Carnival to change cabin categories - soon!

[gtalum]

Carnival has the right, and even a responsibility to their stockholders, to price their cabins in such a way as to maximize their revenue. I have no problem with it.

 

If peopel are willing to pay more for a midship cabin, then Carnival should charge more for one. If people are willing to risk getting in a 1A, 5A, or 7A when they book a guarantee, then Carnival should place them there and save higher categories for higher-fare passengers when possible.

[firefly333]

I sorta agree. Before there was no difference in booking a IS guarantee or a 4A guarantee and people were always asking and confused which to book.

 

Same with the BL and 8A guarantee, with the 8A guarantee usually being more but not getting you anything better.

[Pitboss32]

Interior Guarantees will start at 1a.

Ocean View gurantee will start at 5a.

Balcony guarantee will start at 7a.

 

What I typed above is what I had heard as of last month. As of today...Everything stays the same as above except the interior guarantee's will still start at 4a.

 

By the end of the year all ships will have gone thru this transformation. Carnival Valor is the 1st to get this reclassification on Monday August 18th. They will introduce a couple new categories. One of the changes will be current 6b obstructed staterooms will become 4g rooms (interior rooms with an obstructed view).

 

Anyone who has booked prior to that particular ship going thru the reclassification will be grandfathered in.

 

The cost to upgrade will become more affordable also. That $50 gap to go from a 4a to a 4b will be about $20. As you get up to 4c,d,e..the gap goes as low as an extra $5 per category 4c,d,e.

 

8a will be fore and aft on deck 6. 8b will be midship deck 6 so on and so on. Extended balconies will cost more than standard. You could be "upgraded" but still be on the same deck.

 

No, I don't have any answers as to the order in which the change will take place for the remaining ships, but if they want to do it by the end of the year for the entire fleet, it would have to be in the rate of at least 1 a week probably more.

 

No this is not nickel and diming. You want what people to perceive as the "best" location on the ship??? Then pay for it!! Carnival is one of the last lines to implement this.

[cruzn buckeye]

The topic was Carnival reorganizing cabin categories, and I was specifically addressing the person who added the "1A will now = interior gty and 5A = OV gty" statement as if it were a fact.

 

Several other posters have reacted to the "1A = inside gty" statement as if it had more meaning than an anonymous internet posting. ;)

 

NCTribeFan quite clearly gave their source for the 7a = BL and cabin category reorg. statements. Thanks. :)

 

Sorry if you took my response wrong.:D I was just letting you and everyone else know about the cats on the Dream. I should have just hit the reply button instead of the reply to quote.

My source came when I booked the Dream. You never know, someone on this thread may be booking the Dream and I wanted them to know that the 7 is above the BL cat. Sorry if you took it wrong.:D

[NCTribeFan]

My feelings aren't hurt and I wasn't being overly sensitive. It isn't just Carnival. It's everywhere. The minute there's an increase in pricing, it's because "the beancounters" demanded it. Maybe they did. But if you want to complain about it, please stop with the demeaning little nickname. Just complain about the accountants. Hey, I'm not even a corporate accountant! I'm a CPA who does taxes! I am NOT a beancounter, thanks. :p

 

As noted, I don't think the Dream is a good comp here, because it has different cabins that aren't available on other ships.

 

Pitboss: thanks for the additional info. It makes total sense to me. I always thought it was silly to pay so much more just to be a couple of decks higher.

 

But as I also stated, I'd rather have a midship, lower cabin than anything higher, so it looks like I might be paying more for that.

 

Any idea if the aft non-wrap cabins will be reclassified? On the Spirit class, they're already higher than the regular balcony cabins, because they're classified as extended balcony. On the Conquest class, they're just a balcony because they don't have that separate "extended" distinction.

[Snorkel2Much]

Sorry if you took my response wrong.:D I was just letting you and everyone else know about the cats on the Dream. I should have just hit the reply button instead of the reply to quote.

My source came when I booked the Dream. You never know, someone on this thread may be booking the Dream and I wanted them to know that the 7 is above the BL cat. Sorry if you took it wrong.:D

Sorry for over-reacting to your post. ;) :D I had strong reason to believe that the Pitboss posting "1A now = IS" was incorrect, and I wanted to clarify whether his statement was insider knowledge or idle conjecture.

 

Now I'm off to Port Canaveral. :cool: :)

[iluvdoxies]

My, a little sensitive, aren't we? Seems like people go out of their way to be offended these days. ;)

I don't think anyone is disparaging or even blaming accountants for the cutbacks. It just is a little too coincidental, however, how quickly after Gerry took over there were obvious changes in level of service, freebies, itineraries, upgrades, etc. Many people expressed concern even before Gerry took over that his money-centric background would mean cutbacks in many of the things we had grown accustomed to when Uncle Bob was there. I agree that there are increased costs these days, but I bet Bob would have found a way to deal with the costs without risking customer satisfaction

IMO, I think Gerry will always have his eye on the bottom line, even at the expense of providing the quality experience at reasonable prices that Carnival pax look for.

Not a slam against accountants, just an observation. I will continue to sail Carnival until they no longer deliver the value I am used to.

 

BTW, as an example, this is the first time ever that I did not receive an upgrade at all for either of my two cabins. (GTY category)

 

I agree- Gerry is not our old Uncle Bob.

[Kurbanfan]

One of the changes will be current 6b obstructed staterooms will become 4g rooms (interior rooms with an obstructed view).

 

 

 

 

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[newistcruiseaddict]

Makes sense since this is how Dream has been priced.

I was thinking the same thing when I read this. I noticed Dream was priced this way when I booked but I didn't really think much of it. Guess it doesn't bother me a whole lot.

[Leo Jay]

.... not to mention the repricing of the 1A cabins if booked by a solo passenger. That went with hardly a thread last summer, but it raised the rates so that now when a solo books a 1A, they add in the 2nd person's port charges part of the 2nd charge. Before it was a true 50%. Now its more than 50%. Calculate it out for yourself. Just started some time last summer.

 

 

Didn't happen to me, and I just booked a couple weeks ago. $150% + Fed taxes and port charges for one.

[firefly333]

Didn't happen to me, and I just booked a couple weeks ago. $150% + Fed taxes and port charges for one.

 

See, you paid 50% of the entire 2nd charge, before you didnt.

 

The pricing structure has changed. Before you only paid 50% more of the cruise portion of the 2nd charge, now you pay 50% of the entire charge for the 2nd person. The charge includes port charges for the 2nd person which were subtracted out before.

 

The same 1A was $639 for Sept 2008, on a rate of $449, total, thats obviously not 50% of the amount of the charge plus taxes. Its much less the old way Carnival figured it. As I said Carnival changed it and not so much as a whimper from folks who didnt notice.

 

If you take the $449 rate and add 50% you would now be at $675 before the taxes were added in. Her total price on that rate figured under the old way that changed summer of 2007 is $639 total including taxes, for 1 person in a 1A on Conquest, booked before the change in policy.

[Robert6260]

See, you paid 50% of the entire 2nd charge, before you didnt.

 

The pricing structure has changed. Before you only paid 50% more of the cruise portion of the 2nd charge, now you pay 50% of the entire charge for the 2nd person. The charge includes port charges for the 2nd person which were subtracted out before.

 

The same 1A was $639 for Sept 2008, on a rate of $449, total, thats obviously not 50% of the amount of the charge plus taxes. Its much less the old way Carnival figured it. As I said Carnival changed it and not so much as a whimper from folks who didnt notice.

 

If you take the $449 rate and add 50% you would now be at $675 before the taxes were added in. Her total price on that rate figured under the old way that changed summer of 2007 is $639 total including taxes, for 1 person in a 1A on Conquest, booked before the change in policy.

 

I booked a 1A in July for the Freedom next year. The fare structure has not changed. 150% of cruise fare for double occupany, plus taxes and fuel surcharge. This has not changed since Ive been booking with Carnival except for the fuel charge. Two people in the same cabin pay double taxes and port charge than one person in the cabin.

[Pitboss32]

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

 

Rooms 1001 - 1004

Rooms 6201- 6206

Rooms 7201 - 7206

Rooms 9201- 9203

 

These 19 rooms will be considered 4g staterooms starting Monday for Valor only instead of 6b obstructed.

[Leo Jay]

See, you paid 50% of the entire 2nd charge, before you didnt.

 

The pricing structure has changed. Before you only paid 50% more of the cruise portion of the 2nd charge, now you pay 50% of the entire charge for the 2nd person. The charge includes port charges for the 2nd person which were subtracted out before.

 

The same 1A was $639 for Sept 2008, on a rate of $449, total, thats obviously not 50% of the amount of the charge plus taxes. Its much less the old way Carnival figured it. As I said Carnival changed it and not so much as a whimper from folks who didnt notice.

 

If you take the $449 rate and add 50% you would now be at $675 before the taxes were added in. Her total price on that rate figured under the old way that changed summer of 2007 is $639 total including taxes, for 1 person in a 1A on Conquest, booked before the change in policy.

 

No, my punctuationism weren't clear: I paid $150% on the fare alone. Then on top of that, taxes and fees for one.

[big_duck]

I agree- Gerry is not our old Uncle Bob.

 

No one knows how U.B. would be reacting to the current economic climate.

 

U.G. has just been left holding the bag. Remember A lot of these changes (like the fuel surcharge) are corporate driven and affect all brands.

[Mikel1733]

Nickle & diming = maximizing revenues = same difference. Obviously hitting the pocketbooks of customers in anyway they can still hasn't convinced Carnival insiders to hold on to their stock.

 

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/barrons/080812/sb12...

[Monty'sMum]

OK, I haven't had my morning coffee/tea yet so I'm still wrapping my head 'round all this, especially as a first time cruiser.

 

BF and I booked a Balcony Guarantee on Freedom next March. We've paid our deposit but not the remaining balance. Would we be considered 'locked in' or 'grandfathered' like we are with paying the fuel surcharge that was listed when we booked, or because we're not paid in full could our guarantee now be a 7A instead of 8A???

 

If it is still the 8A minimum, by the new system we would atleast have Forward or Aft on the Upper deck, right?

 

Must get caffeine and then come back to the board...:D

[cruisingwiththegang]

If you look on Carnival's website, Valor deckplans already has the new categories listed.

[firefly333]

Rooms 1001 - 1004

Rooms 6201- 6206

Rooms 7201 - 7206

Rooms 9201- 9203

 

These 19 rooms will be considered 4g staterooms starting Monday for Valor only instead of 6b obstructed.

 

Id go for that, a bargain. I like being higher, and even if you cant see out much, you can tell the weather. Thats good news for folks like me. I would have been upset to get them on a OV guarantee, so this is much fairer.

[Gman2004]

What I typed above is what I had heard as of last month. As of today...Everything stays the same as above except the interior guarantee's will still start at 4a.

 

By the end of the year all ships will have gone thru this transformation. Carnival Valor is the 1st to get this reclassification on Monday August 18th. They will introduce a couple new categories. One of the changes will be current 6b obstructed staterooms will become 4g rooms (interior rooms with an obstructed view).

 

Anyone who has booked prior to that particular ship going thru the reclassification will be grandfathered in.

 

The cost to upgrade will become more affordable also. That $50 gap to go from a 4a to a 4b will be about $20. As you get up to 4c,d,e..the gap goes as low as an extra $5 per category 4c,d,e.

 

8a will be fore and aft on deck 6. 8b will be midship deck 6 so on and so on. Extended balconies will cost more than standard. You could be "upgraded" but still be on the same deck.

 

No, I don't have any answers as to the order in which the change will take place for the remaining ships, but if they want to do it by the end of the year for the entire fleet, it would have to be in the rate of at least 1 a week probably more.

 

No this is not nickel and diming. You want what people to perceive as the "best" location on the ship??? Then pay for it!! Carnival is one of the last lines to implement this.

 

Well said!

 

How dare Carnival raise the price on a more desirable cabin! They should just give them away.:rolleyes:

[tina257]

I would gladly pay a little more to get an aft wrap.