Early saver rate and sept sale with OBC

[divinmule]

Has anyone had an early saver request granted during the current sept. sale that offers an obc of $100/person?

 

Just curious...mine was denied... just wondering if they were being consistent...or it was hit or miss.

 

Lari

[Mama Lapin]

Has anyone had an early saver request granted during the current sept. sale that offers an obc of $100/person?

 

Just curious...mine was denied... just wondering if they were being consistent...or it was hit or miss.

 

Lari

 

I have a call into my TA with the same question. I do know that on our last booking, we were ineligible for OBC because we got another kind of discounted fare. I guess if it seems too good to be true, it is.

[firefly333]

Your price would also have to match the rate you need to pay for to get the $100 OBC. You cant just ask for the OBC and not pay the rate that goes with it. Hope this makes sense.

[Irishlinny]

The specials that they offer are usually based on a higher rate than ES is at, so you don't get them. In my experience in checking everything (through Carnival or other sites) is that nothing beats ES. You need to look at the cabin rate and you will see it is higher than your ES rate. I even questioned my PVP on a special and she said booking ES was better in almost every case. As long as you can deal with the ES terms, that is usually the bottom line:)

[gargoyle999]

I'd be surprised (shocked) if any of the rates that get OBC were the same or lower than any ES rate in order to qualify for any price match.

 

I checked my sailings just for fun and the rate was much higher and even figuring in any OBC the total was still higher than my ES rate for each one.

[firefly333]

I think the confusion comes in because the sites scream "up to $200 FREE OBC" for booking now. .. and then show rates starting at $259 or whatever ... but dont tell you the OBC and the "starting from $259" do not go together.

 

When I was new, I always used to hope they did and think wow, thats a jipe, sure sounds to me like you should be able to book at $259 and get OBC.

[divinmule]

In my case I looked at the following...

 

new fare for 4k room $619/person then a $100/person obc= net of $519/person for the 4k room

 

in my case we paid $529/person for the 4k room.

 

Seems like a next saving of $10/person for the room for me.

 

its not that $20 is that big of a deal...its just that if it was more than that...I would still not be eligible.

 

That is a bit frustrating to me...I take the risk of booking this ES rate knowing it has numerous restirctions but it does offer me a great rate and the advantage of promising me the lowest rate. I sort of feel this is just their way of sneaking around that promise of the lowest rate.

 

Won't keep me from cruising just makes me a bit more cautious of Carnival's "promises".

 

Lari

[firefly333]

I think I found your cruise .. I would put the math in the comments section and resubmit.

 

I know they will allow you to buy up to the OBC offer, i.e. pay the $90 pp and get $100 OBC pp. ... not sure it would be worth it to me, depends on how much OBC you already have.

[Ken076]

Has anyone had an early saver request granted during the current sept. sale that offers an obc of $100/person?

 

Just curious...mine was denied... just wondering if they were being consistent...or it was hit or miss.

 

Lari

 

 

If you're booked ES and want to "Price Match" the OBC or Cash Back rates: and the OBC rate minus the OBC per person (the OBC is usually stated per cabin) is less than your rate, you can "buy up" to the OBC rate then get the OBC when you are aboard ship. ken

[blindrid]

Has anyone had an early saver request granted during the current sept. sale that offers an obc of $100/person?

 

Just curious...mine was denied... just wondering if they were being consistent...or it was hit or miss.

 

Lari

 

They were right to turn it down. That is one of my pet peeves with the ES. Essentially, Carnival can come up with promotions (i.e. OBC) that may be cheaper than what you booked but it's not eligible.

 

Good thing is that I figured that out before I booked an ES so there's not a lot one can do.

 

I prefer all the lines just going with straight pricing and doing away with ES, pack 'n go, whatever and give give decent pricing that saves brain damage. It was a lot easier to just give discounts when pricing dropped before final payment and leave well enough alone.

[Ken076]

blindrid, divinmule - You ARE eligible for the OBC and Cash Back offers (on the off chance they are cheaper than ES!) - see my Post #9. The comment on such bookings "applies only to new bookings" doesn't apply to those Booked ES.

 

On the off-chance that I EVER get (such) a price drop, I'd probably try to do it thru my PVP.

 

ken

[gargoyle999]

I know they will allow you to buy up to the OBC offer, i.e. pay the $90 pp and get $100 OBC pp. ... not sure it would be worth it to me, depends on how much OBC you already have.

 

If you're booked ES and want to "Price Match" the OBC or Cash Back rates: and the OBC rate minus the OBC per person (the OBC is usually stated per cabin) is less than your rate, you can "buy up" to the OBC rate then get the OBC when you are aboard ship. ken

 

So what happens if you buy up to match the rate and get OBC but then later on the price goes down but no OBC. You can submit a price drop form on the new price and keep your OBC from the "sale"?

[divinmule]

I tried a second time by arguing the difference, this is their reply...

Dear Lari,

Thank you for contacting Carnival Cruise Lines. We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.

Thank you for your reply. Carnival has various promotions, offered at different rates, that provide different perks. The Early Saver promotion allows you to get a lower rate protected if it is for your same cruise and it is under a promotion that you would qualify for. The onboard credit promotion in question is a sale that we have going on now for the month of September. Depending on the different promotions (past guest, military, senior, etc.) that a guest may qualify for the September Sale promotion may or may not be the best option for them. You made your reservation early enough to book the Early Saver Promotion and could have the September Sale Promotion protected if the cruise rate was indeed lower. However, the September Sale Promotion's cruise rate is higher and the onboard credit can not be used to lower the cruise rate.

 

If there is anything else we can do for you please don't hesitate to ask.

Cordially,

 

Mabelyn Romani

Reservations Service Specialist

Guestinfo@carnival.com

 

 

 

not worth it for me to buy up for the $20...maybe if the difference was higher...and if that is indeed an option...she didn't suggest that in either of the letters.

 

Again its just frustrating that they find ways to "sneak" these lower rates in there. Makes me think of them as "shifty". Like a credit card company always lookin for an angle. Won't keep me away just makes me not trust them as much.:(

 

Lari

[firefly333]

I would keep arguing. Your rate is $10 less. I would put the math in the comments section to help them out... and reply again. I had to do that once, and then they agreed with me. You are right ... if its worth $20 to keep arguing.

[divinmule]

Fire

I tried that very first thing...see below...this was their response...

p {margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;}NamePromotion : On board credit

NumberofGuest : 2 Guests

LOWER_FARE : $619 - $100 obc= $519 / person

LFARE_LOCATION : Carnival web site

OnboardCredit : yes

WEBSITE : http://www.carnival.com/BookEngine.aspx?Code=4K&Step=2

COMMENTS : The OBC made the total amount $10 less/person than our original price.

submit.x : 53

submit.y : 18

 

 

Dear Lari,

Thank you for contacting Carnival Cruise Lines. We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.

Your Early Saver price protection request has been denied. You are at a rate of $529 per person for a category 4K. The Semtember Sale Promotion is currently at a $619 per person rate and then guests get $100 per person onboard credit (for guests one and two). Guests booking this rate are paying a higher rate than those under the Early Saver Promotion and then receive the onboard credit. Please visit http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/earlysaver/default.aspx for Terms & Conditions on exercising a price protection.

If there is anything else we can do for you please don't hesitate to ask.

Cordially,

 

Mabelyn Romani

Reservations Service Specialist

Guestinfo@carnival.com

 

I appreciate your input as you always seem to be very knowledgable on their promotions. Maybe they are making a change to their previous protocols.

 

Lari

[Ken076]

Fire

 

I tried that very first thing...see below...this was their response...

 

p {margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;}NamePromotion : On board credit

NumberofGuest : 2 Guests

LOWER_FARE : $619 - $100 obc= $519 / person

LFARE_LOCATION : Carnival web site

OnboardCredit : yes

WEBSITE : http://www.carnival.com/BookEngine.aspx?Code=4K&Step=2

COMMENTS : The OBC made the total amount $10 less/person than our original price.

submit.x : 53

submit.y : 18

 

 

I hope this makes sense?

 

ken

 

Dear Lari,

 

Thank you for contacting Carnival Cruise Lines. We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.

 

Your Early Saver price protection request has been denied. You are at a rate of $529 per person for a category 4K. The Semtember Sale Promotion is currently at a $619 per person rate and then guests get $100 per person onboard credit (for guests one and two). Guests booking this rate are paying a higher rate than those under the Early Saver Promotion and then receive the onboard credit. Please visit http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/earlysaver/default.aspx for Terms & Conditions on exercising a price protection.

If there is anything else we can do for you please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Cordially,

 

Mabelyn Romani

Reservations Service Specialist

Guestinfo@carnival.com

 

I appreciate your input as you always seem to be very knowledgable on their promotions. Maybe they are making a change to their previous protocols.

 

Lari

 

 

If I understand, you're booked at $529 per person, Early Saver, and the Sale Price is $619 and if you subtract the $100 per person of the $200 per cabin OBC, the fare is $529pp.

 

(1) Is the OBC for your specific booking show as $200 (the OBC varies based on length of sailing) when you do a trial booking?

 

(2) I suspect the issue is with how they do the price matching for this sale - My understanding is that you actually have to "buy up" to the higher fare (probably thru your booking agent) and then you get the OBC onboard in your S&S account - my ubnderstanding is that they don't just "adjust your fare downward by the $10pp. Personally I'd contact my booking agent (versus turning in a Price Adjustment form) and explain the "buy up" saga and request same.

 

You could also reply back to Maybelyn explaining this?

 

ken