Advice: Carnival not honoring price drop

[kabuka]

A friend and I booked a room on the June 24th cruise on Destiny back in February. We booked directly through a personal vacation planner with Carnival. This is my third Carnival cruise and my friend's third Carnival cruise. We were booked in a guaranteed oceanview room - per the personal vacation planners suggestion.

 

Now the price is $80 less per person to book from the Carnival website. The others on our roll call got shipboard credits for the price drop, but we are getting the run-around. We were told that the price we paid for the room we were assigned is a good price, so they won't give us an credit. The room has already been assigned and it is really not great (ajoining to a stranger's room, under the galley, back of ship) and I would rather go down one floor and move forward. They will not move us, they will not honor the lower price, and they will not let us upgrade to a balcony (which we would pay for). Why should a past passenger who books early pay to subsidize the cruise of someone who waits until 2 months before the cruise?

 

I am actually on hold right now with the "supervisor line" (ie. customer relations/complaints). Been on hold over 10 minutes - on hold for 15 minutes last night and had to end the call.

 

Is this really how Carnival treats its past passengers? I have cruised on other lines that automatically upgrade your room on your second cruise, give discounted prices, or at least shipboard credits. I am finally at a point in my life that I can afford to cruise yearly and if this is the typical service for Carnival, then I am done.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[7SEASSISTER]

A friend and I booked a room on the June 24th cruise on Destiny back in February. We booked directly through a personal vacation planner with Carnival. This is my third Carnival cruise and my friend's third Carnival cruise. We were booked in a guaranteed oceanview room - per the personal vacation planners suggestion.

 

Now the price is $80 less per person to book from the Carnival website. The others on our roll call got shipboard credits for the price drop, but we are getting the run-around. We were told that the price we paid for the room we were assigned is a good price, so they won't give us an credit. The room has already been assigned and it is really not great (ajoining to a stranger's room, under the galley, back of ship) and I would rather go down one floor and move forward. They will not move us, they will not honor the lower price, and they will not let us upgrade to a balcony (which we would pay for). Why should a past passenger who books early pay to subsidize the cruise of someone who waits until 2 months before the cruise?

 

I am actually on hold right now with the "supervisor line" (ie. customer relations/complaints). Been on hold over 10 minutes - on hold for 15 minutes last night and had to end the call.

 

Is this really how Carnival treats its past passengers? I have cruised on other lines that automatically upgrade your room on your second cruise, give discounted prices, or at least shipboard credits. I am finally at a point in my life that I can afford to cruise yearly and if this is the typical service for Carnival, then I am done.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

That's very odd, they will always let you pay for your own upgrade - adding revenue is never a problem for these corporations - unless they are out of the cabins you want. Call back

[BrendaB1]

Sounds like you after final paymnt date & within penalty phase. Most price drops after these two things are not usually honored.

[kabuka]

Sounds like you after final paymnt date & within penalty phase. Most price drops after these two things are not usually honored.

Normally I would agree with that, but our fellow cruise critic roll call passengers all got credits on their rooms.

[kabuka]

That's very odd, they will always let you pay for your own upgrade - adding revenue is never a problem for these corporations - unless they are out of the cabins you want. Call back

You would think! :eek:

[Guest nhrich]

Credits are usually based on the price of the current category that you've been assigned. So, even though you booked an OV, if you're assigned a 6E, then the price drop/credit is usually based on the 6E price.

 

I don't understand why they wouldn't let you change to a balcony, since there are some left.

 

Rich, ACC

Carefree Vacations

[PaulMedik]

kabuka,

 

Your PVP isn't the only person who can get you on board credit; you can tell the first person that answers the phone that you are booked and noticed a price drop and would like to receive on board credit. The only thing that might be a problem is if there are no cabins listed in the category you booked; if you booked guarantee and no guarantee cabins are listed, you can't compare prices and get credit.

 

Being in the penalty phase is irrelevant. On our last cruise, we received THREE on board credits for price drops AFTER the final payment was made and the last on board credit was granted less than three days before we sailed.

[ocean angel]

Call again and don't let them know you've spoken to anyone. I'm surprised. We booked on the Victory last year for this June and the price has dropped three times. Each time, all I did was call 888.CARNIVAL and tell them that the price had dropped and I'd like a credit. One of our travelers had already paid in full and they offered her an upgrade or a credit to her credit card.

[bubbles1209]

Now the price is $80 less per person to book from the Carnival website.

On the guarantee category, or the category they assigned you to?

The room has already been assigned and it is really not great (ajoining to a stranger's room, under the galley, back of ship) and I would rather go down one floor and move forward.

What deck did they assign you to? Judging from the deck plans, you are on the main deck in a category 6b. You paid for an oceanview guarantee, which is a category 6a you are guaranteed somewhere on the ship. So you have been upgraded to a category 6b, on the main deck. So, so far, you've been upgraded a category. Only category 6b's are on the main deck. The 6a guarantee you have paid for is on the riviera deck.

I would rather go down one floor and move forward

So, you already have a free upgrade that you want to throw away to move down a deck to the original guarantee you paid for? Which should be fine, you would just be giving them back their upgrade and getting the category you paid for, but, you paid for a guarantee, and went down that road rather than picking what you wanted to begin with. That's what happens when you choose the guarantee, you get where they put ya. I don't see where paying to upgrade to a balcony should be a problem, don't understand that one. Even though you have gotten upgraded a category already, they should still honor the price drop. If, the price has dropped for the 6a you paid for. If the price has dropped for the 6b you were upgraded to, don't expect credit for that, you only get credit off of what you originally pay for. Do mention again that your friends got credit, and sometimes, mentioning this site never hurts either.;) Good luck:) P.S. We were under the galley on Elation towards the back, and never heard any noise hardly, we would book it again, it might not be as bad as ya think:)

[truecruiser]

Call again and don't let them know you've spoken to anyone. I'm surprised. We booked on the Victory last year for this June and the price has dropped three times. Each time, all I did was call 888.CARNIVAL and tell them that the price had dropped and I'd like a credit. One of our travelers had already paid in full and they offered her an upgrade or a credit to her credit card.

 

if she does that, won't they simply patch her through to the cvs or pvp who did the booking once they pull it up on the computer and see the name?

[firefly333]

Sounds odd when everyone else says they get the lower price, np.

 

Please let us know what they tell you is the problem, most of the other posts are just speculations about maybe they wouldnt give you credit or let you downgrade, when we really dont know exactly why they wouldnt honor the drop in price.

 

So, please do let us know what the supervisor says is the problem.

[bubbles1209]

The only thing that might be a problem is if there are no cabins listed in the category you booked; if you booked guarantee and no guarantee cabins are listed, you can't compare prices and get credit.

Exactly. If you book a category 6a, and get upgraded to a 6b, and the price of the 6b goes down, you cannot get credit for a price you did not pay to begin with. Now, if the 6a price goes down, you can get the credit, because that's what you paid for to begin with. The part about letting her pay to upgrade to a balcony makes no sense whatsoever though.

[wwakla]

The part about letting her pay to upgrade to a balcony makes no sense whatsoever though.

 

Could this be because she is so close to sailing and her documents are in hand?

 

If she did want to go this way does she understand that she would have to cancel her current reservation and pay all fees then re-book? This is all spelled out in the cruising documents.

 

By the way you make a great point about the price drop!

[bubbles1209]

Could this be because she is so close to sailing and her documents are in hand?

 

If she did want to go this way does she understand that she would have to cancel her current reservation and pay all fees then re-book? This is all spelled out in the cruising documents.

 

By the way you make a great point about the price drop!

Thanks:)

As long as there are cabins available, you should be able to upgrade & pay the difference for doing so at any time, as long as the cabins you want to upgrade to are available. If you couldn't they wouldn't have a link under my reservation on the carnival website enabling you to do so.

[wwakla]

Thanks:)

As long as there are cabins available, you should be able to upgrade & pay the difference for doing so at any time, as long as the cabins you want to upgrade to are available. If you couldn't they wouldn't have a link under my reservation on the carnival website enabling you to do so.

 

Good point also.............I learned something new today!:D

[cruisecastle]

A friend and I booked a room on the June 24th cruise on Destiny back in February. We booked directly through a personal vacation planner with Carnival. This is my third Carnival cruise and my friend's third Carnival cruise. We were booked in a guaranteed oceanview room - per the personal vacation planners suggestion.

 

Now the price is $80 less per person to book from the Carnival website. The others on our roll call got shipboard credits for the price drop, but we are getting the run-around. We were told that the price we paid for the room we were assigned is a good price, so they won't give us an credit. The room has already been assigned and it is really not great (ajoining to a stranger's room, under the galley, back of ship) and I would rather go down one floor and move forward. They will not move us, they will not honor the lower price, and they will not let us upgrade to a balcony (which we would pay for). Why should a past passenger who books early pay to subsidize the cruise of someone who waits until 2 months before the cruise?

 

I am actually on hold right now with the "supervisor line" (ie. customer relations/complaints). Been on hold over 10 minutes - on hold for 15 minutes last night and had to end the call.

 

Is this really how Carnival treats its past passengers? I have cruised on other lines that automatically upgrade your room on your second cruise, give discounted prices, or at least shipboard credits. I am finally at a point in my life that I can afford to cruise yearly and if this is the typical service for Carnival, then I am done.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

Why the lies? You can always pay for an upgrade up to the day of embarkation at the port if there is upgrade available

[Guest YesitDonna]

How close you are to a cruise shouldn't matter. Last year I book a cruise a week and a half before it was to sail. Three days before the ship left the price dropped. I ended up going from a 4A to a 6E and got a $30 SBC

[Ashleezmom]

Lorraine:

 

ARe you still on hold?? Come back here girly and tell us what happened? Did you read my advice to you on our Roll Call? They are full of poo! :D Like I told you dont take NO for an answer! But like the other CC stated if the original price of your guaranteed cabin did not go down or there are no other cabins in that category then you cant get a price drop.

 

Sher & I rec'd a OBC for the Destiny but were not able to do so on the Paradise, because at the time of the drop there were no cabins available in our category. And my Sister-in-law who booked a Cat. 8 was not able to get a drop either (actually her cabin went up by 20$) We didnt book through Carnival either, booked through TA who really didnt want to pursue the issue when Sherrie first called, but TA did and Carnival told her no once. But Sherrie was persistant and made them call again, and then OBC..

 

If you just want to upgrade your cabin to a balcony on your own, and you have booked through Carnival, you are able to do so just by logging into Carnival website and once you have signed in it asks you if you want to upgrade. I just checked and when I log on for the Paradise cruise it still asks me if I want to upgrade..and we are only 10 days out. I am soo sorry this is still an issue and you have to go through all this pre cruise.....please write back and let us know whats going on...:)

[Wennfred]

Heres my problem, I had to cancel my Mother-in-Laws cruise on the Freedom a few minutes ago because since I booked with Carnival Sea-Miles (Technically another TA) Carnival wouldn't accept my Military DD-214 so that she could get the Military Discount. I would have to book directly with Carnival also so that I could get the discount for her. Booking with SeaMiles my cruise is still cheaper then the Military Discount so I opt to cancel hers and will have to book using another means, CVC or SeaMiles etc.

 

My PVP told me even thou her rate goes back to the original Single Rate of 1200.00 that I can hold it until the final payment date and he would keep an eye on this booking so that when it dropped in price he could adjust for it. That was nice of him but I don't trust these PVP people, One day they are there and the next they are gone.

 

Anyways he was willing to watch for a price drop for me, but there is no way in heck that it would go down more then 400.00 or so. So I had to cancel and will rebook as soon as I get my Confirmation email.

 

 

Fred

[eponym]

kabuka,

 

Your PVP isn't the only person who can get you on board credit; you can tell the first person that answers the phone that you are booked and noticed a price drop and would like to receive on board credit. The only thing that might be a problem is if there are no cabins listed in the category you booked; if you booked guarantee and no guarantee cabins are listed, you can't compare prices and get credit.

 

Being in the penalty phase is irrelevant. On our last cruise, we received THREE on board credits for price drops AFTER the final payment was made and the last on board credit was granted less than three days before we sailed.

 

That is, did you book it as a garuantee and gaurantee rooms in same class were still available when the price dropped or did you booked a specific room in a class and when the class dropped in price they OBC'd and credited you???

[Ashleezmom]

Heres my problem, I had to cancel my Mother-in-Laws cruise on the Freedom a few minutes ago because since I booked with Carnival Sea-Miles (Technically another TA) Carnival wouldn't accept my Military DD-214 so that she could get the Military Discount. I would have to book directly with Carnival also so that I could get the discount for her. Booking with SeaMiles my cruise is still cheaper then the Military Discount so I opt to cancel hers and will have to book using another means, CVC or SeaMiles etc.

 

My PVP told me even thou her rate goes back to the original Single Rate of 1200.00 that I can hold it until the final payment date and he would keep an eye on this booking so that when it dropped in price he could adjust for it. That was nice of him but I don't trust these PVP people, One day they are there and the next they are gone.

 

Anyways he was willing to watch for a price drop for me, but there is no way in heck that it would go down more then 400.00 or so. So I had to cancel and will rebook as soon as I get my Confirmation email.

 

 

Fred

 

I would have done the same thing..and it's sooo nice that you guys are going on a cruise with your Mother-In-Law!!! :)

[Calicruiser101]

I read that when you all are logging onto Carnival you are offered to upgrade??? I don't see that when I log in, is that because I have paid for everything already? I see my booking number and then it asks me if I want to complete my funpass, but not upgrade?

 

Also we tried to get a military family and friends discount for my sister or a free upgrade and the first person told us they could get her upgraded to a balcony they just needed to check w/ their supervisor, was on hold for about 5min. she comes back and says no they can't do it. Any advice???

[Wennfred]

I would have done the same thing..and it's sooo nice that you guys are going on a cruise with your Mother-In-Law!!! :)

 

Thank you very much, not to HiJack this Thread but we are calling this cruise, "The Mother of all Cruises" :D It will be her first cruise and out of the country for her very first time.

 

 

Fred

[Wennfred]

I read that when you all are logging onto Carnival you are offered to upgrade??? I don't see that when I log in, is that because I have paid for everything already? I see my booking number and then it asks me if I want to complete my funpass, but not upgrade?

 

Also we tried to get a military family and friends discount for my sister or a free upgrade and the first person told us they could get her upgraded to a balcony they just needed to check w/ their supervisor, was on hold for about 5min. she comes back and says no they can't do it. Any advice???

 

You have to book directly with Carnival to see that page to see the Upgrade.

 

If you booked directly with Carnival using your Military Discount then you can book your sisters cruise with the discount also, this month.

 

Fred

 

 

 

Fred

[Ashleezmom]

Thank you very much, not to HiJack this Thread but we are calling this cruise, "The Mother of all Cruises" :D It will be her first cruise and out of the country for her very first time.

 

 

Fred

 

I LOVE IT!!! We have taken my mother-in-law on 2 cruises and have always had fun...just had to be on a little better behavior then without.,,:D