policy change on Future Cruise Credits

[SmogMonster]

This may have already been announced on CruiseCritic but just in case I thought I would pass it along. On our Destiny cruise last weekend, they announced that Future Cruise Certificates purchased on or after Jan 1, 2011 will only be good for two years instead of 4. Any certificate purchased before January 1 will still have 4 years to be used. Because of this, there were alot of people buying multiple certificates.

 

Just letting you know.

[AWCHIEF]

As a solo passenger I no longer will waste my money on them as we only get half the advertised OBC even if we pay 200% single supplement. Just another example of Carnivals disdain and lack of respect for it solo passenger base.

[golfadj]

Two years huh. Unless we have a cruise planned might stop buying them in this case.

 

Will have to think about this.

[Sargent_Schultz]

As a solo passenger I no longer will waste my money on them as we only get half the advertised OBC even if we pay 200% single supplement. Just another example of Carnivals disdain and lack of respect for it solo passenger base.

 

You still get free money, but just because you don't get enough you won't accept it? Hmmm.

 

From 5 years to 4 years and now maybe 2 years? I imagine soon enough, if you don't book the cruise on board they won't be available at all.

 

My guess is most people buying them were already repeat customers on Carnival anyway and the certificates were not attracting as many new repeaters as they were hoping for.

[Tralynn]

Thank you for posting the information. It's always good to get the heads up when the rules change.

[woodey]

Two years Wow...Not alot of time to plan in some cases....I have one now and was going to pick up another in Febuary but i think i will pass........

[AWCHIEF]

You still get free money, but just because you don't get enough you won't accept it? Hmmm.

 

From 5 years to 4 years and now maybe 2 years? I imagine soon enough, if you don't book the cruise on board they won't be available at all.

 

My guess is most people buying them were already repeat customers on Carnival anyway and the certificates were not attracting as many new repeaters as they were hoping for.

 

Let me quess, you cruise with someone else. Not a solo cruiser. That is the normal reaction from someone that does not have a clue what solo passangers have to contend with. After paying 6 to 9 dollars to return the form the OBC is less than $18 for a 5 day cruise. No big deal you say. Show me in writing anywhere that Carnival says that solo passangers only get half the OBC or try to get someone at Carnival to justify it after charging us 200% single supplement. It is not just this one issue, it is all the little ways that Carnival has come up with recently of digging it to the solo passanger. I have always and only cruised with Carnival because they offered the best bang for the buck for us solo passangers, not anymore. Time to be looking else where to spend my cruising dollars.

[gargoyle999]

Well that is interesting. Maybe they are on the way out. Never was as good as the Princess FCC program. But I was glad that they at least offered them.

 

Was going to buy a couple in March when I'm on the Splendor. Will have to reconsider now since we are taking 2012 to do land vacations and not sure about 2013.

 

I would guess as long as you can still get your $100 back if you want I may get one more but not multiples.

[PaulMedik]

This may have already been announced on CruiseCritic but just in case I thought I would pass it along. On our Destiny cruise last weekend, they announced that Future Cruise Certificates purchased on or after Jan 1, 2011 will only be good for two years instead of 4. Any certificate purchased before January 1 will still have 4 years to be used. Because of this, there were alot of people buying multiple certificates.

 

Just letting you know.

 

 

SmogMonster,

 

We still have four certificates left from when they first came out back in 2006. I am planning to mail in two for this coming April and use the other two for April 2012. Ours are all good for five years and don't have restrictions like newer versions, but I think the new two year certificates will work just fine for us.

 

We've enjoyed $$ OBC for eight cruises from the Future Cruise program since it came out, but did miss out on using our certificates on two during that time frame because we were late in booking and couldn't get them to understand that 'current' restrictions didn't apply to our certificates. :rolleyes:

 

I'm not sure how the new restrictions will affect us, but as they were it seemed like a good deal for Carnival to hold my funds in advance and then be confident I'd be cruising again several times.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Let me quess, you cruise with someone else. Not a solo cruiser. That is the normal reaction from someone that does not have a clue what solo passangers have to contend with. After paying 6 to 9 dollars to return the form the OBC is less than $18 for a 5 day cruise. No big deal you say. Show me in writing anywhere that Carnival says that solo passangers only get half the OBC or try to get someone at Carnival to justify it after charging us 200% single supplement. It is not just this one issue, it is all the little ways that Carnival has come up with recently of digging it to the solo passanger. I have always and only cruised with Carnival because they offered the best bang for the buck for us solo passangers, not anymore. Time to be looking else where to spend my cruising dollars.

 

I also pay for both people. You are getting a better deal. But enjoy!

[Sargent_Schultz]

Two years Wow...Not alot of time to plan in some cases....I have one now and was going to pick up another in Febuary but i think i will pass........

 

Probably another factor in play is that even though the certificates aren't valid for cruises already booked, people still send them in and Carnival still accepts them.

 

If that still holds, I think many people already know how many cruises they are planning over the next 1-2 years.

[jpg1747]

I cruise solo and I'm going to get one on my Destiny cruise to use on my upcoming Magic cruise. Any OBC is better than nothing and I'm already going on the cruise. If I could use more than one on a cruise, I'd get more. The money I spend to buy them is money I'd just use to pay off the cruise anyway. Might as well get some OBC while I'm at it.

 

IMO not getting them because of the new 200% 1A supplement is cutting off your nose to spite your face. But to each his own.

[cruiserNC]

Let me quess, you cruise with someone else. Not a solo cruiser. That is the normal reaction from someone that does not have a clue what solo passangers have to contend with. After paying 6 to 9 dollars to return the form the OBC is less than $18 for a 5 day cruise. No big deal you say. Show me in writing anywhere that Carnival says that solo passangers only get half the OBC or try to get someone at Carnival to justify it after charging us 200% single supplement. It is not just this one issue, it is all the little ways that Carnival has come up with recently of digging it to the solo passanger. I have always and only cruised with Carnival because they offered the best bang for the buck for us solo passangers, not anymore. Time to be looking else where to spend my cruising dollars.

 

I am not a solo cruiser but I do agree that is a bum deal!

 

The two year limit may just stop me from doing it as well.

[KatyAnn]

If my husband and I both have certificates, can we both use them on the same cruise? Or, is it only one per cruise per family?

[sassy5683]

from what I understand one per cabin........so if you book two cabins you can each use one...but they have to be in each of your names.....one in yours and one in his.

 

And since they are 100% refundable....I don't see where the risk is.

[AWCHIEF]

I also pay for both people. You are getting a better deal. But enjoy!

 

"Better deal" OK, I suppose that it could be the mad cow kicking in but now you have confused me. I don't see your logic. I pay the same to include port fees and taxes as you and yours combined and only get half the benefits, etc. How am I getting a better deal?

[Sargent_Schultz]

"Better deal" OK, I suppose that it could be the mad cow kicking in but now you have confused me. I don't see your logic. I pay the same to include port fees and taxes as you and yours combined and only get half the benefits, etc. How am I getting a better deal?

 

Actually you don't pay a full 200% - you pay something less. I pay the full 200%.

 

I only get to use half a cabin; usually less. The snoring I hear may not be mine. Sometimes there is someone in the bathroom that isn't me.

 

I get to pay for twice as many shore excursions and two sets of tips.

 

I need more OBC to pay for the Xanax. :p

[GaNavy]

Actually you don't pay a full 200% - you pay something less. I pay the full 200%.

 

I only get to use half a cabin; usually less. The snoring I hear may not be mine. Sometimes there is someone in the bathroom that isn't me.

 

I get to pay for twice as many shore excursions and two sets of tips.

 

I need more OBC to pay for the Xanax. :p

 

Sarge, I can assure you that we solos do indeed pay the FULL 200% - the only thing we save is the port charges and tax on the second person, a pretty puny amount. You choose to pay for another person, complete with snoring and bathroom sharing - we don't have any choice, and the person we're paying extra for doesn't even exist! :eek::p

 

I notice that many Princess cruises now sell all of their inside cabins and all non-balcony outsides to solos for only 150%. Maybe Carnival is trying to get us to upgrade, sort of like the old GM trying to work its customers up from Chevys to Pontiacs to Buicks to Cadillacs.... shoot, a couple more raises at work and it's Seabourn here I come!?!?!!?? :rolleyes:

[maryann2]

As a solo passenger I no longer will waste my money on them as we only get half the advertised OBC even if we pay 200% single supplement. Just another example of Carnivals disdain and lack of respect for it solo passenger base.

 

I agree. I also travel solo most of the time. FYI Celebrity has some great Tuesday sales with 150% solo supplement or less.

Also their FCC pays the full OBC for solos. A 14+ day cruise pays $300 OBC.

However this cannot be combined with the Shareholder OBC and I believe that that is the route that Carnival will eventually go too .

[Sargent_Schultz]

Sarge, I can assure you that we solos do indeed pay the FULL 200% - the only thing we save is the port charges and tax on the second person, a pretty puny amount. You choose to pay for another person, complete with snoring and bathroom sharing - we don't have any choice, and the person we're paying extra for doesn't even exist! :eek::p

 

I notice that many Princess cruises now sell all of their inside cabins and all non-balcony outsides to solos for only 150%. Maybe Carnival is trying to get us to upgrade, sort of like the old GM trying to work its customers up from Chevys to Pontiacs to Buicks to Cadillacs.... shoot, a couple more raises at work and it's Seabourn here I come!?!?!!?? :rolleyes:

 

Carnival does it because they can. If you choose to use a higher cost cruise line, the margins on their cabins may make rebates more affordable.

 

Look at your invisible and silent friend as a bonus! They won't be drinking half the wine, either. :p

[friedshrimp]

Let me quess, you cruise with someone else. Not a solo cruiser. That is the normal reaction from someone that does not have a clue what solo passangers have to contend with. After paying 6 to 9 dollars to return the form the OBC is less than $18 for a 5 day cruise. No big deal you say. Show me in writing anywhere that Carnival says that solo passangers only get half the OBC or try to get someone at Carnival to justify it after charging us 200% single supplement. It is not just this one issue, it is all the little ways that Carnival has come up with recently of digging it to the solo passanger. I have always and only cruised with Carnival because they offered the best bang for the buck for us solo passangers, not anymore. Time to be looking else where to spend my cruising dollars.

 

Have fun on RCCL, HAL, NCL, Costa, Princess, etc.........

[AWCHIEF]

Have fun on RCCL, HAL, NCL, Costa, Princess, etc.........

 

I am sure that was supposed to be a joke. You obviously did not get the word. Humor is no longer allowed on CC. For you information, as if it is any of your business, I booked a cruise today. Feb, NCL out of New Orleans. 7 day, better price than Carnival for a 7 day, full Oceanview cabin and going to new and exciting ports. $100 OBC and a bottle of cheap wine. Not the same old boring Carnival ports. :cool:

[flyboysmom]

They told us if we didn't use it, we could still get our money back at the end of the 4 years, that was on our November Cruise on the wonderful Dream.. So is that still true? FLYBOYSMOM

[clinthi]

They told us if we didn't use it, we could still get our money back at the end of the 4 years, that was on our November Cruise on the wonderful Dream.. So is that still true?

 

Anyone know?

[sassy5683]

it is 100% refundable....which is the reason we feel that it is a no risk purchase. We KNOW we are going to cruise again just don't always know when until we get home and look at our calendar....although we really like Dec and Jan.