Does Carnival Cruises Give a Military Discount?

Yes, Carnival Cruise line does offer military discounts to some sailings as a sign of appreciation to the active and retired service members, the veterans and in some cases, to their spouses. Such offers are not necessarily present on the primary reservation system of Carnival and depend on the cruise as well as the availability, but it exists and can potentially save substantial sums of money under certain circumstances and can be redeemed according to the rules.

The detailed explanation of how the Carnival military discount works, how they verify the validity and who qualifies along with all the details of the requirements is offered in the form of a complete guide reduced to a size sufficient to fit on a single page.

Carnival Cruise Military Discount: Who Qualifies & How to Book

Carnival honors military service by providing special rates and Carnival Cruise Military Deals to members of the U.S and Canadian forces, as well as active, reserve, retired, and some categories of veteran forces. Such deals do not apply to all of the sails and frequently need advanced phone reservations and paperwork, but to qualified passengers, they may save on the posted cruise rates.

How to Book a Carnival Cruise With a Military Discount?

To book a using a Carnival Cruise Military Deals, one will need to request a special fare, confirm eligibility and send valid service documents, which will be verified. The discount is exclusive to certain sailings and passengers.

1. Check Eligibility: Ensure that you are an active-duty member, reservist, retired personnel, veteran or eligible Canadian military member.
2. Select a Cruise: Select the destination that you desire, the date of sailing and the cabin of your choice, bearing in mind that only certain sailings will be charged at military rates.
3. Call Carnival: Make a call to Carnival Cruise Line 1 (800) 764-7419 and consult a military-friendly travel agent because military discounts cannot be claimed when booking directly online.
4. Ask for the Military Discount: Call the agent and tell him that you want to make a reservation with a Carnival Cruise Military offers and ensure that it is available in the sailing of your choice.
5. Complete the Booking: Enter passenger information, deposit or full payment, and get the packing number of the booking.
6. Provide Verification Documents: Provide sound military evidence as per the stipulated time period to obtain the discounted fare.
7. Receive Confirmation: Your military discount is then completed, and your cruise reservation is done once approved.

Booking Tips for Military Travelers

In order to take advantage of the military discount and not have to worry about it at the last moment, you can consider the following additional points:

• Book Early: High military rates are only available on individual sailings or limited capacity so the sooner you make a booking, the better.
• Make a Direct Call: Due to the fact that such Carnival Cruise Military Deals are not necessarily visible on the websites, military travel agents can assist you in identifying qualified sailings and to use the appropriate rate.
• Submit Documents Fast: Immediately you make a booking, get ready your eligibility documents and email or fax the same to the Interline Desk of Carnival. Fast filing does not allow your discount to be cancelled.

Does Carnival Cruises Offer a Discount to the Military?

Yes, Carnival Cruise Line does have military discounts! It is not a mere check box on the website. The discount program is said to be a special code of fare or a promotion that has to be requested during the reservation and confirmed using official military documents within a specific period of time. 

Here's the key stuff to know:

• The military rate is not always included in all sailings; it is a special sailing, and in most cases, will have to be manually added when you are making your reservation. 
• The Carnival Cruise military discount usually applies to the regular rate established by a cruise company and is discounted depending on the length of the cruise, destination, and the time of booking. 
• After booking the rate, you have to be able to demonstrate eligibility within a rigid time frame or the discount can be taken out, and you will be charged the regular fare. 

The Carnival military discount must be requested and you must demonstrate that you are eligible.

How Does Carnival Verify Military Discounts?

Carnival does not simply believe you and they will go through the verification process to ensure that the individual who is booking under the Carnival Cruise military discount is genuinely qualified. This will aid in preventing misuse, and the offer will be received by people who serve or served. 

Carnival Accepts Documentation

In case you get a military rate, you are likely to be asked to present one of the following verification documents:

1. For U.S. Military 

• Duplicate of last Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) (social security number is blacked out)
• Duplicate of legitimate military retirement documents (e.g., DD214 or DD256)
• Duplicate of certificate of honorable discharge (Form DD214)
• In the case of cadets the commanding Officer letter or present military pay stub (SSN blackened) 

An official policy of Carnival does not accept a Veterans Administration (VA) card alone, and it is not going to be accepted alone. 

2. For Canadian National Defense

• Active Members: Copy of NDI-20
• Retired/honorably discharged members of sufficient service: Copy of NDI-75. 

3. When You Must Submit Verification

Timing matters! When you book at Carnival, you are allowed a limited time to deliver the documents:

• 72 days before the cruises last more than one week.
• Up to 24 hours post booking of cruises taking place in less than one week. 

In case Carnival is not in time with your paperwork, they are capable of eliminating the military rate and revising your fare. 

Documents may be emailed, faxed, or mailed; however, it is important to do it urgently.

Carnival Cruise Military Discount Requirements

Membership is required to receive the Carnival Cruise military discount, and one has to be in one of the categories that Carnival accepts. These criteria are based on service status and documentation instead of age, enrolment in other programs or membership in a dissimilar club.

Who is Eligible to Carnival Military Discount?

Here is the breakdown of the people that Carnival thinks can be qualified: 

1. Active U.S. Military Members

• Working in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Health and Human Service Commissioned Corps, National Guard, Navy, Marines or Reserves.
• Cadets are already enrolled in one of the military academies with an upcoming admission to either of these branches. 

2. Retired U.S. Military Members

• Poor law pensioners, any person who officially retired (after serving a certain number of years, usually 20) to the U.S. armed forces.
• Persons retired in one of the above branches. 

3. Veterans

• Honorably discharged veterans who serve a minimum of two years in any of the eligible services of the U.S. or were on active service in a war zone. 

4. Canadian Forces

• Canadian National Defense Active, reserve and retired. 

5. Spouses of Eligible Members

• Carnival frequently allows eligibility to the spouse of an eligible member on deployment or death. They have to be registered under the same stateroom and have to present evidence of marriage and documentation of the service member. 

Extras & Limitations You Should Know

Carnival has a generous military discount program; however, you need to be aware of some significant conditions and restrictions that you have to know before making the booking:

A. Rate Availability

• There are no guarantees of Carnival Cruise Military offers on all sailings, and they are usually only applied on certain sailings or during certain promotional events. 
• These rates are capacity-controlled, i.e., limited cabins are being sold to military rates, and they can run out. 

B. Booking Process

• In general, online booking of military rates cannot be done directly on the public Carnival.com site, but must be done by calling Carnival or a travel agent that is familiar with military prices to ask about the rate. 
• There is a great number of travel agents and other partner sites that can help with military pricing so long as they are notified you are qualified.

C. Cabin Restrictions

• The military rate is usually restricted to the cabin in which the military member is going to stay - the extra cabins are not necessarily included in the reservation that is subject to the military rate. 

D. Documentation Is Mandatory

• In case you are not able to present valid eligibility documentation within the given time, Carnival will have the option to cancel the discount and reprice your reservation.

Conclusion

Carnival is a company that offers a military discount as an incentive to reward the service of people who serve and served their nations. However, it is also conditional, as it presupposes phone reservation, paperwork, and timeliness in order to save and maintain the savings. In case you are an active member, reservist, retired, a veteran or spouse of eligible personnel, requesting the military rate can be a prudent method to reduce the cost of a Carnival cruise however, you must observe their verification process to ensure that you capture such benefits.

Read More:

• Carnival Cruise Senior Discount
• Carnival Cruise New Rules
• Cheapest Month To Go on a Carnival Cruise
• Carnival Cruises Manage Reservations
• Carnival Cruise Name Change Policy And Fees