Price Drop when Final Payment Received

I booked a cruise well in advance and paid my final payment in June. The cruise went down substantially. When I called RCCL I was told they could offer me a free upgrade, which I would have gladly taken. Unfortunately, there were no upgrades to offer me. I feel a bit taken advantage of. I know that when you book ahead of time you take the chance of prices dropping, but I didn't think they would drop substantially. Like all of us here, we work hard for our money and I just feel more has to be done for those who want to book in advance.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

What you experienced is not an unusual policy among the mass market cruise lines.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

What you experienced is an unusual policy among the mass market cruise lines.

Unusual? Do you mean "usual'?

Some cruise lines will give you an upgrade, but they can't upgrade you if the cabins "above" yours are full. Some will give you an on board credit (OBC). But they are not obligated to give you anything.

If the price had gone up, would you pay the new, higher rate? We have a cruise booked for October 2017. It has increased $600pp just in the last month since we booked. What should we do?

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Sorry that this happened to you; however, if there are no cabins available, there isn't much that RC can do. This is something you have to accept and be prepared for when you book a cruise.

It works in other ways too ...... I was invited to join friends on a cruise in September. I honestly couldn't make up my mind. I have known about this cruise for a year. I finally decided to go, and now the cruise is fully booked.

Enjoy your cruise and in future perhaps don't check on prices once you are past final payment date.

Unusual? Do you mean "usual'?...

Thanks for the catch, left out "not".

I booked a cruise well in advance and paid my final payment in June. The cruise went down substantially. When I called RCCL I was told they could offer me a free upgrade, which I would have gladly taken. Unfortunately, there were no upgrades to offer me. I feel a bit taken advantage of. I know that when you book ahead of time you take the chance of prices dropping, but I didn't think they would drop substantially. Like all of us here, we work hard for our money and I just feel more has to be done for those who want to book in advance.

You were not taken advantage of.

They have done a lot for you.

You booked at a price you were okay with. They are having a fire sale and they owe you nothing.

You won't get much sympathy around here.

Move on.

People cancel frequently right up to the week of the cruise. Keep your eye on the RCCL website and see if there are any higher cabins available and if there are, call RCCL back and see if they will upgrade you. Yes, this will take diligence and some time, but you may still get an upgrade. You never know.

Carnival has a rate that allows reductions after final payment. It has many restrictions. I believe that they are the only line to have this fare.

Sorry that you feel you were taken advantage of but you were not. As others have said, it's a normal policy across just about every line. After a line's final payment due date they are trying to fill the ship with the cabins that are left and, many times, are not the best for one reason or another. The cruise line is under no obligation to give anything after final payment.

We book in advance because we want to choose our cabin. Sure, I check for price drops before final payment but after, I never look back since I was happy with the price I booked at.

Thanks for the catch, left out "not".

I thought that too, but didn't want to criticize the expert! Thanks for all your good advice!

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

What you experienced is not an unusual policy among the mass market cruise lines.

Unusual? You are kidding, right? What OP experienced is standard procedure on all mass market lines. What OP fails to mention, but implies is that she is past final payment and in penalty.

I just wanted to vent a little. I apologize if I have offended any of you. Some of your comments seem harsh. Others I thank you for your advice. We are not advanced cruisers like many of you so we had no idea of the policies and that all the mass cruise lines are the same. All I was looking for was some advice. So like one of you said "move on", I will.

Unusual? You are kidding, right? ...

Not unusual.

I just wanted to vent a little. I apologize if I have offended any of you. Some of your comments seem harsh. Others I thank you for your advice. We are not advanced cruisers like many of you so we had no idea of the policies and that all the mass cruise lines are the same. All I was looking for was some advice. So like one of you said "move on", I will.

You didn't offend me! Cruise Critic can have some "strong responses." Hope you will take the advice given, and above all enjoy your cruise.

Can anyone say whether this is the perfect example of why one might want to book using a good TA? Do TA's monitor availability of upgrades for cruisers, and communicate with the cruiseline, or have the kind of relationship in which the cruisline will communicate with THEM, to get upgrades for their customers? I have not used a TA in many years, but I do read about folks who do, and who comment on the various benefits they get from their TA. Wondering is this is one of those benefits...

Sorry this happened to you.

Keith

Sorry you discovered that the price of your cabin category dropped.

Sadly this happens all the time. The cruise lines always want to fill up their ships.

We have learned to just ignore these things as we also like to book the cabin we want many months in advance.

Hope you have a great cruise.

no different whatsoever than buying an Iron because yours exploded and three months later it went on sale.

you bought it when you bought it for whatever reason. not their fault that they put it on sale 3 months later.

you obviously considered it a fair price when you booked. that doesn't change just because the price is different now. we'd rather pay a little more up front and have a greater choice of cabins to choose from.

You were not taken advantage of.

They have done a lot for you.

You booked at a price you were okay with. They are having a fire sale and they owe you nothing.

You won't get much sympathy around here.

Move on.

:rolleyes: I agree with the general gist of it, but you're hostility level is way over the top. And what exactly did the cruise line do for the OP that you consider so above and beyond? Oh, that's right - nothing, except for providing the promised product for the originally agreed price. That's enough, for sure, but I can't see characterizing it as "a lot".

Hi OP. As you've come back to explain, maybe in your inexperience you've gleaned that sometimes cruiselines make provision for price drops after final payment. Any time they do it's OUTSIDE THEIR STATED POLICIES and is a customer satisfaction gesture only - not an obligation. Technically, they could do something for one passenger and decline to do it for the next in similar circumstances - it's all discretionary. The fact that they weren't able to make good on a cabin upgrade as a courtesy to you is very disappointing, I'm sure. Try to have a good first cruise and for many of us, we watch final payment dates like a hawk and always book just afterwards as the deals are often very favorable.

Can anyone say whether this is the perfect example of why one might want to book using a good TA? Do TA's monitor availability of upgrades for cruisers, and communicate with the cruiseline, or have the kind of relationship in which the cruisline will communicate with THEM, to get upgrades for their customers? I have not used a TA in many years, but I do read about folks who do, and who comment on the various benefits they get from their TA. Wondering is this is one of those benefits...

Most cruisers who use a TA must check for price drops themselves and then contact their TA to to get the price drop from the cruise line. I believe that it works the same way with upgrades after final payment.

Most cruisers who use a TA must check for price drops themselves and then contact their TA to to get the price drop from the cruise line. I believe that it works the same way with upgrades after final payment.

Thanks for the info. May I ask if this insight comes from personal experience or what you've heard or read (perhaps on Cruise Critic?:)) The only time we used a TA (ten years ago), she informed us of the drop in price and gave us a refund. We were newbies and hadn't a clue to look for lower prices!

Thanks for the info. May I ask if this insight comes from personal experience or what you've heard or read (perhaps on Cruise Critic?:)) The only time we used a TA (ten years ago), she informed us of the drop in price and gave us a refund. We were newbies and hadn't a clue to look for lower prices!

Both personal experience and what I've read on the CC boards. Your TA was definitely in the minority. Now, if they also provided you with perks (OBC, per-paid gratuities, or specialty restaurant dinners) and did not charge extra fees (cancellation, cabin change) they were exceptional. I'd be using a TA if I could find one like that.

I just wanted to vent a little. I apologize if I have offended any of you. Some of your comments seem harsh. Others I thank you for your advice. We are not advanced cruisers like many of you so we had no idea of the policies and that all the mass cruise lines are the same. All I was looking for was some advice. So like one of you said "move on", I will.

Why didn't your TA advocate for you? If s/he is a top producer for that cruise line, there may at least have been an extension of added OBC.

Both personal experience and what I've read on the CC boards. Your TA was definitely in the minority. Now, if they also provided you with perks (OBC, per-paid gratuities, or specialty restaurant dinners) and did not charge extra fees (cancellation, cabin change) they were exceptional. I'd be using a TA if I could find one like that.

Yes, the brick-and-mortar TA we used ten years go is definitely in the minority -- she's out of business! (Although I guess that actually puts her in the majority, now that I think about it... ;)) I have gotten such perks as you describe from online TA's, but I don't have a "personal" agent I use regularly. I wish I did! Much as I love to research cruises myself, it would be nice to have a professional in my pocket. :rolleyes:

The fact that prices can drop after the final payment date is one of the reasons I wait until then to book most of our cruises. Of course we lose out when the prices go up instead and we end up not going. It's going to be better now that DH is retiring in four days. We won't be tied to his school break schedule. (He taught at a community college.)