Kids sail free on Carnival!

[Princess Ariel]

I wasn't expecting much of a 'sale' but it's even worse than I thought it would be!

 

The cruise I was looking at was $1445.60 yesterday for my family of 5 before 'Kids sail free' and now today with KSF it's $1885.58!

[dnj1]

I'm I the only one that sees a "price reduction" with this sale? 4 cruising. 2 adults 2 kids. apples to apples= Sale for us. Anyone else happy??

[libertyschool]

Advice please?! When I do a mock booking for my existing booking, same category ect. it saves me $180. I did not book early saver, however I have only made my deposit of $250 for 5 people. Final payment not due until Mid-April. I called Carnival and was told that that they could not do anything for me because kids sail free is not a price drop but a "promo". When I asked how else does the price drop other than with a "promo" he said that it depends on the terms of the promotion. Furthermore he was very rude and actually hung up on me. I know that they must be getting bombarded by calls today but that really wasn't called for. I am a huge Carnival advocate and always defend Carnival to the nay-sayers, but this really threw me for a loop. Have others managed to get a price reduction or OBC?

 

Also - I have not been assigned a PVP, does that only happen after final payment?

Edited March 26, 2014 by libertyschool

[CrusinCyndi]

Wow...I must be the odd person out.....oh well, I'll take my $350 savings...after getting 2 prior price drops...guess I am special...;)

[dna529]

Wow, what a deceptive promotion. Shame on Carnival! We were watching a cruise for months for my family of 4. It is the same price now that it has been for months. No different with the kids sail free promotion. I'm glad we went with Norwegian kids sail free as theres really was a deal for us.

 

I agree. The prices for the summer months are the same. This is not a sale! With NCL, they did not jack up the adult prices to compensate for the kids sale free. Also, the cruise I booked with RC for the summer with kids sale free is still cheaper than a comparable cruise on Carnival. ($1,500 vs. $2000 for the same week)

[CheckersMidwest]

We are a family of 4 - BUT we sail in 2 cabins. My adult son is in one cabin with his 16 yr old sister.

 

The kids sail free does not apply because there are only 2 of them in the cabin. If I squeeze all of us in one cabin, we get the sale price for our daughter.

[Lovingsandandwaves]

I had booked 2 adults and 3 kids last week on the fantasy for august 13. In an inside cabin. We paid 2591.25 with gratuities and all fees. With this promo, our new total was 2234.25. We lost our $70 OBO but come out ahead $287.

 

 

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[heatherbelle]

Assuming the rates are fixed and functioning properly on the website - this is false advertisement. What an underhanded, devious promotion! The cruise I currently have booked was $1379.00 for the 1st & 2nd person and $549.00 for the 3rd person - for an average cruise fare of $1103 per person (which is the price of the Summer Go Sail - except I booked through a TA and have $300 OBC also). Under the 'new' KIDS SAIL FREE promotion, the same exact cruise is $1789 for the 1st & 2nd person and $0 for the 3rd person, for an average cruise fare of $1,193 per person. So it's $270.00 more expensive.

 

Here's a news flash Carnival and I hope someone reads it - ADDING $400.00 each to the 1st and 2nd passenger does not equate to KIDS SAIL FREE. Someone should be called on the carpet over this nonsense!

 

 

Here in the UK they would be taken to task by the trading standards people and fined accordingly for mis-selling.

 

I wrote about this on John Heald FB page this morning. Apparently someone from Carnival will contact me regarding the pricing. Still waiting, although to be fair there is a 5 hour time difference.

Edited March 26, 2014 by heatherbelle

[Gman2004]

One would think that a booking for two people in the same category, etc would be the same as when one adds 2 kids to the booking. But no, I just did a mock booking for 2 on the breeze for a balcony. When going with 4 people it jumps about a 1/3. Same category, deck, etc.

 

the cruise rate is free but you still have to pay the taxes and fees for the 3rd and 4th so of course a cabin for 4 will not match the cabin for 2.

 

This is specificially explained in the terms and conditions of the sale.

 

"Offer is for the cruise fare only and does not include Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses range from $42.38 to $324.27, and are assessed on a per guest basis for all guests according to the itinerary."

[libertyschool]

So am I the only one who was unable to get a price reduction or OBC from Carnival? (Please see post above)

[Westbank is bestbank]

This promotion is for people who don't know any better. They see "kids sail free" and book it. Shame on you carnival......

[Gman2004]

I had booked 2 adults and 3 kids last week on the fantasy for august 13. In an inside cabin. We paid 2591.25 with gratuities and all fees. With this promo, our new total was 2234.25. We lost our $70 OBO but come out ahead $287.

 

 

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Are you sure you aren't lying? Carnival sales are always bait and switches. At least according to a lot of the posters on this thread. :rolleyes:

[Westbank is bestbank]

It is rude to call someone a liar....It's probably more like misunderstanding

However, the very few people who see a cheaper rate may be given a cheaper category by carnival.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Westbank is bestbank

[Gman2004]

It is rude to call someone a liar....It's probably more like misunderstanding

However, the very few people who see a cheaper rate may be given a cheaper category by carnival.

 

I was being sarcastic.

 

So if the person gets a cheaper rate then they must have gotten a cheaper category? Here's an idea. Maybe this promotion indeed gave that poster a better deal.

[Westbank is bestbank]

Possibly...but the majority of people checking realize the promotion is more expensive.

[Gman2004]

This promotion is for people who don't know any better. They see "kids sail free" and book it. Shame on you carnival......

 

The problem is that you don't know or won't accept the fact that promotions are not combinable. I've priced out several dates for 4 people in the same room. It is the lowest rate. You cannot take the 1st and 2nd rate from another promotion and combine it with the 3rd and 4th rates off the kids sail free. Just like you can't take the OBC from one promotion and add it to another.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Gman2004

[Gman2004]

Possibly...but the majority of people checking realize the promotion is more expensive.

 

Funny, I've checked several sail dates for 4 in 1 cabin and the kids sail free has offered lowest total price on all sailings. But hey, I must be a Carnival cheerleader since I am not bashing them. :rolleyes:

[Mrsdigi]

the cruise rate is free but you still have to pay the taxes and fees for the 3rd and 4th so of course a cabin for 4 will not match the cabin for 2.

 

This is specificially explained in the terms and conditions of the sale.

 

"Offer is for the cruise fare only and does not include Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses range from $42.38 to $324.27, and are assessed on a per guest basis for all guests according to the itinerary."

 

 

Nope, I'm talking base cabin price to base cabin price before adding fees.

[Gman2004]

Nope, I'm talking base cabin price to base cabin price before adding fees.

 

I am looking to book the Breeze too. The 3 dates I checked offer the lowest rate for 4 with kids sail free. What date did you check?

[Westbank is bestbank]

The problem is that you don't know or won't accept the fact that promotions are not combinable. I've priced out several dates for 4 people in the same room. It is the lowest rate. You cannot take the 1st and 2nd rate from another promotion and combine it with the 3rd and 4th rates off the kids sail free. Just like you can't take the OBC from one promotion and add it to another.

 

 

I will be going on my 14 cruise so I certainly know how to check prices. I am comparing the cost of "kids sail free" to the cost I paid last month when booking the summer vacation rate. It is $700 higher

[sjcruiser]

They need to get this fixed quickly!!! The price is more with the kid for free, than we're paying with the kid for our summer cruise, and by $1000:eek:

[iSpark]

Herro.

I checked the CCL website about an hour ago to do a mock booking for my SIL, BIL and their two kids.

Ha!, they would have to pay about $400 ($181 port fees and taxes for the kiddos) more than my wife and I for the same cruise, on the same dingy, and the same date.

So much for kids sail free. :rolleyes:

[heatherbelle]

Okay here are my prices as shown on their website right now.

 

Meanwhile kids sail free promo 16/08/14

 

Guests

# of Travelers: 3 Travelers

# of Staterooms: 1 Stateroom

Stateroom 1: Ocean View

# of Travelers:

3

Rate:

Kids Sail Free [$3,278.00]

Stateroom:

Deluxe Ocean View [+$69.00]

Taxes, Fees and

Port Expenses:

 

 

$309.96

Subtotal*

$3,657.96

Subtotal*

3 Travelers:

$3,348.00

Lowest Price Guarantee: FREE

Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses:

$309.96

Total:

 

 

 

Dreaming of a vacation sale

 

Guests

# of Travelers: 3 Travelers

# of Staterooms: 1 Stateroom

Stateroom 1: Ocean View

# of Travelers:

3

Rate:

Dreaming of Vacation Sale [$2,677.00]

Stateroom:

Deluxe Ocean View [incl.]

Taxes, Fees and

Port Expenses:

 

 

$309.96

Subtotal*

$2,986.96

Subtotal*

3 Travelers:

$2,677.00

Lowest Price Guarantee: FREE

Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses:

$309.96

Total:

 

 

Am I missing something?

 

Cheaper to book the other rate, than kids sail free.

 

The fun and select rate per adult based on 2 in a cabin was $1674 before tax yesterday.

 

So times that by two is 3348 plus tax for three say 309 total price would be $3657. So that is what it is doing, using the old fun select rate, which can be found online at cruise price tracking places.

Edited March 26, 2014 by heatherbelle

[Saltz]

I'm I the only one that sees a "price reduction" with this sale? 4 cruising. 2 adults 2 kids. apples to apples= Sale for us. Anyone else happy??

 

 

No, I see a reduction now (at first, it was a HUGE increase) as well. When I compare the cruise I have booked in June to the Kid Free sale, I save $288. However, I will lose my $50 OBC. And according to the numbers, if I bumped up to a balcony only $202 more. Of course, I haven't called to verify these numbers, these are just from the website.

 

 

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[Dreacrusingaway]

So, we are booked on our very 1st cruise for May 25th on the Sunshine. We booked Early Saver and I just called. We saved $138 BUT the savings were not as much as I hoped.

 

Our original fare (not including fees)for an 8M room was $819 per adult and $349 per child with 2 adults and 2 children sailing.

 

When they rebooked it our adult price rose to $1099 with the kids as free. So with the changes we are being credited $138 back to our debit card. This is good because I assumed it would be an OBC.

 

So the price while better is not what I would call "free" since the rate for the 1st two passengers increased by $280 each.

 

But it was simple and she did it over the phone and emailed the new booking info without having to submit a form, which is good because when I tried to do a mock booking there were no 8M rooms left to compare with.

 

Just my experience.