Just got a letter in the mail for a free cabin.

[pattimelt]

IF it is a letter from CARNIVAL, you can check on the carnival website under the VIFP number of whoever the letter is addressed to.

 

I got that letter last August, and took a cruise in November-- yes, it was free except for port fees and taxes, and I even got a free upgrade to a BALCONY!!! Total cost for 2 people?? $102. Did I get a 1099 from Carnival? NOPE.

 

This is NOT one of those time share scams. This is coming direct from Carnival.. and yes, it's free except for port fees and taxes or upgrade fees, if you don't want an inside, along with whatever you spend on your S & S card, of course.

[picomullet]

It is possible to get the letter today if you haven't checked your p o box in a few days or week etc... So they probably picked up the mail today..

[picomullet]

It is possible to get the letter today if you haven't checked your p o box in a few days or week etc... So they probably picked up the mail today..

 

Hmmmm.. Guess I better go check ours tomorrow! I do check on line and nothing!! I'd be shocked to see one!:D

[ibcnusoon]

Since I just processed my return, I was in a tax frame of mind when the letter was received. I posed the question to CCL rep I spoke to when calling in to verify the letter's authenticity and her supervisor. They indicated there would be no miscellaneous 1099 form to follow. This is not to be confused with a sweepstakes and there is no need to report, let alone determine, the fair market value of whatever cruise is selected:)

 

Additionally, when purchasing trip insurance thru insuremytrip, it was indicated that as long as I'm paying 'something' it's not considered free. There was no need to indicate the 'rack' rate of the cruise in determining the total cost of the policy, only the fees I paid. Yes, they had the answer ready. Had said I was the third person to call that morning with same question.;)

 

Was nice to catch a break there too & still be able to purchase the same coverage we need.

 

Thanks for the insurance info, that was me that called last week asking about it. We paid nothing for our cabin, but paid $288 in taxes and fees. Insuremytrip didn't have an answer for me, but I'll call them tomorrow, sounds like they have the answer now.

 

OP, go book your cruise, there are no tax implications, you already paid tax. Besides, people from last year also received free cabins and I haven't heard one person mention receiving a 1099.

 

Enjoy your free cruises ! :D

[Tullic]

Three things to consider here:

 

They indicated there would be no miscellaneous 1099 form to follow. This is not to be confused with a sweepstakes and there is no need to report, let alone determine, the fair market value of whatever cruise is selected:)

 

1. Very good post. This is not a free cruise. this is a free cabin thus the above is accurate. (In fact, in my case it is a $50. pp cabin with a $50. pp refundable OBC.)

 

Additionally, when purchasing trip insurance thru insuremytrip, it was indicated that as long as I'm paying 'something' it's not considered free.

Was nice to catch a break there too & still be able to purchase the same coverage we need.

 

2. I've found the important thing to consider here is that you only need to insure your trip for the total trip (prepaid) cost, which means you only need to include the lower, discounted, free cabin price you prepay to Carnival in your total trip costs. This saved me substantially on my insurance.

 

3. I have seen several posts that indicate PVPs have told their clients that you are on the hook for the "book rate" of the cruise if you cancel or miss your ship. In fact, mine told me the same thing. In my case, I do not believe this is true. I believe the PVPs may have been given inaccurate information. I believe this for two reasons:

 

A) I read and re-read the fine print on the offer I received in the mail from Carnival and there was no such verbiage.

 

B) I am now in the 75% penalty period and when I check the "Is there a penalty for cancelling this booking?" link in my booking, the penalty is the total I prepaid ($240.) not 75% of some phantom "Book Rate."

 

Now this may not be the same for all of these "Free Cabin" offers. Mine was from Carnival Players Club, so do check the fine print on your offer.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Tullic

[sailinglisa]

Why question the honesty of the OP? I know I get mail daily, but I DON'T PICK IT UP DAILY! Maybe they got the letter Friday or Saturday or sometime last week and didn't pick up their mail until today. I do it all the time.

 

Congrats OP!!! Wish I would get that letter!

[cruizinisthebest]

No catch but there will probably be tax implications for the full cost of what you would have paid for the cruise. Something to think about.

 

Why should there by any tax implications beyond the taxes you have to pay upfront? And exactly how would they assign them without knowing your ss# and issuing a W-9.:rolleyes:

 

I'm assuming you didn't technically get your letter today OP since no mail ran today. Enjoy your cruise! Carnival must be forfeiting a small fortune of cabin fare income with all of these free cruises. Never seen anything quite like this.:)

[STEPHIE]

I was called by aPVP who said I was her client. She offered me a cruise, which I only had to pay the taxes. I thought it was too good to be true, so she had me call the Carnival number and ask for her. So I did! She then offered me a interior for 190. , an ocean view for 260. or an balcony for 320. All for a week cruise. you had a choice of several cruises and times and rooms. Then a couple days later I got the letter also. Then only thing

I do know is you had to be a past customer and a VIFP CLUB MEMBER.:

[keishashadow]

Three things to consider here:

 

 

 

1. Very good post. This is not a free cruise. this is a free cabin thus the above is accurate. (In fact, in my case it is a $50. pp cabin with a $50. pp refundable OBC.)

 

 

 

2. I've found the important thing to consider here is that you only need to insure your trip for the total trip (prepaid) cost, which means you only need to include the lower, discounted, free cabin price you prepay to Carnival in your total trip costs. This saved me substantially on my insurance.

 

3. I have seen several posts that indicate PVPs have told their clients that you are on the hook for the "book rate" of the cruise if you cancel or miss your ship. In fact, mine told me the same thing. In my case, I do not believe this is true. I believe the PVPs may have been given inaccurate information. I believe this for two reasons:

 

A) I read and re-read the fine print on the offer I received in the mail from Carnival and there was no such verbiage.

 

B) I am now in the 75% penalty period and when I check the "Is there a penalty for cancelling this booking?" link in my booking, the penalty is the total I prepaid ($240.) not 75% of some phantom "Book Rate."

 

Now this may not be the same for all of these "Free Cabin" offers. Mine was from Carnival Players Club, so do check the fine print on your offer.

 

1st time I've been complemented on a post here;)thanks lol

 

that is interesting re the info within the 75 day penalty period. I added FTTF this weekend & for giggles checked my link on res for "is there a penalty for cancelling this booking" and it said $0. Was rather surprised, thought we'd be locked in as with ES rate.

[BonnieH]

Looks like I'm cruising again in 46 days....

 

MY BF got one in the mail sometime last week while I was on the Dream. He threw it out. Luckily it was at the top of the recycle bin. Booked an 8 day exotic eastern on the Freedom out of Ft. Lauderdale today for the both of us. Cruise cost for a balcony was $160...add on taxes/port fees and pre-paid gratuities and it comes to a whopping $564. Since I'm platinum (and he's not), we even ended up with priority boarding. No need for FTTF!!!

[Midwestgal]

We got one today also. When we called we were told that we would have to sit thru a 90 minute presentation. It's basically another timeshare sales tactic.

 

WRONG! You do not have to sit through anything ...its not a timeshare thing at all. You pay port charges and taxes on the cruise you take and for a small fee you can upgrade your cabin.

 

Why give an answer to something you know nothing about!:rolleyes:

[Midwestgal]

How can it be "free" if you have to fork out money to pay port fees and tips and it's for an inside cabin? I get better offers from hotels in Vegas and Reno and I don't even have to gamble. And yes I received an offer for the so called "free cabin."

I booked Breeze extended aft for $323.00 total and that's for two of us so I would say its a dam good deal. If I booked it regularly it would be almost $1,800 for two.

It's a free cabin not free cruise and anyone who finds fault with the offer need their head examined.

[cruizinisthebest]

WRONG! You do not have to sit through anything ...its not a timeshare thing at all. You pay port charges and taxes on the cruise you take and for a small fee you can upgrade your cabin.

 

Why give an answer to something you know nothing about!:rolleyes:

 

There have been a slew of mailings from some company offering free carnival cruises as part of a timeshare deal. I got one. So did my sister and hubby. We tossed them. Clearly not the same thing but maybe the poster confused the two. Both seem to be happening around the same time frame.

 

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[Midwestgal]

There have been a slew of mailings from some company offering free carnival cruises as part of a timeshare deal. I got one. So did my sister and hubby. We tossed them. Clearly not the same thing but maybe the poster confused the two. Both seem to be happening around the same time frame.

 

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Ok I'm reading this now..my apology to the poster I replayed to.

[sailingawaysoon]

No mail today or yesterday... I call pot stirrer....

 

 

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Due to the bad weather last week, and mail not running for several days, Georgia had opened 22 post offices and some areas in GA did receive mail on Monday.

[karinad]

Is this letter only being sent if you played in their casino?

 

I think I'd grab it in a minute! All this snow is making me want to get out of the country!:eek:

[AJI2596]

My husband and I both got the letters:)

[Tullic]

Is this letter only being sent if you played in their casino?

 

I think I'd grab it in a minute! All this snow is making me want to get out of the country!:eek:

 

It seems, from what I've been able to garner reading multiple threads, the early free cabin awards (Aug. through Dec. 2013) were Players Club offers. Then the offers went off the rails. In 2014 the offers seem to have no rhyme or reason except they are made to previous Carnival cruisers in the Red / Gold range. This has caused considerable consternation from some higher level VIFP Club members but the free cabin offers seem to keep coming so who knows when or where they will end.

[Luvtoeat]

We rec'd a legit letter from Carnival last year and had a great cruise. Just rec'd the offer that looks like Carnival but in the small print requires a 90 minute timeshare presentation. Has anyone actually responded to the offer and how did it work out.

[AJI2596]

We rec'd a legit letter from Carnival last year and had a great cruise. Just rec'd the offer that looks like Carnival but in the small print requires a 90 minute timeshare presentation. Has anyone actually responded to the offer and how did it work out.

 

 

That isn't legit. Mine says nothing about Timeshares. I

 

 

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[karinad]

It seems, from what I've been able to garner reading multiple threads, the early free cabin awards (Aug. through Dec. 2013) were Players Club offers. Then the offers went off the rails. In 2014 the offers seem to have no rhyme or reason except they are made to previous Carnival cruisers in the Red / Gold range. This has caused considerable consternation from some higher level VIFP Club members but the free cabin offers seem to keep coming so who knows when or where they will end.

Thanks! If it was casino related I wouldn't have a chance! We only walk thru them to go somewhere else!

 

I guess we could keep our fingers crossed and hope for a letter!:)