Have you booked solo then added a roommate later?

[momin05]

I am taking a cruise this fall but not sure if I will go solo or ask someone to go with me. My PVP said to book solo and add someone later…says he does it all the time, “trust me”. But it is still unsettling to me. It seems like it would be better to book my husband with me, then have him be a no-show or change him to someone else before final payment. My PVP has been very good to me, but a few things he said just didn’t seem right:

1. He said he couldn’t leave the second person TBD. He said he knows it will let you do it sometimes online but it is not supposed to. I just know I have held TBDs until final payment before. 
2. He said no name changes. I was booking ES for the low deposit and lower price, but can’t you pay $50 for a name change before final payment?

3. He said when I decide who is going with me, I can just add their name and they will tack on the taxes and fees. So it doesn’t matter if the cruise price goes up?

 

I don’t want to get screwed trying to add someone.  if anyone has experience adding someone later, I would love to hear about it. (And I am not too worried about the ship filling beyond berth capacity, as it’s fall and they are already allowing us to book two people into a 3-person cabin.)
 

TIA

[mz-s]

Sure, you can do TBA until final payment. I have done it and it's fine.

 

Name changes do incur a $50 fee. Why pay the fee though when you can just leave it as a TBA?

[momin05]

7 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Sure, you can do TBA until final payment. I have done it and it's fine.

 

Name changes do incur a $50 fee. Why pay the fee though when you can just leave it as a TBA?

Thanks. He didn’t book the room for two with a TBA, though. He booked it solo (just me) and said I could add a second person later. 

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, momin05 said:

Thanks. He didn’t book the room for two with a TBA, though. He booked it solo (just me) and said I could add a second person later. 

 

Ah, I misunderstood then. I thought you were saying he booked two (one named and one TBA).

[Guest BasicSailor]

45 minutes ago, momin05 said:

My PVP has been very good to me, but a few things he said just didn’t seem right:

It never hurts to call and ask for another PVP or at least to get a different opinion from Carnival. If a PVP made a mistake they should be able to correct it for you.

Edited March 28, 2023 by BasicSailor

[n6uqqq]

If you book online anybody beyond the person booking are listed as TBA. I do this and leave it. If you call and inquire about the booking you will be told you have to add a name. I never contact Carnival by phone and add a name when I am ready to. I often book a year plus out and I have no clue who will end up going with me most of the time. 

[momin05]

13 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

It never hurts to call and ask for another PVP or at least to get a different opinion from Carnival. If a PVP made a mistake they should be able to correct it for you.

Thanks

[Guest BasicSailor]

2 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

If you book online anybody beyond the person booking are listed as TBA. I do this and leave it

Booking online these days leaves the PVP hanging without credit for the booking. Just booked three more for this year which I normally place a hold on. But to my understanding the PVP won't get credited.  I do understand some folks actually don't need a PVP.😉

[momin05]

9 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

If you book online anybody beyond the person booking are listed as TBA. I do this and leave it. If you call and inquire about the booking you will be told you have to add a name. I never contact Carnival by phone and add a name when I am ready to. I often book a year plus out and I have no clue who will end up going with me most of the time. 

Thanks. I have held TBAs for years, too (over 3 years when Covid hit!). I should have pushed back harder when he said that. Maybe what he did was fine, but I would rather have that second person price locked in than roll the dice with adding someone later. 

[momin05]

2 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Booking online these days leaves the PVP hanging without credit for the booking. Just booked three more for this year which I normally place a hold on. But to my understanding the PVP won't get credited.  I do understand some folks actually don't need a PVP.😉

That’s right. And that’s why I did it through him. I didn’t use a PVP for years and coordinated many large family cruises. Once I found him, he has made life so much easier. He really has been so helpful these past few years, especially because I coordinate these large groups. So, I hated to leave him without credit for the booking. 

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, momin05 said:

Thanks. I have held TBAs for years, too (over 3 years when Covid hit!). I should have pushed back harder when he said that. Maybe what he did was fine, but I would rather have that second person price locked in than roll the dice with adding someone later. 

 

I feel the same as you I am sure the PVP knows what he's doing. But all my experience with this is with TBA's so that's what I would want. Just to stick with what I'm used to.

[n6uqqq]

27 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Booking online these days leaves the PVP hanging without credit for the booking. Just booked three more for this year which I normally place a hold on. But to my understanding the PVP won't get credited.  I do understand some folks actually don't need a PVP.😉

I have never booked with a PVP so I don't leave them missing out. If it is a longer cruise like a 14 day Hawaii or Alaska and I know who is going I will add the name immediately and then call my big box and have them take over the booking,  which yields another 2 to 3 hundred in savings in the form of a shop card plus 2 percent additional reward with my executive membership (cruise rate only).

[Elaine5715]

37 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Booking online these days leaves the PVP hanging without credit for the booking. Just booked three more for this year which I normally place a hold on. But to my understanding the PVP won't get credited.  I do understand some folks actually don't need a PVP.😉

That's true.  No credit if we put a hold and then call them

[nwcruiselover]

I use a PVP also.  In the past he used to book me as a solo and add DH on later if he decided to come.  Recently though he recommended booking myself and a TBA.  He said that would lock in the rate and that I could change the TBA to a person’s name anytime prior to final payment, and I could remove the TBA anytime if I knew for sure he wasn’t coming.  

[vwrestler171]

I see both sides of this.  If you leave a TBA, its easy to add a name to it, however if you end up going solo, wouldn't you lose that fare?  

[n6uqqq]

5 minutes ago, vwrestler171 said:

I see both sides of this.  If you leave a TBA, its easy to add a name to it, however if you end up going solo, wouldn't you lose that fare?  

You don't lose anything in the end. You get port fees and any prepaid grauities refunded. Carnival lately doesn't have any bookings that don't charge double occupancy regardless of number of travelers. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by n6uqqq

[heidiatmn1]

My PVP told me the same last week and that it’s unfortunately a change (in regards to putting the TBA) on the names. He acknowledged that yes you can do it online but he can’t do it for me and did say they are pushing back on name change fee overrides as well. My theory is they’re making it easier for people to book direct vs using a PVP so they don’t have to pay them commission or “bonus”. My pvps name disappeared from all my emails from carnival as well starting march 1st. He had to re add me as a customer but only could do that after I reached out to him. 

[Essiesmom]

Years ago I booked a TA solo because my sister didn’t know if she could arrange the time off.  As a solo, I was paying for two, as the single supplement.  When she said she could go, in just had to pay about $24 in taxes and fees.  
Other times I book the two of us online, Early Saver, but there was no way to add her correct name.  They always used my last name with TBA for her first name.  I first tried to correct the name all at once, but ES looks at that as changing a person.  So what I did was go into her data and modify, changing the first name, then saving.  Then I went back into her reservation again to modify, and changed the last name.  It worked.  

[momin05]

10 hours ago, nwcruiselover said:

I use a PVP also.  In the past he used to book me as a solo and add DH on later if he decided to come.  Recently though he recommended booking myself and a TBA.  He said that would lock in the rate and that I could change the TBA to a person’s name anytime prior to final payment, and I could remove the TBA anytime if I knew for sure he wasn’t coming.  

That’s interesting. That means he really could have booked it that way. I have to call him today about a future booking and I plan to ask him about this. In particular, what rate do I get when I add someone later…the going rate at the time? Or do they automatically get half my solo rate?  I will report back!

[momin05]

10 hours ago, heidiatmn1 said:

My PVP told me the same last week and that it’s unfortunately a change (in regards to putting the TBA) on the names. He acknowledged that yes you can do it online but he can’t do it for me and did say they are pushing back on name change fee overrides as well. My theory is they’re making it easier for people to book direct vs using a PVP so they don’t have to pay them commission or “bonus”. My pvps name disappeared from all my emails from carnival as well starting march 1st. He had to re add me as a customer but only could do that after I reached out to him. 

Also very interesting. Maybe it is a recent change. 

[mz-s]

Sounds like Carnival is getting rid of their PVP program, one bite at a time...hopefully the good ones will read the tea leaves and leave to join an agency or whatever before they get fired.

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, momin05 said:

58 minutes ago, mz-s said:

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, momin05 said:

That’s interesting. That means he really could have booked it that way. I have to call him today about a future booking and I plan to ask him about this. In particular, what rate do I get when I add someone later…the going rate at the time? Or do they automatically get half my solo rate?  I will report back!

With your single supplement you have already paid for the phantom second person.  So all that is added is the taxes and fees.  EM

[nwcruiselover]

1 hour ago, momin05 said:

That’s interesting. That means he really could have booked it that way. I have to call him today about a future booking and I plan to ask him about this. In particular, what rate do I get when I add someone later…the going rate at the time? Or do they automatically get half my solo rate?  I will report back!

Yes, please do report back.  I would call my PVP and ask, but I don’t have any more future cruises in mind and I don’t want to waste his time.

[tonit964]

Keep in mind, if you wait too long to add the TBD person, the lifeboat capacity for your muster station could be full and the other person cannot be added.