When and how do you book your cruises on carnival? How to get the cheapest rats...

[luv2sleep]

I am new to booking on Carnival. For our first cruise I just hooked when I was ready to go. Now I want to plan my bookings strategically. What's the best strategy when booking on carnival to get the cheapest rate and still get the cabin and location you want? What do you do?

 

 

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[luv2sleep]

Rates not rats! Haha.

 

 

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[MV Wiggle]

It is hard to find decent rats these days on Carnival. Many of them choose to stay in New York City for the better trash and benefits.

Edited July 25, 2014 by RD3P0

[vlynn]

I have found with Carnival if you book as soon as the cruise is available (this can be like 14 - 16 months ahead; I am a planner) :) you get the best rate and best choice of rooms. Plus depending how you book you have price guarantee so if the price goes down you call and they give you the lower price. This has only happened once for me and that was because of a resident rate special they ran.

 

For my March cruise I booked before it was even available (this was in January) online and within a few weeks the price nearly doubled and hasn't come back down since!

[luv2sleep]

I have found with Carnival if you book as soon as the cruise is available (this can be like 14 - 16 months ahead; I am a planner) :) you get the best rate and best choice of rooms. Plus depending how you book you have price guarantee so if the price goes down you call and they give you the lower price. This has only happened once for me and that was because of a resident rate special they ran.

 

For my March cruise I booked before it was even available (this was in January) online and within a few weeks the price nearly doubled and hasn't come back down since!

 

 

So what about all oh the price drops and discounted rates that come later? Are ppl who book then actually paying more than people who book 14-16 months out?

 

 

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[vlynn]

So what about all oh the price drops and discounted rates that come later? Are ppl who book then actually paying more than people who book 14-16 months out?

 

 

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All I can tell you is my experience and other than the one drop for resident special, the prices of the cruises I booked have not gone lower then when I booked them in the beginning. They usually rise and then come down but not as low as the very first price posted. That has been my experience of the 5 Carnival cruises I have booked and the many more I have price watched to see if this was a good assumption. I am sure there are exceptions and you will hear about them from other people. This is just what I have seen.

 

Plus as I said, depending how you book, if a price drop happens you can get it, so this says to me if you book right away with a rate that give you price protection and keep an eye on prices you are guaranteed to get the best rate possible for that sailing. :D

 

This is just how I look at things!

[beachbum53]

"Rats on a Ship". Sequel to "Snakes on a Plane.":D

 

We typically book our cruises about a year ahead of time, using Early Saver. That way, we're able to get the cabin we want, and we watch for price drops along the way. If you choose to use Early Saver, make sure you understand the restrictions for that category. Here's the link that explains how Early Saver works:

http://www.carnival.com/specials/early-saver-how-it-works.aspx

 

And this link will take you to Carnival's page that lists all of the categories, with full explanations of each:

http://www.carnival.com/legal/specials-terms-conditions.aspx

[Lovefuninthesun]

My strategy is checking frequently -- I usually start looking for next year's cruise as soon as we come home from one.

 

I book as soon as I think there is a decent deal -- not necessarily the best deal ever, but a price I could live with. I always book Early Saver so I can take the most advantage of price reductions (ES is the only rate where you can get the fare reductions up to 2 days before sailing.)

 

Then I compare the rates frequently, and pounce on any price drop for our category. By the time the cruise rolls around, I have usually saved a bundle, reducing my cruise rate to a truly great deal! :)

[snc_cam]

I too book when we determine we want to go on a cruise. I have found that in most cases, the earlier you book the better. I think vlynn and I are on the same cruise in March. The rate I paid for that cruise in Jan 2014 is 60% lower than now and I doubt it will drop to what I paid. If you book ES, then you will get any price drop "below" what you paid. Realize that you need to factor in taxes/fees into the new price. Some people think just because the rate falls below the rate they paid, they are due a price drop. I have seen the taxes/fees go up, which has happened on one of my bookings. So, though the rate is coming down near what I paid, the taxes/fees are significantly higher.

 

Now with ES, you will pay a $50/person fee to change cruises which I just had to do. Other than that, I think the ES is the way to go. And if you can plan far enough ahead, then book it as early as possible.

[snc_cam]

My strategy is checking frequently -- I usually start looking for next year's cruise as soon as we come home from one.

 

I book as soon as I think there is a decent deal -- not necessarily the best deal ever, but a price I could live with. I always book Early Saver so I can take the most advantage of price reductions (ES is the only rate where you can get the fare reductions up to 2 days before sailing.)

 

Then I compare the rates frequently, and pounce on any price drop for our category. By the time the cruise rolls around, I have usually saved a bundle, reducing my cruise rate to a truly great deal! :)

 

Love, actually, if you plan your "next" cruise "before" you get on the ship, you can do even better. For if you book onboard, you will get an OBC for the next cruise. And if you have to change later, the OBC "will" carry to the new booking.

[luv2sleep]

Thank you! I tend to book cruises when they come out. I'll do the same on Carnival.

 

 

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[Gon2hwe]

Early Saver is the way to go if you are locked in to travel dates. Typical are summer. spring break. or holiday travel. Otherwise for us (retired) we book the lowest rates possible for any number of dates usually right before final payments. One date may be hundreds less than the week before or after. After final payment we won't get OBC but we may be able to upgrade for very little money. Therefore we book the lowest grade cabin in the category we want and upgrade from there when prices drop. Also if you belong to any memberships that sell travel. quite often their prices are usually rock bottom but only on specific cruises.

[babyher]

Hell in a couple of months , just smoke a cigarette on your balcony and the rats will find you.

[luv2sleep]

When booming with the early saver fare, since you can't downgrade either it, do most people book less expensive categories at first and then upgrade later? When you upgrade early, are you paying the early saver rate or the current rate?

 

 

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[snc_cam]

I am sure some people do that. But when I book, I am looking for a specific cabin location or deck. For example, on the Conquest-class ships, I look to book deck 7 since there are cabins above and below to reduce the noise. It goes back to the original question about getting the specific location. Otherwise, I would book a 4A and hope to get an upgrade.

 

But if I used that logic on my March 2015 cruise, I would have been "stuck" with a cabin I probably didn't want.

 

Bottom line. Find a price you can accept (in case it doesn't go down) and book the cabin you want. If you get ES, you can then potentially upgrade or get a price reduction/OBC

[winddawn]

Rates not rats! Haha.

 

 

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ROFL!! That's how rumors get started. :-)

[sjcruiser]

We book 6-8 months out, but have booked within 30 days when not traveling with extended family or friends. We usually book the military (usually with some amount of onboard credits) or past guest rate. This year we booked 7 months out, using early saver for the first time, and it has worked to our advantage with going from an inside room to a balcony. We constantly monitor the fares, along with checking cruise critic daily for new sales, promos or price drops.

Edited July 25, 2014 by sjcruiser

[winddawn]

I have found with Carnival if you book as soon as the cruise is available (this can be like 14 - 16 months ahead; I am a planner) :) you get the best rate and best choice of rooms. Plus depending how you book you have price guarantee so if the price goes down you call and they give you the lower price. This has only happened once for me and that was because of a resident rate special they ran.

 

For my March cruise I booked before it was even available (this was in January) online and within a few weeks the price nearly doubled and hasn't come back down since!

I kindly disagree. Best rates are more likely to come close to sail date as cabin guarantees. Many times price drops are offered as guarantees, and you cannot get these price drops because Carnival will not price match to cabin guarantee rates.

[092306]

We are form with travel dates so we book early saver 15 months to a year out. Like getting the cabin we want too. Past cruises we've benefited from price drops, but this upcoming cruise prices have doubled so we are glad we booked so far in advance.

[snc_cam]

I kindly disagree. Best rates are more likely to come close to sail date as cabin guarantees. Many times price drops are offered as guarantees, and you cannot get these price drops because Carnival will not price match to cabin guarantee rates.

 

But you are not selecting a cabin with a "guarantee" rate. So, if you are ok with that, then the guarantee rate is probably best. For me, I like to choose where my cabin is. And if I can get in early enough, I can get a 4K which are perfect "interior" cabins.

[SadieN]

Some random thoughts---

We sail almost exclusively out of Long Beach/San Pedro.

 

Sailing at non peak times can be a savings.

 

Each itin has its own special sweet spot. The California itins rarely ever get the low priced fares as those sailing out of Florida. Due to increased port fees on the MR and California's requirement for cleaner fuel. We also look at the total price. Even though the fares out of SoCal are more expensive we are not paying for travel or hotels and meals.

 

But we have been able to snag great fares on the Inspiration by booking about 4 weeks ahead. Need to be very flexible. Last year we did a Spring Break cruise. Double occ cabins Pack N GO rates were a real bargain (the pick-your-cabin option was $40 more per pax, still a decent price), around the same prices as Winter non-holiday cruises. The quads were outrageously priced. Some cruises only go up. Our Hawaii cruise has only gone up and the ship has only had one or two random cabins available for a while. Rarely do we see price decreases. Have seen a few on the shorter cruises, but not enough to entice us with ES.

 

We consider a a good fare to be around $100pp/pd all in including grats for the longer cruises and $125/pp/pd for the shorter ones. We try to book OV and IS with windows.

 

Recently there have been an increase in the port charges. The port charges on the four day cruises has almost doubled in the past year or so. Comparing these to Princess in San Pedro, Carnival's is just a few dollars more.

Edited July 25, 2014 by SadieN

[beachbum53]

I kindly disagree. Best rates are more likely to come close to sail date as cabin guarantees. Many times price drops are offered as guarantees, and you cannot get these price drops because Carnival will not price match to cabin guarantee rates.

 

Yes, sometimes you can get some last minute good deals, as long as you're not too particular about the cabin you get and where it's located.

[beauty1492]

I believe the rats were in a pack in the lounge.....couldn't resist

 

Best rates we have found book early ES and watch & watch and if the rate never goes down you got the best deal or pack and go.

[Stallion]

Every Carnival ship is sailing at ridiculously low rates right now through October in the Caribbean especially with a Guarantee.

[watermelonqueen99]

We went to the future cruise seminar while on the Magic in April. The guy said the question he gets asked the most is how to get the room you want at the lowest possible rate. He said he can't stress enough to book early, and book early saver.