Significant Price Drop - NO Benefit To Us :-(

[Hotheels]

Can someone please clarify this for me. We paid for 2 OS cabins on the Oct. 3rd sailing of the Splenor, about a week ago. Today, my brother called and booked his own cabin, the same OS category and was given a past passenger rate of $200 less per person than we paid. At the time I booked I asked if there were any discounts available at all...there were none. So tonight I called Carnival and explained the situation to them. The lady I spoke with was very sincere, but told me that they do not give refunds or OBC for price drops. She told me that what they do in this situation is upgrade your cabin. However, because we have an OS, the next category up is a Grand Suite, which is $500 more, per person, and the price drop was only $200 per person. Therefore, the difference is not enough to upgrade. If we has purchased an inside, outside or balcony cabin, it would be highly likely that we would be upgraded...but no such luck for OS category. I knew what the price was when I booked it...I just dont see how it's fair that because of the category we booked, we basically get no benefit if there is price drop. I'm happy with my room, just wondering if anyone else has experience this??

[KenMo]

I'll give this a shot....to the best of my understanding.

 

You just booked a week ago, so the ES rate was not available to you. ES would have allowed you to get OBC for any price drops up to two business days before sailing.

 

Looks like you booked after the final payment date. OBC is not available after the final payment date unless you booked ES rate.

 

As far as any discounts not being available when you booked....that's entirely possible. Not all discounts are available all the time on every sailing for every category.

 

Yes, if you would have booked Inside, OV or Balcony, the chances of an upgrade would have been greater simply because there are many more of those types of cabins than there are OS.

 

They must have opened up some discounts between the time you booked and the time your brother booked.

 

I know it doesn't seem fair, but that is now Carnival's policy.

 

Fellow CCer's, Firefly and Ken076, are very knowledgeable about all of this. Hopefully they'll show up tomorrow and help explain better than I can. Maybe they will have a solution for you.

[kujobie]

I'll give this a shot....to the best of my understanding.

 

You just booked a week ago, so the ES rate was not available to you. ES would have allowed you to get OBC for any price drops up to two business days before sailing.

 

Looks like you booked after the final payment date. OBC is not available after the final payment date unless you booked ES rate.

 

As far as any discounts not being available when you booked....that's entirely possible. Not all discounts are available all the time on every sailing for every category.

 

Yes, if you would have booked Inside, OV or Balcony, the chances of an upgrade would have been greater simply because there are many more of those types of cabins than there are OS.

 

They must have opened up some discounts between the time you booked and the time your brother booked.

 

I know it doesn't seem fair, but that is now Carnival's policy.

 

Fellow CCer's, Firefly and Ken076, are very knowledgeable about all of this. Hopefully they'll show up tomorrow and help explain better than I can. Maybe they will have a solution for you.

 

You summed it up pretty well.

[gogetter]

You buy a cruise and the rates goes down afterwards......

You go grocery shopping and prices drop within a week......

You buy an airline ticket and pricesd drop......

 

You drive yourself crazy if you kep following these things.

[friedshrimp]

I'll give this a shot....to the best of my understanding.

 

You just booked a week ago, so the ES rate was not available to you. ES would have allowed you to get OBC for any price drops up to two business days before sailing.

 

Looks like you booked after the final payment date. OBC is not available after the final payment date unless you booked ES rate.

 

As far as any discounts not being available when you booked....that's entirely possible. Not all discounts are available all the time on every sailing for every category.

 

Yes, if you would have booked Inside, OV or Balcony, the chances of an upgrade would have been greater simply because there are many more of those types of cabins than there are OS.

 

They must have opened up some discounts between the time you booked and the time your brother booked.

 

I know it doesn't seem fair, but that is now Carnival's policy.

 

Fellow CCer's, Firefly and Ken076, are very knowledgeable about all of this. Hopefully they'll show up tomorrow and help explain better than I can. Maybe they will have a solution for you.

 

 

Couldn't have said it better. It's a crap shoot.....sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it's a draw!

[okwriter]

.....sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it's a draw!

 

And (to the OP): sometimes you should just be happy for your brother, who got a great deal! :D

[Ken076]

KenMo pretty much said it.

 

Promo Rates like Past guest come and go.

 

When you book within the final 60-70 day "Penalty Period" (after Final Payment deadline) there are no price drop adjustments.

 

ken

[vacruizer]

Think of it like gambling. When you book within the final payment window you are stuck with that you pay. Prices might go up or down - you never know. It's happened to me on my last two cruises. We booked only a month or two out and paid in full. Both dropped by over $100 per person within a week of booking. The first time we had a guarantee so there was no upgrade. Last time we were able to updgrade to a much bigger balcony but I knew when I called that there's be no refund.

[PhxRain]

And (to the OP): sometimes you should just be happy for your brother, who got a great deal! :D

 

OP: Tell your Brother this: "I am so happy for you getting such a great deal on your cruise! SO happy in fact that I'm gonna let you buy all of us

"a round of drinks"

"dinner at the steakhouse"

"specialty coffee at the cafe"...... take your pick! And have fun! :D

[DaytonCruiser]

Think of it like gambling. When you book within the final payment window you are stuck with that you pay. Prices might go up or down - you never know. It's happened to me on my last two cruises. We booked only a month or two out and paid in full. Both dropped by over $100 per person within a week of booking. The first time we had a guarantee so there was no upgrade. Last time we were able to updgrade to a much bigger balcony but I knew when I called that there's be no refund.

 

Carnival does give you a 48 hour window, for price drops, if you book after final payment is due.

 

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/fun/cruise_control/guarantee.aspx

[Hotheels]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I understand how it works now and I really am happy for my brother for getting the lower rate. It's going to be a much needed family time cruise....and I DO like the idea of him buying the round of drinks with his savings!! Thanks again all and have a great day :)

[vacruizer]

Carnival does give you a 48 hour window, for price drops, if you book after final payment is due.

 

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/fun/cruise_control/guarantee.aspx

 

I know - with my luck it ended up being about 3 days later the prices dropped the first time and just less than a week the second time. :rolleyes: It all worked out - I still had a great rate, was still going on a cruise, and got to upgrade to one of the 30x6 super huge balconies on our last trip. :D