The DeBorde family of Galveston, Texas had high hopes for their first-ever cruise vacation – a four-day sailing on the Carnival Ecstasy from their hometown to Mexico. According to the DeBordes the cruise didn’t live up to what was promised in Carnival’s brochure or website and they wanted the line to own up to its “Vacation Guarantee” so they could get off the ship and get their money back. There was just one big problem – they didn’t tell Carnival they wanted to leave.

Finding the perfect getaway

The DeBordes have been through a lot as their 10-year-old son has endured a chronic health condition that has required over thirty-five surgeries in his short life. Kristi DeBorde told me that she promised her son when he was healthy enough to travel the family would go away on a special vacation. When the doctors finally gave the go ahead for the family to travel she scoured the Internet for two months searching for the perfect getaway within their budget.

The family decided on a cruise aboard the Carnival Ecstasy from Galveston since it offered everything they wanted in a vacation including a children’s area with many activities to suit their son. The DeBordes had never been on a cruise and Kristi wasn’t completely sure if it was the best option for her son. Before booking she called Carnival for reassurance to confirm that all the activities listed in the brochure and online would be onboard during the cruise, she was told yes. She was sold and booked the cruise.

This is not like the brochure!

When the family boarded the Ecstasy they were not happy because the virtual tour on Carnival’s website did not match the actual ship. “The queen bed that was promised by phone from the Carnival representative was actually two twin beds pushed together, our window was cloudy, dirty, and could hardly see out of it,” said Kristi DeBorde.

She complained that the food was “horrendous” and was upset that the laser tag that was on the Camp Carnival children’s program was cancelled and that there was only coloring and finger-painting. Additionally, there was no basketball court on the Ecstasy as depicted on the website and the miniature golf course was impossible to use because it was too windy. The aforementioned activities were important to DeBorde’s son because he is not allowed to swim since he has a stomach catheter. On the second day of the cruise she says her son wanted to go to the 12-14 year old room to play X-Box, however, he wasn’t allowed because he was only 10.

By this time Kristi DeBorde had had enough and went to Guest Services after noticing Carnival’s Vacation Guarantee. The guarantee states if a guest isn’t completely satisfied with their cruise experience Carnival will refund the unused portion of the cruise fare and pay for the flight back to the embarkation port. There was one stipulation – a guest must notify onboard managers before arrival of the first non-U.S. port of call. Since the following day the ship was docking in Cozumel the family met the criteria.

Kristi DeBorde says she was in tears when speaking with personnel at Guest Services and stated that she wanted to go home. The crew member told her that the hotel director would call her in the morning. The following day when the ship docked in Mexico there was no call. Upset, DeBorde returned to Guest Services only to be told that Camp Carnival was going to have a party for her son. She advised them that this was not good enough and demanded to speak with a manager. Later in the evening, while the ship was headed back to Galveston, the hotel director called the family and invited them to come to his office.

Since Kristi DeBorde believed Carnival’s website was full of “false advertising” the hotel director went over the website with her. In regards to her complaint that the pictures did not match the ship he told her that the online pictures were just general photos and that information about the Ecstasy wasn’t up to date in regards to basketball court. He tried to reassure DeBorde that the dining and other activities onboard for her son would be better. Still, she was not satisfied, and the hotel director typed a letter with a reference number and advised DeBorde to call Carnival headquarters in Miami when the family returned home.

When the DeBordes returned home they immediately called Carnival to vent their complaints. A guest relations supervisor stated it wasn’t the line’s fault because her son couldn’t find something to do and that food complaints were subjective. When she asked why she wasn’t allowed to use Carnival’s Vacation Guarantee the supervisor told her since she didn’t specifically state “I want to disembark the ship” she did not qualify. “I am not sure how they could misunderstand what it was I wanted as I was crying and telling them we wanted to go home,” said DeBorde.

After getting nowhere with Carnival, the DeBordes contacted Consumer Traveler for help.

Carnival’s Vacation Guarantee

In an industry that sells fun, sun, fine dining, and adventure, glossy brochures and spiffy websites can raise some very high expectations. Clearly, the DeBordes cruise to Mexico didn’t live up to what they expected from Carnival’s website. Were their expectations reasonable? Could Carnival have done more?

I contacted Carnival to get their side of the story and spoke with Carnival spokesperson, Vance Gulliksen. While researching the family’s complaint Gulliksen told me the DeBordes complaints and meetings with ship personnel were logged through a tracking system that is tied to guest relations. The report confirmed Kristi DeBordes account regarding food and activities, but she never requested to leave the ship in Cozumel. “On Carnival ships, if you invoke the Vacation Guarantee, you are absolutely allowed to do so and disembark the ship and get a partial refund as long as you follow the parameters,” said Gulliksen.

Cruising isn’t for everyone

Kristi DeBorde is very disappointed in Carnival’s stance. “I would have gone to Disney World had I known the only thing for my son to do was watch a couple of 200-pound women dirty dancing on each other or watch other sweaty people get belligerently drunk for 4 days. There are many different ways I could have spent our $1,600,” she said.

While I sympathize with the DeBordes all of this could have been prevented if they had consulted with a knowledgeable travel agent, especially since it was their first cruise. An agent would have briefed them on what cruising is really like from accommodations (all cruise ship staterooms have convertible beds) to amenities, facilities, and clientele to make sure it met their requirements. Most importantly for the DeBordes, a travel agent would have gone to bat for them when they weren’t happy with their cruise and would have told them to invoke Carnival’s Vacation Guarantee.

It’s my second full day onboard the Norwegian Pearl and I have to say I am blown away by the Freestyle 2.0 upgrades. It’s so nice to board a ship and be welcomed with a flute of champagne. The ship is as cheery as I remember from three years ago when I was here for the christening with godmother Rosie O’Donnell.

The Dale Chihuly sculputure in the atrium is one of my favorite art pieces on any ship and just fits with the Pearl’s ambiance. The atriums giant screen is a magnet when the Wii games are played.

Dining the first evening was pure joy – I opted to get a reservation in the Teppanyaki restaurant. This is something that needs to be booked the day you board as this venue always books up quickly. We were given quite a show and the food was spectacular and perfectly prepared.

A sea day after embarkation is always a welcome treat. It gives guests time to explore the ship and to truly settle in and relax. Stay tuned for reports from Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel, and more…

When it comes to a cruise vacation, a new ship is better, right? Not always. Older ships often have lower price points, sail shorter voyages — which appeals to first-timers — and sail from ports close to home. Most importantly, as cruise lines renovate and even overhaul the structure of older vessels, those mature ships are emerging as refreshed stunners.

Do ships live up to the “like-new” image the cruise lines project? In the case of Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Fantasy, yes.

Better with age

The 2,052 passenger Carnival Fantasy, built in 1990 and refurbished last fall, garners some of the highest passenger ratings across the fleet, besting some of the line’s newer ships. The multi-million dollar makeover included all the new ship options like coffee cafes, Wi-Fi access, upgraded bedding and linens, new sports facilities, expanded spa, lounges, more dining options, and larger dedicated teens’ and children’s centers.

However, the Fantasy’s biggest change was the pool area on the Lido Deck. It now boasts a resort-style look with new teak decking, vivid colored umbrellas for shade over new lounge chairs, bright blue and yellow tiles, thatched roofs over whirlpools and faux palm trees. In the aft deck areas of the ship there is the huge ‘WaterWorks’ aqua park that features a four-deck high, 300-foot-long spiraling water slide, there’s also dual racing slides and spray fountains. Several decks below the park is the new adults-only “serenity” area offering two whirlpools, plush lounge chairs, and bright umbrellas.

Older ships aren’t super sized

The refurbishment of the older ships makes sense for cruise lines, since they aren’t investing huge sums of money to build newer vessels. By fixing up what they already own they can add all of the features of the new ‘mega-builds’ but at a smaller passenger capacity, which many veteran cruisers appreciate. Indeed, when I sailed Carnival Fantasy last week I felt the ship was better than ever. The dated look of dark colors, etched glass, and brass was removed and replaced with woods, marble, and lighter colors that create a more modern, youthful appeal.

Ships like the 70,367-ton Fantasy are considered mid-sized by today’s standards and many passengers that I spoke with prefer the old ships because they aren’t overly big and impersonal. A woman from Texas told me she didn’t want to sail on a big ship with 4,000 passengers. “It’s not my style,” she quipped.

Approximately half the passengers onboard were repeat Fantasy cruisers and couldn’t wait to get onboard to see what’s changed. Upon seeing the results they were delighted that their favorite ship has been enhanced in so many ways. In fact, most couldn’t stop raving about it.

If there is one caveat with older ships it is the lack of balcony staterooms. Many of the older ships — even newly refurbished ones — generally only have a few balconies and only in the upper-end suites. Of Fantasy’s 1,028 staterooms there are only 54 suites with balconies. But for many cruisers the lack of balconies is not an obstacle to cruising on an older ship.

Great value

A number of veteran cruisers will tell you that after a major revitalization project a ship actually becomes a much better value than when it was new. You get all of the benefits of newer ships often at a better rate than newer big ships. One group onboard the Fantasy had paid fares of $299 that included a $75 onboard credit. For a five-day cruise, that’s tough to beat.

Not surprisingly with the low fares there were a large number of first-time cruisers onboard Fantasy. Many that I spoke to were surprised by the seven-deck atrium, the enormous pool area, spa and fitness areas and the range of activities on board, but what they raved about most of all is the service. When they disembarked they were sold on cruising.

If you go:

Carnival Fantasy currently operates four- and five-day western Caribbean cruises from New Orleans through November 5, 2009, then it repositions to Mobile, Alabama for year-round four- and five-day sailings. Fares for four day cruises start at $329 (inside stateroom). Visit Carnival Cruise Lines’ Web site for more details.

Did you know there are over 10,000 underground rivers in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula? And, did you know that some rivers have caverns and caves with pools of water called cenotes that allow snorkeling among the stalagmites and stalactites? Yesterday, my family and I had the opportunity to experience Chac Tun Caverns near Playa del Carmen.

Upon reaching Chac Tun we were given hard hats, life vests, snorkel equipment, and flashlights. We hiked through several caves and our guide, Ruben, told us about this secret underground world that was used by the ancient Mayans for sacred ceremonies of purification and rejuvenation.

We learned about the cave’s rock formations of stalagmites and stalactites. As water containing minerals seeps into a cave, it drips from the ceiling to the floor. Depending on the amount of evaporation and the amount of minerals in the water, some minerals are left on the ceiling and floor. Over a period of time, they form stalagmites and stalactites – a stalactite hangs from the ceiling, and a stalagmite forms on the floor underneath, where the water lands. In due course, they will meet, forming a column.

When it was time for our snorkel we took a deep breath and plunged into the 75 degree water. It was a shock at first, but it ended up feeling great after a minute or two. We followed Ruben through narrow cave openings to deeper water areas of the cave. Snorkeling in a cave is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced — the water is crystal clear. Snorkeling along the flashlight revealed beautiful rock formations, a set of ancient jaguar bones, and a few startled catfish. Some areas reached 25 feet in depth and other areas we had to float on our backs to go through and others areas we had to climb over rocks to visit more shallow areas.

Afterwards it was time to hike back above ground. All and all and amazing tour.

Stay tuned for more blogs from the Disney Magic.

Also, check out our earlier post on BLACK FRIDAY CRUISE DEALS!  Deals from $25 per day!!