Unfair booking conditions- why I will never use an Aus agent again

[nenasmum]

Last year I booked a European cruise with RCL for Sept this year. In the past I have usually used US agents and had excellent service and prices. I have also been able to get price drops or upgrade my cabin- last year from Balcony th JS then from JS to GS as price drops occured getting cloer to sail date. I paid a little extra for the upgrades but they were worth it due to big price drops overall.

This year , as prices were comparable initially, I decided to help the Aus economy , by using an Aus agent. About 250 days before sailing there was a big price drop which I managed to get, after going through the convuluted practice of having to pay another deposit and wait for a refund of the first. This was a LOT more complicated than the simple single phone call to my US agent but I went with it.

This week I noticed that a suite guarantee had come up at a $600 extra price difference. This seemed a good deal to me so I tried to apply for it but as I am now outside the 150 day period I will apparently lose my $1200 deposit if I want to get this deal. The 150 day lose deposit window is twice as long as that which exisits in the US and they certainly don't ever apply if to paying for an upgrade- you can apply for an upgrade at any time even after final payment date- and get it easily- as I did last year.

The inequities in this system seem designed to discourage Australians from booking a long way in advance as they stand to lose if there are any new offers- such as the suite guarantee or any price drops. Where I can see there is some business sense in not allowing price drops after booking- though it does not encourage early bookings- there seems to be no sense at all in not allowing people to pay extra on a cruise on which they are already booked and which is clearly selling poorly.

I am waiting to hear back from RCL on this issue but am not hopeful. I have leant my lesson and will use my wonderful US agents in the future and not be disadvantaged just because I come from Australia.

[icat2000]

Don't hold your breathe. My experience is RCL and Celebrity are really inflexible on this issue.

[nenasmum]

Has anyone on this board ever been given a logical explanation for this insane policy.

[Aussieflyer]

Has anyone on this board ever been given a logical explanation for this insane policy.

 

Just lots of 'weasel words' and excuses about how we are protected by legislation and blah blah! Then they have the hide to force us to book through AU agents or sites, denying us the possibility of getting price drops etc.

[Yellowsmartcar]

Has anyone on this board ever been given a logical explanation for this insane policy.

 

Because they can !!!! Its not fare, and our population here in Australia does not have the voice power of say the USA.

 

Its just finding a US agent that we are ALLOWED to book thru.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

 

V:)

[gbenjo]

Because they can !!!! Its not fare, and our population here in Australia does not have the voice power of say the USA.

 

Its just finding a US agent that we are ALLOWED to book thru.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

 

V:)

 

Some of the US agents have an "international" fare as well as the US price and this can still be cheaper than Aussie prices. I know we cannot mention names but the agent I have used has given me some of the "best price cruises" I have had. You just need to search.

[Bescotti]

I've had a very different experience by booking direct with HAL Australia for a Med cruise in August. Since I paid a deposit in January my cabin fare has dropped 3 times and each time it's only taken a quick phone call to them to have them drop my fare immediately. This has meant that my fare has dropped by over $2000 - or 30%! Also my deposit is fully refundable until 90 days out. With the final price drop my fare was a few hundred dollars cheaper than through a US TA.

 

This hasn't always been the case in the past when I've booked cruises but I'm taking this as a sign that things are starting to change now. At least HAL's Australian booking conditions are identical to the US but previously some TAs have imposed additional booking conditions.

[nenasmum]

Because they can !!!! Its not fare, and our population here in Australia does not have the voice power of say the USA.

 

Its just finding a US agent that we are ALLOWED to book thru.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

 

V:)

 

I have used 3 US agents over the years- no trouble finding them. They have always got back to me extremely promptly - 100 times faster than any TA here - despite the time difference. They have cheerfully applied for changeds of cabin, price drops and upgrades, Even when they have been on holidays themsleves they have answered my emails within hours and directed me to people who could help.

Perhaps I have just been lucky but I fail to see what extra protection we have from TAs over here. Our deposit goes quickly to the cruise line and you can check up very promptly to see it has been paid. If you use a credit card to pay you will get credit card protection.

As far as paying for Aussie TAs advise- I actually had to argue with a TA last year when he was marketing a back to back cruise that violated the Jones act-he swore black and blue that I was wrong and when I suggested he call Celebrity ad confirm it the cruise package magically disappeared from his advertising.

I am sure there are some fantastic TAs here and THEY should be the ones putting the pressure on the lines so that our booking conditions with them are equitable with the rest of the world.

[nenasmum]

I've had a very different experience by booking direct with HAL Australia for a Med cruise in August. Since I paid a deposit in January my cabin fare has dropped 3 times and each time it's only taken a quick phone call to them to have them drop my fare immediately. This has meant that my fare has dropped by over $2000 - or 30%! Also my deposit is fully refundable until 90 days out. With the final price drop my fare was a few hundred dollars cheaper than through a US TA.

 

This hasn't always been the case in the past when I've booked cruises but I'm taking this as a sign that things are starting to change now. At least HAL's Australian booking conditions are identical to the US but previously some TAs have imposed additional booking conditions.

 

This is encouraging . Perhaps I will look to HAL in the future. If you are reading this RCL- you could have had my $600 and myn future business-NOT good marketing.

[subaru94]

I've had a very different experience by booking direct with HAL Australia for a Med cruise in August. Since I paid a deposit in January my cabin fare has dropped 3 times and each time it's only taken a quick phone call to them to have them drop my fare immediately. This has meant that my fare has dropped by over $2000 - or 30%! Also my deposit is fully refundable until 90 days out. With the final price drop my fare was a few hundred dollars cheaper than through a US TA.

 

This hasn't always been the case in the past when I've booked cruises but I'm taking this as a sign that things are starting to change now. At least HAL's Australian booking conditions are identical to the US but previously some TAs have imposed additional booking conditions.

Did you book through Hal themselves? or through a travel agent please?

[Bescotti]

Did you book through Hal themselves? or through a travel agent please?

 

I booked through HAL direct in Australia - I even received some OBC:) I was really impressed that each time I rang to ask for the price drop, it was a quick phone conversation with no hassles or questions asked.

[Pretending]

Bescotti - your posts have made my day. We have a lovely travel agent whose price is cheaper than HAL to sart with but can't absolutely gaurantee to honour a price drop.

I might have to look into this.

 

Thanks again :)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

I am sure there are some fantastic TAs here and

THEY should be the ones putting the pressure on the lines

so that our booking conditions with them

are equitable with the rest of the world.

 

 

Exactly.....Could not agree more.

[Aus Traveller]

I think Princess in Australia will pass on price-drops now on the same conditions as in USA. From my understanding, the price has to be reduced on the category you have booked, it has to be before final payment and you have to request the price drop.

[MMDown Under]

Can anyone confirm that it is the cruise line, rather than the TA, which won't allow price drops prior to final payment, in Australia?

[nenasmum]

The initial issue I was posting about was not a price drop but an upgrade which I was prepared to pay for- still could not get because it would involve a cancelling and rebooking. It is this requirement- which does not seem to apply in the US where you can get an upgrade even after final payment which is at the root of the problem.

It is also what is causing the problem with RCL and Celebrity for price drops- because again you have to cancel and rebook if you want one.. This is in the terms and conditons for RCL and I don't believe is at the discretion of the TA. Because Aus has this incredibly long 150 day period where you lose your deposit if you cancel- MUCH longer than in the US- why- who knows? - it has stuffed things for us for price drops ans upgrades.

Well - I have lived and leant- won't be caught by this on again.

[mr walker]

Can anyone confirm that it is the cruise line, rather than the TA, which won't allow price drops prior to final payment, in Australia?

 

I know this isn't specifically the answer that you seek, but my mate recently got a significant price drop via a local TA (a non-cruise specific chain with physical stores) with RC amounting to some $2800 across 8 people.

 

He saw the sale prices advertised by RC, contacted the TA who at first said they couldn't or didn't think they could do anything, but they did eventually find a way, which they said involved the TA calling RC in USA. This involved actually cancelling the bookings & re-booking new cabins etc and paying a 2nd deposit and then waiting for a refund of the initial deposit as OP spoke of.

 

Trust that helps a little. Armed with this knowledge I am planning a major exercise on options for booking my B2B2B cruise next year ie local TA, RC direct, US TA???

[Bescotti]

The initial issue I was posting about was not a price drop but an upgrade which I was prepared to pay for- still could not get because it would involve a cancelling and rebooking. quote]

 

I didn't put it in my original post as I was on my iPad and it would have taken too long, but when the second price drop happened I actually upgraded my cabin to one I wouldn't have paid for at the original price. I did not have to cancel and my booking number stayed the same. As I've said earlier, even that phone call was extremely straight forward and only took a few minutes. All up I still saved over $2000.

[nenasmum]

I know this isn't specifically the answer that you seek, but my mate recently got a significant price drop via a local TA (a non-cruise specific chain with physical stores) with RC amounting to some $2800 across 8 people.

 

He saw the sale prices advertised by RC, contacted the TA who at first said they couldn't or didn't think they could do anything, but they did eventually find a way, which they said involved the TA calling RC in USA. This involved actually cancelling the bookings & re-booking new cabins etc and paying a 2nd deposit and then waiting for a refund of the initial deposit as OP spoke of.

 

The issue I am having is that once you have reached 150 days before the cruise the option of cancelling and rebooking for an upgrade or a price drop is taken away as you lose your deposit. This seems to be the area where booking in Oz differs from booking in the US- watch out for it because in my experience a lot of price drops occur closer to sale date .

On the price drop website which we cannot name they estimate that this cruise is only 23% full- you would think they would be happy to get more of my money for an upgrade rather than knocking me back!! Jennie

[Sutho]

I refuse to use travel agents at all to handle my cruise bookings. All my bookings for cruises have been direct through the cruise line in Australia. I have had too many bad experiences with Australian travel agents that only prove to me that they are bumblimg incompetent fools.

 

Obviously I cant mention names but back in 2006 I had a booking for a 40 night half world cruise in january 2007 on Oriana. I let the travel agent deal with that booking as I could earn frequent flyer points by doing so. I was working 12 hour days back then with little time for personal affairs. By the end of the year and close to the Christmas/New Year break and shut down I received a call from P&O cruises asking me to fill out immigration details and other forms as tickets could not be issued. I had already done all that and given it to the travel agent. They had all the forms on files and at that time you had to sign a booking document and forward the contract in. Well the travel agent never did that. What had transpired was from Septembet to December P&O kept sending reminder notices to the travel agent to send in my booking contract and immigration details before tickets could be issued. The travel agent did not act on this request. Just before Christmas I got the phone call from P&O. I had to go through a lengthy process all day long of filling in forms to fire the travel agent and dissassociate them from my booking and take control myself, and then had to make a special trip to Sydney to collect the tickets (time of work) as there was the Chrismas and New Year shut down and there was no way the tickets would arrive on time before my flight out on the 4th January.

 

I did request a full investigation and it was both the travel agents fault who handled the booking as well as the intermitiate agency that is a so called specialist in handling cruise bookings that would have given me the frequent flyer points.

 

As a result I make sure I do not touch travel agents for cruises ever since. The first incient with a travel agent was back in 2001 prior to the travelworld collapse. They had accepted my money for a major holiday the very day before they went into liquidation making me wait over 6 months to get my money back through the travel compensation fund.

 

In my opinion those two incidents have secured my opinions on Australian travel agents and I will never trust them ever again.

[avalon007]

My Aussie T/A has said RCCL need to do something so they can offer the same deals as US T/A's.

 

I believe the US T/A's may be able to buy bulk lots of cabins & can get a discount from the cruise line so can offer better deals to customers.

 

However, I saw one of our upcoming cruises had dropped $1200 all up & asked my T/A about it. She made another booking for us, then rang the US direct to transfer our existing cabin across before cancelling the original booking.:)

[gaechann]

Hi there!

 

I just checked a online TA as suggested by some here and checked the price of my Junior Suite on the Rhapsody in February next year.

 

The price showed $2650 each (not sure if this included taxes) whereas I paid $1950 including all taxes so it's NOT always the case that we pay more here in Australia.

 

Just need to check around and make sure that you're comparing apples with apples as our prices MUST be all-inclusive whereas the US sites add port charges and taxes AFTERWARDS!

 

Gae

[lizzy77]

Gae prices are just one point. The issue here is that there are different booking conditions booking through a US TA rather than an Aussie one.

In Aus we lose deposits and try to transfer them .... Well that's another issue:(

My US TA gives price drops as soon as I email them, change of cabin, no problem. In fact nothing is a problem And the service is exceptional.

Of course with the $ going down you have to do your homework but our next cruises we booked we got $900 OBC which should compensate for any more $drops:D then if the $ drops too much we just cancel. No penalty, easy:D

[The_Big_M]

The price showed $2650 each (not sure if this included taxes) whereas I paid $1950 including all taxes so it's NOT always the case that we pay more here in Australia.

 

Definitely not always the case.

 

In many cases I think it's some just seeing the difference in prices and assuming the worst. However, in many cases it's either similar, or even less as you've shown.

 

And they have the same regional specials within the US with different states getting discounts. For some reason that never gets the uproar that some make here.

[gaechann]

Gae prices are just one point. The issue here is that there are different booking conditions booking through a US TA rather than an Aussie one.

In Aus we lose deposits and try to transfer them .... Well that's another issue:(

My US TA gives price drops as soon as I email them, change of cabin, no problem. In fact nothing is a problem And the service is exceptional.

Of course with the $ going down you have to do your homework but our next cruises we booked we got $900 OBC which should compensate for any more $drops:D then if the $ drops too much we just cancel. No penalty, easy:D

 

WOW! We certainly don't get those conditions here from Aussie-land TA's or cruiseline offices!

 

OK, where do I sign! :)