Cruise price went down. Can't get onboard credit once cruise is paid for

[Ideb]

I booked a cruise back in September and paid it off with the Carnival Mastercard. The price went down in October and I called Carnival and the phone rep I spoke with verified it and I was given $130 onboard credit. I did a mock booking again today and the price went down again. I called the 800 number once again and spoke to a rep who verified it but she said since the cruise was paid off, they couldn't give me onboard credit but would refund it to my card.  I asked her for her name so I would be able to tell them who I spoke if a problem ocurred and the refund didn't show up since she said it wouldn't show up on my card for 7 to 10 business days. She said she would email me a new cruise statement with the new price but she said it wouldn't say anything about the refund. It would just tell the updated price. I'm a little worried that I have no proof I was supposed to be given a refund today and if the price goes up, I would just lose this amount. I would have felt better having onboard credit added to my account. My question is has anyone else heard they can't be given onboard credit once the cruise was paid for?  

Edited November 8, 2019 by Ideb

[bury me at sea]

My booking confirmation with Early Saver states verified rate differences will be issued as non-refundable OBC.  It doesn't mention before or after final payment has been made.

 

 

[DryCreek]

I bet that I wouldn't be able to avail myself of this benefit since our cruise is booked through a TA (using credit card points).

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, Ideb said:

I booked a cruise back in September and paid it off with the Carnival Mastercard. The price went down in October and I called Carnival and the phone rep I spoke with verified it and I was given $130 onboard credit. I did a mock booking again today and the price went down again. I called the 800 number once again and spoke to a rep who verified it but she said since the cruise was paid off, they couldn't give me onboard credit but would refund it to my card.  I asked her for her name so I would be able to tell them who I spoke if a problem ocurred and the refund didn't show up since she said it wouldn't show up on my card for 7 to 10 business days. She said she would email me a new cruise statement with the new price but she said it wouldn't say anything about the refund. It would just tell the updated price. I'm a little worried that I have no proof I was supposed to be given a refund today and if the price goes up, I would just lose this amount. I would have felt better having onboard credit added to my account. My question is has anyone else heard they can't be given onboard credit once the cruise was paid for?  

are you booked early saver? Are you past final payment date?

 

so I’m guessing you didn’t receive an updated invoice like the rep said she would send you? 

[LaRue1975]

You need to go online to claim a price drop in an Early Saver rate, here is the link:

 

https://www.carnival.com/core/requestforms/priceprotection.aspx

 

Once you make final payment, even if it is before the final payment due date, you get onboard credit. The form is easy to fill out, I have done it four times so far for my daughter’s cabin. Twice before I made the final payment and two after, the final payment deadlines is January 5th, we cruise Easter Week in April. I booked a suite for the hubby and I,  it has only gone up in price since booking. My daughter is up to $229 OBC, this morning it bumped from $109 to $229. 😊

 

Using the online form is great, I usually receive the confirmations within 30 minutes and a new invoice with the OBC included. When looking at my booking online at Carnival.com the on board credit IS NOT listed so I can see where you are concerned. That’s why doing it online is important, you will receive the new invoice as soon as the new rate is approved. Have a great cruise! 

[Ideb]

41 minutes ago, LaRue1975 said:

You need to go online to claim a price drop in an Early Saver rate, here is the link:

 

https://www.carnival.com/core/requestforms/priceprotection.aspx

 

Once you make final payment, even if it is before the final payment due date, you get onboard credit. The form is easy to fill out, I have done it four times so far for my daughter’s cabin. Twice before I made the final payment and two after, the final payment deadlines is January 5th, we cruise Easter Week in April. I booked a suite for the hubby and I,  it has only gone up in price since booking. My daughter is up to $229 OBC, this morning it bumped from $109 to $229. 😊

 

Using the online form is great, I usually receive the confirmations within 30 minutes and a new invoice with the OBC included. When looking at my booking online at Carnival.com the on board credit IS NOT listed so I can see where you are concerned. That’s why doing it online is important, you will receive the new invoice as soon as the new rate is approved. Have a great cruise! 

 

Thank you for your answer. The first time the price went down, I tried the online form and it said something to the effect of not being eligible but when I called I was able to get the difference in price in onboard credit so rather than bother with trying the form this time, I just called. It's still a while before the final payment is due. 

[Ideb]

1 hour ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

are you booked early saver? Are you past final payment date?

 

so I’m guessing you didn’t receive an updated invoice like the rep said she would send you? 

 

I am booked early saver and not past final payment date. I received the updated invoice and just like the rep said, it had nothing about receiving a refund of the difference.

[LaRue1975]

2 minutes ago, Ideb said:

6 minutes ago, Ideb said:

 

Thank you for your answer. The first time the price went down, I tried the online form and it said something to the effect of not being eligible but when I called I was able to get the difference in price in onboard credit so rather than bother with trying the form this time, I just called. It's still a while before the final payment is due. 

I think your problem is with the person you talked to today, it is my understanding and it says on the form that OBC is your only option once final payment has been made regardless of the final payment due date. You might want to call again to check if the refund is on your booking and try again if it is not. You should have no problem getting OBC for the difference in the new rate. 
 

My invoice still shows the price I paid when I made final payment and the OBC total for the two adjustments. It doesn’t specify why but the $229 OBC is there. Three of the times the rate change was larger than the price I quoted in my request. I am 4 for 4 so far so I mist be lucky. I do send the price protection request as soon as I notice a price drop, looks like they are having a good Veterans Day Sale. Good luck! 

[Ideb]

Update: I called and talked to a different rep. I told her about my prior call and read her the guest notes on the emailed invoice which said price drops would be credited only in nonrefundable on board credit.She said that sometimes when you've paid off your cruise before the final payment date the only option their computer system shows is to refund the difference when the price drops. She said she could see that a refund had been made to my card, so I will wait and see. 

[cc-riderslc]

I called Carnival today, after final payment, because I noticed an Oceanview cabin was less than the inside I had booked. The agent moved me to the outside, gave me a $40 OBC to cover the price difference, sent me a new invoice right away and everything done was correct. That's how it worked for me after the final payment date. 

[habsfan4ever]

Persistence, Patience, and Politeness..... 😉 

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, Ideb said:

Update: I called and talked to a different rep. I told her about my prior call and read her the guest notes on the emailed invoice which said price drops would be credited only in nonrefundable on board credit.She said that sometimes when you've paid off your cruise before the final payment date the only option their computer system shows is to refund the difference when the price drops. She said she could see that a refund had been made to my card, so I will wait and see. 

 

Hopefully it all works out and you see the refund on your credit card soon.

 

Carnival's official policy is to give OBC once full payment has been made, so it's ridiculous that their own booking system doesn't always allow their reps. to process it as such when necessary.

 

In regards to the online request form for a price match, I disagree with the other person that we should always use the online form. I had a similar experience as you. I started out requesting price matches with the online form myself, but the last one I tried, Carnival denied. Their reasoning was that we didn't book an Early Saver rate. Could've fooled me, "Early Saver" was right their in the name of the rate we had booked. So I emailed our PVP with all the pertinent info. Within 45 minutes, we were emailed the new booking info. with the updated fare (we weren't paid in full yet). So that online form isn't always the best way to go.

[LaRue1975]

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Hopefully it all works out and you see the refund on your credit card soon.

 

Carnival's official policy is to give OBC once full payment has been made, so it's ridiculous that their own booking system doesn't always allow their reps. to process it as such when necessary.

 

In regards to the online request form for a price match, I disagree with the other person that we should always use the online form. I had a similar experience as you. I started out requesting price matches with the online form myself, but the last one I tried, Carnival denied. Their reasoning was that we didn't book an Early Saver rate. Could've fooled me, "Early Saver" was right their in the name of the rate we had booked. So I emailed our PVP with all the pertinent info. Within 45 minutes, we were emailed the new booking info. with the updated fare (we weren't paid in full yet). So that online form isn't always the best way to go.

Thanks for your advice and also the update from the OP. I am just returning to cruising after a 10 year break and filing price protection claims online has worked surprisingly well for me so far. It is good to know calling is a good option also. I guess it all depends on the agent you are dealing with, whether online or the phone and if at first you don’t succeed try again. I can’t wait for my cruise and the one I booked in 2021 too! 

[sprint180]

I have always heard that,  never tried for a reduction as my cruises always go up in price it seems

 

[EmmasNana]

So I haven't sailed carnival in quite a while. You used to be able to get a price reduction when price dropped prior to final payment with early saver prices. It sounds like now you can only get non refundable OBC, is this correct? 

[Illbcruzn4life]

Just now, EmmasNana said:

So I haven't sailed carnival in quite a while. You used to be able to get a price reduction when price dropped prior to final payment with early saver prices. It sounds like now you can only get non refundable OBC, is this correct? 

No as long as you havent made final payment you can get money refunded to your card when the price drops

[EmmasNana]

1 minute ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

No as long as you havent made final payment you can get money refunded to your card when the price drops

Okay, so will they just reprice if cruise is not paid in full? Thanks!

[Roscoe13]

This is just weird.  If there's a price reduction prior to final payment then why wouldn't they just lower the balance?

 

[Kermarkim]

I just recently called in after final payment because the price went down.  I was expecting a OBC.  However, because the cruise had dropped and there were some nice promotions going on, I ended up upgrading my cruise rate to a past guest rate and received a new invoice with a lower price and then in about 48 hours, I received $77 refund back to my credit card.

[DramaQueen22]

1 hour ago, Roscoe13 said:

This is just weird.  If there's a price reduction prior to final payment then why wouldn't they just lower the balance?

 

That is exactly what they do.  If you still have a balance, it gets reduced by the amount of the difference.  Pat final payment, you get OBC.  

[xitappers2bx]

My travel agent has always been able to obtain OBC after final payment, before final payment I am often offered either OBC or to have it refunded to my card.  You should always take a screenshot of the information being sent so then you have it after the fact if need be.  It's odd that they wouldn't give you the currency that benefits them (OBC).  

[Organized Chaos]

7 hours ago, EmmasNana said:

Okay, so will they just reprice if cruise is not paid in full? Thanks!

 

That's right. If you haven't paid the cruise in full, and you're granted a price match to a lower price, they'll just adjust the remaining balance. If you've paid it in full, they'll give you the difference in OBC. That's how it typically goes, anyway.

[Ideb]

On 11/9/2019 at 10:49 PM, Organized Chaos said:

 

That's right. If you haven't paid the cruise in full, and you're granted a price match to a lower price, they'll just adjust the remaining balance. If you've paid it in full, they'll give you the difference in OBC. That's how it typically goes, anyway.

I paid the cruise in full and it is still a ways from the final payment date and they refunded my money rather than giving OBC. 

[Shaded Lady]

So I have a question- I just did a mock booking for my  cruise... I have a pretty specialized cabin- an aft wrap- and nothing shows up as available. The closest comparable cabin (aft view) is quite a bit cheaper than mine.  I know that Carnival doesn't always list their full inventory on the website so my question is.... how likely is it that I'd find one of the aft-wrap cabins available if I called Carnival or my PVP?

 

FYI I don't really use my PVP anymore because, besides being with Carnival for a long time, I found her pretty useless in the past to help with any questions or issues, so I decided to just book it on the website. In other words, I can't count on her to answer this question with any degree of certainty, so I decided to ask you all instead!

 

I'm pretty happy with the rate I got, so I'm not too concerned if I never get a price drop... I just don't want to leave any money on the table, if you get my drift!

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, Shaded Lady said:

So I have a question- I just did a mock booking for my  cruise... I have a pretty specialized cabin- an aft wrap- and nothing shows up as available. The closest comparable cabin (aft view) is quite a bit cheaper than mine.  I know that Carnival doesn't always list their full inventory on the website so my question is.... how likely is it that I'd find one of the aft-wrap cabins available if I called Carnival or my PVP?

 

FYI I don't really use my PVP anymore because, besides being with Carnival for a long time, I found her pretty useless in the past to help with any questions or issues, so I decided to just book it on the website. In other words, I can't count on her to answer this question with any degree of certainty, so I decided to ask you all instead!

 

I'm pretty happy with the rate I got, so I'm not too concerned if I never get a price drop... I just don't want to leave any money on the table, if you get my drift!

 

If the closest comparable cabin isn't a category match, it won't work. They have to be the exact same category. If you don't trust your PVP to give you the right answer, then it really wouldn't hurt to talk to one of the regular customer service reps. They aren't always the most reliable either, but in your case, you might be better off.

 

Have you tried other decks to see if your category is available somewhere else? I use the cruisedeckplans website a lot for that (CC will block it if I try to link to it). You can look at a particular category and see all of the decks those cabins are on. Even if it's sold out on your deck, it might be available on another.

 

There's been a lot of talk about how we, as customers, don't see all of the available cabins on the website at any given time. Maybe that's how it actually is, but in my experience, there's other factors at play. Many have said the website will only show us 10 cabins, but there's been times when I've seen more. Also, every time I've been on the phone with our PVP, or even a customer service rep., looking at cabins, I've pretty much seen what they saw. The big difference is, when we do a booking on Carnival's website, it isolates cabins that fit our chosen criteria, like cabin capacity. When we were looking to book our cruise next month, there were limited cabins left and we were trying to pick the best out of the bunch. I called our PVP to get his input on which one he thought was better. Yes, he was able to see more available cabins on his screen, but in the process of talking about them, what we discovered was that he was seeing all of the available cabins, including ones that didn't fit our search criteria. For example, he thought he found us a better one that didn't show up for us, but it turned out to be a 2-person cabin and there's three of us. The website had filtered that one our for us. So I'm just wondering if the thought that they see more than we do comes from fact that what they're seeing isn't filtered according to our search criteria.