Grrr! Price drops after booking

[sunshine5]

I booked a cruise Sun for Thanksgiving week in an interior on lido. On Tues it dropped $100. Wed. it dropped again and now I could have booked a balcony on 6 for $300 less and $100 OBC or 2 insides instead of the one for the same $300 less and OBC. :mad:The reason I checked again is I turned in one of the price guarantee forms (although I don't think we'll qualify) and wanted to see if it was still the cheaper rate. The cruise wasn't planned and kind of a last minute decision, guess I should of waited longer. Des anyone have any experience with this? Can I call and get any kind of credit or change categories?

[hftmrock]

it never hurts to call and see what they can do but the simple answer is that they wont give you the credit or change categories. There have been some very rare cases where they made an exception so it wont hurt you to call but the chances of them giving you credit or upgrading you are rare

[Cajunmom1223]

Yes! Call they will do what they can to help

[RuthlessBoss]

How can you book a balcony $300 less than an inside?

[maggieworkman]

They won't give you a price drop or OBC, but call and ask to be upgraded.

 

Maggie

[RuthlessBoss]

They won't give you a price drop or OBC, but call and ask to be upgraded.

 

Maggie

 

I once had a drop after paid in full, but got upgraded from a PT to OV. Still wasn't a great deal in my case because my drop involved a solo supplement, which I couldn't drop, but got a better cabin.

[maggieworkman]

Well, your price drop after final payment was an exception to the rule. Under normal circumstances they don't give price drops or OBC after final payment unless you were booked Early Saver.

 

Maggie

[RuthlessBoss]

Well, your price drop after final payment was an exception to the rule. Under normal circumstances they don't give price drops or OBC after final payment unless you were booked Early Saver.

 

Maggie

 

I'd better clarify. The Single supplement was to be dropped in a new sale. I didn't get the actual drop, still paid double. The gal initially said okay to drop the supplement, then saw the cruise paid, and apologized at her error. Maybe she upgraded me as an apology.

[Canadian_J]

It's worth the call, but these are the risks you run. You know the pricing is dynamic and can change daily. When you book a non Early Saver rate, you have to accept that the rate you booked is the rate you get. It's all a big gamble.

[CRUZBUDS]

I make a point of not looking at prices after final payment :)

[Terre]

Oh my gosh...you must call them. We ended up with a $750 OBC one time...that was before they had a limit of two times; I think we called them about four times over price drops. But call them!!!

[hftmrock]

Oh my gosh...you must call them. We ended up with a $750 OBC one time...that was before they had a limit of two times; I think we called them about four times over price drops. But call them!!!

 

 

limit of two times? I believe you can get price drops if you are entitled to them as many times as you want. there is no limit of times as far as I know

[RuthlessBoss]

Oh my gosh...you must call them. We ended up with a $750 OBC one time...that was before they had a limit of two times; I think we called them about four times over price drops. But call them!!!

 

If you were ES, yes. OP couldn't have been ES as she just booked for Thanksgiving. Not enough time. Likely is already paid in full.

[5PUPS]

I booked a cruise Sun for Thanksgiving week in an interior on lido. On Tues it dropped $100. Wed. it dropped again and now I could have booked a balcony on 6 for $300 less and $100 OBC or 2 insides instead of the one for the same $300 less and OBC. :mad:The reason I checked again is I turned in one of the price guarantee forms (although I don't think we'll qualify) and wanted to see if it was still the cheaper rate. The cruise wasn't planned and kind of a last minute decision, guess I should of waited longer. Des anyone have any experience with this? Can I call and get any kind of credit or change categories?

Good Luck & please let us know the outcome.

Which cruise is it? I have been watching one over Thanksgiving, and it hasn't come down in price.

[jakesnana]

It has been Carnival's policy, in my experience, that if pricing drops after final payment they will upgrade you to the category of cabin that matches what you paid IF YOU ARE A PAST GUEST. Anytime I call to get the upgrade, the agent always mentions that it is being done BECAUSE I am a past guest.

 

I have not seen Carnival refund money or provide OBC for price reductions after final payment (with the exception of ES) for quite a few years now.

[theriac]

I booked my cruise for the week after thanksgiving about 3 days after final payment in a BG, 5 days later the price dropped 20 per person and I called up and complained about how any other business honors the new price and they gave me 40 obc. I know this is the exception but it can be done. A week after that they emailed me to upgrade my room for $40 total and I got to pick my extended balcony on deck 7 so it was well worth it to me. It's always worth the call, even if they give you half in OBC then what the price drop would be you were still comfortable with what you paid and should be happy.

[goduckies05]

Do other travel businesses offer price match? No.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

[theriac]

Do other travel businesses offer price match? No.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

 

I didn't mean mathcing a price like walmart to bestbuy, my reasoning to the PVP who did it was I bought a new dishwasher for $450 at Lowes and that upcoming sunday they had the dishwasher for $300 and I went in showed them the reciept and they gave me the difference. The PVP got it and said I'd be more then happy to take care of that for you but just to let you know we can only do this once! I was happy with that and am now extremely happy I have an extended balcony on deck 7 of the pride for $429pp. There's a big difference honoring your own price you set then it is price matching other companies.

[goduckies05]

My point still stands. Tell me what travel company does it. You got lucky. But isn't the norm.

 

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[theriac]

My point still stands. Tell me what travel company does it. You got lucky. But isn't the norm.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

 

Countless people on this site get lucky then. Carnival isn't stupid, for them to give someone $40 or $50 OBC they know the money will be spent and they let the consumer feel as though they won. It might not be the in the rules but rules get bent/broken all the time. Like Dick Cheney not getting arrested after shooting a man in the face.

[cruizinisthebest]

Unless you book early saver, you are not entitled to any price drops after your final payment date. That is Carnival's rule and they really should enforce it. It does work. But by bending them here and there, this is what causes the confusion and cruisers thinking they are entitled to something when the rules clearly state they aren't. As far as room upgrades, that's not a guarantee either. But the request is more reasonable IMO than asking for price adjustments beyond the final payment date.

[dallas52]

if it is before final payment date, you can get price drops, but it has to before.

[springs741]

Unless you book early saver, you are not entitled to any price drops after your final payment date. That is Carnival's rule and they really should enforce it. It does work. But by bending them here and there, this is what causes the confusion and cruisers thinking they are entitled to something when the rules clearly state they aren't. As far as room upgrades, that's not a guarantee either. But the request is more reasonable IMO than asking for price adjustments beyond the final payment date.

I agree with you. I almost always book ES and it works out for me most times but I have on one occasion I had to changes dates on a family cruise. That was an $400 goof on my part and Carnival wasn't willing to bend the rules for me even though I was making the change a little over 9 months before the cruise. It is therefore frustrating for me that they bend their rules for some and not others. I am not begrudging anyone that was able to benefit I just would like the rules to be the rules and everyone follow them.

[1midsun]

the key words here are BEFORE FINAL PAYMENT DATE

 

for all price rates, you can get a rebate (credit) before final payment date.

 

I have done this, we do not book Early Saver, as we find there are too many restrictions. But I have received credits if the price drops before final payment date. (On my most recent cruise, I have saved $400 total)

 

Having said that, we book at a price that we are comfortable paying and if it drops great!!! if not oh, well.

 

Happy Cruising.

[luv2trvlnow]

I booked a cruise Sun for Thanksgiving week in an interior on lido. On Tues it dropped $100. Wed. it dropped again and now I could have booked a balcony on 6 for $300 less and $100 OBC or 2 insides instead of the one for the same $300 less and OBC. :mad:The reason I checked again is I turned in one of the price guarantee forms (although I don't think we'll qualify) and wanted to see if it was still the cheaper rate. The cruise wasn't planned and kind of a last minute decision, guess I should of waited longer. Des anyone have any experience with this? Can I call and get any kind of credit or change categories?

 

If the price drop on Tuesday was within 48 hours of your Sunday booking, you were correct in turning in the price guarantee form.

 

This is what the Carnival website says:

 

If you find a better Carnival advertised deal somewhere else within two days of booking your cruise, we'll not only be very surprised — we'll give you 110% of the difference in onboard credit. You can be confident that our prices are the lowest, so you can get on to more important things... like counting down the days until you sail!

• You'll have 48 hours from the time you book to find a lower price.
  
• Carnival will give you 110% of the difference in onboard credit.
  
• Lowest Price Guarantee only applies to publicly available rates.
  

Was this the case and did you get the $100 + $10 OBC for the Tuesday drop? The Wednesday drop was beyond the 48 hours and is after final payment so that drop you wouldn't get OBC for.