Need help figuring this out

[Jeafl]

We booked early saver, and are paid in full.

 

On Carnival's website they have a winter warm-up sale going on. Long story short, I called Carnival and found that the sale includes $200 on board credit for our room.

 

Here's the problem. It would cost me $122 extra to change to this new rate, but I would get the $200 onboard credit. It seems like a no-brainer, but the caveat is, we would no longer be early saver and therefore no longer eligible for further reductions. Should I take the $78 profit ($200 credit minus the $122 price increase), or hold out for a chance at further reductions? It seems like the rates are falling, and according to another tracking website, the ship is only about 55% full right now. This makes me think there might be some good reductions in the future.

 

Am I totally overthinking this?

[crusinpsychRN]

I'd take the deal. In all my ES cruises I've never got a rate reduction of even $5.

[firefly333]

Once ES always ES. Just because you price match, you cannot change to another rate, you just price match to it.

 

Either there is a misunderstanding or someone gave you bad advice.

 

If you could change rates by price matching people would do it to get out of the nonrefundalbe deposit. Aint going to happen.

[Jeafl]

Once ES always ES. Just because you price match, you cannot change to another rate, you just price match to it.

 

Either there is a misunderstanding or someone gave you bad advice.

 

If you could change rates by price matching people would do it to get out of the nonrefundalbe deposit. Aint going to happen.

 

See, that's what I thought too. But the Carnival rep told me I could change to the new rate if I paid the difference and that I would no longer be Early Saver. It's hard to know what to believe when you call there.

[Ken076]

See, that's what I thought too. But the Carnival rep told me I could change to the new rate if I paid the difference and that I would no longer be Early Saver. It's hard to know what to believe when you call there.

 

If you subtract the "cash back" from the sale price and that rate is lower than your current ES rate (same ship, date, category, #PAX) then you should be able to get the difference and you definitely remain Early Saver. As Fire sez "you ALWAYS remain Early Saver". When I did this, they had me "buy-up" to the sale price, gave me the OBC, and I remained Early Saver. The rep is wrong. ken

[cruzn buckeye]

The 200 onboard credit is only on 8 days or longer, if you are on a 7 day cruise it is

is only 75pp... total of 150 obc... 5-6 days is 50pp total of 100

[cruzn buckeye]

We booked early saver, and are paid in full.

 

On Carnival's website they have a winter warm-up sale going on. Long story short, I called Carnival and found that the sale includes $200 on board credit for our room.

 

Here's the problem. It would cost me $122 extra to change to this new rate, but I would get the $200 onboard credit. It seems like a no-brainer, but the caveat is, we would no longer be early saver and therefore no longer eligible for further reductions. Should I take the $78 profit ($200 credit minus the $122 price increase), or hold out for a chance at further reductions? It seems like the rates are falling, and according to another tracking website, the ship is only about 55% full right now. This makes me think there might be some good reductions in the future.

 

Am I totally overthinking this?

It looks like you are on the 6 day Freedom cruise? If so, I hope you didnt make the change, it will end up costing you more, an extra 122 pay up front, to get 100 total onboard credit, the obc for a 6 day is only 50 pp

[Jeafl]

It looks like you are on the 6 day Freedom cruise? If so, I hope you didnt make the change, it will end up costing you more, an extra 122 pay up front, to get 100 total onboard credit, the obc for a 6 day is only 50 pp

 

No, we're on the 8-day Eastern route on the Freedom, which is why it is $200. :)

[cruzn buckeye]

No, we're on the 8-day Eastern route on the Freedom, which is why it is $200. :)

Oh good !!!! I didnt realize they had a 8 day Eastern on the Freedom.... 200 it is :)

[old sole]

If you subtract the "cash back" from the sale price and that rate is lower than your current ES rate (same ship, date, category, #PAX) then you should be able to get the difference and you definitely remain Early Saver. As Fire sez "you ALWAYS remain Early Saver". When I did this, they had me "buy-up" to the sale price, gave me the OBC, and I remained Early Saver. The rep is wrong. ken

 

OK, that's what they did for me also - adjusted my fare up a small amount and added some refundable OBC to the reservation. I am still outside of final payment, so that surprised me. I expected a fare reduction to the NET fare after deducting the value of the OBC. I don't understand how what they did makes sense. The way they did it, I have to juggle the fare and this amount of OBC to determine when I'm eligible for a future reduction (and they do too). Will they always know that this portion of my OBC (I have other pre-existing OBC also) needs to be offset from a future reduction? Otherwise, just looking at the fare, I would be eligible NOW!?? I can't imagine how they will keep track of all this, or why they would structure it so that they need to? It would be much cleaner to just price me at the new net fare, it seems to me.

[5waldos]

If I am understanding you all, if there is a rate which is lower when you deduct the cash back then you can put in for it with ES? And it might take some moving things around but you get the OBC and remain ES? So later on if there is a further price drop, it is a price drop from the new slightly higher rate? That could be an awfully good deal- although I just missed it, if I had done this then my base rate would have been more, but another rate I was eligible for was already lower so I could then put in for that. (Does this make sense?)

 

Wow. Who knew?

[old sole]

If I am understanding you all, if there is a rate which is lower when you deduct the cash back then you can put in for it with ES? And it might take some moving things around but you get the OBC and remain ES? So later on if there is a further price drop, it is a price drop from the new slightly higher rate? That could be an awfully good deal- although I just missed it, if I had done this then my base rate would have been more, but another rate I was eligible for was already lower so I could then put in for that. (Does this make sense?)

 

Wow. Who knew?

 

That's my question. That is the situation I am in. It can't possibly be right, but how on earth will they keep track of it through multiple price changes that could occur later?

[annasamir]

I'm going in December and have already had a price drop-off $100 for the cabin. It may be worth it to just stay as is and take your chance about losing out ***** $78. Make sure you check the pricing though on a regular basis if you decide not to do the ES. Good luck deciding

[Jeafl]

UPDATE-- OP here.

 

This is what ended up happening. After an hour on hold, and THREE calls back from Carnival because no one knew what they were doing...

 

I ended up paying $121 more, and got the $200 onboard credit. I also have remained early saver, and according to the rep I talked to, I am STILL eligible for future price drops. I asked her twice to make sure and she said I can definitely take advantage of that.

 

Here's the next problem. The current rate is now $80 less than what I paid after paying the extra $121. So do I now attempt sending in the form to get my rate reduced? I do not want to mess up what took two days for them to fix. ???

 

There has to be an easier way to do this.

[near the beach]

For our last cruise we applied for on board credit three times.

The first time it was denied because taxes and port fess went up. I would have to pay them with the new rate. We would have had to pay $20 to get the price drop.

The second time it was granted. However the price drop equaled the new taxes. We received no on board credit. We were just given a lower rate.

The third time the priced dropped we applied again. It took over three weeks to receive on board credit. It did happen and because of other price drops. It was much more than I applied for. :D

Early saver works. Carnival is really backed up now with on board credit request and fun ship dollar being applied to accounts.

[5waldos]

...

Here's the next problem. The current rate is now $80 less than what I paid after paying the extra $121. So do I now attempt sending in the form to get my rate reduced? I do not want to mess up what took two days for them to fix. ???.

 

I would go for it! I think once it is done (check your cruise manager to be sure it is recorded) then further changes would be independant of these.

 

Now I am wondering if you can put in for price changes on other websites too. This opens up an entirely new approach!

[CShelly]

UPDATE-- OP here.

 

This is what ended up happening. After an hour on hold, and THREE calls back from Carnival because no one knew what they were doing...

 

I ended up paying $121 more, and got the $200 onboard credit. I also have remained early saver, and according to the rep I talked to, I am STILL eligible for future price drops. I asked her twice to make sure and she said I can definitely take advantage of that.

 

Here's the next problem. The current rate is now $80 less than what I paid after paying the extra $121. So do I now attempt sending in the form to get my rate reduced? I do not want to mess up what took two days for them to fix. ???

 

There has to be an easier way to do this.

 

Since you're still ES, you qualify for the price drop. If you look in your cruise manager under the billing tab you will see that they have now changed your cruise rate to the new rate you paid when you added the 121.00. That's what they look at when you apply for the price drop.

 

The form asks you what is the new total fare showing for your cabin and where did you see it. And then they look at what you tell them, verify your numbers and then they look at the rate you've paid on your account. So if the total fare for your cabin is now showing lower than the total fare you paid, (your new rate), you would get the difference in OBC. Hope that makes sense.

[Jeafl]

Since you're still ES, you qualify for the price drop. If you look in your cruise manager under the billing tab you will see that they have now changed your cruise rate to the new rate you paid when you added the 121.00. That's what they look at when you apply for the price drop.

 

The form asks you what is the new total fare showing for your cabin and where did you see it. And then they look at what you tell them, verify your numbers and then they look at the rate you've paid on your account. So if the total fare for your cabin is now showing lower than the total fare you paid, (your new rate), you would get the difference in OBC. Hope that makes sense.

 

It does make sense, thank you. When I look at Carnival's website, it shows the room being almost $500 less than the new amount I paid. It seems too good to be true that I would get that much onboard credit, but I submitted it anyway. I guess I will have to see what happens and hope for the best.

[CShelly]

It does make sense, thank you. When I look at Carnival's website, it shows the room being almost $500 less than the new amount I paid. It seems too good to be true that I would get that much onboard credit, but I submitted it anyway. I guess I will have to see what happens and hope for the best.

 

That's fantastic! and I have heard of people getting a lot of OBC. My daughter's cabin has dropped twice in less than a week and it's not even final payment date yet. It only took about 3 days for her OBC to go through last week so you may see something in a few days. Check your email to make sure you got the response email from Carnival that achnowledges their receipt of your form. You should have gotten that within 24 hours of submitting the form. If you didn't get that then resubmit the form. If you still don't get it, then call them and ask them to verify that you qualify.

 

And congratulations!

[old sole]

I would go for it! I think once it is done (check your cruise manager to be sure it is recorded) then further changes would be independant of these.

 

Can't possibly be how it works if I understand what the PP is saying, and I have thought about it because I have the same circumstance: there are two fares that exist at the same time, the Early Saver fare and a promotional fare, which is higher but comes with OBC that is more than the difference - so....

 

step 1 - you are at the ES fare and send in the form claiming the promo, they add $120 to your amount due and award you $200 OBC

 

step 2 - you now are at the promo fare and send in the form claiming the ES fare, they lower your amount due by $120

 

repeat 100 times and have the same amount due as when you started, but have $20,000 OBC ???????????? Ain't gonna happen.

 

I don't know why they are doing it this way, it would much cleaner if they just lowered your amount due by $80 in step 1. But they aren't going to let that OBC stay if you proceed to step 2.

[greenhorncanuck]

Hi

Can I ask where you tracked how full your ship was. Looking to upgrade and wondering about how full ours is.

Thanks

[Jeafl]

Can't possibly be how it works if I understand what the PP is saying, and I have thought about it because I have the same circumstance: there are two fares that exist at the same time, the Early Saver fare and a promotional fare, which is higher but comes with OBC that is more than the difference - so....

 

step 1 - you are at the ES fare and send in the form claiming the promo, they add $120 to your amount due and award you $200 OBC

 

step 2 - you now are at the promo fare and send in the form claiming the ES fare, they lower your amount due by $120

 

repeat 100 times and have the same amount due as when you started, but have $20,000 OBC ???????????? Ain't gonna happen.

 

I don't know why they are doing it this way, it would much cleaner if they just lowered your amount due by $80 in step 1. But they aren't going to let that OBC stay if you proceed to step 2.

 

The catch to this plan is that the sale with the $200 onboard credit was very short-lived. My additional $200 onboard credit did finally show up though, so it definitely did work, once anyway.

[CShelly]

The catch to this plan is that the sale with the $200 onboard credit was very short-lived. My additional $200 onboard credit did finally show up though, so it definitely did work, once anyway.

 

Wonderful! Glad it worked. Makes a nice start and you never know, that second drop might work. Fingers crossed for you!