ES - Am I the only one who doesn't see the value?

[lazyart]

I see the threads with people excited because prices dropped and they are getting OBC for the difference. And I'm happy for all of you.

 

But I booked an OV guarantee sixty days out. Prices dropped so I moved to a balcony guarantee. With the next drop I selected my own room. When prices dropped yet again I called in, but instead of getting OBC I got a refund to my credit card. And with only a couple cabins left available in my category and 26 days to cruise, I'm thinking I've found the lowest price I'm gonna find. And I didn't commit six months, a year (or more) in advance, nor is my cash tied up in Carnival's hands (and let's face it... the more OBC you have, the more you're likely going to use up).

 

So I ask myself... what did I miss out on by not going Early Saver?

 

BTW I live in Florida and might have an advantage with more frequent (and more enticing) sales offers.

 

(Maybe this is just a perfect storm of pricing and timing. Wifey's birthday lands during hurricane season.)

[Mr305]

Booking early gives you the flexibility of picking that one room you've had in mind. In your case, it's a gamble which might or might not pay off. I always do Early Saver with 50% deposit, the only money I have tied up is the deposit. I still wait until the very end to pay off the cruise.

[Lovefuninthesun]

It is highly subjective -- what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another

 

I agree that booking at the last minute does give you a great price.

But -- I have to book well-ahead in order to have time to pay it off.

 

So ES works great for me: I book almost a year out at a rate I am comfortable with; I get my choice of cabins, so I can choose one of the types that tend to sell out fast; and I am able to take advantage of price adjustments all the way up until 2 days before sail date.

 

To each his own! ;)

[theriac]

I'm with the OP on this one, to me ES isn't worth it. Especially since I like to look at multiple vacation options almost up to a month or two before I go. I just changed my mind a week ago to cruise the Freedom instead of Glory and with ES I would have had to give them money. I get why it's worth it to some people but to me living in Florida like the OP we get really cheap deals all of the time, and my cabin location isn't that important to me(as long as its not an Upper/Lower room) which is why I never book GI

[aenglish1609]

I agree with you OP. We just booked our cruise about 30 days out, and we got it for less 95 dollars a day total( for 2 people, including tax, port charges, etc.)

Yes it is more of a gamble, but to me it pays more to have a great price, and not have a few hundred in OBC that I may or may not use...

Edited September 8, 2014 by aenglish1609

[nunuc2000]

You did NOT book ES, and with less than 60 days to go, you were able to receive a refund to your credit card for a price drop? AFTER final payment date? WOW!! I had no idea Carnival would allow that... what's the point of ES at all then??

[mum2bradley]

I do it because we fly on points and I have to book that early so I do it all at the same time. I also like a certain location on the Lido.

[theriac]

I agree that booking at the last minute does give you a great price.

But -- I have to book well-ahead in order to have time to pay it off.

 

I don't really get that, what's the difference of paying the money to carnival then just saving it in your bank account? Everytime you feel comfortable to make a payment put that money aside somewhere? If something comes up that money you put to your cruise could have been used towards whatever. It may have been the way I was raised but I was taught if you can't afford it then don't buy it. The only exception to that was for a house or dire circumstance.

 

I'm not trying to debate on this just pointing out that the money is better off in your hands then in carnivals. A lot of people say they book early so they have time to pay it off, but really if money is just put away for a vacation then it doesn't really matter when it's booked.

[Lovefuninthesun]

I don't really get that, what's the difference of paying the money to carnival then just saving it in your bank account? Everytime you feel comfortable to make a payment put that money aside somewhere? If something comes up that money you put to your cruise could have been used towards whatever. It may have been the way I was raised but I was taught if you can't afford it then don't buy it. The only exception to that was for a house or dire circumstance.

 

I'm not trying to debate on this just pointing out that the money is better off in your hands then in carnivals. A lot of people say they book early so they have time to pay it off, but really if money is just put away for a vacation then it doesn't really matter when it's booked.

 

I guess I wasn't asking for you to manage my finances -- you really know nothing about me or my situation.:cool:

I was merely explaining why some people do ES. Period.

[cruizinisthebest]

It's a personal choice. Some people prefer to book well in advance. That would be me.

 

You can book early using any rate you choose. Doesn't have to be ES. Do what is best for you. I enjoy checking for price drops and getting them when I find 'em. But you can do that with most any rate up to final payment. I make sure to be comfortable with the price to begin with. So adjustments are simply part of the fun of advanced planning.

[bury me at sea]

I agree that es isn't for everyone with the restrictions it entails. In your circumstances you are getting really good prices.

 

When we book it always involves 2 families and sometimes 3 so we have to plan pretty far in advance to coordimate time off and other obligations. For us ES makes sense.

 

I am glad Carnival has different rates to accommodate all kinds of situations.

[getupgo]

I'm repeating myself but it didn't work for me. I booked early saver and haven't been able to get anything because its for new bookings. I won't do it again. The cabin next door to mine is open and we sail 9/16. I've missed several obc's. Lesson learned.

[lazyart]

Oh and the other thing... with the latest round of sales it fine print says "New Bookings Only". And I'm reading that people calling in for ES price reduction are being told they don't qualify because of that bit of fine print. That's a pretty sucky loophole.

 

Yes, I totally get it if you have a room you particularly want, grab it. But I'd rather have the money in my hands in case of an emergency and/or the flexibility to say "Nevermind, we're flying to insert_location_here instead."

[getupgo]

I would have canceled if I hadn't been ES because NCL is practically giving cruises away for 11/16. out of MIA. 7 days for what I'm paying for 4 days out of PC. Even my hubby who staunchly refuses to drive to Miami wouldn't pass these up.

[mommiemudd]

Due to school schedule, we basically cruise the same week in October. We typically book Early Saver cause we know we are going to cruise that week. And we typically have several families, so lots of planning is required. We book during the 50% off deposit promo and don't pay till full balance is due. We just saved enough with price drops to go from an inside to a balcony. And after we did that the price dropped again and we now have $140 OBC. I always buy trip insurance (not Carnivals) that covers cancel for any reason. Totally worked for us this cruise. I've submitted about 5 price drop forms online and they have all been approved-except for one that I filled out wrong, and I resubmitted and it was approved.

[Tapi]

I like booking my cruises FAR in advance, but I don't like locking myself in with a deposit that is non-refundable, even if it saves me a few bucks. I've learned that there are many variables in life that can alter what I'll be doing a year from now.

 

I normally book the CHEAPEST category that I'm comfortable with (usually a standard ocean view stateroom). As we get closer to final payment, I keep monitoring for sales and price drops, and apply accordingly. Inside final payment, I monitor for further price drops and if I see one, I upgrade to a better category. So far, this system has worked for me and I have always walked away feeling that I got the best price possible for the stateroom that I end up sailing on. :)

 

Another reason why I don't like ES is because several times, I've booked a cruise, only to switch to a completely different ship and cruise line if I find a more appealing sailing further down the road. If I locked myself with ES, I would be limiting my options.

[NCTribeFan]

I rarely book ES because I don't like the restrictions.

 

And what many people don't seem to understand is that you get price drops up until final payment under any rate for which you qualify. After final payment, I just stop looking. If someone on the Roll Call mentions they've upgraded, I'll look at that, but as someone who often sails solo, I'm usually not interested in upgrading myself. I'm perfectly happy in a 1A sailing as cheaply as possible to get where I want to go.

 

I tend to book as soon as I see an itinerary that I want (like the repositioning cruises and Bermuda). The 1-time sailings often only increase in price, so why would I want the restrictions when I'm getting no benefit from the fare code?

 

I only wish I had even more time off and lived closer to a port so I could book more last-minute. But I can't, so I book under whatever fare code works for me.

[LibratPDX]

I book ES because I usually book 6-18 months in advance, since the cabins I like are in limited supply (sometimes only two per ship).

 

You are definitely lucky to live in Florida!

 

To each their own!

[WindsorFred]

I agree that es isn't for everyone with the restrictions it entails. In your circumstances you are getting really good prices.

 

When we book it always involves 2 families and sometimes 3 so we have to plan pretty far in advance to coordimate time off and other obligations. For us ES makes sense.

 

I am glad Carnival has different rates to accommodate all kinds of situations.

Same for us. Multiple cabins and schedules plus we like to pick where our cabins are located.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

ES not worth it anymore. They make up catagories so they don't have to give you discounts. ie...we pick your cabin

[cruzinlisa]

I guess you have better luck than I or maybe it's because you are a Florida resident or the cruises you booked. I booked a casino rate this time not E.S. It wasn't a free cruise just discount. I could have booked es and price matched to casino rate but it was a hassle. The price has not gone down and we are slightly over 30 days. I always monitor prices but have yet to find (on my cruises) a pack n go or other special rate lower than what I booked. And believe me - I check often.

 

 

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[Ehpride]

I have to fly so last minute cruises don't work for me. Plus, I'm particular about my cabin and like to save. I think it's different if you're close to a port. Unless we get a ship down the Mississippi, that's not happening for me.

 

 

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[ANONOMUS_1]

ES not worth it anymore. They make up catagories so they don't have to give you discounts. ie...we pick your cabin

 

I totally agree!

[seeing this world]

we have to book our vacations a year ahead,, and we have to fly in but not from a big main hub. We booked this cruise we are going - 3 rooms - side by side rooms. One is flying in from Australia so we need to really plan. Even booking out over a year ago we could not get early saver.. It was only offered for 3 days and we missed it. Our rooms have gone from $899 each down to $478 each. Still getting price reductions but yes had i caught the early saver i would of taken it. We are locked in to our vacations, for us a) i like that i can pay for it monthly b) for us it is great budgetting as we book at least one other trip and usually we go a month after a cruise. Two nice size expenses so we do what we have to do. it works for us.. But i am enjoying the price drops right now.. For a while when we got refunds on our credit card we were get a little bit extra back as at that time the CDN $ was worth more than the US $. Canadian $ got stronger than what we paid. It worked for us

[CruisinTormos]

It's a personal choice. Some people prefer to book well in advance. That would be me.

 

You can book early using any rate you choose. Doesn't have to be ES. Do what is best for you. I enjoy checking for price drops and getting them when I find 'em. But you can do that with most any rate up to final payment. I make sure to be comfortable with the price to begin with. So adjustments are simply part of the fun of advanced planning.

 

I 100% agree with this post. To each their own, and I happen to get absolutely GIDDY finding price drops after I've paid a price I'm happy with getting for my cruise. Getting on the boat with a prepaid $700-$1,000 in OBC means I'm still paying the same price I was comfortable paying for my vacation, and I can spend whatever I feel is necessary and not get off the boat owing anything. I've received a check back from carnival for the remaining OBC in 3 of my last 4 cruises. That is what I call *WINNING*!

 

Again, my way, my opinion, what works for me personally.

Edited September 8, 2014 by CruisinTormos