Is Early Saver the best rate to book?

[KPfromCT]

If we have the opportunity to book Early Saver, is it the BEST way to go? I get confused reading about all of the different rates. I know as far as price drops, it's the only rate that allows it, after final payment. What about if changes need to be made, or someone cancels? Is this the most restrictive, or the most generous? Thank you in advance:o

[funinthesun1964]

Well, that rate always worked for us because we were sure we had to go that particular week (hubby has to have vacay approved far in advance). The rate is not good if you think that you will need to change weeks, because there is a $50 pp charge to do so. Also, nonrefundable as far as getting money back - just can switch weeks, with the fee.

 

Yes, you would get price drops after final payment in the form of OBC.

The bad thing is, I don't think Early Saver is available any longer. At least I haven't seen that rate as an option in the last few months :confused:

[KPfromCT]

Thanks FunInTheSun1964!!! We are looking at the Breeze in April, and it is still available. When we cruised this past April, we booked the More The Merrier Rate, only because we booked within 3 months of cruise. Well, of course, there were price drops, and we couldn't get them. DH was NOT happy. lol I think I read that Early Saver is only available if you book 6 months or more, out. Again, thank you for the information.:D

[Sparky2]

Well, that rate always worked for us because we were sure we had to go that particular week (hubby has to have vacay approved far in advance). The rate is not good if you think that you will need to change weeks, because there is a $50 pp charge to do so. Also, nonrefundable as far as getting money back - just can switch weeks, with the fee.

 

Yes, you would get price drops after final payment in the form of OBC.

The bad thing is, I don't think Early Saver is available any longer. At least I haven't seen that rate as an option in the last few months :confused:

 

Just checked for Early Saver in January 2015 & it is available.

 

We love booking Early Saver & being able to receive price drops for Military, Senior, & other rates that are lower. However, we know the restrictions but would only change date if it was a medical emergency.

[KPfromCT]

Just checked for Early Saver in January 2015 & it is available.

 

We love booking Early Saver & being able to receive price drops for Military, Senior, & other rates that are lower. However, we know the restrictions but would only change date if it was a medical emergency.

 

Thanks Sparky2!! But if you HAD to change the date, how much do you pay? Is it just $50pp and then you can apply the full cost to a future cruise? I thought the other fares were MORE restrictive. This doesn't seem bad. Thank you again!:D

[Sparky2]

Thanks Sparky2!! But if you HAD to change the date, how much do you pay? Is it just $50pp and then you can apply the full cost to a future cruise? I thought the other fares were MORE restrictive. This doesn't seem bad. Thank you again!:D

 

I'm not really sure if you just pay $50 pp and then your initial deposit gets held in escrow till you re-book and then is applied to the "balance owed" - not the deposit on your new booking.

 

I'm not sure if it's different if you immediately re-book or not. Fortunately, I've never had to do it.

[Chief93]

Yes! ES is the only way to go. I've done ES on 9 cruises and always had at least $70 OBC and once had over $400. I've paid the $50 per person change fee twice, and both times my price drop OBC for the new cruise ended up paying for the fee to switch.

[KPfromCT]

Thanks Chief93!!!! I really would prefer to do Early Saver, as when we cruised on the Breeze in April, we missed out in over $400 in price drops:eek::eek:

Needless to say, DH, who is a CPA, was NOT happy. LOL

[ourfamilylovescruising]

if you have change the dates you have to pay the new deposit and the other deposit will be applied after the 50.pp has been taken out. and then if you don't know the new date they will hold the deposit for when you can go and I think you have 15 months to use it.

[funinthesun1964]

I've been looking at cruises for the future, and there is no early saver rate on those cruises. Wonder why on the one I'm looking to book in the future have no early saver rate? One is a year away..:confused:

[KPfromCT]

I've been looking at cruises for the future, and there is no early saver rate on those cruises. Wonder why on the one I'm looking to book in the future have no early saver rate? One is a year away..:confused:

I don't know. That is weird!!!!:confused::confused: Again, we are looking at the Breeze in April, and it was there. I hope they don't do away with it. The thought of price drops is a wonderful thing!!!!!!!!!

[Greysea74]

When I was thinking of changing my dates for my December cruise, I was told the whole amount you have paid is applied to the new dates, they just add the $50pp fee to the amount to the balance that is owed.

[funinthesun1964]

I don't know. That is weird!!!!:confused::confused: Again, we are looking at the Breeze in April, and it was there. I hope they don't do away with it. The thought of price drops is a wonderful thing!!!!!!!!!

 

 

yes, on our upcoming cruise, we have had a total of seven price drops since we booked! Six of those were before final payment date, so we would have had those anyway, but one was after final date - so we got another $30 OBC. Plus, we had $100 OBC for booking on a previous cruise - so we have $130 OBC, plus a darn good rate on a seven day cruise! We paid $359 for a category 4k, which I think is a great deal! :)

[rdreid]

when booking early saver, just book one person, then add th second person at final payment, then if you need to change it only cost $50 just my 2 cents :)

[stargate fan]

If we have the opportunity to book Early Saver, is it the BEST way to go? I get confused reading about all of the different rates. I know as far as price drops, it's the only rate that allows it, after final payment. What about if changes need to be made, or someone cancels? Is this the most restrictive, or the most generous? Thank you in advance:o

 

We book Past Guest rates always, except for one time when ES was new and we didn't know any better. (I've since learned all about it.) I like knowing that I can make a change like cancelling, with no penalty, up to final payment. I don't know if it's because we book Lido Deck balcony cabins, but on none of our cruises has our cabin category every gone down in price after final payment. In fact, we've never seen any available cabins in our category after final payment so ES would not benefit us anyway.

[theeddie]

casino rate is the best rate, and has price reduction