Early Saver

[bohica81]

This is my first time booking as early saver. It is a group of people going and the cruise isn't until October. I went ahead and booked all the rooms on my card because they had the discounted down payment sale for 99.00 and i wanted to make sure everyone had early saver. The price for my cruise date dropped but when I called my planner she told me we could not get the discount because we had bought during the 99.00 sale. She said that the only way I could get the discount was if I paid the full 250.00 dollars per person now and then i would be able to get the discount. She said nothing of this when I was booking the cruise and she was explaining early saver to me. Does this sound right to you all? That would be an additional 1,458.00 out of my pocket.

Edited February 4, 2016 by bohica81

[Ken076]

This is my first time booking as early saver. It is a group of people going and the cruise isn't until October. I went ahead and booked all the rooms on my card because they had the discounted down payment sale for 99.00 and i wanted to make sure everyone had early saver. The price for my cruise date dropped but when I called my planner she told me we could not get the discount because we had bought during the 99.00 sale. She said that the only way I could get the discount was if I paid the full 250.00 dollars per person now and then i would be able to get the discount. She said nothing of this when I was booking the cruise and she was explaining early saver to me. Does this sound right to you all?

 

One of the underplayed "rules" of Early Saver is that the lower rate you're trying to match to would also have to have the discounted down payment, else you have to make the full down payment to get the price match. This limits your opportunities for a price reduction.

 

Ken

Edited February 4, 2016 by Ken076

[springs741]

That is the rule of ES.

 

I in no means am trying to tell you and your family/friends how to manage your finances but .......My suggestion would be to have everyone work on getting payments made to at least have the $250 per person paid. Then you can price match. You will miss out on this price drop but could be ready for the next one.

[Legend]

That is correct and I am sure it also explains it on your confirmation somewhere.

[bohica81]

Thanks everyone. Oh well, next time I will just wait and let everyone do their own booking. At least I booked early enough that we are all beside each other on the Lido floor.

[Cruzin' Daddy]

That is correct and I am sure it also explains it on your confirmation somewhere.

 

 

I do believe I read it somewhere after the fact, but it sure would be nice to be told this information up front. Especially when the PVP goes on and on about being able to call back in and price match with a lower priced cruise. Sigh! Just be fully transparent upfront...I promise we will still cruise!

 

 

Next cruise: Carnival Breeze (June 25,2017)

[robin13]

I have never heard of this until now. I guess I will wait until I see a price drop and then go and pay the additional deposit money. It would be nice if that was spelled out somewhere but oh well it beats the $500 deposit I put down on a casino rate and then changed it to ES.

[lizardhowson]

She said nothing of this when I was booking the cruise and she was explaining early saver to me.

 

All those "terms" that the representative read aloud to you when you booked the cruise, they refer to the conditions of booking Early Saver - this is one of those conditions.They read those terms to you because of all the Early Saver restrictions.

Edited February 4, 2016 by lizardhowson

[kept]

It is true. I almost always book Early Saver when ever possible. You also need to know about Carnival keeping part of your deposit if you must cancel having booked Early Saver.

I personally suggest you pay the current required deposit and apply for the relief of Early Saver. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Also expect some of the relief coming around the in the next few months to require you to give up your current cabin numbers to another cabin number or no cabin number at all. Possibly no cabin number until you are pierside. Early Saver has several restrictions and hoops. It also has several possible benefits (upgrades pierside) and risks. Early Saver is certainly not for everyone.

Read up on Early Saver on Carnival homepage.

[cruising_diva]

I think it is a fairly large coincidence that these price drops are happening RIGHT after the $$99 deposit sale. Carnival is being sneaky in trying to get everyone to pony up the full deposit.

I had a price drop as well and went ahead and paid the full deposit to get the price drop.. The deposits have to be paid eventually anyway and we saved $160 on two rooms.

[sfaaa]

Collect the extra $ from other people so you won't be 'out of your pocket'.

[simplelife]

IMO you are still ahead of the game if you got the $99 deposit. You locked the rooms and details you wanted early. If you had waited for the cheaper price, you would have paid the full deposit anyway and may not have gotten your preferences,. And you are getting the price offset as reduction or OBC