Carnival Cruise and my TA--Issues

[poshholly]

I love my TA nd have worked with her a few times in the past but

 

I have a new set of issues to deal with---ugh!!

 

When i was looking at the cruise in July they offered a $200on board credit per room but then did a 3 day sale where we bought the oceanview cat but were free upgraded to Balcony--sign me up, esp with the combined offer!!! I was told that on my second room b/c I have a senior rate that we'd lose the $200 credit on the that room. but keep it on our 1st room..FINE!!

Yes she refers to it as an Early Saver rate; whatever that means!?!?!? So I have been watching prices and last week it dropped $80 and they honored it....I called today to change the spelling of my mothers name and she asks me what onboard credit I am referring to???? Hello, the whole package deal was why I even booked the cruise-1st room free upgrade plus $200 credit and 2nd room senior rate--a Carnival manager is looking in to it...

 

Is this bad news for me??? I'd swear on everything that I not only was told about the promo but I saw it with my own eyes on the Carnival Site:mad:

 

Any advice on how to talk to these people?? and does the Early Saver allow me to keep my promos and take advantage of price drops???

[ugen512]

Carnival is usually very strict with not combining promotions. Early saver rates never get an OBC and rarely do senior rates. If your t/a misadvised then they should compensate you. Early save does offer the price protection but again never gets the OBC or upgardes.

[Ken076]

There must be some confusion; there's no initial OBC and no initial upgrade when you book Early Saver. Whichever of the cabins you booked with Early Saver was the specific cabin you selected at booking, at the current Early Saver rate. The Early Saver rate/booking isn't "combinable" with other specials.

 

Subsequently, if any of the rates (Past Guest, 55+, your state residence, military) that you're eligible for should drop, then your TA applies for that new rate and your Rate is adjusted downward. Also....Generally, if a Category "higher" than the one you booked drops below your current rate, you can ask to be upgraded to that Category. You will be able to get price adjustments up to several days prior to sailing.

 

 

Also, technically with Early Saver there are specifically "No Name Changes". This is generally interpreted to mean no substitution of a passenger for the original passenger, but some Reservationists take the strict interpretation and won't do it; previous posters, with some aggravation, persistence and multiple phone calls WERE able to correct Spelling errors and married name changes.

 

ken

[Chacooe]

Are you working with a TA or directly through Carnival. If you are working though a TA, they should have all of this information. Early Saver means that you booked the room at least 6 months in advance and you can get the rate drops until 2 days before sailing. To be honest though, I was under the impression during that sale in July that if you booked Early Saver you did not get the OBC because of the savings you would be getting by using the Early Saver. Now I am be wrong, but that was one reason I did not book because you could not combine offers.

 

I would verify everything with your TA or call Carnival directly.

[KruznKel]

I love my TA nd have worked with her a few times in the past but

 

I have a new set of issues to deal with---ugh!!

 

When i was looking at the cruise in July they offered a $200on board credit per room but then did a 3 day sale where we bought the oceanview cat but were free upgraded to Balcony--sign me up, esp with the combined offer!!! I was told that on my second room b/c I have a senior rate that we'd lose the $200 credit on the that room. but keep it on our 1st room..FINE!!

Yes she refers to it as an Early Saver rate; whatever that means!?!?!? So I have been watching prices and last week it dropped $80 and they honored it....I called today to change the spelling of my mothers name and she asks me what onboard credit I am referring to???? Hello, the whole package deal was why I even booked the cruise-1st room free upgrade plus $200 credit and 2nd room senior rate--a Carnival manager is looking in to it...

 

Is this bad news for me??? I'd swear on everything that I not only was told about the promo but I saw it with my own eyes on the Carnival Site:mad:

 

Any advice on how to talk to these people?? and does the Early Saver allow me to keep my promos and take advantage of price drops???

 

I think the issue maybe with the name correction.. you can not change a name with ES.. this is just my guess

[KruznKel]

Carnival is usually very strict with not combining promotions. Early saver rates never get an OBC and rarely do senior rates. If your t/a misadvised then they should compensate you. Early save does offer the price protection but again never gets the OBC or upgardes.

 

 

I have the ES rate for my upcoming cruise combined with the senior rate and the welcome back credit (which is now discontinued).. I also upgraded my cabin.. and I am still eligible for the ES if the price drops on my new cabin cat..

[Ken076]

Carnival is usually very strict with not combining promotions. Early saver rates never get an OBC and rarely do senior rates. If your t/a misadvised then they should compensate you. Early save does offer the price protection but again never gets the OBC or upgardes.

 

to clarify.......when you initially book Early Saver you can't "Combine" the Early Saver rate with other rates, or OBC offers.

 

But...Once you are booked Early Saver, then if any of the (Past Guest, 55+, your state residency, Military) Rates that you're eligible for drop, you can get your Early Saver Rate reduced correspondingly. (for example, if you're a Carnival Past guest and you book Early Saver, if subsequently a Past Guest Rate lower than your current Early Saver rate is advertised by Carnival, you can get your Early Saver Rate lowered to that Past Guest Rate.)

 

ken

[katiel53]

Early Saver is a promotion with lower rates. If the rate for your cabin goes down, up until 2 days before sailing, you can get the lower rate. If before final payment, then your balance is lowered, if after fp, then it is an onboard credit.

 

It does not include any incentives for booking other than the lower rate. So, if you had an OBC of $200 when you booked, when you got changed to Early Saver, your 200 OBC was gone if it was given to you by Carnival. If it was something your TA did herself, then you should still get it or part of it.

 

I know with our TA if the price goes down, so does the OBC she gives us as she is giving up part of her commission. ESA is a very restrictive rate. For example, if you decided to cancel the cruise, you won't get your deposit back. You will have to pay $50 and the balance will be held by Carnival for you to book again within a year.

 

ESA is not for everyone and I am surprised if that's what you are on that your TA didn't explain it to you, Good luck.

[poshholly]

the name change was just the spelling and has to be done before my final payment--it turned out to be correct

 

I know for a fact that the homepage on Carnival in late July advertised a free upgrade + $200 onboard credit---the page looked like a big math puzzle with all the "+" signs; making the deal too good to be true therefore me booking it

 

I called two other TA's also to sorta shop rates and my scratch pad that I still have has the $200 credit on room 1 and senior rate on 2...

 

she told me today she'd get it all worked out with a Carnival Supervisor and remembers our conversation clearly as well b/c I am not even a balcony room fan--I prefer inside cabins and love the cost as well....with the upgrade promo and the OBC it was too good to resist for the balcony offer or I'd have just kept an inside cabin

 

All I can think is that when they applied the new price drop maybe my $200 credit fell off...I am confident that they have the initial info on my records;right??

[Ken076]

poshholly - sounds to me like maybe the TA mistakenly booked you as Early Saver instead of the "promos" you discussed. She can book either as Early Saver booking or as a Promo booking, but not both. TA's have a Carnival "Business Manager" who they can contact for "problems" but I don't know how flexible they are about changing/correcting a booking.

 

Let us know what really happened and how it works out?

 

ken

[poshholly]

poshholly - sounds to me like maybe the TA mistakenly booked you as Early Saver instead of the "promos" you discussed. She can book either as Early Saver booking or as a Promo booking, but not both. TA's have a Carnival "Business Manager" who they can contact for "problems" but I don't know how flexible they are about changing/correcting a booking.

 

Let us know what really happened and how it works out?

 

ken

 

 

thanks!!! I am confident that this "mananger" who is looking into the issue can atleast see what that 3-day promo sale page entailed.....I am just ticked b/c I'd really rather have gotten an inside room for cheaper and the OBC--probably too late now for a good inside cabin choice as they are all gone:(

[ugen512]

The promo was the 4-Day Triple Play: Reduced Rates, Upgrades, and Cash Back. It was not combinable with Early saver, resident, senior or other discounted rates. Sounds like the T/A misadvised or didn't book under the required O3P rate code.