$50 deposits are back

Just booked an Anniversary Cruise with my wife on the Freedom for next Oct. Thanks for the heads up!

Anyone know if I put a reservation on hold tonight will I still be offered the reduced deposit tomorrow. Looking to book cruise but at work and need to run by wife first.

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Anyone know if I put a reservation on hold tonight will I still be offered the reduced deposit tomorrow. Looking to book cruise but at work and need to run by wife first.

 

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Hopefully you put the cruise on hold, as it would keep the 50 deposit.

I just booked a cruise on the Glory (4-23-16) on line for the $50 deposit per person. We I booked it after putting in my Credit car info, it went directly to a screen where it said I had been charged the full cruise amount!! No option was offered about different deposit amount. I called the Diamond desk right away to see about this problem. They immediately fixed my problem. The lady said that they have been getting reports of this happening to other guests. So heads up!!! John F

The same thing happen to me. I was charged just over 3500. I called and they fixed it. I did make sure I clicked deposit only so I am not to sure what happen.

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Hopefully you put the cruise on hold, as it would keep the 50 deposit.

I did, I knew it would do no harm to put it hold and it did in deed keep the $50 deposit.

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i see people talking a lot on the cost, heres my take on this kind of promo, since I've booked it for every cruise.

I call this sale the get the room you want sale. because it lets people book the room they want with very little money. Very shortly after, carnival offers a better sale, to get those 50.00 people to put the rest of the deposit down to get the new lower price.

I make sure the price is ok, but I know booking ES the price will go down at least a little. usually at the pack and go rate time.

For me, it's an easier way to sneak an extra cruise, I can book for very little down, while paying off a current cruise, and my wife doesn't know that the 100 went to a new cruise. then I can be sneaky and buy small gift cards at the grocery store to pay it off, by the she starts getting the vacaion bug back in her head, the next cruise is already paid off.

I did, I knew it would do no harm to put it hold and it did in deed keep the $50 deposit.

 

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Great!

I would assume so, but from what I have read here, they would then require the full deposit. Frankly I don't care what the deposit is...I just look at overall cost.

I totally agree. I only care about the end price. :)

I just don't get all the excitement, over a $50 deposit.

Find it very hard to think, someone would commit to booking a vacation with the claim of lack of funds (have to "save" up)?

Flame away- just a general opinion- not directed at anyone. Clearly would be only my thinking- with a booking decision.

I totally agree. I only care about the end price. :)

 

I just don't get all the excitement, over a $50 deposit.

 

Find it very hard to think, someone would commit to booking a vacation with the claim of lack of funds (have to "save" up)?

 

Flame away- just a general opinion- not directed at anyone. Clearly would be only my thinking- with a booking decision.

We booked using the $50 deposits because for our b2b cruises our deposit was $1,600 for the 2 of us. It was a lot easier to shell out $200 for our total deposit 10 months in advance than to pay the full $1,600, 10 months in advance.

It was not that I didn't have the money, it was the point of Carnival keeping that much of my money for so long.

Needless to say, 4 weeks after we paid the $50 deposits, Carnival had a sale and in order to save $200 and price match, we had to pay our full deposit, which we did. Carnival ended up getting the $1,600 9 months in advance instead of 10. LOL.

I totally agree. I only care about the end price. :)

 

I just don't get all the excitement, over a $50 deposit.

 

Find it very hard to think, someone would commit to booking a vacation with the claim of lack of funds (have to "save" up)?

 

Flame away- just a general opinion- not directed at anyone. Clearly would be only my thinking- with a booking decision.

one question? how do you pay for your cruise? credit card? do you instantly pay off the card?

one question? how do you pay for your cruise? credit card? do you instantly pay off the card?

Not sure what that has to do with my post, but a credit card window is only a month, so, yes, depending on dates- I may be paying charges pretty quickly. Makes no difference to me. I don't "budget" anything and don't think about when I pay. (can be any time) - except to avoid being late. :)

Not sure what that has to do with my post, but a credit card window is only a month, so, yes, depending on dates- I may be paying charges pretty quickly. Makes no difference to me. I don't "budget" anything and don't think about when I pay. (can be any time) - except to avoid being late. :)

you say you didn't understand why people book with the lack of funds. however, that is not the case all the time. I for one budget out vacations, taking usually one trip a year. I also do not have a single credit card, the question then remains why give my money to Carnival 2 years in advance (I booked a 2017 cruise) when the money can sit in my account collecting interest. Can I pay off a cruise all at once... sure I can. but budgeting out 100-200 a month interest free is a financially beneficial option.

In my opinion, people who pay off the cruise right away, or use a credit card seem far more mysterious than people who book with a budget. It's not all about not being able to afford it at all.

My hubby doesn't like the idea of booking another vacation before we have even gone on our next trip. I know when & where long before then. To make sure I get the accommodations I want and at a good price I opted to do the $50 dp. I don't have to tell him until after and the low upfront dp makes it easier to hide. It is sneaky but this scenario makes us both happy.

My hubby doesn't like the idea of booking another vacation before we have even gone on our next trip. I know when & where long before then. To make sure I get the accommodations I want and at a good price I opted to do the $50 dp. I don't have to tell him until after and the low upfront dp makes it easier to hide. It is sneaky but this scenario makes us both happy.

haha exactly what I did. my wife didn't want to book another cruise yet... we didn't go on one this year because by the time she did decide she wanted to go on one it was too late for us to book because of our vacation time from work. Now 2017, by the time she remembers she wants to go on one, I can let her know we will be leaving in a month :)

you say you didn't understand why people book with the lack of funds. however, that is not the case all the time. I for one budget out vacations, taking usually one trip a year. I also do not have a single credit card, the question then remains why give my money to Carnival 2 years in advance (I booked a 2017 cruise) when the money can sit in my account collecting interest. Can I pay off a cruise all at once... sure I can. but budgeting out 100-200 a month interest free is a financially beneficial option.

 

In my opinion, people who pay off the cruise right away, or use a credit card seem far more mysterious than people who book with a budget. It's not all about not being able to afford it at all.

Bingo! We have a winner! My thoughts exactly!!!!

you say you didn't understand why people book with the lack of funds. however, that is not the case all the time. I for one budget out vacations, taking usually one trip a year. I also do not have a single credit card, the question then remains why give my money to Carnival 2 years in advance (I booked a 2017 cruise) when the money can sit in my account collecting interest. Can I pay off a cruise all at once... sure I can. but budgeting out 100-200 a month interest free is a financially beneficial option.

 

In my opinion, people who pay off the cruise right away, or use a credit card seem far more mysterious than people who book with a budget. It's not all about not being able to afford it at all.

"Interest" rates are pretty much nothing now. :) I didn't say, I pay off my cruise "right away"- I do not. Using a credit card is "mysterious", how do you pay?

These are just random thoughts and as I already posted, general. But I see plenty of times, the claims of being short on funds, having to save for a year, using tax refunds etc etc. :)

Not a way I want to manage. That's it.

"Interest" rates are pretty much nothing now. :) I didn't say, I pay off my cruise "right away"- I do not. Using a credit card is "mysterious", how do you pay?

 

These are just random thoughts and as I already posted, general. But I see plenty of times, the claims of being short on funds, having to save for a year, using tax refunds etc etc. :)

 

Not a way I want to manage. That's it.

I also usually book during this sale and just did again for next summer on the Valor. I could afford paying the entire 5k now but prefer to have that money on my side until final payment is due. We also don't have credit cards and pay with Carnival gift cards when final payment is due.

We're big fans of budgeting too, and usually won't book a vacation before we've taken the one already booked, but made an exception for this sale.

We'd been monitoring a cruise out of Charleston for about a month, and the price has remained the same. So when we saw the $50 deposit, we jumped on it.

I did have one little irk, though. Carnival has assigned us (like I'm sure everyone else, haha) a person who we book our cruises through. I asked her to call me the next time there was a $50 sale, she assured me she would.

She did not. So we call her, and she doesn't answer. I had to work nights, and my wife did not wanna make the call without me, so I just called carnival to book the cruise. My assigned person called back an hour or so later, very upset - almost hateful - that we'd booked without consulting her.

So I'm gonna call and get assigned a new person. But I was very frustrated that I didn't receive the phone call I asked for about the sale!

Glad I got to vent to other cruisers, haha.

Anyway, after all that, I totally agree with the budgeting, love the sale, looking forward to our cruise this month, next April, and then hopefully next October as well!

Try to book yesterday and was told the 50 dollar deposit has ended.

They wanted 800 down sailing solo.

Have 4 more booked till Xmas so I did not want to pay 800 down.

There lost.

I go with all lines that offer sales.

But---- a low deposit is not a "sale". :)

My way to take advantage of true sales- is late booking. Everyone is different, I don't care where the cabin is, and I'm more into volume traveling.

What ever works.

But---- a low deposit is not a "sale". :)

 

My way to take advantage of true sales- is late booking. Everyone is different, I don't care where the cabin is, and I'm more into volume traveling.

 

What ever works.

Sometimes it is, I booked under the $50 promo. Compared to the latest promotion where the price was higher but was a wash if you take the OBC into account. So I only need to lay out $150 compared to $750. More money in my account compared to carnivals and less of a non-refundable deposit at risk if I needed to cancel. I know they give future cruise credit but not quite the same as cold hard cash IMO. As far late booking I agree if you can make it work, hard for us with wife's work schedule and daughters school schedule were lucky if we get 1 common week a year and for that reason can't risk and need to plan ahead.

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But---- a low deposit is not a "sale". :)

 

My way to take advantage of true sales- is late booking. Everyone is different, I don't care where the cabin is, and I'm more into volume traveling.

 

What ever works.

Prices aren't always better last minute. My last cruise was hundreds of dollars higher than when we booked 8 months prior.

Nevertheless some people like to book late regardless. Some early. It truly does not matter. We almost always book with no money down using a TA, which must be a real kick in the pants for those with an issue regarding reduced deposits. I prefer to plan way ahead. Gives me something to look forward to. Plus I'm super picky about my cabin, which some are not.

At the end of the day everyone goes who pays in full. How you get to that point is up to you.