What perks to look for with a group booking?

[scubamommy!]

Happy to have just booked a 50th Birthday girls trip on The Ecstacy. Haven't cruised with Carnival in MANY years! Needed something out of Charleston, so here we go. Booked 13 cabins so far. Yes, with a travel agent who has her hands full right now with girls changing minds on cabins and collecting info & $ and so forth, bless her heart! Thank God for travel agents! I will ask her once everyone has completed the bookings what perks we might be able to take advantage of. But thought I would check in with all you experts here.

Can anyone tell me what I should be looking into or asking about for this group? We are 28 girls ( age 30-65) spread out between 5th-7th floors on window cabins and balconies to Grand Suites. I would love to have a semi private space on the first day that I could introduce everyone to each other over drinks. Think this is possible? Any other fun things I should plan for this group? Would love some ideas! TIA

[rtfnl]

I have a group every year on Carnival. From my experience if you book using casino rates, it doesn't count towards group bookings i.e. no free berth excluding taxes and port fees for an avg of the types of cabis for every 16th person and it doesn't count towards amenity points. Also, 3rd and 4th person doesn't count as well. For my most recent 4 day cruise i had almost $700 on your conductor credit that I was able to apply towards my cabin or it can be spread out amongst the group.

 

Amenity points were 4,which each cabin received a bottle of wine, 2 carnival tote bags (a special design for groups which can t be purchased), and a 1 hour shared cocktail party.

 

Make sure your TA booked you as a group because once space have been reserved for you the TA can req. How the amenity points are used.

 

Not every sailing have amenity points for groups and amenity points may vary for each sailings.

Your TA can request a room for meet up or for an extra fee per person can arrange for a private cocktail party in addition to the shared cocktail party if you receive amenity points and wish to use it that way.

 

I don't use a TA, I have control issues and like to have total control down to contacting group dining and requesting a specific area in the dining room and who sits at which table so family and friends are able to sit together. Apologies for being ling winded.

Edited January 20, 2018 by rtfnl

[StolidCruiser]

They will do very little (meaning nothing) for you on board.

 

To you, this is a big group. To them, you're a couple dozen passengers.

 

No public group affiliation, no donation to their coffers, no motivation to help you ladies party on. It might sound crass, but its true. You’re looking for them to reserve some public space (at the expense of other guests, no matter how “it wont inconvenience anyone” you feel it us) so you can have a place to gather together.

 

The good news is there are tons of places all over the ship where you can accomplish the same thing without asking to have it reserved just for your informal personal group.

 

Have your TA study the deck plans after he/she finishes managing all the reservation changes and give you suggestions. It’s what you’re paying a TA to do. You might even ask that TA to make the inquiry to pull some strings (if they are a big enough TA with high volume bookings on Carnival) but its unlikely.

 

Good luck and happy sailing.

[AdGuyMG]

Booked 13 cabins so far....

 

I will ask her once everyone has completed the bookings what perks we might be able to take advantage of.

 

This is something that you should have asked about before booking your Group. The TA should have a PDF to send you with the current Carnival Group Funpoints and amenities to choose.

[scubamommy!]

This is something that you should have asked about before booking your Group. The TA should have a PDF to send you with the current Carnival Group Funpoints and amenities to choose.

Thank you , she DID send me the funpoints, just asking to see if there was something else I should be looking for. Ya never know till you ask! :)

[scubamommy!]

i have a group every year on carnival. From my experience if you book using casino rates, it doesn't count towards group bookings i.e. No free berth excluding taxes and port fees for an avg of the types of cabis for every 16th person and it doesn't count towards amenity points. Also, 3rd and 4th person doesn't count as well. For my most recent 4 day cruise i had almost $700 on your conductor credit that i was able to apply towards my cabin or it can be spread out amongst the group.

 

Amenity points were 4,which each cabin received a bottle of wine, 2 carnival tote bags (a special design for groups which can t be purchased), and a 1 hour shared cocktail party.

 

Make sure your ta booked you as a group because once space have been reserved for you the ta can req. How the amenity points are used.

 

Not every sailing have amenity points for groups and amenity points may vary for each sailings.

Your ta can request a room for meet up or for an extra fee per person can arrange for a private cocktail party in addition to the shared cocktail party if you receive amenity points and wish to use it that way.

 

I don't use a ta, i have control issues and like to have total control down to contacting group dining and requesting a specific area in the dining room and who sits at which table so family and friends are able to sit together. Apologies for being ling winded.

 

very helpful! Thank you!

[arkansas travelor]

I have a couple of questions 1st what is casino rate? 2nd when you booked did you all have to book within 2 days of each other?

I am asking because I have a cruise booked for August 2018 and so far a total of 10 cabins with 2 in each cabin. I have called the group dept and was told to be considered a group we would have had to book within 2 days of each other.

[jakesnana]

I have a couple of questions 1st what is casino rate? 2nd when you booked did you all have to book within 2 days of each other?

I am asking because I have a cruise booked for August 2018 and so far a total of 10 cabins with 2 in each cabin. I have called the group dept and was told to be considered a group we would have had to book within 2 days of each other.

 

That is WRONG!! If you have not booked these 10 cabins with a TA, I would contact a TA who specializes in groups and have all of the cabins moved to him/her. The TA can "set up" a group on that ship/sail date and have all 10 of the cabins moved into the group so that they would get the benefits.