Carnival Pricing Becomes Even More Complicated – Possibly angered past guest in the near future

Just when I think, maybe I can talk about a subject, like Hawaii, or another destination, in my blog, another type complication comes up, which I feel, the value in sharing with cruisers.  Again, the topic is Carnival.

Yesterday, I was talking with one of my Top Customers, and explaining, that Carnival now has about 6-7 different rate options.  They in turn, told me, that the sailing they were currently looking at, showed six. 

My thoughts were, great to hear !  I didn’t really know, so many were shown, on Carnival’s site, since our agency doesn’t usually use Carnivial.com to get rates; we have our own computer system.

Of course, once I looked at the sailing with my client, on Carnival’s site, I began to think, Carnival really has more rate options than just 6-7 these days; there are sailings that will also have, senior rates, military rates, resident rates, which only names three more !

My clients topic, in calling me was, the VIFP offer received in the mail.  Of course, my thought was, ok, “past guest rates”, no problem.  Oh no, it was not that at all !  This was a special offer, and it was not in “our sophisticated computer system”.    Oh my !

Decided to look on Carnival’s travel agent website.  Once I put in the customers name and birthday, their past guest number went into place.  There on the right it said, “special offers”.  I opened up the folder and it said, LD4 offer.  I went further into the system and I saw, LD4 offer.  I had not seen this before, upon being in Carnival’s agent site.

Soon learned, if you do not put the past guest number into their system, before looking at rates, this offer will not come up !  OK, great lesson to learn !  Began wondering, how many Carnival past guest, who had bought a cruise from me lately, had not mentioned VIFP and this promo had not presented itself, when giving pricing (later, I went through folks bookings, and found one, and called Carnival and they gave me the offer !).

What I also learned, no matter if, others in your group, have sailed as many times as you had, or even your own partner, may not receive this same offer.  OH, do I see two problems that can take place down the road.

1.      Both husband and wife, or partners, or mates, must have their own past guest number, checked separately, to see if maybe one of them, has a special offered tied to their past guest number (in case the other one does not).  Know, that if each are offered different offers, they can not have both offers if rooming in same room !  Only one promo can be applied !

2.     When friends and family travel together, the same offer, seems to be, most often "NOT" offered, to all parties.  I did call Carnival tech support and asked if there was a way to force the promo LD4 to be offered, and was told No (I also have a call to my Carnival rep and hope to hear back from them soon - 1/18/13  - Heard back. All she suggested was, call the promo desk. FYI, Carnival does not offer their reps much power; not fair to the reps; not the reps fault; sad for the reps).

So … How much more complicated can Carnival make it ?  I hate to ask this, since there is always tomorrow !

Like I discussed with one of my associates yesterday … It’s almost like, such ideas are coming from folks at Carnival, that have most definitely, just have nothing else to do ! 

My feelings, why give some Carnival past guest folks the offer and not others !  I can understand, making the discount larger for cruisers who have cruised more with Carnival; but to not give folks, who have traveled equal, the same discount, to me, is absolutely crazy ! 

Yesterday, I was literally exhausted, from all the explaining of the different rate options, of Carnival, to cruisers calling yesterday !  Though Carnival believe they are doing a great thing, such as with all the promos that are non-refundable, this could be the added stress that agents and clients, just don't need !

I see angry past guest ahead !