How Late Can I Wait to Add a Guest Name

[awhitleycrew]

We have a cruise booked in late May with final payment due March 11 (2 cabins).  In one of the cabins we have my husband and Guest 2 is still TBA.  This person will be my college age daughter's "friend".  I haven't put a name down yet because last year her boyfriend and her broke up (as in no longer speaking at all) and we wound up paying $250 to change the name since it was past final payment and was a 7 day cruise.

I was on the phone with a Carnival rep yesterday (who was hard to understand) because I was paying on the cruise with a couple of AARP gift cards that wouldn't load online and she asked if I was ready to add that name and I said not yet.  I then asked her when I had to have that name in and she said right away because it could be canceled at anytime because I don't have a name there.  Has anyone heard of this?

I was thinking probably before final payment but now I'm guessing I should do this soon.  Thanks for any input. 

[kdr69]

I thought it was before/up to final payment date but could be wrong.

[vanislandcruisers]

Always thought it was up until Final Payment

[cmichael1221]

I believe it's check-in now... We have a late March cruise that's paid in full, but haven't completed the second guest's name.  (For no reason other than laziness).  We did the same in December and didn't have any issues.

[Rob-Bob]

1 hour ago, awhitleycrew said:

we wound up paying $250 to change the name since it was past final payment and was a 7 day cruise.

So you can change names (people) for a $250 fee up until sailing?  I have a cruise paid in full for my in-laws and they could bail at anytime over health reasons.  No insurance but it would be nice to know if I could sub 2 people in at last moment if there is a problem with them going.

[StephPS79]

I had a TBA until check-in, with no penalty.

 

Adding a name from TBA and changing a name will be viewed differently.  If you have a name entered, you cannot update the name on the website I believe past final payment.  But if you leave at TBA, this isn't considered changing a name.  I have never heard of a cruise being cancelled because of a TBA, but it could be policy that isn't enforced often.

 

[Cherries Jubilee]

I didn’t add names until I checked in and I didn’t check in until 4 days before the cruise so it must be up until check in now.

[nwcruiselover]

1 hour ago, Rob-Bob said:

So you can change names (people) for a $250 fee up until sailing?  I have a cruise paid in full for my in-laws and they could bail at anytime over health reasons.  No insurance but it would be nice to know if I could sub 2 people in at last moment if there is a problem with them going.

You wouldn’t be able to sub 2 people in place of your in-laws.  One person on the original booking must remain on the booking.

[Rob-Bob]

6 minutes ago, nwcruiselover said:

You wouldn’t be able to sub 2 people in place of your in-laws.  One person on the original booking must remain on the booking.

Thanks for the info.  I wonder if one new person could be switched and the one name remaining could be a no show.  Hence 1 new person goes in place of the 2.  I hope none of this happens but I guess it is good to know if anything can be done.

[diesteldorf]

2 hours ago, StephPS79 said:

I had a TBA until check-in, with no penalty.

 

Adding a name from TBA and changing a name will be viewed differently.  If you have a name entered, you cannot update the name on the website I believe past final payment.  But if you leave at TBA, this isn't considered changing a name.  I have never heard of a cruise being cancelled because of a TBA, but it could be policy that isn't enforced often.

 

It's been awhile, but I routinely sail solo and am basically always paying double.

One year my brother was able to get some time off and I added him within 3-4 weeks of sailing.

Just had to pay the extra port taxes.

[DallasGuy75219]

1 hour ago, Rob-Bob said:

Thanks for the info.  I wonder if one new person could be switched and the one name remaining could be a no show.  Hence 1 new person goes in place of the 2.  I hope none of this happens but I guess it is good to know if anything can be done.

As long as it was booked at a rate offered to the general public, not a VIFP rate (for example a casino offer) that the no-show qualified for.

[sgttami]

1 hour ago, diesteldorf said:

It's been awhile, but I routinely sail solo and am basically always paying double.

One year my brother was able to get some time off and I added him within 3-4 weeks of sailing.

Just had to pay the extra port taxes.

My friend was sailing solo and last minute asked if I wanted to come along.  I said YES and she added me 4 days before the cruise.  I had to pay taxes and port charges.  No fees.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Once I was checking-in a young Honeymoon couple for an Alaska cruise (Carnival) pre-pandemic.  The groom was in charge of booking the cruise.  His booking info was scant at best, name, date of birth, and not much else.  For his bride, she was a complete To-Be-Determined, and for her birth date he had entered his own DOB, and there was no other identifying information about her.  It was a mess.  It took our manager calling Miami to get her on the manifest (and I wonder if they were not a honeymoon couple if so much effort would have been employed).  Again, this was pre-pandemic, and there is more leeway with name TBDs these days.

 

Sometimes I wonder if the couple is still married, or if she figured out that she could do better. 

[awhitleycrew]

I was thinking up until final payment seemed reasonable. I'm pretty certain who will be going BUT I also thought that the last time! ha  

I was able to get back 75% of that $250 because I had bought Carnival's insurance ahead of time but since I repurchased it for the new person going it didn't really help that much.  

I just hate having to call to use these AARP gift cards because they ask me every time don't I want to buy the insurance (I haven't on this one yet but might still, haven't decided) and if I want to add that name.  I know, it's their script, but it still gets old.  ha

 

[DallasGuy75219]

Another consideration is that if the ship is at maximum lifeboat capacity (probably not common) or the stateroom's assigned muster station is at maximum capacity (which does actually happen), you can't add additional occupants regardless of when it is in relation to sailing date. 

 

Even if the ship or muster stations aren't at maximum capacity, if they're getting close to that point and there are still available cabins for sale, Carnival will stop adding additional passengers to existing reservations so they can allocate the remaining lifeboat or muster station capacity to new bookings and sell the remaining available cabins.

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

At check in. You can wait and add the day before sailing if you want to wait and check in the day before.

[awhitleycrew]

I'm not looking at adding an additional person, just don't have the name down for one of the guests. 🙂

[diesteldorf]

14 hours ago, awhitleycrew said:

I'm not looking at adding an additional person, just don't have the name down for one of the guests. 🙂

I was sharing my experience because if you add a guest and need to change the name later, it sounds like Carnival charges a fee.

 

If you aren't sure of the name and don't add them until you are, you won't have to pay a fee.

 

However, as others have stated, there is a chance, if the ship reaches maximum capacity, you may lose the opportunity to add additional guests.  I suppose adding a guest during the initlal booking process would prevent this, even if you had to pay a fee to change later.  Regardless, good luck and enjoy your cruise.