Carnival Sale stipulates "New bookings only", but we're within cancelation period

[Colorado_Kev]

Question.... I just got an email from my PPV at Carnival about a 1 day sale this Thursday that will offer free upgrades.

 

Like most of these sales, this one stipulates that it is for new bookings only. However, since the cruise isn't until January, it seems like they should honor the sale since we could simply cancel and rebook without penalty.

 

However, while looking at the fine print, I noticed:

 

"Credit for previous purchases is not permitted and guests who previously booked, cancelled and then rebooked during this period are not eligible."

This seems really ridiculous! How can they prohibit me from canceling and rebooking?

 

Does anyone have any experience with getting them to honor the new price in this scenario?

[tef43]

How can they prohibit me from canceling and rebooking?

Easy, by stating it in the fine print.

 

Carnival's database contains cancellation information. It's not as if "they won't find out."

[silentbob007]

Well, the point of having a sale is to generate new cruise sales, not to lower the price for people who have already purchased ... so the fine print makes sense even if it isn't the nicest thing in the world to do.

[GottaLuvCruising]

I recently booked a client on a particular cruise. In order to get the past guest rate, I had to call the booking in. At that time, the reservationist told me that these people had held staterooms on the same cruise several times, but had never paid the deposit. So they can see not only bookings you had but even options taken.

[zydecocruiser]

 

This seems really ridiculous! How can they prohibit me from canceling and rebooking?

 

Does anyone have any experience with getting them to honor the new price in this scenario?

 

They can't prohibit you from canceling. They can note on the booking of your activity to deny you any "specials".

 

I have gotten Carnival to honor new pricing not based on "1 Day Sales", but on general pricing dropping.

[cherylandtk]

Kev, they can put almost any limitation they want on sales and special prices. Some special prices are for military, some are for seniors, some are for locals, some are for residents of certain states only....some you qualify for, some you don't. And when they say new bookings only, well, that one you don't qualify for. Sorry. (But it is good to keep in mind if you ever want to book a cruise later)

[FitzLA]

I had booked my Carnival Pride last year way in advance. At one point the price went down from what I had paid. I called my vacation specialist at carnival, and they issued me a $150 shipboard credit for the difference in price. The Credit was total, not per person. It was quite nice of them to do that, so just call and see if they will do that for you. The upgrades are dumb anyway. It is just an upgrade in the same category, ie ocean view to ocean view, balcony to balcony. Interior to interior. Not balcony to suite. I would rather have the credit as we all know that one cabin is just like the next. The upgrade is just to a higher deck. Who cares about that.