Next reduced deposit sale?

[beachbum53]

We're planning to book a cruise for 2021, but we're hoping Carnival will have one of its' infamous reduced deposit sales some time between now and Christmas.  Based on past pre holiday promotions, when might we see one of those "sales"? ( I'm guessing somewhere close to Thanksgiving).

[geoffrywillhardt]

I would check now, when I looked the early saver option had half off deposits all the way through December of 2021. Dealers choice offer that I have is $99/pp deposit (not sure if your a past gambler or not) through April of 2021. That dealers choice is a non refundable deposit though so read the fine print. How low are you looking for? 

[tallnthensome]

22 hours ago, beachbum53 said:

We're planning to book a cruise for 2021, but we're hoping Carnival will have one of its' infamous reduced deposit sales some time between now and Christmas.  Based on past pre holiday promotions, when might we see one of those "sales"? ( I'm guessing somewhere close to Thanksgiving).

They just had one about two weeks ago so it may be a while. 

[reeinaz]

There are 2 for 1 deposits happening now. Click the Today's Deals link

[bury me at sea]

I booked a cruise this afternoon at half off deposit.  I think it said it applied to cruises through April 2022 that offer the Early Saver rate.

[beachbum53]

59 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

I booked a cruise this afternoon at half off deposit.  I think it said it applied to cruises through April 2022 that offer the Early Saver rate.

 

Yep. Thanks. My wife saw that too and told me about it. We're looking at late November or early December of 2021 for the Mardi Gras.

[Sheaby1]

I spoke to someone at carnival a few months back when they were doing the $50 deposits but I wasn’t ready to commit. Then a few weeks ago he called me to let me know they were doing the promotion again, and this time on all ships, even the Vista Class, if I hadn’t already booked but wanted to. So my suggestion is to call them. You will get assigned someone to help you. And maybe they can contact you the next time the promotion starts so you don’t miss it. 

[bury me at sea]

22 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

 

Yep. Thanks. My wife saw that too and told me about it. We're looking at late November or early December of 2021 for the Mardi Gras.

 

I booked for mid-September 2020.  I wanted something in that time range and am happy.  Folks who booked earlier probably got a better rate but I'm pleased with the itinerary and the cabin.  I generally book farther out (I have one for April of 2021) but it was a deal I liked and the half deposit was the last little push I needed.

[beachbum53]

3 hours ago, bury me at sea said:

 

I booked for mid-September 2020.  I wanted something in that time range and am happy.  Folks who booked earlier probably got a better rate but I'm pleased with the itinerary and the cabin.  I generally book farther out (I have one for April of 2021) but it was a deal I liked and the half deposit was the last little push I needed.

 

If it's a Caribbean cruise, I hope you're lucky to have good weather. Be prepared for an itinerary change, or a canceled cruise. It would be a good idea to purchase traveler's insurance.

[xDisconnections]

What is the appeal of a reduced deposit sale? You have to pay the same amount regardless by the final payment date.

Edited October 17, 2019 by xDisconnections

[Joe817]

2 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

What is the appeal of a reduced deposit sale? You have to pay the same amount regardless by the final payment date.

While I see your point, many people do not have the luxury or financial resources to pay large amounts at once, or even over time. The extension of payment in the form of reduced deposit allows people to make more partial payments, as their pay periods from work exist. It's a good deal for many. Just MO.

[PhillyFan33579]

8 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

What is the appeal of a reduced deposit sale? You have to pay the same amount regardless by the final payment date.

I have never understood the appeal of a reduced deposit sale either, since it doesn’t save you any money on the cruise. However, it apparently appeals to a lot of people on this site because I frequently see similar comments concerning reduced deposit sales.  
 

It obviously works for Carnival, since they frequently offer these kind of “sales”. It’s too bad that is the case. If people didn’t react to gimmicks like reduced deposit sales, Carnival would likely offer sales that actually saved you money.  But gimmicks like this apparently appeal to the demographic Carnival is marketing themselves to these days. 

[Jamman54]

8 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

What is the appeal of a reduced deposit sale? You have to pay the same amount regardless by the final payment date.

 

When you have 10 or 11 cruises booked it helps to not have thousands of dollars tied up in deposits. They get their money when it's due, so the money stays in my accounts and not in theirs making money for them.

[ilovetotravel1977]

4 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

 

When you have 10 or 11 cruises booked it helps to not have thousands of dollars tied up in deposits. They get their money when it's due, so the money stays in my accounts and not in theirs making money for them.

 

I can only wish to have 10 or 11 already booked! I'm lucky if I get one!

[jerrya72]

13 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

What is the appeal of a reduced deposit sale? You have to pay the same amount regardless by the final payment date.

Our first cruise was on the Triumph and there were 5 of us total.  Full deposit would have been $750 which at that time was hard for me to come up all at once.  It was much easier to come up with the $375 that was offered during a sale and I was able to pay off the remainder over the course of a year. 

[M2LR]

I recently waited for a half off sale. For me the logic was I like to book my airfare at the same time as I get the cruise booked. Airfare for 4 is $1600 add that to a $600 cruise deposit and you are outlaying basically a huge portion of the vacation cost months and months away. Yeah sure another $300 bucks wouldn't break me but if I can just pay $300 now and pay off the rest as I acquire good gift card deals then that is my preference.  

[Jamman54]

5 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

I must be in the lower lower class of cruisers based on posts here.  Still I feel no need to defend spending or budgeting habits with anyone.

 

Happy sailing to everyone.

 

You don't. You should do what's best for you. What other people do or not do is of no consequence. 😎

[bury me at sea]

6 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

 

You don't. You should do what's best for you. What other people do or not do is of no consequence. 😎

 

That's how I've lived my entire adult life.  But wow, the judgmental comments here are amazing. 

[beachbum53]

18 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Not to sound judgmental or anything but if someone can't afford a higher deposit due to limited disposable income, should they really be planning a cruise?

 

This may not be the best analogy, but booking a cruise with a reduced deposit is a bit like putting something on layaway for Christmas. We all have different income levels and budget our disposable income accordingly. As long as the item purchased (in this case, a cruise) is paid for in full by the due date, that's really all that should matter.

[Joe817]

16 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

 

This may not be the best analogy, but booking a cruise with a reduced deposit is a bit like putting something on layaway for Christmas. We all have different income levels and budget our disposable income accordingly. As long as the item purchased (in this case, a cruise) is paid for in full by the due date, that's really all that should matter.

^^^^ This! Excellent analogy b.b.!  Spot on. That's how I look at it as well.

[aaconsumer55]

There is another motivation for reduced deposit you may not be realizing.  I recently booked a cruise that I’m not 100% sure we’ll take but wanted to grab the Havana room we wanted for fear it will not be available in the near future.  With the reduced deposit, I minimize the amount I might tie up as a credit for a future cruise in the event we don’t take the cruise at all.

[CoolOne56]

$50 deposit sale, ends in 1 hr. 42 min. today!

[JandPB]

We booked a 2021 cruise solely based on the $50 deposit. We're just about paid for our 2020 cruise and found a great itinerary for us for 2021 and booked it. Someone said it's vacation layaway. That's a great description.