Early Saver or Past Guest Rate?

[WildBlueYonder64]

Right now the Past Guest Rate is about $30 cheaper per person than the Early Saver Rate for the cruise we're looking at the last week of December. Should we book at the higher ES rate to have the price protection up until a few days before sailing, or stick with the cheapest rate at time of booking?

[GTO-Girl]

Right now the Past Guest Rate is about $30 cheaper per person than the Early Saver Rate for the cruise we're looking at the last week of December. Should we book at the higher ES rate to have the price protection up until a few days before sailing, or stick with the cheapest rate at time of booking?

 

That's something you will have to decide. If that's the week between Christmas and New Years, then it's a pretty popular week so prices may or may not go down.

 

Just book the rate you can be happy with and if it's the Past Guest rate, then don't check rates anymore after final payment, then you won't know the difference......:p. (that's what I do)

 

Have a great cruise!!!!

[kgymn]

Right now the Past Guest Rate is about $30 cheaper per person than the Early Saver Rate for the cruise we're looking at the last week of December. Should we book at the higher ES rate to have the price protection up until a few days before sailing, or stick with the cheapest rate at time of booking?

 

I would recommend sticking with early saver. You should be able to do that but then submit for the lower sale rate pretty much right away unless there is fine print I am unaware of. It seems to me this is a way to get people to book a rate without price protection for people who don't realize they then can miss out on future price drops. But especially with the way prices have been dropping lately, it seems a safe bet to go early saver.

 

~Katy

[Badfinger]

By signing up for the ES, you are also signing up for 8 months of checking prices, doing mock bookings, waiting on hold for an hour, etc. If you enjoy doing that in your free time, then go for it.

[WildBlueYonder64]

I would recommend sticking with early saver. You should be able to do that but then submit for the lower sale rate pretty much right away unless there is fine print I am unaware of. It seems to me this is a way to get people to book a rate without price protection for people who don't realize they then can miss out on future price drops. But especially with the way prices have been dropping lately, it seems a safe bet to go early saver.

 

~Katy

 

Good point, I hadn't thought of applying immediately for the lower rate! I agree with the previous poster too, that you have to be comfortable with the price you choose. There will always be someone, somewhere that get something cheaper than you. Thanks!

[firefly333]

thats what Id do, if you want ES, book ES and then apply for the lower price for past guest rate.

[kgymn]

Good point, I hadn't thought of applying immediately for the lower rate! I agree with the previous poster too, that you have to be comfortable with the price you choose. There will always be someone, somewhere that get something cheaper than you. Thanks!

 

It's been a while since I cruised but I am learning ways around their new rate system every day! LOL We had no option of early saver, because we booked about 6 weeks before sailing about a day after final payment date... but I managed to get us an onboard credit bu noticing that there was another rate we qualified for, slightly higher ($5 per person!) that came with $50 OBC. So I called up, and paid them $10 more for the cabin we already are booked in, and now we're getting $50 OBC. I feel like I just won us $40.

 

~Katy

[TravelingDiva1]

By signing up for the ES, you are also signing up for 8 months of checking prices, doing mock bookings, waiting on hold for an hour, etc. If you enjoy doing that in your free time, then go for it.

 

 

No wait for submitting the form online.

 

1 vote for Early Saver!

[fuddrules]

I would recommend sticking with early saver. You should be able to do that but then submit for the lower sale rate pretty much right away unless there is fine print I am unaware of.

~Katy

 

This works.

 

I booked last night with ES. Submitted a ES form today requesting the PG rate (total of $70 savings over 2 rooms). Just got + confirmation of the price drop about 2 hours lag time from submission to acceptance.

 

Woot!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

If you're comfortable with the restrictions of ES then book it and as others said, after booking submit the form for the price reduction.

 

 

By signing up for the ES, you are also signing up for 8 months of checking prices, doing mock bookings, waiting on hold for an hour, etc. If you enjoy doing that in your free time, then go for it.

 

 

You don't have to do mock bookings--fareviewer is much easier and take about a minute. I've never once waited on hold for a price drop. I just submit the form and it gets applied in a day or two. Checking prices is kind of a game for some of us. :D

[Badfinger]

Yeah but you will wait on hold calling in to find out why have not been credited the price reduction to your OBC account.

 

My first submission for a price reduction went through without a hitch. For the second I received a reply saying it was accepted, but the OBC is not showing up, and it has been 8 days. I haved called in twice only to hang-up due to the long wait. The Fair Viewer is okay, but it doesn't show what rooms are available (location) in the event up an upgrade.

[emelvee]

Yeah but you will wait on hold calling in to find out why have not been credited the price reduction to your OBC account.

 

I've submitted 9 price drops since late January for our upcoming July cruise. Haven't had to call once - they have all been processed within 2-3 days (one within 40 minutes).

 

I have had to email Carnival regarding OBC from an FCC and shareholder credit; those seem to disappear and reappear randomly.

[rudechuck]

Yeah but you will wait on hold calling in to find out why have not been credited the price reduction to your OBC account.

 

My first submission for a price reduction went through without a hitch. For the second I received a reply saying it was accepted, but the OBC is not showing up, and it has been 8 days. I haved called in twice only to hang-up due to the long wait. The Fair Viewer is okay, but it doesn't show what rooms are available (location) in the event up an upgrade.

 

One of the advantages of using a PVP is having someone you can call directly regarding problems with your booking. You won't have to wait on hold and you will be dealing directly with the person who booked your cruise in the first place.

 

It's certainly easier to book online on your own initially, but in the long run it really pays off if you have problems or questions.

[Sarapdot]

I am currently booked with a Past Guest rate and I was told by a carnival rep that I could apply for price drops up until final payment was due. I have saved $160 so far. You just have to watch what rate has the price you want. I have stuck with PG but I could always switch to ES if the price was lower and I wanted too. Right now it's only about $10 cheaper so it's not worth it to me.

[Sparky2]

This works.

 

I booked last night with ES. Submitted a ES form today requesting the PG rate (total of $70 savings over 2 rooms). Just got + confirmation of the price drop about 2 hours lag time from submission to acceptance.

 

Woot!

 

By the way, once Early Saver, always Early Saver even if you get price drops for PG, etc. Therefore, price drops up until 2 days before cruising.

[lego7191]

Another vote for booking ES.

 

I have two booked with ES right now. Like another poster said, using the Fare Viewer, it takes less than a minute to check prices on both of those. All my price drops have been through the online form, and all have been granted rather quickly. One of them was kicked back with a smaller price drop than what I had seen, but I simply forwarded the email to one of their general customer service email addresses and attached my screen shot of the price, and it was corrected on the same day.

 

Also, like someone else said, you can get the immediate price drop for the PG rate. Did that with both my ES bookings. The PG rate was cheaper, but, at the advice of my PVP, I booked ES and immediately completed the online form for the price drops. Sure with PG you can get price drops up until the final payment date. But when is that? Two or three months before your cruise? Have you seen how some of these cruise prices can drop in the last thirty days before a cruise as they work to fill the ship? With ES, you can continue getting those price drops, even after final payment date, up to 2 days before the cruise and it's given to you as OBC. Yes please! :D

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Yeah but you will wait on hold calling in to find out why have not been credited the price reduction to your OBC account.

 

My first submission for a price reduction went through without a hitch. For the second I received a reply saying it was accepted, but the OBC is not showing up, and it has been 8 days. I haved called in twice only to hang-up due to the long wait. The Fair Viewer is okay, but it doesn't show what rooms are available (location) in the event up an upgrade.

 

 

Haven't had to do that. I've had more than $2,700 in price drops on my upcoming cruise and they were all credited properly. Even if they haven't been, I would have handled it by email, not sitting on the phone. :D

 

I don't care about upgrades--love the cabin I chose and am looking forward to it. They couldn't pay me to move (I have one of the bowling alley balconies).

 

So, ES works great for me.

[Csh2145]

I booked yesterday and used the Early Saver rate ( which was cost more than the Past Guest Rate) in hopes of price drops up until sailing. Yes I love the gamble of looking everyday. I just sent an Early Saver Price Protection Form for the Past Guest Rate and got a reply back in 6 minutes confirming my price drop. Wow I have never gotten a reply so quick. So you can book the Early Saver and then immediately apply for a price reduction for another rate. Win...Win plan!!!

[larkz]

I'm not crazy about checking prices all the time, but I am cheap.

 

I just now (five minutes ago) received my first price reduction since 2009, this one for $60. Now I'm hoping they don't screw up my FCC deposit and OBC. I was on the phone for about 45 minutes while the rep tried to get a supervisor to help. Very pleasant person, however.

[DiamondBill102]

By signing up for the ES, you are also signing up for 8 months of checking prices, doing mock bookings, waiting on hold for an hour, etc. If you enjoy doing that in your free time, then go for it.

 

 

Ummm YEAH If I can get an OBC I will gladly do mock bookings.

[cruizinisthebest]

I am currently booked with a Past Guest rate and I was told by a carnival rep that I could apply for price drops up until final payment was due. I have saved $160 so far. You just have to watch what rate has the price you want. I have stuck with PG but I could always switch to ES if the price was lower and I wanted too. Right now it's only about $10 cheaper so it's not worth it to me.

 

I'm with you. $30 is $30 and you can always get price drops. I've had 2 so far and only spent about 10 minutes on the phone with one of them to save $80 per cabin. Well worth it.

[indysmom]

I booked Early Saver for a Thanksgiving 2013 cruise on the Dream and it dropped last week $400.00. When I checked a few days later, it was back up but but was the same as the Past Guest Rate.

[poptart]

If you're comfortable with the restrictions of ES then book it and as others said, after booking submit the form for the price reduction.

 

 

 

 

 

You don't have to do mock bookings--fareviewer is much easier and take about a minute. I've never once waited on hold for a price drop. I just submit the form and it gets applied in a day or two. Checking prices is kind of a game for some of us. :D

 

Yup, it's like playing the slots and it's a lot of fun when you win.

[Tweety97]

Yup, it's like playing the slots and it's a lot of fun when you win.

 

We booked ES for our July cruise and we saved a bunch of money by constantly checking and submitting the ES form.

[Sparky2]

Yup, it's like playing the slots and it's a lot of fun when you win.

 

That's my thought exactly. Hopefully, we'll get some price drops this Fall when it gets closer to our January 2014 cruises.