My wife an I also bought into the carnival vacation club crap, and every cruise we have taken through the club, I could have gotten cheaper on my own through my travel agent.  This is the biggest rip-off  with which I have ever been involved.  The crap about early embarkation and debarkation only applies at certain ports and most the time it is available to you no matter who you bought your cruise from, if you keep your bags with you.  Now they are trying to rip people off on their resort certificates. The places they have in their system suck and they are never available when you want to use them.  They also want you to trade them in for a discount on cruises, but I can still get a better deal on a cruise than they can give me with their discount.  What a scam!  Carnival Cruise lines should be ashamed of themselves for allowing these people to sell this ***.  

I can so relate to every one of you who has posted regarding a negative experience with the CVC.  We were also persuaded to buy into the club while on the Conquest in 2005.  We were assured that our Bronze package would easily allow us to take at least 2 cruises (at their drastically discounted prices) and were shown point totals for the cruises that we were interested in taking.  We were also told that if we used our points to purchase a cruise that we would not have to utilize any additional points for our 6 year old daughter to cruise with us.  When we asked what happened when we didn't have enough points left to purchase a cruise, we were told that we would have no problem purchasing additional "rental" points to make up the balance.  Needless to say, when we decided to book our first cruise using our points, I found out as you all did, that the value of the points was greatly different than the amount we were charged!!  We used almost 10 thousand points on ONE cruise (for 3 of us in low cat cabin) last year.  I could have purchased the same cruise for a lot less than the points actually cost me. The last straw for me however, came today when I checked on a cruise planning to use up the last of our points.  Imagine my suprise when I was told by the CVC rep tonight that we would only be allowed to purchase the same amount of points that we had left in our account..!!!!!! In other words, if you only have 4000 points left in your account, you are only allowed to purchase 4000 points!!!!!  That is simply ludicrous and most definitely was not what we were told!  The rep lied and told me that this has always been the policy..not true and I have the print out from their web-site to prove it. So basically we can't use the points that we have already paid too much for...to go on the cruise that we actually WANT to go on!  This is NUTS!!!!  We really LOVE Carnival and have taken 8 cruises with them so far...but, I am thinking that after we are forced to take this 4 day cruise in an inside cabin to a destination that we have already been to (all we can do with the number of points we have left) that we will quit Carnival altogether.  I can't keep spending my hard earned money with a company that apparently has no problem in allowing unscrupulous practices to continue under their name.

CVC is really nothing but a big SCAM and it has forever tarnished my view of Carnival.

Unfortunately, Carnival is not affliated with CVC, but do allow them to use their logo... here is the disclaimer at the bottom of the webpage. Carnival should really think hard about allowing them the use of their logo because most people will think this is a Carnival Corporation Company.

Managed and sold by Solutions at Sea. "Carnival", "Carnival Vacation Club" and other Carnival related trademarks and logos are used by Solutions at Sea under license from Carnival Cruise Lines. Solutions at Sea is not an agent for, affiliated or in partnership with, Carnival Cruise Lines.

We heard there is no more CVC and that once you use your points, you cannot renew.

We also signed up for the CVC about 2 years ago on the $5,000 package.  As soon as I got home, I got on the phone to price cruises using points and found choices were limited and it was cheaper to book a cruise outside of CVC.  We cancelled our membership immediately and within the time allowed, so we got a refund.

It's a great idea, but it just did not work out realistically.

 

 

 

Yes, of course you are right about that.  Carnival is not technically affiliated with CVC but, they allowed them to sell their plans on their ships from reps who were wearing CCL uniforms and were clearly there to "appear" that they were working for or with Carnival.  I just wish that Carnival would not associate their name or logo with a company such as this.  They have done nothing for me but to mislead and be less than truthful.

I am just frustrated with the whole thing. 

 

What most folks did not realize (and of course ICE did not tell them) is that you were basically paying a minimum of $1,050 (the cheapest package) for VIP Check In and Debarkation and to use the Platinum line at the Purser's Desk.   ( 7.5 cents of every point went to pay for the perks.  )

 

The free cocktail parties were only on ships that had offices and that was only, so ICE could sell some more packages.    Since there are no more offices, they are suppose to do it if you are lucky enough to sail with 10 other CVC members.  "suppose to" being the main phrase.   You do still get your Strawberries...but sometimes to have to ask.

 

Now, the worse part of this is that this program could have been sold HONESTLY and would have been very successful.    If ICE had simply sold this same package for $1,500.00 to join for 5 years and you get  all the perks they listed  (no points, but you have to book through them at a cruise rate 5% less than Carnival's cheapest rate).....lots of people would have bought it for the VIP Check In and Debark alone. 

 

If someone only cruised once a year, that would be paying $300.00 for all the goodies...and LOTS of folks would have done that.    It would have been easy to understand and straight forward. 

 

Folks could have used this program until they reached the Platinum level...where you get all of this for free. 

 

But in true timeshare sales fashion...they had to do the ole' slight of hand trick paying 25 cents a point and only getting 17.5 in return for cruising costs.

 

It is a shame that Carnival linked their name to this.  I am just glad that my "timeshare radar" went off when I heard the name ICE...only because I specificly asked who owned and operated CVC.  They tried to lie about it at first...but evidently they told us the truth.

 

I know one of the head managers and he could sell ice to an Eskimo...so don't feel badly if you were taken in...they know what they are doing.

 

 

 

 

Is it true that CVC will not extend your account beyond the original contract? Are they no longer selling memberships due to complaints? What purchases can be made with the $100 cash card?  Why does CVC charge a fee to book a carnival cruise if you are paying cash rather than using points?

My wife and I purchased the " Bronze" package. As with everyone else, what we were told we were getting and what we got was two totally different things. I asked how much each point was worth and was told 17.5 cents per point.  Well it is 25 cents per point if you do the math. I do enjoy the vip check in and debarkation. It was a lot of money for nothing. A total scam.

Joined Nov.28/05, platinum membership....just called today to extend membership, as we have had no time to take holidays since, and wanted to plan the cruise of a lifetime next year, using our CVC points. We paid 9995.00 U.S. (about 12,500 CDN at the time), thinking it was three year membership, not a 35 month membership, and finding out that our membership has expired....got no notifications to remind us of that one, and we couldn't extend it anyway, because we would've have had to call in September to renew two years...etc.etc. Am going to pursue legal advice on this one, I think Carnival VC should honour our contract, with some kind of grace period, or at least CVC should've sent out reminders to folks that their contract is "expiring". Dr. P. Savage S. Savage

We also joined 3 years ago..... Just booked a cruise out of San Diego For Feb 09.  Upon checking my bank statement, someone at ccl stole my bank card number and went to town on mt expense!  My bank account was charged 2 times for the cruise and 5 times for the renewal fee of $299.00.  At one point my bank account was over drawn by $2000.00 that doesn't include the $300.00 in bank fees.  After speaking on the phone for 3 days NOONE at ccl will investigate this problem.  As I was speaking to my bank someone at ccl was putting charges on my bank account.I have e-mailed the ceo of Carnival so far..... NO RESPONSE!!! I don't even want to step foot onto a doomed vacation but my 2 young daughters are so looking foward to it. What the heck do I do? suck it up and lose the remainder of the cruise points and resort vacations or do I use them up and then try a different cruise line???  You can't imagine how pissed I am knowing that someone at that company is stealing my hard earned cash. I guess I won't hold my breath, carnival doesn't seem to care. The CEO doesn't think that $2000.00 isn't alot of money. THAT MUST BE NICE!!!!!!!!  If anyone else has had this problem, please reply!!!

 

Just so you know.... Carnival Vacation Club is NOT actually part of Carnival Cruise Lines....  below is the disclaimer a the bottom of the Carnival Vacation Club web site. So you are accusing someone at CCL of taking your money when CCL has no affiliation with this program. That would be why you haven't heard anything from the CEO of Carnival because it has nothing to do with his company.

Managed and sold by Solutions at Sea. "Carnival", "Carnival Vacation Club" and other Carnival related trademarks and logos are used by Solutions at Sea under license from Carnival Cruise Lines. Solutions at Sea is not an agent for, affiliated or in partnership with, Carnival Cruise Lines.

I am sorry I joined. The promises were not met and I think this club is basically a waste of money. I was told that by joining the club that my points were purchasing the cabin so that I wouldn't have to pay the single supplement. That was not true. Also, there was no VIP check in. I never did try to take the vacation packages at alleged resorts. I will probably get one more cruise out of it but they will never get me again.

I understand now that CCV is not part of Carnival. I find it strange that CCV conducted business from the Conquest using Carnivals meeting rooms. They were set up at different parts of the ship just as Carnival sets up for different things. I am sure Carnival did not object to the income they enjoyed from CCV's efforts. Of course when people find out it is a total scam, Carnival knows nothing about it nor are they any part of it.

It would have been nice to have internet access (to read the disclaimer) and to really check them out.

Just my two cents

by the way I figure they took me for about $1,500.00

 

Jeff  

We joined five years ago and it was a five year membership and realized too late that they were not officially associated with Carnival.  I think though that Carnival should have taken some responsibility since they let this "travel agency" let them use their name and also, sold their package deals on the Carnival ships.  The only benefit we received was the VIP check-in and debarkation and actually now, everone can debark early.  After many complaints and lots of phone calls to the Vacation Club, I was promised a $100.00 onboard credit, but when I got on the ship, there was no credit and Carnival knew nothing of this.  When I returned from my trip, I called and after many more phone calls and being put on hold and transferred several times, I was again promised the $100 onboard credit would surely be on my next trip.  Since I had no more points with them, though I booked my cruise the next year with Carnival.  When I called the Vacation Club to get something in writing about the onboard credit I was spposed to receive, I was told the only way to receive this credit was to buy more points and book the cruise through them.  Needless to to say, I just finally gave up and learned a lesson.  We never were able to use the resort coupons; never anything available for us, so all we got was over-priced cruises and getting on the ship early.  Carnival, shame on you for letting this happen to so many people who trusted that Carnival Vacation Club memberships sold on a Carnival ship would be backed by Carnival!!!!!!

who is ice