Price Drop (10 days from sailing)

[Jsauerwald]

Hello everyone,

 

I was wondering if anyone would like to weigh in on a situation, or can recommend a forum where someone will. I checked the prices today for our sailing (Indy Nov 23rd) and they have been dramatically reduced; balconies and OV pricing at 499 and interiors at 399 this morning (with senior discount and Florida resident rates selected). I booked an interior stateroom about a month ago for 559pp. Now I know it's past the final payment date and they won't change the price for me, but I did read on a Royal Caribbean Blog (topic: Cruising 101: Price Adjustments) that they will upgrade you to a category if the upgrade is as inexpensive or more than your current cabin. I called C&A to request this upgrade and they first claimed that the pricing was a glitch and didn't actually exist (I have screen shots of the pricing, and then another of the same price an hour later). Then they called back, acknowledged the price and claimed it was for new bookings only because it was part of today's "Sales Event." However if you look at the sales event on the website it does not include our sailing so it's clearly not. I was not asking for money back, just an upgrade to OV or balcony stateroom. I feel this is unfair.

 

Thoughts or opinions? Thank you all in advance!

[Loyal2RCCL]

It's the Tuesday R Sale... valid for new bookings only:

 

 

Selected Offer

 

 

 

VALID FOR: Promotional Restrictions: ELIGIBILITY: PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIRED:

 

 

 

 

Apply Promotions RSaleRSale

VALID FOR:

Cruise-Only:YES

Air/Sea:YES

All Gateways:YESPromotional Restrictions:

Allow Conversion:NO

Commissionable:YES

Guest Age:NO

Loyalty Tiers:NO

Public Services:NO

Rate Categories:YES

Resident State/Province:NO

Based on Price Type:Standard

Single Supplement %:200

NCCF Single Supplement %:200

Eligible for TC:NO

Eligible for GAP:NOELIGIBILITY:

Guest 1/2:YES

Guest 3/4:NO

Single:YES

Children:YES

Infants:YESPROOF OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIRED:

Rate Category: X, Z, Y

[Paulette3028]

Hello everyone,

 

I was wondering if anyone would like to weigh in on a situation, or can recommend a forum where someone will. I checked the prices today for our sailing (Indy Nov 23rd) and they have been dramatically reduced; balconies and OV pricing at 499 and interiors at 399 this morning (with senior discount and Florida resident rates selected). I booked an interior stateroom about a month ago for 559pp. Now I know it's past the final payment date and they won't change the price for me, but I did read on a Royal Caribbean Blog (topic: Cruising 101: Price Adjustments) that they will upgrade you to a category if the upgrade is as inexpensive or more than your current cabin. I called C&A to request this upgrade and they first claimed that the pricing was a glitch and didn't actually exist (I have screen shots of the pricing, and then another of the same price an hour later). Then they called back, acknowledged the price and claimed it was for new bookings only because it was part of today's "Sales Event." However if you look at the sales event on the website it does not include our sailing so it's clearly not. I was not asking for money back, just an upgrade to OV or balcony stateroom. I feel this is unfair.

 

Thoughts or opinions? Thank you all in advance!

 

You don't mention if you booked directly through RCI or used a TA -- but here has been our experience. We always use a travel agent. Let's be honest, RCCL is trying to fill some unsold cabins at the last minute -- therefore the price drop....my travel agent, when this has happened on cruises we have been on and it affected the specific type of cabin we were staying in.....generally could not get us an upgrade (non available) and because we were fully paid, could not get us a lower price....but has always been able to get us an OBC to compensate us.

 

That is just one of the reasons we use a TA.

[Eng23]

You don't mention if you booked directly through RCI or used a TA -- but here has been our experience. We always use a travel agent. Let's be honest, RCCL is trying to fill some unsold cabins at the last minute -- therefore the price drop....my travel agent, when this has happened on cruises we have been on and it affected the specific type of cabin we were staying in.....generally could not get us an upgrade (non available) and because we were fully paid, could not get us a lower price....but has always been able to get us an OBC to compensate us.

 

That is just one of the reasons we use a TA.

 

The current policy now is that after final payment date you can only request an upgrade of cabins if the price of a higher category cabin is equal to or less than your originally booked cabin. Royal Caribbean discontinued OBC for price drops that occur after final payment date almost 2 years ago.

If you received OBC, you were getting it directly from your TA and not Royal Caribbean.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Edited November 13, 2013 by Eng23

[ansadler]

I just did a search for that cruise on RCI site and ************ site and couldn't find an interior for anything cheaper than 700. Maybe they've changed it back..

[Loyal2RCCL]

I just did a search for that cruise on RCI site and ************ site and couldn't find an interior for anything cheaper than 700. Maybe they've changed it back..

 

 

It's still there.. Cat. Z, inside GTY under R Sale for $399

 

Best Rate

CategoryCategory TypeStatusFare Name1st/2ndRSRoyal Suite with BalconyDeluxeSuite/DeluxeWSTANDARD5549.00nullPSPresidential Fam. Suite w/BalDeluxeSuite/DeluxeWSTANDARD4799.00nullOSOwner's Suite with BalconyDeluxeSuite/DeluxeWSTANDARD4269.00nullFSRoyal Family Suite w/BalconyDeluxeSuite/DeluxeWSTANDARD3599.00nullGSGrand Suite w/BalconyDeluxeSuite/DeluxeASTANDARD1914.00nullJSJunior Suite w/BalconyDeluxeSuite/DeluxeWSTANDARD1428.00nullD1Superior Ocean View Strm w/BalBalconyBalcony StateroomASTANDARD1255.00nullD2Superior Ocean View Strm w/BalBalconyBalcony StateroomASTANDARD1255.00nullD3Superior Ocean View Strm w/BalBalconyBalcony StateroomWSTANDARD1207.00nullE1Deluxe Ocean view Strm w/BalBalconyBalcony StateroomWSTANDARD1119.00nullE2Deluxe Ocean view Strm w/BalBalconyBalcony StateroomGSTANDARD1199.00nullXBalcony Strm GtyBalconyBalcony StateroomGRSale599.00nullFOFamily Ocean View StateroomOutsideOutsideWSTANDARD1015.00nullFLarge Ocean View StateroomOutsideOutsideGSTANDARD903.00nullGOcean View StateroomOutsideOutsideWSTANDARD871.00nullHOcean View StateroomOutsideOutsideASTANDARD775.00nullIOcean View StateroomOutsideOutsideASTANDARD759.00nullYOceanview Strm GtyOutsideOutsideGRSale499.00nullFPPromenade Family StateroomInsideInterior ASTANDARD1023.00nullFIFamily Interior StateroomInsideInterior ASTANDARD959.00nullPRPromenade StateroomInsideInterior ASTANDARD847.00nullKInterior StateroomInsideInterior WSTANDARD855.00nullLInterior StateroomInsideInterior ASTANDARD783.00nullMInterior StateroomInsideInterior ASTANDARD775.00nullNInterior StateroomInsideInterior ASTANDARD767.00nullQInterior StateroomInsideInterior GSTANDARD759.00nullZInside Strm GtyInsideInterior GRSale399.00null

Wait List a Category RSPSOSFSJSD3E1FOGK

A: Available G: Guarantee W: Waitlist

Category has Accessible Staterooms

 

 

The NCCF fees per person are included

Total Taxes & Fees per person: 113.91

Edited November 13, 2013 by Loyal2RCCL

[Jsauerwald]

I booked directly through their website.

 

Just off the phone with Resolutions department, who continue to deny my request for the upgrade. I posted this on my roll call and others have gotten upgrades, it's frustrating to be treated differently. They claim that the upgrade policy would apply if the prices are lowered (which I only believe happens as part of a sale) and that the others must have been in a different situation than myself. They did give me $25 OBC for some reason, but to me that is not an acceptable resolution. I am not asking for the impossible because it has been done for others. Not sure what to do at this point.

[PattyG12]

what is the price of the next higher category?

[disfan]

I'm confused. Today is not Tuesday and the Florida/Senior rate for a guaranteed OV(Y) is $499. Why would you not be eligible for that rate, if you paid more for an interior?

[Jsauerwald]

I have also been through everything available regarding the current sales event and cannot find my sailing! I know a previous posting tried to provide a link, but it does not work for me.

[Paulette3028]

The current policy now is that after final payment date you can only request an upgrade of cabins if the price of a higher category cabin is equal to or less than your originally booked cabin. Royal Caribbean discontinued OBC for price drops that occur after final payment date almost 2 years ago.

If you received OBC, you were getting it directly from your TA and not Royal Caribbean.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

You can quote the 'policy' to me, and all I can reply with is, my TA denied the OBC coming from her....and I know her well enough, that she isn't worried about losing my business if she tells me the truth, that she gave it to me, instead of RCI. She doesn't have to make RCI look better in my eyes by telling me they gave me the OBC, when I asked her about it, after the cruise.

[Jsauerwald]

Patty - the interiors are booking for 399 (versus the 559 I paid), OV and balcony guarantee for 499.

Disfan - that is why I'm so frustrated, they just kept repeating "not an eligible rate...." If someone can provide a logical answer I would gladly accept it, the thing that bothers me the most is that nothing Resolutions said, or the situation overall, makes sense to me.

[Lunarclipse]

Per RCI policy here is how rate adjustments are handled if the rate changes:

 

Before final payment date:

You can get the difference in fare as an OBC.

You can be upgraded to a category if the base rate of the new cat is equal to or less than what you have currently paid.

You can get a refund.

 

After final payment date:

You can be upgraded to a category if the base rate of the new cat is equal to or less than what you have currently paid.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

With that being said yes there are exceptions unfortunatly. When rude people that don't care about policy and have horrible sense of entitlement call in demanding policy be broken for them, it happens. Rates that go down like this right before sailings are as someone said, to sell the stateroom. Deal with it and don't make a huge deal.

[disfan]

I would call again and tell them that due to the price drop, I would like to get upgraded to a higher category within the price range that I have already paid. If you are "not eligible", I would want them to be specific as to why you can't be upgraded.

"Not eligible" is not a sufficient response.

[Ken076]

Patty - the interiors are booking for 399 (versus the 559 I paid), OV and balcony guarantee for 499.

Disfan - that is why I'm so frustrated, they just kept repeating "not an eligible rate...." If someone can provide a logical answer I would gladly accept it, the thing that bothers me the most is that nothing Resolutions said, or the situation overall, makes sense to me.

 

It sounds like You are booked an assigned Interior Cabin(?) but are trying to "match" to an OceanView Guarantee (?) - I suspect if you were "matching" to an assigned OceanView you might be successful, but I'm not so sure about the Guarantee situation - this may be why they keep saying ineligible?

 

ken

Edited November 13, 2013 by Ken076

[Jsauerwald]

I booked interior guarantee and was requesting OV guarantee or Balcony guarantee. They explain I am not eligible because I am not a new booking. Does anyone know if they reduce prices for other reasons (as in not part of a sale that contains the "new bookings only" clause)?

 

The policy is clear, I am in the "after final payment" category, and the prices had dropped making both OV and balcony rooms less than what I paid. I did not request anything outside of what the policy explicitly states.

[Loyal2RCCL]

Patty - the interiors are booking for 399 (versus the 559 I paid), OV and balcony guarantee for 499.

Disfan - that is why I'm so frustrated, they just kept repeating "not an eligible rate...." If someone can provide a logical answer I would gladly accept it, the thing that bothers me the most is that nothing Resolutions said, or the situation overall, makes sense to me.

 

 

Those rates are the R Sale rates and are applicable to NEW BOOKINGS ONLY, which is why you're being told you can't upgrade. You're not eligile for that rate code.

[Loyal2RCCL]

You can quote the 'policy' to me, and all I can reply with is, my TA denied the OBC coming from her....and I know her well enough, that she isn't worried about losing my business if she tells me the truth, that she gave it to me, instead of RCI. She doesn't have to make RCI look better in my eyes by telling me they gave me the OBC, when I asked her about it, after the cruise.

 

You're TA is obviously not telling the whole story, or the truth. The policy is no OBC after final payment from RCCL.

[Jsauerwald]

Those rates are the R Sale rates and are applicable to NEW BOOKINGS ONLY, which is why you're being told you can't upgrade. You're not eligile for that rate code.

 

Yes, you keep saying this. I received the Sales Event (the 2 day sale, Nov 12-13 event) literature a few days before as part of the C&A preview. My sailing is NOT listed on it. My sailing is also NOT listed on the website in the Sales Event pages. They keep telling me what you're telling me, however I am trying to claim that it isn't part of the Sale and thus doesn't have to be a new booking to qualify and is simply a fare reduction.

 

Can you please explain how you feel it is part of the Sale (assuming the Sales Event and the R Sale are the same thing of course).

[Ourusualbeach]

Yes, you keep saying this. I received the Sales Event (the 2 day sale, Nov 12-13 event) literature a few days before as part of the C&A preview. My sailing is NOT listed on it. My sailing is also NOT listed on the website in the Sales Event pages. They keep telling me what you're telling me, however I am trying to claim that it isn't part of the Sale and thus doesn't have to be a new booking to qualify and is simply a fare reduction.

 

Can you please explain how you feel it is part of the Sale (assuming the Sales Event and the R Sale are the same thing of course).

 

Your cruise is part of the "hot deals" sales promo offered by RCI. I have posted the link that shows your cruise and he terms and conditions at the bottom of the page state it is for new bookings only.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/dealsandmore/hotdeals.do?cS=NAVBAR&pnav=3&snav=1

[Lunarclipse]

I booked interior guarantee and was requesting OV guarantee or Balcony guarantee. They explain I am not eligible because I am not a new booking. Does anyone know if they reduce prices for other reasons (as in not part of a sale that contains the "new bookings only" clause)?

 

The policy is clear, I am in the "after final payment" category, and the prices had dropped making both OV and balcony rooms less than what I paid. I did not request anything outside of what the policy explicitly states.

 

Cat z y x w are 99.99% new bookings only and if you have a z (interior gty) and a y (ov gty) is less you can't get it because that y is for new bookings only. So to make it easier... Guarantee staterooms(in z x y and w) are 99.99% for new bookings only and in the booking system they will not allow an existing reservation to switch into a guarantee. Period. That means you who are booked in that z gty can't move to that y gty because that category is for new bookings only. Now if you were in a z category and the I category (lowest ov) became equal or less to what you paid i would see no problem getting that upgraded after final.

Edited November 14, 2013 by Lunarclipse

[Ourusualbeach]

Cat z y x w are 99.99% new bookings only and if you have a z (interior gty) and a y (ov gty) is less you can't get it because that y is for new bookings only. So to make it easier... Guarantee staterooms(in z x y and w) are 99.99% for new bookings only and in the booking system they will not allow an existing reservation to switch into a guarantee. Period. That means you who are booked in that z gty can't move to that y gty because that category is for new bookings only. Now if you were in a z category and the I category (lowest ov) became equal or less to what you paid i would see no problem getting that upgraded after final.

 

We have changed to guarantees on 3 cruises in the past and they have not been for new bookings.

[Lunarclipse]

We have changed to guarantees on 3 cruises in the past and they have not been for new bookings.

 

Were they category gty or super category gty? I stare at this all day so I know you didn't. Like I said 99.99% of the times you cannot. The only exception and possibility you took an existing reservation and changed staterooms into x z w y, is that .01% of the time a super category gty aka z x y w is not linked with a promotion. You either got extremely lucky there was no promotion or you went into a category gty. Spouting out well we did this three times! Let's everyone think they can when in reality there could be huge differences in situations.

[SRQfireman]

Cat z y x w are 99.99% new bookings only and if you have a z (interior gty) and a y (ov gty) is less you can't get it because that y is for new bookings only. So to make it easier... Guarantee staterooms(in z x y and w) are 99.99% for new bookings only and in the booking system they will not allow an existing reservation to switch into a guarantee. Period. That means you who are booked in that z gty can't move to that y gty because that category is for new bookings only. Now if you were in a z category and the I category (lowest ov) became equal or less to what you paid i would see no problem getting that upgraded after final.

 

that incorrect.....they sell those Z's , Y's etc a lot prior to the 75 day payoff time (in the 30-60 day timeframe is when they generally start selling the "new bookings only" cabins)

 

Edited it to say......maybe "a lot" is a strong word.....I should say "sometimes" they do sell those "letters" before final......so I know it's more than .1% like you say

Edited November 14, 2013 by SRQfireman

[Dreamer115]

We had a similar situation when we tried to get upgraded for our September cruise. It all has to do with the guarantee. You are screwed out of upgrading if you get that or if you want to upgrade to it. Good luck. But I don't believe you will get it.

 

Connie