Just missed a sale -- any guesses when the next one will be?

[DukeASUGirl]

Of course I literally JUST managed to convince my husband to do a cruise right after a sale ended.

 

Ideally we're looking for free OBC. Any ideas when there might be another sale? We're about 100 days out from when we'd be going.

[SNJCruisers]

You don't get free OBC from Carnival that is worth much.  Your best bet is to search online for cruise oriented agencies that have a block of cabins or group space that will give you OBC.  At minimum, you should get 75-100.

[bingomamma19]

11 hours ago, DukeASUGirl said:

Of course I literally JUST managed to convince my husband to do a cruise right after a sale ended.

 

Ideally we're looking for free OBC. Any ideas when there might be another sale? We're about 100 days out from when we'd be going.

They have a sale every week it seems.  At most, they offer 50 OBC...not enough to write home about.    If you are 100 days out, I would book soon.   Prices are what they are at this point.   

 

Usually the best pricing for booking is very far out...a year or so.

[mdsgu]

Try booking through a travel agent.  Carnival rarely if ever offers more than $50 OBC per stateroom.  TAs have the ability, usually, to offer more.

[jsglow]

4 minutes ago, bingomamma19 said:

They have a sale every week it seems.  At most, they offer 50 OBC...not enough to write home about.    If you are 100 days out, I would book soon.   Prices are what they are at this point.   

 

Usually the best pricing for booking is very far out...a year or so.

 

Not always true.  Often the best prices can be had just after final payment date, especially if you can be a little flexible and snap up a poorly selling cruise.  We did a 7 day OV Alaska last year for $349pp booking about 70 days out.  Yes, you read that right.

[Micahs Grandad]

18 minutes ago, jsglow said:

 

Not always true.  Often the best prices can be had just after final payment date, especially if you can be a little flexible and snap up a poorly selling cruise.  We did a 7 day OV Alaska last year for $349pp booking about 70 days out.  Yes, you read that right.

You got very lucky. If a cruise sells well they will not drop prices but simply raise them.

 

If you are sure of your dates book ES and if price goes down you get the benefit of price drop.

[jsglow]

15 minutes ago, Micah's Grandad said:

You got very lucky. If a cruise sells well they will not drop prices but simply raise them.

 

If you are sure of your dates book ES and if price goes down you get the benefit of price drop.

Agreed.  But sometimes pre-planning simply isn't possible.  If it isn't, flexibility to scoop up a bargain is essential. 

 

Let me add for the OP's benefit, that's 75 days out on a 7 day, 60 days on a shorter cruise if memory serves.

Edited March 18, 2019 by jsglow

[elcuchio24]

12 hours ago, DukeASUGirl said:

Of course I literally JUST managed to convince my husband to do a cruise right after a sale ended.

 

Ideally we're looking for free OBC. Any ideas when there might be another sale? We're about 100 days out from when we'd be going.

 

Their 'sales' are usually just smaller deposits...

[Joebucks]

TA's are not always going to offer more OBC. If it's a more expensive cruise, they'll tend to throw more at you. For my cheap interior rooms, I'm almost never offered anything additional.

[naxer]

The "sales" with OBC happen less now than they used to, and I've found with the ones I look at,  the price goes up when OBC is offered.  The old "pack and go" sales aren't too common anymore either.  100 days has school out and that fills capacity more quickly.   

[Micahs Grandad]

Business is good for cruise lines now so they can fill their cabins with higher prices and less need to offer obc.