Pricing snafu?

[kiefaber455]

Booked Brilliance of the Seas for the 1/24/05 sailing while on the Serenade last year and must admit got a really great price for a category E3 with a $200 ship board credit. While we were on the cruise, we went to book Brilliance's Panama Canal cruise for 1/23/06 and was quoted a price of $3650 for a category E3. This was $789.70 more than this year's cruise. We also checked into an Aft cabin, category D1 and was given a quote of $3950. Both came with a $200 ship board credit good which I can use through Feb. 28 if I decide to book with my TA.

However, I go to RCCL's website today and find an E3 cabin is $3398 and a D1 cabin is $3698.

Would love to know if anyone has any thoughts on how these differences might occur.

[barbgazz]

I don't know about you, but sometimes the onboard credit isn't worth paying extra for a cruise in my opinion. We usually just price shop for a cruise because the cabin we have doesn't matter to us.

[ssatterly]

Prices can change on a daily basis it just happens. Just call and get the price ajusted!

[weezer64]

Was the price quoted to you on your cruise including the taxes and fees?

 

I ask because when I go to the RCL website I saw the same prices that you gave, but when I act like I'm going to reserve that cruise it adds on the taxes and fees to change the total to $3,956 - almost the same as the price quoted to you originally.

[shipknotshore]

Did you book while on the ship? I know you can transfer the booking to your T.A. and still keep the shipboard credit for booking while on the cruise... Can't your T.A. keep checking and getting you the best price available up until or close to sailing? I've never had this happen, but I was under the assumption that you are not locked into the high price if the price lowers, but if the price goes higher you cannot be charged more. I'm not aware on how often or what days the pricing changes, if it does.

[kiefaber455]

Weezer, thanks for clearing that up--quote on the ship included everything. I did find it interesting though that main reason given for the almost $800 increase from this year to next was the fact that the ship was going to the Panama Canal and their fees are much higher. Well as I use to tell my students in Economics class, the value of any item is what someone is willing to pay for it. If I'm not willing to pay for it, I'm sure someone else will be.

[alcman]

We booked the same cruise onboard Brilliance on the Jan 14 sailing for Feb 13, 2006 (in order to take advantage of the $225 C & A coupon). The D1 rate was $3698 + $73.80 in taxes and fees. I think the difference in your rate is the inclusion of RCCL's travel insurance. They put it in unless you opt out. All the sailings in that time period do not vary there D1 and E series prices.

 

I think the other difference is that the 11 night Jan 24 sailing htis year did not include the Panama Canal and the one in 2006 dies. Our Jan 14, 10 night Brilliance was more than the 11 night one this year when we booked it on Radiance last year beacsue of the Canal.

 

Jerry

[cherith]

Did you book while on the ship? I know you can transfer the booking to your T.A. and still keep the shipboard credit for booking while on the cruise... Can't your T.A. keep checking and getting you the best price available up until or close to sailing? I've never had this happen, but I was under the assumption that you are not locked into the high price if the price lowers, but if the price goes higher you cannot be charged more. I'm not aware on how often or what days the pricing changes, if it does.

 

I just want to mention that although you are entitled to a refund if the price goes down it really is up to the passenger not the travel agent to do the legwork on this. Considering the amount of cruises a TA would book, to check them all for a lower rate continually, just to be paid less is a bit much to ask.

Since we're the ones that care so much about the cruise, we should be the ones doing the research and keeping tabs on the prices. There is a website called icruise that lets you track 5 bookings and will send an automatically generated email if the cabin you indicate goes down in price.

 

PS. . . I'm not a travel agent. :-)