Haven't sailed yet but already dissapointed with Carnival

[swedish weave]

Lissa -- Another bit of advice for you. Don't take your frustrations onto the ship.

 

The crew will do their best for you, and they are not responsible for the actions of the shoreside personnel. I think you will find them to be very very helpful and will do their best to try to make your cruise the best they can !!

[BK512]

This is a hard lesson to learn. I am sorry that it is impairing your ability to enjoy your cruise experience.

I can only hope that you originally booked your cruise at a price you were happy with. Price drop protection is a great thing, but whether or not there is an actual price drop is not guaranteed.

 

I booked my upcoming 4 night at a price I thought was more than fair, given that it is at the height of spring break season. By dumb luck, I had also booked Early Saver, and I learned through these boards about price drops.

So the OBC I was able to get, which isn't insignificant, is a bonus to me. I would have been happy with my original price. Now I just get to take a shore excursion and have a few drinks without shelling out more cash.

[maggieworkman]

I think with the new multi-fare structure that Carnival has instituted including the too-similar sounding names (Early Saver, Easy Saver, Instant Saver, Super Saver) we will see more and more of these complaints.

 

I consider myself a somewhat knowledgeable cruiser - at least not a newbie anymore. I research my trips a lot and am on these boards everyday learning. However, I booked our next cruise as Easy Saver right after the new structure came out. I thought I knew what the terms were, but I was wrong!! I thought with Easy Saver you could get price drops UNTIL final payment like every other fare. But that is NOT the case. No price protection at all once booked!! I knew I wouldn't get OBC AFTER final payment, but thought I could before. Lesson learned for me. It could have cost me nearly $500 in price drops, but thanks to the "we are taking care of our Past Guest" memo after the Triumph ordeal, I was able to get the price drop THIS TIME. But now i know not to book Easy Saver anymore.

 

On my first cruise I booked with a large online cruise travel agency. I wasn't aware that they charged $50 to make any changes INCLUDING price drops. :rolleyes: Lesson learned there too. I knew to ask about their fees if I cancelled, but didn't think to ask about fees if there was a price drop. Not only did they charge me a fee for my price drop but they took away the OBC bonus that I had received when booking with them. So the whole point of booking with that TA was negated anyway. I never booked with them again even though their sales strategy looks so tempting.

 

Maggie

[Gayle V]

..... try to upgrade my cabin. If your rate dropped that much... get on the phone and ask to upgrade. I would do my homework FIRST this time and do a mock booking and know what category now matches what you paid and ask for it so it is a easy thing for the rep to do without having to walk you thru a bunch of stuff they dont want to do.

 

This is allowed ? after final payment is due and paid ? No penalty?

[firefly333]

This is allowed ? after final payment is due and paid ? No penalty?

 

They have been doing it all last week, dont know if its still continuing .. but if it was me and I had a $200 pp price drop you bet I would be getting that upgrade .. but I would make it so easy on them that it would be easier to do it than to argue with me or having to escalate the call.

 

There has never been a penalty to upgrade that I know of. ES terms say no downgrading.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

True. I was just concerned when the OP posted this.. and then even after I posted that her deposit was $250 pp came back and said she paid $125 deposit without acknowledging she understood how much the deposit was.

 

 

 

OP they will let you cancel .. but not for $125 pp.

 

Oh I definitely agree with you on pointing out the deposit amount.:)

 

I was just trying to give another option to find out how much it actually is to cancel without having to call and be on hold forever.

 

Bill

[chosbor2]

I have learned you can not get upset and frustrated over price drops. You were obviously happy with the price you booked at or you would not have booked the cruise. Just focus on that!

[aprilivy]

I have learned you can not get upset and frustrated over price drops. You were obviously happy with the price you booked at or you would not have booked the cruise. Just focus on that!

YES! that sums it up perfectly.....

I try not to look at prices once I book. Am actually amazed that people are talking about their "deals" on here - I think we should keep that to ourselves so we don't get disappointed :-)

I remember going to an all-inclusive resort one time and people were bragging about their deals. It was in the early 90's we paid $330 TOTAL airfare included for an all-inclusive 7 day resort in the Dominican Republic. Hearing others brag that they paid $300 per person made us smile, but we didn't want to burst their bubble!!!

[hdguy23]

Very dissapointed in Carnival and we haven't even sailed yet. We are booked on the Dream June 1st. Most in our group (me included) have never cruised before so when I booked I asked tons of questions and kept notes. I was informed that the fare could drop and they would adjust that for me if it went down. So I watched every day for a reduction. When I noticed one a few weeks ago I called in and they adjusted my fare... No problem. Now the fare has dropped over $200 and they will not do anything. They keep telling me that we are booked under a fare that doesn't allow changes and that the person that booked my cruise originally and the one that adjusted my fare when it dropped the first time made an error. I have already made final payment but should get onboard credit. It would be even cheaper to cancel cruise and lose deposit ($125 per person) and rebook. But they won't let me do that either. I am so mad and dissapointed in this cruise line. As a first time cruiser, they have definently not made a good first impression. We were about to book a trip in September with friends and family ( a group of 40 ).. We will now be looking elsewhere. Carnival obviously doesn't stick to their word or care about their customers.

 

 

As LHP said, a trusted TA face to face is the best way to go. I would recommend that you use a TA from now on since you had this happen to you your first time and if you don't use a TA, READ YOUR CONTRACT!

 

I have sailed with CCL 2 times (3rd coming next month, 27th) and have not had a single issue with anything before, during, or after. We book our cruises online through CCL's website. Just make sure if you continue to do it yourself that your read everything, and booking EARLY SAVER is the best way to go!!

[Aplmac]

Another bit of advice for you. Don't take your frustrations onto the ship.

 

The crew will do their best for you,

and they are not responsible for the actions of the shoreside personnel.

 

I think you will find them to be very very helpful and will do their best to try to make your cruise the best they can !!

In nine cruises on three different cruise lines

I have always found this to be the case. Very helpful crew!

 

.

[CruzCrazy]

I think with the new multi-fare structure that Carnival has instituted including the too-similar sounding names (Early Saver, Easy Saver, Instant Saver, Super Saver) we will see more and more of these complaints.

 

I consider myself a somewhat knowledgeable cruiser - at least not a newbie anymore. I research my trips a lot and am on these boards everyday learning. However, I booked our next cruise as Easy Saver right after the new structure came out. I thought I knew what the terms were, but I was wrong!! I thought with Easy Saver you could get price drops UNTIL final payment like every other fare. But that is NOT the case. No price protection at all once booked!! I knew I wouldn't get OBC AFTER final payment, but thought I could before. Lesson learned for me. It could have cost me nearly $500 in price drops, but thanks to the "we are taking care of our Past Guest" memo after the Triumph ordeal, I was able to get the price drop THIS TIME. But now i know not to book Easy Saver anymore.

 

On my first cruise I booked with a large online cruise travel agency. I wasn't aware that they charged $50 to make any changes INCLUDING price drops. :rolleyes: Lesson learned there too. I knew to ask about their fees if I cancelled, but didn't think to ask about fees if there was a price drop. Not only did they charge me a fee for my price drop but they took away the OBC bonus that I had received when booking with them. So the whole point of booking with that TA was negated anyway. I never booked with them again even though their sales strategy looks so tempting.

 

Maggie

 

I believe the reason for no price matching before final payment would be that the deposit is nonrefundable under Easy Saver. With Past Guest rates, the deposit is refundable, so basically you could cancel your cruise and re-book with no penalty before final payment due date. They usually won't put you (or themselves) through the hassle of actually doing that, so they just adjust your price.

 

I do agree that all the new fare codes are causing lots of confusion--and they could have named them better. They all sound (and look in print) too much alike--especially Early Saver and Easy Saver.

 

Glad it worked out for you regardless.

[cruzn buckeye]

Im just trying to make clear you would lose at least your entire deposit... not the $125 half deposit.... your deposit is $250 per person and that is the least you would lose, or half the fare, whichever is more is the cancellation terms.

 

You had said above you thought you would only lose $125 per person. I wanted to clear that up and make sure you understood it was $250 pp.

I am confused on this. It was a 50% deposit . So her deposit is 125pp. The deposit she paid is 250 total for two. How could she lose 250? For instance, say she had not reached final payment. And had only paid her deposit. She certainly wouldn't be charged another 250 if she cancelled. Are you sure about this... cause it makes absolutely no sense to me :rolleyes:

[S.S.Oceanlover]

YES! that sums it up perfectly.....

I try not to look at prices once I book. Am actually amazed that people are talking about their "deals" on here - I think we should keep that to ourselves so we don't get disappointed :-)

I remember going to an all-inclusive resort one time and people were bragging about their deals. It was in the early 90's we paid $330 TOTAL airfare included for an all-inclusive 7 day resort in the Dominican Republic. Hearing others brag that they paid $300 per person made us smile, but we didn't want to burst their bubble!!!

 

If during the booking process you asked the agent if you could get price drops after you book and they told you yes would you still not look at the prices once you booked?

 

Bill

[klct39lg]

Lissa24- I hope you get it all sorted out and have a wonderful cruise.

 

I just wanted to add that my confirmation does not show which rate I booked. I know it was Easy Saver. Anyway this is all it says:

GUEST NOTES

1) Up to $400 off per stateroom on virtually all sailings through December 2013.

[CruiseVille]

I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to all of this fare code & price drop stuff, so will someone please explain to me.....

 

If OP is going to get an OBC instead of a price drop... What is wrong with that? :confused:

 

Isn't the OBC (If Same Amount As Price Drop), considered to be just as good?

[firefly333]

I am confused on this. It was a 50% deposit . So her deposit is 125pp. The deposit she paid is 250 total for two. How could she lose 250? For instance, say she had not reached final payment. And had only paid her deposit. She certainly wouldn't be charged another 250 if she cancelled. Are you sure about this... cause it makes absolutely no sense to me :rolleyes:

 

As OP said, she asked if she could cancel for the $125 pp deposit and was told no .. because it is not the amount of Carnival's deposits?

 

The rules change .. so you could be correct .. but Im thinking no matter what at this point the point is moot, since 50% of her fare would be more probably than the deposit so that could be also why she could not cancel for the $125 pp when she asked. The cancel terms would be all of the deposit or half the fare, whichever is more.. and the OP said she asked about cancelling and could not for the $125 pp ..

 

I agree, you could be right.

[jason534]

This op seems to have been booked into a totally different fare than she thought she was getting , OR the latest agents she's dealing with are confused as to what type of fare she has. So:

 

I'm wondering if there is anywhere on a passenger's booking documents that actually says what kind of fare it is. So a person could check to see if they actually got the fare type they thought they were booking?

 

Just checked my email confirmations and my bookings on Carnival.com and don't see my fare type listed. I know what I booked...but don't know where to find it in writing?

 

Carnival's always had it correct when I called for any reason, but I knew what I was booking with my long time PVP. I can see a new cruiser not knowing all the fares and relying on the phone rep...Or not knowing what questions to ask.

[Leo's Rule]

Lissa24- I hope you get it all sorted out and have a wonderful cruise.

 

I just wanted to add that my confirmation does not show which rate I booked. I know it was Easy Saver. Anyway this is all it says:

GUEST NOTES

1) Up to $400 off per stateroom on virtually all sailings through December 2013.

 

Just checked my email confirmations and my bookings on Carnival.com and don't see my fare type listed. I know what I booked...but don't know where to find it in writing?

 

Carnival's always had it correct when I called for any reason, but I knew what I was booking with my long time PVP. I can see a new cruiser not knowing all the fares and relying on the phone rep...Or not knowing what questions to ask.

 

Whoever said where to look in the notes section is absolutely right. I have finally found my rates on all of my bookings.

 

Cruise in 2014:

GUEST NOTES

1) Early Saver:Cancellations prior to final payment due date will receive a future cruise credit in the amount of the deposit less a $50 pp service fee. If you find a lower cruise rate,based on the total cabin occupancy& not from the booked ancillary services,such as air,transfers,prepaid gratuities,or government taxes & fees contact your Travel Agent or http://www.Carnival.com. Price protection does not apply to Super Saver,Instant Saver fares,group rates,membership rates,select promotions,or travel agent promotions. Verified rate difference is issued as an onboard credit. No name changes are allowed. A $50 fee per guest will be assessed for ship/sail date changes made prior to final payment date.

 

Cruises in 2013:

GUEST NOTES

1) Discounted rate for clients who reside in an eligible state. One guest in stateroom must be from eligible state and proof of residency may be required.

 

GUEST NOTES

1) Exclusive offer for guests who have sailed with Carnival. Savings may vary by ship and sail date. Reduced deposits are based off the full per person deposit amount and may vary by ship and sail date. Changes made to the reservation may result in removal of the reduced deposit offer. Reduced deposits are not available within final payment. Upgrades are based on availability. Subsequent upgrades in lieu of price protection will no longer be offered. Offer is valid only for past guests with an official past guest number.

2) Early Saver:Cancellations prior to final payment due date will receive a future cruise credit in the amount of the deposit less a $50 pp service fee. If you find a lower cruise rate,based on the total cabin occupancy& not from the booked ancillary services,such as air,transfers,prepaid gratuities,or government taxes & fees contact your Travel Agent or http://www.Carnival.com. Price protection does not apply to Super Saver,Instant Saver fares,group rates,membership rates,select promotions,or travel agent promotions. Verified rate difference is issued as an onboard credit. No name changes are allowed. A $50 fee per guest will be assessed for ship/sail date changes made prior to final payment dat

[WetToes]

I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to all of this fare code & price drop stuff, so will someone please explain to me.....

 

If OP is going to get an OBC instead of a price drop... What is wrong with that? :confused:

 

Isn't the OBC (If Same Amount As Price Drop), considered to be just as good?

 

For us, there'd be nothing wrong with that. I'd except either ... and be happy.

[julesnic96]

I was denied my OBC by carnival, saying I didn't qualify. I called...of course waited forever...they said I was booked under easy saver not early saver. I was furious. I know that I booked under early saver because he explained the benefits. The lady I spoke with said "oh well, that's not our problem" I asked for a supervisor and she said the same. I then asked for her supervisor and she in turn pulled the recorded conversation of my booking. It clearly had him booking me under early saver. They honored the mistake and gave me my onboard credit ;) and I'm waiting for a response to my 2nd request for rate drop. So don't give up keep calling and maybe persistance will pay off :p

[Georgiagolfer]

With the way CCL phone reps are and have been, I just use a PVP. I ill continue until there is an issue that can't be resolved. At least if I have a need to call, I can talk to the same person each time.

[steven93921]

Who in here who has done a number of cruises has not made a booking mistake and wished they had booked a different rate, a different cabin .. made mistakes that cost them money .. and learned from them?

__________________

Very well said Firefly. A pure learning experience.

 

There are some of us out there who haven't made a booking mistake (yet)... ya know, those that check their cabin rates at least 3-4 times a day ;)

 

Lissa -- Another bit of advice for you. Don't take your frustrations onto the ship.

 

The crew will do their best for you, and they are not responsible for the actions of the shoreside personnel. I think you will find them to be very very helpful and will do their best to try to make your cruise the best they can !!

 

This (and other similar posts) is the best advice I've seen on CC! Enjoy the cruise. Sure, it stinks that you won't get the OBC, but the money is already paid so lesson learned. It should still be a great vacation.

[matj2000]

Welcome to Carnival..

[alligirl78]

OP...as a new cruiser...is there any way you weren't looking at an incorrect cabin category to match to? Not all cabin types are the same category ie...interiors can be 4A, 4B, 4C etc...and if you are early saver, you need to match to your category, not just your room type.

 

Either way, I hope you enjoy your cruise.

[sparky1964]

I would at least get an upgrade. Better room for the same price that you paid. That should make you a little bit happier. i upgraded Sat. from an 8A cat. to a 9C.