i just don't get it!

[taralu7]

i do NOT understand about how all this works. we booked our cruise with a TA out of New Orleans that my mom and dad have used in the past. we paid our deposit and we're waiting to make our final payment sometime in the next month or so. (we're leaving Dec. 27 th on a 5 day on the Fantasy).

 

anyway, i come on here periodically to LEARN as much as i can about the whole thing and i don't get this about prices going down. see this post...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=831104 how do you know when the prices have lowered (or gone up)? when do you get an OBC? i mean, who qualifies for that? Do i need to call my TA and ask her anything else about price changes. As with most people, money is a big issue with us and i want to make sure that i get the best deal possible for this particular cruise.

 

i know i'm ignorant to all of this and would appreciate a little understanding. thank you for your help.

[firefly333]

Go to the carnival site and pretend to book the same category cabin as your TA booked for you. Do you know what you paid as a cruise rate?? if you only know the bottom line then you need to click through the whole booking, so you would want to know the price of the cruise before fuel surcharge and taxes added in to compare more easily.

 

You get a refund if its before final payment, but you get OBC if its after final payment.

[arom729]

hi taralu7! you can go on to carnival's website and check the pricing for the particular sail date you are on if you don't want to call you TA without knowing if there is a price drop for sure. if there is a price drop, then call your TA and ask he/she to adjust the rate with carnival. i believe that everyone qualifies for price drops...you only get OBC if you've already paid in full. if your final payment has not yet been made, then the price drop will be taken off of the final payment (this is what we have done on our next cruise).

[TortieGal]

I thought I had seen on the Carnival site one time that prices update 4 times a day.... :confused:

[taralu7]

hi taralu7! you can go on to carnival's website and check the pricing for the particular sail date you are on if you don't want to call you TA without knowing if there is a price drop for sure. if there is a price drop, then call your TA and ask he/she to adjust the rate with carnival. i believe that everyone qualifies for price drops...you only get OBC if you've already paid in full. if your final payment has not yet been made, then the price drop will be taken off of the final payment (this is what we have done on our next cruise).

 

 

but to get a refund or an OBC, do they automatically give it to you or do you have to ask them for it specifically?

 

thank you for the kind responses. i was afraid i was gonna get blasted for being an idiot.

[Stacey779]

You have to call and ask them for it specifically. I usually just try to check the price of my cruise once a week or so (usually more often as we get closer to sailing), and if it goes down I just call Carnival. However, if you booked through a TA I believe you have to call them directly.

[firefly333]

Did you ask your TA if they have any charges for changes?? Hopefully not. Some started adding in $25 pp to change a price or for any change.

 

Some TAs will watch the price for you, but no one is going to watch it closer than you can, and yes you need to call and ask so they can see the price while its low.

[SAPMAN]

Our TA notified me that there was a price drop before the final payment was due. I did not watch, but guess I will go out and see if it is lower now and I can get some On Board Credits.

[Susie51]

Thank you for the info. My cruise in Sept. is $10.00 less pp and is after the final payment. Is it worth the trouble for my TA?

[firefly333]

Thank you for the info. My cruise in Sept. is $10.00 less pp and is after the final payment. Is it worth the trouble for my TA?

 

If you booked at a lower fuel surcharge or your TA has a change fee, it would probably cost you to get the refund. Was the fuel surcharge $9 when you booked?? If not you need to count that into the mix to determine if your fare dropped.

[luckycruzer]

but to get a refund or an OBC, do they automatically give it to you or do you have to ask them for it specifically?

 

thank you for the kind responses. i was afraid i was gonna get blasted for being an idiot.

 

member of the ID 10 T club for a good question..I still learn new stuff here everyday! Happy Cruzen in your futute..lucky

[nolaAlive]

Holiday cruises such as New Year's Eve usually don't decrease in price.

[Ken076]

Check the current prices on Carnival's Web Site. Register on the site, login and do CRUISE SEARC?H for your cruise. When you find your cruise, check the current rates.

 

If they've dropped, if you booked with direct with Carnival and were deposited, Carnival would reduce your balance due by amount of the drop (for no admin charge). If you booked at a lower fuel surcharge, you'll be charged the current, higher fuel surcharge. A TA should also do this for you, but their contract with you may add an administrative charge for doing this.

 

If they've dropped, if you booked direct with nCarnival and are fully paid, Carnival would credit your On Board Account with the amount of the drop. Same story for fuel surcharge. A TA should be able to do this for you, but their contract may add an administrative charge; some TA's don't seem to want to do changes for PAID bookings.

 

Some TA's are more "cooperative" on price adjustments than others, and some Carnival PVP's are more cooperative than others on price adjustments.

ken

[Socref124]

Taralu, this is off the subject a little, but have either of you been in the military? If so, you could possibly be eligible for a military rate which is the best rate Carnival offers.

[taralu7]

Holiday cruises such as New Year's Eve usually don't decrease in price.

 

i figured as much. i wouldn't have wanted to go during that time but the kids are out of school and i didn't want to wait til next summer to go on a cruise. my darned impatience is gonna cost me.

[taralu7]

Taralu, this is off the subject a little, but have either of you been in the military? If so, you could possibly be eligible for a military rate which is the best rate Carnival offers.

 

 

nope, unfortunately. my nephew, though, is the son of 2 active Coast Guard members and gets military discounts on some stuff. But when i checked on the military discount, i believe it's only good for the military personnel or veterans--not their children. thank you for that thought though.

[taralu7]

what do you do if the price of your cruise has actually gone UP?:eek:

[Leo Jay]

what do you do if the price of your cruise has actually gone UP?:eek:

 

Be grateful you bought when you did.

[Riley's Mom]

Not all travel agents will reduce the rates for you. Our previuos TA would not. This is why we now book direct with Carnival..l would call your TA and ask if they DO reduce rates if they go down./ru

[taralu7]

Not all travel agents will reduce the rates for you. Our previuos TA would not. This is why we now book direct with Carnival..l would call your TA and ask if they DO reduce rates if they go down./ru

 

thank you. i'll do that. i think next time (if there's a next time) we'll just book it directly with Carnival too. i'm kinda wondering what the benefits of booking with a TA are now. ???? it just never occurred to me NOT to use a TA.

[firefly333]

thank you. i'll do that. i think next time (if there's a next time) we'll just book it directly with Carnival too. i'm kinda wondering what the benefits of booking with a TA are now. ???? it just never occurred to me NOT to use a TA.

 

The benefit is some TAs will discount. Mine gives 10% off the cruise portion. If you arent getting paid gratuities or a discount or at least a bottle of wine, why use a TA, I agree. The other upside to booking with Carnival is you can usually call someone 24 hours a day. If the price drops and my little TA is on vacation I used to use, it could be days to reach her, by then the price drop could be gone.

 

All things to think about when you decide whom to book with. Now I will book with a TA and slide it to her just before final payment since they added that $25 pp change fee. I still like the 10% off.

[luckycruzer]

I think up to 4 cabins..and they are all linked to the Mil pax..as long as that person is on the cruise.

[dmdiver]

thank you. i'll do that. i think next time (if there's a next time) we'll just book it directly with Carnival too. i'm kinda wondering what the benefits of booking with a TA are now. ???? it just never occurred to me NOT to use a TA.

 

i originally booked my last cruise through a carnival pvp. she was able to get me one price drop. then i saw a lower rate & she couldn't drop enough to match it. turns out, an agent had booked a block of rooms, getting a group rate. so, i transferred the booking to the agent, saving several hundred dollars on the 5 of us. plus, we got a bottle of wine, $100 obc & $15 photo coupon for each cabin.

 

so, you may not be able to tell what the best route is to take at first, but you can always transfer the booking if necessary. just be sure there are no cancellation fees if you go with an agent. ours did have cancellation fees, but we were to the point where only an emergency situation would have caused us to cancel. i never found a better rate, either & i searched obsessively for one.

[Susie51]

Thank you for your advice. When we booked, our online TA had a better price than Carnival. Why does this happen sometimes?

[Indiansbaseball]

I called to get prices on a cruise and my PVP would only give us the discount on one room...the room that hubby is in. They would not give it to our friends. BUT...she said that we could watch for the sale in Nov. that allows military friends and family to get the sale price. Our cabins are linked to get the same dining time too....