TanIslandGirl Posted February 11, 2014 #51 Share Posted February 11, 2014 :)We also received the letter offering the free inside cabin on select cruises sailing before 6/30/14. It would be $35. for an OV and $70. for a balcony room. I spoke with my Carnival rep today & she tells me it is totally random how the letters went out. We have booked an extended balcony room for a 7 day cruise on The Pride, our total with tax was $352.07 This letter was almost tossed, Im so happy it wasn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croozluv Posted February 11, 2014 #52 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Woohoo! We just got the offer in the mail today. We booked on the Breeze 8 day Southern Caribbean to La Ramona, Dominican Republic, Curacao, Aruba and Grand Turk. Upgraded to a cove balcony for $80 per person, total cost came to $348.50. This is one way to keep me a very loyal Carnival cruiser!:D By the way, we do gamble in the casino, but not to an excess. We also drink, but not excessively. My PVP told me they picked random past guests who haven't cruised in a year or more. My husband was chosen, but I was not. Jokes on them, I'm going as his guest!:D:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruiser from MS Posted February 11, 2014 #53 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Are you sure it's really from Carnival and not from one of the questionable agencies that aren't really what they claim? We've received 'free cruise' offers from RCI and Celebrity recently, both of which turned out to be scams when we Googled the agency name (that is only listed in the VERY fine print!). Make sure to read it all. The Princess free cruise offer was very well publicized and verified by many people, while your offer may not be what it claims. I just booked mine through Carnival. I upgraded to an Ocean View cabin. I could not get a balcony but that's ok. All I had to pay was the port fees and upgrade fee... Gotta Love it. :):):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croozluv Posted February 11, 2014 #54 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Are you sure it's really from Carnival and not from one of the questionable agencies that aren't really what they claim? We've received 'free cruise' offers from RCI and Celebrity recently, both of which turned out to be scams when we Googled the agency name (that is only listed in the VERY fine print!). Make sure to read it all. The Princess free cruise offer was very well publicized and verified by many people, while your offer may not be what it claims. Yep, what's weird for us is that I've been talking to our PVP a lot lately. We booked a weekend cruise for our anniversary, an October cruise with my family, and a cruise next year with my husband's family. So when I got this in the mail, I immediately called her and she knew all about it! In fact, she told me that the 8 days will count toward our platinum status since we upgraded and paid for the balcony. If we would've just claimed the free it wouldn't have gone toward our platinum status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotch Mist Posted February 11, 2014 #55 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I've been checking my Carnival offers daily on my VIFP but only have the 2 category upgrade. It's unlikely I'll receive anything through the mail as I'm a UK resident. Don't get me wrong, I'm bombarded with marketing emails from Carnival but nothing offering a free or discounted cruise! :mad::(:mad::(:mad::( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belle2 Posted February 11, 2014 #56 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I just sailed the triumph in December and received the same letter! Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisetodayteachtomorrow Posted February 11, 2014 #57 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Both in mail, one letter and one tri fold advertisement thing. We both got the letter with free cruise. He only got the tri fold offer. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aphelion Posted February 11, 2014 #58 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I don't believe the criteria has been stated yet. I got a letter and I can guarantee it is not about spending large sums of money or playing in the casino or not cruising in a while. I am 19 sailed the last to summers with family didn't spend anything on the ship or in the casino. The target demographic seems kind of strange since I can not book a room by myself. This is interesting and I hope my parents can squeeze a cruise in between my summer classes this year. It is nice going on to the carnival website and seeing lowest rate for this cruise is $0 lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinbabs Posted February 11, 2014 #59 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Just received a letter from Carnival offering me a free cabin! Interior of course... I guess Princess' 100% fare back sale must have shaken up some cruise lines! thats awesome.. :-) i want a letter in my mailbox now.. i got another cruise to plan! hehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinbabs Posted February 11, 2014 #60 Share Posted February 11, 2014 thats awesome.. :-) i want a letter in my mailbox now.. i got another cruise to plan! hehehe does it come in some weird looking packaging or does it say carnival all over it.. wanna keep my eyes peeled! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aphelion Posted February 11, 2014 #61 Share Posted February 11, 2014 does it come in some weird looking packaging or does it say carnival all over it.. wanna keep my eyes peeled! Just a carnival envelope with a exclusive offer sticker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croozluv Posted February 11, 2014 #62 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I hope this photo of the envelope goes through...If it does i will post a photo of the actual letter. :) Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montekat Posted February 11, 2014 #63 Share Posted February 11, 2014 It is legit and is targeted to past guests, but not sure what the criteria is. We We just booked a 7 nt. cruise for May. Sure couldn't pass up the price. We upgraded to a balcony for $140 more.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmberTeka Posted February 11, 2014 #64 Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) I read these letters about a free cruise..............and I am so glad my next reservation, after next month is on Princess. Princess did have the free curise. But it was offered to everyone. It was one the web site. They were begging people to take them up on it. Carnival picks winners and losers and won't talk about it. I called yesterday to see if there was something you signed up for...whatever..............After 100 + days of cursing after next month....plus taking my DD's family, always taking Carnival Tours, never complaining about anything but FTTF in all of these years, writing cheer leader reviews...........I was sent to the casino. While the lady on the phone was a dear, but she said only high rollers got hers and that was all she knew about. DH is a bit of a highroller and they are rating him and that is fine. If he gets it or not. If others spent more than him..they should get it. But this just giving out cruises on who they like or don't like..who lives in whatever city..or how ever they do it...................makes me want to drop my dollars somewhere else. And I will. Sorry. I do feel that way and I bet others do too. There is no rhyme or reason to this..so it becomes a personal insult. I am hacked off. Maybe I am mean spirited. Edited February 11, 2014 by AmberTeka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermaidofmanhattan Posted February 11, 2014 #65 Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) From the boards, it appears that this promo is targeted at past passengers who haven't sailed on Carnival for a while.. And that would be us! We had booked not even a week ago an aft Jr. suite with a large interior across the hall on a 7 day Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore on 4/12. Paid way more than we wanted to, but OK… Then, yesterday, my husband and I each received this "free cabin" offer from Carnival. I could hardly believe it was real, but we booked two side by side extended balconies on the Pride leaving Baltimore on April 13th, and cancelled the RCI cruise. The crazy thing is, it cost way more for us to cancel the Grandeur than what the full fare plus taxes, insurance, and gratuities came to for the two new Pride cabins! But how could we resist?? And my two teenage boys are thrilled! They love a Carnival cruise! Edited February 11, 2014 by mermaidofmanhattan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermaidofmanhattan Posted February 12, 2014 #66 Share Posted February 12, 2014 My PVP told me this morning that the free cruises were offered to some people that spent alot in the casino. I told him that I have been reading about people that didn't spend any in the casino and getting one...so then he sent me an email back and said that was strange because all the ones he has dealt with played the casino............:confused: I never drop so much as a penny in the casinos--just not our thing--but we do usually book suites with connecting cabins for our kids. So that's some cash spent, but I have a feeling it was either random, or they looked at how long it had been since we had cruised with them, and perhaps that's why we received the offers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spincognito Posted February 12, 2014 #67 Share Posted February 12, 2014 And that would be us! We had booked not even a week ago an aft Jr. suite with a large interior across the hall on a 7 day Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore on 4/12. Paid way more than we wanted to, but OK… Then, yesterday, my husband and I each received this "free cabin" offer from Carnival. I could hardly believe it was real, but we booked two side by side extended balconies on the Pride leaving Baltimore on April 13th, and cancelled the RCI cruise. The crazy thing is, it cost way more for us to cancel the Grandeur than what the full fare plus taxes, insurance, and gratuities came to for the two new Pride cabins! But how could we resist?? And my two teenage boys are thrilled! They love a Carnival cruise! We booked the same cruise, upgraded to balcony and paid for whopping $355! Took a look at the roll call, fairly quiet one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRene Posted February 12, 2014 #68 Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) My DH got the letter. I didn't. We both have exactly 198 days sailed on Carnival, never have much of a shipboard account, don't gamble. We last sailed in November but have nothing booked with them in the future. He always gets the email survey also and I never have. Who knows what crystal ball they use?? We don't spend enough money to be a desirable candidate for Carnival and we actually prefer other lines now anyway. Unfortunately, even a free cruise doesn't tempt me a whole lot but maybe it's because we just got home yesterday from a 10 day cruise and the laundry isn't even done! Edited February 12, 2014 by LRene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermaidofmanhattan Posted February 12, 2014 #69 Share Posted February 12, 2014 We booked the same cruise, upgraded to balcony and paid for whopping $355! Took a look at the roll call, fairly quiet one.... Yes, yes, same as us!! I will take a look at the roll call, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermaidofmanhattan Posted February 12, 2014 #70 Share Posted February 12, 2014 My DH got the letter. I didn't. We both have exactly 198 days sailed on Carnival, never have much of a shipboard account, don't gamble. We last sailed in November but have nothing booked with them in the future. He always gets the email survey also and I never have. Who knows what crystal ball they use?? We don't spend enough money to be a desirable candidate for Carnival and we actually prefer other lines now anyway. Unfortunately, even a free cruise doesn't tempt me a whole lot but maybe it's because we just got home yesterday from a 10 day cruise and the laundry isn't even done! Maybe my husband and I both got them because we book two cabins/suites for four people. I bet if it were just the two of us, only one of us would have gotten the offer. Would love to have the time to book a 10 day! Someday…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croozluv Posted February 12, 2014 #71 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I read these letters about a free cruise..............and I am so glad my next reservation, after next month is on Princess. Princess did have the free curise. But it was offered to everyone. It was one the web site. They were begging people to take them up on it. Carnival picks winners and losers and won't talk about it. I called yesterday to see if there was something you signed up for...whatever..............After 100 + days of cursing after next month....plus taking my DD's family, always taking Carnival Tours, never complaining about anything but FTTF in all of these years, writing cheer leader reviews...........I was sent to the casino. While the lady on the phone was a dear, but she said only high rollers got hers and that was all she knew about. DH is a bit of a highroller and they are rating him and that is fine. If he gets it or not. If others spent more than him..they should get it. But this just giving out cruises on who they like or don't like..who lives in whatever city..or how ever they do it...................makes me want to drop my dollars somewhere else. And I will. Sorry. I do feel that way and I bet others do too. There is no rhyme or reason to this..so it becomes a personal insult. I am hacked off. Maybe I am mean spirited. You are not mean-spirited. While I am delighted my husband received the offer, I think I would feel EXACTLY as you feel if I were a loyal customer and kept reading about someone ELSE getting free cruises from a company I'm loyal to. I guess we just got very lucky, and for that I am so grateful, but I also understand your disappointment. I'm so sorry. Maybe my husband and I both got them because we book two cabins/suites for four people. I bet if it were just the two of us, only one of us would have gotten the offer. Our last Carnival cruise we booked five cabins, one a suite and one a suite with a wrap around balcony (jr suite?). Only my husband received the offer...not me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrelracer89 Posted February 12, 2014 #72 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Yay to everyone who got a free cruise!!! I want one too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruizinisthebest Posted February 12, 2014 #73 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Congratulations on the free cruises. Although in my opinions it's whack to give out some randomly or however they are doing it. I could see high rollers. Heck they do that in Vegas and A.C. But just giving out cruises on any ship any date any cabin type with nothing but taxes to pay.....well for this Carnival lover it sorta pisses me off. Whether that's right or wrong, that's how I feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geovet Posted February 12, 2014 #74 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Do you have to pay gift tax for the listed price of the cruise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freedom2014 Posted February 12, 2014 #75 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Yes my friend got one too she is paying only 340 for 2 people on a 8 day on the breeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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