12/10/2006 Valor Scuba Cruise: $799 Singel Rates!

[Sailfish]

If you've always wanted to go scuba diving in Belize, Roatan, Cozumel and Grand Cayman, here is your opportunity! I'll be hosting a cruise for divers in December 2006 - non divers are welcome, but our focus will be scuba diving in all four ports of call.

 

For more information, please check out our web page and visit our message board/forum (links for both are contained in my signature) for more information. For a short time, it's only $25pp to deposit a double occupancy cabin. You can also tap into 2005 pricing on this 2006 cruise and get a shipboard credit of $100 per cabin. Singles are only $799pp; inside cabins start at $599pp!

[DaytonCruiser]

If you've always wanted to go scuba diving in Belize, Roatan, Cozumel and Grand Cayman, here is your opportunity! I'll be hosting a cruise for divers in December 2006 - non divers are welcome, but our focus will be scuba diving in all four ports of call.

 

For more information, please check out our web page and visit our message board/forum (links for both are contained in my signature) for more information. For a short time, it's only $25pp to deposit a double occupancy cabin. You can also tap into 2005 pricing on this 2006 cruise and get a shipboard credit of $100 per cabin. Singles are only $799pp; inside cabins start at $599pp!

 

 

The $100 is nice, but the Single rate is $805 on the carnival site. I always thought group bookings got better prices as well as the shipboard credit.

[Sailfish]

The $100 is nice, but the Single rate is $805 on the carnival site. I always thought group bookings got better prices as well as the shipboard credit.

 

No, group rates are not always cheaper; in our case, you get the early booking discount whether you book a group or individual reservation. Group perks always depend on the number of amenity points a sailing generates. Ours has 6. That's enough to give each cabin $100 shipboard credit, some champagne and chocolates at embarkation, and a free cocktail party. It also allows us to offer a $25pp reduced deposit on double occupancy cabins. The single rate requires the full $250pp deposit.

 

It's been my experience that people who join a group do so for a reason. In our case, this is a group for scuba divers. Non-divers are welcome to join the group, but our focus will be to go scuba diving in our four ports of call. A reasonably priced optional dive package is available to our members.

 

For more specific information about this cruise, the dive package and the make up of the group, please go to our group forum:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

 

We have some single divers in group already, so this is a good opportunity (considering the single rate is so reasonable) to come diving with us.

[Sailfish]

The cruise line deals differently with groups than it does with

individual reservations; they have rules that only apply to groups,

and some policies are very inflexible. Groups definitely have a

few advantages over individual bookings, but pricing is not

necessarily one of them.

I'm going to take this opportunity go over our group's rules and

compare your group booking to an individual reservation. If in the end you still have

questions, feel free to send me an email at suzi95628@yahoo.com.

First of all, our cruise is being administered by travel agency selected by

Cruise Critic. This group booking was put together at the request of Laura Sterling,

Cruise Critic Community Manager and I was selected to lead and coordinate the

group. Our agent is the only person, besides Laura, who will have

acess to our booking and to the people at Carnival Cruise Lines. I

have been assigned to answer any group questions you might have

related to the cruise, but anything specific to your reservation, you

will need to speak to our TA. As with any cruise booking made by a

travel agency, you and I will NOT have direct access to any agent who

has been assigned to our group at Carnival, therefore, calling

Carnival directly for information concerning your booking will be in

vain.

Our group booking was set up to lock in 2005 rates on a 2006

sailing. This price is comparable to what you can find on your own.

All perks Canival extends to groups are based on the number

of group points that are tied to the sail date. Some sailings

generate up to 8 points, while others none. Group points are

determined by a number of factors, but the most important is the sail

date. Popular sailings, like those over the summer or holiday

periods generate no points, while those in the fall and off season

have a larger number of points. We got 6 amenity points for our

sailing; A couple of sail dates in the fall have 7 or 8 (at the

height of hurricane season), but our sailing's 6 points is

excellent. These points allowed us to get $100 per cabin shipboard

credit, a shared cocktail party and some cheap champagne at

embarkation.

One perk extended to groups is a reduced deposit on double occupancy

cabins that is NOT available to individual bookings. When you hold a

room with this reduced deposit, you are NOT booking a guarantee, even

though most agents refer to the booking as a guarantee. What you are

essentially doing is paying a deposit to hold a room in a particular

category until your second deposit posts.

Once your reservation posts the full $250pp deposit, you can then opt

to get a cabin assignment or have your booking become a guarantee.

The purpose of the $25 deposit is really to buy you some time. Many

people, who desire a certain cabin or prefer to know they have a

cabin reserved usually make their second deposit well before its due

date.

Once your second deposit posts to your reservation (meaning you have

a total of $250pp on your booking), in the eyes of the cruise line,

your booking is treated very much like any other individual

reservation.

All triples, quads and singles require a full $250pp

deposit at the time you make your reservation, as do two adjoining

rooms (the kind with inside doors). The reason the cruise line

insists you plunk down the full deposit is because there are not many

of these cabins on the ship to begin with. It's simply a supply &

demand issue.

Remember, our group was set up to accommodate divers, their non-

diving family and friends as well as snorkeling enthusiasts.

[Flip2cruise]

Sounds interesting. I might have to make a call. Im a non-diver but have considered taking a scuba diving certification class at the local community college.

[Sailfish]

Sounds interesting. I might have to make a call. Im a non-diver but have considered taking a scuba diving certification class at the local community college.

 

Make sure you visit our group forum - there's a lot of good information there to help you decide:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

 

Good luck!!