarantee has been invoked only 47 times. Both consumers and travel agents have lauded the guarantee—the only one of its kind in the cruise industry. But did your travel agent tell you about it? If not, here’s the scoop.
To exercise the Great Vacation Guarantee, guests simply notify the ship’s guest services desk within the first 24 hours of the voyage to receive a full refund of their cruise fare plus an additional 10 percent, along with complimentary return air transportation from the next port of call, and complimentary ground transportation and hotel accommodations (if necessary), along with a $100 shipboard credit to be used on a future Carnival cruise. Carnival will fully handle all travel arrangements to make it a truly hassle-free experience.
The Great Vacation Guarantee is valid on all 3- to 8-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Bermuda, Canada and New England through Dec 31, 2015, including holiday sailings. The program applies to U.S. and Canadian residents only and guests must possess a valid passport to return to the U.S. by air. Additional information on the Great Vacation Guarantee can be obtained by visiting Carnival.com/VacationGuarantee.
Carnival’s chief marketing officer Jim Berra says, “You are statistically more likely to date a supermodel than you are to invoke the Great Vacation Guarantee. However, we believe it is important to keep the guarantee in place given its effectiveness in communicating to consumers that we stand behind our product and are extremely confident you will have an exceptional vacation experience when you sail with Carnival.”
Berra added that with more than 300 new spaces and experiences added to Carnival’s fleet under the company’s multi-million-dollar Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement program, guest satisfaction has increased considerably since the program was first introduced. Sadly, there are no supermodels on board to date.
Image Courtesy Carnival Cruise Lines
1 comment:
Carnival will never honor the "great vacation guarantee" it is the biggest scam going . Touted as the greatest thing to ever hit the cruise industry until you invoke it.
First off I am a Platinum member of Carnivals VIFP club or WAS and have 100 days sailing and 14 cruises. Until 2 days ago I was Hooked on Carnival and actually HAD 2 future cruises booked which are now being cancelled.
We just got back from the worst experience ever on the Carnival Elation for a 5 day cruise leaving 8/17/2015 and return on 8/22?15 . Within minutes of boarding the boat I had an issue requiring me to Go to the guest services desk and deal with the deck officers. I am a Platinum guest and have expedited lines that I can use and took advantage of but this only hastened the impending rudeness of Barbara Plenca the Guest Service manager of the boat.
With 1.5 hours before the sailing of the Elation it was made quite clear to me that this boat was quite different from anything I had experienced before and the level of contempt that this crew has for its passengers knows no bounds. I immediately invoked the " great vacation guarantee" which if taken literally describes no questions asked no refusal for any reason peace of mind ....ABSOLUTE ***..... I was immediately and summarily denied and was told that I did not qualify ..
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Passengers may invoke the guarantee for any reason. If the problem is something guest services can fix, it will offer to do so. But if passengers don't want a fix, don't believe their expectations are being met or just don't think Carnival is the right fit for them, Berra said the line will honor the guarantee, no questions asked, get them home from the first port of call and provide the 110 percent refund. If the return home violates the Jones Act, which prevents cruise passengers from traveling between two U.S. ports without also stopping at a foreign port, Carnival will absorb any penalties that may be incurred******************************
Dont believe any of the above statement from Berra it is HORSE @#$% . Carnival is scamming cruisers , has no intention of ever living up to this guarantee and should be sued over this.
The internet ( Cruise critic) describes how wonderful this guarantee is and that it has only been invoked 45 time over the last 15 years out of the 3 million passengers they have carried. Absolute *** again they only record a token few of the thousands of people that have invoked this worthless guarantee but never tell you how many claims they just deny.
Carnival Elation and Barbara Plenca are a disgrace to the cruising industry and should be removed
Mark Deniger 4R2RC8 M204 case number SISC-SB-08172015-7
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