Carnival's New Early Saver Program

[cruiserbryce]

I may be asking a dumb one here but...

 

Early Saver is available up to 3 months prior to sailing on short cruises

 

 

does that mean the fares at the lower rates will be available starting at the 3 month period or say if I am looking at a cruise for next Sept...will the Early Saving fare be available starting 1/12 and go up until 3 months prior to departure?

[firefly333]

If you have the option of waiting until 5 months out, why would anyone lock in 12 months out?? If you can indeed switch after booking, it wouldnt really make sense to pull that trigger a day before you are required.

 

Im assuming the prices 12 months out might be lower than the price 5 months out. (since they are roughly based on the current price of picking your own cabin minus 25% or less).

[firefly333]

I may be asking a dumb one here but...

 

does that mean the fares at the lower rates will be available starting at the 3 month period or say if I am looking at a cruise for next Sept...will the Early Saving fare be available starting 1/12 and go up until 3 months prior to departure?

 

Only on the short cruises. It will only go up to 5 months out and dissapear on 7 days.

[13point1]

I must be missing something as when i clicked on the link there were no early saver rates, and the OV was 429 and the IS was 379 or so

Usually when there is a new promo Carnival will load the rates on one or two sailing to make sure it works. Normally the rates dont stay up that long. You will probably have to wait until Monday to see all the Early Saver Rates.

 

On thing I did notice when doing a fake booking, on the page where you make payment there was no mention of non-refundable deposit.

 

I can almost bet some people(those that doing check out cruise message boards) will see that low price and not think to read the fine print at the bottom of the initial page.

 

Maybe they will add something on the payment screen when the actual prices are on the site.

 

Im anxious to see prices on 7+ day cruises, since it hard to see much saving on the shorter cruises. 25% off of 400 is nice..25% off of $800-900+ is substantial.

[firefly333]

Im anxious to see prices on 7+ day cruises, since it hard to see much saving on the shorter cruises. 25% off of 400 is nice..25% off of $800-900+ is substantial.

 

Remember it is "up to" 25%, so I'm sure that means there will be one or two 25% off, but most will be a lot less. Monday we will know how much less than 25%. Sure are a lot of caveats to this new deal to me.

[13point1]

[quote name='firefly333']Remember it is "up to" 25%, so I'm sure that means there will be one or two 25% off, but most will be a lot less. Monday we will know how much less than 25%. Sure are a lot of caveats to this new deal to me.[/quote]
We will see Monday. To get people to do this, most will have to be close to 20-25%.

[KULPN]

[quote name='Jackrjc'][quote name='SouthernCaribbean'][URL]http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/EarlySaver.aspx[/URL]

Early Saver is a brand new promotional rate that rewards you for booking early with the [B]absolute lowest rate.[/B] In addition, the fares are backed by a [B]unique price protection assurance[/B]. Book your cruise now. If you later find a lower Carnival advertised fare for the same sailing and accommodations, Carnival will honor it, issuing the difference in the form of a non-refundable, non-transferable onboard credit. The policy is effective up to two business days prior to sailing. You now have even more great reasons to book early! Not only will you have the best availability of staterooms, dates, and destinations…you’re assured the lowest rate.
[B]• How early must I make my reservation?[/B]
Early Saver is available up to 3 months prior to sailing on short cruises (5 days or shorter) and up to 5 months prior to sailing on long cruises (6 days or greater).

[B]• Does Early Saver follow Carnival’s standard deposit, payment and cancellation terms?[/B]
The deposit and payment terms are the same. However, Early Saver reservations require a full [B]non-refundable[/B] deposit per person.
[B]• What if I need to make changes to my ship or sailing date?[/B]
Ship and sailing date changes are allowed prior to the final payment due date, subject to a $50 service fee per person, per change. Changes made after the final payment due date are subject to standard cancellation penalties.
[B]• What is the price protection assurance feature?[/B]
If, after booking, you find a lower Carnival advertised fare, Carnival will honor it, issuing the difference in the form of a non-refundable onboard credit. The lower fare must be: i) for the same ship, sailing, stateroom category and number of guests; ii) available for booking at the time you submit your request for the lower rate; and iii) a rate you are eligible to receive, if special restrictions apply. Price protection will be subject to the prevailing fees and/or fuel supplement if applicable.
[B]• What is a Carnival advertised fare?[/B]
A Carnival.com or Carnival advertised fare available to the general public. A Carnival advertised fare excludes group rates, membership programs, charters or other Travel Agent promotions not offered by Carnival to the general public, including but not limited to travel agent rebates.
[B]• What should I do once I find a lower rate?[/B]
Complete a price protection claim form. If the request meets the price protection requirements, we will process your onboard credit for the fare difference and send you an email confirmation within 2 business days of your request.
[B]• What information must be submitted for a price protection request?[/B]

[LIST]
[*]Guest(s) name
[*]Sailing information
[*]Available cruise fare being requested
[*]Where the lower advertised fare was found (i.e.: Carnival.com)
[/LIST]
IMHO this program would only benefit the customer if the initial discount was substantial, otherwise it does not appear to be a program that benefits the customer.

Now - get price reductions off outstanding balance, so no money out of pocket, up until final payment.
New program - no price reductions off outstanding balance. Any drop in fare will be a non refundable OBC. Spend it on Carnival or lose it.

Now - get deposit back up until final payment.
New program - once paid, no return of deposit.

Now - change rooms or anything else up until final payment, no charge.
New program - Each change - $50.00 charge.

Now - Risk of lost of deposit due to "life" forcing cancellation is 75 days.
New Program - This risk is at least 5 months for a 7 day cruise.

Ambiguous Parts of the new program.

1. Rates at times can fluctuate drastically in a short period of time. If you email them with the info they require, and the price changes back up to a higher price by the time they process your request, does this mean you do not get the OBC, because they cannot currently see the rate you saw. (Recently, I saw the prices on my next cruise change several times in one day.)

2. Does this program apply to military, senior, past guest, etc. discounts? If not, then this program would appear to be not very attractive to many folks. For example to get the military rate you have to call Carnival, so is the result of the phone call , the "Carnival advertised rate", or not?

3. Presently, after final payment, there is no OBC for a price drop, but you can upgrade if cabins are available. In the new program can you upgrade instead of taking the OBC? (Also before final payment.) Or is there a $50.00 charge for this change?

4. If one does not choose this program, does the present system for price reductions, upgrades, etc. stay in place? I hope so. If not, then this may encourage many to book at later date then they may otherwise book.

In the present economy, I think Carnival has the right idea, at least basically. Too bad it could not be a little more straightforward. For example, --Carnival will introduce a new program to reward our valued customers who book eary by offering a --% discount for booking more than five months in advance. Thank you for your business--. JMHO.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for spelling it out for me. The offer has me completely befuddled. I don't think it sounds very appealing. You sacrifice any rights for a cheaper rate now & must appeal on paper to get the difference later. Hmmm.....papers get lost all the time!

[Grayce]

It says "up to 25% off". I bet the 25% will be on the least popular sailings. Peak times are probably not going to have anywhere near that much of a discount.

[pscruzinboyz]

[quote name='KULPN'][quote name='Jackrjc']
Thanks for spelling it out for me. The offer has me completely befuddled. I don't think it sounds very appealing. You sacrifice any rights for a cheaper rate now & must appeal on paper to get the difference later. Hmmm.....papers get lost all the time![/quote]

You Carnival people would be better sailing on Royal Caribbean. My partner and I are on the Mariner of the Seas going out of LA in Feb 09. We booked this cruise on another ship ( Monarch of the Seas ) for $1200.00 each for a Balcony room. That was last Feb. 2008. The deposit at that time was $500.00 total . Final payment with RCCL is 70 days before sailing. Since that time we have seen the price drop over the couse of these last several months and twice when we called RCCL, they were more then happy to refund the differance to our CREDIT CARD.. We also moved our cabin both times to a higher cateorgy cabin up on the ship. We are now paying $750.00 each and there was no problem getting the money refunded. The way the Reservation Service Agent put it to me a month and a half ago to get this last price was,
" Sure, not a Problem to refund the difference, I will CREDIT your credit card."

Carnival No way...................:(
Royal Caribbean always........................:p

GOOD LUCK!

PSCruzinboys

[adee74]

I seriously doubt sales will qualify for an OBC. Whenever they post a sale, they always post a disclaimer of how the prices are good for new bookings only and how certain restrictions and exclusions apply. I can easily see them denying an OBC for advertised sales after bookings. I guess the non-refundable deposit is one way to "stick it" to customers that cancel before the penalty period. Personally, I don't like the new rules because situations and schedules can change and sometimes it's easier to put off a vacation than to proceed and not enjoy the time - especially in this economy. How many people have booked a cruise a year in advance and had to cancel due to a job-loss? I'm just glad I booked prior to this program.

[CruiseCentric]

[quote name='adee74']I seriously doubt sales will qualify for an OBC. Whenever they post a sale, they always post a disclaimer of how the prices are good for new bookings only and how certain restrictions and exclusions apply. I can easily see them denying an OBC for advertised sales after bookings. I guess the non-refundable deposit is one way to "stick it" to customers that cancel before the penalty period. Personally, I don't like the new rules because situations and schedules can change and sometimes it's easier to put off a vacation than to proceed and not enjoy the time - especially in this economy. How many people have booked a cruise a year in advance and had to cancel due to a job-loss? I'm just glad I booked prior to this program.[/quote]

You are not obligated to book a cruise this way. Its just an option. You can book a cruise the same as you always could.

Even if you had to cancel, you can move your money to a different ship/date for $50 per person.

I doubt I will use this promotion, but for some it might work.

[cruise pup]

[quote name='pscruzinboyz'][quote name='KULPN']

You Carnival people would be better sailing on Royal Caribbean. My partner and I are on the Mariner of the Seas going out of LA in Feb 09. We booked this cruise on another ship ( Monarch of the Seas ) for $1200.00 each for a Balcony room. That was last Feb. 2008. The deposit at that time was $500.00 total . Final payment with RCCL is 70 days before sailing. Since that time we have seen the price drop over the couse of these last several months and twice when we called RCCL, they were more then happy to refund the differance to our CREDIT CARD.. We also moved our cabin both times to a higher cateorgy cabin up on the ship. We are now paying $750.00 each and there was no problem getting the money refunded. The way the Reservation Service Agent put it to me a month and a half ago to get this last price was,
" Sure, not a Problem to refund the difference, I will CREDIT your credit card."

Carnival No way...................:(
Royal Caribbean always........................:p

GOOD LUCK!

PSCruzinboys[/QUOTE]

This doesn't sound like it happened after the penalty date of the cruise as it appears to sail on 2/22/09. So I'm not surprised they would allow the "refund."

I would add that after my cruise on Navigator in November, there is no way, regardlesss of pricing policies that I would chose RCCL over Carnival: 12 days of brown water coming out of bathroom tap, broken stabilizer (by all accounts this happened on the way to Europe and was still not working on the return cruise), unfriendly crew, lousy coffee, filthy gym changing room (no clean towels and piles of dirty ones), no magrodome over the pool and solarium, extremely limited tables for outdoor dining (if you could manage to travel the distance with your food and beverages intact). They're trying awfully hard to get me to come back. I just received a letter to encourage me to re-book with a coupon. Guess again!

[firefly333]

[quote name='cruise pup'][quote name='pscruzinboyz']

This doesn't sound like it happened after the penalty date of the cruise as it appears to sail on 2/22/09. So I'm not surprised they would allow the "refund."![/quote]

RCL allows a refund up to the cruising date if the price drops as long as its not a new bookings only price. RCL has not changed this policy, unlike Carnival. Don't let your liking RCL color your facts.

[zqvol]

[quote name='adee74']I seriously doubt sales will qualify for an OBC. Whenever they post a sale, they always post a disclaimer of how the prices are good for new bookings only and how certain restrictions and exclusions apply. I can easily see them denying an OBC for advertised sales after bookings. I guess the non-refundable deposit is one way to "stick it" to customers that cancel before the penalty period. Personally, I don't like the new rules because situations and schedules can change and sometimes it's easier to put off a vacation than to proceed and not enjoy the time - especially in this economy. How many people have booked a cruise a year in advance and had to cancel due to a job-loss? I'm just glad I booked prior to this program.[/quote]

This is not mandatory, it is another pricing option that is available. The traditional way of doing things is nto going away.

[zqvol]

[quote name='pscruzinboyz'][quote name='KULPN']

You Carnival people would be better sailing on Royal Caribbean. My partner and I are on the Mariner of the Seas going out of LA in Feb 09. We booked this cruise on another ship ( Monarch of the Seas ) for $1200.00 each for a Balcony room. That was last Feb. 2008. The deposit at that time was $500.00 total . Final payment with RCCL is 70 days before sailing. Since that time we have seen the price drop over the couse of these last several months and twice when we called RCCL, they were more then happy to refund the differance to our CREDIT CARD.. We also moved our cabin both times to a higher cateorgy cabin up on the ship. We are now paying $750.00 each and there was no problem getting the money refunded. The way the Reservation Service Agent put it to me a month and a half ago to get this last price was,
" Sure, not a Problem to refund the difference, I will CREDIT your credit card."

Carnival No way...................:(
Royal Caribbean always........................:p

GOOD LUCK!

PSCruzinboys[/quote]

Carnival does exactly the same thing. The discussion involves a new optional program. If you RCCL boys were on Carnival you would be paying less to start with and would still have all your reductions.

[cruzn buckeye]

[quote name='zqvol'] The traditional way of doing things is nto going away.[/QUOTE]

Are you sure about that? I hope you are right. I will stick to the old way. I usually book early to get a decent price and a cabin that I want. Due to the fact that there are many unpredictable life changes ... loss of job...health issue....or maybe the boss just won't approve that vacation time... I really do not want to lose 500 bucks that I put down as a deposit. At my previous job, we were not given the vacation paperwork until April, subject to approval. I would book my cruise the prior Sept, Oct, timeframe. Then if the boss said sorry that date is not available, I could cancel ( and keep my deposit ).

I do hope that they still offer the current way for early bookers as well. If they switch all early bookings to the new plan( which I am thinking they will ) I will be one of those that wait until the latest possible day to get in the new plan. Actually, when I think about it, I may not be able to do that. I might just have to do last minute bookings and save nothing!!! Not happy with this new thing...guess we will just have to wait and see...

[firefly333]

[quote name='zqvol'][quote name='pscruzinboyz']

Carnival does exactly the same thing. The discussion involves a new optional program. If you RCCL boys were on Carnival you would be paying less to start with and would still have all your reductions.[/quote]

I'm paying $449 for Voyager. For the exact same date on Conquest has been $499 cheapest price. My least expensive 7 day was on Rhapsody out of Galveston $349 Easter 2007, again, less than Carnival offered by $100 that time. Lets stop with the assumptions and one line is always cheaper when most of us know no line is always cheaper. If you are going to post inaccurate assumptions, then expect to be corrected.

You say lets stick to the subject of Carnival's new program .... then go off on an assumption about RCL yourself. Follow your own advice. No one line is always more expensive or always cheaper.

[SouthernCaribbean]

[quote name='cruzn buckeye']

I do hope that they still offer the current way for early bookers as well. If they switch all early bookings to the new plan( which I am thinking they will ) I will be one of those that wait until the latest possible day to get in the new plan. Actually, when I think about it, I may not be able to do that. I might just have to do last minute bookings and save nothing!!! Not happy with this new thing...guess we will just have to wait and see...[/quote]

Not sure what you read that would lead you to believe that this offer is mandatory for all early bookings. Its just a new program. You dont have to do it. In fact you have to take the initiative to even get in the program.

The traditional way will still be the way the vast majority of people will book a cruise.

[fPetrarca]

The cruise lines are beginning to copy some of the airlines' worst gimmicks. It's only a matter of time before all deposits are non-refundable; after that, certain discount fares will be non-refundable.

[Gman2004]

I called and spoke with my CVS agent at Carnival, and he told me that the savings will be very substantial. Supposedly, they will be the lowest rate available, even lower than a group rate.

[Kurbanfan]

[quote name='firefly333']

I'm paying $449 for Voyager. For the exact same date on Conquest has been $499 cheapest price. My least expensive 7 day was on Rhapsody out of Galveston $349 Easter 2007, again, less than Carnival offered by $100 that time. Lets stop with the assumptions and one line is always cheaper when [B]most of us know[/B] no line is always cheaper. If you are going to post inaccurate assumptions, then expect to be corrected.

[/quote]


I truly don't think most people on here know this......
Our cruise in May we are paying $300 less per person for a balcony cabin on the Mariner instead of the Splendor.......
Pricing is getting really competitive out there.......I'm sure this is one of the reason Carnival is implementing the non refundable deposit....

[13point1]

[quote name='Kurbanfan']I truly don't think most people on here know this......
Our cruise in May we are paying $300 less per person to sail on the Mariner instead of the Splendor.......
Pricing is getting really competitive out there.......I'm sure this is one of the reason Carnival is implementing the non refundable deposit....[/quote]

Makes sense that a 6 year old ship is cheaper than a less than year old ship.
Also pricing in Galveston and SD/LA is always out of wack due to fewer ships in the market.

[Kurbanfan]

[quote name='13point1']Makes sense that a 6 year old ship is cheaper than a less than year old ship.
Also pricing in Galveston and SD/LA is always out of wack due to fewer ships in the market.[/quote]

Nope not necessarily.......it would also be like booking a fantasy class vs. a Conquest class......;)

Normally ports with less inventory your don't see that much of a price difference ........and if you do, it is usually Carnival with the lowest price...........

[firefly333]

[quote name='Kurbanfan']I truly don't think most people on here know this......
Our cruise in May we are paying $300 less per person for a balcony cabin on the Mariner instead of the Splendor.......
Pricing is getting really competitive out there.......I'm sure this is one of the reason Carnival is implementing the non refundable deposit....[/quote]

I think people here truly don't get it as you put it. Celebrity had a great sale a few weeks back for any balcony for $899, even on Soltice??!! Its only a month old and setting new standards for new ships they say.

There are so many bargains out there, and then I come here and carnival folks posting over and over (guess they need to convince themselves) that Carnival is always cheaper, so they are loyal to Carnival.

Should I tell them I used RCL VISA points on that $449 fare? for an extra $300 off?? I only paid $749 for two of us and we are in a PR cabin with the inside window. Not only that but I got $250 OBC to spend, part from the TA I used. (isnt that like paying only $500 for my voyager cruise?)

Celebrity Century they were giving it away and Soltice started to sail early and I heard you could buy those cabins for a song.

Why be so loyal to Carnival, they don't care about you?

I will be on the Ecstasy, in less than 2 weeks. Im out there cruising, but I am sure willing to jump cruiselines if there is a better deal.

[gill_boo]

[quote name='KULPN'][quote name='Jackrjc']
Thanks for spelling it out for me. The offer has me completely befuddled. I don't think it sounds very appealing. You sacrifice any rights for a cheaper rate now & must appeal on paper to get the difference later. Hmmm.....papers get lost all the time![/quote]


Its actually an online form that is filled out. If you go to the FAQ's for the program you can see it.