This year I received a Carnival Sea Miles/Master Card and have enjoyed watching the points double, as I have been lucky to have enjoyed two Carnival cruises.  After my last cruise, I was notified of a program that was offered through the Sea Miles Credit Card, by Registry Vacations.  My question is:  Has anyone used Registry Vacations - and have had assistance from one of their Travel Guides? 

If you have any information and would like to share, I would like to know more about this offer, or of any experience you may have had with them.

Thank You

We have had a Carnival Credit Card since they started....however, over the years, the "perks" have gotten worse and worse until we no longer use it.

Currently any bookings are ultimately handled by a company called ICE.  They are a timeshare operation that did not have a great reputation when they ran the now defunct Carnival Vacation Club.  To use your Sea Miles points...you MUST go through them.

They can charge you whatever they want to for the room. 

I would imagine this "Registry" is just another name for ICE to use.

Personally, I had to book one cruise through them to use the rest of our Sea Miles points (before we cut up the card) and  I was not impressed.

First of all, they "said" you will get $500.00 off for 50,000.  However, if Carnival gives you a Past Guest Discount...then you only get $375.00 off for 50,000 points.  

Secondly they charged our credit card for  travel insurance without even asking us or  getting our authorization. When we questioned the charge to our Credit Card....they BLATANTLY LIED TO US by saying it was REQUIRED.  Hubby told this 22 year old punk that he had been cruising with Carnival longer than this young man had been alive and we knew for certain that travel insurance was NOT REQUIRED. 

Big hassle to get the charge removed from our credit card.

Sorry, but all a business has to do is lie to me one time to know that I don't want to deal with them.  That is all I need to know about these folks.

Now we use an American Express Blue Sky card where we get $100.00 for every 7,500 points.  NO restrictions...NO blackout dates...and you can book through whomever you wish.

Easy to redeem.

Musicalcruiser and All Others Concerned:

Your reply is the only one that I've received and I must Thank You for taking your time to do so and sharing the information with me, as well as others who I feel need to know about this.  I've received an invitation to join this program and I would like to know if any others have joined and in general what's their opinion. 

I first received a phone invitation to join this travel program, they wanted information from off of my SeaMiles MasterCard and after I told, the woman caller that I did not have my card with me at 'this time' she called me later to retrieve the information.  I received by mail a package that included the following:  a cover letter sharing the following (this is how the letter came to me, the only thing I did not share is the login number and the password they assigned to me:   

Congratulations and welcome to Registry Vacations brought to you exclusively through your Carnival SeaMiles MasterCard and International Cruise & Excursions, Inc.  We look forward to serving you with an array of exciting vacation options that will build memories you'll treasure for a lifetime. 

 Shopping for your Cruise

We can all use an expert - especially when planning the experience of a lifetime!  A dedicated Travel Guide can help make recommendations and take care of your every need.  They can provide expert assistance in exploring all of your vacation options and finalizing your travel plans.

A Travel Guide will be calling you within the next few business days to take you on a personally guided online tour of your exclusive RegistryVacations.com website where you can research all of your options and shop for your next vacation.  You may access the website immediately using your login XXXXXXXXXXX and password XXXX.

Booking your Cruise

When you choose where and when you want to travel, simply call your personal Travel Guide at 1-866-838-8106.   They are knowledgeable, friendly and ready to assist you with all your travel plans.

Purchase Details

Per your telephone order and authorization on 00/00/2008 your SeaMiles account has been debited 10,000 SeaMiles for your initial deposit.

Your Registry Vacations payment option consists of twelve (12) monthly payments in the amount of $200.00.  Your account will be serviced through the Registry Vacations Department.  Questions regarding your payments and balance can be directed to the Registry Vacations Department at 1-866-838-8106 option 5.  Please refer to the enclosed Truth-in-Lending Disclosure Statement for the details regarding your financial agreement.

You have immediate access to your valuable benefits and you may begin shopping and booking your vacations right away.  We look forward to assisting you with an exciting array of vacations through Registry Vacations.

 Happy Vacations,

Registry Vacations Staff & Carnival Sea Miles

International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. is solely responsible for the offer and is not an agent or affiliate or Carnival Cruise Lines.

*************   UPDATE: As of today, July 24, 2008    *************

I have called the Travel Guide at 1-866-838-8106 and used the extension number she gave to me, left my name and call back number.   I have yet to hear from her.  I also called the same number above and left a message for a Customer Rep. to return my call(s), I have as yet talked with a "live" contact person or have received any returned phone call(s) from anyone. 

I hope that after waiting for 10 (working) days for some one to return my call(s), that this message will not be premature to alert the Carnival Connections site users as well as any others that see, read or view this message, that you may need to be prepared of this type of future communications. 

Please share if you have any information about what you might know or who may want to email me personally.   

Thanks So Much!

I am actually familiar with both the seamiles and american express rewards system.  For the Seamiles it actually states in the terms and conditions (which i read of course before I got the card) that the Seamiles cannot be redeemed under any other promotion than the regular rate that carnival gives you.  However, they still do give you the discounted rate with other promotions like past guest rates at a lesser value.   So I dont really think that's much to complain about. The seamiles program actually gives you a better redemption value than the American Express points program at least when it comes to cruises, with 7500 points you would get  way less than $100

OK, maybe I can make better sense of this situation _ I contacted SeaMiles and they have NO AFFILIATION with Registry Vacations - according to the person I spoke with.

The Registry Vacations website only lists Carnival Seamiles as a "featured partner" but that means absolutely NOTHING.

I contacted SeaMiles again - speaking to another representative, under the guise of wanting to find out how I (as a travel agency) could book a cruise for a client using their SeaMiles - I was told this was not possible, and that the client needed to contact them directly to book using their Carnival SeaMiles. Their number is 1-877-SeaMiles, and website is www.Seamiles.com

This Registry Vacations has somehow gotten your information and is trying to "sell" you under the guise of the SeaMiles program. I hope someone at Carnival will let the legal eagles know that someone is falsely aligning themselves with Carnival.

DS -

No one is disgiusing themselves as Carnival.  The carnival seamiles program has a third party that redeems the Seamiles and books their cruises. So im sure all legal agreements have been made.

NO ONE said anything about "disguising themselves as Carnival". I used the term "falsely aligning themselves with Carnival" and it looks like they are using this tactic to sell their vacation products, NOT just Carnival cruises.

The BIG red flag here is that this Registry Vacations is saying you should call a specific number for booking travel - but the number a person should use is different - 1-877-SeaMiles.

Anyone should see that by diverting the calls to a different number or company is a realistic cause for concern. Everything associated with the Carnival SeaMiles program identifies the proper phone number and website to go to - and any company that tells you otherwise is up to no good.

DS -

I am actually familiar with both the seamiles and american express rewards system.  For the Seamiles it actually states in the terms and conditions (which i read of course before I got the card) that the Seamiles cannot be redeemed under any other promotion than the regular rate that carnival gives you.  However, they still do give you the discounted rate with other promotions like past guest rates at a lesser value.   So I dont really think that's much to complain about. The seamiles program actually gives you a better redemption value than the American Express points program at least when it comes to cruises, with 7500 points you would get  way less than $100

Yes, the BIG print they say $500.00 for 50,000 points.  Then in 500 pages of small print there is the "disclosure" about reducing the value.  That is exactly what I am talking about.  Why not have the REAL DEAL in huge print.  How many people do you think are Past Guests with Carnival if they have a Sea Miles card?  Everyone! 

And I can assure you that American Express would never charge you travel insurance without asking and without your authorization and then LIE TO YOU that it is required!!

Sorry, there is no comparison between Sea Miles and American Express. Sea Miles is a gimmick.  Sure they can offer double points for cruise and Sail and Sign charges...why?  Because they know that the vast majority of someone's purchases IS NOT going to be a cruise or ship related expenses.  And folks do not get double points for the things they charge the most.

I will take HONESTY over a gimmick any day of the week.

I too received a phone call from Registry Vacations aligning themselves with Carnival Sea Miles card..I called Carnival and they told me that they had no affiliation with this company..The agent from Registry has called me several times and wants to send me a package with all the info in black and white but in order to do that , they hold 10.000 miles as deposit...

Has anyone out there been successful using this company...I looked them  up and they seem to be a above board...but I am so hesitant..

Please help....Joy 

Joy....  After reading your post, you seem to be using your common sense by asking for help.  May I say that you should not, by phone, agree to any offer, be it Registry Vacations or any other time share company.  I did notice that this is the first post that you have made, under Joy, so perhaps you should be reading other comments and know your way around the Carnival Connections site.  My suggestion/advice to you, is for you to read comments from two others who have given "Great Advice" on this matter:  DScheidle (07-25-08 @ 1:57 PM)  and  Musicalcruiser   They have entered a lot of information that you should read and apply prior to you making your final decision.   

Joy, you did not share how long you have had the Carnival SeaMiles credit card, but I would assume with Registry Vacations contacting you by phone, that you are a previous cruiser, or perhaps earning your SeaMiles so that you can take a well deserved cruise.  Also, do not give them any of your SeaMiles information from off of your card: i.e., Membership number (this is not the credit card #) or give them the 3 digit code off the back. Please keep notice of your earned points on your SeaMiles account.

Please read the fine print, and keep using your common sense and Best of Luck to you!

Thanks for your prompt reply...I read the the info you suggested and rejected the offer by Registry...although Sea Miles card said they were a reputable company...my theory is if it sounds to good to be true, it usually is....

Thanks again....Joy 

I WISH CARNIVAL OFFERED A REWARDS PROGRAM THAT WASN'T ATTACHED TO A CREDIT CARD. I GET IT FROM THE AIRLINES, HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, ETC.

I for one am in complete agreement.  Did not know for sure how sea miles worked, but when I found out last year I called Carnival and had my already booked cruise reinstated with Carnival.  I did not know that when you tried to use your points on the credit card they took over the booking...  Someday I may use the points, but not when I have already booked with the cruise lines.  Kind of a tricky way to do things and a bit dishonest in my opinion,