Early Saver --- Glad or Sad?

[cruisingautiger]

Booked ES on our upcoming December cruise. Final payment was due Monday. Between booking in Feb and 9/22, our total dropped by $1,200. Since done before final payment, this decreased my balance due, so I don't even have to deal with OBC. I used Carnival's mobile website on my phone to make a fake booking and just checked in every few days. Yes, I gave Carnival a small interest free loan for 7 months, but it was not going to earn me much anyway, so it was worth it to get the cabin we wanted. Great experience for me, so I will probably do it for our next cruise.

[QTPieRye]

We usually book ES - knowing that price drops for us are RARE.

 

We choose aft wraps and with so few available they sell out and rarely see and price drops. The only significant price drops we've seen was on our "Breeze...again" cruise booked for August 2013 which was booked just before the Triumph fire. Then shortly after the prices on ALL Carnival sailings dropped like a rock. Definitely benefit from ES on that booking - but not so much on the others. :o

 

BUT....we think ES is still they way to go! Just in case there were to be a price drop at least you can take advantage of it or if there is the need to cancel unexpectedly - at least you only lose the $50. :cool:

 

Yes, the aft wraps are great, but because they are so limited rarely a price drop for sure. We've found that the L-shaped balcony cabins, which classify as 8A or 9A for whatever reason, have been the best for us in getting price adjustments :)

[snc_cam]

Yes it is a new tactic, read the posts about the lower prices for guaranteed cabins which cannot be matched using ES...Most posts that I have read where ES worked for them have been in the past not in the past few months......

 

It is true that you can't match an ES to a GTY since with ES, you choose your cabin, GTY you don't. However, you "can" switch from ES to GTY at the end if you are willing to give up your cabin and let Carnival choose where you go. But once switched, you can't go back.

 

And from what I've been reading here, there are still lots of people getting ES to work for them, including myself. But we all have different priorities and expectations. And as some posters have identified (including Rye), when we book ES, we are happy with that price and if it doesn't fall, we are still good with what we paid.

[Out to sea!]

Were you happy or glad you booked ES? In other words, after final payment did you get price reductions or not? Please post your experiences.

 

Always glad, never sad. Have probably saved over $1,500 combined on my Early Saver experiences ($760 on one cruise alone).

Edited October 9, 2014 by Out to sea!

[snc_cam]

Always glad, never sad. Have probably saved over $1,500 combined on my Early Saver experiences ($760 on one cruise alone).

 

I agree with you on this too. Have never been disappointed with ES, even knowing that I won't get a price drop. Allowed us to book at a good price and gives the potential for future gains.

[Out to sea!]

Yes it is a new tactic, read the posts about the lower prices for guaranteed cabins which cannot be matched using ES...Most posts that I have read where ES worked for them have been in the past not in the past few months......

 

ES has NEVER been able to price match to a GTY so this is not a NEW tactic. Carnival may be lowering rates only on GTYs more, but that is up to them. No new tactics, same way of doing business.

[skyeman27]

ES has NEVER been able to price match to a GTY so this is not a NEW tactic. Carnival may be lowering rates only on GTYs more, but that is up to them. No new tactics, same way of doing business.

 

Yes it is. Lately most of the price reductions have been for GTY rooms, it was not this way in the past. I have booked ES on all 12 of my Carnival cruises and have been able to use it a few times. I book my cruises very early since I can pick the cabin and the prices for ES are the lowest, I like PT and Spa cabins and I have rarely been able to take advantage ES, I knew this when I booked ES since I am a very experienced Carnival cruiser. Not complaining about ES, just pointing out the GTY tactic. Yes it is up to Carnival to lower rates only on GTYs more, of course it is, I agree with you. But do you not think that Carnival knows this is a way to negate ES?

[luv2kroooz]

ES has NEVER been able to price match to a GTY so this is not a NEW tactic. Carnival may be lowering rates only on GTYs more, but that is up to them. No new tactics, same way of doing business.

 

It is definitely up to Carnival. However, the overall intent of early saver (in a general sense) is to afford the people that book early the lowest rates. Under the new pricing regime, that simply doesn't ring true much of the time. So, the intent of the early saver is not recognized by many. Since Carnival can't support a higher price point to fill their ships, they are forced to deeply discount the rates at the very last minute. However, they've enacted loopholes that prevent their ES customers from recognizing the price drop. This, rightly or unrightly, upsets people who have been on deposit for over 5 months in many cases. Unhappy passengers talk a lot more than happy passengers.

[antique sailor]

AHOY SHIPMATES,

 

I used to think that I was fairly literate, but Carnival has led me to re-evaluate. I have averaged a 5 day cruise each month for the past 15 months on the Fascination /jax fla/about 15 min from my home . I qualify for sr. citizen, Military, past cruiser(platinum) and Fla resident., and book at the cheapest rate when I book which is anywhere from 8 months to 6 days early.

I then check prices DAILY and have only qualified for ONE price reduction and NO OBC's according to the lovely voiced ladies in their phone pools.....Booking MILITARY is probably the worst overall but it does allow cancellation at no cost. I have found that booking the cheapest OV and letting them choose my cabin has worked out best. I call the "UP SELL"

dept . about a week before sailing and end up with a nice balcony for a very GOOD price regardless of the posted prices.

[dickinson]

It sounds like a lot of people are finding that after booking ES and paying final payment there are many people who are unable to take advantage of price drops because it would mean going to a guarantee and therefore giving up their cabin they picked. Do I have this correct?

 

I wonder if this is most of the time or just some of the time.

 

Oy…. what is a person to do? :eek:

[dickinson]

AHOY SHIPMATES,

 

I used to think that I was fairly literate, but Carnival has led me to re-evaluate. I have averaged a 5 day cruise each month for the past 15 months on the Fascination /jax fla/about 15 min from my home . I qualify for sr. citizen, Military, past cruiser(platinum) and Fla resident., and book at the cheapest rate when I book which is anywhere from 8 months to 6 days early.

I then check prices DAILY and have only qualified for ONE price reduction and NO OBC's according to the lovely voiced ladies in their phone pools.....Booking MILITARY is probably the worst overall but it does allow cancellation at no cost. I have found that booking the cheapest OV and letting them choose my cabin has worked out best. I call the "UP SELL"

dept . about a week before sailing and end up with a nice balcony for a very GOOD price regardless of the posted prices.

 

How often have you booked ES?

[luv2kroooz]

It sounds like a lot of people are finding that after booking ES and paying final payment there are many people who are unable to take advantage of price drops because it would mean going to a guarantee and therefore giving up their cabin they picked. Do I have this correct?

 

I wonder if this is most of the time or just some of the time.

 

Oy…. what is a person to do? :eek:

 

I think you are correct. However, whether or not final payment date has passed is not relevant. Under the ES rules, which are sometimes enforced and sometimes not enforced, you are not able to go to a guarantee at any time. Early saver is way more restrictive than the other fare codes.

[dickinson]

On ES if prices go down before final payment then your price is reduced … correct? After final if price goes down and you qualify then you get OBC. Do I have this right?

[opie051699]

We booked in April 2014 for April 2015 on the Pride. We chose one of the elusive 9B balconies. (I think there are only 6 total 9B's). Anyway - nothing but increases since then, so what we paid ended up $400 less than what the ES price went up to, and $600 less than what the regular rate went up to, so I am still glad. And now the category is sold out, so unless someone upgrades to a suite and no one upgrades to the empty 9B, I don't expect to see any OBC. Carnival could still advertise the category as $600 off, and it wouldn't be lower than what I paid...so I am still happy. Our last cruise we got upgraded to a balcony and $200 OBC with ES, so it works for us.

[luv2kroooz]

On ES if prices go down before final payment then your price is reduced … correct? After final if price goes down and you qualify then you get OBC. Do I have this right?

 

That is the intent of the early saver. However, it is way more complicated that that. There are a lot of threads here on CC that have tried to outline all of the terms and conditions.

[antique sailor]

How often have you booked ES?

 

AHOY SHIPMATE,

 

NEVER because the initial price is higher than the other categories, but I am rethinking for future bookings. Thanks for asking.

[Carnival_Brides]

I call the "UP SELL"

.

 

How does one call the upsell department?

 

We've been booking ES since it appeared and usually end up booking it (I think there were three or four cruises where we were too late). We only book at a rate we're comfortable paying and if the drops happen, they happen.

 

With our latest booking, we are glad to be ES, but we are probably going to look at other rates or wait 'til the last minute from now on. We initially booked 4Js for $1166--thanks to

ES and some fabulous GTY sales, we are now in GTY balconies for $1004 and have $120 in OBC. Carnival let us price match to the 30 hour sale last week as long as we gave up our cabins, so we did it. However, we have had a time getting price drops. As sales would change, I'd submit a price drop form at 12:02 am and receive a denial by 12:05. I'd always find myself on the phone with a CSR making the correction because the drop was indeed valid. Now, the agents can no longer adjust the price (as of October 1) and ES customers will be left fighting with the dept. that handles the drops via email. We also discovered that it is near impossible to "fight" denials with screenshots, at least as of late. My problems with the form and the department are not user error--I've been booking ES since it came out and used it for a hefty number of cruises, including several cabins for my wedding.

[fuddrules]

On ES if prices go down before final payment then your price is reduced … correct? After final if price goes down and you qualify then you get OBC. Do I have this right?

 

Yes - but only if the rate quoted is a non-GTY.

 

BTW - they've always offered GTY cabin rates on cruises. It's nothing new.

 

Some seem to think this is happening more often to keep the ES bookers from getting the bargain.

 

I'm not so sure, they've always offered some form of a GTY cabin rate especially near sail date.

 

If they wanted to screw the ES bookers, simply offer a bunch of OBC. If you have a cabin at $1000 ES Rate, if they offer the same cabin at $1010 plus $200 OBC, you wouldn't quality under the ES rate. That would be irritating to me.

Edited October 9, 2014 by fuddrules

[luv2kroooz]

Yes - but only if the rate quoted is a non-GTY.

 

BTW - they've always offered GTY cabin rates on cruises. It's nothing new.

 

Some seem to think this is happening more often to keep the ES bookers from getting the bargain.

 

I'm not so sure, they've always offered some form of a GTY cabin rate especially near sail date.

 

If they wanted to screw the ES bookers, simply offer a bunch of OBC. If you have a cabin at $1000 ES Rate, if they offer the same cabin at $1010 plus $200 OBC, you wouldn't quality under the ES rate. That would be irritating to me.

 

What has changed is the disparity in price between the guarantee rates and the assigned cabin rates. Guarantee cabins on 7-day cruises as low as $199 and all other fare categories at $499.

 

Why wouldn't the ES qualify for the extra OBC in your example?

[cruzzza]

I've had price reductions and other times I haven't. I was always glad I booked ES, though.

[antique sailor]

How does one call the upsell department?

 

We've been booking ES since it appeared and usually end up booking it (I think there were three or four cruises where we were too late). We only book at a rate we're comfortable paying and if the drops happen, they happen.

 

With our latest booking, we are glad to be ES, but we are probably going to look at other rates or wait 'til the last minute from now on. We initially booked 4Js for $1166--thanks to

ES and some fabulous GTY sales, we are now in GTY balconies for $1004 and have $120 in OBC. Carnival let us price match to the 30 hour sale last week as long as we gave up our cabins, so we did it. However, we have had a time getting price drops. As sales would change, I'd submit a price drop form at 12:02 am and receive a denial by 12:05. I'd always find myself on the phone with a CSR making the correction because the drop was indeed valid. Now, the agents can no longer adjust the price (as of October 1) and ES customers will be left fighting with the dept. that handles the drops via email. We also discovered that it is near impossible to "fight" denials with screenshots, at least as of late. My problems with the form and the department are not user error--I've been booking ES since it came out and used it for a hefty number of cruises, including several cabins for my wedding.

 

AHOY SHIPMATE,

 

ONE DAY I was frustrated and called the booking number then asked for the UP SELL person who had called me previously and was connected. Once I called CUSTOMER SERVICE and eventually got connected. It has to be close to sailing date or they wont have anything to offer. Good Luck.

[Folk Singer]

Were you happy or glad you booked ES? In other words, after final payment did you get price reductions or not? Please post your experiences.

 

 

no and no .

[sunny4jj]

Were you happy or glad you booked ES? In other words, after final payment did you get price reductions or not? Please post your experiences.

 

Yes. I don't book early saver for price drops. I book it so I know that when I cruise I have the best price.

[cgard45]

I booked ES in July '14 for a January '15 cruise. I was happy with my price, but I was randomly checking for reductions. I checked on 9/25 and saw there was a reduction of $300 and a $50 OBC, and the sale ended that day. I emailed my PVP and he called within 15 minutes and I was all set. Very happy with that price drop, considering I thought my original price was very good. I'm going to keep checking up until January because I'd love to add more OBC. I can definitely find ways to spend as much as they'll give me!!

 

I am curious about the form that several people are referring to. Is that something I should be filling out, or is that something the PVP does?

[hckyfan68]

We always book ES and are very happy we do. We know the restriction going in and we are ok with that.

 

We like picking our room. and in general, in are picking a specific room, vista balcony, extended balcony, need 2 rooms next to each other for example.

 

We made out like bandits for our cruise next week. We are sitting on $552 OBC!:eek: