Mock Booking

[ctkathchick]

Hi everyone I have booked an early saver cruise for the end of this year. In the past I was able to do mock booking by using somewhat of a link without signing in I think. How does everyone check the rates for price drops now? I'm not crazy about signing in and re-entering all my info everyday. Thanks for any and all help.

[bakersdozen12]

You have to do just that: log in and do a mock booking. They did away with the Fare Viewer that you are referring to a year or two ago. It was notorious for being wrong anyway, so it’s really for the best that you do an actual mock booking.
 

I’m curious, though, what is the big deal about logging in? You don’t have to enter in any info once you are logged in, except for the state you reside in (I don’t know why it can’t remember that info). But your VIFP number will populate automatically. And you don’t have to go so far as entering in names in order to get the price. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by bakersdozen12

[ctkathchick]

Lol just lazy and tired. But in the years gone by fareviewer seemed to work for me but who knows for sure. Thanks

 

[VentureMan_2000]

You can peruse using Carnival without even logging in.

 

[Saint Greg]

You don’t have to log in to get an early saver rate. Just do the mock booking without logging in.

[Organized Chaos]

48 minutes ago, ctkathchick said:

Hi everyone I have booked an early saver cruise for the end of this year. In the past I was able to do mock booking by using somewhat of a link without signing in I think. How does everyone check the rates for price drops now? I'm not crazy about signing in and re-entering all my info everyday. Thanks for any and all help.

 

A couple others are right, you don't even have to log in. Unless it gave you a special Early Saver rate that's cheaper than the regular one. They offer those to us sometimes...they'll only appear when we're logged in. In that case, if you've booked one of those, you'd need to login and check that rate to see if the price dropped since the normal ES rate would more than likely be more.

 

44 minutes ago, bakersdozen12 said:

I’m curious, though, what is the big deal about logging in? You don’t have to enter in any info once you are logged in, except for the state you reside in (I don’t know why it can’t remember that info). But your VIFP number will populate automatically. And you don’t have to go so far as entering in names in order to get the price. 

 

I've seen a lot of people say every time they so much as search a cruise, they get a call from their PVP and are asked if they're ready to book it. I'm assuming they're logged in and PVP's can see the searches. Those folks seem to like it and appreciate that their PVP is that attentive, but that would drive me nuts if ours called us every time we did a search or performed a mock booking to check for a price drop. Ours has never given any indication that he'd do that to us, but I prefer to stay logged out.

[VentureMan_2000]

2 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I've seen a lot of people say every time they so much as search a cruise, they get a call from their PVP and are asked if they're ready to book it.

 

 

Yeah... I changed my phone number to a bogus one because of that.  I'll contact them, if I need to.

[Bostwick girl]

6 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

 

Yeah... I changed my phone number to a bogus one because of that.  I'll contact them, if I need to.

In 31 cruises my pvp has never called me to ask if I was ready to book!  I am usually looking every day or so, and have never been called by anyone after looking.

 

[Tapi]

6 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

I've seen a lot of people say every time they so much as search a cruise, they get a call from their PVP and are asked if they're ready to book it.

PVP’s can see if one of their clients has logged in. Technically, it’s part of their responsibilities to follow up with you to either complete the booking or to check if they can assist you further. That’s how they create a relationship with you which sometimes lasts over the years. Some people appreciate that level of service. Others prefer not to be bothered. If you’re someone who does not want to be called, answer their calls and let them know what your preferences are. 
 

I compulsively check cruise fares, even if I’m not planning on taking a cruise, and my PVP knows that I will contact her when I’m ready to book, so she doesn’t call me every time I log in. Otherwise we’d be chatting multiple times a week 😂

[Purvis1231]

There are website that will monitor your cruise and email you if there is a price change. But you can also call the PVP who will take care of you. 

[Qchell]

Google Chrome is my primary app to cruise the internet.  When I want to check out Carnival without logging in, I just switch over to Internet Explorer.  None of my passwords, etc. are there so it's easy to surf sites without it automatically logging in or having to log out.  

[Organized Chaos]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

and my PVP knows that I will contact her when I’m ready to book, so she doesn’t call me every time I log in

 

Ours is the same way. If we had one that called all the time, I would’ve put a hault to that right away. I like attentiveness, but that’s too much.

[bigdog1958]

it seems like when I do quite a bit of checking price by mock booking, I get upsell calls. when I don't there is no offers

[VentureMan_2000]

Two issues with them calling: 

 

1.  I don't use Carnival to book.  PVPs are just sales people -- trying to make a sale.  The Carnival site notes that I logged in and was looking at some cruises, which gets passed onto a PVP. 

 

2.  Can't blame Carnival for trying to make a sale, but nothing bothers me more than being called by a salesman.

[Saint Greg]

12 minutes ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Two issues with them calling: 

 

1.  I don't use Carnival to book.  PVPs are just sales people -- trying to make a sale.  The Carnival site notes that I logged in and was looking at some cruises, which gets passed onto a PVP. 

 

2.  Can't blame Carnival for trying to make a sale, but nothing bothers me more than being called by a salesman.

I haven’t had a call from carnival in a couple years. I had a pvp for awhile. I told him not to call me. Then he left the company. I haven’t had a call from carnival since.

[Organized Chaos]

On 1/26/2020 at 11:25 AM, VentureMan_2000 said:

1.  I don't use Carnival to book.  PVPs are just sales people -- trying to make a sale.  The Carnival site notes that I logged in and was looking at some cruises, which gets passed onto a PVP.

 

Then ours is a terrible salesman, because he's never once called us when we were searching cruises, nor has he ever pushed us to book a cruise or tried to upsell us on an existing booking in any way. PVP's are far more than just sales reps. The good ones, anyway.

[VentureMan_2000]

13 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Then ours is a terrible salesman, because he's never once called us when we were searching cruises, nor has he ever pushed us to book a cruise or tried to upsell us on an existing booking in any way. PVP's are far more than just sales reps. The good ones, anyway.

Didn't mean to imply PVP's weren't helpful, insightful, and knowledgeable sales people.

[five.]

On 1/26/2020 at 12:10 AM, Organized Chaos said:

I've seen a lot of people say every time they so much as search a cruise, they get a call from their PVP and are asked if they're ready to book it. I'm assuming they're logged in and PVP's can see the searches. Those folks seem to like it and appreciate that their PVP is that attentive, but that would drive me nuts if ours called us every time we did a search or performed a mock booking to check for a price drop. Ours has never given any indication that he'd do that to us, but I prefer to stay logged out.

 

Yea, our PVP used to do that, but honestly these days she's not super useful and has gotten a few of my requests wrong. And there is usually a long wait to hear back, 4 hours or more. Used to be almost instant. The other change is basically no contact through email at all. And anything written in an email has to be said aloud so that it's recorded by big brother. It can be annoying when she calls back and I'm not in front of my computer.

 

It's a shame, because I generally dislike phone calls, but did enjoy the early interactions with our PVP and she had lots of useful info and it really was customer service at it's finest. To me it seems these days they are just overloaded with too many people per PVP.

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Didn't mean to imply PVP's weren't helpful, insightful, and knowledgeable sales people.

 

LOL I can see you've convinced yourself and I doubt you'll change your opinion of what you think they are. PVP's aren't sales people. Yes, they can sell, but sales aren't their job. They are customer service reps. who tend to be more knowledgeable than the ones we get when we call the 800 number. Elevated customer service, if you will.

 

1 hour ago, five. said:

Yea, our PVP used to do that, but honestly these days she's not super useful and has gotten a few of my requests wrong. And there is usually a long wait to hear back, 4 hours or more. Used to be almost instant. The other change is basically no contact through email at all. And anything written in an email has to be said aloud so that it's recorded by big brother. It can be annoying when she calls back and I'm not in front of my computer.

 

It's a shame, because I generally dislike phone calls, but did enjoy the early interactions with our PVP and she had lots of useful info and it really was customer service at it's finest. To me it seems these days they are just overloaded with too many people per PVP.

 

Ours won't respond to emails either. That's the one thing I dislike about him because, more often than not, it's easier just to shoot off a quick email to ask something than it is to call. And even though he'll take my calls outside normal business hours, I certainly don't want to bother him during those times. So many times, emails are much more convenient. Alas, he just won't correspond that way. Other than that, he's been great to us. I don't need him to book a cruise, I can easily do that myself, but I'm willing to hear what he has to say about things such as cabin locations.

[dltvermont]

On 1/26/2020 at 6:56 AM, Bostwick girl said:

In 31 cruises my pvp has never called me to ask if I was ready to book!  I am usually looking every day or so, and have never been called by anyone after looking.

 

 

I think my PVP finally gave up. Every single time I got onto the website, Id get home and have a message on my phone from him about booking.