No more price drops for RC?

[Gone_Again]

OUCH! I hope this isn't the case. This is the main reason why I choose RCCL over other cruise lines. I also tell anyone who mentions cruising about the *awsome* best price policy RCCL has. My word of mouth advertising will have to stop too.

 

I am keeping my fingers crossed that this isn't gone! :confused:

[cruisenfever]

Thanks Erica...........it might be helpful..........now can you find out about my cancelled Enchantment cruise?:D

 

Any clarification would be quite helpful.

:eek::p

[PH8]

I have a feeling that these same people are going to find fault with whatever changes C&A is about to make.............be them fantastic or not.:(

Ohhhhhhhhh cant wait for that news and the HUGE thread that will be about it.:D:D:D

[FloridaPalms]

Robert (from the C&A chat) just called me on my phone and explained the same thing as Patricia. He wanted to let me know that he is working with management to get the website changed. It appears that they added the new information around the 48hr and 110%, but dropped (from the website) the verbage on the normal 100% price protection (that we all love!).

 

Stay tuned!

 

:D

 

Who knows? they may just muddy their website up even more for all of us!

 

:eek:

 

 

LOL! Either way, thanks for your hard work on this.

 

 

~ Judy

[FloridaPalms]

Hello everyone, it is mostly sunny in Tampa. Remember, I said earlier, don't shoot the weatherman. I am at a cancer treatment center, sitting around 100 people in various stages of chemotherapy treatment, most getting drugs and treatments most people couldn't imagine, let alone pronounce and understand. It does seem that most, if not all of the people here (patients, caregivers, volunteers,and health care workers) are quite cognizant of the procedures and events surrounding them today.

 

It is a sad comment as to the capacity of a company the size of RCI, when they cannot institute a simple pricing program, and relay that information to their customers in a clear concise easily understood website.

 

I am relieved to know that RCI is in no way able to offer their input toward the patients here.

 

Good one! :D

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

[EVALUATOR]

Do you think RCI will add a sub category to the Frequently Ask Questions named Frequently Given Answers? Then we can find all the answers they give to the same question. They could break them down by frequency, date, Customer Service Rep, and accuracy.

 

And how did they have FAQs on a subject they didn't announce?

 

I wonder did a couple of executives sit back, read the proposed website, and say to themselves..."This new policy will be great, let's just make up some questions in case someone doesn't understand us."

[isujim]

:eek::p

 

thought it was worth a shot Patti:D

 

You know as with most threads, this has taken a life of it's own:rolleyes: I don't think people are going to find fault with Crown and Anchor no matter what they do..........maybe I'm more optimistic than that. I do think however, that it is quite reasonable to have any policy explained in full that can be understood. I think it is reasonable to have all your customer service reps on the same page........at least have them read from the same script:p

 

When press releases or new policies are so poorly worded and thought out, it leaves ones imagination to take over and I think that is what has happened here. When you call 3 different people and get three different answers, no one knows what to think or what is right.

 

Truth is no matter what Erica finds out, the bottom line is until somebody books after May 17th and trys to get a price drop, we just won't know. The poorly defined policy now has added speculation to a policy nobody understands..........and all of it could have been avoided.:)

[FloridaPalms]

Do you think RCI will add a sub category to the Frequently Ask Questions named Frequently Given Answers? Then we can find all the answers they give to the same question. They could break them down by frequency, date, Customer Service Rep, and accuracy.

 

And how did they have FAQs on a subject they didn't announce?

 

I wonder did a couple of executives sit back, read the proposed website, and say to themselves..."This new policy will be great, let's just make up some questions in case someone doesn't understand us."

 

ROFLMAO!

 

Hey, how about including a multiple choice response from us:

 

Did we find their answer [] Helpful [] Not Helpful [] HUH???????????

 

~ Judy

[elephant98]

Robert (from the C&A chat) just called me on my phone and explained the same thing as Patricia. He wanted to let me know that he is working with management to get the website changed. It appears that they added the new information around the 48hr and 110%, but dropped (from the website) the verbage on the normal 100% price protection (that we all love!).

 

Stay tuned!

 

Kudos to Robert from C&A chat. I found him very helpful and am glad that he is working with management to get a clarification posted on the RCCL website soon. This situation didn't arise in ideal circumstances given the 2-day WOW promotion that is currently underway. But, it looks like they are aware of the confusion that is out there and are now taking curative steps.

[booze brothers]

ROFLMAO!

 

Hey, how about including a multiple choice response from us:

 

Did we find their answer [] Helpful [] Not Helpful [] HUH???????????

 

~ Judy

 

Very good Judy, LMAO!!

[EVALUATOR]

ROFLMAO!

 

Hey, how about including a multiple choice response from us:

 

Did we find their answer [] Helpful [] Not Helpful [] HUH???????????

 

~ Judy

Then we would need a FAQ section when they ask us what HUH means.:D

And thanks to all for the well wishes.

 

Mrs E. thought maybe we should all just book the cruises we want, and about 5 months after the cruises, RCI can let us know if we paid enough before we went.

[marci22]

Truth is no matter what Erica finds out, the bottom line is until somebody books after May 17th and trys to get a price drop, we just won't know.

 

The problem with that is, each rep will give/not give the price drop depending on what they think is going on at the time. You may even get lucky with a lazy rep who gives you a refund to your cc after final.

 

It may be years before we ever really know....

[isujim]

The problem with that is, each rep will give/not give the price drop depending on what they think is going on at the time. You may even get lucky with a lazy rep who gives you a refund to your cc after final.

 

It may be years before we ever really know....

 

Point well taken!!;)

[Erica@cruisecritic]

I'm interviewing Carol Cabezas, Celebrity's director of sales strategy and automation, about the Best Price Guarantee (it covers all of RCCL's brands) in half an hour. I plan to ask her to explain the policy extremely clearly, including any price drops or upgrades still available after the 48 hours all the way up to sailing, the grandfather clause and why they felt a change was necessary.

 

If there's anything else you'd like me to ask on this topic -- be nice! -- you have until 2:30 pm to post it here, and I'll try to include as many as possible in my interview.

[marci22]

Why does it say this during the booking process:

Cancellation and Penalty Timetable

Cancel Before * Penalty per person

09-Oct-2011 $250.00 USD

18-Nov-2011 50%

10-Dec-2011 100%

 

Why does it say before instead of after?

 

I think Evaluator had some questions up there post #381 heh heh.

[njmomof2]

Erica, thanks for this opportunity.

 

As both a cruiser and as a TA, the wording of the policy is unclear.

 

I want to be absolutely sure of the following:

 

Will price adjustments be allowed up until final payment? How will those adjustments be given (reduction in final payment, OBC or an option for either)? After final payment, what, if any, options will be available if the price drops?

 

Also, I would like clarification of the 48 hour price guarantee. Is this only for bookings made within penalty? If so, when does the 48 hour window start...when booking/payment is made (which is what it appears to be) or, as some have had told to them, is it from the time a lower price is posted (if you reread some of the chat postings, you'll see that some of the reps seem to imply this). I'm thinking it's from the time you book/pay and you have a 48 hour window in the event a resident or senior or other rate appears. After that, you're price is locked.

 

Also, I'd like confirmation that all bookings made prior to May 17th are guaranteed to be grandfathered, no matter how far out those booking are made. I have bookings out to April 2011 and I know others are booked even later than that.

 

Of course, I'd love to know if they are contemplating some sort of booking option like Carnival's Early Saver, but I don't think they are going to disclose that at this point.

 

Thanks.

[Puffinater]

It sure will be nice to see a definitive answer to all this speculation.

[seriously_subdued]

I'm interviewing Carol Cabezas, Celebrity's director of sales strategy and automation, about the Best Price Guarantee (it covers all of RCCL's brands) in half an hour. I plan to ask her to explain the policy extremely clearly, including any price drops or upgrades still available after the 48 hours all the way up to sailing, the grandfather clause and why they felt a change was necessary.

 

If there's anything else you'd like me to ask on this topic -- be nice! -- you have until 2:30 pm to post it here, and I'll try to include as many as possible in my interview.

 

Erica,

 

Could you ask her when the website will reflect the policy of being able to get price reductions from the 48th hour 1 sec up to final payment, if this in fact is going to happen?

 

If she confirms why did they not just do two seperate announcements? One for the implementation of the 48 hour guarantee and another stating the policy of adjusting the price by OBC after final payment and up to 72 hours before sailing is changing to only upgrades, if possible, after final payment. I think this would have been much much clearer.

 

Thanks.

[ucfknight07]

A couple questions for Ms Cabezas:

 

1. If price drops are no longer allowed once the cruise has been reserved for more than 48 hours (or even if price drops are no longer allowed after final payment), do they plan to implement an early saver rate class like Carnival offers?

 

2. If no rate drops are honored and you are outside of final payment, what is to stop us from cancelling and rebooking? If they will allow this, what happens to RCI Visa points, or OBC for that matter? Will they be forfeited?

[EVALUATOR]

Why do we have to submit a claim form for the price reductions, then wait for up to 48 hours for RCI to see if the reduced rate is still available? The reduced rates can easily disappear between when we see them and submit the claim, and the time RCI gets around to checking. Thanks.

[elephant98]

Assuming that RCCL will continue to honor price drops up until the time that final payment is due, can you verify that this will not require you to cancel and rebook in order to take advantage of the price drop (so as not to lose any promotional OBC credit and/or promotional reduction of the typical cruise deposit)?

[njmomof2]

Assuming that RCCL will continue to honor price drops up until the time that final payment is due, can you verify that this will not require you to cancel and rebook in order to take advantage of the price drop (so as not to lose any promotional OBC credit and/or promotional reduction of the typical cruise deposit)?

 

Yes, I should have added this to my list of questions as well. As a cruiser, if we need to cancel/rebook, we risk losing any associated OBCs or reduced deposits. As a TA, this creates a lot more work for both us and Royal.

 

Thanks Elephant98 for asking this.

[BobNoxious]

If I book during the WOW sale,

 

I'd like to know if (after 48 hrs and before final payment), if the price drops, do I still get to keep my WOW OBC? Do I need to pony up the remainder of my half-price deposit? Do I need to CANCEL/REBOOK? Or, is it just a friendly OBC?

 

Also, what if i book thru a TA? Will she be able to call RCL and get the SAME treatment and get me the same OBC?

[morganboys]

it can work in the opposite direction if you wait to book as well. our june cruise on the monarch is $160 pp higher then what we paid when we booked. it has been that much higher for months now.

[emerald777]

Wow..... I was waiting for my agent to call me back to book an 18 night South Pacific in April 2012. No way will I book something that expensive and that far out without knowing exactly what the price drop/cancellation policy is going to be. Thank goodness I dropped in here first!