Carnival Cruise Lines
Reviews and Complaints

We had a cruise booked for March 2020, after Covid started. We had the option to move it to a later date the following year since no one knew what the outcome would end up like with Covid. So we moved it to 2021, but all cruise lines were still closed down. So we got the option for a future cruise, but by early 2022, we decided we rather just get our paid insured money back since Covid was still an issue. I’ve been fighting with Carnival’s insurance company for 8 months for my refund & been denied 2x. This is really sad because we have cruised with Carnival for over 12 years, and they have lost a longtime customer. Such horrible customer service!

I sent a VERY detailed email to carnival’s post-Cruise customer service email the very day we disembarked (Jan 7) and haven’t heard a peep from them! Your crew member uttered a racial slur/discriminatory phrase at us while we were in our stateroom on debarkation day, and your staff was intimidating, frightening, and harassing during the disembarkation “process”. Someone needs to contact me IMMEDIATELY. I WILL file suit if I don’t hear from you. I sent an email to the guest services email on Jan 7 from the email I used to set up my carnival website account, but I also sent it from the email I used to set up THIS complaintsboard account so that you can find my email. I have screenshots of the emails as proof that they were sent and that I received very basic, automatic responses from carnival each time.

This issue is grave enough that it needs to be bubbled up and dealt with quickly, and not made to wait 45+ days to receive a response.

This took place on Jan 7, aboard the Sunshine in Charleston, SC, on debarkation day.

I WILL NOT leave private personal info on this public complaint, so use my email address attached to this account to find the email sent to carnival’s guest services email for post-Cruise assistance (also the icare email).

We had a crew scheduled for Jan 2023 and canceled after we returned home with covid on our crews in Aug 2022. Crews were cancelled in plenty of time for a refund. We did receive part of the refund, it was refunded on our credit card. When we did not receive it all, we called.
We made all the payment on the same credit card, but we forgot that State Farm sold out the credit card and the did issue us a new card. Problem is, there is no account to return the funds to now.

The resasulation department said they would have a check sent out. It never came.
11/17 they said check was sent back, promised a check would be here by 1/8/23. Never showed, this morning we went through the same process again.
I truly think they are not sending out the checks. I asked for a supervisor because I want a certified check here by the end of the week. Did not happen.

Customer service helps all they can, but accounting department is not doing their job. I ask to speak to someone there and was told that was not possible.
Booking # H96LF2
Danny Bohnas
amount $597.96
[protected]@gmail.com

We embarked on a Carnival Conquest cruise Jan 13th-16th. On Captains Night (Saturday night) we got all dressed up decided we were going to take some professional photos. We saw a black backdrop and wanted to take a picture there. The photographer guided us into multiple poses and we figured we would find one photo that we liked so we never went to any other photographer or backdrops. (Which was later mentioned by the photographer when this issue occurred that we should’ve gone to other backdrops and he implied that this was our fault!) The photographer then scheduled us an appointment time which I mentioned that I thought that was odd because I’ve been on Carnival cruises before and any photo that I have taken will be printed and displayed for us to choose. When we questioned the photographer about the appointment time, he never mentioned anything about them being a separate entity and that we were dealing with Dream Studios instead of Pixels. We were completely unaware of the fact that there were two different studios on the ship. There was no sign or discussion of pricing prior to our appointment and you would think that this photographer would give us a heads up. We got to our appointment and he wanted to charge us $1,500 for a photo book and $150 for a single photo! When we explain to him the confusion and we asked him why he didn’t tell us that he was different from all the other photographers, he said “Well, I’m wearing a maroon shirt”. How the heck am I supposed to know their uniforms?!? We asked if he was willing to work with us because there was lack of information and he denied that. We refused to pay that price so I left this Carnival cruise without a nice photo to remember our experience and I am heartbroken. It was our last night and I was really looking forward to seeing our photos, and this disappointing experience was anything but FUN.

I wrote and sent a VERY detailed email to carnival’s post-Cruise customer service email the very day we disembarked (Jan 7) and haven’t heard a peep from them! You think this issue of onboard harassment, intimidation, outward discrimination against my fiancé and I, among other unscrupulous behaviors, will be forgotten, and I assure you, it will NOT. I will file with my attorneys in small claims court bright and early on Monday morning if I haven’t heard from carnival cruise regarding the disgusting and dangerous and discriminatory behavior your crew displayed on our disembarkation day directly to us. Your crew member uttered a racial slur/discriminatory phrase at us and referring TO us while in our stateroom, and your staff was intimidating, frightening, and harassing during the disembarkation “process”. Someone needs to contact me IMMEDIATELY. I WILL file suit and then this will be in the public realm vs. settled out of court one on one. You decide!

Booked a cruise with Carnival. Bkg F6W9N1 for my husband and I with 6 others. Paid $1,188.54. My husband got sick with the flu and spent 3 days in bed and could not go. The travel agent who booked our cruise never told us about cancellation insurance. Carnival would not give us a cent back. They are the worst cruise line ever. This is the second time I have gotten screwed by them and it will be the last. A big cruise line who has a waiting list for people to take over when someone cancells and will not give their money back? What a company and in such poor time. The people who went on the cruise had an aweful time. Now if I don't hear anything back I am going to Wfla consumer report Channel 9 who does an investigation into these complaints and posting everything where ever I can.

Greta Koons

[protected]

[protected]@gmail.com

we just returned from Carnival Celebration January 3rd-8th sailing. I am reaching out with concerns I have regarding our experience. We attempted to speak with guest services but felt our issues were swept under the rug. We arrived to cabin 12308 balcony room and on January 4th we noticed our bedding had blood stains all over it tucked in corners at end of the comforter from previous cruise. I will attach all photos. This is completely unacceptable as this can spread communicable illnesses. When I brought this to Our room tenant all he said was ok I’ll change it. Two days later there we found a bloody towel balled up in our closet that appeared to be left from same previous room occupants. This is our third cruise in 9 months and this is absolutely disgusting. We do not go on a cruise to have to sleep in filth and germs. No one offered us any resolution on this except a bottle of wine (which we Don’t drink) when I declined the woman stated she would reach back out to me with another resolution but never did. Although a $10 bottle wine is not sufficient compensation for possibility of blood borne disease.This is not Proper customer service. I would like a resolution for this as our trip was ruined. I have now sent four emails and attempted to call the customer service multiple times with no one unavailable to speak with me.

I received a email from carnival saying we didn’t give back the credit . When we did. This was back in 2020 we canceled our cruise and they wouldn’t give us the refund . I called my ban and disputed the charge . We were given a temporary credit until our refund came in. On may 12 we got the refund from carnival and the bank took back the original temp credit of 1062.28 on June 1st. Nothing was said up until two weeks before our cruise . The collection department asked for statements and we sent them showing we don’t have it . Our bank also confirmed on a three way line saying they sent it back to carnival. We don’t have it because it was sent back. Now I’m being told to wait an additional 24 to 48 hours for something that is a carnival error. The longer we wait the longer we can’t get the money back for our current cruise . The department is moving slow on purpose . After our bank did a review they have also found that carnival still owe us $300 bucks which they will contact them about that as well.

I took and the worst my 1st cruise ever. My room was changed and i was never notified. I was put toward the back if i wanted the back i would have booked it. I dont even use a wheel chair. I use a can and walker if need and the walker was to hard to get in and out the door, slept in the same sheets all week our bedding never was changed not all and why would he move my suitcases and stuff from under my bed and never put it back,he had no right doing that and complained from day 1the frig it didnt work, he says its a cooler and dont keep milk i had to tell him its a mini frig,coolers use ice and the sink didnt drain right and bathroom was not washed down and because u changed my room i spent most of my time in it only left to get food ; because u failed to let me know and didnt give me a choice and had to find out when boarded or i would of cancelled, i could not enjoy any thing on the ship. Know shows not the parties nothing. Your company put a strain and so much stress on me by moving me to the back another floor smaller room. So i will not cruise again with the panorama. So my whole vacation was a total lose and money,if i could of got off the ship i would of, i had to go to the 3rd floor about the frig and sick and are room never got cleaned just the last day, we told him all week and he never reported it,the day before we docked he took a frig out of another room and put the old one in that. Paying 15 a day for what,.Room wasnt cleaned and bed never changed and we suppose to enjoy not be stressed and depressed and have to stay in your room. I feel im owed compasation. I feel i am owed a refund because i didnt get to go out and enjoy myself like i should have. Was a bad exsperence for my 1st cruise, didnt get to swim or get in the hot tub nothing. So thank you for a bad time. Was dec 10th to dec 17th booking number h8r2l9 rm6378. my whole cruise was a bad exsperence

We just returned home from our Honeymoon Carnival Elation Cruise to Freeport and Nassau. I unpacked our bags and to my surprise and dismay there were items missing from our packed luggage that was placed in your care for disembarkation. I am so disappointed that someone removed these items from our luggage. I trusted that our bags would be safe and secure when I was told they would be at the Disembarkment Info session led by Neil.

This was our honeymoon cruise and although our initial feelings were happy and excited about the next cruise with Carnival. This has left a putrid taste in our mouths. Please resolve.

1 DEL SOL women's T Shirt white with color changing graphics 

1 DEL SOL men's T Shirt white with color changing graphics shark

1 DEL SOL canvas cross body bag with color changing graphics

1 Freeport magnet with mermaids

1 dual cup carrying bag with pouch color grey

And 2 of the wheels and the wheel hub from my newly purchased luggage were broken so i had to pull the bag. Please resolve expeditiously!

I am a Carnival VIFP and booked a cruise with Carnival in Feb 2022. We set it up for monthly payments using Carnivals payment options. Carnival charged the first two payments to the credit card as they were supposed to. For some reason they just stopped processing the payments. I never noticed the stoppage. The next thing I know on 23 August they canceled the cruise and refunded me all but $200. I called my Carnival Cruise Vacation planner and he could not figure out why they canceled. I called customer service per my vacation planner and they stated they sent me notice on 21 Aug 2022 and canceled the cruise for non-payment on 23 Aug 2022. They stated the $200 was forfeited due to non-payment and the cancellation of the cruise. I never canceled the cruise and there is no reason for them to cancel the monthly payments in May, June and July. The amounts they were taking monthly were so small I didmt even notice they were canceled. I was on vacation in the mountains with my grandchildren and did not even see the 21 Aug 2022 email until we got back in September. Why would Carnival feel justified in keeping the $200 when we did not cancel the cruise nor did we stop the payment plan. Carnivals system just quit collecting? Yes I checked with my credit card company and there were no declined transactions. The card is still active today and has a $25000 credit limit which is paid off weekly. Carnival seems to not be customer service oriented anymore. Sadly we will stop cruising with them unless this is resolved to our satisfaction.

Dale McKitrick

[protected]@hotmail.com

719=460-7611

VIFP # [protected]

On Tuesday, I was put on hold for the Resolution department. After waiting 3 grueling hours on hold, listening to the repetitive/monotonous recording, I was disconnected!

I don’t know why this has been kicked back to me. There’s nothing more to say. No one should ever be left on hold for any reason for three hours. Listening to your own hold advertising was almost as bad as going through Chinese water torture. Why not get an automated call back system or at least have the person putting someone on hold get back to them periodically or warn them that their hold is going to be very lengthy and that they may get disconnected if they hold for three hours.

In July 2022 I booked two rooms via carnival website for my family. In September 2022 I paid both of them in full. In November 2022 I called to upgrade my room to a suite for an additional 2100.00. No issues no questions from them through that process. In December 2022 I called to see if any rooms were available for some friends. I was told they would have to pay a prevailing rate because they never cruised before. I asked if I could book for them and he said you can not have two rooms under your name. I was confused because I already had two rooms. I proceeded to tell him that and it went down hill from there. He threatened to cancel one of my rooms then told me I had to pay more for the rooms. I asked to speak to a supervisor. She then said she would remove my name from one the rooms. Then she got back on the phone and said my sons room had to have someone over 25 in the room. I again was confused so I read their rules. She was mistaken because he was 19 he could have his own room. She said no worries and said you will be getting an email shortly. In that process my transfer to the ship got deleted and she said I needed to speak to someone else. After I was transferred I got the email and she removed me from my suite that I paid extra for and put me in my sons room. I asked to be transferred back and got someone else. She was rude and said you just can’t keep changing your name in rooms? Huh? Several hours later and speaking with numerous people they said the only way I was getting back in the suite was to pay an additional 1300.00. I could not cancel nor did they offer to cancel because it was 25 days out. I had to pay the money to be put back in my room and they don’t care. I emailed numerous executives and no one will return a call. I think this is a scam they do to people and they would have made me pay it the day I was getting on board. They do not honor their website pricing and will force you to pay more. I will never take another carnival cruise and neither should anyone else. I ah e looked at the reviews and I’m not the only one they have done this to. BUYER BEWARE!

All the Reason why you should NOT go on Carnival Cruise Lines AT ALL:

• When children are lost they have zero effective measures in place to find them. Let me explain in the event a child is lost for too long they ask everyone passenger and crew to return to their rooms to do a head count. So instead putting arm bands on each child and installing check points to start looking where an over head scanner scanned them last like they do with an easy pass on a toll road or dare I say like DISNEY does lets waste more time!

• The Carnival Pride had 30 portable phones to give out to a ship that in my case had over 600 children on board.

• There is absolutely nothing for children to do on board except a slide and a kitty like pool.

• I cant tell you how many parents were attempting to entertain there kids with card games in the dining area on a daily basis,

• The décor is not child friendly. Art is art but if children are gonna be present which they always are Cupid on the wall should not have a penis. All the mermaids on ceilings should not have nipples at the top of the titties

• This trip was a 7 day Christmas cruise. Instead of prewarning everyone of the horrible weather and rough waters we set sail and were trapped on the ship for 5 days till we can safely get off the ship. Now I know acts of God no one can be held accountable for but they could have certainly warned everybody. To make matters worse on those days we could not disembark we received letters in the morning with Carnival Cruise Lines apologizing for the weather and that for safeties sake no body could get off the ship but again if its not your fault why apologize. Oh I know you should’ve warned everybody before we left. Maybe ACCUWEATHER lookup and an announcement. Planned ahead with extra activities. Given out credits for casino or on board ship use, ANYTHING,

• I guess smoking on board cant be helped. People got to have their nicotine fix.

• As a parent going on a cruise with your children if the kids are entertained and you know they are safe you can relax. If children don’t have things to entertain them well then I guess its not gonna be a relaxing trip,

• The food on buffet is the same food as the sit down dining,

• The ship is outdated and has apparent leaks not at the bottom of the boat thank goodness but in parts that should not.

• Things are rusted so the ship is not as well kept as some Disney & Royal Caribbean ships I have seen,

• In short there is no reason to go on a Carnival Cruise other then to save money and to place saving above safety is not worth it. The only reason I went on a Carnival Cruise was because they were first ones to drop there COVID restrictions. A month later Disney followed suit but it was to late to get a refund so we gave it a shot. NEVER AGAIN!

• Spend the money and go on Disney. Even if you do not have children Disney is top of the line and is ALL INCLUSIVE except for specialty coffees, alcohol, & excursions but what cruise line does include all that id love to know! At minimum don’t choose Carnival! I have tried Royal Caribbean but not with children present and they were better then Carnival. I hope all this helps enough for you take make an informed decision.

• The only possible good thing about it was we were all together!

• This is being posted while still at sea. That is how annoyed I am with this cruise line!

• Thanks Joe Catran [protected]

Oct 8-15 Bahamas! Carnival Dream… my 40th Birthday and I paid for my 3 friends to come.. worst cruise ever… for the 3 new cruisers I brought, plus my two friends that booked their own room for their first cruise… I was shocked that the staff was so rude, food sucked, room was dirty, internet never worked, laundry room had one washer one dryer working, no comedy shows the second half of the itinerary.. food left all over the ship could find a clean table ever, people having sex in the back deck hot tub.. definitely stayed clear of that one. Drinks were never poured the same, must tip cash to get special treatment, heard everyone talking about how cheap they paid to get on but yet I paid full price and gambled a lot for 100.00 in free sushi in which my party couldn’t sit together to enjoy it… they were rude about it…. Photographers were rude.. sucked at taking the time for my group of 8 to get a good photo, I could go on and on about this cruise, I’m so disappointed about this ship.. it definitely let me down on expectations to show how fun a carnival cruise really is to my friends😢 they don’t even want to book with me on another… what was supposed to be a fun 40th the carnival dream definitely ruined it! I brought 8 people with me on this cruise and they all can tell you the same…

The room was filthy and nothing worked in it. First was the tv remote didn’t work. They came and fixed that. Then the small refrigerator didn’t work and they can and changed it out. Next, the air conditioning didn’t work. They came and fixed it finally. Then I noticed only one bulb worked at the overhead by desk. Then the walls glistened from the dirt on the walls. Almost greasy in places. Then I noticed the water goblets had dirty fingerprints all over them. Then I saw the mirror in the bathroom hasn’t been cleaned in a long time, if ever. Never vacuumed. Thick dust on the head board. Windows on the ship, everywhere were filthy. Rust stain running down the sink. Hairs on bathroom floor. The whole trip was such a disappointment. Ship had rust everywhere. All glass everywhere was extra dirty. The air vent was clogged with lint and dirt to the point it was hanging out of it. The 555 steakhouse food was horrible. I complained finally, just after I nearly chocked on it being so tough and fatty. We had the filet. I took picture of most everything. Such a shame to be like it is.

Let me see where to start. Carnival cruise line has gone downhill in hiring competent employees with at least a working knowledge IQ of what it means to be a business that consumers purchase from. This is supposed to be a fun experience but it is nothing but a frustrating dreaded experience now. I have been a long time cruiser and Carnival has lost my business for good at this point. First, I tried to book a cruise on line and the system didn't work and then I tried to call to book only to get all the way to the end of the booking where we were picking our dining times to be hung up on and the call not returned to me to finish booking. Having to call back to have the same thing done 6 times in a row. FInally, after speaking to a supervisor and getting everything complete with VFIP numbers and credits in each room only to have them deleted and then our rooms changed around with the travelers in them to have our bookings deleted and having to start all over YET AGAIN... I call the cusotmer retention line about the promp code for onboard credit in my son's room that was there the night before only to be deleted again from their system. AT this point it was principle... I had to hear some service person scream at their kids while on the phone with me and then hang up AGAIN! Unbelievable... Customer retention wouldn't fix the issue and I have been a long standing customer as well as my travel companions... Att this point, I will never travel with Carnival again due to the lack of ownership in their mistakes, lack of complete customer service, and rude behavior.. Not sure when carnival became the ghetto cruise line to book with.. But will be finding a cruise line with better customer service and class at this point..

This was my family’s first ever cruise. It will probably be our last. Let me start off saying I had ankle surgery in July. And we planned trip a year in advance. So we went, I’m in a knee scooter. And it was just terrible. The room we was in that was assured by guest services would be fine with my condition was not. I could barely visit the rest room. Then I would try to go somewhere and employees would step right out in front of me and not even apologize! I almost wrecked several times! Then a couple employees was drunk. One fell into me and knocked me almost all the way off my knee scooter and the other guy said oh he’s been drinking to much. Like it was no big deal. The food was terrible. Every single time we got any kind of food we would find long black hair in it. Every single time! We finally had enough and went to guest services on board and they rolled there eyes and didn’t even take any notes or anything! They acted like they didn’t even care! I feel that they discriminated against me because I was disabled. I feel sick still talking about it. I’ve called carnival I’ve emailed them and nothing. I just want a refund! This was our first cruise and will be the last!

My family of 7 adults was planning on sailing this Dec 31st on the carnival magic. Now only a week and a half out we are learning that they have canceled one of our rooms/ flights for 2 of our family members. They are claiming that we owe payment on the room even though we have documentation from carnival stating that the payments were made. We are assuming this stemmed from them charging us for these flights twice by accident early in the year and them stating we needed to take it up with our bank to take off one of the extra charges, which we did. After that they are claiming that they have received none of the money and refuse to even look at the statements from the bank showing that clearly, they have received the money just not the double amount like we were originally charged. Now after two days of 5 plus hours on the phone trying to get this fixed, we have gotten absolutely nowhere with customer service not even trying to help.

We are now on the verge of being out 5k on tickets carnival claims we never paid for as well as ruining this family trip that has taken over a year to plan with no end in sight as carnivals customer service won't even look at our bank statements showing that they have received our money. I'm truly at a loss and not sure what else to do especially when our trip is supposed to be next week.