Our Price dropped but Carnival will not honor

[Minoushka]

Don't feel bad mine went down 150$ and No Refund .Got an upgrade to the very top floor

No OBC

My sister's is 300$ cheaper on another website and she just recently booked .Carnival I'm sure will not change it .I did not tell her .I do not want her upset.

Them are the breaks

For the poster who says he does not check prices

I did on my Princess cruise in Jan .It went down 1000$ .I think well worth a look after purchase ...but then again you must be a whle lot richer then me ..LOL>>>>

[dkalnas]

Am I the lone weirdo here? Am I the only one who books a cruise and never looks back. I honestly don't care or look for price drops.

 

Wow. I just can't see spending all that time on the phone and being put on hold and the general hassle of it all in trying to get a credit for $20 pp. I guess it's just me, but time is money and $20 pp just isn't worth the effort.

 

I work in the travel industry so I am always searching for the best rates and deals for my travel.

 

While I may not have had any success with Carnival on honoring their lower advertised rate, Marriott will honor the rate of $59 I was able to secure at the Biscayne Bay Marriott the night prior to our cruise.:):)

 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/miabb-miami-marriott-biscayne-bay/

[2nd time Cruisers]

Carnival really should consider changing it's advertising practices. They are very deceiving and misleading. When a person books a year in advance, non-refundable Early Saver program, and is told that they will get the guaranteed lowest possible rate until two days before sailing, that is what you think you are going to get.

 

I guess that is what i get for trusting carnival and their PVP.

[misterchatter]

Carnival made a change to their policy several months ago... inside final payment there is no OBC offered for price reductions...

 

The only thing that did to me was keep me from paying off my cruise 'til the last day...

 

Final payment our on May 3rd cruise was Feb. 17., which we paid off on Jan. 20. On Feb. 12, I found a cheaper rate on a website other than Carnival. i emailed our PVP. My credit card was credited with the difference of $329.28 even though I paid off early.

[lintman]

My wife and I had a balcony room on the main deck on Carnival Splendor booked for April 5. I think we paid about $1250 per person and $850 apiece for our two kids. When we checked back recently they had dropped the price for the spa deck balcony to $999 and $749. They must have dropped the price right after we paid in full. Carnival did upgrade us to the Spa Deck so we were happy with that.

 

I would have been happier with the Spa Deck and a credit for $500 but I guess we learned a lesson for next time. They did not offer the early saver discount when we booked but I think we will probably do that next time.

[surfclam2003]

I just noticed our prices went down $20 pp for our 5/2 cruise. I called my TA - she called carnival and they bumped us up from balcony 8D to 8E, My aunt has an OV and she went from aft to midship.

 

Brinda

[AdrenalineRush]

Carnival really should consider changing it's advertising practices. They are very deceiving and misleading. When a person books a year in advance, non-refundable Early Saver program, and is told that they will get the guaranteed lowest possible rate until two days before sailing, that is what you think you are going to get.

 

I guess that is what i get for trusting carnival and their PVP.

Where in Carnivals advertising to they claim you will get the lowest possible price?? They say lowest advertised price, big difference.

[2nd time Cruisers]

Carnival really should consider changing it's advertising practices. They are very deceiving and misleading. When a person books a year in advance, non-refundable Early Saver program, and is told that they will get the guaranteed lowest possible rate until two days before sailing, that is what you think you are going to get.

 

I guess that is what i get for trusting carnival and their PVP.

[AdrenalineRush]

Final payment our on May 3rd cruise was Feb. 17., which we paid off on Jan. 20. On Feb. 12, I found a cheaper rate on a website other than Carnival. i emailed our PVP. My credit card was credited with the difference of $329.28 even though I paid off early.

Yes, thats correct, it seems quite a few people are confused about making final payment and Carnival final payment date. They arent the same, there are no price adjustments after carnival's final payment date, unless you book ESP.

 

You can pay the cruise off 2 years early and still get the price adjusted before Carnivals final payment due date.

 

Also this date isnt the TA due date, which also could be in advance of what Carnival requires.

[lovesublime]

I work in the travel industry so I am always searching for the best rates and deals for my travel.

 

While I may not have had any success with Carnival on honoring their lower advertised rate, Marriott will honor the rate of $59 I was able to secure at the Biscayne Bay Marriott the night prior to our cruise.:):)

 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/miabb-miami-marriott-biscayne-bay/

 

 

 

We always stay at Marriott if one is available. We've never been able to get a rate like that. We normally book directly with the hotel or sometimes through an online TA. How'd you do that?

[Catrin]

Several points about the Original Poster and follow up posts...

• The cruise is in its penalty phase. For the one poster who paid in full and then got a reduction, your cruise was not in its penatly phase yet.
  
• The person who mentioned TWICE about the Early Saver Program : This is a relatively NEW pricing program. Those who book through this CAN get a refund up to two days. Those who booked before this program started can only get a reduction up to the date the Final Payment is DUE.
  
• Upgrading is up to Carnival. How much is the next higher cabin category? Are there any of those cabins available? If the jump is more than $20, or if those cabins are sold out, then they won't upgrade you.
  

Our cruise came down several times before final payment.. but since then, it has come down even further. But, by booking early, we got the cabin we wanted. I wish we all had a magic ball to let us know when the price is at its lowest, but supply and demand really set the tone.

 

Good Luck to the OP!

Catrin

[mara93]

Catrin, thanks for that!

Perfectly put, answered my question.

[dkalnas]

We always stay at Marriott if one is available. We've never been able to get a rate like that. We normally book directly with the hotel or sometimes through an online TA. How'd you do that?

 

It is actually a discount I receive by working in the travel industry and by feeding Marriott as much business as I do. The rate is generally not open to the general public.

 

They also had the Rennaisance Eden Roc available on Miami Beach for $84 but personally I would like to be closer to the port for early embarkation.

 

 

I actually switched from the Marriott Courtyard in Downtown Miami where I had a $49 rate to the Biscayne Bay Marriott when the rate became available today. I would like to get the South beach Marriott if the rate opens up but so far no luck. I have lucked out before and stayed for $69 per night at that location.

[cobraman99]

Carnival really should consider changing it's advertising practices. They are very deceiving and misleading. When a person books a year in advance, non-refundable Early Saver program, and is told that they will get the guaranteed lowest possible rate until two days before sailing, that is what you think you are going to get.

 

I guess that is what i get for trusting carnival and their PVP.

 

why should they change, what they are advertising is true!

[BullDogChief]

Am I the lone weirdo here? Am I the only one who books a cruise and never looks back. I honestly don't care or look for price drops.

 

Wow. I just can't see spending all that time on the phone and being put on hold and the general hassle of it all in trying to get a credit for $20 pp. I guess it's just me, but time is money and $20 pp just isn't worth the effort.

 

I must be a weirdo too then, we don't bother to check for price drops either...I agree with your views on it too, it's not worth the time or effort...

[dan40]

Carnival really should consider changing it's advertising practices. They are very deceiving and misleading. When a person books a year in advance, non-refundable Early Saver program, and is told that they will get the guaranteed lowest possible rate until two days before sailing, that is what you think you are going to get.

 

I guess that is what i get for trusting carnival and their PVP.

 

You need to UNemotionally read what the ESP actually says. Not what you would like it to say.

It does not say lowest possible price.

It does not say Carnival will beat anybody else's price.

It only says that if Carnival lowers the price, you will get their new price up to 2 days out.

 

With ESP you get their best fare until 2 days out, but you give up a refundable deposit.

Without ESP, you can get the best fare up until the REQUIRED final payment date, AND your deposit is refundable.

 

No violations of trust there.

 

Dan

[Kurbanfan]

I must be a weirdo too then, we don't bother to check for price drops either...I agree with your views on it too, it's not worth the time or effort...

 

 

I wouldn't do it either if I felt it was too hard or time consuming;)

[BullDogChief]

I wouldn't do it either if I felt it was to hard or time consuming;)

 

That's why I got a remote...getting up to change the channels got too hard...;)

[TheVegasMan]

Seems to be Carnival's new way to treat it's guests. My sail date is 0ver ten months out, not paid off, Early Saver Program, and they will do nothing to match their own carnival.com offers. Last excuse I was given by my PVP was that their website was just too confusing for me to understand and that even though it appears in writing that the new deal is better than mine, it really isn't.

Yogi Berra "It's Deja Vu all over again".

[Flip2cruise]

Am I the lone weirdo here? Am I the only one who books a cruise and never looks back. I honestly don't care or look for price drops.

 

Wow. I just can't see spending all that time on the phone and being put on hold and the general hassle of it all in trying to get a credit for $20 pp. I guess it's just me, but time is money and $20 pp just isn't worth the effort.

I saved $600 on my cruise,so far, it just takes a min to check rates(I have a link to my cruise bookmarked). Just about the same amount of time it takes to write an avg post.:D

Then a less than 5 min call to Carnival.

 

Basically, if you are booked in the Early Saver Plan, Carnival is encouraging you to check rates. Then when you see a drop, you dont even have to call, just submit a form.

 

I do the same with Airlines and have gotten credit vouchers and price adjustments.

 

I can respect those that choose not to take/make the time to get the best price, but its really not that much of a hassle for some of us.

[dan40]

Seems to be Carnival's new way to treat it's guests. My sail date is 0ver ten months out, not paid off, Early Saver Program, and they will do nothing to match their own carnival.com offers. Last excuse I was given by my PVP was that their website was just too confusing for me to understand and that even though it appears in writing that the new deal is better than mine, it really isn't.

 

 

Get a supervisor on the line, the PVP is wrong.

 

Dan

[Kurbanfan]

I can respect those that choose not to take/make the time to get the best price, but its really not that much of a hassle for some of us.

 

Not any harder then changing your channel with your remote:D

[mariemorgan]

Carnival really should consider changing it's advertising practices. They are very deceiving and misleading. When a person books a year in advance, non-refundable Early Saver program, and is told that they will get the guaranteed lowest possible rate until two days before sailing, that is what you think you are going to get.

 

I guess that is what i get for trusting carnival and their PVP.

 

 

Read this to understand the program better:

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/EarlySaver.aspx

 

Fill out the form if the price on carnival.com is lower than you paid

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=18313254&postcount=17

 

get OBC