Ok Newbie with a booking ?. Best ways to book?

[3rdshiftkustoms]

Ok I am already scheduled on a cruise for this October for my wife and myself. We are doing the Fantasy 4 day cruise. This was all laid out by the travel agent through my employer since its a company group cruise.

 

What I am thinking is it would be awesome to say take my wife, 2 boys and Mother-In-Law on a cruise in 08 say maybe for Christmas.

 

What would be the best way to cruise for 5 people? I am guessing 4 of us in 1 cabin and My MIL in a cabin of her own.

 

Any suggestions on booking or tips etc... would be great.

 

Oh BTW I want to do the Fantasy out of New Orleans b/c its closest to home and I am looking to drive in.

[happy cruzin]

You probably do not want to book MIL alone in a cabin - it will be more expensive. Put one of the kids in there when you book and then make sure you book a cabin that will hold 4 and you can put the kid in with you once you board.

[chitown cruisers]

You probably do not want to book MIL alone in a cabin - it will be more expensive. Put one of the kids in there when you book and then make sure you book a cabin that will hold 4 and you can put the kid in with you once you board.

In addition to this advise.....put your Wife with your MIL in a cabin (assuming that your MIL hasn't cruised before)....that way you can take advantage of past guest specials for both cabins.

[bigphilky]

I personally like the Carnival PVP's (personal vaction planners) and since you will be a past guest you might get a little bit of a better deal. I think using the Carnival PVP's gives you a better chance of getting an upgrade also.

[Jilltoons]

I personally like the Carnival PVP's (personal vaction planners) and since you will be a past guest you might get a little bit of a better deal. I think using the Carnival PVP's gives you a better chance of getting an upgrade also.

 

Some very good advise from everyone!!!! Cruise Critic is certainly the best place to come for help!

[3rdshiftkustoms]

Thanks for the advise. Putting me in one and my wife in the other room is a great Idea to get the past guest perks .

 

This is all up in the air right at the moment, I am just thinking It would an awesome Christmas gift especially since my MIL has never been on a cruise. She does a lot for My wife and I, so it would be more of a thank you gift to her if it goes through to a final plan.

[PreciousJewel]

Oh that's so sweet of you! Aren't you a great Son-in-law!!! :)

[3rdshiftkustoms]

Yea she didn't call me that when I knocked up her daughter while she was in college. :rolleyes: LOL!!!!!!

 

Its all hoping at this point, but I figure where should I begin besides here with all the knowledge floating around this board.

[Leo Jay]

Lucky is the man who has a MIL he wants to take a vacation WITH rather than a vacation FROM! :)

[PreciousJewel]

LOL @ both of you!!!!!

[chitown cruisers]

Lucky is the man who has a MIL he wants to take a vacation WITH rather than a vacation FROM! :)

well there have been a few threads lately about the whole falling overboard issue;)

 

 

 

 

 

good luck with your choice, I hope it all works out!

[Leo Jay]

well there have been a few threads lately about the whole falling overboard issue;)

 

 

The question is, did MIL push them, or did they jump just to get away from her? :D

[jpmaximus]

Put 1 past guest and one child in the second cabin...Book a 1A and you will be most likely upgraded to atleast a 4A. Have a great trip!!!

[fllady61]

Book through a PVP with CCl. Much more friendly service than a TA, and you don't have to pay the TA fees. Plus a TA can not get you as good a Past guest deal as the PVP.

 

Make sure there are at least 2 people in each cabin. Other wise, you will be paying for 2 people in the one cabin anyway.

 

If you want, get connecting rooms. That way it is more like a suite than 2 single rooms.

 

Who even brought up the subject of jumping overboard. That is not what this thread is about. It is about HOW TO BOOK.

[MszKitty]

Book through a PVP with CCl. Much more friendly service than a TA, and you don't have to pay the TA fees. Plus a TA can not get you as good a Past guest deal as the PVP.

 

 

You don't pay fees to a TA. The cruiseline pays the TA the commission, not the customer. There is no difference in price whether you book thru a TA or Carnival.

 

Also, a past guest deal is a past guest deal, whether you book from a TA or Carnival direct, its the same exact deal.

 

Regarding friendlier service.....There are plenty of friendly TA's out there.

[chitown cruisers]

Who even brought up the subject of jumping overboard. That is not what this thread is about. It is about HOW TO BOOK.

The OP asked for advise about booking tips and I gave them some......they thanked me and then I posted to wish them luck with their efforts AND at the same time made a joke about another comment...................LIGHTEN UP!!

[KelliKevin]

I use a CVP...you can email me for her extension if you'd like.

I have never gotten a better deal then from Carnival directly.

 

I do all the research, call all the TA's, search the web and I call her. She has never had a problem matching anything. Plus, the Carnival Supervisors are right there, not like a PVP who works from home.

 

She can always tell me about the cabins, look up what is near me, such as laundry, etc. I have never been steered wrong or talked into any cabin that wasn't good!

[big_duck]

I use a CVP...you can email me for her extension if you'd like.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/announcement.php?f=215&a=8

[KelliKevin]

This also includes any comments included in signatures requesting members to e-mail you for information about your travel agencies.

 

Sorry, I am not a travel agent, so I thought it was okay.

[fllady61]

You don't pay fees to a TA. The cruiseline pays the TA the commission, not the customer. There is no difference in price whether you book thru a TA or Carnival.

 

Also, a past guest deal is a past guest deal, whether you book from a TA or Carnival direct, its the same exact deal.

 

Regarding friendlier service.....There are plenty of friendly TA's out there.

 

 

Everytime I have tried a TA, it was an extra charge. That is how they make their money. They don't tell you it is there. OR maybe TA's see me as a sucker, and stick me with everyone elses fees that they don't charge some customers.

 

If you are a TA, and you don't charge the extra, how are you paying your rent, electric, phone, etc? You have to make the money somehow. Maybe tell you the cost of the cruise is 759 when it is only 559 if you book through the cruise line. I don't know. But I can gurantee that there is a fee. It is like 20% extra to use a TA. Or at least 10yr ago it was. Unless the laws have changed. I quit calling TA's because I wanted a flight somewhere. The TA wanted 950 for the flight total 2 people, same plane, same trip. went to the company and got it for 740. So why was she so much more if there is no fee????? riddle me that batman.

 

My PVP works out of the carnival office because I can hear others n the background when I call him, or he calls me.

[firefly333]

Put 1 past guest and one child in the second cabin...Book a 1A and you will be most likely upgraded to atleast a 4A. Have a great trip!!!

 

If you are booking a 1A why would putting a past guest in the cabin help??

 

1As are not part of all the free upgrades you get at booking and from what I read having a past guest or a brand new guest neither would seem to get upgraded better than the other, in fact some claim its the newbies who get more upgrades.

 

My advice would be to book soon, prices are already going up for early 2008, but they have not yet gone up further out, still some bargains in September 2008 - January 2009. Summer if that is when you need to go for the kids will be more expensive, dont wait.

[firefly333]

Everytime I have tried a TA, it was an extra charge. That is how they make their money. They don't tell you it is there. OR maybe TA's see me as a sucker, and stick me with everyone elses fees that they don't charge some customers.

 

If you are a TA, and you don't charge the extra, how are you paying your rent, electric, phone, etc? You have to make the money somehow. Maybe tell you the cost of the cruise is 759 when it is only 559 if you book through the cruise line. I don't know. But I can gurantee that there is a fee. It is like 20% extra to use a TA. Or at least 10yr ago it was. Unless the laws have changed. I quit calling TA's because I wanted a flight somewhere. The TA wanted 950 for the flight total 2 people, same plane, same trip. went to the company and got it for 740. So why was she so much more if there is no fee????? riddle me that batman.

 

My PVP works out of the carnival office because I can hear others n the background when I call him, or he calls me.

 

If your TA is charging you extra get a new TA. Most TAs charges EXACTLY what Carnival does. There are some which will even discount. Costco you can get the free upgrades for past guests AND a discount. Some TAs will also discount or throw in freebies. I have been debating joining Costco just for the discount.

 

As someone else just explained, the cruiseline pays the TA a commission out of the booking. If you TA is charging you extra on top of the commission they receive from the cruiseline, I wouldnt use them again. They pay their lights and rent from the commissions they get which are included in the price....some will even take money out of their commissions and give it back to you in the form of a discount!!! yes, its true. lol.

 

It is true that you should book your own flight, that TAs might charge extra because they make nothing on the flights. (but cruises are different).

[fllady61]

that is why I DON'T use a TA. Bad experience. book myself.

[MszKitty]

Everytime I have tried a TA, it was an extra charge. That is how they make their money. They don't tell you it is there. OR maybe TA's see me as a sucker, and stick me with everyone elses fees that they don't charge some customers.

 

If you are a TA, and you don't charge the extra, how are you paying your rent, electric, phone, etc? You have to make the money somehow. Maybe tell you the cost of the cruise is 759 when it is only 559 if you book through the cruise line. I don't know. But I can gurantee that there is a fee. It is like 20% extra to use a TA. Or at least 10yr ago it was. Unless the laws have changed. I quit calling TA's because I wanted a flight somewhere. The TA wanted 950 for the flight total 2 people, same plane, same trip. went to the company and got it for 740. So why was she so much more if there is no fee????? riddle me that batman.

 

My PVP works out of the carnival office because I can hear others n the background when I call him, or he calls me.

 

I don't know what TA's you've gone to, but they aren't on the up and up if they are charging you more than the cruiseline itself charges. I am a part time TA (cruise bookings only) and I can only charge the same price that Carnival charges. I make my money from the commission that the cruiseline pays us. (and trust me it hardly amounts to anything when you factor in the amount of time handling things. First my agency gets the commission, and I only get a percentage of that commission. Luckily, I do it only because I enjoy doing it, because the pay isn't what is paying my bills.)

 

I was not in the business 10 years ago, so I don't know what it was like then, but its not that way now.

Now...some agencies may charge a cancellation fee if you cancel, but there are plenty out there that don't charge that cancellation fee.

 

As far as the airline goes.... There are many factors/rates that go into airfare prices, you can be researching a price, come back 5 minutes later and the price can be different. Even for my own personal flights, I have found different prices on the same flight. Airlines stopped paying TA's commission on airfare, so unless they charge you some sort of fee (and I'm not talking $200 fee..more like $10-$20), they are basically working for free on the service they have done for you. They need to charge something for their time. No one works for free.

[MszKitty]

I use a CVP...you can email me for her extension if you'd like.

I have never gotten a better deal then from Carnival directly.

 

I do all the research, call all the TA's, search the web and I call her. She has never had a problem matching anything. Plus, the Carnival Supervisors are right there, not like a PVP who works from home.

 

She can always tell me about the cabins, look up what is near me, such as laundry, etc. I have never been steered wrong or talked into any cabin that wasn't good!

 

A good knowledgeable TA can also tell you about the cabins, look up what is near to you, etc., just like the Carnival rep.

But wait....you call all the TA's, making them spend their time looking up information, and you already know that you are going to book your cruise thru Carnival? TA spends her time checking prices, or whatever, and gets nothing for the time she spent helping you. Is that fair that the TA spends her time looking up info for you and not get paid for her time? With all due repect, if the Carnival rep is so good, why not just bypass the TA? And how do you think the Carnival rep gets paid? Cruiseline pays them commission or they pay a TA commission. Either way, you still pay the same price.

BTW...I have spoken to cruiseline reps that, they themselves, have never been on a cruise. So they aren't necessarily more knowledgeable than a TA who has actual cruise experience.