Price went down!

[TinkyPatz]

I don't think she knew what she was talking about which is par for the course.

 

I thought if you were upgraded previously to 8B but paid for an 8A that you had to now look at the pricing for the 8B which in your case has gone down below what you paid for an 8A so you should be able to get $60 rate reduction since you are before final payment.

 

You also should be able to get the upgrade to 8D which are midship cabins.

 

Your TA since useless. Not available and doesn't get back to you for a day and a half? Somebody else in the office says you aren't eligible?

 

Time to say goodbye to this agency.

 

Where are Firefly and Ken. They would know for sure.

 

Bill

 

 

Oh, believe me, never again!! I want to get rid of them as it is right now! Learning the hard way... :(

Based on their price breakdown (that I just noticed priced the taxes differently), if I try to change my booking to Carnival, would I have to pay the price difference?

[scchasgal]

This is the breakdown of what I paid with the TA:

Cruise: 424.90pp

Taxes: 219.95pp

total: 644.85

 

Then with Carnival it would've been:

Cruise: 609pp

Taxes: 60.05pp

Total: 669.05

 

I don't understand why it is that way, who is right, who is wrong... I'm starting to feel really dumb :(

 

This is how some of the TA's catch people with their "discounted" prices. They have taken some off the carnival cruise base price and added it to taxes. No TA can sell for any lower than a carnival price. They usually offer OBC or free bottle of wine which comes out of their huge commissions they make from the cruiselines.

[barbevrn]

Ok so I paid $609 and now the price is $559. That is $50 per person. Now my TA is telling me that Carnival doesn't include government taxes on their prices and that the price only dropped $25.05 per person because of what I paid with them.

 

WHAT?

 

I am beyond confused right now and I would like to transfer my reservation to Carnival.

 

I don't understand if I paid $609 for my cabin for Canival purposes (the TA does taxes differently) and now it's gone down $50pp, how come they are only giving me $25pp??? :confused:

 

Any of the prices you see on Carnival DO NOT include taxes. It is usually 25 to 35 dollars added to what you see. More than likely your original price was 580 something BEFORE the takes were added.

 

If you are seeing 559 and you add the 25 dollar taxes. The TOTAL cost would be 584. Which would be 25 dollars per person.

 

It can be very confusing. I hate it when find a price somewhere that is too good to be true......it is usually because it doesn't have port fees OR taxes added.

[TinkyPatz]

Then you should be able to take the past guest rate drop I believe unless there is some rule that because you booked ES you can not take a past guest drop..?

 

 

Problem is that, I guess because of the way the TA does the taxes, they only want to give me a $25pp price drop, when it should be $50pp!!!

All I want to know right now is, can I change my booking to Carnival, and, if I do, would I have to pay the price difference? Although at this point I am willing to pay to have it changed...

Are TA's usually willing to give your booking back to Carnival if you are not satisfied with them?

[ava_girl_123]

Never booked with a TA for any of our vacations. If you are within final payment with Carnival you can cancel the cruise without penalty unless you booked with ES.. You lose the deposit technically but receive a credit towards a future cruise.. Our deposit was $500 and if we would cancel we would get a $400 credit towards a future cruise..

[TinkyPatz]

I spoke with another Carnival rep and she said I would have to talk to my TA and ask him to open up the booking for Carnival so that they could take it.

Is this correct?

[ava_girl_123]

I spoke with another Carnival rep and she said I would have to talk to my TA and ask him to open up the booking for Carnival so that they could take it.

 

Is this correct?

 

 

I would imagine so but I am thinking there may be a fee that your TA may charge? Do you have a contract or any paperwork that the TA gave you?

[TinkyPatz]

This is how some of the TA's catch people with their "discounted" prices. They have taken some off the carnival cruise base price and added it to taxes. No TA can sell for any lower than a carnival price. They usually offer OBC or free bottle of wine which comes out of their huge commissions they make from the cruiselines.

 

Yeah, unfortunately that's how they got me. And all this hassle is not worth $50. Like I said, learned the hard way! :o

[kcroxyoursox]

Ok so I paid $609 and now the price is $559. That is $50 per person. Now my TA is telling me that Carnival doesn't include government taxes on their prices and that the price only dropped $25.05 per person because of what I paid with them.

 

WHAT?

 

I am beyond confused right now and I would like to transfer my reservation to Carnival.

 

I don't understand if I paid $609 for my cabin for Canival purposes (the TA does taxes differently) and now it's gone down $50pp, how come they are only giving me $25pp??? :confused:

 

 

Your TA's price is taxes included. Carnival's price is base before taxes. So when you say "paid $609 for Carnival purposes" that is incorrect, because the $609 is base + taxes. You need to ask your TA what your base price is, and compare Carnival prices to that number.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Oh, believe me, never again!! I want to get rid of them as it is right now! Learning the hard way... :(

Based on their price breakdown (that I just noticed priced the taxes differently), if I try to change my booking to Carnival, would I have to pay the price difference?

 

To change to Carnival you would probably have to cancel and rebook which would cost you the $50pp administrative fee but when you rebook you would pay the current rates not what it was when you booked.

 

Looks like from your earlier post that your TA rebated some commission of about $50pp since they only charged you $609 instead of the Carnival price at the time of $659.

 

A lot of places don't want to deal with rate drops since they lose commission after they have already rebated back some of it.

 

Good Luck and I hope you get everything sorted out to your satisfaction.

 

Bill

[pokergirl34]

This is the breakdown of what I paid with the TA:

Cruise: 424.90pp

Taxes: 219.95pp

total: 644.85

 

Then with Carnival it would've been:

Cruise: 609pp

Taxes: 60.05pp

Total: 669.05

 

I don't understand why it is that way, who is right, who is wrong... I'm starting to feel really dumb :(

 

I think your TA already discounted you by $25/person(came out of their commission) and now you are only entitled to an additional $25/person off your total.

 

$219.95-$60.05= $159.90 (these are the fees, like port charges, that carnival adds in to the total fare and TA's leave separate - non commisionable part of fare.)

 

424.90+159.90= $584.80 (this is the total price per person you paid, before taxes.)

 

Now Carnival has a price of $559.

 

584.80-559=$25.80 per person.

 

Now, if you are a past guest and the current promotion for past guests is different (better) you need to make sure they have your past guest number in and work from there, using the same numbers above.

 

I would keep the 8B and take the $. But I think you have a better chance of prices dropping on the higher category room since lower category rooms book up faster than higher priced, higher category rooms.

 

This is JMO based on booking a previous ES fare with a TA and having booked 4 total ES cruises.

 

good luck!

[TinkyPatz]

Thank you so much for that breakdown pokergirl!! NOW I get it!

However, I still think all the hassle everytime there is a price drop is not worth it.

So I had the TA transfer my booking to Carnival, and now I'm calling Carnival to get the price drop and they're saying that it is still under the Ta's control and it might take a day or 2, and that, for now, the TA would have to submit the price drop... so I guess I'm sol :(

Lesson learned...

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Pokergirl is right about the price reduction of $25pp. I was going by the the $609 earlier in the thread when I see that was before some taxes were added in.

 

You have to go by what the original CCL price was and not what the discounted TA's price was with reductions.

 

I'm surprised to hear that they were willing to let CCL take over the booking. Most won't after they have time invested in the booking.

 

Ifr it doesnt get transferred to CCL before the rates change hopefully there will be more rate reductions in the future.

 

I'm sailing the same week on the Valor.

 

Bill

[pokergirl34]

Thank you so much for that breakdown pokergirl!! NOW I get it!

 

However, I still think all the hassle everytime there is a price drop is not worth it.

 

So I had the TA transfer my booking to Carnival, and now I'm calling Carnival to get the price drop and they're saying that it is still under the Ta's control and it might take a day or 2, and that, for now, the TA would have to submit the price drop... so I guess I'm sol :(

 

Lesson learned...

 

The price might still be lower when the booking is finally in Carnival's control. Cross your fingers! I too learned my lesson after booking with a TA. Never again!!!

[Clairescurtains]

Thank you so much for that breakdown pokergirl!! NOW I get it!

 

However, I still think all the hassle everytime there is a price drop is not worth it.

 

So I had the TA transfer my booking to Carnival, and now I'm calling Carnival to get the price drop and they're saying that it is still under the Ta's control and it might take a day or 2, and that, for now, the TA would have to submit the price drop... so I guess I'm sol :(

 

Lesson learned...

 

I have been waiting since 4/24 to get mine changed over and the TA seems to have done their part and CCL seems to have not.:(

[firefly333]

Screenshots mean nothing to ccl. Submit the form yourself the worst they'll say is your TA has to do it. They go by timestamps on the forms and their computer price logs. If the time log and price match up you are okay.

 

Screenshots work for a lot of people. Do you know of actual cases where one has been rejected??

[firefly333]

This is the breakdown of what I paid with the TA:

Cruise: 424.90pp

Taxes: 219.95pp

total: 644.85

 

Then with Carnival it would've been:

Cruise: 609pp

Taxes: 60.05pp

Total: 669.05

 

I don't understand why it is that way, who is right, who is wrong... I'm starting to feel really dumb :(

 

Carnival includes port charges with their cruiserates. Your TA includes it with the taxes and fees when she breaks it out, because she isnt paid commission on that part of the cruise fare (I wish TAs would still not show this because it confuses so many people).

 

looks like your TA also discounted the fare, (probably by cutting their commission), which is probably how she came up with you get $25 pp back on the rate.

 

You never paid the full rate of $609 to start with, due to your TA discounting the rate..(but you are paying for it having to deal with a TA who doesnt give good service).

 

Some people like using a TA because like you they get discounted, but then if the price drops, of course you cant get the full price drop, because it changes the discount, because it cuts into the commission that she was rebatting to you.

 

Looks like to me the TA discounted your fare by $24.20 (X 2 if there are two of you). So, you are at least $48.40 to the good toward the fare drop, thats why she cant give you the whole fare drop, after she discounted that much.

[firefly333]

This is how some of the TA's catch people with their "discounted" prices. They have taken some off the carnival cruise base price and added it to taxes. No TA can sell for any lower than a carnival price. They usually offer OBC or free bottle of wine which comes out of their huge commissions they make from the cruiselines.

 

the TA did charge them less. The TA discounted the fare, the OP paid less than the going rate.

 

port charges are always included in the cruisefare on the Carnival site, noncomissionable fare, so TAs add it into the fees and taxes to figure out the fare that they discount.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

This is how some of the TA's catch people with their "discounted" prices. They have taken some off the carnival cruise base price and added it to taxes. No TA can sell for any lower than a carnival price. They usually offer OBC or free bottle of wine which comes out of their huge commissions they make from the cruiselines.

 

huge commissions? surely you jest. Maybe from some customers but not from the average Joe like me.

 

Bill

[firefly333]

huge commissions? surely you jest. Maybe from some customers but not from the average Joe like me.

 

Bill

 

Yep, and clearly the TA DID discount, ... as stated in other threads. No TA can advertise lower fares, ... but clearly privately they can discount ... because you can see they did!!! (just look at the figures the OP gave).

[scchasgal]

huge commissions? surely you jest. Maybe from some customers but not from the average Joe like me.

 

Bill

 

Commission rate is something that you as a customer doesn't see carnival pays it to the travel agency. The travel agenty get paid commission based on price (no taxes sold). I know for a fact they are huge.

 

I have seen the check for 140 passengers on a group cruise.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Yep, and clearly the TA DID discount, ... as stated in other threads. No TA can advertise lower fares, ... but clearly privately they can discount ... because you can see they did!!! (just look at the figures the OP gave).

 

definitely agree with you on all fronts.:)

 

Just found it amusing that the one poster said the TA's make huge commissions.

 

My bookings are so cheap I hate to even bother a TA. They'd be lucky to make much money on me. I know there are a lot of peeps like me that book the cheapest rooms.

 

So I just book with CCL.

 

Bill

[firefly333]

definitely agree with you on all fronts.:)

 

Just found it amusing that the one poster said the TA's make huge commissions.

 

My bookings are so cheap I hate to even bother a TA. They'd be lucky to make much money on me. I know there are a lot of peeps like me that book the cheapest rooms.

 

So I just book with CCL.

 

Bill

 

My friend is a TA and showed her commission to me on a $449 HAL booking, and it definitely wasnt huge. .. maybe on a 140 cabin booking as the other poster said, with lots of high priced cabins ... but no TA is making out huge on my bookings either.

[Ken076]

Problem is that, I guess because of the way the TA does the taxes, they only want to give me a $25pp price drop, when it should be $50pp!!!

 

All I want to know right now is, can I change my booking to Carnival, and, if I do, would I have to pay the price difference? Although at this point I am willing to pay to have it changed...

 

Are TA's usually willing to give your booking back to Carnival if you are not satisfied with them?

 

No - Carnival will not take back your booking from a TA except for provable, negligent performance. since a TA would be giving up their commission, most/all are unwilling to relinquish their booking. ken

[Clairescurtains]

Has anyone had any success filing this form today? I have tried three times and it just doesn't work, it times out. Is there a website problem?

 

Somehow the form went through even though it appeared to have timed out. I got an automated message saying they were considering my request so we shall see what happens.:confused: