Booking a Carnival Cruise while on a Carnival Cruise

Is there any value in doing this? Any pitfalls? Can you make a "generic" booking or do you need to have a cruise itinery and date in mind. If you have done it before, would you do it again? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

Unclearnie

No value in it to me. In the past ,yes.

IMHO, all the advantages of booking on board are gone.

Booking on board now gives you $50 OBC no matter the length of the cruise.

There are no Family and Friends Vouchers.

You must book Early Saver

Any changes will cost $50 per person with ES.

If you price match you loose the $50 OBC for booking on board.

I just isn't worth it to me.

We just got off the Dream yesterday. They now have a code that can be used for up to 2 weeks after your cruise with the same offer available if you book onboard. It was for half off the deposit plus $50 per person onboard credit. I like the flexibility and the opportunity to research where I want to cruise to next.

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We just got off the Dream yesterday. They now have a code that can be used for up to 2 weeks after your cruise with the same offer available if you book onboard. It was for half off the deposit plus $50 per person onboard credit. I like the flexibility and the opportunity to research where I want to cruise to next.

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I also had one that was valid for 6 weeks after besides the 2 week one.

The old way was better because you didn't have to book ES. You could book under Past Guest with no change penalties meaning you pick a cruise while on the ship, and change at a later date maintaining your more than likely higher OBC. Now you can't. But as long as you're OK with the restrictions, I agree that it's better to wait until you're home.

It is $50 total for insides, oceanviews, and balconies. It is $100 total for suites.

If you price match to another early saver rate, you keep the OBC.

Is there any value in doing this? Any pitfalls? Can you make a "generic" booking or do you need to have a cruise itinery and date in mind. If you have done it before, would you do it again? Any info would be appreciated.

The other posters have done a good job of detailing what it's like now. I'm going to discuss what it was like in the past (up until about 3 months ago, though the new normal was tested on some ships before then).

The value in booking on the ship was (remember, WAS - past tense) that you would get $50 to $200 in OBC per cabin, depending on how long the cruise was. You also got what was known as "friends and family" certificates, where if they used them and went on the same cruise you did, they would get the same OBC that you did. If the booking was changed or re-priced, that OBC would transfer to the new booking. All in all, it wasn't a half bad deal.

The main pitfall was the future cruise consultant was usually very busy and there could be long lines to actually book.

You couldn't make a generic booking, you had to book an actual cruise. But you didn't have to go on the cruise you booked. As I hinted at above, you could change it to whatever and whenever and keep the OBC.

I made several bookings under the old rules, but I'm not sure I would do so under the new ones. Perhaps if there was a good deal going on and I didn't have anything better to do.

It's not worth it anymore. You have to book the itinerary you want with no changes or you forfeit your "brilliant benefits"

You will waste at least an hour of time, waiting for the person behind the counter to look everything up, then tell you what you already knew. Then they will telll you more waste of time information, and you will walk away from the counter wondering why you bothered.

It is $50 total for insides, oceanviews, and balconies. It is $100 total for suites. Thank you for the clarification you are correct. I forgot about the suites.

 

If you price match to another early saver rate, you keep the OBC.Not what I was told but Carnival is consistent in their inconsistencies.

We all know the story-- call back and ask 5 times and you will get 5 different answers.

happy sailings

We all know the story-- call back and ask 5 times and you will get 5 different answers.

 

happy sailings

You can fight to keep the $50 OBC if you price match the cruise, and my PVP did for me.. but the actual policy states if you change anything it goes away.. And they are taking that to mean if you price match to a lower fare, you lose the OBC for booking under this new promotion.

It is awesome for me as a stockholder, more revenue with less give aways. As a cruiser it pisses me off to take away yet another loyalty perk.

By only offering ES rates for booking onboard they killed the program for us. We have found that life interferes with plans too often to ever book anything that cannot be cancelled or changed without a penalty.

Having to book Early Saver is bad enough. Losing the OBC when price matching is an absolute deal breaker.

Carnival is sending a loud and clear message not to book on board.

I didn't lose the OBC when I price matched to an early saver rate. It was actually still the onboard booking rate code. It had gone down $10 per person before the two week window was up. The window actually ended 3 - 4 days early.

I didn't lose the OBC when I price matched to an early saver rate. It was actually still the onboard booking rate code. It had gone down $10 per person before the two week window was up. The window actually ended 3 - 4 days early.

Since it was the same rate code, that's why it wasn't denied. Others have reported on here they lost the OBC when price matching to any other rate including regular ES.

They treat the OBC rate the same as any other promotion. If the rate you are price matching to doesn't have the OBC, then you lose it. It's no longer a straight up OBC.

 

They treat the OBC rate the same as any other promotion. If the rate you are price matching to doesn't have the OBC, then you lose it. It's no longer a straight up OBC.

Couldn't agree more. Carnival must be making more money from new cruisers than returning ones.

Couldn't agree more. Carnival must be making more money from new cruisers than returning ones.

Or people that don't know any better thinking it's the same as it used to be. They sure are pushing ES as of late. They win either way. They have your money ahead of time and if you cancel, they get a free $50pp and guarantee that you will be back within 2 years or get to keep the rest. They have no problem locking you in as it seems the prices rarely go down now so the chances of you getting a price drop are a lot less than they used to be. Total opposite of what it was a few years ago. You practically had to beg for ES. Seemed like they didn't want to book you under that rate because they knew prices would probably drop dramatically right before sailing. Now most of the bargains are far out. They have to be making a killing in cancelation fees.

The house always wins. I have benefited from Early Saver in the past, but not recently. My 2018 cruise is Past Guest for both cabins. Already price increases have us at the same rate currently offered for Early Saver.

The lower rates offered in the last two years after final payment have been either new bookings only or guarantees. Advantages for booking Early Saver are a thing of the past, as is the previous advantage of booking on board.

Happy sailing.

The house always wins. I have benefited from Early Saver in the past, but not recently. My 2018 cruise is Past Guest for both cabins. Already price increases have us at the same rate currently offered for Early Saver.

 

The lower rates offered in the last two years after final payment have been either new bookings only or guarantees. Advantages for booking Early Saver are a thing of the past, as is the previous advantage of booking on board.

 

Happy sailing.

Couldn't agree more. Happy sailing to you as well!

Do they give a reduced deposit, or is that another cruise line?

Do they give a reduced deposit, or is that another cruise line?

Half off deposit.

wait... if i book early saver i can price match even after final payment?

wait... if i book early saver i can price match even after final payment?

Yes. But there are penalties for any cancellations made to the booking even before final payment. No name changes are allowed, etc. Be sure to read all the fine print before locking into that rate.

You cannot price match to a guarantee cabin which is typically the specials you'll find after final payment. Well they may let you, but it's a one time deal. You lose your ES status meaning no more price drops and you lose your assigned cabin and will be put into the guarantee pool.

Yes... You may price match after final payment. Its refundable OBC, not a price reduction at that point.

Thanks for the info everybody. Guess I won't waste my time at the future cruise desk. Happy cruising everybody