Approx cost for 3rd and 4th

[joejo]

Hello!

 

I have been trying to figure out the price of 3rd and 4th guests. I have 2 kids and so far it seems like the most I will save is $50 per child. Is this right?

 

We are looking at cruising around christmas time in 2007 and want to leave out of FL. We aren't picky about the ship or the ports-heck we'll be cruising! The rest is just details, lol! And we are looking for at least 4 days but we want to keep the costs down as we have to fly there.

 

I thought I had read that 3rd and 4th were cheaper than I have come up with. How much of a difference did you get for your extras?

 

Oh, can I book 4 people in a 1a guar? On the website it gives me that option but I thought it had to be a 4a at least. I dunno, help please!

 

(I did a search and came up with either nothing or a zillion posts!)

[sea_u_onboard]

The thing is you are trying to book during the Christmas holiday and they are not going to cut you a break on 3rd and 4th.

 

All cruises are different. Some the additional passenger is far less while others it's almost worth getting 2 cabins and paying the slight difference.

 

Sometimes when booking military the 3rd and 4th is actually more - because the discount applies more to the 1st and 2nd.

 

You should not be able to book 4 in a 1A - if it lets you I would be very wary.

[psychboss]

You need to have a TA working on your behalf. Trying to book it yourself, through the cruise line web site or through one of the internet companies that does not provide any service will not help you. You need a TA that will put time and effort into finding you a good deal. It not only will cost you nothing - you will almost always save money.

[VentureMan_2000]

I prefer to blow by the TA. I can get more and better info on my own.

[yearnin4cruisin]

I just booked a balcony for $899 with 3rd and 4th at $359. The oceanviews were $269 for 3rd and 4th. As long as your cruise doesn't include Christmas day itself you should still get a break. Just play around on the Carnival website and you can get the rates you're looking for.

 

1a's will only hold 2 people.

[sea_u_onboard]

You need to have a TA working on your behalf. Trying to book it yourself, through the cruise line web site or through one of the internet companies that does not provide any service will not help you. You need a TA that will put time and effort into finding you a good deal. It not only will cost you nothing - you will almost always save money.

I wouldn't expect a travel agent to say anything different. Having said that, while having someone work on your behalf is GREAT it doesn't always happen. Even brick and mortar agencies charge cancellation or change fees and not ALL agents are good at their jobs. If you do want to use an agent talk to family and friends and get them to recommend someone. I do agree to stay away from the online places - they seem to always charge fees for those discounts, which is great if nothing changes, but no one can guarantee that will not happen.

 

Do your homework and know what you are getting into - no matter which way you decide.

[emilyrose]

It not only will cost you nothing - you will almost always save money.

 

The TA that we used for our last cruise charged $25 pp to book us. Which we didn't learn until we were presented with an invoice. this was a brick and mortar place in town.

 

We now use a carnival PVP, much happier that way

[WorkingMomNeedsaVacation]

It definitely depends on the particular cruise. For our cruise coming up, DH and I got past cruiser discounts, so the kids as 3rd/4th passengers only cost $100 less. So, instead of cramming us in 1 cabin, we split us up into 2 connecting cabins, DH in one, me in the other so we both got the past cruiser discount on both cabins. For $200 more, we got 2 connecting balcony cabins on a 7 day cruise. That means 2 bathrooms, 2 TVs, double the floor space, double the balcony space.... it was a no brainer! It definitely pays to look at all your options.

 

As for whether or not you need a TA... I think that depends on your time and interest in doing research. Personally, I'm a Type A control freak so I book everything myself and always do better on my own. Since booking, we have gotten $160 pp in OBC due to rate drops. I check it myself every once in a while.

[newistcruiseaddict]

I think I see the confusion regarding the 1A.

 

You CAN book four people in a IS (inside guarantee..room number assigned close to sail date) but not in a 1A (two beds that cannot be put together...AND an assigned room number).

[bewitchedwitch]

We booked a balcony guarantee (for 2 adults/2 kids) for our 8 day cruise in November (out of FL) and we are paying $780/adult and $270/child ~ that's without all the port charges etc. I thought that was quite reasonable.

[truecruiser]

Hello!

 

I have been trying to figure out the price of 3rd and 4th guests. I have 2 kids and so far it seems like the most I will save is $50 per child. Is this right?

 

We are looking at cruising around christmas time in 2007 and want to leave out of FL. We aren't picky about the ship or the ports-heck we'll be cruising! The rest is just details, lol! And we are looking for at least 4 days but we want to keep the costs down as we have to fly there.

 

I thought I had read that 3rd and 4th were cheaper than I have come up with. How much of a difference did you get for your extras?

 

Oh, can I book 4 people in a 1a guar? On the website it gives me that option but I thought it had to be a 4a at least. I dunno, help please!

 

(I did a search and came up with either nothing or a zillion posts!)

 

holiday sailings will be the most pricey. if you are a past guest, check into which past guest discounts are available for which sailings. often they will have further discounts on 3,4 and 5 pax rates too. go to carnival site and link throgh to Past guest specials.

[joejo]

Thanks, DH and I are past guests but the kids aren't. We will check out the past guest specials!

 

We do want to include christmas day on the cruise because we are visiting with friends the week before christmas and that is the only time we can do a cruise (I am a student) and we will already be in FL. I don't mind paying a higher rate for that week, I was just hoping for a smaller 3rd and 4th rate than I was seeing.

 

I will try some of the other large online sites to do some research.

 

As for a TA, well we had one for our last cruise because we booked with Airmiles, and we never heard from them again, lol! I don't mind because I am a type A planner too, lol! I had planned on using a PVP once I figured out what I want and roughly how much it should cost.

 

Thanks everyone! Keep the advice rolling if you have some more!

[steveaaaa]

. We will check out the past guest specials!

 

We do want to include christmas day on the cruise because we are visiting with friends the week before christmas and that is the only time we can do a cruise (I am a student) and we will already be in FL. I don't mind paying a higher rate for that week, I was just hoping for a smaller 3rd and 4th rate than I was seeing.

 

I will try some of the other large online sites to do some research.

 

As for a TA, well we had one for our last cruise because we booked with Airmiles, and we never heard from them again, lol! I don't mind because I am a type A planner too, lol! I had planned on using a PVP once I figured out what I want and roughly how much it should cost.

 

Thanks everyone! Keep the advice rolling if you have some more!

 

No past guest specials.You are choosing one of the 3 busiest weeks.These are the premium weeks.CCL is lousy for 3rd/4ths.Try other lines such as Royal or Princess. Another option that I do now is 2 cabins and I sail on the premium weeks,Thanksgiving and winter break.I get the cabin right next door and put my kids in it.

Do you understand what a PVP is? By reading your reply above,I wonder.Just in case, a PVP is an in-house travel agent at Carnival cruise lines. Call CCL and choose reservations and do all the price and itinerary searching you want with them.

Steve

[Rayefan]

We booked the Glory for September 2007....

Here is what we got for an 8E on the Panorama Deck (past guests)

1st guest = $754.07 (w/travel insurance)

2nd guest = $754.07 (w/travel insurance)

3rd guest = $436/36 (w/travel insurance)

[Knights on the Beach]

No past guest specials.You are choosing one of the 3 busiest weeks.These are the premium weeks.CCL is lousy for 3rd/4ths.Try other lines such as Royal or Princess. Another option that I do now is 2 cabins and I sail on the premium weeks,Thanksgiving and winter break.I get the cabin right next door and put my kids in it.

Do you really think they will get a better price for that same week on Royal Caribbean or Princess?? I think that you may be able to get a bit more of a price break for the 3rd/4th person rate compared to what you would be paying for the 1st/2nd person, but I still think overall Carnival is going to be cheaper -- maybe by a lot.

 

If you cruise in the off season, the 3rd/4th person rates are much cheaper. For our June cruise, our son is in our cabin with us this time and is only about $155 less (for a seven night cruise) than the 1st/2nd person rate. Christmas and New Years cruises are in a class alone. You really can't compare them to prices you'd get any other time of the year, certainly not cruises prices you get in peak hurricane season in the fall. ;)

 

On the Glory, a few weeks before our cruise the prices dropped for the 1st & 2nd, but not the 3rd and 4th. It was crazy because the 3rd & 4th rates were actually slightly higher than the 1st & 2nd. We already had our two kids booked in a cabin with their two cousins, so we left it that way. If they had been in the cabin with us when that happened, I would have put them in their own cabin. :p

[steveaaaa]

Do you really think they will get a better price for that same week on Royal Caribbean or Princess?? I think that you may be able to get a bit more of a price break for the 3rd/4th person rate compared to what you would be paying for the 1st/2nd person, but I still think overall Carnival is going to be cheaper -- maybe by a lot.

 

 

We have one booked for Thanksgiving and what we found out was that we pay more for other cruiselines,but the 3rd/4th were much cheaper.$799 base + $409 for 3rd/4th on RCL, and $599 and $499 for CCL.

We took the CCL with 2 cabins instead of a 3rd/4th in one.We booked during the Christmas sale and it was huge!!

If you are comparing dollars to dollars,CCL is cheaper.

Steve

[truecruiser]

steve's right -- if you want to be on that ship on christmas day, you are going to be hard pressed to find any breaks, including PGS. if you were flexible w/ december, that wld be a completely different story.

 

we got a phenomenol PG rate for 12/2 Liberty sailing. other PG rates for December are:

 

4 day Bahamas through 12/14 from Miami & Port Canaveral

4 day Baja Mexico through 12/14 from LA

4 day Bahamas/Western Caribbean through 12/13 from Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Mobile, Galveston

4 & 5 day Baja Mexico through 12/20 from San Diego

5 day Bahamas/Western Caribbean through 12/15 from Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Mobile, Galveston

6 day Bahamas/Western Caribbean through 12/2 from Ft. Lauderdale

7 day Caribbean through 12/15 from Miami, New Orleans, San Juan and Port Canaveral

7 day Caribbean through 12/9 from Galveston and Tampa

7 & 8 day Mexican Rivieria through 12/8 from LA and San Diego

 

if you are flexible w/ these dates you can check into the availability of these sailings. this has been out for a couple of weeks already (in Winter 2007 Currents). Fare Code is DP3. you can carnival site specials/past guest specials and carnival.com/currents for any other deals.

[joejo]

Thanks everyone!

 

If we aren't on a cruise over christmas then we will be at the airport trying to fly home during that time. We may have to consider a 4 day that we get off of the ship on christmas eve, we will see. We have to be in FL from Dec 17 on to visit but the people we are visiting will be leaving on the 23rd so we either find a cruise or just go home, lol!

 

I do know what a PVP is (I've been reading these boards for a year or so, lol!) but I am uncertain about what will work best for my family so I am in my research stage before I call her.

 

I wish we could go earlier but last Nov's cruise really really messed up my final exams, yuck! I just don't want to do that to myself again.

 

As for other lines, I have been checking on multiple on line agencies and have priced out other lines (about 6 or 8 lines in total) but Carnival still seems to fit best. I could go on a RCI or Celebrity but get 1 or more less days for the same price and a much teenier room!