Thank you Cruise Critic!

[weluvcruises]

I've been reading reviews and comments for years before we had taken any of our cruises. In January we did an interline resevation to sail the Breeze in July. While reading comments, I was reading many members suggesting to contact thier travel agent or the PVP about price drops. I took your advise, and let me tell you, on our room we saved about $710 and FIL and MIL saved about $500! All I have to say is THANK YOU CRUISE CRITIC!! Instead of just reading, we will be posting reviews and comments from now on!

[TravelingDiva1]

I've been reading reviews and comments for years before we had taken any of our cruises. In January we did an interline resevation to sail the Breeze in July. While reading comments, I was reading many members suggesting to contact thier travel agent or the PVP about price drops. I took your advise, and let me tell you, on our room we saved about $710 and FIL and MIL saved about $500! All I have to say is THANK YOU CRUISE CRITIC!! Instead of just reading, we will be posting reviews and comments from now on!

 

That's great!!! CC has definitely saved me some money and helped in planning activities for different ports!

[FireEater]

I have been reading this board now for a week or 2. I keep reading how people are getting lower prices by doing something.

 

I am not up on all the acro's like CC, FIL, PVP, etc. All I know of is E I E I O..., CC, RCC :)

 

Can someone enlighten me on how getting the price lower after purchasing is done?

 

I can pretty much bank of not getting anything lowered for a cruise I have coming up in 2 weeks. But I plan on booking one for September or so.

 

Have people found that booking on the ship while on their present cruise lowers the rate? I know the last one I did on RCC did not have a lower rate when we did it on the ship....

 

How else are you all getting money back?

[heatherbelle]

I am no expert, but I will try.

 

First off you have to know what rate you have booed at. So go into your booking and have a look.

 

If that doesn't tell you you will need to find out from your TA.

 

So long as you haven't booked a rate where your cabin is not assigned then depending on what rate you are Nd weather you are at final payment or not matters.

 

If you are booked at early saver (ES) rate then you can get a price drop to reduce your fare up until final payment. Once you get to final payment then any reduction in price will be given as on board credit (OBC), Up until 2 days before sailing. You are responsible for tracking the fare. You can use carnival fare tracker or do a dummy booking. If any cabin at your booking type or above falls below the rate you paid bingo. You can submit a price reduction request either to your travel agent or directly to Carnival if you booked directly.

 

Now if you are booked at another rate, then so long as it's before final payment you can switch rates. For example I was booked on Easy Saver rate and I switched to the friends and family rate, because this was cheaper and I saved over $800, I am on a 12 night Med cruise, hence the big drop. Expensive to start with. I can still switch to any other rate with a cabin number up until final payment. But after that I have had it.

 

You will need to check with Carnival or your TA whether it is beneficial to do this. For example I lost $150 OBC that was attached to my original booking.

 

Now if you are booked with a UK TA or Carnival UK you are stuffed. You might have to look at cancelling and re-booking, but you need to consider the penalties first.

 

From what I have read on here these huge price drops are unusal. However I have also learnt to book the cruise myself with Carnival.com. Once I know I am sticking to the cruise move to the Early Saver rate if it's still available and watch the prices like a hawk.

 

So for your September cruise book the Early Saver rate and then keep watching the fare to see if it drops. You need to be quick because Early Saver will not be available for too much longer on September sailings.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Edit PVP is a Carnival booking agent.

[TravelingDiva1]

A few corrections and additions to heatherbelle's information.

 

 

The only rate that provides price protection is early saver, but it also has some rules and cancellation stipulations. More here: http://www.carnival.com/specials/early-saver-how-it-works.aspx

 

Once you book early saver, you remain early saver. For example, you notice along the way, your cabin category has a sale for past guests that is lower than you orginally booked. If you're a past guest, you qualify for this new rate/price. You are guaranteed the lowest price for your category. Price comparison is done by cabin category. Your cabin category must match with category you are claiming a price reduction. With early saver, you can claim any and all reductions and/or upgades until two days before sailing. Any reductions after final payment is received results in on board credit to use during your sailing. Early saver is great if you watch for promos/sales constantly(at least weekly). I have always booked using early saver and I've always received at least a reduction.

Also, booking a future cruise while on a cruise only gets you on board credit with Carnival. The amount of on board credit is determined by the length of your cruise.

 

Heatherbelle, again, once you booked initially with early saver, you stay an early saver. You might have cashed in on the F&F sale, but you're still an early saver. How did you lose on board credit?

[heatherbelle]

A few corrections and additions to heatherbelle's information.

 

 

The only rate that provides price protection is early saver, but it also has some rules and cancellation stipulations. More here: http://www.carnival.com/specials/early-saver-how-it-works.aspx

 

Once you book early saver, you remain early saver. For example, you notice along the way, your cabin category has a sale for past guests that is lower than you orginally booked. If you're a past guest, you qualify for this new rate/price. You are guaranteed the lowest price for your category. Price comparison is done by cabin category. Your cabin category must match with category you are claiming a price reduction. With early saver, you can claim any and all reductions and/or upgades until two days before sailing. Any reductions after final payment is received results in on board credit to use during your sailing. Early saver is great if you watch for promos/sales constantly(at least weekly). I have always booked using early saver and I've always received at least a reduction.

Also, booking a future cruise while on a cruise only gets you on board credit with Carnival. The amount of on board credit is determined by the length of your cruise.

 

Heatherbelle, again, once you booked initially with early saver, you stay an early saver. You might have cashed in on the F&F sale, but you're still an early saver. How did you lose on board credit?

 

 

I was booked at the Easy saver rate not Early. So the only way I could get a drop was to switch rates. I am now on friends and family rate, so if a cheaper price comes along before final payment I have to switch rates again. Because I switched rates that's why I lost the $150 OBC because it was an offer for booking easy saver rate.

[annarack]

Heatherbelle, I hope you don't mind me asking, have you managed to book directly with Carnival in the US although you are UK based, or do you use a US agent? Any tips would be much appreciated as I am currently having great difficulty with a Carnival UK booking, and would much prefer to make a US booking next time - if I can work out how to do it!

[Big_G]

I've been reading reviews and comments for years before we had taken any of our cruises. In January we did an interline resevation to sail the Breeze in July. While reading comments, I was reading many members suggesting to contact thier travel agent or the PVP about price drops. I took your advise, and let me tell you, on our room we saved about $710 and FIL and MIL saved about $500! All I have to say is THANK YOU CRUISE CRITIC!! Instead of just reading, we will be posting reviews and comments from now on!

 

Congratulations.

[michelle1836]

CC has definitely given me lots of useful information! Glad it helped

[TravelingDiva1]

I was booked at the Easy saver rate not Early. So the only way I could get a drop was to switch rates. I am now on friends and family rate, so if a cheaper price comes along before final payment I have to switch rates again. Because I switched rates that's why I lost the $150 OBC because it was an offer for booking easy saver rate.

 

Oh okay! I misunderstood. Thanks for clarifying! ;)

[mohavemommy]

I am not up on all the acro's like CC, FIL, PVP, etc. All I know of is E I E I O..., CC, RCC :)

 

 

This should help:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_reading_posting#faq_acronyms

[DISNEY1975]

Yahooooo Yippppeeeee Wahooooo :D:D

 

That is AWESOME! Congrats and enjoy your vacation!