FTTF - Sold out 8 months out?

[CarnivalCruiser32]

Hi there!!

 

While frequent Carnival Cruise line cruisers in the past I specifically haven't been in a LONG time (while members of my party have). I haven't been on Carnival since well before they introduced FTTF (or maybe I was too young and just didn't know what it was lol) so I have no idea how it works really. We just booked a cruise for December last night and while looking around the site clicked into the excursions and noticed that it said FTTF was sold out. Every other excursion is still very available ahahaha. We're doing a Royal Caribbean cruise in May which we booked only 4 months in advance and they still had availability on "The Key" which is what FTTF seems to be similar to for Carnival. So the biggest thing on my mind is: Is that typical for it to sell out so far in advance? Do they usually open up more slots as the time gets closer?

 

Thanks so much in advance!!

[okgirl]

They only open 30 or so slots at a time based on how many Diamonds and Platinums have booked.

Keep looking because if the numbers of D&P are low they will open additional FTTF.

[shof515]

FTTF slots can be random, sometimes they are available and sometimes they are not. It is capacity  controlled..you just have to keep checking daily 

[CarnivalCruiser32]

Thank you both!! That's extremely helpful! I'll keep an eye on it 🙂

[mdsgu]

Check daily, the closer you get check multiple times daily.  Early morning (5 or 6am) might work.  I was trying to get it for some friends of ours last year.  It took patience, but I finally snagged them a slot about 2 months out.

[cloudninecat]

Check all hours of the day. Our last cruise was a family one and we had 3 cabins booked. We could only get FTTF for 2 so I kept checking and finally nabbed the last one about 3 am. in the morning about a month before the cruise. I just woke up in the middle of the night an decided to check. I thought I was dreaming. You just have to be diligent. So far we've been able to get it each time we cruised. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by cloudninecat
correction

[Butterbean1000]

A few times we had to wait for it to open back up.  Once we got it right after the final payment date  and a couple of times we got it just a few weeks before sailing.   You have to be very diligent about checking, like several times a day.  It also helps to join a roll call here and on other social networks

 

Good luck !

[teknoge3k]

For our sailing next month, it went on sale 12 months ago. For our sailing May 2020, it went on sale last month. Next months FTTF sold out in under 6 hours. They have not opened up any more slots. 

[hockeyguru32]

I got my FTTF last month which is 13 months out from my cruise date. But keep checking things change.

Edited April 3, 2019 by hockeyguru32

[CarnivalCruiser32]

It just dropped off the excursion page all together. Does that mean they might be opening more slots? 🤨🙇‍♀️😂

[Organized Chaos]

23 minutes ago, CarnivalCruiser32 said:

It just dropped off the excursion page all together. Does that mean they might be opening more slots? 🤨🙇‍♀️😂

 

That's odd. I would think they'd just update the system and open more without removing it. Who knows. I'd keep a close eye on it for when it shows up again. Maybe it's a sign.

 

Ours became available last month for our March 2020 cruise. I was surprised to see it so early. We hesitated too long and it sold out in a week or two, so now we're watching.

[sprint180]

For my Jan 2020 cruise they opened it up last week.  It only lasted 4 hours.

[Tracey.kinney425]

My end of April 2020 sold out last month,my PVP didn't believe me when I called to see if others would be released later since it's so early.