No Cabin Credit since cruise was 'discounted' ? Normal for Carnival Cruises?

[SirDomino]

I'm curious, is it typical for a person to receive "Cabin Credit" when booking a cruise with Carnival?

 

Just wondering, as the place I booked with said they gave $75/person Cabin Credit and after I booked with them, they stated that I received a discounted price so they couldn't give me the cabin credit.

 

It kind of irks me as I could have saved around $50 with another company that didn't offer the credit.

 

I'm not looking for specifics for any particular agency or recommendations. This is my first cruise, so I was just wondering.

 

Thanks!

[MamaParrotHead]

Sounds like "bait and switch" to me, and I'd be transferring my booking to someone else if that's how your business relationship with them is BEGINNING.

 

No, Carnival doesn't give cabin credit when booking, normally. It was a marketing ploy by whoever you booked with and is solely at their descretion.

[Sandgnat]

I'm curious, is it typical for a person to receive "Cabin Credit" when booking a cruise with Carnival?

 

Just wondering, as the place I booked with said they gave $75/person Cabin Credit and after I booked with them, they stated that I received a discounted price so they couldn't give me the cabin credit.

 

It kind of irks me as I could have saved around $50 with another company that didn't offer the credit.

 

I'm not looking for specifics for any particular agency or recommendations. This is my first cruise, so I was just wondering.

 

Thanks!

This was a thing that the travel agent used to get you to book with them. Do you have it in writting? I would follow up with a supervisor at the travel agent. Carnival has nothing to do with it and can not help you since you used a TA.

[bonnys]

If you are not within 90 days of sailing you could always cancel with your current TA and rebook with the other one. For me, even if there was a small cancellation fee I would change based on principal. If you did not qualify for the $75 OBC (on board credit) they should have let you know before you booked with them. I book directly through Carnival because I like being able to deal directly with them if there is and issue or a price reduction. Also, they will give OBC if the price goes own after final payment.

[SirDomino]

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid or not. I was told that I misunderstood them and then was told that I should just bring some sodas onto the ship.

 

It is for the Fantasy cruise on June 23 (only 4 days left!!). It is a sold out ship, and cancellation is non-refundable.

 

So the TA has the ability to deposit the Onboard Credit? Is it something that TAs are given by the cruise lines to use as promotions or is it them literally putting their cold hard cash into an account for me?

[Gayle V]

Hello SirDomino, That onboard credit is usually directly from the TA himself, and has nothing to do with the cruise line.

 

About the idea of canceling and booking elsewhere, be very careful to check if the TA charges their own cancelation fee. Unfortunately, any TA who would bait-and-switch you, is likely to have a cancelation fee, (over and above the one charged by the cruiselines close to sailing date.) And unfortunately those fees are usually between $50 to $75 per person, not a "small" amount. Certainly enough to eliminate any monetary benefit to canceling.

 

(This is why I always warn friends not to book with any TA that charges their OWN cancelation fee. )

 

Good luck.

[SirDomino]

I suppose this is a lesson learned. Carnival's prices seem to be about the same as the Travel Agent's anyways. I suppose in the future I may just call Carnival directly.

 

It just irks me because for the price difference I could have easily purchased my wife a drink card, but now I'll have to resort to bringing heavy cases of sodas onto the ship.

 

I suppose I could get in trouble for buying one drink card and then 'sharing' drinks with the wife. ;)

[firefly333]

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid or not. I was told that I misunderstood them and then was told that I should just bring some sodas onto the ship.

 

It is for the Fantasy cruise on June 23 (only 4 days left!!). It is a sold out ship, and cancellation is non-refundable.

 

So the TA has the ability to deposit the Onboard Credit? Is it something that TAs are given by the cruise lines to use as promotions or is it them literally putting their cold hard cash into an account for me?

 

Obviously you dont want to cancel at this point and lose all your money. yikes.

 

It does sound suspicious to me they promised you OBC and then only gave you a small discount. Now they got ya where you cant cancel or do anything. I wouldnt use them again, unless you got a awfully good price.

 

Some that say UP TO $75 OBC, see what it said, it may be you only got the $75 for booking a balcony, when I see those it almost never applies to a inside cabin. It might also say in small letters "selected cabins only".

 

Unless you booked a higher cat of cabin, Im betting you wouldnt be qualified for that $75 anyway if you read the small print. I only got $50 OBC from my TA for a cruise I paid over $1300 for. I thought for sure I was getting at least $75 from what they said earlier.

[DragginABag]

I used an online agency and booked our January 31st 2009 cruise through them ... Before plunking down my money I checked the BBB, IATA, IATAN, CLIA, and ASTA to be certain they were a legitimate business ...

 

One day, less than 24hours after making the booking, I got an e-mail from them showing a $100 OBC for new bookings with CCL ...

Alas, I'm SOL with this one ... But will NEVER book with them again ...:mad:

E-mails have gone back and forth and 'customer service' isn't budging ...

 

Had the 'agent' been honest and fair she would or should have said "wait a day to book", then give me the reason for the heads up ...

 

Unfortuantely, they carry a $19.99 booking fee and $75 pp cancellation fee ... Hardly worth cancelling the cruise with $244.99 in penality's to receive a $100 OBC ...

 

This was the first and definitely last time I use an online agency ...

[Pegs222]

Sounds like "bait and switch" to me, and I'd be transferring my booking to someone else if that's how your business relationship with them is BEGINNING.

 

No, Carnival doesn't give cabin credit when booking, normally. It was a marketing ploy by whoever you booked with and is solely at their descretion.

 

 

If the OP considers cabin credits as OBC, then the answer is yes. We were given $200.00 OBC and we booked with a PVP.

[firefly333]

IUnfortuantely, they carry a $19.99 booking fee and $75 pp cancellation fee ... Hardly worth cancelling the cruise with $244.99 in penality's to receive a $100 OBC ...

 

I called that same agency for a Disney cruise they misadvertised. Luckily for me the agent was too incompetent to book the cruise. Said she got an error message.

 

whew, lucked out. turned out everyone had the same rate, I just didnt know then about disney. they will waive one or the other of the fees, if you ask them upfront, but once you are booked you are stuck. They also were not upfront about the cancellation fee. liars. I know exactly whom you mean.