Does this sound weird? Conversation with Carnival PVP

[kristi24]

After reading on this board, I learned that I should watch the price of my cruise because it may be possible to get an adjustment. Well, my lucky day, my cruise went down 30 pp! So, I call Carnival . .. .

 

(I should mention first that I did receive my documents a week ago and after booking a Balc Guarantee I was upgraded to an 8I!. .. am I greedy for wanting a price adjustment?!)

 

Phone call:

 

Me: I am booked for a balc guarantee and I was looking at the Carnival website and noticed that the price dropped 30 dollars PP. Is there anyway I can get a price adjustment or the 30 PP in on board credit?

PVP: Ok, can you please hold?

Me: Sure

PVP: Hi, thanks for holding, what we can do for you is give you an upgrade to a category 8I with extended balcony.

Me (:confused: ): I have my documents and we are booked for an extended balcony room.

PVP: Uh . . . hold on, please. (sounding flustered a bit)

Me: Ok.

PVP: ok, we can give you an onboard credit.

 

Ok, I fully understand trying to make $, but I really feel that Carnival was being a bit slimy there by trying to tell me they were going to give me an upgrade to something I already had. I just thought this was really strange and knowing what I know, feel kind of mad that they would say that to me!

 

Just a mini rant. Still so excited and pumped for a much needed vacation, just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced something like this?!

[CruiseCentric]

Doesnt really sound slimy to me, more like a PVP that was a bit clueless. Remember the vast majority of cruisers dont even know they can call and get a credit, so it catches a few of the newer PVP's off guard when a customer requests one. Glad to hear you got the credit. Actually they are under no obligation to give anyone a credit or upgrade.

[Cotton]

Kristi - You said you told her you are booked for a balcony guarantee. Unless she had pulled up your booking number, she didn't know you had already been upgraded, so she offered you the upgrade. I don't see anything wrong in the way she handled it.

 

Don't fret the small stuff. Enjoy spending your shipboard credits! And - have a great cruise!:)

[Leo Jay]

I think Carnival's like any large company -- some of their employees are great, and some leave a bit to be desired. I'd take the onboard credit for now, and then keep calling back at different times of the day and ask different PVPs to look into the upgrade for you -- who knows -- you might get lucky and get someone who's willing to go the extra mile for you and get you an upgrade (if one's available), even if you eventually have to give back the OC to get it.

 

When I first considered booking, my PVP quoted a price (significantly lower than Carnival's own website!), and informed me that if I booked during the sale that upcoming Thursday, I would be eligible for an onboard credit. But when I called that Thursday to book, I found that (whoops!), for some reason, that particular category (6A) wasn't eligible for the OC, even though the sale flyer they emailed me indicated that the credit applied to cat 6A and above. Though I'm normally a hard-ass take-no-crap New Yorker, for some reason, I let it slide (must have been in pre-cruise chill-out mode or something). But last night at 1 a.m., just on an impulse, I decided to call and inquire about it with another PVP, and she's working on getting me the credit. I won't know for sure until next week, but at least she was willing to go a bit further and email someone at corporate.

[island-hoppers]

Price drop happened to me last week and I was well pleased with the Carnival PVP I spoke with. We booked a 4A GTY for $529pp. A new resident special came out that dropped that price to $399pp. For $130pp, I dialed the number so fast I almost got an injured finger !

 

The PVP told me that we had already been assigned a cat 4F, the LIDO deck which I think is an awesome upgrade. Anyway, he said if we wanted to forgo that upgrade and go back to a 4A GTY that he could refund the $130pp or else we could keep the upgrade and receive $30pp refund as the 4F resident special was $499pp. We decided that $100pp wasn't worth going back to potluck and possibly ending up in the coal dungeon so we opted for the $30pp refund and a 4F assigned cabin.

 

All in all, I feel the PVP was very fair in what he offered and I am well pleased.

[mc'smom]

Oh I hope for the $ 30 OC you received it does not take away your 8I upgrade, that would really suck for $ 30 bucks..

 

Hope you keep your upgrade

fingers crossed for you.. Keep us posted

:)

[Hootsie]

How do you find out about price drops? I'm using a travel agent, so my price is lower than what the Carnival website shows. He's a friend of mine too and promised me he'll keep his eyes open for price drops or upgrade specials, but I know he gets busy.

 

If the Carnival.com price goes down, should I give him a call? I hate to bug him but we have a family of five on this cruise plus an extra teen that my oldest daughter is bringing (we are paying). We could use any price break we can get.

[kristi24]

We already have our cruise docs with cabin number and luggage tags (which, I know if you read the fine print says that you can be moved). . . it was never said that I could loose the upgrade. I would really be mad if that happened. I will have to check the cabin number on the book modify page to make sure.

 

Has anyone else asked for a price adjust and then been booted out of their assigned cabin on a guarantee?

[kristi24]

Update: I spoke with Carnival and asked about this. The PVP I spoke with said I had not been bumped back into the guarantee pool (which, from reading this board is one of 14 answers I might get when calling a PVP, but it did make me feel better) and that I was "taken care of" and would stay there even with my 60 on board credit.

 

If, at this point, they did move me I would have to think that Carnival wasn't too keen on customer service .. . but I guess stranger things have happened.

 

Time will tell, I sail in less than 30 days.

[rnmhaexec]

We leave next Sunday on the Miracle. I have been checking periodically and have not seen any price drops, actually it looked like the price was actually increasing. It has probably been at least 2 weeks since I last checked the prices. I checked today on a lark and it did look like the price dropped. I booked our reservation through carnival.com and booked an Inside Guarantee. 6 weeks ago our room was assigned and we got an upgrade to room 5190, and obstructed view balcony. A pretty good upgrade, I think.

 

So when I called today the Carnival rep said that the price had indeed dropped, but that I had been upgraded to a balcony room and I could take the price drop, but I would have to give up my upgrade. The price difference is roughly $700 for our family of 4!

 

This sounds absolutely ridiculous to me! Essentially, I am now paying full fare for a balcony room. I thought we had been visited by the upgrade fairy, but apparently we were visited by the Upgrade Used Car Salesman that uses a bait and switch tactic!!!

 

At the moment I told them not to do anything, because I didn't want to make an "emotional" decision. Need time to process. Any advice?

 

-Dawn

[dickinson]

Dawn, That is the usual way of doing things. You paid for a guarantee. They upgraded you. When prices drop you have to look at the current price of the room you are currently assigned to and how much you actually paid Carnival. If you paid $500 for a guarantee and the room they upgraded you to is now available for $700 you are thrilled. However if you see the guarantee price go down to $400 you feel that prices went down by $100. But you are in a cabin worth more than you paid. That is why Carnival won't refund any money. Now you have to decide if that room is worth $700 to you.

 

FYI- when I use the word you it is just as an example. I am in no way implying you personally.

[kristi24]

ok, so here's why i think all of this is so weird:

 

let's say, i decide today that i am going to go on a cruise in a month and i pay 900 for a balcony guarantee. it is very possibe that i would get a great upgrade and would be in the same pool as all other balc guarantees regardless of when they were booked (and the $ they were booked at .. . correct me if I am wrong).

 

let's say that my sister booked this same cruise months ago and paid 1000 for a balcony guarantee. if she has her cabin assigned and finds out that the product she purchased (balcony guarantee) is now 100 dollars cheaper, why would her position on the ship be changed?

 

 

 

the product carnival is selling hasn't changed: a room guaranteed on the ship. i don't understand how they can justify telling people they will be changed. i am so confused! in my opinion, carnival needs to give more information on things like this .. .

[dickinson]

Kristi- did you book a balcony guarantee or did you book an 8a balcony guarantee? Usually you are booking an 8a guarantee which means you will get no lower than an 8a and possibly higher. When you do this you accept the fact you could be in an 8a. Not everyone is upgraded. If you are upgraded then wonderful. But you still paid for the 8a guarantee. So if prices go down they will only credit you based on your new room charge. If it is lower than what you paid then great you get a credit. If it is higher (which is often the case) then no. They do not always lower prices across the board. They could lower the price of 8a only and if you are in an 8c there is no change in price. I once did an outside guarantee on a ship with no balconies. I paid for the lowest price outside cabin and that is what I ultimately got. No upgrades. You have to book what you would be happy with if you get no upgrades. Sometimes they do offer an outside or a balcony guarantee without saying it is a 6a guarantee or an 8a guarantee. The same rules apply. Once they tell you a cabin and it is on a higher level than the bottom level any requests for credit are going to be looked at based on what you paid and what the going rate is for the cabin.

 

 

I hope this helps. I know what I am trying to say so I hope I explained it clearly.

[kristi24]

dickenson- thanks. yes, i think i understand what you are saying.

 

i am booked in an 8a guarantee (which i would be fine with, by the way, but i would like to stay in the room i was sent documents for which is an 8I).

[jerseygirl3]

To the OP, you are actually quite lucky that you even got a shipboard credit. As the other poster said, you can only compare apples to apples. If you booked an 8A balcony guarantee, you can't compare the price of the upgrade you got (8I) to the price you paid. I think Carnival was more than generous by doing what they did, so I would take the money and be grateful instead of finding fault with how it was handled. A lot of cruiselines do nothing for you if the price drops after final payment.

[glrounds]

I don't understand the difference between $30 price reduction on your cruise and an onboard credit of $30 ! ! Seems the same to me. :confused:

 

This could only be a negative if you didn't expect to spend $30 onboard the ship ! ! (and then I think they'd refund you the difference with a check, right?) :)

 

What's the difference ? And who spends less than $30 on a cruise ship ?

[mmbrocker]

I do have a problem with this policy. when I booked my cruise, they had a free upgrade promotion. Since the promotion, the price has gone down by a few dollars, after much haggling they offered to go down on the price, if I took the original cabin level.. this sits funny with me.. after all, they are promoting a FREE UPGRADE. Well it isn't so free if you're paying what everyone else is paying for it. (even a bit more....) feels like bait and switch to me!

 

Fine, if I book a guarantee, and I get only the basic, that's one thing.. but they promote these upgrades...enticing you to buy, and then drop the price anyway..

 

scandalous!!!

 

whew.. i feel better now...

[kristi24]

Jersey,

 

Thanks for your post. However, the product being offered by Carnival is a balcony guarantee. Why would I compare the price of the room Carnival placed me in to the price of the balcony guarantee I purchased? Apples to apples would be balc guarantee price = balc guarantee price.

 

Believe me, I am not ungrateful for the ship board credit they have provided me with. However, if someone "offers" you something, I hope they would actually "offer" you something. I felt a bit like they were trying to pull something on me. I didn't appreciate it. That's all.

[jerseygirl3]

Kristi, was it the price of the balcony guarantee that came down $30 pp, or the price of the cabin you were upgraded to? Perhaps I misunderstood you. If the current price of the category you were upgraded to is selling (by Carnival, not the discount brokers online) for $30 less than you paid for a balcony guarantee, then you would certainly be entitled to a refund or SBC. But if it's the price of the balcony guarantee that came down $30 pp, and you've already been upgraded, I'm not sure if Carnival would owe you anything. BTW, depending on who you speak to at Carnival determines what, if anything, you get. They are very inconsistent with this.

[serene56]

by the way, but i would like to stay in the room i was sent documents for which is an 8I).

 

 

Where is the documents does it say about your upgrrade? if its all over the documents you are set..if your tags are a certain color you are good to stay in the 8I cabin BUT

If the cabin number is only located on the back of the sign and sail page--

Because you booked a guarantee-- that cabin can change any times up to sailing. (just letting you know so there is no disappointments.

 

Did you book with carnival ?

 

and PS-- did you ask them to fax or email you confimation of the credit. You will need something in writing onboard in case its not there.

[kristi24]

I did book through Carnival.

 

The room number is all over the tickets (literally- every page!) and we have the black aft panorama luggage tags. Hopefully that is a good sign. I didn't get a confirmation number for the onboard credit, but the girl did say I could call back to confirm and when I called again last night bc I thought I messed up our assignment, the guy on the phone was able to see that we did have a 60 on board credit. We shall see!

 

Jersey, we may have to agree to disagree about the pricing :). I purchased a specific product and the product I purchased decreased in price. However, I do understand what you are saying, I just don't agree.

 

Again, thanks for all of your input. My roommate and boyfriend think I am crazy for being on Cruise Critic all of the time!

[Cotton]

I did book through Carnival.

.........the guy on the phone was able to see that we did have a 60 on board credit. We shall see!!

 

I wouldn't wait for a 'we shall see'. Call him back and get him to send you a confirmation email that you WILL receive the $60 shipboard credit. Once you get on the ship, you just might need that confirmation in writing. (My PVP always sends me a confirmation email about my credits...5 minutes after I talk with her, and I take it with me just in case, although my credits have always shown up on my S&S account.)

 

After that, let it go - and concentrate on how much fun you'll be having once on board.:)

[kristi24]

thanks, i will call today.

[GoinCruisin]

Well, I'm confused :p If they upgraded you to an 8I, and the price dropped on the 8A, you could get the credit and be moved back to an 8A (what you paid for, you didn't pay for an 8I), or just keep the 8I. Now, if you paid $900 for an 8A, and now 8I is going for $880, then you would have a case for a refund... but if 8I is still more than you paid, stick with the 8I as you are ahead of the game. If you booked a guarantee, your cabin is not guaranteed until you get to the ship, and yes, they can change it... that is the risk of booking a guarantee... I would stick with the 8I, which I would guess is still more expensive than the price you paid for an 8A??

[jerseygirl3]

Kristin, yes, I think we will have to agree to disagree. My feeling is that if you book a balcony gty, you need to compare the price that balcony gty's are selling for. If it's less, then you should be due back a credit. We've booked guarantees (for the first time in 15 cruises!) for the Valor next May. We've booked a balcony guarantee for ourselves, and we've booked 3 inside guarantees for the kids. In checking the prices, I will compare to what we paid for the balcony guarantee and inside guarantee. If it's less, then I will feel I am due back a credit. If they upgrade us, I will be happy with anything, but I don't think it's fair to expect Carnival to give a SBC or refund if you've already been upgraded and your original price you paid isn't more than the balcony guarantees are selling for now.