Can a PVP really give you the best deal

[beans79]

I'm looking to book another trip and carnival must have tracked me through the link they sent me with a special offer. I got a phone call right after looking from a PVP saying he can find me the best deal, and I need to act fast because he might not be able to give me a better deal then now.

I usually book online and since I wasn't planning on sailing until next summer I was going to wait. Has anyone gotten a better deal from a PVP?

 

 

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[jdemps]

I've always heard the prices are the exact same as on the website.

[josumello]

I've always heard the prices are the exact same as on the website.

 

 

The prices r the same but many TAs give perks such as OBC, prepaid gratuities, specialty dining etc. also some big agencies book a block of staterooms so they can offer group rates. Bottom line a PVP offers bare bones, the highest prices.

 

 

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[beans79]

I had a feeling. I feel like the cruise I am looking at is still a little high and may come down a little. Right now I can get $50 per person deposit which is attractive to me, but I know they will offer reduced deposits again. I'm not looking to cruise again until July 2018.

 

 

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[Dilligaff]

The only thing I seen that a PVP can do different then booking online is find rooms you like or prefer. I'm sure if you called and talked to them they might be able to work something out for the deposit. Never know till you try. But I needed 2 rooms one for my wife and I and one for our 3 girls. Because we did not want all 5 of us in one room. And that means no privacy for anybody so that would mean 1 bathroom to share and have to change 1 at a time or I get changed and leave the room so they could get ready. So we had 2 choices

 

First choice ocean view for us and them in an interior which had to be across the hall because of our youngest.

Second choice was 2 ocean view rooms with or without connecting doors.

I could not find either choice online so I contacted the same PVP I used before and he found rooms that didn't even show available not matter how many ways I looked them up. And we got 2 ocean view rooms with connecting doors. Which double our room space.

 

From my understanding if you use a TA you have to go thru everything with them. I'm not 100% sure on that. But if so I have no control of my booking which I don't like. And read most TA give out perks that you would not get otherwise.

[nolaguy8]

I'm looking to book another trip and carnival must have tracked me through the link they sent me with a special offer. I got a phone call right after looking from a PVP saying he can find me the best deal, and I need to act fast because he might not be able to give me a better deal then now.

I usually book online and since I wasn't planning on sailing until next summer I was going to wait. Has anyone gotten a better deal from a PVP?

 

The price is the same regardless you book it through Carnival, PVP, or other websites. Other websites may include other perks but the price of the cruise itself is the same.

 

In the past when looking up cruises on Carnival's website, they would call me because they can see I was interested. I have done both, online and with an agent. The only positive with booking through a PVP, sometimes they watch the prices for you and give you the better deal or call you and let you know. Also if you have questions that you can't seem the find online, they are usually pretty helpful. A cruiser friend says that her person sends chocolate covered strawberries to their room.

 

Now I usually look up my cruise and see what I want, then I call my PVP to book with her so she can get her comission.

[riclop]

I'm looking to book another trip and carnival must have tracked me through the link they sent me with a special offer. I got a phone call right after looking from a PVP saying he can find me the best deal, and I need to act fast because he might not be able to give me a better deal then now.

I usually book online and since I wasn't planning on sailing until next summer I was going to wait. Has anyone gotten a better deal from a PVP?

 

 

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PVP's are full of it they will tell you anything to get you to book.

[Brad1972]

So the booking is just did in February with my PVP he got me a better deal then I could get through Carnivals website. If I went through the website and use past guest rate for a Lido deck balcony room It came up with a total of $2139 with NO obc or 50% off deposit for 2 people. When I was ready to book and called my PVP cause he's gotta make a living with commissions too. He got me a Lido deck balcony room further forward on the ship that the website showed was available for $2099 total for 2 people with $50 OBC and 50% off deposits. I still put $500 deposit down so didn't care about the 50% off. He basically didn't charge me for any upgrades from the base starting price of a balcony room. Took the starting base balcony room price of the lowest category balcony they had and added the usual port fees, taxes and that was my total and threw in $50 OBC too for a Lido deck balcony room almost at the front of the ship. I also booked 3 balcony rooms all right next to each other at the same time too for our friends that are going with us and let them ride on my coat tails so they could get my past guest rate or same rate as me and $50 OBC each cabin. Friends that are going with us have never cruise before. It's their first time. Wife and I's second time.

 

So yes a PVP can get you a better deal then the website price. Mine did.

[PattBenatar]

My first PVP found me a solo balcony room for $459 for 4 days (Key West and Cozumel) I have yet to found a deal like that since. I did B2B and my next cruise was $900 for 5 days (Grand Turk and Amber Cove) for the same room. So yes PVP can save you money.

[easyboy]

We have tried before dealing with a PVP but found a better deal from a TA. We have used a TA since.

 

 

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[beans79]

My first PVP found me a solo balcony room for $459 for 4 days (Key West and Cozumel) I have yet to found a deal like that since. I did B2B and my next cruise was $900 for 5 days (Grand Turk and Amber Cove) for the same room. So yes PVP can save you money.

 

 

Right now I'm looking at a 4 day for a balcony and it's going for 653. I think it's a little high for a 4 day but maybe that's the going rate now.

 

 

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[Party.of.4.NY>>>FL]

The only thing I seen that a PVP can do different then booking online is find rooms you like or prefer. I'm sure if you called and talked to them they might be able to work something out for the deposit. Never know till you try. But I needed 2 rooms one for my wife and I and one for our 3 girls. Because we did not want all 5 of us in one room. And that means no privacy for anybody so that would mean 1 bathroom to share and have to change 1 at a time or I get changed and leave the room so they could get ready. So we had 2 choices

 

First choice ocean view for us and them in an interior which had to be across the hall because of our youngest.

Second choice was 2 ocean view rooms with or without connecting doors.

I could not find either choice online so I contacted the same PVP I used before and he found rooms that didn't even show available not matter how many ways I looked them up. And we got 2 ocean view rooms with connecting doors. Which double our room space.

 

From my understanding if you use a TA you have to go thru everything with them. I'm not 100% sure on that. But if so I have no control of my booking which I don't like. And read most TA give out perks that you would not get otherwise.

I agree with PVPs having access to rooms that don't show available online. I tried every which way to book 2 specific connecting rooms for both Carnival this year and Royal next year and couldn't get them. Called and booked with no problem. By the way, have you noticed that several Carnival and Royal ships have balcony rooms that connect with interior? We're booked with this configuration on Adventure of the Seas next year and really looking forward to it. These configurations are very limited and often sell quickly. Couldn't get it for our Pride cruise this summer because we booked late.

[beerman2]

PVP's are full of it they will tell you anything to get you to book.

Not 100% true. I knew where I wanted on the ship. Not all rooms showing , so called PVP when I was ready ( yes I told him ) to book.

 

He got me connecting rooms in the location I requested. It wasn't showing on line. Plus a $50.00 OBC that wasn't showing on line either.

[ray98]

No....a PVP is just a travel agent for Carnival. Nothing special.

[LMaxwell]

PVP was not able to offer me anything I could not get just booking on website.

 

Booked on website and transferred to external TA for additional OBC.

[Micahs Grandad]

pvp gives you someone on your side when you run into a problem.

 

Has access to people we do not.

[grest]

For our next cruise we found a good price online and then called my PVP. I told her the price and the OBC that was offered by the other TA. She said the price was the same and she could not match or beat the offer....she was quite miffed, in fact, and offered me nada. I went with the TA.

[skyeman27]

My TA can see all the rooms available and I believe other TA's can to.

[beans79]

I guess I should start looking into a TA. I never used one because I'm a little bit of a control freak when it comes to plaining my trip, but hey if I can get a better deal...

 

 

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[cfr70]

I had a feeling. I feel like the cruise I am looking at is still a little high and may come down a little. Right now I can get $50 per person deposit which is attractive to me, but I know they will offer reduced deposits again. I'm not looking to cruise again until July 2018.

 

 

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Where did you see the $50 per person deposits? I've been looking for that and if it's going on right now somewhere, i'll jump on it!

[Mysticks1]

I agree with PVPs having access to rooms that don't show available online. I tried every which way to book 2 specific connecting rooms for both Carnival this year and Royal next year and couldn't get them. Called and booked with no problem. By the way' date=' have you noticed that several Carnival and Royal ships have balcony rooms that connect with interior? We're booked with this configuration on Adventure of the Seas next year and really looking forward to it. These configurations are very limited and often sell quickly. Couldn't get it for our Pride cruise this summer because we booked late.[/quote']

 

A travel agent can also see cabins that don't show available on the website. I had always booked cruises online myself but wanted an aft view and none were showing available. The TA could see them when I couldn't.

[Kanyon71]

I don't know if they still do it but I know in the past the PVP's can also at times get you discounts on the rates by putting you in with a large group booking that has space left. Has saved me and others in the past. I have also received discounts and credits from a PVP in the past above and beyond what was on the web.

 

As others have said also they will look for good prices/sales/deposit discounts and call you when they are available. I have my PVP from carnival on the lookout for April next year for me and a few others we are going to travel with. Would say it saves me from looking at their site but that still doesn't stop me lol.

[fair-winds39]

We've contacted Carnival directly for a couple of cruises, but for the last four, we've used the same PVP. We like her because she responds immediately, she doesn't contact us, unless we contact her with a question.

 

We don't use the PVP to get us a better price, we use her because she has all our pertinent info, she "advises" us if there might be a better deal, i.e. Early Saver, Past Guest, Casino offers, etc., then leaves it up to us of course, to decide what we want. Recently, we booked a 2018 cruise, and a few weeks later, we booked for two other family members. They had cruised with us before, so she had their info too. As we were talked, she commented that they had a special offer which included an OBC. I said, "I should have waited to book with them." The PVP said "no worries," and applied it to our booking as well.

 

We like that we can contact her with exactly what cruise we want, what cabin, what price we're interested in, etc. and within 7-10 minutes the cruise is booked and deposit paid. We do a lot of pre-planning prior to the cruise, so we know exactly what we want before we contact the PVP. We're very happy with the PVP. We also never had any issues calling Carnival directly either. Enjoy your cruise!!

[beans79]

I got an email yesterday for it. It may be because I just got off the Victory last week and they are trying to get me to book again?

 

 

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[cfr70]

I got an email yesterday for it. It may be because I just got off the Victory last week and they are trying to get me to book again?

 

 

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Ah, I see. I think if you respond to the e mail you automatically get connected to a PVP and while you're under no obligation to take one on, you can ask him or her for more info on sales, booking, etc. I think it's worth it just to initially speak with one to find out what they can do for you.

My PVP got me $160 in OBC for my upcoming cruise that I wouldn't have gotten had I booked independently...but I wish i'd get e mails touting $50 deposits! You're lucky! :)