Group Rate for 80 people.

[thongers]

Okay, so I planned a cruise for my immediate family, in total we booked 4 rooms with average 3p/room. I also decided to extend the invite to my good friend who also invited his mother and father. His mom ended up inviting 30 people and those people invited 30 more people. In total we have close to 80 people on this cruise.

 

The question, is there still a possibility of getting a group discount after everyone has already booked?

 

thanks!

[Keith1010]

If everyone has booked already I don't think you can get any kinds of group discount. Plus are the bookings all with different TA's?

 

Keith

[cb at sea]

Nope...you have to pre-arrange a "group" booking to get any of the group perks which is usually a free berth (not an entire cabin!)

[marco]

Did you book through an agent and did everyone book through that same agent? If you initially booked through an agent, did (s)he book with the line through group space? As folks booked, if there were 8 double cabins booked through the same agent, you should get 1 comp'd fare that you all could prorate amongst those booked. If additional folks booked through the same agent, you should get 1 comp'd fare for every 8 double occupancy cabins booked. The 3rd in the cabin normally does not count towards those booked qualifying for the comp'd fare. If, as the group grew, folks kind of just booked with "whoever, wherever, whenever....probably no discount. This is kind of a general rule of thumb and not carved in stone. Ask your TA if you would qualify for any kind of a discount and if not....maybe some onboard perk?

[thongers]

Ah, thank you. The DW and I love cruising, this will be the first for her parents and many others. I'll make sure to take a roll call next year... My family booked through a TA and that was only 3 balcony rooms, but everyone else, I have no idea where they purchased. Never in my life would I have thought I could get 80 people on a boat.

Edited October 1, 2015 by thongers

[MCC retired]

Yes, a Group allocation must be blocked , by a agency , in advance.

Bookings made using that agency may be moved into the group even if not initially booked into the Group .

Strange that OP's TA didn't suggest blocking a Group ? They could have gotten more than just the group rates.

[Ashland]

Years ago RCI used to offer a private cocktail party for groups of 25+...we've done graduation, wedding and honeymoon cruises...but those were the good old days.

[GUT2407]

Doubt it.

[sail7seas]

Ah, thank you. The DW and I love cruising, this will be the first for her parents and many others. I'll make sure to take a roll call next year... My family booked through a TA and that was only 3 balcony rooms, but everyone else, I have no idea where they purchased. Never in my life would I have thought I could get 80 people on a boat.

 

It is absolutely worth it for someone to compile a list of which TA's made bookings for how many cabins in your group. You well could find enough people used the same TA to encourage them to urge the cruise line to give some benefits for being a large group. Have someone in each group of 30 take a 'roll call' of how they booked their cabins.

 

[Ashland]

Ah, thank you. The DW and I love cruising, this will be the first for her parents and many others. I'll make sure to take a roll call next year... My family booked through a TA and that was only 3 balcony rooms, but everyone else, I have no idea where they purchased. Never in my life would I have thought I could get 80 people on a boat.

Sorry..but it sounds like as you said "you just booked 3 cabins"...Then you told someone and they told someone and so on and so on.

 

I don't consider this really a "group" booking and don't think the cruiseline will either....

 

Sorry maybe next time...it can be a little more organized.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Ashland

[Boo's Mom]

Years ago RCI used to offer a private cocktail party for groups of 25+...we've done graduation, wedding and honeymoon cruises...but those were the good old days.

 

I have a group sailing in about one week.

We are getting a private cocktail party with free drinks for one hour.

[Enforcer]

Okay, so I planned a cruise for my immediate family, in total we booked 4 rooms with average 3p/room. I also decided to extend the invite to my good friend who also invited his mother and father. His mom ended up inviting 30 people and those people invited 30 more people. In total we have close to 80 people on this cruise.

 

The question, is there still a possibility of getting a group discount after everyone has already booked?

 

thanks!

 

Hi Thongers,

 

Which ship and when?

 

Pete

[thongers]

Thanks, everyone for your input. I apologize if I sound confusing. :) To clarify, I planned this cruise for my wife's immediate family. I asked her to make the booking since she had everyone's info. I assumed she used the same TA we used the year prior but she ended up booking directly online with Carnival (just found out). We paid for 3 balcony cabins and her sister paid for a 4th when she was able to confirm the vacation days, then her husband paid for a 5th Cabin for his mom and friend. I also invited my close friend and his parents, who ended up inviting 30 more people. Out of those 30, they invited another 30 people. In total it will be over 80 people. Originally it was just going to be my wife's immediate family with 3-4 cabins. We had no idea it would swell this big.

 

This will probably end up being an annual or bi-annual event so next year I will definitely find a good TA and setup a group.

 

Thanks everyone for the info!!!

Edited October 2, 2015 by thongers

[thongers]

It is absolutely worth it for someone to compile a list of which TA's made bookings for how many cabins in your group. You well could find enough people used the same TA to encourage them to urge the cruise line to give some benefits for being a large group. Have someone in each group of 30 take a 'roll call' of how they booked their cabins.

 

 

Thanks for the tip!!!

[zoncom]

Are you still before the final payment date? If you are up to putting in some time and effort and are in contact with all your cruisers you can still give it a try. What you need is a large discount cruise agency. They have "group" desks. You need one of these only.. With that many bookings you should get reduced rates and OBCs. Shop several. You as organizer may be able to sail free, or close to it, too.All bookings would be transferred to the agency. Beware, some of your bookings may have a cancellation penalty

[notentirelynormal]

It is absolutely worth it for someone to compile a list of which TA's made bookings for how many cabins in your group. You well could find enough people used the same TA to encourage them to urge the cruise line to give some benefits for being a large group. Have someone in each group of 30 take a 'roll call' of how they booked their cabins.

 

 

This will also be a good idea if you all want to eat together. Your reservations need to be linked. Even if it is just the three cabins, if they are not linked you could be in different restaurants or the same but at different times. If they used a TA each TA much give permission to link the cabins.

[Ashland]

I have a group sailing in about one week.

We are getting a private cocktail party with free drinks for one hour.

Great...glad to know they still offer that nice perk. :D

[candycaramel]

Evidently the price was very good because so many folks booked. Its really not like you are an organized group. Just word of mouth advertising.

 

:D

[sail7seas]

I have a group sailing in about one week.

We are getting a private cocktail party with free drinks for one hour.

 

 

That's my point !!! :)

Good for you. Have fun.

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip!!!

 

What ended up being organized' date=' even if inadvertently is a group. You have nothing to lose (or have the person who made the bookings directly with Carnival) to call, tell them how it came to be you have 80 people all sailing together and ask for some group amenity.

 

IMO, if you suggest the amenity you would like I think you have a better chance of success than asking what they will give you.

 

Speak with your group and see if they would rather some free cabins which often are allocated as one cabin for every 10 or so booked. You could add up the value of those free cabins and share the sum equally among all of the group. Or ask for a cocktail party. Or ask for a shore excursion. Or ask for OBC for everyone's account.

 

By being specific, you just might be successful.

 

If so, please come back and tell us.

You have nothing to lose by asking.

 

[/b']

[sail7seas]

Evidently the price was very good because so many folks booked. Its really not like you are an organized group. Just word of mouth advertising.

 

:D

 

I don't think it matters how the group developed, the end result is this group of 80 all booked to sail the same ship on the same date and they all have a (loose) connection in one way or another.

 

It does not have to be a formal Blues Cruise or Quilting Club or whatever.

 

Many more formal groups and charters fill up by word of mouth.

 

Edited October 4, 2015 by sail7seas

[AdGuyMG]

Okay, so I planned a cruise for my immediate family, in total we booked 4 rooms with average 3p/room. I also decided to extend the invite to my good friend who also invited his mother and father. His mom ended up inviting 30 people and those people invited 30 more people. In total we have close to 80 people on this cruise.

 

The question, is there still a possibility of getting a group discount after everyone has already booked?

 

thanks!

 

The answer to getting any Group benefits retroactively would be no. A Group has to be set up ahead of time. Here's why.

 

1) Carnival's Group Rates are not discounted cruise fares. The benefit to booking Carnival Group Rates is to accrue Amenity Points. These points vary from sailing to sailing based on cruise length and can be as little as 0 to as as many as 5. The less popular the sailing the more the points and vice versa. Points can be converted to things for a group like bottles of wine in a cabin, logo items, group cocktail parties, slightly discounted buy downs on pricing and onboard credit.

 

There is also the benefit of 1 complimentary berth for every 16 passengers. But you are charged the NCFs (Port Charges) and the Government Taxes so it's not exactly free. This is calculated by averaging cost of the lowest category booked (interior) and a check is mailed to the Group Leader after the ship has sailed to account for any cancellations. So say you are the Group Leader and earn this credit of $2000 and Carnival mails you a check after you get home. What will you do? Pocket the money? Or will you then write and mail a $25 check to each of the 80 people?

 

2) Group pricing has to be for cabins booked at category B or higher. So anyone in this group of 80 who may be booked in a PT, 1A, 4A interior, 6A Ocean View, 7A Cove or 8A balcony would be disqualified. Also disqualified would be any bookings made as Guarantees such as Super Saver, Pack & Go, 12/24/36 Hour Sales, as well as any and all Casino and Bounceback offers. None of these fare codes support Amenities. Any of the 80 people booked as 3rd or 4th in a cabin don't qualify either.

 

3) The money for a group is held at what's called "Group Level" as a large pool. Once again in case of cancellations. After the sailing is in 100% penalty (usually within 2 weeks of the sailing date) the Group level moneys and the amenities are then assigned to the individual bookings..... At this point, with the money already assigned to each individual booking, Carnival will not take the time and effort to go thru each of the bookings one by one and audit these bookings to see if they were booked at a qualifying rate code ... pull all the moneys out of the individual bookings and into the Group Level... and then reassign the money again back again to the original cabins.

 

There are few other reasons you can't retroactively book a group but the above reasons are the main ones.

Edited October 5, 2015 by AdGuyMG