Rate code complaint

[cmukid87]

Sorry everyone, I just need to vent.

We were so, so excited when Magic swapped out Elation in August.  We were looking for a while to try to go in August and finally the itineraries come open and my wife has a good rate code.  We book two days ago.

Fast forward not even 24 hours and I get a promotion email from Carnival with a ridiculous rate code offer.  Go figure I jump through all the hoops to try to get my booking to that code and get denied.  Extremely frustrating that we can't cruise for 16+ months and when I finally book I get a completely "coincidental" offer the day after I book.

[firefly333]

Maybe the lesson is to always book early saver code first. Once early saver, always early saver, can match to any other code after final payment date ... only early saver.

 

I expect close in rates to continue to have promotions. People with kids are having to cancel.

 

Woulda should coulda, I'm wishing I wasnt locked into sept 11, there are 4 dates in sept and oct at least that are cheaper than sept 11. One only I saw higher. Almost any other date I would have gotten a price drop. Not a thing I can do. Beating someone up wouldnt help but I know its aggravating to see a better deal and I'm locked into sept 11 on vista. That price hasnt dropped. And even if it does now I've locked into cheers and that isnt a rate code I can get again. Booked a 2nd leg for breeze and wishing there was some other rate I could have gotten. 

 

Always happens to me, I just tell myself I did the best I could when I booked. Covid makes booking uncertain...worse than ever. Sure are some deals out there.

 

What was the ridiculously good offer you got? Might as well exchange deals?

 

Edited June 18, 2021 by firefly333

[cmukid87]

40 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Maybe the lesson is to always book early saver code first. Once early saver, always early saver, can match to any other code after final payment date ... only early saver.

 

I expect close in rates to continue to have promotions. People with kids are having to cancel.

 

Woulda should coulda, I'm wishing I wasnt locked into sept 11, there are 4 dates in sept and oct at least that are cheaper than sept 11. One only I saw higher. Almost any other date I would have gotten a price drop. Not a thing I can do. Beating someone up wouldnt help but I know its aggravating to see a better deal and I'm locked into sept 11 on vista. That price hasnt dropped. And even if it does now I've locked into cheers and that isnt a rate code I can get again. Booked a 2nd leg for breeze and wishing there was some other rate I could have gotten. 

 

Always happens to me, I just tell myself I did the best I could when I booked. Covid makes booking uncertain...worse than ever. Sure are some deals out there.

 

What was the ridiculously good offer you got? Might as well exchange deals?

 

We booked for August so we booked best rate that was available at the time.  I usually will book an early saver rate but "usually" for me is booking 12+ months in advance.

 

The offer given to me was rate code PLH.  Brought our cabin down $346.  If able to we would have had a large (alley style) balcony on Magic for $692.  The cheapest room was potentially an interior room for around $500.  5 day sailing.

Edited June 18, 2021 by cmukid87

[Love being Mimi]

Have you called?  Sometimes they will give you a better cabin

[firefly333]

14 minutes ago, cmukid87 said:

We booked for August so we booked best rate that was available at the time.  I usually will book an early saver rate but "usually" for me is booking 12+ months in advance.

 

The offer given to me was rate code PLH.  Brought our cabin down $346.  If able to we would have had an large balcony on Magic for $692.  The cheapest room was potentially an interior room for around $500.

Idk rate codes, just what they say. The best rate for sept 11 last sept 2011, is still effe tively the same, 1A starts 709, plus taxes, plus cheers or wifi or whatever else I want to add. 845 and that's a 1A, and everything else is a lot higher. 500..what a good rate offer you got.

 

Heck 10 days on breeze prices start right under 800, for 3 days more  i dont remember the different codes, I'm booked the current one, reduced deposit and up to $50 obc for 2nd leg. Hahahaha. When i looked on the booking page, the obc actually is $12.50. I keep laughing and telling myself not to spend all my obc in the same place. ..first 2 I got cheers, my offers are not great. Wifi .. nope. Last thing I need is to be tempted to waste my cruise online. So last leg of breeze I got the big 12.50 obc offer hahahahaha. I'm still laughing. 

 

If I could get a balcony for 500 I'd be jumping on it...way better than me. Book another cruise? That's what I'd do if I were you. Book another.

Edited June 18, 2021 by firefly333

[cmukid87]

3 minutes ago, Love being Mimi said:

Have you called?  Sometimes they will give you a better cabin

I haven't.  I had our PVP try to work some magic.  To me there really isn't a better cabin unless it's a suite.  I jumped on this exact cabin because I've had it before and the location is perfect.

[cmukid87]

3 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

 

If I could get a balcony for 500 I'm be jumping on it...way better than me. Book another cruise?

If I could I would.  Rate is good for cruises through October but we've got a house full of kids and only get one trip kid free per year (for our Anniversary in August).

[Love being Mimi]

Just now, cmukid87 said:

I haven't.  I had our PVP try to work some magic.  To me there really isn't a better cabin unless it's a suite.  I jumped on this exact cabin because I've had it before and the location is perfect.

Well good luck.  Maybe they will give OBC.  Hope all works out

 

[NavyCruiser]

Just got off the phone with Carnival rep.

Told her that we got cancelled 3 times last year, got $300 OBC, got a great price back then, went from great Deck 8 balcony  to worst 1A inside cabin (upper & lower bed, next to elevator, above Deck 5 theater), for middle of hurricane season Sept sailing on the Breeze out of Galveston.  She waived the $100 change fee to change us to exact same sailing for early December, moved us to Deck 7 reg inside room 4E category, kept the RU1 Cheers promo & $300 OBC.  Well worth the extra $30 pp to be out of hurricane season & reg into cabin.

[Love being Mimi]

1 minute ago, NavyCruiser said:

Just got off the phone with Carnival rep.

Told her that we got cancelled 3 times last year, got $300 OBC, got a great price back then, went from great Deck 8 balcony  to worst 1A inside cabin (upper & lower bed, next to elevator, above Deck 5 theater), for middle of hurricane season Sept sailing on the Breeze out of Galveston.  She waived the $100 change fee to change us to exact same sailing for early December, moved us to Deck 7 reg inside room 4E category, kept the RU1 Cheers promo & $300 OBC.  Well worth the extra $30 pp to be out of hurricane season & reg into cabin.

That's great.  Have a good time

 

[travelplus]

17 hours ago, cmukid87 said:

Sorry everyone, I just need to vent.

We were so, so excited when Magic swapped out Elation in August.  We were looking for a while to try to go in August and finally the itineraries come open and my wife has a good rate code.  We book two days ago.

Fast forward not even 24 hours and I get a promotion email from Carnival with a ridiculous rate code offer.  Go figure I jump through all the hoops to try to get my booking to that code and get denied.  Extremely frustrating that we can't cruise for 16+ months and when I finally book I get a completely "coincidental" offer the day after I book.

This is a risk you take even with flights. I book and never look back if I know I cannot get a reduction in price. I book refundable rates so I can be flexible. For instance I found an Airbnb room in a Superhosts's house in Long Beach for $70 a night vs hotel at $115 so I cancelled the refundable hotel and switched it.

 

I will not book nonrefundable so far out except if I know an airline like Alaska allowed was me to use my travel funds to a new trip.

 

If I can afford the trip now and can't save $$$ I'm not that upset and can find ways to get a discount.

 

Thanks