Why different cruise rates?

[Eli_6]

My husband and I are planning on taking his office staff on a cruise.  I tried to reserve three rooms and all three are showing different rates depending on VIFP number.  Even stranger, my husband and I have been on the EXACT same cruises and my rates are showing up about $150 cheaper than him.  Why would this be?  We don't get casino offers.  

[firefly333]

You would have to dig down to know. My TA did a hold but luckily didnt book. I gave him a screen shot showing the cabin and rate and he came back $40 more. I kept saying that is the wrong price. He said later he gave my vipf code to whomever was the carnival rep, how could he know she didnt put it in. There was a past guest rate, though not as big a difference as yours. 

[tqc_cruiser]

1 minute ago, Eli_6 said:

My husband and I are planning on taking his office staff on a cruise.  I tried to reserve three rooms and all three are showing different rates depending on VIFP number.  Even stranger, my husband and I have been on the EXACT same cruises and my rates are showing up about $150 cheaper than him.  Why would this be?  We don't get casino offers.  

The real answer is "I don't know."...

But it could be that Carnival employs a sophisticated  algorithm, designed by human beings, but implemented by a computer program that looks at your spending habits while onboard the cruise ship.  Whether you have a history of purchasing shore excursions, drinks, gambling, shopping, specialty dining, visits to the spa, your gender, your age, the list could go on and on. 

 

But who knows for sure what they look at when deciding who gets what?

 

[IntrepidFromDC]

25 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

My husband and I are planning on taking his office staff on a cruise.  I tried to reserve three rooms and all three are showing different rates depending on VIFP number.  Even stranger, my husband and I have been on the EXACT same cruises and my rates are showing up about $150 cheaper than him.  Why would this be?  We don't get casino offers.  

Like others said, no way to know without digging down but here are a few possibilities.  For the different VIFP number different rates, that's possibly because the different VIFP's are receiving different offers.  Shop online for the same cabins and see if you and he are getting different offers for different itineraries/rooms/decks, etc. 

 

Do you charge more to your sign and sail card on ship than he does regularly?  Here's a possible analogy... I cruise with my daughter and typically my sign and sail card receives more damage because mine is used for Steakhouse dinners and other specialty foods and most onboard purchases.  Typically my offers are better than hers, I think partly as a result.

Edited May 16, 2021 by IntrepidFromDC

[Eli_6]

I figured it out.  For some unknown reason, my husband has TWO VIFP numbers.  One is associated with his actual email address and has NONE of our prior cruises on it.  The other one (that lists all of our prior cruises) is somehow associated with my email address.  So when I was logging in under his email address, he wasn't getting any of the discounts for having gone on multiple prior cruises. Also, I am going to start playing in the casino because we went to book under his office manager and her cruise rate under her casino offer is about $600 for a spa balcony and ours is $1200

[Eli_6]

Just now, Eli_6 said:

I figured it out.  For some unknown reason, my husband has TWO VIFP numbers.  One is associated with his actual email address and has NONE of our prior cruises on it.  The other one (that lists all of our prior cruises) is somehow associated with my email address.  So when I was logging in under his email address, he wasn't getting any of the discounts for having gone on multiple prior cruises. Also, I am going to start playing in the casino because we went to book under his office manager and her cruise rate under her casino offer is about $600 for a spa balcony and ours is $1200

To clarify - We are only booking her a room.  But basically her room is half of what ours is because she gambles.

[lasekeye]

Your friend must gamble quite a bit.  My Hubby gambles (although not a big “spend per day”, but he does gamble each day.  I very rarely gamble.  Hubby does get Casino Offers that I don’t (but I have 17 more cruising days under my profile), his Casino Offers are a bit less $ than my offers..but only $100 ish range.

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

I figured it out.  For some unknown reason, my husband has TWO VIFP numbers.  One is associated with his actual email address and has NONE of our prior cruises on it.  The other one (that lists all of our prior cruises) is somehow associated with my email address.  So when I was logging in under his email address, he wasn't getting any of the discounts for having gone on multiple prior cruises. Also, I am going to start playing in the casino because we went to book under his office manager and her cruise rate under her casino offer is about $600 for a spa balcony and ours is $1200

You have discovered marketing. Not everyone is going to get the same promotions. If Carnival doesn't get the expected return on a promotion, it is replaced by something else, or eliminated.