FTTF Timeline

[Sue Goodreds]

I have a cruise booked on Magic for 1/18/20 - Yes, almost a year out.  Does anyone know when they begin to offer FTTF?

[tallnthensome]

This question is asked a lot on here. There is no set specific timeline for its availability . Could be a year, a month, a week before, or not at all. You just have to keep looking. 

Edited February 14, 2019 by tallnthensome

[Butterbean1000]

We're booked on the Breeze for Oct. 2019.  They just opened it last Friday.  It's already sold out.  You  gave to keep checking.  It helps if you join roll call groups.   They tend to keep everyone informed.

[elcuchio24]

I would start checking about a year out. Our next cruise in Nov opened up this week. 

[serene56]

Ours was offered a few weeks ago for a february sailing.   All 30 were offered and was gone within the first hour.   Join a roll call and be active in it.  That is how it went so quickly

[teknoge3k]

We always sail in May. FTTF for our sailings almost always go on sale either in May or June the previous year. They do "sail" out fast though. I know for cruise this May, they sold out within 6 hours of going on sale. I think everyone in our social media roll call bought them the second someone said it was on sale. 

Edited February 14, 2019 by teknoge3k
Made a correction

[NHNEV2003]

It became available last week for a December/ 2019 Magic cruise.

[BENHANDEL]

9 hours ago, serene56 said:

Ours was offered a few weeks ago for a february sailing.   All 30 were offered and was gone within the first hour.   Join a roll call and be active in it.  That is how it went so quickly

How do you know how many are available? We have it for 2 cabins for a cruise next chritsmas. 

[Mommawo]

1 hour ago, BENHANDEL said:

How do you know how many are available? We have it for 2 cabins for a cruise next chritsmas. 

Have had my cruise planned a year and it’saw sold out when I look.  Found it last night got it 25 days out and it was gone in like 10 minutes from when I seen it and bought mine.  

[serene56]

2 hours ago, BENHANDEL said:

How do you know how many are available? We have it for 2 cabins for a cruise next chritsmas. 

You see it when you click on departure time.  It will list how many.   

[steveha0801]

We bought fttf for our June 1 2019 horizon sailing on may 6 2018

Edited February 15, 2019 by steveha0801

[Sue Goodreds]

Thank you all for your great replies.  I am 337 days out and have been checking once a day since I booked it (492 days out).  Based on NHNEV2003's reply, I think I should start checking multiple times a day now.  Thank you!!!

[elcuchio24]

3 hours ago, Sue Goodreds said:

Thank you all for your great replies.  I am 337 days out and have been checking once a day since I booked it (492 days out).  Based on NHNEV2003's reply, I think I should start checking multiple times a day now.  Thank you!!!

 

I think Serene56 mentioned it, but I would join the roll call here and also there are usually multiple roll calls on FB....then you have more than just your eyes on it!

[Lolabill9]

Hi

I am also on the Magic 1/18/20

I have been checking several times a day for FTTF.  Of course I missed it. It was up last week and sold out in a couple of hours. I’m very upset I missed it.

I haven’t given up hope. I’ll keep checking to see if it’s available  again.

I’ll keep you posted. Good luck to both of us!

[ReidRGetALife]

Also on that cruise. I gave up on FTTF. I was checking every day and then one day I didn't check and the next day it was sold out. Oh well.

[sprint180]

FTTF lasted 4 hours for my  Jan 4th 2020 cruise.  It was just offered last week.

[Sue Goodreds]

7 hours ago, Lolabill9 said:

Hi

I am also on the Magic 1/18/20

I have been checking several times a day for FTTF.  Of course I missed it. It was up last week and sold out in a couple of hours. I’m very upset I missed it.

I haven’t given up hope. I’ll keep checking to see if it’s available  again.

I’ll keep you posted. Good luck to both of us!

I belong to a couple of Facebook groups for our cruise.  I figured out from the times of the posts in those groups that I must have checked for FTTF about 15 minutes BEFORE it became available.  It sold out by the time I got out of work and was able to check again.  I have had FTTF for all of my past cruises.  I've settled down and realized it won't be the end of the world if I do not get it this time.  It might be interesting to find out what it is like cruising without it.  We now live in Florida and will be driving to the port instead of prior cruises living in PA, flying, and having to worry more about luggage getting lost - we won't need as large carry-on bag.  We've been to HMC a few times so it isn't quite as necessary to be among the first on the island.  I think we've only gone to the guest services desk twice in all of our cruises.  Maybe this is just a good way of saving $100.00.  Not that I won't keep checking - and GRAB it- if FTTF becomes available.  🙂

I agree ... Good luck to both of us!!!  🙂

Edited April 5, 2019 by Sue Goodreds
Addition

[Lolabill9]

I guess I’m still in shock that I didn’t get fttf. I was obsessed with checking it so the thought never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t get it. This will be our second cruise so we don’t have much cruise experience. Fttf made our first cruise very smooth. I’m still planning on having a great cruise with a positive attitude like you. Maybe I’ll only check a few times a day now lol. We are flying in from Chicago a day early so hopefully there won’t be a issue with our bags. Going to try and pack lighter this time. 

Good luck and have a great spring and summer 

 

 

[KevInPitt]

Threads such as these are exactly the reason the price of FTTF continues to increase.  There is still a burgeoning demand for the product even as the cost rises to levels some find astonishing.

 

Keep up the good work.  Carnival is paying attention and responding in kind.

[grandmarnnurse]

I am booked on a B2B for April 5 & April 11, 2020 on the Magic. It appeared in my excursions for both of those cruises on 3/26 and I bought it for the first leg of the B2B (April 5)that afternoon. I did not buy it for the second leg of cruise, as we will already be on the ship, and will just forego the other perks involved for that second leg of trip. I was very surprised that it appeared earlier than one year out! I quickly notified my roll calls, so it does pay to join a roll call, because several members were able to purchase it after I notified them of it’s availability. Those that waited, hoping it would be there once they thought about it for awhile, were out of luck, as it was gone. My suggestion is to check SEVERAL times a day, and grab it as soon as you see it, as it could be gone in a matter of hours, if not minutes. 

[JQTravels]

 

[MWBearFan]

We are booked for a cruise on the Breeze in April of 2021 and of course no excursions are yet available we do want to purchase it.  I'm sure it won't be till sometime in 2020 or early 2021 that it will become available along with the other excursions.  We booked through our cruise through a Carnival personal vacation planner who made the process easy.  I could shoot her an email and ask about being put on an early waiting list and maybe get it added as soon as it's available.  One thing I know people have said in other posts regarding it is that even if it's sold out today, keep checking as sometimes people drop it and you might be able to get it.  

[RWolver672]

15 hours ago, MWBearFan said:

We are booked for a cruise on the Breeze in April of 2021 and of course no excursions are yet available we do want to purchase it.  I'm sure it won't be till sometime in 2020 or early 2021 that it will become available along with the other excursions.  We booked through our cruise through a Carnival personal vacation planner who made the process easy.  I could shoot her an email and ask about being put on an early waiting list and maybe get it added as soon as it's available.  One thing I know people have said in other posts regarding it is that even if it's sold out today, keep checking as sometimes people drop it and you might be able to get it.  

 

The PVPs can't do that.  For a while there was a waiting list but it got so big that they discontinued it.  

 

I have read on here that the best times to try to get FTTF is when they first come out,  around midnight when they may add more and right when final payment is due.  (Some may cancel their cruise that had it and they will put those up for sale.)

[grandmarnnurse]

11 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

 

The PVPs can't do that.  For a while there was a waiting list but it got so big that they discontinued it.  

 

I have read on here that the best times to try to get FTTF is when they first come out,  around midnight when they may add more and right when final payment is due.  (Some may cancel their cruise that had it and they will put those up for sale.)

That is correct. You cannot be put on any list for FTTF. It’s purely a first come first serve availability. And for both of the cruises that I was able to obtain it (after checking several times that day prior to it popping up), it popped up in the afternoon. Some people have told me they grabbed it in the middle of the night, so I believe there is no rhyme or reason as to when it shows up. But it’s true that once you get past the last payment date, more show up, once people may cancel their cruises.

[ZeeWP]

They must have had more open for our Cruise. I was more than a few hours out after I saw the announcement on here, and went to buy it for my cruise and it was still available. They also open more slots as time goes on, so keep watch on it even after it is sold out. 

 

Also--since I have a Family Harbor Suite--I might cancel mine because the only added benefit is having our rooms ready when we get on. So there might be people like me.