jmb5081

10 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

I'm assuming this is the carnival one you matched it with?

 

https://www.carnival.com/shore-excursions/belize/altun-ha-mayan-ruins-with-lunch-509048

 

 

Yes that is the one we are going to go on, and one that they matched.

1 minute ago, j1d1 said:

Does anyone know how far in advance of a sailing a price match can be done? Amber Cove excursions are showing up for a May 2021 sailing. I’m interested in trying a price match for the Damajagua waterfalls excursion mentioned in the first post. 

As I’ve mentioned to others before your post I’m a little new, but thought I might try to help out.
I know the LATEST you can do the price match is 7 days before your cruise starts. To specifically answer your question, I haven’t seen any limit to how early you can price match. It seems that as long as you have bought the Carnival excursion, and filled out the form with the comparable excursion’s information that they will consider it. 
I hope this helps. 🙂

6 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

was this the one you got approved?

 

https://www.discoverbelize.bz/tours/altun-ha-maya-ruins/

 

 

Yes! That is the one that they approved. 🙂
As far as I can tell it is identical to the Carnival excursion with the addition that they provide water, and Carnival does not.

10 minutes ago, richbum said:

Thank you for posting this.  This is our 2nd Carnival cruise (4th cruise overall). We are traveling with a bunch of newbies on our next tone...and they all want to do Carnival excursions (we have always done independent tours).   Now if I book (and get approved) excursions for my kids and grandkids who are in different rooms...do I get the OBC or do they?

 

Thanks for your time!

 

Hey there! Just a reminder that I’m a total noob to this whole cruising thing...my first one starts this Saturday...😃😄😆

Anywho...I noticed that when I filled out the price match form they asked for the booking number. I don’t know if each stateroom has a different booking number, but it seems like that is how they assign the onboard credit. Hopefully someone more experienced here will be able to clarify this for you more, but I’m hoping that maybe it will help if you have different booking numbers for each room.
I hear some of the independent excursions are really great. My only fear is being left behind because that just sounds like my luck. Lol

This was how I decided to make up the difference. I hope it all works out for you!

On 1/18/2020 at 6:48 AM, ontheweb said:

It would be $22 if they match it since that is $20 + 10%. I'll wish you luck, but I do not think they will match it because of the lack of lunch on the private excursion.

Good news! I was approved! However, if you saw what I had added above I almost had a snafu with it. Scott emailed me the other day asking about the $49.99 price I saw because it didn’t match what he was seeing online. When I went back to the website the price had gone up to $69.99 which was the same amount as Carnival. I let him know my suspicions, but also told him that I had found an identical trip elsewhere, and asked if it could be considered. I got the response back that we will be getting $21.99 each in OBC. I’m so happy! First time cruising and first attempt at a price match. Thank you all for your advice and tips! 😁 

On 1/18/2020 at 7:32 AM, jmb5081 said:

 

11 hours ago, Hsmama said:

Hi.... never booked an excursion before (noob) so I'm just getting this straight.... to  do this, I would need to actually book a ship excursion first (and pay for it,correct?) and then try to price match it,using the form. If I decide not to take the excursion, I have till a week before cruise to cancel,with no penalty? Thanks...

Hey! I’m a noob to this too, but here’s what I’ve learned so far...

You definitely have to book and pay for the excursion through carnival FIRST. Then there’s a form on their website (someone linked it in one of the previous posts) that you fill out with the comparable excursion information. Within a few days someone will get back to you approving or denying your request, or they may ask for additional information or even tell you they’re looking into it further. You have to do this 7 or more days before the EMBARKATION date of  your cruise (I thought it was 7 days before your excursion. I almost missed out my my price match). I don’t know the part about canceling your excursion and the timeframe to do so without penalty though. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help there. But I hope the rest was enough to get what you need. Good luck! 😊

27 minutes ago, jmb5081 said:

So I received a reply to my request earlier today asking where I’m seeing the $49.99 price because they don’t see it. When I went to the viator site above it looks like the price hiked. So unless it drops by the time I respond them I’m SOL...😕😕😕

Has this ever happened to anyone while trying to get the price guarantee?

In the meantime I found another site that was the same price as the original, but identical to the carnival excursion 

https://www.discoverbelize.bz/tours/altun-ha-maya-ruins/

I’m hoping they will accept this for me. I don’t know if I will need to fill out another form.

On 1/17/2020 at 9:45 PM, jmb5081 said:

Hello all! I also just submitted my request for a price match. We are doing the Altun Ha with lunch excursion. It’s our first cruise ever, and we REALLY wanted to go to Lamanai, but it wasn’t in the cards this time. But ruins are ruins to me since I’ve not yet been to any. I saw this thread a few days ago, and decided to try my hand at getting an OBC to pad my S&S account at embarkation. Here’s what I found thanks to you guys and the Cruise Critic website...

 

Carnival: $69.99

https://www.carnival.com/shore-excursions/belize/altun-ha-mayan-ruins-with-lunch-509048

Viator: $49.99

https://www.viator.com/tours/Belize-City/Altun-Ha-Pyramids/d5094-42577P29
 

The duration is identical, and there is transportation on both, but the carnival one offers lunch, and the other offers rainforest views and bird watching. I tried to argue that the cultural and experience differences of the Viator trip made up more than enough in price for a meal. I’ve heard differing views on the lunch in the reviews anyway...sooo fingers crossed! 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽

So I received a reply to my request earlier today asking where I’m seeing the $49.99 price because they don’t see it. When I went to the viator site above it looks like the price hiked. So unless it drops by the time I respond them I’m SOL...😕😕😕

Has this ever happened to anyone while trying to get the price guarantee?

14 minutes ago, Mallow said:

I work a lot from hotel rooms using a laptop and a spare 15" portable monitor that is HDMI and packs up fairly easily.  If you look on Amazon you could pick up one to take with you.  He could then set it up anywhere that has a plugin.

Thanks! I looked into an option like that as well as the GAEMS system here. Both seem like too much additional to bring with us. That’s why I had been hoping for a workaround with the existing hardware in the stateroom. I had seen a bunch of things online and on YouTube months ago, but wasn’t sure if anyone had actual success on this specific ship. But thank you for that! I may actually consider it once more before the end of this week. Or just tell him to kick rocks until we get off the boat 🤣🤣🤣 jk I’m not that mean. 😉

1 hour ago, biomedbob said:

Been bringing universal remotes for about 20 years on different cruiselines.  I have been successful about 98% of the time!

Thank you! I had planned on doing this as well. 😁

8 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

We'll be on the Horizon in a couple months and my son asked if he'd be able to take the switch and hook it to the TV again. Since his friend's going, he thought maybe they'd play it once in a while if they're bored. Compared to a PlayStation, a Switch is a lot more portable. Plus it has its own screen to play on if you can't dock it to a TV. So it isn't as much of a gamble as other consoles. At the very least, he'll get use out of it during our long drive there. There's no guarantees it'll work on the TV, but if he wants to carry it in his backpack, I'll probably let him.

 

I'm no doctor, but maybe your boyfriend would be better off not playing video games when experiencing insomnia. My son's 18 now, but over the years he's been gaming, one thing we've always noticed is that if he plays, he can stay up real late without feeling tired. But when he doesn't play, he'll fall asleep much earlier. I think all that brain stimulation from game play keeps him awake. I guess your boyfriend plays just to pass the time when he can't sleep, but maybe playing is exacerbating the insomnia. Then again, what do I know. LOL And yes, that gentle rocking is nice. Like rockin' a baby to sleep. ☺️

You and I think alike for sure! I tell him that he needs to turn the TV and phone off to TRY to fall asleep. He insists his mind still races, but I know that even though his mind is still going a million miles a second that when he starts playing or being on his phone that’s not helping. I’m still waiting to see what he decides to do since I told him that there is a few potential workarounds, but as long as he enjoys his time on vacation that’s all I want. 😌

6 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I'll just throw this out there since I just saw it on the news. I saw a doctor being interviewed on our local news the other day who was a sleep specialist. The news reporter brought up melatonin and the doctor said in a vast majority of cases, our bodies produce enough melatonin and there's absolutely no need to supplement it. He said melatonin is typically not the cause of the issues. He never mentioned if it could do any harm, just that it probably isn't helping. My wife used to take it now & again when she had trouble sleeping, but she said it never felt like it helped. That could be why...our bodies produce enough and it's usually not that.

Thank you very much for this! It’s a very rare once in a blue moon occasion that he will bother taking it because it doesn’t usually work for him either. I have mentioned to him about other causes as well. I’m hoping maybe this year we can get a better idea of what it stems from. I don’t remember him being like this when we met all those years ago, but he says it’s been like this for him long before we met...at least since he was in his late teens. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️
Maybe the gentle rock of the boat will help 😊

6 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

We successfully hooked up a Nintendo Switch to my son's cabin TV aboard the Glory in 2018, via HDMI. We didn't take a universal remote, the TV had an Input button (touch controlled) on the TV itself. It didn't function at first, but using the workaround, I unplugged Carnival's data cable from the back (it looks like a telephone wire) and that allowed the Input button to work. You just have to be sure to plug that data cable back in if you want to watch Carnival's content and also to be nice for the next guests. I would doubt that they've changed out all of the TV's on every ship to ones with disabled ports. I've never seen a TV that allowed you to completely disable the ports, unless it's something specialized they can get. We never got an email back then. I don't know for sure, but when they say the ports are disabled, maybe that's just their way of saying you can't hook something up. But with the workaround, you can.

 

It's a gamble. You can take your console in hopes that the workaround works, but if it doesn't, you're stuck carrying a console you can't use.

Oh thank you! To correct my original statement, it wasn’t in the email they sent. It was on their website under things you can/cannot bring on board. It merely mentioned that it wouldn’t work, but I’ve heard numerous stories and seen online where people have done it. Just not on this specific ship. Thank you again!

13 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Besides, there are so many activities to do on a cruise ship that I couldn't imagine the need to play video games. I was tired every single night of my recent cruise, fell asleep early, and woke up early too!

You’d think that would work right....but I’ve seen him stay up for 48 hours while running around in the summer sun, and even taking melatonin. He finally crashed, and slept for less than 4 hours before waking up again. Insomnia isn’t nice to him sometimes. I am hoping that all of the daytime activities we have to do will tire him out though. Me...I KNOW I’ll sleep like a baby each night. Lol

Thanks again. 

41 minutes ago, coevan said:

YouTube has some work arounds

4 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Mind linking some, while you're at it?

@jmb5081, if Carnival emails you no, there is an overwhelming chance that you will not be able to play video games using the TV. However, consider bringing a laptop (if he has one) and playing on there. Better yet, check out some YouTube videos on how to possibly connect your console to your PC. If not, one last resort is mobile video games.

 

I think I’ve seen some of them already. I just wasn’t sure if anyone had tried it with success on this specific ship. I already told him to download shows on Netflix or Disney+ so that he wouldn’t need any kind of wifi to use it.

Regardless, I’m sure he’ll make it off the ship 7 days later even without his PlayStation lol.

Thank you! 😁

Hello there! We are heading out on our first ever cruise next Saturday on the Conquest leaving out if Miami. We are now crossing T’s and dotting i’s before leaving. My boyfriend is a semi-insomniac, and likes to stay up playing video games some nights when he can’t sleep. I’ve heard different stories about using the stateroom TVs with outside technology. Some folks write that even though the ports on the TV are “disabled” that they still plug in, and using a universal remote that they brought along they are able to change the input to use the TV. However, the email I just got from Carnival says the TV ports are disabled. Has anyone had any luck using anything they’ve brought on the ship? I know there’s tons he might be able to do, but sometimes he’s a homebody and wants to stay in. A friend mentioned that the staterooms might have channels like History or something for him to watch as well (which is right up his alley lol).

Thank you in advance for your assistance! 🙂

On 12/30/2019 at 4:05 PM, purplephenom said:

I’ve done a few in St Kitts, Belize and Cozumel. My first attempt is to find the excursion provider. If I can’t do that, I find something very close but better, and explain why the other excursion is better for the same price. I’ve only had 1 or 2 denials doing it this way, but I figure nothing ventured nothing gained. 

I used your advice when I filled out my price match request. The one I booked has a meal included. While the competitor has rainforest and bird watching included, but no meal. I figure the experience of the other two matches or outweighs the meal, and that’s why I tried to argue. I’m hoping it gets approved. 🙂

On 12/30/2019 at 12:18 PM, ABQrobin said:

I have price matched several times, never been turned down.  

Have you ever had one that had a meal and the comparison that you found didn’t have a meal? That’s my only thought as to why mine could potentially be denied. I’m still waiting to hear back, but thought I’d ask around. Thanks! 🙂

40 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It would be $22 if they match it since that is $20 + 10%. I'll wish you luck, but I do not think they will match it because of the lack of lunch on the private excursion.

I’m concerned about the same denial reason. But I read a few that were able to get approvals without a meal included. It wasn’t something I had planned to do when I originally decided to book the excursion, but I figured why not. I don’t feel like I’m losing out even if I get a denial. 🙂

6 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

I do that all the time.  12 noon is the recommended return time so it isn't considered an early flight.  I use Carnival shuttle to return to FLL.  As a solo cruiser, it is cheaper than rideshare.  I also dislike hunting for an unfamiliar vehicle during debark chaos when the buses are right there.  The buses do not wait until full.  They wait until they are dispatched by the clipboard person, usually 2/3 thirds full and the next bus is there.  I usually am on the first bus out so at the airport 9-9:30

Thank you! This was very insightful. I will book this now. Our flight is leaving at 12:05 so the idea that we might cut it close scares me, but your information puts me at ease. 😌

Thanks again! 😁

11 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Are you coming from Miami?

Yes. We are flying in and out of Fort Lauderdale, but the shop is out of Miami.

Hey there! Leaving on our first ever cruise next weekend, and we’re super excited! However, I booked a flight at noon on the day we get back home. I just realized that we fly in the day before super bowl and getting off the boat for the first time and back to FLL airport might be worse than I’m expecting. Has anyone had luck with the pre or post cruise transportation to/from the airports? I’m nervous because I really don’t want to miss our flight. I know I’m going to have to tell GS the night before we leave that we have an early flight, and maybe even opt to carry our own luggage off the boat. But I wanted to hear your opinions before I bought the transportation option. Thank you in advance for your assistance! 😃

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

Sounds right. Hope you get it. I’ve done Lamanai and will want to do a different set of ruins if I return to Belize.

Thanks! I’m hoping we will go back again one day maybe with the kids and do Lamanai or Xunantunich. Both through Carnival because of transportation times. They both look amazing. If I ever fly into Belize I’d like to do the ruins near the Guatemalan border. They start with a C, but I can’t think of the full name at this very moment. 

Hoping for something like approx $22 per person I think...right? 🤔