Final payment date different on same cruise?

[Tamaracklady]

I booked our next cruise for February 2014 online with RCCL over the summer. Just recently my family decided to join us so they booked too, however by phone. What I am not understanding is why my final payment date is 4 days before theirs for the same cruise. For now, it doesn't really make a difference but if there happens to be a price drop in between the two dates, I'm assuming I will be out of luck even though I booked first. Did anyone experience this before? Is it better to be booking by phone?

[Wahed]

I would just give then a ring and ask for clarification.

 

 

 

 

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[Clarea]

Is one booking with a travel agent and the other direct?

[wiiCruz2]

I booked our next cruise for February 2014 online with RCCL over the summer. Just recently my family decided to join us so they booked too, however by phone. What I am not understanding is why my final payment date is 4 days before theirs for the same cruise. For now, it doesn't really make a difference but if there happens to be a price drop in between the two dates, I'm assuming I will be out of luck even though I booked first. Did anyone experience this before? Is it better to be booking by phone?

 

It sounds like the two reservations were not made through the same booking method ( I.e. different TAs or one TA and one direct booking). My guess is you each have used two different TAs that have slightly different policy for collecting final payment prior to transmission to RCI. Each TA agency may collect Final Payment for their processing prior to sending into RCI before the cruise line deadline; there could be a couple day difference Amoung TAs ... But the RCI deadline is the same for everyone. If you make changes after final payment to your TA but before your TA has transmitted same to RCI, you may benefit from any price drops available prior to RCI final payment deadline.

 

 

 

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[Tamaracklady]

Neither of us used a TA. I booked through Royal's website, my sister called them to book.

[wiiCruz2]

Neither of us used a TA. I booked through Royal's website, my sister called them to book.

 

Call RCI to inquire about the payment date differentiation. I do believe once you complete final payment directly to RCI, you would be out of luck relative to any price drops thereafter. I do not know why the dates would be different within the RCI program. Would be interesting to learn he details; hoping you will share whatever you find out from RCI.

 

 

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[Tamaracklady]

So I finally took the time to call and get an explanation. After arguing with the agent on the phone that we did in fact have different final payment dates for the same cruise, he checked my family members res number that I provided, saw the difference in dates, and finally spoke with others and confirmed there are some differences.

 

Most of the time it is 75 days out (pending the number of days your cruise is). I booked online, and my reservation falls in the 75 day rule. This is the policy we typically see on the site.

 

If you book through the 1-800 number through the cruise specialist (or whatever they call them) they have a different set of policies which could, and in our case did, result in a different final payment date. In our case, it is 5 days after my own. We'll see how this plays out if there is a price drop between our two dates! :)

 

All this to say that I find this a very bizarre channel strategy. You would think RCCL would want to push and reward customers who use a cheaper service delivery channel (web), than a more costly one (telephone). I have now learned a good lesson for next time - stick with the phone instead of doing it myself.