someone do the math please

[what to go here and there]

booked our private excursion already cost $79 if i cancel now and rebook with Carnival for same excursion (i checked already) $104.99

 

how much on board credit ? with the 110% price guarantee

 

104.99 - minus 79 = 25.99 difference = 28.58 on board credit ?

 

Just want to make sure my math is right ..

 

 

If i am understanding this i would still have to pay Carnival $104.99 and get OBC for 28.58 and really the big difference is 28.58 OBC - 25.99 price difference = 2.59 OBC extra

 

 

am i missing something here???

Edited January 15, 2014 by what to go here and there
corrected question

[KenMo]

I think that you have to book the excursion through Carnival.

 

Then, if you find it cheaper you can put in for the guarantee.

 

That's the way I read it anyway.

[christmas]

You need to read this again. You have to book with CARNIVAL

 

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES LAUNCHES NEW SHORE EXCURSION BEST PRICE GUARANTEE

 

Guests who book a Carnival shore excursion and find a comparable tour at a lower price will receive an onboard credit of 110 percent of the difference

 

 

MIAMI (January 15, 2014) — Guests sailing on a Carnival cruise who book a shore excursion through the cruise line can be completely confident they are getting the best price and best value with the introduction of a new shore excursion best price guarantee. The only guarantee of its kind in the cruise industry, the program is now available fleetwide for all Carnival Cruise Lines shore tours on ships sailing from North America.

Under the best price guarantee, guests who find the same tour offered by another operator at a lower price than their booked excursion either before or during their cruise can complete a claim form to receive 110 percent of the difference in the form of a shipboard credit.

The guarantee is available for excursions booked prior to or during a cruise. If guests pre-book an excursion, then find a comparable tour advertised online at a lower price, they can complete an online form up to seven days prior to the cruise to invoke the guarantee. Guests can also complete a form during the cruise either before or after their excursion has taken place. Claims are typically processed within 24-48 hours.

“Many of our repeat guests who have booked Carnival shore tours previously are already knowledgeable on the outstanding value our tours provide,” said Mico Cascais, vice president of tour operations for Carnival Cruise Lines. “However, our research indicates that many others, particularly first-time cruisers, are interested yet concerned as to whether or not they are getting the best deal. The best price guarantee program will assure our guests they are getting both the highest quality and the best value on all of our tours,” he added.

Guests who book their excursion through Carnival enjoy the convenience of having shore excursion tickets delivered to their stateroom, 24/7 access to shipboard staff to answer questions and obtain assistance, and an assurance that they will receive a refund or the excursion time will be adjusted as needed based on weather or other issues affecting a ship’s scheduled port of call visit. Additionally, ongoing communication between tour operators and shipboard staff ensures that the cruise line is aware and can make necessary changes to a ship’s departure time when a tour is running late or unexpected circumstances arise.

The online and onboard claim forms require guests to provide the name of the competitor offering the comparable tour, excursion name, where the tour was advertised and the duration, price and any items included in the tour such as lunch, drinks, transportation or admission fees. The best price guarantee is applicable to shore excursion matches on the same date as the tour purchased from Carnival.

[what to go here and there]

I think that you have to book the excursion through Carnival.

 

Then, if you find it cheaper you can put in for the guarantee.

 

That's the way I read it anyway.

 

 

that is all good and well just trying to figure out the math I still have loads of time that i can cancel my private excursion and book with carnival.

 

This whole thing is not making a lot of sense to me if all i going to gain is $2.59 (as i would have to pay the higher carnival rate of 104.99 compared to my $79 excrusion that i am booked for)

[jks336]

that's cool. maybe that's why I saw the other day that the parasailing price went down? maybe. lol. on land was 85, carnival had 99.99. but then saw it dropped to 89.99. for the guarantee of getting my money back, i'll book with carnival :) for the extra 5 bucks lol

[KenMo]

that is all good and well just trying to figure out the math I still have loads of time that i can cancel my private excursion and book with carnival.

 

This whole thing is not making a lot of sense to me if all i going to gain is $2.59 (as i would have to pay the higher carnival rate of 104.99 compared to my $79 excrusion that i am booked for)

 

Here's my math...I wasn't a math major, so someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

104.99 - 79.00 = 25.99

 

You'd get 110% of the difference.

 

So: 25.99 x .110 = 2.85

 

For $2.85, I'd stick with the private excursion.

[Topo Gigio]

Isn't it more like $28.50?

[KenMo]

Isn't it more like $28.50?

 

So 25.99 x 1.10 = 28.58

 

That would be more like it, I think. (Those pesky decimal points.)

[snc_cam]

Yes, you would only get back an additional 2.85, plus the 25.00 which is the price difference. However, you do have the guarantee that the ship will not leave without you if you book it through Carnival, instead of a private vendor.

[KenMo]

Yes, you would only get back an additional 2.85, plus the 25.00 which is the price difference. However, you do have the guarantee that the ship will not leave without you if you book it through Carnival, instead of a private vendor.

 

I don't know...the way I read it is that you get back 110% of the difference.

 

Not the difference plus 110% of the difference.

[rrraydon]

110% of the difference= 100% of the difference (whatever the difference in the price is between the 2) plus 10% of that difference.

 

You get the difference...plus 10%

 

So, yeah, about $28.60

 

 

my bad..about $27.50. I think it's worth it.

Edited January 15, 2014 by rrraydon

[CoconutJD]

If you're happy with the private tour, I'd probably just book that and not have the hassle of dealing with Carnival.

 

It all comes down to how Carnival defines "comparable". If the excursion differs in any way, you might have a fight on your hands trying to get Carnival's definition of "comparable" to line up with your definition.

[what to go here and there]

ken and Mona

 

I have to agree with both of you, I would still have to pay the higher carnival rate and my only gain would be the 2.89 OBC.. difference.. I am sticking with my original excursions, I have done all the comparing between the carnival and all my private excursions,, the best i am going to do is save about 6.54 for OBC..

 

i like much smaller groups, not herded like cattle

I have never booked any excursions through Carnival all my excursions i have booked privately have been through very reputable companies, a couple even carried insurance to make sure we got back to ship on time if not they paid to get us to next location. I researched my private excursions fully and just not on this web site... I have not been a pier runner... have no intentions of being a pier runner. The saving in money is lining my pocket

and an OBC of 2.89 to change providers will not make me change providers. I like supporting the local company and local community

 

Raydon you still have to pay the higher excursion cost so really inturn the OBC would only be 2.89 difference once you pay the difference between the 79 to 104.99

Edited January 15, 2014 by what to go here and there

[JustCruiseMe]

Yes you get 100% of the difference PLUS 10% $2.85. Not just the 10%

[S.S.Oceanlover]

that's cool. maybe that's why I saw the other day that the parasailing price went down? maybe. lol. on land was 85, carnival had 99.99. but then saw it dropped to 89.99. for the guarantee of getting my money back, i'll book with carnival :) for the extra 5 bucks lol

 

In all the years of cruising I have only booked a few excursions through the cruise lines. I have never booked an excursion where i couldn't get my money back through an independent tour company.

 

Bill

[what to go here and there]

Yes you get 100% of the difference PLUS 10% $2.85. Not just the 10%

 

yes but the point is you still have to pay the difference between the carnival cruise and the excursion which is the 100% .... it is not a 110 % and the difference it is only %110 your only gain is the 10% once you pay the difference.

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

In my own personal experience, 100% of the cruise line booked excursions have been WONDERFUL. Versus about 50/50 of ones we have done on our own or with other tour groups.

 

Big points loss for JAMAICAFORADAY.COM due to credit card machine taking over an hour and a half to process a bus load of payments before we could get our wristbands for the all inclusive. Then the bus guy came an hour earlier and didn't tell us we were on Jamaican time, so we lost 2 hours of our expensive all inclusive.

 

In Belize, the cave tubing and local tour did not pan out, we didn't get to do our tours with our friends and then split off to cave tubing like promised, we had to walk over a mile in the jungle carrying our tubes overhead in 85 degrees and only got to float through two caves (while I heard CCL's bus takes them in much further, so no walking and more caves!) our lunch was eating rushed in the car instead of a the local restaurant, and then the RCI group with us had an earlier port time, and so they cut our tour down to get them back to their ship. I did get some of the things promised, but it was SUCH a disappointment. I wish I would have booked on the ship.

 

I have had good success with companies like shoreexcursionsgroup.com through PriceLine that saved us about $10 vs booking thru CCL. When I tried to book the Sea Lions through ANY other company besides DCL, the animal encounters were all reserved...but when I ordered them through DCL, I got THREE SPOTS. DCL Really did have the monopoly on these, but it was an unbelievable day. I even had companies with my credit card IN HAND that still couldn't get us the animal encounters.

 

Bottom line? If I were this OP, I would order them through CCL FOR SURE, get the credit AND THE PEACE OF MIND that booking through the cruise line provides. Maybe I have been fortunate. But every single one of my cruise sponsored excursions has been phenomenal.

[KenMo]

I had to google to make sure...

 

110% = 1.1. Not .110 like I originally posted.

 

So just multiply the difference by 1.1. That is what you would get back.

 

JH just posted about excursions being comparable. Here's what he said:

 

I can see many of you are very excited and pleased about the new shore excursion program guarantee. The common question being asked is about what is comparable.

 

What exactly does that mean and, given that there could be minor differences in the tours, who decides what tours are comparable to the ones offered by Carnival?

The answer is simple. We need to be able to verify that the tour has the same elements which may include transportation, entrance fees and meals, for example, in addition to the other core features. Claims received prior to the voyage are reviewed by the shoreside shore excursion management team. Claims received on board are reviewed by the shore-ex team on the ship.

 

JMO, but it seems like they will look for any slight difference to avoid the guarantee.

[Isa65]

Yes you get 100% of the difference PLUS 10% $2.85. Not just the 10%

 

It's really surprising how many people do NOT get this math (and think they're only saving 2 bucks).....

[wantocruisemore]

Hmmmmm, this could really come in handy for ruin tours. For example, carnival usually charges 80-100 pp while privates can range around 250.

 

I may just take them up on this! Just need to work out fine print.

[Carnival_Brides]

I wish it counted for DIY excursions. Carnival charges $165 per adult for their Magic Kingdom excursion and $145 per child. All it includes is the transportation and the park tickets.

 

For our family of 3 adults and a child that's a total of $640. If I rent my own car and purchase my own tickets we're looking at something closer to $443. That would be a Carnival Guarantee savings of $200.30.

[Mysticks1]

booked our private excursion already cost $79 if i cancel now and rebook with Carnival for same excursion (i checked already) $104.99

 

how much on board credit ? with the 110% price guarantee

 

104.99 - minus 79 = 25.99 difference = 28.58 on board credit ?

 

Just want to make sure my math is right ..

 

 

If i am understanding this i would still have to pay Carnival $104.99 and get OBC for 28.58 and really the big difference is 28.58 OBC - 25.99 price difference = 2.59 OBC extra

 

 

am i missing something here???

 

I don't think I would take the chance on them saying it didn't qualify to save $2.59. I also wouldn't change from a private excursion to a Carnival based one for such a small amount.

[Smiling Cruiser]

I wish it counted for DIY excursions. Carnival charges $165 per adult for their Magic Kingdom excursion and $145 per child. All it includes is the transportation and the park tickets.

 

For our family of 3 adults and a child that's a total of $640. If I rent my own car and purchase my own tickets we're looking at something closer to $443. That would be a Carnival Guarantee savings of $200.30.

 

You have to remember that you must pay Carnival $640.00 and take their tour. The savings works if you prefer the Carnival tour because now you get it at a discounted rate of $443. If you didn't care which tour you used then you could have used the DIY knowing that the Carnival tour would be about $20.03 cheaper with the 110% guarantee. Assume the onboard credit offsets the cost- Carnival now $422.97 and DIY $443.

[sailor_jimc]

The guarantee only works if you had BOOKED Carnival excursions and then found a cheaper private excursion. Before you had to cancel the Carnival excursions and book the private ones. Now you can book the Carnival and not worry about finding it cheaper. The few bucks you might gain with the 110% thing probably doesn't make it worth while to change from an ALREADY book private excursion.

[KidsAtSea]

Pure marketing Flim Flam. They know that very few people will apply for the OBC and even if they do and buy a drink with the OBC it only cost them 20% of the OBC.