Interesting offer on Freedom

[blyle]

It seems that the 3/30  Freedom sailing is overbooked and many are getting calls (yesterday) for full refund and a free cruise at another time.  Some were asked to go on the Vista a day later (Sunday).   I was thinking that perhaps the Vista is not getting the bookings they thought it would and they are trying to fill it vs Freedom overcrowding.  Many were single cruisers and also employees.  Anyone ever hear of this.  Lots are being called.

[bury me at sea]

That's very interesting.  Have you heard of any other sailings?

 

I might be willing to switch dates, though it would be more difficult for those who fly to ports, but I wouldn't consider moving to the Vista.

[roundrockhorn]

Interesting. I hope it's just the one for this weekend, and not more than that. My cruise on the Freedom is for 4/20, and my wife and I have already submitted our leave requests at work. A reschedule due to overbooking, when we booked it back in September, would not sit well with me at all. 

[bury me at sea]

12 minutes ago, roundrockhorn said:

Interesting. I hope it's just the one for this weekend, and not more than that. My cruise on the Freedom is for 4/20, and my wife and I have already submitted our leave requests at work. A reschedule due to overbooking, when we booked it back in September, would not sit well with me at all. 

 

We have two cabins booked for next week, departing 4/6.  Two people are in your same situation regarding work, and the other two most definitely want to sail when all can sail together.

Edited March 29, 2019 by bury me at sea

[SandiLynn]

How does the cruise become overbooked? 

[roundrockhorn]

2 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

 

We have two cabins booked for next week, departing 4/6.  Two people are in your same situation regarding work, and the other two most definitely want to sail when all can together.

We both work for the state, so it wouldn't be much to cancel the leave request last minute, but finding time later on to be able to schedule leave would be difficult. Besides, when you book a cruise, you circle a date on your calendar. You plan for that date, you use that date to keep you going when work\life gets you down. To have it stripped away from you at nearly the last minute, would be unforgivable as the cruise line could have avoided the "overbooking."  

[bury me at sea]

2 minutes ago, roundrockhorn said:

... To have it stripped away from you at nearly the last minute, would be unforgivable as the cruise line could have avoided the "overbooking."  

 

I agree.  I suppose Carnival is hoping that enough volunteers will switch so that no one is actually cancelled.

[Essiesmom]

This is something Princess does a lot.  They call it a 'move over offer'.  And I believe they cover change fees for flights, too.  They also sometimes have 'move down' offers with similar bennies:  move from your cabin category to a lower one.  EM

[roundrockhorn]

Just spoke to my PVP, whom I trust completely, and was told that this does not/should not happen. I feel better about my cruise now. 

[Cruiser_1977]

1 hour ago, blyle said:

It seems that the 3/30  Freedom sailing is overbooked and many are getting calls (yesterday) for full refund and a free cruise at another time.  Some were asked to go on the Vista a day later (Sunday).   I was thinking that perhaps the Vista is not getting the bookings they thought it would and they are trying to fill it vs Freedom overcrowding.  Many were single cruisers and also employees.  Anyone ever hear of this.  Lots are being called.

Where are you getting your information? There is no mention on the roll call 

What do you consider "lots"?

Edited March 29, 2019 by JennyB1977

[roundrockhorn]

I asked John Heald, and he had not heard about it either. 

[JaniceB]

I have heard this happen on Princess but never Carnival.  It is a great deal if you swing it imho

[blyle]

This info came in real time on another place ( I can't mention due to rules here) where there is a Carnival roll call for my cruise tomorrow!

 

 

Edited March 29, 2019 by blyle

[RWolver672]

18 hours ago, SandiLynn said:

How does the cruise become overbooked? 

 

I can see it happening if a large corporation decides they want to book a group cruise for their employees.  Carnival probably raises the price of each cabin to make up for moving the passengers already booked to another cruise.

 

15 hours ago, blyle said:

This info came in real time on another place ( I can't mention due to rules here) where there is a Carnival roll call for my cruise tomorrow!

 

 

 

You can mention Facebook on here.  You just can't mention  your particular roll call on Facebook.  

[AdGuyMG]

20 hours ago, blyle said:

It seems that the 3/30  Freedom sailing is overbooked and many are getting calls (yesterday) for full refund and a free cruise at another time.  Some were asked to go on the Vista a day later (Sunday).   I was thinking that perhaps the Vista is not getting the bookings they thought it would and they are trying to fill it vs Freedom overcrowding.  Many were single cruisers and also employees.  Anyone ever hear of this.  Lots are being called.

 

Here's what I think most likely is happening.

 

Today's 3/30/19 Freedom sailing is the the 1st after just coming out of a 3 week extensive dry dock. As often happens after a dry dock some things are not 100% ready and there are Contractors still onboard that anticipated being finished by 3/30 but need to stay on for the next week.

 

The contractors count as persons on board against the lifeboat seat count, hence the "overbooking" and the move over offer to the Vista.

 

Roundrockhorn's PVP is correct that "overbooking" does not & should not happen to paying customers thru the reservation system.

 

 

[jimbo5544]

3 minutes ago, AdGuyMG said:

 

Here's what I think most likely is happening.

 

Today's 3/30/19 Freedom sailing is the the 1st after just coming out of a 3 week extensive dry dock. As often happens after a dry dock some things are not 100% ready and there are Contractors still onboard that anticipated being finished by 3/30 but need to stay on for the next week.

 

The contractors count as persons on board against the lifeboat seat count, hence the "overbooking" and the move over offer to the Vista.

 

Roundrockhorn's PVP is correct that "overbooking" does not & should not happen to paying customers thru the reservation system.

 

 

Makes sense to me, I have not heard of over booking on Carnival (as a rule).  To answer another question, I would highly doubt the Freedom will out draw the Vista or that Vista needs assistance to be filled.

[jimbo5544]

17 hours ago, JaniceB said:

I have heard this happen on Princess but never Carnival.  It is a great deal if you swing it imho

I have heard of it on the RCCL brands as well...

[roundrockhorn]

17 minutes ago, AdGuyMG said:

 

Here's what I think most likely is happening.

 

Today's 3/30/19 Freedom sailing is the the 1st after just coming out of a 3 week extensive dry dock. As often happens after a dry dock some things are not 100% ready and there are Contractors still onboard that anticipated being finished by 3/30 but need to stay on for the next week.

 

The contractors count as persons on board against the lifeboat seat count, hence the "overbooking" and the move over offer to the Vista.

 

Roundrockhorn's PVP is correct that "overbooking" does not & should not happen to paying customers thru the reservation system.

 

 

It's not the 1st sailing after dry dock though. This is, I believe, the 3rd sailing. In any event, between my PVP and John Heald, I'm comfortable enough to believe that my cruise in 3 weeks, will be fine. 

[jsglow]

20 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

This is something Princess does a lot.  They call it a 'move over offer'.  And I believe they cover change fees for flights, too.  They also sometimes have 'move down' offers with similar bennies:  move from your cabin category to a lower one.  EM

 

This.  Princess does this sometimes.  No one is ever involuntarily bumped.  The compensation typically offered is a full refund, flight compensation and a free cruise.  Anyone that accepts is way ahead financially.  Perhaps Carnival is beginning to experiment with the financial modeling of this overbook technique.   And as to how they do this?  Guaranty cabins.

 

Now I can see why it it more problematic on Carnival as the vast majority of cruisers are taking a week's vacation from work.  On Princess, there is absolutely a significantly higher percentage of retired folks with considerably more time flexibility.  Folks on the Princess board actually start excited threads when Move Over offers start.

Edited March 30, 2019 by jsglow

[jsglow]

Let me add one more thought to the financial modeling.  Say you paid a super cheap price for your cabin.  If it were available today Carnival could resell it at hundreds more.  So from their perspective, there becomes a point when 'overbooking' (to avoid sailing at less than capacity via no shows just like airlines) combined with the fare bump makes it economical to offer huge last minute compensation packages to a handful of people to get the count right.  What is not really known is if the folks that paid the cheapest rates are offered first but that would make the most sense.

Edited March 30, 2019 by jsglow

[AdGuyMG]

35 minutes ago, roundrockhorn said:

It's not the 1st sailing after dry dock though. This is, I believe, the 3rd sailing. In any event, between my PVP and John Heald, I'm comfortable enough to believe that my cruise in 3 weeks, will be fine. 

 

I'm going by this... Dated 3/12/19

We are excited to announce that yet another ship in our fleet will receive renovations as part of our $2 billion ship enhancement program. Carnival Freedom will undergo a multi-million-dollar makeover that will add even more fun experiences aboard our ship.

Carnival Freedom will dry dock for 3 weeks in Freeport, Bahamas where she will receive a variety of exciting features and Fun Ship 2.0 innovations which include:

• WaterWorks:
• Bonsai Express:
• Expanded Retail Spaces:
• Mini-Golf Course:
• Re-Branded Deli:

Following the dry dock, Carnival Freedom will resume her year-round schedule of 6 and 7-day Caribbean cruises from Galveston, starting on March 30, 2019, visiting popular destinations in Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, and Grand Cayman.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, jsglow said:

 

This.  Princess does this sometimes.  No one is ever involuntarily bumped.  The compensation typically offered is a full refund, flight compensation and a free cruise.  Anyone that accepts is way ahead financially.  Perhaps Carnival is beginning to experiment with the financial modeling of this overbook technique.   And as to how they do this?  Guaranty cabins.

 

Now I can see why it it more problematic on Carnival as the vast majority of cruisers are taking a week's vacation from work.  On Princess, there is absolutely a significantly higher percentage of retired folks with considerably more time flexibility.  Folks on the Princess board actually start excited threads when Move Over offers start.

I sincerely hope that is not the case, but it is a one time glitch.  Agree on what the impact would differ on Princess as opposed to Carnival.

[bury me at sea]

3 hours ago, AdGuyMG said:

 

Here's what I think most likely is happening.

 

Today's 3/30/19 Freedom sailing is the the 1st after just coming out of a 3 week extensive dry dock. As often happens after a dry dock some things are not 100% ready and there are Contractors still onboard that anticipated being finished by 3/30 but need to stay on for the next week.

 

The contractors count as persons on board against the lifeboat seat count, hence the "overbooking" and the move over offer to the Vista.

 

Roundrockhorn's PVP is correct that "overbooking" does not & should not happen to paying customers thru the reservation system.

 

 

 

That scenario makes sense.  I can't remember any previous instances of overbooking by Carnival.

[jsglow]

7 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

I sincerely hope that is not the case, but it is a one time glitch.  Agree on what the impact would differ on Princess as opposed to Carnival.

 

 

But why?  If you have no chance that you are FORCED to relinquish, isn't it a reasonable policy.  Some Princess types actively hope for the opportunity.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, jsglow said:

 

 

But why?  If you have no chance that you are FORCED to relinquish, isn't it a reasonable policy.  Some Princess types actively hope for the opportunity.

While you may think that, these types of situations generally happen late in the life cycle.  For people who get bumped (either voluntarily or not) it might be the only vacation opportunity they have.  If we use the airline industry as an example, sometimes it is a win win and other times not so much.  

 

Overbooking costs the cruise line money, th rationale here that they are doing it to seek cabins at a higher price has more holes than Swiss cheese.  We were bumped from a med cruise 3 days from flight day, the cruiseline made us whole and then some , but the experience was less then optimal (at least from my view).