Carnival Spirit troubles?

[GandM-nq]

Carnival are ringing some passengers on the upcoming 20th Jan cruise, offering a full refund and free cruise at a later date if they cancel!

 

Something's amiss.

[springaussie]

Carnival are ringing some passengers on the upcoming 20th Jan cruise, offering a full refund and free cruise at a later date if they cancel!

 

Something's amiss.

 

Sounds like overbooked!

[bazzaw]

What many don't know is that all cruiselines deliberately overbook as a matter of policy. There are a number of reasons for this - but the bottom line intent is to improve their bottom line by ensuring that they sail with as full a ship as possible.

 

This is how we all manage to get these cheap "guarantee" fares and I am well pleased that they manage themselves this way. Usually those who choose to accept the offers to "sail later" are also very well pleased with the deal they are offered - that is why they take it :)

 

Barry

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Carnival are ringing some passengers on the upcoming 20th Jan cruise, offering a full refund and free cruise at a later date if they cancel!

Something's amiss.

 

 

Princess do that quite often. I think they call them "Move over deals".

It depends which category they need as to who they ring and make the offers to. Sometimes the offers can be very enticing and if you are in a situaton where you dont have to cruise on a specific date and are happy to cruise at another time they can be very worthwhile.

I know of folk who been approached and initially turned the offer down , only to have it increased on even better terms. I also know of folk who have heard about the deals being offered and have rung the line to offer up their cabin , only to be told ... Thanks , but... No thanks we are not after your grade of cabin on this trip.

 

 

 

[rugbypopsie]

I think move over offers are a flow on from the overseas practice of overbooking ships and that cruisers in the States can cancel without penalty and low deposits are common. Here in OZ we tend to go on the the cruises we book...

 

Sue

[antipodean99]

what happens if nobody wants to take the offer and the cruiseline has in fact too many people booked.

[rugbypopsie]

The offers keep getting better until someone accepts.

 

Sue

[Kiwi Kruzer]

what happens if nobody wants to take the offer and the cruiseline has in fact too many people booked.

 

Just like the airlines ...You will be "bumped" ...

last on , first off.

 

Usually they will tell you if you can cruise or not before you turn up to board.:D

Quite often people cannot take the deals , as they would lose too much in cancelled air fares and hotel bookings etc.

 

[rugbypopsie]

The offers get very good, compensation for hotels/flights etc. free cruise.. Some of our friends took advantage of the overbooking of the Diamond Princess relocation a couple of years ago. They used the flights and hotels they had booked in the original departure port...jumped on a last minute cruise deal for a short cruise in Singapore and later took up their free cruise...they were very happy with the deal.

 

Sue

[GandM-nq]

Carnival has confirmed overbooking.

 

From https://www.facebook.com/CarnivalOz : Mischelle (Carnival rep) The Spirit S303 voyage is oversold by a couple staterooms. This is a great opportunity for anyone booked on this voyage with flexible travel plans to change your sailing to a later date and have a holiday ‘on us’. Offer is limited and it on a first come first serve basis.

[fishtaco]

Just like the airlines ...You will be "bumped" ...

last on , first off.

 

Usually they will tell you if you can cruise or not before you turn up to board.:D

Quite often people cannot take the deals , as they would lose too much in cancelled air fares and hotel bookings etc.

 

 

Yes its the same as airlines, everyone overbooks but with airlines there would be a higher percentage of "No shows" than a cruise.

 

I would never have believed this in the past and couldn't accept people just didn't show up for international flights but since all the cheap airfares have been around we have done 3 no shows in 2 years! with non refundable tickets its best not to cancel,do a no show and you get all your taxes back:)

 

Den

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Carnival has confirmed overbooking.

 

From https://www.facebook.com/CarnivalOz : Mischelle (Carnival rep) The Spirit S303 voyage is oversold by a couple staterooms. This is a great opportunity for anyone booked on this voyage with flexible travel plans to change your sailing to a later date and have a holiday ‘on us’. Offer is limited and it on a first come first serve basis.

 

With an offer like that they should be swamped..:D

 

I always used to joke with my TA when the old P&O ships kept breaking down and passengers were given fabulous compensation . I would ask Why can't we get deals like that... book a cruise..get all your money back and then they take you on a free cruise ....Choice.:):)

 

 

 

[Australian family]

The offers get very good, compensation for hotels/flights etc. free cruise.. Some of our friends took advantage of the overbooking of the Diamond Princess relocation a couple of years ago. They used the flights and hotels they had booked in the original departure port...jumped on a last minute cruise deal for a short cruise in Singapore and later took up their free cruise...they were very happy with the deal.

 

Sue

 

Did Princess refund them for their flights?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

...and then there is the other side of the coin....:eek:

 

Carnival Australia will be saying ....that if there is so much demand for a cruise at that time of the year , then perhaps they are selling it too cheap , and can therefore put the prices up for next year.:mad:

 

 

 

[fishtaco]

Although they are saying it is oversold this can also happen if a lifeboat is out of action,they have to reduce the passenger numbers by the lifeboat capacity.

 

Den

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Although they are saying it is oversold this can also happen if a lifeboat is out of action,they have to reduce the passenger numbers by the lifeboat capacity.Den

 

They carry liferafts as well . I have always been told that the boats and rafts can carry well in excess of the numbers on board....both passengers and crew.

 

[fishtaco]

They carry liferafts as well . I have always been told that the boats and rafts can carry well in excess of the numbers on board....both passengers and crew.

 

 

It wasnt that long ago a P&O Australia ship had to turn away over 80 cruisers at check in because a lifeboat was out of commission,it was on the news with many upset passengers as they had not been informed until they arrived at check in. I am pretty sure they were only offered a refund or alternative cruise not both!

 

Den

[bazzaw]

They carry liferafts as well . I have always been told that the boats and rafts can carry well in excess of the numbers on board....both passengers and crew.

 

 

David

 

That may well be for Asian passengers --but much less so for Aussie and American passengers. I have always dreaded having to be on a lifeboat filled to "legal capacity" with my fellow Australian (or American/British) passengers.

 

Barry:rolleyes:

[jota]

David

 

That may well be for Asian passengers --but much less so for Aussie and American passengers. I have always dreaded having to be on a lifeboat filled to "legal capacity" with my fellow Australian (or American/British) passengers.

 

Barry:rolleyes:

 

Are you calling us fat! I'll see you at our meet and mingle:eek:

[rugbypopsie]

Did Princess refund them for their flights?

 

They used their flights and came to Singapore to see us off before jumping on a last minute shortie..I think they were given a contribution to the flights not sure. In any case they were not out of pocket..had a short cruise in the Royal Suite at a fantiastic price and then a free cruise on Princess later.

That itinerary is proving very popular now... Bangkok to Sydney. At the time this happened they were sailing out of Singapore because of the political situation in Thailand.

 

Sie

[Sutho]

I personally think it is stupid to overbook a ship. No amount of compensation would ever make me change my holiday plans.

 

I am aware of Princess doing it as my grandparents were made an offer once back in 2010. They were on Diamond Princess from Sydney to Bangkok and the ship was booked out. They had a simple inside cabin and were asked to not cruise and go on either Sun Princess or Dawn Princess out of Fremantle for a different Asian cruise in the top suite on one of those ships. They turned the offer down as even though it was a suite on offer they were not offered compensation for flights, were not offered free flights to Perth and they considered the Sun and Dawn Princess to be an inferior ship to Diamond Princess as they had been on all previously.

[fishtaco]

I personally think it is stupid to overbook a ship. No amount of compensation would ever make me change my holiday plans.

 

I am aware of Princess doing it as my grandparents were made an offer once back in 2010. They were on Diamond Princess from Sydney to Bangkok and the ship was booked out. They had a simple inside cabin and were asked to not cruise and go on either Sun Princess or Dawn Princess out of Fremantle for a different Asian cruise in the top suite on one of those ships. They turned the offer down as even though it was a suite on offer they were not offered compensation for flights, were not offered free flights to Perth and they considered the Sun and Dawn Princess to be an inferior ship to Diamond Princess as they had been on all previously.

 

 

Well to be honest not many people would book a cruise and be happy about not going even with good compensation!

 

I agree a cruise ship should not overbook especially in Australia where so much if not all of the cruise fare will be forfeited if customers cancel their cruise close to the cruise date! looks like they want the best of both worlds!

 

There seems to be no point in over selling cabin space other than to maximise profits by selling quad/triple share cabins at a later date in the already booked twin share cabin that can hold more than 2 that was sold much earlier to the twin share customers.

 

Den

[The_Big_M]

It doesn't happen as a matter of course, but usually only because there was a mistake in a certain situation, or something infrquent happens. Often it arises when guarantees are sold, and there may be a large take-up and then a large group takes out specific cabins for example, leaving them in a difficult situation.

 

Many cruises don't even have guarantee sales in which case it's unlikely to have this situation. There can still be a couple of other reasons but they're very rare.

[keagle]

David

 

That may well be for Asian passengers --but much less so for Aussie and American passengers. I have always dreaded having to be on a lifeboat filled to "legal capacity" with my fellow Australian (or American/British) passengers.

 

Barry:rolleyes:

 

Then do not go on a cruise were they count how many get on a tender to make sure they fill it to capacity, or have you had an experience of being in an actual life raft on a ship?

[rugbypopsie]

Crowded lifeboats? I'd be happy I was in the lifeboat...the middle seat on long haul plane now that's something I dread!

 

Sue