Booking 10+ people

[C & L]

Question: Booking 10+ people

 

What benefits should one expect when booking for large groups?

 

Does Carnival offer discount? OBC, etc?

 

Does a TA offer discount? OBC, etc?

 

What should I ask for?

[KenMo]

Here's the link to group info from Carnival's website: http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/travel_group.aspx

 

You have to book at least 8 cabins.

[Elaine515]

Question: Booking 10+ people

 

What benefits should one expect when booking for large groups?

 

Does Carnival offer discount? OBC, etc?

 

Does a TA offer discount? OBC, etc?

 

What should I ask for?

 

 

 

I booked 18 people, 6 cabins for our upcoming cruise and didn't get a thing... We booked with a Carnival PVP but a travel agent might offer you some sort of OBC or a discount...

[woodey]

Alot depends on where the cruise is and the time of year ....but you will need 8cabins atleast booked....you will get ammenity points plus group rates also you may get a discount to put the cruise together

[C & L]

Alot depends on where the cruise is and the time of year ....but you will need 8cabins atleast booked....you will get ammenity points plus group rates also you may get a discount to put the cruise together

 

 

Are Amenity Points another name for On Board Credits?

[dallas52]

they gave us one person's rate off for booking 8 rooms

[BigDfromTN]

Are Amenity Points another name for On Board Credits?

 

Not the same.

You can use amenity points to buy OBC, or a coctail Party, etc etc.

 

A true "group" booking can be good or bad. It does lock in rate, you can get free fares, and Amenities. BUT if price goes down you will not be likely to get those price matches.

 

Travel agents are (as I understand it) no longer allowed to give you anything more than Carnival will give you.

[momof4boys]

Twice I have paid for 9 people-4 cabins-- and not received anything special. Pretty sure you have to book 8 cabins.

[taszmom]

For a tour conductor credit and some other amenities you have to have a min of 8 double occ cabins booked. They will honor OBC's or say 1 bottle of wine to the group if you have a min of 5 cabins. CCL has guidelines on all of their amenities and what the requirements are. Carnival assigns amenity points to each sailing. Some sailings have none - depends on date, time of year, etc. And yes travel agents can give you something more than Carnival whether it be individual or group bookings. They have put limits on what travel agents can offer. Not allowed to discount but can offer added-value amenities (Spa/Shore Excursion credits, Wine, Bar Credits, Soda Credits, etc)

[harlekuin]

5 cabins minimum. Amenity points are based on the cruise, time of year, popularity of the cruise, how fast it is selling, etc... some popular cruises have 0 points (Christmas time for example) Others have up to 6. If you have 4 points on a 7 day cruise, you can get $100 per stateroom OBC, or $75 OBC and a Carnival Tote bag. Or $50 OBC and a $15 photo coupon. All these are decided pre-cruise and that is what everyone in the group gets. If you want a private cocktail party you must have 50 cabins.

 

There are many variables. You also get 1 cruise fare only (NCF non-commission fees removed) for every 15 "butts in the beds" with the amount determined by the most number of cabin types booked. 4 IS, 2-OV, you get the IS rate.

 

The price of the cabins, IS, OV and BL are determined at booking and you cannot get any price reductions if the fare goes down. On the bright side, you don't pay any more if the cruise becomes popular and the price goes up. You are best to go through a TA or the Carnival Group Cruise department to help you set it up.

 

Word of warning: if you start out with 6 and drop to 4, you lose all the points, which will probably tick ppl off and then you many lose some more. You can get some really great deals but managing a group can be time consuming and frustrating.

[serene56]

Question: Booking 10+ people

 

What benefits should one expect when booking for large groups?

 

Does Carnival offer discount? OBC, etc?

 

Does a TA offer discount? OBC, etc?

 

What should I ask for?

 

 

10 people is NOT a large group for booking a cruise.

ESrate is cheaper then booking a group rate even with getting an OBC.

 

 

Carnival does NOT allow discounting-- so the price is the same across the board. so 10 people in 5 cabins-- can you set 6 more people to book a group

[sharecruises]

I booked 18 people, 6 cabins for our upcoming cruise and didn't get a thing... We booked with a Carnival PVP but a travel agent might offer you some sort of OBC or a discount...

 

You can transfer your booking to a travel agent

 

with that many booked...I would sure try to get a few more people on

 

you could get the Tour Conductor fare for yourself...or split the money between the cabins....yeah it is not that much (the lowest price cabin fare, minus the "non commission" port fees/taxes) but it is something

 

 

you could also get other amenity points for the group...such as wine, group cocktail parties

 

a good cruise agent may be able to find 2 cabins of people who would like to share group perks (and NO they do NOT have to sit with you unless you wish)

 

you could also nicely ask some friends/neighbors....you have kids so maybe they have friends/parents who want to cruise too?? Since you live in Florida as I do, it is NOT hard to get people to jump on a ship with a "good deal"

 

a good cruise agent also has some people who know they do groups and who will book in with a group for the perks (but then not participate with the group...win win)

 

I have had this....we had a couple and their small family book with my singles group....they were getting married in Key West (2nd marriage for both, very small and low key)....they booked late (so no early saver etc)....but my agent was able to put them with the group so that they would get free wine, plus 2 free cocktail parties

 

they didn't sit with us but I did give them "our" lanyards and wristbands...they enjoyed the parties and some of us got our pic taken with the happy new couple :)

 

Honestly with 18 people you should get something.....check around some agencies :) While Carnival won't let them discount the cruise price, any decent travel agent will give you something for putting 18 people on....a good travel agent will help you fill out that "group" JMO

 

it is worth a try :)

[Kryssa]

If you call around to the large online travel agencies, you will find that most will match Carnival's lowest rate and then give you and OBC on top of that. That's what we do. We have never booked more than 3 cabins though.

[firefly333]

If you call around to the large online travel agencies, you will find that most will match Carnival's lowest rate and then give you and OBC on top of that. That's what we do. We have never booked more than 3 cabins though.

 

I would sure hope they dont mark up the price!!! :D

[debster11]

5 cabins minimum. Amenity points are based on the cruise, time of year, popularity of the cruise, how fast it is selling, etc... some popular cruises have 0 points (Christmas time for example) Others have up to 6. If you have 4 points on a 7 day cruise, you can get $100 per stateroom OBC, or $75 OBC and a Carnival Tote bag. Or $50 OBC and a $15 photo coupon. All these are decided pre-cruise and that is what everyone in the group gets. If you want a private cocktail party you must have 50 cabins.

 

There are many variables. You also get 1 cruise fare only (NCF non-commission fees removed) for every 15 "butts in the beds" with the amount determined by the most number of cabin types booked. 4 IS, 2-OV, you get the IS rate.

 

The price of the cabins, IS, OV and BL are determined at booking and you cannot get any price reductions if the fare goes down. On the bright side, you don't pay any more if the cruise becomes popular and the price goes up. You are best to go through a TA or the Carnival Group Cruise department to help you set it up.

 

Word of warning: if you start out with 6 and drop to 4, you lose all the points, which will probably tick ppl off and then you many lose some more. You can get some really great deals but managing a group can be time consuming and frustrating.

 

I'm not saying you are wrong but we booked a group and needed 8 cabins min. We were given 4 amenity points and could have had a private cocktail party with all 4 points. We chose a shared party, $50.00 OBC and a bottle of champagne for each room. Plus after the cruise is over we get the fare of one person. Just the fare not including port charges or taxes.

[harleymouse]

i booked 21 people 10 rooms and was offerd to pay$400 more PP if we wanted to be a group and get one free pasanger. We just kept what we had. so no group we will be a large crowed!;)

[harlekuin]

I'm not saying you are wrong but we booked a group and needed 8 cabins min. We were given 4 amenity points and could have had a private cocktail party with all 4 points. We chose a shared party, $50.00 OBC and a bottle of champagne for each room. Plus after the cruise is over we get the fare of one person. Just the fare not including port charges or taxes.

 

Let's just say I have extensive experience with this type of cruise/situation. Not sure when your cruise was but the rules changed in October 2010 where points/choices, minimums were changed.