When to secure cabin

[YoungCruiser0308]

Hi everyone, first time poster, first time cruiser. I have read other threads that mention Carnival crediting your account if the rates drop. I did not know this.........My question is when is the best time to secure an actual room(specific floor and cabin)?

If I secure a specific room, will I still be subjected to being upgraded? (which is what I want to happen)

If I secure a specific room and the rate falls, can I be credited?

 

Thanks for the help...FYI: March 8, 2009 Valor Eastern Carribean

 

Kris

[misguidedangel]

Hi everyone, first time poster, first time cruiser. I have read other threads that mention Carnival crediting your account if the rates drop. I did not know this.........My question is when is the best time to secure an actual room(specific floor and cabin)?

If I secure a specific room, will I still be subjected to being upgraded? (which is what I want to happen)

If I secure a specific room and the rate falls, can I be credited?

 

Thanks for the help...FYI: March 8, 2009 Valor Eastern Carribean

 

Kris

 

First of all, ungrades are a hit and miss. If you are a past passenger you might get an upgrade of a deck or two, but do not count on it. There is also the sales they announce, if you book on the day of the sale you will get an upgrade for the reduced cost. If you book a specific cabin your chances of getting an upgrade are slim because you have picked the cabin you want and they assume you're happy. If you book a guarantee with no specifics listed then you might get lucky and get a higher deck.

 

As to when you should book, it is all up to you and what the price is at. I booked my September cruise in November when the prices started to go up. The price is now $300 more than what I paid when I booked. You have to keep checking and see when the price is right, heck, sometimes the best time is when the one-day upgrade sale happens...

 

Good luck!

[Gayle V]

Hello YoungCruiser,

 

When to book is a bit of a gamble, but I usually advice people to book now. The prices tend to go up more often than they go down. If you can get the lower price, when prices drop, there's no reason to wait. If the prices rise, you'll be happy to have already booked. (The price of your already booked cruise will not go up any higher. )

 

If you are booking a specific cabin, the cabin selection is obviously going to be better the earlier you book.

 

Whomever you book with, be it Carnival directly or a travel agent, be certain to verify with them, that they will give the lower price, if the price of your cruise drops. I believe the cruise line itself does do this. So do many travel agents. (Although be aware that many times the later price drops come with the added notation of being "for new bookings only." You won't get a lowering of your price if that is the case. This seems to be the trend. )

 

Also be sure to ask about all potential cancellation fees. The ones the cruise line charges are listed right in the back of the brochure. They start about 70 days prior to sailing date (for a seven day cruise) which is also the approximate due date of your final payment. Some TA's charge additional cancellation fees, many do not. Ask before you book. Look for one who does not, or book directly with the line.

 

Will you be subject to potential upgrade if you book a specific cabin? It's possible, but not very likely. Most people get exactly the cabin, or cabin category that they book.

 

If you book a "guarantee" you have a much higher likelihood, but even then most upgrades amount to little more than being moved to an identical cabin, that happens to be farther down the hall, or up one deck or two. And the location may not even be what you personally would have chosen.

 

BTW a "guarantee" means to book a certain level of cabin (choose inside, outside, balcony) and pay for that level. You don't get a specific cabin number to start. You are merely guaranteed to get a cabin that is at least as good as the level you chose. Might be better, might not, but you won't know until you get your docs, or maybe even until you board. And even if you get a room number stated on your docs, with a guarantee, that is subject to change right up until you board.

 

The one piece of advice I give to anyone who's going to book a cruise is this:

 

When booking your cruise, never book cabin category lower than one in which you will be happy. Sure, you’ve heard of people getting those complementary upgrades, but the vast majority of all cruisers get exactly the cabin they booked. Upgrades occur rarely, and most amount to nothing more than a shift from one deck to another, with the cabin being basically the same. (That is: inside to inside, oceanview to oceanview) Booking something cheap, while counting on a visit from the upgrade fairy, is a sure recipe for disappointment.

[firefly333]

If you book a guarantee, your chances of being upgraded are much better than if you pick a cabin. Those who pick a actual cabin are rarely upgraded, though it does happen.

 

Hard to decide huh?? Im always torn on the Conquest class ships, pick a cabin or leave it to chance.

[Gayle V]

Hello YoungCruiser,

 

I think I left one point unclear. The travel agents that charge their own cancelation fees usually charge the fee for cancelation AT ANY TIME. (That 70 days prior date is only for the cruise line's cancelation penalties.)

 

Meaning if you book a cruise for next January, but find out tomorrow that you can't go then, they will charge you the fee to cancel it. Even though it's six months away, while the cruise line gives you nearly another four months to cancel with no charge.

 

The TA's that do this, usually charge between fifty to seventy-dollars per person for the cancelation. If you are a family of four, that's $300. !!

 

I'm not trying to scare you off of using a TA. An experienced cruise agent can be be very helpful especially for a new cruiser. And although we are certainly not new at this, we always use a TA. She of course does not charge her own cancelation fee. Actually the ones that do not charge it still seem to be the majority. So seriously, ask before you book.

[TowMan]

Guess I am in the minority of those who booked a specific cabin/deck and then got upgraded. Last cruise in 2006, we booked a specific balcony cabin....3 days before we left, I check our booking and found that we were upgraded to a Suite....even called Carnival to verify that it was correct!

 

It does happen :D

 

bonnie

[Wennfred]

If you secure a specific cabin, you are set, no upgrades.

 

 

Fred

[cruzn buckeye]

Guess I am in the minority of those who booked a specific cabin/deck and then got upgraded. Last cruise in 2006, we booked a specific balcony cabin....3 days before we left, I check our booking and found that we were upgraded to a Suite....even called Carnival to verify that it was correct!

 

It does happen :D

 

bonnie

 

Of 18 cruises, this happened to me once.

In May of this year, I booked a specific cabin, oceanview ( don't remember the cabin # but it was specific) on the Sensation. Got a call from my PVP and Carnival had upgraded us to a cat. 12.

I really didn't think this happened, until it happened to us.

[cv322]

Guess I am in the minority of those who booked a specific cabin/deck and then got upgraded. Last cruise in 2006, we booked a specific balcony cabin....3 days before we left, I check our booking and found that we were upgraded to a Suite....even called Carnival to verify that it was correct!

 

It does happen :D

 

bonnie

 

Wow. Good job bonnie!

 

I was just going to post that in all of my cruises (except one) I've NEVER been upgraded. That's probably because I always choose my specific cabin # & it's always a balcony & always on a high deck & in a particular place on the ship that's convenient for us. The one exception was booking a cruise on a "sale" day...when I simply got a better price for the cabin I chose.

 

And, YoungCruiser, welcome to Crusie Critic...you're gonna love it!

[LMHSRN]

If you secure a specific cabin, you are set, no upgrades.

 

 

Fred

 

Not true. We have been upgraded after selecting a cabin.

 

Perhaps that is YOUR experience, but not everyones!

[Wennfred]

Not true. We have been upgraded after selecting a cabin.

 

Perhaps that is YOUR experience, but not everyones!

 

Carnival isn't going to mess with your specific cabin, you booked that cabin for a reason...they will call you and ask you if you want to be upgraded... but won't upgrade you without letting you know.

 

 

Fred

[cruzn buckeye]

Carnival isn't going to mess with your specific cabin, you booked that cabin for a reason...they will call you and ask you if you want to be upgraded... but won't upgrade you without letting you know.

 

 

Fred

 

They did call me . Told me they were upgrading us to a cat.12 Penthouse suite. Of course I didn't refuse it!!

[Wennfred]

They did call me . Told me they were upgrading us to a cat.12 Penthouse suite. Of course I didn't refuse it!!

 

 

I wouldn't either :D Nice upgrade.

 

 

Fred

[TowMan]

Carnival isn't going to mess with your specific cabin, you booked that cabin for a reason...they will call you and ask you if you want to be upgraded... but won't upgrade you without letting you know.

 

 

Fred

 

 

Carnival didn't call me.....I looked up my reservation on line and found it.

 

bonnie

[YoungCruiser0308]

Just wanted to thank everyone for thier replys and experiences. I should have stated that I booked directly through Carnival w/out a TA. I cruise in March 2009, so that may give me a little time to be upgraded.

Thanks again for the help!

[OhioCutie]

Kris -

 

You've asked a good question ~ one that has me wondering a bit myself. We booked an aft 9A with wrap balcony last Friday (sailing on Glory 1/24/09). We're excited about the cabin, so for us it isn't a matter of hoping for an upgrade. But then we got the "one day sale" email yesterday and we wondered if we booked too soon. After a quick scan of the offer, we saw that category 9A wasn't included. Here is a copy & paste of the fine print if it helps with your decision. Sure wouldn't hurt to call Carnival on Thursday to see if you could get a better category. Kinda frustrating to book a cabin, only to have a "sale" happen a few weeks later! :(

 

* Cruise rates are in U.S. dollars, per person and based on category 4A. Offer is non-transferable, and has no cash value. Farecode must be requested to receive promotion. Government taxes and fees are additional for all guests. Full deposit required at time of booking. Upgrades available in categories 4A-8I. Offer excludes categories 1A/4S/5A/6E/7A/8P/8S/9A/11/12. Combinable with supersaver rates only. Offer is capacity controlled and is not combinable with any other discount or promotional offer. Rates are subject to change at any time without prior notice. Sailings within range may be slightly higher. Upgrades available within like cabin categories (Interior to Interior, Oceanview to Oceanview, Balcony to Balcony). Upgrades limited to a one category oceanview upgrade on Carnival Triumph, Victory, Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty, Freedom or Splendor. Oceanview upgrade NOT available on Carnival Spirit, Pride, Legend or Miracle. Valid on new individual bookings only. Offer expires at midnight EST on Thursday 06/26/08. Applicable on select sailings through 03/31/09. Blackout dates may apply. Some restrictions (including stateroom/category availability) apply. Request fare code P1S.

[Gayle V]

Good heavens, OhioCutie, After reading that, with all those exclusions, I wonder if there were any cabins left to be INCLUDED. You clearly didn't miss out on anything.

[OhioCutie]

Gayle ~

 

You said it!! Odd to think that it was a "consolation" once we realized we weren't missing out on any price break because we booked 13 days too soon. :rolleyes: