Travel Weekly US reports that Carnival Cruise Lines is reclassifying cabins on all its ships so they are not just priced depending whether they are inside, outside, have a balcony and according to deck, but also whether they are mid-ships, at the fore or aft end of the ship or near a public room.
Whether you get a discount or pay more for being near a public room, history does not relate.
The changes have already been made on Carnival Valor and will be rolled out across the fleet by the end of the year.
Lynn Torrent, Carnival's senior vice-president sales and guest services, says the change will allow passenger to pick a cabin that exactly meets their needs while giving agents a better chance to upgrade clients because the price gap between the categories is much smaller.
For the sake of the trade, I just hope this reclassification doesn't catch on. Royal Caribbean International released prices for its giant Oasis of the Seas last week, as the ship went on sale to Crown and Anchor loyalty club members, with 37 different cabin categories. That's quite enough for any agents - and actually consumers - to get their heads around.
Jane Archer
