Chaos erupts over last-minute cruise itinerary change
Passengers onboard a Carnival Cruise have demanded refunds after their travel itinerary changed once they had already boarded the ship.
Guests aboard Carnival’s Vista had booked the eight-night Southern Caribbean cruise out of Port Florida on August 10th intending to stop in Aruba, Curacao and Turks and Cacaos, with the eight-day cruise averaging $11,700 per person.
However, as boarding was taking place, the cruise line sent passengers a notification saying their had been a change of plans due to an engine problem.
Carnival crew members had discovered a “technical issue affecting the ship’s cruising speed” which forced the cruise line to alter the itinerary, the cruise line told the New York Post, with Vista instead traveling to the Bahamas, making stops at Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay.
While a cruise worker was trying to explain the situation to passengers, some started chanting "Give us our money!" while staff tried to diffuse the situation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the way you’re going about this with the noise and chaos isn’t going to solve any issues,” one cruise employee explained to the passengers, according to video obtained by Inside Edition.
The passengers were given several choices once the cruise line determined the need for an itinerary change, as the cruise line said in a statement.
“We communicated directly with guests on board regarding their options for the sailing,” Carnival said.
“Those that sailed were given an on-board credit as well as a future cruise credit toward another cruise to make up for the unexpected change, and those who preferred not to sail were offered a 100 per cent refund.”
Even with the choice of not cruising to the Bahamas, passengers were still frustrated with Carnival for the last-minute announcement.
“They knew about the problem prior to us getting onto the ship,” Ashley Ball told the outlet. “They just didn’t say that until we were already on the ship, and, you know, went through customs and the lines and securities and all that, and then decided to display that information.”
Image credits: Instagram