Does anyone really fall for these "Mark it up to mark it down" "sales"?

[rle1982]

I heard a buzz about a sale this week so i checked my fare this morning, depending on which fare I was looking at, the price is 2-3 hundred more than our current rate.

 

I get that the current sale gives you 300 bucks OBC or whatever....but...is this really a sale? The current prices are MORE than I paid initially.....before I ever got any price drops or cabin upgrades.

 

Seems pretty misleading to me. I'm just curious how many people fall for this?

[MrPete]

Every sale I've ever looked at was ALWAYS higher than anything I could do myself.

[DanJ]

When I booked our cruise a few weeks ago, I compared the cash back rate to the past guest rate. I would have paid $330 more to get a $300 OBC. Yeah, thanks Carnival, I don't think so. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.

[ready2cruzagain]

Never seen a Carnival sale that was really a sale. I would have to spend $400 more to get a $300 obc.:rolleyes:

Someone falls for them though...they keep doing the same thing over and over.

[SadieN]

I heard a buzz about a sale this week so i checked my fare this morning, depending on which fare I was looking at, the price is 2-3 hundred more than our current rate.

 

I get that the current sale gives you 300 bucks OBC or whatever....but...is this really a sale? The current prices are MORE than I paid initially.....before I ever got any price drops or cabin upgrades.

 

Seems pretty misleading to me. I'm just curious how many people fall for this?

 

Just playing around on a Valor sailing. Cruise Week sale and Fun Select are the same price. Cruise Week fare does return $200 in OBC.

With the OBC the fare is only $10 more than Cruise Week Past Guest (no OBC) and the same as VIFP. ES is the cheapest.

 

If I was a first time cruiser on Carnival and not eligible for Past Guest rates I would book the Cruise Week rate.

[Vettebuf]

I get that the current sale gives you 300 bucks OBC or whatever....but...is this really a sale? The current prices are MORE than I paid initially.....before I ever got any price drops or cabin upgrades.

 

Same here and we already have the stock OBC and the FCC OBC so that's really not an incentive.

[Tasha4199]

Sometimes it's not all bad. I'm checking out a 4 day on the Sensation in January. Early Saver is 484.66 for 2 people. The Cruise Vacation Week Sale is 684.66 with $200 OBC. Exact same price but with 50% deposit (not a big deal to me) and it has less restrictions than ES.

[firefly333]

The big deal as I posted several times before the sale started was the lower deposit would draw some people in.. not the prices.

[AdGuyMG]

When I booked our cruise a few weeks ago, I compared the cash back rate to the past guest rate. I would have paid $330 more to get a $300 OBC. Yeah, thanks Carnival, I don't think so. I was born at night, but it wasn't last night.

What if someone were booking the same accommodations as yours on the same ship and date and they were not a Past Guest? Early Saver is gone for January. What would their best deal have been?

[golfadj]

If they didnt get people to fall for this they wouldnt do it.

[ccruisequeen]

Got a price drop on a sale that happened about a month after we booked. I contacted our Pvp and got the drop taken off our final Payment. Nothing since. Even when prices drop taxes go up!

[Alliezona09]

I looked at their *sale*~ Saw a resident rate for in interior for $299 ~ the sale price was $574~ :eek: That's crazy!

[rpach10115]

The "sale" is $ 120.00 pp more than what I paid.

 

It offered no OBC. Just a 2 catagory upgrade and 50% off the deposit.

 

Since I booked a OS cat, and have already put down my deposit, this sale is really nothing but good advertising.

 

Oooooooh, National Cruise week! Oooooooooh. Must be something special.

Not really for most people.

 

I'm sure some people get benefits from this.

[Crazy4Koko]

the sailing I'm looking at only gave us $200 OBC.. ( hence the 'up to $150 per person)..I also couldn't get the cabin I wanted as part of the ''sale".. and it was actually $60 more than early saver...

 

so, I will book two of us now..add the third person later (never can understand why 3rd person has to pay more than his cruise fare as a 'deposit'..but whatever!)

[luddite]

You COULD save up to 75% or more!!!!!!

 

Which means you COULD pay double bust-out retail and that advertiser hasn't been lying.

 

If the ads didn't sell stuff, they wouldn't run'em. Of course they work.

Always remember---the louder the ad, the dumber the target.

[AdGuyMG]

never can understand why 3rd person has to pay more than his cruise fare as a 'deposit'..but whatever!)

 

If the total of the cruise fare PLUS the government fees and taxes are less than the required deposit for the 3rd person, you will not be charged the full standard deposit for the 3rd.

[DanJ]

 

so, I will book two of us now..add the third person later (never can understand why 3rd person has to pay more than his cruise fare as a 'deposit'..but whatever!)

 

You can't book 2 in a 3 person cabin to add the third later, so just make sure you don't mess yourself up by getting stuck with a lesser location when you have to move cabins later. (or worse, having no 3 person cabins left later).

[beckyk329]

The big deal as I posted several times before the sale started was the lower deposit would draw some people in.. not the prices.

 

^^^ this is VERY true. We booked last month on a 1/2 off deposit. Half off deposit isn't really a huge deal when you're looking at booking for 2. But when my family 5 deposit went from 1000$ to 500$. It sure made it easier to click "confirm":rolleyes:!

[beckyk329]

If the total of the cruise fare PLUS the government fees and taxes are less than the required deposit for the 3rd person, you will not be charged the full standard deposit for the 3rd.

 

 

Not true.

[AdGuyMG]

Not true.

Based on personal experience, it is true.

[Danacat222]

I had my sister start a mock booking for the cruise my mom and i booked ES for March, only with the "sale" and OBC option, it comes out to be almost $400 more, will 200 having OBC of 200. That really is not a sale and glad i\we booked when we did.