Free room letter

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I checked and thank goodness I don't have one. No idea about my husband's login but I don't think he knows to check, so far so good. (Cuz he might use it! :eek:) I see a trend here that seems to be paying off REALLY well for CCL. "We got a free cruise! We booked so and so with us and got a balcony etc" = $$ CCL probably wouldn't have otherwise gotten. PLUS what they spend on board. My CCL loving friends just booked all single rooms for 4 people on the Elation, practically giving away the rooms. There is NO way this could happen if there weren't lots of rooms available, same with the free cruise credits. To contrast, on my upcoming DC in May, the rooms have gone up and up in price by about $400+ per room, and that is with about 65 days left before sailing. A last minute sale is of course a possibility but the fact that the price goes up shows that the rooms are booking well. Free cruise = serious cry for desperation... It's a public forum so we can see it how we personally see it without others having to agree with us. But no, other cruise lines are NOT having to give away singles rooms or just free rooms to begin with...

Edited February 25, 2014 by TwinPrincessMermaids

[Breadman54]

No catch!!! You get it free if you get an inside cabin and only on certain cruises. My daughter received one and all she had to pay is port charges and taxes. The offer is for 2 people, one cabin. She already booked hers! She is going on a 7 day on the Pride in May.

We received a letter today for a free room from carnival on certain dates and certain ships. WHATS THE CATCH!!

[BenjiRodney]

I don't think the loyal customers are getting the letters, I took 3 cruises last year, one more for this year booked.

[ladypirate2012]

So you have to check by going on carnival.com and to the VIFP log in? Then what?

[AmberTeka]

All I can say is, I have 15 cruises on Carnival and 2 booked for this year which means I like to cruise. But, I am not feeling the need to remain loyal anymore. They have sold off some of the benefits I earned -FTTF- and are instituting changes that I am not sure will enhance my cruising experience. It is a good time to let the other main stream cruise lines "WOO ME BACK" !!!!!!

 

Well said. I did that. We have one more cruise scheduled on Carnival. We sail in a few weeks. I look forward to it, and I am sure it will be a nice cruise.

 

But I don't have any other bookings on Carnival. I cancelled it. I registered at Celebrity. Started reading their web site. All new to me, so I am still finding my way around. I have found a ship...and cruise..maybe in October. it is fun. A new line. new ship. new places. I would not have ventured out if not for the Free Cabin give away which seems designed to drive long time cruisers away from Carnival.

 

And it is sort of like cruising for the first time. New ship. New cabins. new productions. new way of dining. New activities. And I am going to set up a membership on NCL if I can ever figure out how to navigate their web site. I can't even get signed in yet...

and I am not mad anymore. Not even irked. When a window closes..........another one opens.

[Lizzzys]

Yes, the offer is going to some Canadians as well. My lucky sister included. She's from BC and received the offer by mail and just took advantage of the offer by booking the Sunshine for an 11 day southern Caribbean. ($330 for 2 people, total)

 

I don't see this so much as "desperation" on carnivals part. Hotels do something similar with their remaining rooms by selling them through third parties like Hotwire and priceline. Carnival is "gifting" the cruise to very select target markets. My feeling is that they know who is likely to drop some more $$ somewhere on the ship (bars, casino, gift shops, photos, specialty dining, spa, those who upgrade rooms, go on excursions frequently etc.) through historical spending data. Even if they just occupy the room, the gratuities pay for most of the stateroom staff wages (because we all know they don't get paid much else) and the ship is sailing whether it is full or half full so might as well have the rooms full of people who might spend elsewhere once onboard. What this does is enables carnival to keep their staff during the slow season. There is nothing wrong with that in my eyes.

 

Liz

 

 

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[Ms. Fun Bunch]

My godson & his father both received a phone call from Carnival for a free interior cabin. My former supervisor received her offer in the mail she is going on the 8 day Breeze cruise in April. Also, two other people I know have received offers by phone but not me but I am still hoping for a call or letter:-)!

[JCcruisin]

Do you have a Carnival account, and when was your last cruise with Carnival?

How many people are included in this offer? Family of four?

Congratulations. Enjoy.

[sherin65]

I'd be interested to know what your booking deadline and your "sail by" date is on your letter.

 

Our letter came about two weeks ago and we had to book by March 3, 2014. We went to the website on the letter and logged in, many cruises were available. We chose the one we liked and booked it, upgrading to a balcony since we have never been in one before.

 

There wasn't really a "sail by" date. We just needed to pick from the cruises available. We are on the Freedom, May 24, 8 day Southern Caribbean. We really liked the itinerary. There were about 4 pages of cruises to choose from and the letter said they were adding more daily but we picked right away.

[ScottsSweetie]

Our letter came about two weeks ago and we had to book by March 3, 2014. We went to the website on the letter and logged in, many cruises were available. We chose the one we liked and booked it, upgrading to a balcony since we have never been in one before.

 

There wasn't really a "sail by" date. We just needed to pick from the cruises available. We are on the Freedom, May 24, 8 day Southern Caribbean. We really liked the itinerary. There were about 4 pages of cruises to choose from and the letter said they were adding more daily but we picked right away.

 

I was just trying to figure out if the OP is in a new round of letters. If he just got the letter the date he posted, that would be cutting it close to a booking deadline of March 3. However, it's possible that he just got around to opening what he thought was "junk mail" and it was part of the round from the first of February.

 

And the OP hasn't answered yet, so I still don't know the answer.

Edited February 26, 2014 by ScottsSweetie

[ibcnusoon]

There is one slight catch:

 

If you book and cancel, you will be charged the "prevailing rate" which a PVP told me was the Fun Select Rate.

 

We didn't buy into the upgrade to oceanview or balcony but I was able to snag an Cloud 9 Interior spa cabin for free, plus taxes and fees of about $280 for two people on an 8-day cruise, with the homeport just a bus stop from home.

 

I jumped on it, but I also bought cruise insurance just in case!

Edited February 26, 2014 by ibcnusoon

[Waterloomarc]

What do these envelopes look like? I very rarely open junk mail and just toss it without even bringing it inside. I'd hate to think I might've thrown away a free cruise!

 

 

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[Lizzzys]

What do these envelopes look like? I very rarely open junk mail and just toss it without even bringing it inside. I'd hate to think I might've thrown away a free cruise!

 

 

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They look like this:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=301992&d=1392161469

 

Liz

[KORTAM]

I was just trying to figure out if the OP is in a new round of letters. If he just got the letter the date he posted, that would be cutting it close to a booking deadline of March 3. However, it's possible that he just got around to opening what he thought was "junk mail" and it was part of the round from the first of February.

 

And the OP hasn't answered yet, so I still don't know the answer.

 

I opened it the same day I made this thread, however it probably came mid to end of last week as we don't check that box daily. They said most stuff was sold out by the time I inquired. So I'm don't know if it was a new round or not, but would guess not; I'm sure it had been on our offers on line. This will make me check my VIP number more for specials as it was there as an offer. As far as loyal customers and/or how much we spend on ship - we are mostly carnival cruisers with one other cruise on another line and or last cruise was a year ago and already had one booked for late summer. The amount we spend on board and Bon voyage I would say fall in the low to medium rang. All I know is they can offer this up any time.

[yogimax]

Seems to me that Carnival is alienating many of us who have sailed many times.

 

We have 15 cruises with Carnival and no letter. While it's nice to say "I'm happy" for those who get the freebies, I'm sure many of us are not so happy that we have been passed by in favor of those with one or two cruises!

[BoardwalkBabe]

I received the letter but hadn't yet opened it. Fortunately my PVP hunted me down so I could take advantage of the offer. Sailing on the 8 night Eastern in April and upgraded to a balcony for less than $200. Am hoping a friend can come with me, otherwise I'm going solo for the first time. As I said to my PVP, I can't afford to stay home for that price!

[rwilk1129]

Are these free cruise offers from Players Club or Carnival? Either one and I would jump on one if I got it.

[lgerrish]

For some strange reason, my husband's letter was sent to our son's address. Good thing he opened it up - took a picture of it - and sent it to me - we wouldn't have known that he was offered a free cabin either. I went into his VIFP number and checked out special offers, and for sure, he had a free cabin! I'm Platinum...he's not. The first line of the letter read...We want to invite you back on board Carnival with an exclusive offer.

 

We hadn't cruised for two years, although I was cruising the next week...so we bit and booked an 8-day cruise out of FLL on the Freedom.

 

Balcony cabin for two on an 8-day cruise was cheaper than my fare for an inside cabin on the 5-day Victory cruise I just got off.

[awhcruiser]

Look under my offers and see what is there.

So you have to check by going on carnival.com and to the VIFP log in? Then what?