How do they "compete"

[MrsO]

I have been getting some great advice on here for my first cruise!! I have finally set the date for my wedding and we are planning our honeymoon for March 28th out of Tampa. My question is... on all of these emails I have received that "compete" for your business,how do you know if you can trust them or not. They all seem to be close in price but offer different little treats for their "special." I have spoke with someone from Carnival, several TA's around here,and now I have done the online thing. My last question has me sooooooooooo lost..... they all have different rooms one says Cat 5A outside,Cat OV outside, Cat 6E outside,and last Cat OV outside. Im sure this is a really dumb question but,I have no CLUE what all of these mean!!!:eek: from all of the things I have read on here a GTY seems to be the best choice. It seems an ocean view GTY is going to be around 25$ more than the GTY inside rooms from the what the TA's in my area have told me. We would love an ocean view if it's only that much more. Sorry this is so long ,but I dont have much time left and I'm so confused!!! Any help would be appreciated!!:o

[Cruiser23490578]

I have been getting some great advice on here for my first cruise!! I have finally set the date for my wedding and we are planning our honeymoon for March 28th out of Tampa. My question is... on all of these emails I have received that "compete" for your business,how do you know if you can trust them or not. They all seem to be close in price but offer different little treats for their "special." I have spoke with someone from Carnival, several TA's around here,and now I have done the online thing. My last question has me sooooooooooo lost..... they all have different rooms one says Cat 5A outside,Cat OV outside, Cat 6E outside,and last Cat OV outside. Im sure this is a really dumb question but,I have no CLUE what all of these mean!!!:eek: from all of the things I have read on here a GTY seems to be the best choice. It seems an ocean view GTY is going to be around 25$ more than the GTY inside rooms from the what the TA's in my area have told me. We would love an ocean view if it's only that much more. Sorry this is so long ,but I dont have much time left and I'm so confused!!! Any help would be appreciated!!:o

 

This is what I would do:

 

1. Choose the ship and date you want to travel.

2. Look at the deck plans of that particular ship and pick a cabin number you want to stay in.

3. Go into the "search" section here on CC and type in the cabin number and ship name. Read all threads that pertain to the cabin number you picked.

4. Once you find a cabin you would like contact a travel agent or pvp, tell them what you want and ask them for their best price. Tell them you are also checking with other agents.

5. If they come back and say "cabin so-and-so has already been taken but another cabin this-and-that (same category) is available.

6. Tell them to wait while you research this new cabin. You'll have to do this very quickly, otherwise the new cabin may be taken. If you check the threads and feel comfortable with the cabin/price, book the cabin. If not than continue to check around.

 

Basically you have to decide what cabin level you want and what you're willing to pay. I would book a specific cabin so there will be no surprises for your cruise.

 

Good luck!

[firefly333]

4s, are inside cabins, 5A has port holes, 6s have a window.

 

Pretend to book on the Carnival site so you can view the prices yourself and know what you are comparing to.

[Beyondships]

The various "Cat" mean cabin category. In other words, there are different categories of cabin within a broad class of cabins. The categories are usually based upon such things as location (forward, aft, what deck the cabin is on) and whether the view is obscured or not. The different categories have different prices.

 

If you look at the deck plans on the Carnival site, you will be able to see which cabins are which category.

 

Guarntees can be a good buy. It means that you will receive at a minimum the type of cabin stated in the guarantee. You might well end up with a much better category. However, you can also end up with the least desirable cabin in that category.

[CT _Cruiser]

The agencies "compete" by reducing the amount of the commission they receive from the cruise line. With the economy the way it is, that is not always a good thing. If the agency closes down, the cruise line takes over the booking and charges you the real, higher price. My area just had two agencies shut down in the past couple of months.

[Tapi]

Sorry this is so long ,but I dont have much time left and I'm so confused!!! Any help would be appreciated!!:o

 

STOP! Before you do anything else, remember that these companies are competing based on PRICE, but, can they compete based on other things that are truly important?

 

- Are they reputable?

- Are they knowledgeable of the product they're selling you?

- How's their customer service?

- Are they easy to reach should you need assistance?

- How are their financials?

- Are they professional?

- Are they charging you any booking fees, cancellation fees, or change fees outside of penalty?

- Do you feel comfortable doing business with them?

 

You're about to spend a few thousand dollars on your vacation. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by trying to save a couple of bucks. It might mean the difference between a wonderful vacation and the vacation from hell!

 

My piece of advice is to shop around! Take your time! Have a set of questions so that you can test their knowledge. Call again, see how easy it is to reach them. Try different things (Call Carnival, get a Personal Vacation Planner, check with different travel agents). Remember that what might work for you is not necessarily what will work for someone else. For example, I love my PVP, but others love their TA.

 

Bottom line, don't shop based on pricing only. I have done business with my Carnival PVP for about 4 years now, and she's by far the best, most professional, knowledgeable person about the Carnival product I've ever found. Even if she charged me a bit extra, I'd still book through her to have the piece of mind of dealing with someone I trust and who has treated us extremely well in the past.

[Lowie]

op, my best advice is to look at the deck plans for your ship and make sure you are not over, under or next to a common area of the ship that may disturb your quiet enjoyment of your cabin. For this reason alone i will not book a guarantee cabin, just too risky.

 

i try to carefully plan which cabin i get, although on my last cruise i wasn't able to and got an awful cabin. I prefer to check ALL the cruise vacation websites and see what the best deal is, then i pick exactly what i want and start making calls. most times i find that the prices are the same no matter where you look, but some travel agents might throw in an onboard credit or bottle of wine. some travel agents may be booking for a group on your desired cruise and that may get you a lower price. some places, like BJ's wholesale club, will give you a gift card for their stores for booking with them.

 

i'd prefer GREAT service over a $10 bottle of wine or $25 gift card though. it could make the difference between losing out on a great upgrade/upsell or a price drop.

 

As far as aft, midship or forward, that is a personal preference that you can't judge until you've tried different cabins.

 

i prefer aft cabins at it is closest to most of the action on many ships. some ships have better insulated cabins so noise won't be an issue if you are near an elevator etc.

 

This is your honeymoon so you may find the 'need' to be in the cabin more then other folks around here ;) a balcony might be great if you'd like romantic breakfasts alone but an inside may be good if you want to dance each night away and be able to sleep in the next morning in a dark sanctuary. IMO, a window is just a tease and i've never booked one.

 

good luck and have fun!

[psbtrvlr]

The agencies "compete" by reducing the amount of the commission they receive from the cruise line. With the economy the way it is, that is not always a good thing. If the agency closes down, the cruise line takes over the booking and charges you the real, higher price. My area just had two agencies shut down in the past couple of months.

 

Sometimes that's true, but some of them have negotiated group fares/amenities. You could end up with a quote from either type.

[MrsO]

You guys are so great!!!! I think for my first expierence I dont want to do the online purchase. So now I have to decide between a PVP at carnival or one of the TA's in my area. It seems every time I have called Carnival to speak with somebody about the cruise I am on hold forever and then finally am able to get a real person to chat with. I have tried twice and both times the sales person just didnt seem to interested in helping me,almost trying to rush me off the phone. I guess I cant expect them to be so excited over my honeymoon as I am..lol..:pIf anybody has any advice of a name of a PVP on the ship please let me know, Im not sure if you can even say that on here or not,but.......... thought I would try:o Once again thank you guys so much for great advice!!!

[Tapi]

You guys are so great!!!! anybody has any advice of a name of a PVP on the ship please let me know, Im not sure if you can even say that on here or not,but.......... thought I would try:o Once again thank you guys so much for great advice!!!

 

Unfortunately, we can't give names or extension numbers here. :(

If you've called the 800-Carnival number, you've probably spoken with a reservations agent, not a PVP.

 

If you want a PVP go on the Carnival site where you can request to have a PVP call you. Hopefully you'll get a good one (like mine!). You can also register into the Carnival site which will generate a call from a PVP for follow up. Once assigned to a PVP, you'll have their extension number and you get to keep them permanently, so you don't have to talk to a different person every time you call (unless your PVP leaves Carnival!)

[Socref124]

STOP! Before you do anything else, remember that these companies are competing based on PRICE, but, can they compete based on other things that are truly important?

 

- Are they reputable?

- Are they knowledgeable of the product they're selling you?

- How's their customer service?

- Are they easy to reach should you need assistance?

- How are their financials?

- Are they professional?

- Are they charging you any booking fees, cancellation fees, or change fees outside of penalty?

- Do you feel comfortable doing business with them?

 

You're about to spend a few thousand dollars on your vacation. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by trying to save a couple of bucks. It might mean the difference between a wonderful vacation and the vacation from hell!

 

My piece of advice is to shop around! Take your time! Have a set of questions so that you can test their knowledge. Call again, see how easy it is to reach them. Try different things (Call Carnival, get a Personal Vacation Planner, check with different travel agents). Remember that what might work for you is not necessarily what will work for someone else. For example, I love my PVP, but others love their TA.

 

Bottom line, don't shop based on pricing only. I have done business with my Carnival PVP for about 4 years now, and she's by far the best, most professional, knowledgeable person about the Carnival product I've ever found. Even if she charged me a bit extra, I'd still book through her to have the piece of mind of dealing with someone I trust and who has treated us extremely well in the past.

 

Tapi, this is some good and very important info that you are sharing. Well done..

[zqvol]

You guys are so great!!!! I think for my first expierence I dont want to do the online purchase. So now I have to decide between a PVP at carnival or one of the TA's in my area. It seems every time I have called Carnival to speak with somebody about the cruise I am on hold forever and then finally am able to get a real person to chat with. I have tried twice and both times the sales person just didnt seem to interested in helping me,almost trying to rush me off the phone. I guess I cant expect them to be so excited over my honeymoon as I am..lol..:pIf anybody has any advice of a name of a PVP on the ship please let me know, Im not sure if you can even say that on here or not,but.......... thought I would try:o Once again thank you guys so much for great advice!!!

 

You're going on your honeymoon. Go to a local TA and book with them. Find one that specializes in cruises and in an hour they can get you booked in a great room at a good price.

[CC Help Michell]

You're going on your honeymoon. Go to a local TA and book with them. Find one that specializes in cruises and in an hour they can get you booked in a great room at a good price.

 

I agree -- and I absolutely, positively, would NOT book a "guarantee" (in any cabin class) for a honeymoon unless I was 100% CERTAIN I could live with every single cabin in that class -- near elevators, near stairs, near galleys, near the laundry room, above/below showrooms/bars/pooldecks, etc.

 

I am not a big fan of guarantees anyway, but do book them now and again -- but I wouldn't ever do so for a honeymoon.

[zqvol]

I agree -- and I absolutely, positively, would NOT book a "guarantee" (in any cabin class) for a honeymoon unless I was 100% CERTAIN I could live with every single cabin in that class -- near elevators, near stairs, near galleys, near the laundry room, above/below showrooms/bars/pooldecks, etc.

 

I am not a big fan of guarantees anyway, but do book them now and again -- but I wouldn't ever do so for a honeymoon.

 

I should have added that if you are worrying about a couple of hundred dollars difference in price be prepared for sticker shock. You can easily spend as much on board as the cruise itself costs. (Drinks, casino, the spa, champagne to celebrate, flowers, shore excursions). Remember it is your one and only honeymoon so enjoy it!

[sheri18]

we have allways used a pvp from carnival....12x now....never disapointed

 

have a great time

[nol4am]

If you want to give her your pvp name and infor exchange email information. Thats how I found mine. They appreciate the business.:)

[stargate fan]

You guys are so great!!!! I think for my first expierence I dont want to do the online purchase. So now I have to decide between a PVP at carnival or one of the TA's in my area. It seems every time I have called Carnival to speak with somebody about the cruise I am on hold forever and then finally am able to get a real person to chat with. I have tried twice and both times the sales person just didnt seem to interested in helping me,almost trying to rush me off the phone. I guess I cant expect them to be so excited over my honeymoon as I am..lol..:pIf anybody has any advice of a name of a PVP on the ship please let me know, Im not sure if you can even say that on here or not,but.......... thought I would try:o Once again thank you guys so much for great advice!!!

 

I LOVE my PVP. If you'd like his name and number, you can e-mail me at cruising_family@yahoo.com.