Free, or very heavily discounted, Carnival cruises

[Elaine5715]

6 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Here's a thread about the best (as in cheapest) offer I've ever gotten from Carnival.  It had nothing to do with the casino.  TL,DR:  For some reason Carnival wanted me to go on the Splendor in Alaska and were willing to give away any of a number of cruises to entice me to do so.  I couldn't do it, so I let the offers expire.

 

Splendor cruises out of Seattle were cheap across the board last two years.  First, it was supposed to be the Freedom and there was a ship change.  Canada was forcing additional entry requirements, Skagway was out and Seattle is just sad.  I was on the cruise before this one.  

[Elaine5715]

19 hours ago, sofmall said:

We're soon to go on a Carnival Splendor cruise out of Australia. We're Platinum level.

I'm in a facebook group for that cruise and frequently someone starts a bragging thread about the free cruises they're offered. Either free or available for a pittance. They say they're emailed to them, or pop up in their online account deals. Many have booked a few cruises for maybe $200 a cruise, so they say. 

I'm curious... is there a reason some people are targetted with cheapie cruises? It's obviously not loyalty level. They don't pop up in my online account when I log in. The cruises I see there are really no cheaper than regular sale prices that appear in a google search.

 

Newbie cruisers in the group are getting either exasperated they weren't give a free cruise too, or excited because they think free cruise offers will flow to them once they've done their first cruise. 

Others claim the offers are made to cruisers who spend a lot of time in the casino. Some gamblers agree, others with wonderful offers say they barely spend anything in the casino. There's a lot of bragging. A lot of disappointment from many... "why not us?"

 

Can anyone throw some light on this free/heavily discounted cruise offer situation? 

 

19 hours ago, staceyglow said:

Free cruises are offered to gamblers. And I am pretty sure that for most of them, they aren't really "free". 

This is correct.  There is a reason the casino allows you to charge up to $5000 a day in the casino.  Gamblers will spend $1000 in hopes they will get a "free" $48 steak dinner

[icat2000]

17 hours ago, sofmall said:

 

That was a very interesting post. So I checked in my account and I do have those boxes ticked, so nothing to do there. No remarkable offers there either. I'm obviously not considered a desirable passenger for their purposes.

 

Neither my husband nor I gamble and aren't about to start as I feel then we pay for our cruise in our losses. 🙂

We're not drinkers either! So we really spend little money on a cruiseship. Never mind, we'll just go on booking. We haven't been on a Carnival cruise in years - we sail with about 5 different cruiselines depending on itinerary - so are looking forward to seeing again what Carnival's about.

 

You have answered your own question. You spend very little onboard. So Carnival doesn't need to bother offering you any perks because they can get someone who will spend on cabin plus other stuff so they target them. They analyse your spend profiles.

 

Also Carnival having trouble filling the Luminosa out of Brisbane and that were a lot of the cheap cruises are coming from. RCL is struggling to fill their ship too. 

Edited February 22, 2023 by icat2000

[icat2000]

8 hours ago, scoobysnacks70 said:

I have received them but am not willing to pay the air fare.  Nothing is free--you still have to pay port fees, taxes, gratuities and all the other extras.  I am not a big gambler.  I play the slots and spend about $20-40 a day when I do.  On this last cruise I tried roulette for the 1st time and spent $50!  Woohoo!  I rarely "win" and usually just break even.  I must be the demographic they are looking for 😄

Out of Australia Port fees, taxes and grats are included in the price. Its the law here. I guess if you got a free cruise you might have to pay the port fees and taxes and grats (not sure how that works here).

Edited February 22, 2023 by icat2000

[sofmall]

9 hours ago, staceyglow said:

If you don't spend any money on a cruise ship, then quite honestly, they aren't particularly interested in having you as a customer, and they aren't motivated to give you any deals. All mass market cruise lines are lucky to break even on the cruise fare itself.  All of their profit comes from drinks, gambling, shore excursions, onboard shopping, etc. and they are going to focus on those people. 

 

I am not saying this to disparage you; we aren't big spenders, either. But that's the way the cruise industry works. 

 

Yes, you're spot on! I came to the same conclusion a good while back. We're not drinkers, we prefer to book independent rather than ship's shore excursions for the cheaper price but also for the smaller groups with personalised service, specialty dining isn't our "thing", we find that the on board shops rarely have something we want and need to buy, unless there's some Sheridan in the alcohol stock. We don't gamble. Before I met my husband he went through a period of playing Blackjack (not on cruises) and was actually quite good at it, but he realised there's better things he can do with his money and hasn't bothered with it for many years. So we're useless from the point of view of the cruise industry!

[Theosprey247]

The only people more dishonest than gamblers are gamblers who cruise.  
 

I kid, I kid. 

[sofmall]

9 minutes ago, icat2000 said:

You have answered your own question. You spend very little onboard. So Carnival doesn't need to bother offering you any perks because they can get someone who will spend on cabin plus other stuff so they target them. They analyse your spend profiles.

 

Also Carnival having trouble filling the Luminosa out of Brisbane and that were a lot of the cheap cruises are coming from. RCL is struggling to fill their ship too. 

 

I started this thread not really because I wondered why not us, but because I was puzzled why it happens when I'm reading in the facebook group many saying they got a free cruise and don't go to the casino / don't spend much / don't buy art from the art auctions etc. They make it seem like the cruise fairy just drops by for them every so often. They make the newbie cruisers anxious because they had to pay for their cruise. 🙂

I'm forever doubtful, I've said there that cruiselines aren't being benevolent and that they have an agenda to tempt people to keep cruising with them. They're not trying to "reward" people for their loyalty. But still many seem to think that free cruises are likely, and get upset that the cruise company is rewarding some for their loyalty but overlooking them.

I'm not bothered for a few reasons... we prefer longer cruises, often international; we're fussy about itinerary; I don't want cabin upgrades because before I book I study deckplans and if I choose a specific cabin I don't want to lose it to a so-called-but-often-not "upgrade". Unless we're offered a free suite!!! 🙂 Plus my daughter is a travel agent so we get a fare that's always very competitive.

 

[jamscckmc]

I get offers everyday. Usually just interior and OV. Last month I started getting balcony offers too. I booked Mardi Gras next year in an extended balcony. $100 each(plus port fees and taxes) with the $100 back as OBC. I get drinks on us in the casino while playing. I spend a few hundred a day and once got a large hand pay. I’ve never been offered a suite, drinks anywhere or even a steakhouse dinner. 

[SRQbeachgirl]

I've gotten three free Australia cruise offers within the last year, but we'd have to get there. I hate flying these day and only begrudgingly fly halfway across the country to visit family, so halfway around the planet just isn't going to happen.

[icat2000]

51 minutes ago, sofmall said:

 

I started this thread not really because I wondered why not us, but because I was puzzled why it happens when I'm reading in the facebook group many saying they got a free cruise and don't go to the casino / don't spend much / don't buy art from the art auctions etc. They make it seem like the cruise fairy just drops by for them every so often. They make the newbie cruisers anxious because they had to pay for their cruise. 🙂

I'm forever doubtful, I've said there that cruiselines aren't being benevolent and that they have an agenda to tempt people to keep cruising with them. They're not trying to "reward" people for their loyalty. But still many seem to think that free cruises are likely, and get upset that the cruise company is rewarding some for their loyalty but overlooking them.

I'm not bothered for a few reasons... we prefer longer cruises, often international; we're fussy about itinerary; I don't want cabin upgrades because before I book I study deckplans and if I choose a specific cabin I don't want to lose it to a so-called-but-often-not "upgrade". Unless we're offered a free suite!!! 🙂 Plus my daughter is a travel agent so we get a fare that's always very competitive.

 

I think there a few factors being played out why there are so many cheap cruises and some getting free cruises. I think this cruising season is an anomaly and wont necessarily be the norm as the cruising industry recovers from post covid.

 

I too like itineraries over ship. But I did jump on some cheapies out of Brisbane over Xmas Hols. 

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, sofmall said:

 

I started this thread not really because I wondered why not us, but because I was puzzled why it happens when I'm reading in the facebook group many saying they got a free cruise and don't go to the casino / don't spend much / don't buy art from the art auctions etc. They make it seem like the cruise fairy just drops by for them every so often. They make the newbie cruisers anxious because they had to pay for their cruise. 🙂

I'm forever doubtful, I've said there that cruiselines aren't being benevolent and that they have an agenda to tempt people to keep cruising with them. They're not trying to "reward" people for their loyalty. But still many seem to think that free cruises are likely, and get upset that the cruise company is rewarding some for their loyalty but overlooking them.

I'm not bothered for a few reasons... we prefer longer cruises, often international; we're fussy about itinerary; I don't want cabin upgrades because before I book I study deckplans and if I choose a specific cabin I don't want to lose it to a so-called-but-often-not "upgrade". Unless we're offered a free suite!!! 🙂 Plus my daughter is a travel agent so we get a fare that's always very competitive.

 

Cruise ego braggarts are very real.  They can spew lies and you can't fact check.  The same folks claim they always receive exemptions from the rules, that the crew love their homemade goodies and the Captain lets them drive the ship.  "Free cruises" are 99% casino related and those folks are spending thousands in the casino.  Free upgrades are almost nonexistent, most all are upsells.    

[Mic101680]

4 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

I've gotten three free Australia cruise offers within the last year, but we'd have to get there. 

 Same here. My only issue with this is that the flight costs from Florida to Australia are beyond insane. Otherwise I would have been on these cruises at least twice by now. Sadly, I had to just let these expire.

 

And my only complaint about the casino offers, is that currently, my other offers have had better pricing and value to me than the casino offers.

[Joebucks]

20 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

A lot of people have a lot negative to say about the casino offers, not sure why.  Everyone has a different opinion on what "a lot of money" is when spent at the casino, and love to say, "well they aren't really free" because you have to spend some money in the casino.  

 

Our current situation is - we have 3 different offers (interior, ocean view, and balcony offers) for a free* cruise that can each be used 3 times.  So that's really 9 cruises we could book.  This round of offers, you do have to sail by May 2024, so a little over a year, and could we really take 9 cruises in the next year?  We couldn't, but some people could.  

 

We have spent no where near the amount of money 9 cruises would cost.  We HAVE booked about 3 of these offers.  I'd wager (haha get it) to say, we've spent less than the 3 cruises would cost, and may book maybe 1 more. 

 

And we have fun doing it.  

 

And, given past experience, after this current round of offers expire, they send a new round with further dates.  

 

But for whatever reason, there will always be naysayers against casino offers.

 

If you have fun, then by all means. Some people get tired of reading how many people imply how exclusive and special they are, while hiding the fact they've prepaid thousands for their free cruise.

[abby1257]

On 2/20/2023 at 11:30 PM, staceyglow said:

Free cruises are offered to gamblers. And I am pretty sure that for most of them, they aren't really "free". 

I beg to differ....I have an upcoming cruise (we had it quoted in Canadian $)..The 8 day cruise (INCLUDING gratuities) was $510.00....our airfare from Toronto to Miami was $487.00 so a grand total of approximately $1,000.00 CANADIAN each...Oh forgot to mention...we have $1,000.00 U.S. onboard credit and each have 250.00 fun play...so I think the math does say FREE CRUISE AND AIRFARE ...AND  we have free drinks ANYWHERE ON THE SHIP...not just the Casino....We DO gamble...but we have also won lots....I will not get a bill from Carnival when I get off the ship (only what I choose to game and hopefully i will break even again this time...🙂

Edited February 22, 2023 by abby1257

[Homosassa]

Perhaps Carnival is tapping into that cruise population that states: "You would have to pay me to cruise on Carnival...."

[MMastell]

We did Carnival Pride last May on a casino offer and it was $900 for 2 in an aft balcony for 12 days. We are doing Luminosa for $1200 pp for 2 for 22 days. We also booked Splendor for $2100 for 2 in a Vista balcony.  All are casino offers with OBC.  The thing is that I do gamble but have never lost more than $300 on a cruise in all my years of cruising.  I think the best is that you sign up for the Players Club, have a high loyalty program level (Platinum or Diamond) and then the offers come more often and better deals.

 

I only take offers on cruises I want to do or are on the bucket list.  For our upcoming Luminosa and Splendor cruises to Australia the airfare was more than both cruises combined.  Plus there is pre, between and post cruise hotels, excursions, food, car, etc..  The total cost ends up being a low five figures but without these offers it may have been a long time or never before I would do this.

 

Take care,

Mike

[staceyglow]

50 minutes ago, abby1257 said:

I beg to differ....I have an upcoming cruise (we had it quoted in Canadian $)..The 8 day cruise (INCLUDING gratuities) was $510.00....our airfare from Toronto to Miami was $487.00 so a grand total of approximately $1,000.00 CANADIAN each...Oh forgot to mention...we have $1,000.00 U.S. onboard credit and each have 250.00 fun play...so I think the math does say FREE CRUISE AND AIRFARE ...AND  we have free drinks ANYWHERE ON THE SHIP...not just the Casino....We DO gamble...but we have also won lots....I will not get a bill from Carnival when I get off the ship (only what I choose to game and hopefully i will break even again this time...🙂

I am happy for you that you have been so lucky, but you and I both know that Carnival wouldn't give cheap or free cruises to gamblers if they  come out ahead in total on the gambling losses.

I live in Las Vegas. I know how it works. I don't do a lot of gambling myself, but I know the places where they will give me free drinks while I sit at the bar and play video poker at a quarter per hand. I might lose $10 , but I got 2 or 3 drinks comped, so in my mind, I won.  But I am not like most people who gamble in Las Vegas. The last time I cashed out a winning ticket, I stood in line for the combo ATM/ticket redemption machine behind a guy who was getting declined for a cash advance on several different credit cards. He is the guy that is paying for all the comped rooms and free dinners for all of the winners. 

[resetjet]

11 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Cruise ego braggarts are very real.  They can spew lies and you can't fact check.  The same folks claim they always receive exemptions from the rules, that the crew love their homemade goodies and the Captain lets them drive the ship.  "Free cruises" are 99% casino related and those folks are spending thousands in the casino.  Free upgrades are almost nonexistent, most all are upsells.    

You are right about everything except “spending thiusands in the casino”.  Obviously you dont gamble and thats a good thing for most. Its hard for me to put a number on it at carnival as i have not cruised them since 2016. We never got offers then.  However on royal its super transparent and 800 points will score you a free inside.  All we did on carnival was have them

match our royal status and now we just did our first free 8 day and have a free 15 day hawaii scheduled. Now i am not saying we dont spend money,  but i can 100% guarantee that we dont in total spend as much as a person who does not gamble.  We lost a total of about $550 on the 8 day cruise.  Which that plus tax and port charges is what it cost us with free drinks in casino,  our onboard spend was low and we got $150 total cash for freeplay.  We had two rooms as well and invited relatives who had an inside,  we had an outside.  They do not gamble so the lost like $20 each and gave up.  So the four of us had a great time for $550 + tax.  And this is not an anomoly we did the same in january on rccl.  We are on our 8th free post covid cruise next month on wonder.  Will it scale back?  I would almost guarantee it.  Its simply too good of a deal.  They were desperate to get the ships full.

[resetjet]

I need to add that in any casino, I see most people cannot manage their money.  I see them spend thousands of dollars.  Nobody wins in a casino over time.  But often, with the free rooms, drinks, etc, you can manage very inexpensive entertainment for those that don't lose too much money.  Those are the people who are going in to win money as opposed to paying for entertainment.

[Tripmode33]

14 hours ago, sofmall said:

 

I started this thread not really because I wondered why not us, but because I was puzzled why it happens when I'm reading in the facebook group many saying they got a free cruise and don't go to the casino / don't spend much / don't buy art from the art auctions etc. They make it seem like the cruise fairy just drops by for them every so often. They make the newbie cruisers anxious because they had to pay for their cruise. 🙂

I'm forever doubtful, I've said there that cruiselines aren't being benevolent and that they have an agenda to tempt people to keep cruising with them. They're not trying to "reward" people for their loyalty. But still many seem to think that free cruises are likely, and get upset that the cruise company is rewarding some for their loyalty but overlooking them.

I'm not bothered for a few reasons... we prefer longer cruises, often international; we're fussy about itinerary; I don't want cabin upgrades because before I book I study deckplans and if I choose a specific cabin I don't want to lose it to a so-called-but-often-not "upgrade". Unless we're offered a free suite!!! 🙂 Plus my daughter is a travel agent so we get a fare that's always very competitive.

 

We've been lucky enough to receive these amazing deals in Australia this season. A mystery as to who receives them, as neither my husband nor myself have ever spent a cent in a casino and we do not spend money on the ship unless spending OBC. We've just had a lovely cruise in a full suite and head back on Luminosa in a couple of weeks.  I do think that this is an unusual season for Australian cruising, and don't expect these sort of offers to continue next season.

[my kids mama]

1 hour ago, resetjet said:

You are right about everything except “spending thiusands in the casino”.  Obviously you dont gamble and thats a good thing for most. Its hard for me to put a number on it at carnival as i have not cruised them since 2016. We never got offers then.  However on royal its super transparent and 800 points will score you a free inside.  All we did on carnival was have them

match our royal status and now we just did our first free 8 day and have a free 15 day hawaii scheduled. Now i am not saying we dont spend money,  but i can 100% guarantee that we dont in total spend as much as a person who does not gamble.  We lost a total of about $550 on the 8 day cruise.  Which that plus tax and port charges is what it cost us with free drinks in casino,  our onboard spend was low and we got $150 total cash for freeplay.  We had two rooms as well and invited relatives who had an inside,  we had an outside.  They do not gamble so the lost like $20 each and gave up.  So the four of us had a great time for $550 + tax.  And this is not an anomoly we did the same in january on rccl.  We are on our 8th free post covid cruise next month on wonder.  Will it scale back?  I would almost guarantee it.  Its simply too good of a deal.  They were desperate to get the ships full.

This is sort of how I feel as well.  We have been on 10 carnival cruises (I think) the only one I ever paid full price for was the very first one. I played in the casino one night on that cruise and lost a chunk of change.  At the end of the cruise I went to close my casino account down and I had a few credits so I played them and won $2,400.  Since then, I have had offers for free interior that I can usually pay a little more to have a balcony.  Actually, the biggest jackpot I ever won was on a cruise ship. My offers are better this year than in the past. I think it's still a post covid thing.  I currently have 3 cruises booked on casino deals.  Going on the Celebration in a couple of weeks and the Luminosa in May to Alaska.  Both of those cruises are $1k or less all in, including pre paid gratuities and travel protection. Balcony for 2, drinks anywhere on the ship for me and my hubby, $200 OBC, and I think $200 play money. I Have one booked for next year on the Luminosa out of Brisbane, same price.  If I remember correctly, this offer has more play money and drinks anywhere only for me. Yes, I gamble on every cruise.  Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose.  I think my losses have been lower than what Carnival has given me in offers. I also enjoy gambling so, if I lose a similar amount to what I saved with my offers, I am really not mad.  I feel like I broke even and I had a good time. 

[Eli_6]

My husband and I only ever gambled a couple hundred dollars and during the "vax only" period we got some really good casino deals.  They dried up, though, and now we aren't getting them. I even tried gambling more than I usually did in the casino (talking maybe $500) and still nothing. I cannot force myself to gamble thousands like some do. Losing money gives me anxiety.   One lady on my Europe carnival cruise said she had LOST 13k in the casino and that is too rich for my blood.  She deserves a free cruise after losing that much. 

 

I also 100 percent agree that sometimes it comes down to other issues.  My Mom gets great deals and barely ever gambled with Carnival and has been on 1 cruise. However, she did used to regularly go to Vegas and the Louisiana casinos so I suspect this is why she gets good deals. 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by Eli_6

[EngIceDave]

2 hours ago, resetjet said:

I need to add that in any casino, I see most people cannot manage their money.  I see them spend thousands of dollars.  Nobody wins in a casino over time.  But often, with the free rooms, drinks, etc, you can manage very inexpensive entertainment for those that don't lose too much money.  Those are the people who are going in to win money as opposed to paying for entertainment.

 

It's a matter of perspective. I play (gamble) for fun with little expectation of winning. I hope I win, I pray I'll win to every God I can think of in order to win, but it's all in fun.

 

So we look at it this way....how much is a 7 day balcony cabin for two? That's what I play (+/-).

So it pays for the cruise and I get entertained with it. I don't mind, I didn't plan to win.

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, abby1257 said:

I beg to differ....I have an upcoming cruise (we had it quoted in Canadian $)..The 8 day cruise (INCLUDING gratuities) was $510.00....our airfare from Toronto to Miami was $487.00 so a grand total of approximately $1,000.00 CANADIAN each...Oh forgot to mention...we have $1,000.00 U.S. onboard credit and each have 250.00 fun play...so I think the math does say FREE CRUISE AND AIRFARE ...AND  we have free drinks ANYWHERE ON THE SHIP...not just the Casino....We DO gamble...but we have also won lots....I will not get a bill from Carnival when I get off the ship (only what I choose to game and hopefully i will break even again this time...🙂

If you only use your FreePlay and OBC ($1250.00) in the casino, then yes this one was "free".  After all, casinos are built on winners..oh, wait..that doesn't sound right.  

[resetjet]

37 minutes ago, my kids mama said:

This is sort of how I feel as well.  We have been on 10 carnival cruises (I think) the only one I ever paid full price for was the very first one. I played in the casino one night on that cruise and lost a chunk of change.  At the end of the cruise I went to close my casino account down and I had a few credits so I played them and won $2,400.  Since then, I have had offers for free interior that I can usually pay a little more to have a balcony.  Actually, the biggest jackpot I ever won was on a cruise ship. My offers are better this year than in the past. I think it's still a post covid thing.  I currently have 3 cruises booked on casino deals.  Going on the Celebration in a couple of weeks and the Luminosa in May to Alaska.  Both of those cruises are $1k or less all in, including pre paid gratuities and travel protection. Balcony for 2, drinks anywhere on the ship for me and my hubby, $200 OBC, and I think $200 play money. I Have one booked for next year on the Luminosa out of Brisbane, same price.  If I remember correctly, this offer has more play money and drinks anywhere only for me. Yes, I gamble on every cruise.  Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose.  I think my losses have been lower than what Carnival has given me in offers. I also enjoy gambling so, if I lose a similar amount to what I saved with my offers, I am really not mad.  I feel like I broke even and I had a good time. 

well I am not into trying to win money anymore.  I have proven that can't be done long term.  So therefore, I just do it for fun and I realize it comes at a cost.  If I am not getting a free something or the other I don't gamble, its just as simple as that.  However, I have learned the ins and out of gambling over my 40 year career.  Unless you are wiling to puke up tons of cash, gambling on table to get comps is not worth it.  Comps must be made on machines.  Luckily I only play tables and my wife only pays slots, so she gambles a little on my card when we need to make status.  Usually we don't count on offers for both of us, but royal makes it so easy, why not?  Now we have offers for both of us on both.  I suggest you try royal if you gamble because in my eyes, its much more transparent and easier to obtain/control.  Especially since you are already rated on carnival.  It really opens up options.  RCCL upgrade options are way easier and transparent as well.  The drinks in casino includes a bar so you can get your own drinks and bring beers/sodas back to the room.  In addition on the big ships the casino is much larger with two texas hold tables, two craps, and tons of machines.  You get 1 point for every $5 gambled.  So each time you bet $5 you get a point.  IT takes 2500 points to get free drinks, a 7 day interior on any cruise which is called PRIME.  Then you get monthly offers from there on.  You also get freeplay and so forth.  For each individual cruise you get offers in addition from the following table.  800 points is usually a free interior on select sailings or $250 off anything.  You can also combine offers with anyone in your cabin, which carnival does not allow.  SO that way if you both have $500 off and you want a particular sailing, its $1000 off.  The way I figure it, I get a cheaper price(considering losses) then a non gambler and I get to gamble and not care if I lose.  My wife once is awhile wins a $1000 jackpot which is icing on the cake.

I will post the table from the brilliance of the seas(which has an awful casino) after this post.  They have pretty  much been the same since November.   Its very transparent.  I did not mean to highjack this thread to RCCL.  I just don't have enough knowledge yet on carnival to report back.  We took one cruise and have a 15 day Hawaii booked, and tons of offers we don't have time for.  I was sick that I could not take the totally free 30 day, la, Alaska, japan, Australia cruise they offered us due to work.