Always Check For Rate Reductions

[macbasset]

I constantly watch the prices online and after our final payment, our cabin dropped $200 and our son's cabin dropped $120; we called RC and they said if we called our TA they would get the discounted price; the RC agent also said keep watching, it might drop more. Recently, my son's cabin dropped another $200 and there is now a "senior citizen" rate for those 55 and over on our cabin. I called my TA and made her check twice, but they said the lower rates were for new bookings only and because we have our other son in our cabin, they wouldn't let us have the senior citizen discount, it was for two people in a room only. (We are both 55.) Doesn't make sense that we don't get the discount only because there is a third person with us. Oh well, we tried.

[TheMiz]

The "senior citizen rate " sound interesting!

Everyone in my group is over 55 years of age and we never heard of a

SCR

[stretch]

Our price dropped three times before our last cruise, this time all it's done is gone up. Win some, lose some.

 

Stretch

[TheMiz]

Our price dropped three times before our last cruise, this time all it's done is gone up. Win some, lose some.

 

Stretch

 

How often have you seen them actually go up ?

[TPKeller]

How often have you seen them actually go up ?

I was carefully watching the prices of the cruise I am planning for this fall, for 2 or 3 weeks. It went up $50 pp in the lower categories, and $100 pp in the balconies last weekend. Sadly, I didn't have our cabins on hold before that happened.

 

Theron

[MEGADAN]

My 8/28 Mariner cruise has had TWO price reductions since I originally booked, the second one AFTER final payment; I'm getting a nice chunk of change credited back. :)

 

It seems like the mid-late August Caribbean sailings are on the "hot fare" list now, so definitely worth checking for a price reduction!

 

Ella2, we are on the same sailing. We took advantage of the 1st price drop but when I emailded my TA about the second, she has not responded.

Did you book thru a TA?

[STORMYH6]

I wish our cruise rate would go down. :( I keep checking every day for our July 28 cruise on the Empress. It just keeps going up. Oh well, I still can't wait. :)

 

I don't think you'll much luck with the Disney cruise but you might have a chance with the 2005 cruise.

[STORMYH6]

ladybug-

 

The rate for my cruise has gone down too-emailed TA she hasn't responded- is it normal for a cruise line to reimburse when rates go down?

 

I'm a Travel Agent and I always ck for my clients. The cruise lines have always lowered the price for my clients once I told them that I saw the price had been reduced. (The cruiselines have never offered the reduction to me, but will give it when I ask them.) However, many travel agents do not particulary want to look for an opportunity to get your price reduced because it affects their commission.

[holomuku]

It seems prices are very dependent on time/itinerary. I booked a JS for a Sep. Enchantment Canada sailing in January. I rarely book that far ahead but this is an itinerary I've been looking at for years and I've never seen it sell "on the cheap."

 

They are now selling a D1 for $50pp more than I paid....and the one time they did have a JS open up they were charging $250 more pp! Obviously they've got computer programs that tell them what's selling and what's not- and if it's selling they will keep or raise prices.

 

Which does make sense. If you want a bargain cruise then I guess you go at a time and/or itinerary that's not as popular. Like everything else, it's all about priorities!

[TPKeller]

However, many travel agents do not particulary want to look for an opportunity to get your price reduced because it affects their commission.

This is often said on threads about this subject. I doubt anyone wants to penalize their TA for doing what I would consider to be a very good job, looking for cheaper prices.

 

Without divulging any state secrets, can you give us an idea about how the commission is affected? As in, is it a straight percentage of the fare, or are there other more complex formulas involved?

 

If my cabin drops 10% from $1,000 to $900, does the commission drop 10% as well? I can tell you that I would be happy to make up a $10 drop in commission for a $100 savings on my fare! :) Of course we don't know what the commission is, and I'm sure you can't say, at least not in public. Just wondering if it's simple or complex.

 

Theron

[ShamrockFL]

A few weeks ago I check the rates and they had went down a significant amount. I called my TA and she returned my call and said that RCI was giving me a discount of $420 per stateroom (we booked two inside rooms). I just checked the rates again today and noticed another reduction and called the TA again and she got us an additional discount of $344 per stateroom. I feel like I have won the lottery!!

Don't you need a new TA - shouldn't they be calling you to tell you about the reduction, or am I expecting too much? Seems like you're working for them. Don't all TAs check for reductions on the bookings they have made for clients? Should I be doing my own checking too even though I used a TA?

[ladiebug05]

Like previously stated .. some TAs check and some don't. Mine did not check for me .. I had to check for myself. But once I did find out there was a price reduction, all I did was email her and she called RCI to verify the reduction. Each time (we've had two reductions since final payment) she has emailed me back with the amount of the reduction. I will always use a TA because she is the one who is making the calls to RCI for us. Also, on our first reduction, RCI didn't refund us the full amount they said they would ... Our TA was on the phone with them in no time getting it all straight. That is priceless to me because I sure wouldn't want to be making all of those calls. I just feel that me looking for price reductions was really easy and I enjoyed doing it. Anyway ... I realize that my TA probably lost some in commission but I am planning on bringing her something really nice back from the cruise.

[Ella2]

Ella2, we are on the same sailing. We took advantage of the 1st price drop but when I emailded my TA about the second, she has not responded.

Did you book thru a TA?

 

 

Megadan, I am a TA. :) I would definitely keep after your TA, my price has dropped THREE times since our original booking date last year, twice after final payment. Both of those will be credited back to my credit card.

 

As for the commission issue, since I'm a TA I obviously kept the commission for myself, but they did re-factor that into my rebates...the commission went down, so they deducted the amount of the reduced commission from the rebates they gave me, which I totally expected.

 

So yes, if the the price goes down after final payment there are commission issues (as it usually has already been paid, RCCL is pretty quick with paying commissions) but that is NO excuse for a TA not to continue to aggressively pursue the discounts you are entitled to. It's just a part of doing business...much better to have happy clients and make a little less on a booking, because more likely than not the happy clients will book with you the NEXT time. :)

 

Good luck, megadan, I hope it works out for you!

[MEGADAN]

Megadan, I am a TA. :) I would definitely keep after your TA, my price has dropped THREE times since our original booking date last year, twice after final payment. Both of those will be credited back to my credit card."

 

 

Ok Ella2, since you are a TA and have been so helpful in giving me a heads up on the price reductions, I have to ask you another question. I emailed my TA as you suggested and today she sent me an email that stated that everyone in my group is getting a refund.The only problem I have now is that all of the refunds are different even if the original cabin rate was exactly the same. How could this be? It shouldn't be. For example I have 3 category N cabins for my parents, my kids and my brother, each next to each other. Each of them is getting a different refund. Would you have any insight into why this would happen? The first refunds were the same for each category. Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Megadan

[ShamrockFL]

Can someone give me some specifics here. What sites do you use that will actually give you the rate for a specific category of cabin without having to call them. All the sites I have gone to online just give the cost for a generic inside, balcony or oceanview cabin. Where can I check the price of an E2 or D1 cabin for example? Thanks.

[TPKeller]

Can someone give me some specifics here. What sites do you use that will actually give you the rate for a specific category of cabin without having to call them. All the sites I have gone to online just give the cost for a generic inside, balcony or oceanview cabin. Where can I check the price of an E2 or D1 cabin for example? Thanks.

Hi ShamrockFL,

 

This is a very good question, it is very frustrating to not have this information readily available, and it is very helpful to be able to do daily checks at that level of detail.

 

I know of three just off the top of my head, but I am not at all sure that one is allowed to post the names of web sites here, since it may be taken as recommending a travel agency.

 

Keep looking, you will find what you need.

 

Theron

[ShamrockFL]

Theron

Would you mind emailing those addresses to me at dick600401@yahoo.com please. I realize it isn't a great idea to post an email address anywhere but this isn't my main one and I only use occassionally. Thanks.

[BMW325]

Thanks for this post. I just checked my rate and it dropped $30/pp for my inside cabin. Not earthshattering, but will buy a few extra drinks :D

[mzplatinum24]

TPKELLER-

Do you know if that applies to people who have guarantee rooms? I cruise in Sept but I already have my room assigned so do you think if the rate reduction would work w/me?

[loudbmw]

My T/A has always gotten me price drops. I feel kinda bad as it affects his comission but it bothers me that I booked months ahead and now that the cruise isn't selling well, the price drops.

 

I wish there was a way in which the T/A's comission was frozen when you booked. If the price dropped, you got the reduction less the comission. Thus would give the T/A an incentive to work on your behalf and not cost him money.

 

Once, when a price dropped, I offered to send the T/A the difference in his comission, but he refused as he appreciated my repeat business.

 

Lou

[TPKeller]

TPKELLER-

Do you know if that applies to people who have guarantee rooms? I cruise in Sept but I already have my room assigned so do you think if the rate reduction would work w/me?

I know very little about guarantee rooms, other than they tend to sell out early. I rarely look at cruises more than 90 days out, so I rarely even see the category available on any of the web pages.

 

Sorry.. can't be more help!

 

Theron

[ShamrockFL]

Theron

Would you mind emailing those addresses to me. Thanks.

 

Thanks so much for your fast response and for the additional advice. Really appreciate it.

[Ella2]

I wish there was a way in which the T/A's comission was frozen when you booked. If the price dropped, you got the reduction less the comission. Thus would give the T/A an incentive to work on your behalf and not cost him money.

 

Once, when a price dropped, I offered to send the T/A the difference in his comission, but he refused as he appreciated my repeat business.

 

Lou, that was VERY nice of you. :) As a TA, I think you made a very nice offer, and your TA did exactly what I would do too. Lower commissions are just part of life, it's GREAT to see a client getting a better rate. Heck, my cruise just went down for the FOURTH time and I'm thrilled!

 

Sounds like you have a great TA. :)

[vickiw0318]

Y'all made me curious so I just checked. The current rate per person for the room we booked for October is up $350 over what I paid.

[TaylorgoCruz]

I constantly watch the prices online and after our final payment, our cabin dropped $200 and our son's cabin dropped $120; we called RC and they said if we called our TA they would get the discounted price; the RC agent also said keep watching, it might drop more. Recently, my son's cabin dropped another $200 and there is now a "senior citizen" rate for those 55 and over on our cabin. I called my TA and made her check twice, but they said the lower rates were for new bookings only and because we have our other son in our cabin, they wouldn't let us have the senior citizen discount, it was for two people in a room only. (We are both 55.) Doesn't make sense that we don't get the discount only because there is a third person with us. Oh well, we tried.

 

 

It sounds like that you got ripped off by your TA and his/her agency. I would call the RCL again and talk to the Customer Relations about that. Also, call your TA and ask to review the Company policies.

 

May I ask which online company you are booked with?

 

 

 

Taylor