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Keep your eyes open on Thursday!!! Insider info...

dvdkndy

By dvdkndy,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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iamkmc

iamkmc

Posted
Posted
Once ES, always ES. You don't "come out" of ES.

 

However, if you take the OBC, you must also factor that into your price when you price match.

 

Maggie

 

not true. i applied for a large OBC from a sale a few months ago and in order to approve that they would have then changed my booking to that "sale" and I would have had to switch to a guaranteed cabin so I declined. that would have taken me out of of an ES booking which I was also declined.

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Ken076

Ken076

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They do that by having a sale WITH OBC attached to the sale. In order to get that price and your OBC (usually $100), you accept that rate and come out of ES. You are now in a category that no longer qualifies for ongoing discounts. So when they sell off those interiors for hundreds of dollars less, you can't collect because you voluntarily took the $100 OBC with the sale rate.

 

This is 100% not the case. You remain ES and you have to account for the OBC in calculating your current ES rate.

 

 

The normal price-matching for ES to an OBC or Cash-Back Sale is that you pay the difference betwen your current rate and the OBC rate, then they give you the OBC. You remain ES and you have to factor-in the OBC you received when calculating your current ES rate.

 

ken

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lbow2006

lbow2006

Posted
Posted
did you know about the fish site

 

Google cruise and fish

 

for $1 they send you unlimited emails with price changes :)

 

 

I just learned about this yesterday and signed up yesterday. We're 32 days out from our sailing and there are still at least 20 cabins in our category to sell. I'm hoping they drop the price as opposed to upsell them all to people in lower category cabins. I could really use a price drop to cover gratuities, lol. If not I guess I'll just be paying them myself, but it'd be cool if there was one! :p:o

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Jana60

Jana60

Posted
Posted
You can also SWITCH to ES right before it vanishes and then continue to get price drops after final payment.

I just don't see why so many people book ES to start, and then have all these issues when someone can't go, or they want to change dates, etc., etc.

And why wait for some big "sale" that isn't? If you find the cruise you want, at a price you're willing to pay, go ahead and book it and grab the cabin you want. The deposit is the same (unless it is a reduced-deposit sale), so what difference does it make?

Book when you're ready to book. Book at whatever fare you want. Get price drops anyway.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't think so.

 

Typically ES is the lowest rate you can book on ANY date but most of the time the ES rate is lowest a long time in advance and while you can change to ES at any time you can't back track and get the price offered 6 months ago for ES. I have at times upgraded or got cash back when prices dropped but I rarely find a lower price than the one I booked for the lowest category of room so If I know I want a particular cruise, I book early into a low category ES and then upgrade or get cash back if prices lower. If live in a cruise port city, don't have to arrange airfare and time off work, and don't care what room you cruise in then you could wait for those last minute deals.

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mikel24m

mikel24m

Posted
Posted
I just learned about this yesterday and signed up yesterday. We're 32 days out from our sailing and there are still at least 20 cabins in our category to sell. I'm hoping they drop the price as opposed to upsell them all to people in lower category cabins. I could really use a price drop to cover gratuities, lol. If not I guess I'll just be paying them myself, but it'd be cool if there was one! :p:o

 

Im new to the whole price drop thing because we always pick our cabin and we know whats a good price for us.I did the fish site just to see and its crazy,sometimes I get 4 or 5 emails a day.If I would have booked early saver we would have had a $140 price drop for each of us.Its hard because of our jobs we cannot book really far in advance

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dvdkndy

dvdkndy

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I hate to be negative nancy, but usually these alleged sales are much ado about nothing.

 

 

Completely understand but hey, it may be something good and maybe not. Who knows. My fingers are crossed!

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barbatkins

barbatkins

Posted
Posted
We cruise anywhere from 8-10 times a year, and we actually have 12 cruises booked right now for the next year. We always book ES, and have since the rate came out. Here is what we notice transpires EVERY cruise:

 

Our idea is that we book a lower cabin and REFUSE all upgrades and we cruise with $1000+ in on board credit when they sell off the last minute Pack and go rates and they have to give us the price drop as we are still in ES.

 

After final payment comes a sales push, including calls to your house about sales. ES works in that you can match any category you qualify for if the price is lower (ex: senior rate you have to meet age requirements, etc.)

 

The catch is the sale rate AND OBC sales. Normally ES discount lets you match the lower rate, and prior to final payment, you get a reduced bill, and after final payment you get OBC.

 

 

You can only get that rate if they are selling a cabin for less that you paid in a rate you qualify for AND your time stamped ES form has a time on it that the cabin was available for sale. (This is where the screen shots mean nothing and people get frustrated) As soon as that cabin sells, the ES deal is off. So if you form is time stamped AFTER the time the cabin sold, you are denied.

 

Here is what happens after final payment on all the cruises we have been on, and it is actually being done right now on the Breeze TA cruise. You have a bunch of people in cheap cabin categories with ES. Since that category is the cabins they wish to sell off at rock bottom prices, they need to upgrade people out of that category with ES, or get people who insist on keeping the cabins out of ES. They do that by having a sale WITH OBC attached to the sale. In order to get that price and your OBC (usually $100), you accept that rate and come out of ES. You are now in a category that no longer qualifies for ongoing discounts. So when they sell off those interiors for hundreds of dollars less, you can't collect because you voluntarily took the $100 OBC with the sale rate. Don't forget, you can NEVER downgrade your cabin category with ES, only upgrade.

 

Every cruise, we see them run a sale after final payment and prior to slashing prices to rock bottom. They will have a couple of holdouts like us, but they will have reduced the ES bookings in the cheapest category by quite a few, so when they sell that last interior, there will be much less people for them to have to give money back to under ES.

 

Yes, it is a gamble but we find it works in our favor more often that not. Several people on our TA in November just accept the sale price and $100 OBC came out of ES. Since ES rate is gone now for this cruise, they will now not be eligible for the OBC under ES when they slash to prices to sell off the few interiors they have left after they upgraded everyone willing to give up a cheap cabin and upgrade.

 

The cruise company's worst nightmare is people who book an interior for $1000 ES, and then refuse to upgrade or accept a sale that will take them out of ES. When they sell that last interior cabin for $200 days before the cruise, they could owe $800 to every person still in those interiors with ES. (if they are paying attention when the cabin is on sale) If that involves 200 people, that can be very costly, hence the "sale" to get people to either get out of interiors (upgrade to a category they know they will not be slashing prices to sell off), or take a sale with $100 OBC, with the idea that they are coming out of ES rate. That turns those 200 people, into maybe 10 holdouts that they will have to give $800 to instead of 200.

 

People often ask how we are able to benefit so greatly with OBC every cruise, that is how. Get an interior on a lower deck and refuse to move and refuse all the sales aimed at reducing the ES bookings. Watch rates especially after the "sale", because after very much lowering the amount of people with ES - that is when the real cabin price slashing happens to fill the leftover cabins.

 

 

Totally agree......... this is the best way to "work" the ES for best value.....

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luckybecky Great Review Rare

luckybecky

Posted
Posted

 

People often ask how we are able to benefit so greatly with OBC every cruise, that is how. Get an interior on a lower deck and refuse to move and refuse all the sales aimed at reducing the ES bookings. Watch rates especially after the "sale", because after very much lowering the amount of people with ES - that is when the real cabin price slashing happens to fill the leftover cabins.

 

This is a great tip! But how can you be sure whether you are being moved out of the ES rate if you file a price protection claim? We got several OBC credits on our recent cruise, but I never knew there was a possibility of losing that ES price guarantee.

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Ken076

Ken076

Posted
Posted

Originally Posted by bookcreator

 

People often ask how we are able to benefit so greatly with OBC every cruise, that is how. Get an interior on a lower deck and refuse to move and refuse all the sales aimed at reducing the ES bookings. Watch rates especially after the "sale", because after very much lowering the amount of people with ES - that is when the real cabin price slashing happens to fill the leftover cabins.

 

This is a great tip! But how can you be sure whether you are being moved out of the ES rate if you file a price protection claim? We got several OBC credits on our recent cruise, but I never knew there was a possibility of losing that ES price guarantee.

 

There are NO sales/Promos that move you out of Early Saver.

 

Sale caveats that indicate "new bookings only" do NOT apply to ES - you CAN ES price match to "new bookings only" sales.

 

You CAN ES price-match to "Pack-and-Go" type offerings - you have to give-up your assigned cabin for a "TBA" cabin and the pricematching thereafter is a little trickier. There's NO reason to pass-up any price drop.

 

ken

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cruzn buckeye

cruzn buckeye

Posted
Posted

 

Since that category is the cabins they wish to sell off at rock bottom prices, they need to upgrade people out of that category with ES, or get people who insist on keeping the cabins out of ES. They do that by having a sale WITH OBC attached to the sale. In order to get that price and your OBC (usually $100), you accept that rate and come out of ES. You are now in a category that no longer qualifies for ongoing discounts. So when they sell off those interiors for hundreds of dollars less, you can't collect because you voluntarily took the $100 OBC with the sale rate.

Actually this is wrong. Once early saver, always early saver. Getting the obc or upgrade does not take you out of the ES rate. You can always qualify and put in for obcs and upgrades as long as it is a category that you are eligible for. I don't understand how someone who has cruised so many times and says they have used ES so many times, does not know how it really works.. it could be that you can knocked yourself out of some discounts and obc that you had coming to you....

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KPGirl

KPGirl

Posted
Posted
We cruise anywhere from 8-10 times a year, and we actually have 12 cruises booked right now for the next year. We always book ES, and have since the rate came out. Here is what we notice transpires EVERY cruise:

 

Our idea is that we book a lower cabin and REFUSE all upgrades and we cruise with $1000+ in on board credit when they sell off the last minute Pack and go rates and they have to give us the price drop as we are still in ES.

 

After final payment comes a sales push, including calls to your house about sales. ES works in that you can match any category you qualify for if the price is lower (ex: senior rate you have to meet age requirements, etc.)

 

The catch is the sale rate AND OBC sales. Normally ES discount lets you match the lower rate, and prior to final payment, you get a reduced bill, and after final payment you get OBC.

 

You can only get that rate if they are selling a cabin for less that you paid in a rate you qualify for AND your time stamped ES form has a time on it that the cabin was available for sale. (This is where the screen shots mean nothing and people get frustrated) As soon as that cabin sells, the ES deal is off. So if you form is time stamped AFTER the time the cabin sold, you are denied.

 

Here is what happens after final payment on all the cruises we have been on, and it is actually being done right now on the Breeze TA cruise. You have a bunch of people in cheap cabin categories with ES. Since that category is the cabins they wish to sell off at rock bottom prices, they need to upgrade people out of that category with ES, or get people who insist on keeping the cabins out of ES. They do that by having a sale WITH OBC attached to the sale. In order to get that price and your OBC (usually $100), you accept that rate and come out of ES. You are now in a category that no longer qualifies for ongoing discounts. So when they sell off those interiors for hundreds of dollars less, you can't collect because you voluntarily took the $100 OBC with the sale rate. Don't forget, you can NEVER downgrade your cabin category with ES, only upgrade.

 

Every cruise, we see them run a sale after final payment and prior to slashing prices to rock bottom. They will have a couple of holdouts like us, but they will have reduced the ES bookings in the cheapest category by quite a few, so when they sell that last interior, there will be much less people for them to have to give money back to under ES.

 

Yes, it is a gamble but we find it works in our favor more often that not. Several people on our TA in November just accept the sale price and $100 OBC came out of ES. Since ES rate is gone now for this cruise, they will now not be eligible for the OBC under ES when they slash to prices to sell off the few interiors they have left after they upgraded everyone willing to give up a cheap cabin and upgrade.

 

The cruise company's worst nightmare is people who book an interior for $1000 ES, and then refuse to upgrade or accept a sale that will take them out of ES. When they sell that last interior cabin for $200 days before the cruise, they could owe $800 to every person still in those interiors with ES. (if they are paying attention when the cabin is on sale) If that involves 200 people, that can be very costly, hence the "sale" to get people to either get out of interiors (upgrade to a category they know they will not be slashing prices to sell off), or take a sale with $100 OBC, with the idea that they are coming out of ES rate. That turns those 200 people, into maybe 10 holdouts that they will have to give $800 to instead of 200.

 

People often ask how we are able to benefit so greatly with OBC every cruise, that is how. Get an interior on a lower deck and refuse to move and refuse all the sales aimed at reducing the ES bookings. Watch rates especially after the "sale", because after very much lowering the amount of people with ES - that is when the real cabin price slashing happens to fill the leftover cabins.

 

 

I'm banking on your logic, you've put alot of thought into it, I'm booked Ocean view for Dec 30 and will stay there no matter what, I already have $360 price drop ( 4 people). Thanks !!!

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KPGirl

KPGirl

Posted
Posted
Actually this is wrong. Once early saver, always early saver. Getting the obc or upgrade does not take you out of the ES rate. You can always qualify and put in for obcs and upgrades as long as it is a category that you are eligible for. I don't understand how someone who has cruised so many times and says they have used ES so many times, does not know how it really works.. it could be that you can knocked yourself out of some discounts and obc that you had coming to you....

 

 

Damn there goes that logic !!!!!

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ItsAllAboutTheSass

ItsAllAboutTheSass

Posted
Posted
Was talking to my PVP today about a possible upgrade for our upcoming cruise. We were chatting about the OBC that we received from a couple of price drops. She said she did not recommend me doing any upgrade tonight but waiting until Thursday because they had a meeting today about a "big sale" that will be starting Thursday. I had a conversation with her about Carnival's "sales" and that I really did not see much price difference. :rolleyes: She said this coming sale is totally different from the norm "because of a large quantity of inventory" that Carnival has. So if you are a ES like me or looking to book, it might not be a bad idea to keep a watch on Thursday just to see if it really is a good one. It may not be what she cracked it up to be but it never hurts to be on the look out. Hope we all find some great deals and OBC!!!

 

 

If the sale is going to be that great, why not upgrade today and take advantage of the price drops during the sale?

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maggieworkman

maggieworkman

Posted
Posted
not true. i applied for a large OBC from a sale a few months ago and in order to approve that they would have then changed my booking to that "sale" and I would have had to switch to a guaranteed cabin so I declined. that would have taken me out of of an ES booking which I was also declined.

 

You would have switched to a guaranteed cabin and got the OBC, but the booking would STILL be considered ES. You could STILL price match to the guarantee cabin price but you would need to also take into account the OBC for the total price. IF there came a price that was lower with the OBC included, you COULD apply for the price match because you are still ES.

 

Maggie

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iamkmc

iamkmc

Posted
Posted
You would have switched to a guaranteed cabin and got the OBC, but the booking would STILL be considered ES. You could STILL price match to the guarantee cabin price but you would need to also take into account the OBC for the total price. IF there came a price that was lower with the OBC included, you COULD apply for the price match because you are still ES.

 

Maggie

 

this is not what the email from carnival stated... I will do a little searching and see if I still have it.

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