Early Saver Warning!

[UpstateCruizer]

Since the recent events with Carnival I've read several posts where people are either thrilled that they booked with ES and then there's those that are upset that they "are losing out on a lot of money". I just wanted to throw it out there that these recent sales are in no way the "normal results" when booking ES rates.

 

I have been booking ES rates since they first announced the program. Many of our sailings have had NO price drops esp since we tend to book early. On the few occasions that we have received OBC from price drops it has been considerably lower than what most people are receiving now.

 

Cruises sailing during hurricane season are usually the ones we see price drops for esp when it's been an active hurricane season. We usually see minimal price drops on our spring cruises.

 

While the price drop OBC we have received on our cruise next month is greatly appreciated it is not what we normally see. I'd hate to see people jump on booking ES and later be upset that they are locked into a rate with cancellation fees and restrictions on getting a deposit back without understanding that this is not normal.

[jvitatoe26]

Since the recent events with Carnival I've read several posts where people are either thrilled that they booked with ES and then there's those that are upset that they "are losing out on a lot of money". I just wanted to throw it out there that these recent sales are in no way the "normal results" when booking ES rates.

 

I have been booking ES rates since they first announced the program. Many of our sailings have had NO price drops esp since we tend to book early. On the few occasions that we have received OBC from price drops it has been considerably lower than what most people are receiving now.

 

Cruises sailing during hurricane season are usually the ones we see price drops for esp when it's been an active hurricane season. We usually see minimal price drops on our spring cruises.

 

While the price drop OBC we have received on our cruise next month is greatly appreciated it is not what we normally see. I'd hate to see people jump on booking ES and later be upset that they are locked into a rate with cancellation fees and restrictions on getting a deposit back without understanding that this is not normal.

 

I booked Early Saver in October for May, at $589/pp for an interior cabin on the empress deck. We are sailing on the Valor out of San Juan. We had seen the fare at $519/pp for a couple weeks (it would have worked out to be $544/pp once we moved up to Empress) and decided to book. By then the rate increased slightly to $589. Well since then, it has not dropped at all, that I have seen anyway, except with this Friends & Family Event. It went to $544/pp for us and $519/pp for past guests (who could move to Empress as a free upgrade). We were able to get the price adjustment as OBC, $90 total.

 

Lol of course nearly ever other sailing around mine is at least $100 lower pp, but we are sailing Memorial Day wknd so I'm sure that's why.

 

But I have to admit, I have been wondering how some people have been accumulating hundreds and hundreds of dollars in OBC. I have seen posts where people have gone from interior to balcony for free and still were able to get several hundred in OBC. Bc of these posts, I have literally been stalking Carnival.com to watch our price! Hahaha.

 

I was wondering if we just happened to book at the best time so we already got the lowest possible rate for this cruise, and if so, how can one even determine if its "worth" it to book Early Saver? We werent concerned abt cancelling or penalty fees of course and if something happens and we can't make it, well tough for us... that's the chance we took.

 

There was a half off deposit plus $100pp OBC rate when we booked, but it was the exact amount of OBC higher than Early Saver rate. We opted for Early Saver bc it was the cheapest rate, no other reason. We were comfortable with that rate and pleased that we even got an adjustment.

 

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[UpstateCruizer]

I booked Early Saver in October for May, at $589/pp for an interior cabin on the empress deck. We are sailing on the Valor out of San Juan. We had seen the fare at $519/pp for a couple weeks (it would have worked out to be $544/pp once we moved up to Empress) and decided to book. By then the rate increased slightly to $589. Well since then, it has not dropped at all, that I have seen anyway, except with this Friends & Family Event. It went to $544/pp for us and $519/pp for past guests (who could move to Empress as a free upgrade). We were able to get the price adjustment as OBC, $90 total.

 

Lol of course nearly ever other sailing around mine is at least $100 lower pp, but we are sailing Memorial Day wknd so I'm sure that's why.

 

But I have to admit, I have been wondering how some people have been accumulating hundreds and hundreds of dollars in OBC. I have seen posts where people have gone from interior to balcony for free and still were able to get several hundred in OBC. Bc of these posts, I have literally been stalking Carnival.com to watch our price! Hahaha.

 

I was wondering if we just happened to book at the best time so we already got the lowest possible rate for this cruise, and if so, how can one even determine if its "worth" it to book Early Saver? We werent concerned abt cancelling or penalty fees of course and if something happens and we can't make it, well tough for us... that's the chance we took.

 

There was a half off deposit plus $100pp OBC rate when we booked, but it was the exact amount of OBC higher than Early Saver rate. We opted for Early Saver bc it was the cheapest rate, no other reason. We were comfortable with that rate and pleased that we even got an adjustment.

 

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It all depends on how well the cabins are selling for any cruise. Some itineraries are more popular than others and tend to sell really well. The type of cabins booked has a lot to do with it too. We book insides after realizing we rarely used our balconies and rarely spend time in our cabin. On our Breeze cruise the insides have dropped considerably. It's all a crap shoot. Hope you see a price drop :)

[golfadj]

Some have worked out well and some havent but need to know the date is good before booking.

[songbird1329]

Interesting. That would explain . . .

 

We did very well in the current sale. Upgraded from ocean view to balcony and saved money. I am still monitoring the fares, of course. Price on the balconies has remained fairly steady but the sale price for the ocean view dropped even lower.

 

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[krispykreme97]

I'm on the same cruise and booked in Feb. Oceanview has always been cheaper than an inside cabin. After final payment was due they started the friends and family rate. Since I didn't book early savers I couldn't get any money back but was able to upgrade to a balcony for free.

[Cruizinman]

Since the recent events with Carnival I've read several posts where people are either thrilled that they booked with ES and then there's those that are upset that they "are losing out on a lot of money". I just wanted to throw it out there

 

that these recent sales are in no way the "normal results" when booking ES rates.

 

I have been booking ES rates since they first announced the program. Many of our sailings have had NO price drops esp since we tend to book early. On the few occasions that we have received OBC from price drops it has been considerably lower than what most people are receiving now.

 

Cruises sailing during hurricane season are usually the ones we see price drops for esp when it's been an active hurricane season. We usually see minimal price drops on our spring cruises.

 

While the price drop OBC we have received on our cruise next month is greatly appreciated it is not what we normally see. I'd hate to see people jump on booking ES and later be upset that they are locked into a rate with cancellation fees and restrictions on getting a deposit back without understanding that this is not normal.

 

I've been reading here all day long ,your post was the only thing I could bring a muscle up to reply to ;).

 

Your absolutely right !!!! and I agree whole heartedly. Instant Saver is the new ride to town

[jwalk03]

I have booked early saver on my last 3 cruises and I have gotten OBC and/or an upgrade on every one.

 

May '11 Imagination- $20pp obc, and an upgrade to Lido deck inside.

March '12 Freedom- $35 pp obc, and an upgrade to Panorama deck inside.

Sept '13 Valor- $45pp price reduction (we are not to final payment yet so they do this instead of OBC) and still 5 more months to go on this one.

 

I really hope they extend the F&F sale to include sailings past Aug becuase I really want to upgrade to Lido or Panorama deck w/o paying the $100 to do so.

 

So early saver has worked for me very well, and I have cruised and everytime of the year.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I've booked ES before and the most I've ever received in OBC is $400, which I was thrilled with! I book ES when I'm absolutely certain my dates won't change and I never expect price drops. My feeling is that I'd better be happy with the price I booked because there's no guaranty that the fare will move at all. For our upcoming cruise, I felt the price I paid was high, but it was still within my budget. It didn't move for almost a year except the taxes and port fees went up $350! It wasn't until the sales over the last several weeks that the price went down enough to cover the increase in taxes. I paid in full right before the sales, so I'm now thrilled to have six times more OBC than I've ever had before. There's no way we'll spend it all even on a 12-day cruise, so I'm expecting to walk off the ship with a tidy sum. Next time I book ES, I certainly won't be expecting a repeat. I think it's a big mistake to book ES expecting you'll get price drops; first, you need to be comfortable with the fare you've booked and if you get price drops, great.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I have booked early saver on my last 3 cruises and I have gotten OBC and/or an upgrade on every one.

 

May '11 Imagination- $20pp obc, and an upgrade to Lido deck inside.

March '12 Freedom- $35 pp obc, and an upgrade to Panorama deck inside.

Sept '13 Valor- $45pp price reduction (we are not to final payment yet so they do this instead of OBC) and still 5 more months to go on this one.

 

I really hope they extend the F&F sale to include sailings past Aug becuase I really want to upgrade to Lido or Panorama deck w/o paying the $100 to do so.

 

So early saver has worked for me very well, and I have cruised and everytime of the year.

 

That's a good result, but I think the OP is talking about people who are getting hundreds of dollars in OBC. Right now, I have more than $2,000 in OBC. That is definitely NOT a normal result. :p

[jvitatoe26]

I'm on the same cruise and booked in Feb. Oceanview has always been cheaper than an inside cabin. After final payment was due they started the friends and family rate. Since I didn't book early savers I couldn't get any money back but was able to upgrade to a balcony for free.

 

Are you saying you are on the same cruise as me? If so I'm def doing something wrong in my mock bookings bc OV has been around $609+ for decks 1 and 2. We are at $544 for inside/deck 7 aft. I am not a past guest though so I am not eligible for the free upgrades avail to past guests.

 

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[imluvncruzn]

We are also cruising on Memorial Day and our balcony has dropped $540 in the past month. We have 5 cabins (4 balconies and 1 interior) and all total have recieved $2610 in price drops. However, I will agree that these price drops are not "normal". Last May we sailed same itinerary and we got $200 OBC per cabin by booking ES rate.

[jvitatoe26]

Lol so there goes my theory that mine isn't dropping bc its a holiday week! Maybe its all booked up or maybe I just got the best rate avail to me for it but in any case I'm happy that I got the original price we looked at! I was so proud I got some OBC and was bragging to BF! I cannot wait for vacation! :)

 

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[UpstateCruizer]

Keep watching those prices since drops can happen at anytime. When it gets close to final payment or sailing cabins tend to open due to cancellations or upgrading. :)

[BubMunkeyBles]

We're contemplating a Carnival cruise for next year but waiting for more rates to come back. I don't want ES and I can almost always get a better rate than fun saver which isn't a great deal IMO compared to military or past guest rates in the past. I think the new sale is annoying, lol.

[mum2bradley]

Lol so there goes my theory that mine isn't dropping bc its a holiday week! Maybe its all booked up or maybe I just got the best rate avail to me for it but in any case I'm happy that I got the original price we looked at! I was so proud I got some OBC and was bragging to BF! I cannot wait for vacation! :)

 

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Mine too! I am sailing on the Breeze at Christmas. I get get $200 back

[PittsburghGirlee]

Just remember...people may have multiple people per cabin and multiple cabins when posting their HUGE OBC.

I only cruise one cabin with 2 people. I have cruised from January to Sept and the most OBC that I have ever received for a PRICE DROP was around $110.00. We ALWAYS have an Extended Aft and they tend to sell out quickly, which also makes a differece.

Also, some people are counting: Casino Cash, Shareholder OBC and other amounts that truly are not a part of the price drop.... IMHO:D

[deedle7544]

Just remember...people may have multiple people per cabin and multiple cabins when posting their HUGE OBC.

 

I only cruise one cabin with 2 people. I have cruised from January to Sept and the most OBC that I have ever received for a PRICE DROP was around $110.00. We ALWAYS have an Extended Aft and they tend to sell out quickly, which also makes a differece.

 

Also, some people are counting: Casino Cash, Shareholder OBC and other amounts that truly are not a part of the price drop.... IMHO:D

 

 

 

 

what do you consider a good price for an aft balcony? just curious, I think we get a great price, but I don't really have anything to compare it to

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Just remember...people may have multiple people per cabin and multiple cabins when posting their HUGE OBC.

 

I only cruise one cabin with 2 people. I have cruised from January to Sept and the most OBC that I have ever received for a PRICE DROP was around $110.00. We ALWAYS have an Extended Aft and they tend to sell out quickly, which also makes a differece.

 

Also, some people are counting: Casino Cash, Shareholder OBC and other amounts that truly are not a part of the price drop.... IMHO:D

 

 

 

 

 

True. $200 of my just over $2,400 OBC is from an FCC. But, we're only 2 in our cabin and it's just one cabin. The Baltic cruise prices have dropped to less than half of what they were when I booked. :D

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Lol so there goes my theory that mine isn't dropping bc its a holiday week! Maybe its all booked up or maybe I just got the best rate avail to me for it but in any case I'm happy that I got the original price we looked at! I was so proud I got some OBC and was bragging to BF! I cannot wait for vacation! :)

 

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In my experience, cruises during a holiday week drop less--people have time off so they book cruises. And, the prices are usually higher to begin with for holiday weeks.

 

Have a great cruise! :D

[Midwestgal]

I always use ES and the price has never dropped, not one time. I think it's because we book GS or OS only but the rate is a pretty good price right out of the gate so no complaints here! We always get obc from our TA so it works.

[PittsburghGirlee]

what do you consider a good price for an aft balcony? just curious, I think we get a great price, but I don't really have anything to compare it to

 

The Aft Extended balcony for my upcoming Splendor cruise was $859.00 per pax excluding tax & port fees for 8 days. I also have $300.00 in Casino Cash waiting for me as this will be my first Casino Premier cruise.

 

I have paid as much as $999.00 for the Canada/New England cruise on the Victory with no price drops.

 

One of the best deals that I got was a Bowling Alley balcony on the PRIDE - 8J (I believe) for $649.00, excluding taxes & port fees. This was even better than the Aft Extended and Aft Wrap that we have previously booked. LOVE LOVE LOVE this balcony....:D:D

 

I have also been in the AFT WRAP Deck 8 on the Liberty for $1049.00 per pax. I really don't think that I would ever book the Aft Wrap again and certainlly not on Deck 8....

The price range for the Aft Extended have varied between $749.00 - $999.00. I have not gone any lower than the $749.00.

[jvitatoe26]

In my experience, cruises during a holiday week drop less--people have time off so they book cruises. And, the prices are usually higher to begin with for holiday weeks.

 

Have a great cruise! :D

 

Thanks! I'm really really excited since its our first vacation together, our birthdays, we have never cruised before etc! The $90 obc was icing on the cake!!!

 

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[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thanks! I'm really really excited since its our first vacation together, our birthdays, we have never cruised before etc! The $90 obc was icing on the cake!!!

 

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Good for you! Have a fantastic cruise! :D

[Quilting_Cruiser]

 

One of the best deals that I got was a Bowling Alley balcony on the PRIDE - 8J (I believe) for $649.00, excluding taxes & port fees. This was even better than the Aft Extended and Aft Wrap that we have previously booked. LOVE LOVE LOVE this balcony....:D:D

 

 

 

You're the first person I've seen compare the bowling alley balcony to an aft wrap--I was wondering if they came close to how great an aft wrap is. Thank you for that! I've had an aft wrap, but my upcoming cruise will be the first time in a bowling alley and I'm really looking forward to it. I tend to spend a lot of time out there! BTW, those are 8Ks on Spirit-class. :D