Sweet sorrow

[cbr663]

So true. Our free cruise cost over $1K for 5 days! And one doesn't get any OBC or other special promotions with it except the shareholder benefit.

 

Yes, they wouldn't allow us to add the Welcome Back promo to the cruise. We were able to add the future cruise credit to it though.

 

The price of our cruise dropped and it was confusing trying to figure out the new price for the cruise. Essentially, you take the difference between the price of the category you have booked, minus the price of the MM category for the cruise certificate and then add back the port fees and non deductible commission.

[Alberta Quilter]

Yes, they wouldn't allow us to add the Welcome Back promo to the cruise. We were able to add the future cruise credit to it though.

 

The price of our cruise dropped and it was confusing trying to figure out the new price for the cruise. Essentially, you take the difference between the price of the category you have booked, minus the price of the MM category for the cruise certificate and then add back the port fees and non deductible commission.

 

Do you mean the future cruise deposit? Or the OBC that comes with the FCD? I was told that we couldn't get that OBC, so there was little point in using the FCD.

 

As for price drops, final payment for our cruise is actually today so I paid the full amount on Friday when I booked the cruise. Frankly, the whole pricing was too confusing, for me, with all of the limitations, restrictions and what not. In fact, in reserving and paying on Friday during two different telephone calls, the second person redid the math and saved us $200. I did say that we would be open to upgrades but as all of the higher categories are pretty much sold out, I don't have much hope unless someone cancels at the last minute.

[cbr663]

Yes, we could use the FCD and receive the accompanying OBC. But, and this may be the difference. We booked a Caribbean cruise while on an Alaskan cruise and used the FCD and received the accompanying OBC.

 

Later on the Alaskan cruise, we discovered that we won a free cruise. We came home and asked to have the free cruise applied to the Caribbean cruise that we had already booked. They said yes, but we had to increase the size of the deposit in order to do so. The $200 FCD was no longer enough.

 

It does seem to me that anytime you use the cruise certificate toward an upgraded cabin that they have to calculate the fares manually. That is, of course, ripe for errors. That is why I took the time to figure out how they arrive at the final price.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. We ended up cancelling our cruise so our cruise certificate hasn't been redeemed yet. I think that when we are ready to book again, I will book a cruise using the FCD and OBC and then request that the cruise certificate be applied to the booking.

[SeaBands]

is a deal unless you are willing to take an inside cabin.

[summersigh]

summersigh <------ Rubbing your head in hopes the good luck will rub off on me!!!!! :D:D

[solocanadian]

Congratulations. What a wonderful way to end a cruise.:)

[Alberta Quilter]

is a deal unless you are willing to take an inside cabin.

 

The value is approximately $900 ($450 per person). But it costs another $600 in non commissionable fares, port fees and taxes....

 

That value can be applied to any category stateroom, the difference must be paid by the winner. In my case, the upgrade to a VB, NC fares, fees and taxes came to a total of almost $1100.

 

I still got $900 off of my cruise...

[Alberta Quilter]

Yes, we could use the FCD and receive the accompanying OBC. But, and this may be the difference. We booked a Caribbean cruise while on an Alaskan cruise and used the FCD and received the accompanying OBC.

 

Later on the Alaskan cruise, we discovered that we won a free cruise. We came home and asked to have the free cruise applied to the Caribbean cruise that we had already booked. They said yes, but we had to increase the size of the deposit in order to do so. The $200 FCD was no longer enough.

 

It does seem to me that anytime you use the cruise certificate toward an upgraded cabin that they have to calculate the fares manually. That is, of course, ripe for errors. That is why I took the time to figure out how they arrive at the final price.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. We ended up cancelling our cruise so our cruise certificate hasn't been redeemed yet. I think that when we are ready to book again, I will book a cruise using the FCD and OBC and then request that the cruise certificate be applied to the booking.

 

You're probably right in that the difference was in how we each booked. I hope it works out for you, next time!!

[ksqueak]

We were getting ready to depart the ship on the last day of our cruise a few weeks ago. DW was packing the bags and I was plotting to bolt the Friday elevator rugs down so Saturday wouldn't official arrive. At 9:20 the phone rang. I had just won the 7 day Caribbean Cruise.

 

 

Congratulations!

[taba]

is a deal unless you are willing to take an inside cabin.

We wanted to go on a Caribbean Cruise next spring. Because of our jobs, we are limited to the dates that we could travel. I prefer a higher deck and a balcony so that is what I chose. If I had paid for the same cruise, it would have cost me about $1500 more. It would have cost me less for an inside cabin, but I was more than willing to pay the difference because it was worth it to me. It wasn't free, but it was a substantial savings over what I would have paid otherwise. To me it was still a deal.

[cbr663]

I just checked our cruise certificate and no where does it state that we won a "free" cruise, only that we are the winner of a 7 day cruise. I can't recall ever hearing the word "free" used on board either, only the chance to win a cruise.

 

I write this as when we first inquired about the certificate, I was a little dismayed to learn that we had to pay additional fees in order to redeem it. I am now starting to realize that it isn't a "free" cruise that we won, but a cruise. A little different, but a big difference. That'll learn me to make assumptions.

 

All the same, it is a great bonus and one that we are hoping to take advantage of soon.