Carnival bait and switch

[louisianaguy]

since when did carnival start advertising rates for bunk bed rooms??? I have never seen this. So it must be new. When I go.t an email saying I could get an interior room for $488 a person I was excited. Talked to the whole family and started planing the thing right then. Started checking with work to make sure I had days off. Everything was set. I logged on the next day and I was happy to see the rate was still there. As I began to book the tickets I get to the section where I chose my room and I'm hit wit a choice. Upper and lower bunk beds or I can get the regular room for $7 more a day. This really irked me so I called carnival and said you are advertising the interior room for 488. they then told me the upper/lower is considered interior now. Even though they come with a porthole. I argued that those are not regular interior rooms and that they are rooms that they stuck here and there to use as much space as they can. And are very limited. Well of course carnival does not take feedback very well. So I told them to shove their cruise up you know where. Anyone else tired of these tactics?

 

 

So now I'm looking for another line who uses more upfront pricing and does not try to trick you. Also one with better service. Recommendations????

[Sillyjilly]

1A Cabins, which are bunk beds, have been around for years. They are advertised with the porthole cabins. How do I know this? Because I book them all the time and always ignore the portholes as I don't like their location.

Reading is your friend.

[sparks1093]

Every cruise line advertises their lowest priced cabin as a "starting at" or "from" price in their marketing. It does not mean that lowest priced cabin will be what you are looking for or that it will be in a desirable location. So if you want recommendations for a cruise line that doesn't advertise this way I'm not sure that I have one.

[NavyEmt]

The lowest price has been the upper lower rooms for years now.

 

There have been some exceptions to the rule as well, I booked a cruise a few years back at the last moment (1 week before) and when with the let carnival pick your room deal and asked for an interior room and was told that they DO NOT book upper lower rooms for those deals.

[bUU]

Not bait and switch. Fake accusation. Nothing to see here.

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[lizardhowson]

Certainly no "bait & switch" as you claim - just sour grapes.

 

Prices start at $488 and go up. You didn't like the cabin available for the base price.

 

That is a personal choice which you declined.

[StolidCruiser]

The lowest 1A category have been around since ships built with them have. Just because you have never noticed them doesn't mean they are new or that Carnival is trying to dupe you by reconfiguring cabins to trick you with a purported "bait and switch".

 

Under that philosophy, they suddenly went through effort and expense to put obstructions in front of certain balcony cabins just to fool you (and only you) with a lower "starting from" rate.

 

You chose a solution right for you by telling Carnival to shove it. I'm sure I'm not alone in offering a big THANK YOU for doing so. Enjoy your staycation... you will be exactly where you belong.

[Pyrate13]

since when did carnival start advertising rates for bunk bed rooms??? I have never seen this. So it must be new. When I go.t an email saying I could get an interior room for $488 a person I was excited. Talked to the whole family and started planing the thing right then. Started checking with work to make sure I had days off. Everything was set. I logged on the next day and I was happy to see the rate was still there. As I began to book the tickets I get to the section where I chose my room and I'm hit wit a choice. Upper and lower bunk beds or I can get the regular room for $7 more a day. This really irked me so I called carnival and said you are advertising the interior room for 488. they then told me the upper/lower is considered interior now. Even though they come with a porthole. I argued that those are not regular interior rooms and that they are rooms that they stuck here and there to use as much space as they can. And are very limited. Well of course carnival does not take feedback very well. So I told them to shove their cruise up you know where. Anyone else tired of these tactics?

 

 

So now I'm looking for another line who uses more upfront pricing and does not try to trick you. Also one with better service. Recommendations????

 

 

Nope, not tired and nothing new (many cruise lines have the same type rooms) nor is it bait and switch, pretty standard practice for many things besides cruises. Prices start at such and such then go up from there. You want more, you pay more. Just like an OV cost more than in inside and a balcony more than an OV. Are you saying you've never seen this before?

Recommendation: understand the details of the offer no matter what line you choose.

[firemanbobswife]

The 1As are inside rooms and they do have beds so technically they are selling exactly what they promised.

 

Not all 1As have portholes. If they do, bonus as you get more space, a sofa, and windows to outside. You can always chose another 1A without portholes if you want.

 

I and my family have stayed in numerous 1As both with and without portholes and love them.

 

Perhaps next time you should click all the way through to make sure they have a cabin that is acceptable before jumping through hoops and getting yourself so worked up over something that is a nonissue.

[CruisingUS]

link please. What is upper and lower? Is it 1 bed and 1 pullman? Does it look like this?

 

[Canadianmama3]

They are selling what they promised. They gave rates staring at that amount. Why wouldn't you actually price it out and check availability before talking to family and work? Seems odd to me.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[sparks1093]

link please. What is upper and lower? Is it 1 bed and 1 pullman? Does it look like this?

 

 

Upper and lower means one bed and a Pullman https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-glory.aspx# (The link didn't work the way I wanted it to but if you go to deck 1 on the deck plans and then click on cabin 1426 you'll see a picture of what they look like.)

[Wheels87]

I think the OP was just trying to flame Carnival, nothing more. Who would go to all that trouble without knowing exactly how many rooms are available and at least doing the minimum amount of detective work?

 

Nothing to see here at all.

[CruisingUS]

Upper and lower means one bed and a Pullman https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships/carnival-glory.aspx# (The link didn't work the way I wanted it to but if you go to deck 1 on the deck plans and then click on cabin 1426 you'll see a picture of what they look like.)

ty. y is this not considered an interior room?

[sparks1093]

ty. y is this not considered an interior room?

 

Some of them have a porthole but 1426 on the Glory is clearly an interior.

[CruisingUS]

Some of them have a porthole but 1426 on the Glory is clearly an interior.

oh. interesting...well i guess double checking is important, lol

[BoDidly]

Yes I remember when Carnival started this tactic and it can be frustrating to the people that book themselves. It is deceiving the customer and while the ploy works it's still misleads the customer into thinking they have found a good deal, until the look further.

 

I agree OP it's not something a person would consider a legit business practice, but it seems to be working for Carnival. .

[frayedend]

I have to agree with the OP that it's a bait and switch. Many of you seasoned cruisers and cheerleaders know all about these porthole rooms. I never heard of them other than ocean view rooms. If I see an ad for an interior then I think exactly what the OP thought. Now I wouldn't be surprised if they put me under the galley or some other noisy space. But to have a smaller room with crappy beds wouldn't be my expectation.

[sparks1093]

Yes I remember when Carnival started this tactic and it can be frustrating to the people that book themselves. It is deceiving the customer and while the ploy works it's still misleads the customer into thinking they have found a good deal, until the look further.

 

I agree OP it's not something a person would consider a legit business practice, but it seems to be working for Carnival. .

 

It works for many businesses which is why many businesses use it. I have never been to a cruise line's website and seen a "from" price that was anything more than the lowest category cabin, usually an inside guarantee.

[Nic6318]

Hi Louisianaguy

 

Just to help, here is a thread started in 2008 on this site http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=839087&highlight=everything+1A It is titled Everything 1A. Clearly Carnival hasn't started something new just to throw you off.

 

If you take some time and look through the posts you will see that many people like these cabins, for a variety of reasons. We have sailed in them twice ourselves and enjoyed the benefits of a well priced vacation.

 

Of course we knew what we were buying and that is why it is important that you do your research. This is a tremendous site for you to get information and if you had spent some more time on research you might not have felt frustrated about this issue.

 

This site has threads specific to "cabin selection tips", take the time to read through. People on this site are more than willing to help you. A simple question such as "which cabin class, or which rate might be best for booking a cruise for my family", will generate many opinions to help you decide. It is not always just the quoted rate that is important, you might have to take into consideration possibility of cancellation penalty, maybe you want to benefit from price drops. You aren't that new to this site, that thread that I linked was started in 2008, a year before you joined the site, the information was always available for you to read, you just never took the time.

 

good luck in your search

hope you have a great cruise

[ryano]

I think the OP was just trying to flame Carnival, nothing more.

 

Seems to be a lot of that around here. Most of them are just as unfounded as this too.

[BoDidly]

It works for many businesses which is why many businesses use it. I have never been to a cruise line's website and seen a "from" price that was anything more than the lowest category cabin, usually an inside guarantee.

Well goody gum drops for you. :D

[BDRebel]

A bait and switch is when they offer to sell you a suite for X amount of dollars, only to find out that the normal stuff in a cabin is extra (such as a bed, a rest room, etc) and that you must pay the extra.

Carnival is simply advertising their lowest rate for their cheapest room, exactly the same way they do for all classes of rooms, and exactly the same way all the other lines advertise.

The upgrade fees are clearly listed at the time of booking when you choose the room. They are not simply stuck on the bill without your knowing.

If you go to the trouble of accusing a company of illegal practices, you should at least be familiar with the basic definitions.

[happy cruzer]

Those are great rooms for many people. Especially at 488. Don't think you will find another cruise line that consistently offers that low a price for any cabin.

 

So does anyone think they should offer a sale price that excludes their lowest priced cabins? Say something like - Hurry, standard inside for 588 and others from 488. Probably not good marketing :)

[CruisingUS]

well ty op. I would have fell for the trick. I wouldn't have known.

 

If i were really penny pinching, this would be a good cabin.