5/26 on Paradise

I'm booked as a guaranteed Cat 4(something) w/possible upgrade on the Paradise on May 26. I have no idea what cabin we'll have until we check in. I get VERY sea sick if located at the front of the ship where there's more movement. I do great located mid ship. Does anyone know a way to find out what cabin assignment we have prior to sailing? How easy/difficult will it be to change locations if we've been located up front?

I'm traveling w/my 16 year old daugter....anyone know what teen programs are available on this cruise ship?

Thanks for any information out there. This is my first time to stumble upon this website...hope I fill this out correctly!

[UConn1]

IMHO - Highly unlikley for upgrade - peak cruise time - but always a possiblilty. My suggestion is to have TA call and check to see if you have been assigned a cabin (probably not yet)that would be ok. but being upgraded from that could put you in an undesirable location for motion sickness. If I felt the motion sickness is a major concern, I would have TA change guarantee to assigned cabin before all locations you would want are filled.

Thanks UConn1, but I'm new to message boards so what is IMHO? Also, I booked my cruise directly not through a TA. I plan to call the cruise line before sailing to see what cabin I may be assigned if they'll tell me. I just wondered if anyone knows how soon I could find out before sailing? Thanks.

[Jim Bragg]

Luvstheocean,
I would suggest that you call your TA now and change to a specific cabin located in the center and low down if you are very prone to motion sickness. Make sure you also take bonine or get a patch or some other means to prevent illness. You will not be able to change your cabin if you wait until a GTY is assigned. You will basically get whatever cabins are left over from those that did not pick the prime locations. Oftentimes this is in the bow or in the stern where more motion is felt.
Jim

TOOK everyone's advice and paid $200.00 more to get an assigned cabin. Thanks.

[Jean]

Glad you got an assigned cabin. I also suggest you bring a sufficient supply of Bonine. Just take one every morning, it doesnt' make you drowsy & my husband & I have never suffered from seasickness while taking it.
Have a great cruise!

[Kuki]

Luvs,
I noted that you had booked this directly with Carnival. I would contact a TA, even now. You can transfer your booking, and with the use of a TA may just be able to save a good portion of that extra $200 you just spent!!!!

[UConn1]

IMHO is In My Humble Opinion.

Question for Kuki....how can transferring to a TA help me get a refund on the full amount I've already paid to Carnival? When I contacted TA's prior to booking myself, they were unable to get me a booking at a lower price.

Thanks everyone for the information on bonine. I have used it the last two cruises...but I also had a room in the center of the ship which helped as well. Now that I've changed the booking to the center of the ship (which DID cost 200.00 more), I should be okay. I just hate spending so much money for a lower category cabin (4B).

[Jim Bragg]

You are talking to the wrong TA if they aren't able to beat the advertised cruiseline price! You can transfer your booking to a legit TA and they should be able to get you thier going rate which is or should be lower than the advertised price on the cruiseline website. CCL and other cruiselines are not set up to handle lots of bookings and prefer not to do so for logistical reasons. This is why the system is set up so that you can get a better price through a legit TA, to encourage you to do so and thereby save the cruiseline money on hiring thier own booking agents. Additionally, booking a gty cabin should not cost you anymore ot less than booking a specific cabin in the same cat.
Jim

Luvstheocean,

Kuki gave you poor info.
Since you are in the penalty period, i.e. less than 70 days to cruise, you are locked in
and cannot lower your cost by switching TA's.

Carnival has been lowering the cost of the 10/11 day cruises, since they have trouble filling the ship. I am also locked into a price, being in the penalty period. You could try
to get Carnival to give you a shipboard credit for charging you more.
Try it anyway, the worst is they will say no.
I did and got my TA to get us a credit even though I was in penalty period.

Good luck.

This past Monday, Carnival would not allow me to transfer my booking to a travel agent offering the same cabin category for same sailing for $217.00 pp less!!! They said because I had paid the balance 48 hours earlier it was too late.

I asked to speak to three different people (requesting management each time) before I got an offer of any kind. After explaining that the Carnival booking agent had told me at the time of my booking that I could switch to a travel agent anytime (they did tell me this),
she'd left out the fact that a transfer couldn't be done after the balance was paid. AND the balance was due that same week because the cruise was only two months away....I felt I had been ripped off and told them so! I was finally offered an oceanview cabin on the same "Main" deck as the inside cabin I'd been assigned.

Although the room is the same size, at least we have a window. I would have rather had the $400+ dollars, but oh well. I learned that it pays to wait and look on the internet for travel agents as well as locally.

When I called my local travel agents prior to booking myself....they said they couldn't offer me a better deal that Carnival quoted. TA's on the internet have more bookings and better deals I suppose...I just hope they are legite and "safe" for my next cruise.

Thanks for all the info...this website is a valuble one.