VIP program, needs some attending...hmmmm

[topaz123]

Booked our Carnival cruises with the VIP representative.  When we go on other lines we used online sites.  Here's the problem with Carnival VIP...we recently booked the Carnival Marti Gras......were givin $100 OBC.....our good friends are going to join us, and booked the room next door on an independent site.....They received OBC of $250? They generally cruise on Royal, but have only sailed on Carny a couple of times.  I should have booked on independent site for more OBC....I see this happening a lot? Doesn't seem the way to treat Carnival VIP.

Edited August 18 by topaz123

[Sgwscruiser]

Did they pay the same cruise fare as you?

[Theosprey247]

TA general give OBC (out of their commission) to entice people to book through them. 

[leafsnation]

You can transfer a booking with a cruise line to a TA and get more OBC.

Bob

[BlerkOne]

If you book with a TA, Carnival won't touch the booking - you will have to go through the third party for everything. Choose wisely.

[Knights on the Beach]

VIP? What? Are you talking about a PVP?

[topaz123]

Yes, we both paid the same $$$ for the rooms. WE booked thru Carnival,our friends booked on a travel site online.

[firefly333]

33 minutes ago, topaz123 said:

Yes, we both paid the same $$$ for the rooms. WE booked thru Carnival,our friends booked on a travel site online.

This isnt new. TAs and their sites been incentivising for as long as I've been booking. I keep saying for me carnival prices are not a deal, so I'm waiting to book carnival as I get better deals thru a TA elsewhere. I'm solo and carnival has decided not to offer solo deals, so be it, they used to offer 1A for 0 supplement, then it was 50%, now its 100%. 

 

Royal just came out recently with 125% for me on TA TP and transits. There are deals just not booking direct. This isnt new news. I take advantage of the deals. 

 

Blerk keeps saying that royal is buying me and others. Why shouldnt I take advantage.. bring on the price incentives.  I had a TA and Panama transit balcony booked at 150% about $100 a day, reduced by 25% to even lower. 13 and 16 days. I saw somewhere deals listed on princess. There are deals. I dont care what the ship name is, I want to cruise at the lowest price, but not msc.

Edited August 19 by firefly333

[pohlerbear]

I always check my rates as well as my husbands (or whoever I am traveling with.) My last two cruises my husband and I both had about the same rate, but he had $500 OBC that I did not.I figured this out the one and only time I booked through a PVP. She found the deal under his name

[RLM77]

It used to be true that booking through a TA was almost always better than booking direct.  These days I’m not so sure.  From Black Friday last year through February 2024 Carnival was offering a $200 OBC for direct online bookings.  The best deal I found through my usual TA was a $125 OBC at a slightly higher fare.  At that time I checked an online travel site that I don’t normally use and was offered even less.  So I booked all our CCL itineraries for 2025 direct during that period (2024 was already set).  I plan to do the same for 2026 later this year if a similar promotion returns.

 

Since February it has been better to go through a TA.  So the moral of the story is to check both your TA’s price/perks and what you could get booking directly.  That way you should always be able to snag the best deal.

 

Rich

[missholly24]

On 8/18/2024 at 10:36 AM, topaz123 said:

Booked our Carnival cruises with the VIP representative.  When we go on other lines we used online sites.  Here's the problem with Carnival VIP...we recently booked the Carnival Marti Gras......were givin $100 OBC.....our good friends are going to join us, and booked the room next door on an independent site.....They received OBC of $250? They generally cruise on Royal, but have only sailed on Carny a couple of times.  I should have booked on independent site for more OBC....I see this happening a lot? Doesn't seem the way to treat Carnival VIP.

They don't really care about us that way. They know we are coming back. LOL....my cousin who rarely cruises gets several discounted brochures in the mail and wild offers. I never get any. I'm platinum, I'm a sure thing. 🤪

[topaz123]

Agreed....I think this is the last time I'm going to use the Carnival Agent .......I'm losing $$$

[sanger727]

Carnival can't control benefits that other TA's offer.  I'm guessing they also got the same $100 OBC from carnival and then the TA kicked in the $150. There are upsides and downsides to using a TA.  Sometimes the prices or benefits are better.  But if your TA ends up being a dud it can hurt you down the line if you want to try and re-price your booking.  Once you book with a TA, Carnival will no longer discuss your booking with you so you have to go through your TA for any changes.  Also, some TA's charge extra cancellation fees that Carnival doesn't charge. It can be a mixed bag.

[Rollin Tide]

On 8/18/2024 at 10:06 AM, Theosprey247 said:

TA general give OBC (out of their commission) to entice people to book through them. 

Yep, exactly.

It's not too late (if it's been less than 90 days and your cruise is NOT paid in full) to switch to a TA.  You'd keep the onboard credit from Carnival, and still be able to take advantage of whatever onboard credit offer the TA would give.  Most of my clients do it all the time.

[lesters]

I just really prefer to be fully in charge of my booking.  I don’t use a TA or a PVP but anytime we’ve had questions or needed assistance we’ve had great service from the carnival line.  

[cruisingTXfamily]

10 hours ago, lesters said:

I just really prefer to be fully in charge of my booking.  I don’t use a TA or a PVP but anytime we’ve had questions or needed assistance we’ve had great service from the carnival line.  

You don’t lose any control of your booking when using a PVP. You only lose control with a TA. 

[nancy1031]

I booked through a PP, saw a price on Carnivals web, called to book & PP got me a better deal- have used ta's in  the past- a total of 4- 3 weren't good, 4th was awesome- she retired but I can honestly say that I never ever had an issue with any of the cruises & all inclusives she booked-never met her- just dealt with her over the phone and she'd get me great deals- hated to see her retire!!!