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Point and Click
7/14/20091:17:55 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
I am an avid reader of a famous travel magazine and in its ombudsman column was this letter. I can not print the letter or read it word for word but let me give you the run down.
The reader complains:
I know I should use a travel agent but I am an experienced traveler and I know what I am doing so I like to book my travel on line. I used this on-line agency and booked my 14 day trip on ......cruise line, They had a great price and I found the sailing I liked. I booked my trip and after receiving my confirmation was shocked to see that I did not have a confirmation number for my cruise, after calling the on line agency they had stated that the price that I booked was no longer available and the rate would be higher. I was a little irritated but I let them book it any way. When I received my new booking I noticed that they had put me in a cabin with a port hole at the end of the ship. I then called customer service and was rudely told what did I expect for the price! I then asked for the owner, After speaking to this very nice man he told me he would take care of it. I then received a new confirmation number and found out that I received a better cabin so I thought. I boarded my ship and went to my cabin, at this point I realized I was under the disco! I tried to change my cabin but was unsuccessful. I had a noisy cruise and when i called the on-line agency again this time the owner was as rude as his staff but gave me a $100.00 credit towards my next cruise with them. I booked the following year with them again and ran into a similar problem, I pride my self on my knowledge of on-line booking and don't know how this happened.......
I know my opinion I s biased but with a real travel professional this could have all been avoided with person to person contact and the caring and knowledge of someone who has extensive knowledge of their product and a personal relationship with their client. you decide for your self.
Carnival pride Review. What was your experience?
5/27/200912:16:32 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
We sailed on the maiden sailing on the Carnival Pride out of Baltimore Maryland on April 27th. The trip down to the ship from Philly was great, one direct route down 95 right to the pier. The parking lot was well laid out with easy luggage drop off and boarding. They let us board approx 12:30 pm. Once I arrived on board I was quite surprised! No neon, no flashing lights just dark renaissance like decor in the main atrium. Once we arrived in our cabin it did not look like a cabin on carnival cruise lines, it has upgraded linens, duvets and a nice layout. cabins were a bit worn and in need of a refit but were fine with no problems at all except for the air conditioning in our cabin was inconsistent. The cabin steward was very good and provided top service. The biggest surprise of all was the good to great food in the dining room, now don't look for gourmet offerings or fancy presentations of the food, just good consistent food. Service in the dining room was very good to great, with attentive staff. Deserts were better than usual for a mass market ship. The buffet area was another story with very bad food to very good food with sub par service. Everyone on board was friendly and had a smile. The most frustrating thing on board was the lack of cocktail service in the lounges and bars, no one was ever there to wait on tables and when they were they did nothing to service the guests. I never encountered service like that on board any ship. Never let something like this ruin your trip though, just go up to the bar and get service there. The layout of the ship does not allow for too many cozy areas, everything is out in the open and all along the main corridors. One thing I did notice was smiling passengers all over the place!!
We did dine in the allacarte supper club, Davids steak house. We heard rave reviews, but upon our visit the steak was full of grizzle and the service was a calamity of errors but don't judge it by our experience as others had better. debarkation was a nightmare as they now do self debarkation and it was the same as regular as they called you by deck, they did not just let you disembark like on Cunard. It took over 3 hours and I saw no difference except you had to carry your own luggage. Hopefully they will refine this procedure to make it a better experience in the future.
Overall my voyage on the Pride was a good value for the money. It is not for everyone, especially those of you who have cruised other lines such as Holland America or Celebrity , but variety is the spice of life. One thing I can say is everyone had FUN!!!!
So take some time out of todays stressful life style and just have fun, you deserve it!
Please let me know some of your experiences on carnival.
Dave Bilardi
It"s still cold here!
4/11/20091:08:23 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
I can not believe how cold it still is. Here it is, Easter weekend and the temps are still bitter. This remindes me that warm weather cruises are not just for Jan-feb-Mar. They can have a warming effect from Nov-may. In fact I am sailing on The Carnival Pride out of Baltimore on April 27th to the bahamas and cant wait to get warm again. When I return I will post my review on this ship and sailing on this blog. I am very picky and pay close attention to detail, so my review may be long but it will be worth it. Until then Happy Travels.
Alaska Problems
4/1/20094:14:43 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Has anyone noticed the great deals to Alaska this year? A word to the wise, if you have yearned to see this great state, this is the year to do it. Cruise lines alaska bookings are so light due to the economy and passengers not wanting to fly the alaska market is falling on its face. Discounts are everywhere and getting deeper everyday. What a deal, all that nature at more than half the price. Talking with our clients they are shying away from these sailings as they just do not want to fly! airport hassels, delays, costs, all add up to a lean season. I am also sure that all the retailers will have equal discounts available. So if you have been thinking about Alaska, DO IT!!! as you may never see prices like this again. Bon Voyage.
So many Discounts?
3/27/20094:52:36 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
I am sure you have realized by now that the cruise industry is going discount crazy due to the economy, are they all deals? We have been doing this since 1982 and have seen the highs and lows of the cruise industry and can tell you first hand that yes, most them are great deals, but you must act fast as the cruise lines are not eager to keep them up for to much longer. Cruise ships are sailing at full capacity but at the lowest rates since 911. They are watching the economy very closley and waiting to pull the deals and raise prices to what they should be. But a word to the wise, not all sellers of travel can be trusted, be careful, do your research and make sure when you give your credit card that it goes into the cruise lines account not the agencies. This is not to say don"t trust your travel agent ,it just means in a time when large companies and some small companies are going under you do not want to go under with them. Take out travel insurance if possible, make sure the agent gives you a confirmation number that corrolates with the cruise lines and use someone you trust. This will help give you peace of mind and a joyfyl bon voyage. until next time have a great week and remember, life is short so cruise when you can.
MARCH 20, HAPPY SPRING
3/20/20091:37:22 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
HAPPY SPRING TO ALL FROM ALL OF US AT THE CRUISE AGENCY. THINGS AHVE GOTTEN CRAZY HERE AS WE HAVE A COUPLE NEW RADIO PROMOTIONS GOING ON AND EVERYONE IS STRESSED. I THINK WE ALL NEED A CRUISE(LOL) SOMETIMES THINGS ARE QUITE AND SOMETIMES THE HEAVENS OPEN UP. WHEN THE HEAVENS OPEN UP EVERYONE GETS A LITTLE STRESSED AND A LITTLE SPATS TAKE PLACE JUST LIKE HUMAN NATURE, BUT ONCE THINGS CALM DOWN EVERYONE CALMS DOWN WITH IT. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND SO I CAN GET AWAY FROM MY DESK FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND FINISH PAINTING MY APT. PAINTING HELPS ME WORK OUT STRESS AND WHEN THE PROJECT IS FINISHED YOU HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO LOOK AT AND IF NOT YOU REPAINT IT WITH ANOTHER COLOR UNTIL IT WORKS. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
DAVE
OUR NEW WEB SITE
3/18/20092:41:26 PM Link 1 comment | Add comment
THIS PAST WEEK OUR NEW WEB SITE BECAME LIVE JUST IN TIME FOR ONE OF OUR GROUP SAILING PROMOTIONS OUT OF PHILADELPHIA, SOUNDS GREAT RIGHT?
WELL, NOT SO GREAT. WHAT WE DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT ALL THE BUGS WOULD BE WORKED OUT LIVE ON LINE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THE PROBLEMS THIS HAS CAUSED WITH OUR NEW PROMOTIONS. WORDS IN WRONG PLACES, WRONG HEADINGS AND OVER ALL IN NEED OF A LOT OF WORK. SOMETIMES THINGS IN LIFE JUST DONT WORK OUT AS PLANNED , WE MUST ROLL WITH THE PUCHES AS THEY SAY. SO IF YOU WONDER WHY SOME OF THE ITEMS YOU SEE ON THE SITE DONT MAKE SENSE BLAME OUR WEB GUYS (HA,HA). ONCE ITS DONE WE KNOW IT WILL BE A GREAT TOOL FOR ALL OUR GUESTS. SO PLEASE, AS THEY SAY (PARDON OUR DUST) AS WE WILL BE UP AND RUNNING PROPERLY ANY DAY NOW.
DAVE @ THE CRUISE AGENCY.
