Yet another FTTF Question

[SJDymond]

I've searched so many threads for this and get several different answers so maybe someone can answer this based on their definitive experience. BF and I have a cruise booked for December 2018. We've never done FTTF before but probably because they didn't have it at the time of our last sailings. Now that we're a little older we would love to walk on the ship a little early and avoid some crowds. This combined with the debarkation aspect of it and the dining priority are worth the $$ to us. So with that my question is this:

 

The December FTTF is Sold Out already! It has been since the day I booked (a few weeks ago). I have been checking religiously every day. Is it true that they won't even open it until a few months out? Or is it truly sold out and will it randomly open up again if people cancel or they decide to allow more?

 

Any help is appreciated! :)

[SRQbeachgirl]

I’ve been doing the same thing for our July sailing on Magic. I’m checking the website so often I’m starting to feel like a stalker! Lol

[Schoifmom]

I've searched so many threads for this and get several different answers so maybe someone can answer this based on their definitive experience. BF and I have a cruise booked for December 2018. We've never done FTTF before but probably because they didn't have it at the time of our last sailings. Now that we're a little older we would love to walk on the ship a little early and avoid some crowds. This combined with the debarkation aspect of it and the dining priority are worth the $$ to us. So with that my question is this:

 

The December FTTF is Sold Out already! It has been since the day I booked (a few weeks ago). I have been checking religiously every day. Is it true that they won't even open it until a few months out? Or is it truly sold out and will it randomly open up again if people cancel or they decide to allow more?

 

Any help is appreciated! :)

 

If it shows as "sold out," it really is sold out. Keep checking, though. Some people do cancel and they do sometimes open more up.

[rtw68]

Our Conquest cruise is on 4/14/2018 and I snagged FTTF on 2/1/2018.

 

Best thing to do is check around the time your final payment is due and keep checking.

 

I started looking on 1/27 (final payment was on 1/29). Figured some people would drop off or cancel at final payment time.

[Organized Chaos]

First had experience from about four months ago. We originally booked our upcoming June cruise with another family. Three cabins total and bought FTTF for each one. Four months ago, they cancelled on us. Our son was booked in a cabin with their three kids. Since we booked Early Saver, we had to cancel the kids' room, along with the other adult room, and re-book our son into his own room. Our PVP could not save the FTTF for our son's room because it's part of a different system. As soon as you cancel a room, it automatically cancels FTTF too and is put back into play. To get FTTF for our son again, we had to wait for it to reappear. It took a day or two, but did show up again. Proof that when someone cancels their FTTF, it will show up in the excursions again. So keep looking and look often.

[teknoge3k]

Some people cancel their cruises for whatever reason. If those people have FTTF booked or are d/p then that slot opens up.

Some people upgrade to a suite and don't think they need FTTF so they cancel their FTTF.

Some people just cancel their FTTF for whatever reason.

Some people miss the final payment deadline, that opens up slots as well.

Closer to the sailing date Carnival sees that X amount of d/p people aren't booked so they open more up.

 

Lots of variables there that will cause more to open up. Just watch it daily/hourly. Just because you're checking it daily, doesn't mean others aren't checking it hourly. When they open up say 10 more, that seems like a lot. But remember, 1,000 other people are doing the exact same thing as you are, checking checking checking!

[Smokeybooks]

We actually got ours in the wee morning hours (1 AM). My in laws who are going with us also got theirs a month or so later around 3 AM.

[mdsgu]

We are sailing in June with friends who have never been on Carnival. We have priority boarding due to loyalty status. I checked daily (sometimes several times per day) to see if it became available. One morning about 5:45, I saw one and snagged it -- and that was several weeks ago, long before our final payment date. The status online went back to "Sold Out" immediately afterward. They do pop up randomly, but you have be ready to grab it quickly because it will be gone just as fast as it popped up. Just keep trying.

[SJDymond]

Thanks everyone for your responses! It gives me a little bit of hope and along with that I hope I can have some luck!

[Jan the City Fan]

I have managed to grab it on my last 3 Carnival cruises, each time it was showing as sold out. I Used to check it 2 or 3 times a day. I live in the U.K. and we are 5 hours ahead of them, so I often got it in the night hours in U.S. They are open 24 hours so guess they may put them on the system when they are available during the night.

[Organized Chaos]

Thanks everyone for your responses! It gives me a little bit of hope and along with that I hope I can have some luck!

Here's wishing good mojo upon you. ;) When our PVP told us that the FTTF automatically cancelled as soon as we cancelled the room, and my only option was to look for it to pop up again, my heart sank. Two lonely little FTTF slots get tossed back into rotation and I had to hope I got one back. Luckily, it worked out.

 

I just looked at my emails and it was the following day, after cancelling, that it got put back into the system. Or at least that's when I got it back.

[originalgeek]

Good luck and good cruise! I just want to reiterate the part about checking at odd hours. I got mine for a cruise (after it had been sold out for a while) at 3:00am. I just happened to be up at that time. I've read a lot of posts from people that say similar things. After I got mine at 3am and went to bed I was up around 10am and it was already sold out again. I saw it get sold out and come back 3 times for that sailing. I've seen it get sold out and come back twice for my cruise in 3 weeks. There's always hope!

[LakeWobegon]

I just kept checking. I think that's the key. I checked right at 6 am every morning when I woke up on my smart phone and then laptop at lunch and on my smartphone when I went to bed. Sometimes I forgot but I checked regularly at got it at lunch time one Sunday.

[lizardhowson]

I've searched so many threads for this and get several different answers so maybe someone can answer this based on their definitive experience. BF and I have a cruise booked for December 2018. We've never done FTTF before but probably because they didn't have it at the time of our last sailings. Now that we're a little older we would love to walk on the ship a little early and avoid some crowds. This combined with the debarkation aspect of it and the dining priority are worth the $$ to us. So with that my question is this:

 

The December FTTF is Sold Out already! It has been since the day I booked (a few weeks ago). I have been checking religiously every day. Is it true that they won't even open it until a few months out? Or is it truly sold out and will it randomly open up again if people cancel or they decide to allow more?

 

Any help is appreciated! :)

 

The best answer you're gonna get is likely the same answer you've seen in all the threads you've browsed.

No way for anyone here to know if Carnival will offer additional FTTF slots.

Check around final payment date in case someone with FTTF decides to cancel their cruise before final payment is due.

[grandmarnnurse]

My cruise is not until March 2019, and it isn’t available yet, but I keep checking several times a day.

 

 

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[riclop]

I've searched so many threads for this and get several different answers so maybe someone can answer this based on their definitive experience. BF and I have a cruise booked for December 2018. We've never done FTTF before but probably because they didn't have it at the time of our last sailings. Now that we're a little older we would love to walk on the ship a little early and avoid some crowds. This combined with the debarkation aspect of it and the dining priority are worth the $$ to us. So with that my question is this:

 

The December FTTF is Sold Out already! It has been since the day I booked (a few weeks ago). I have been checking religiously every day. Is it true that they won't even open it until a few months out? Or is it truly sold out and will it randomly open up again if people cancel or they decide to allow more?

 

Any help is appreciated! :)

Keep checking .

[Crusingdiva62]

My final payment was May 2 and May 22nd I got FTTF for my July 16 cruise last yeAr

 

 

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[mommyperson15]

My final payment was May 2 and May 22nd I got FTTF for my July 16 cruise last yeAr

 

 

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We have two cruise booked for July and have already booked FTTF. We booked them when we booked the cruises. One cruise is out of Galveston on July 7 and the other cruise is on July 16 out of New Orleans.

 

 

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[marshhawk]

From what I have seen over the years, they do hold some FTTF back. Then once the ship is pretty well filled, they check to see how many diamond and platinum folks there are-since they get the same boarding privileges. If there are less than what they expect, they will then release more FTTF. You just have to keep checking. And good luck.

[mistshar]

It is possible that they may be easier to get now that the price has gone up so much. Good luck!

[bellebaby]

Booked our Dec. 16, 2018 Dream sailing last week. FTTF was sold-out.

 

Kept checking all weekend, no luck.

 

Checked this morning when we woke-up. Available!

 

As we did want it and were willing to pay the $$$.... Feel like I hit the jackpot.