Promotions

[Sentinal137]

This may be a daft question, but I would appreciate your thoughts...

I booked a cruise on the Anthem of the Seas for my wife and myself for 2015 last march. This month RCI are offering to pay the gratuities and give free Select drinks packages.

As an early booker of the cruise I feel a little cheated that I could have booked now and got the promotion.

Would it be worth my TA calling RCI (or myself, would they talk to me?) about getting the promotion applied to my booking?

Thanks in Advance, John

[Clarea]

This may be a daft question, but I would appreciate your thoughts...

I booked a cruise on the Anthem of the Seas for my wife and myself for 2015 last march. This month RCI are offering to pay the gratuities and give free Select drinks packages.

As an early booker of the cruise I feel a little cheated that I could have booked now and got the promotion.

Would it be worth my TA calling RCI (or myself, would they talk to me?) about getting the promotion applied to my booking?

Thanks in Advance, John

Sure, what have you go to lose by making the phone call? Maybe they will say yes.

 

Also, look into how much it would cost you to cancel and rebook. I know that UK bookings generally have cancel fees, but I don't know if those fees would exceed the value of the free gratuities, drink package, and any price increase that may have occured since you booked.

[dancinman66]

Definitely call but it's only available to uk people and agents

 

 

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Edited August 15, 2014 by dancinman66

[exhaustedmum24]

Let us know how you get on please, we have also booked weeks ago and now this offer is on feel a little cheated.

[Sentinal137]

Hmm.. very interesting.

 

RCI can't do anything for me, firstly because I booked through a TA and the TA needs to correspond on my behalf.

 

Secondly, I was told that they have a policy of not applying promotions retrospectively - however he did say that this doesn't mean they can't do something to make the booking more attractive and stop us feeling cheated. I'll have a chat with the TA tomorrow and see if they can call RCI and get some kind of promotion out of them

 

More soon, and thanks.

[Sentinal137]

OK the TA got nothing from RCI either.

 

The TA did say that other cruise lines auto-match price reductions and keep their customers that book early much happier than RCI, so once this cruise is over then I will have to think carefully about which cruise line to go with next time.

 

Unless we get the free gratuities and drinks packages promotion for the cruise after next then I think we'll go with another cruise line that appreciates repeat custom and early bookers, before we get too much invested in the Crown & Anchor programme.

 

John

[dacsmom]

Definitely call but it's only available to uk people and agents

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

But the OP is from the UK.

 

Would it be cost effective to cancel and rebook?

[Sentinal137]

Would it be cost effective to cancel and rebook?

 

It's close... I'd lose the £300 deposit but gain drinks packages worth £660 and >£200 gratuities; BUT we don't drink enough to warrant buying the drinks packages, we would have to fork out an additional £300 now and finally, and most importantly, my DW won't cancel in case we lose the room she especially chose. We don't cruise often, we can't afford to, so we enjoy the planning, and part of that is the 'choosing' of which stateroom - and she doesn't want to lose it.

 

I may email RCI to let them know that customers don't like to be treated like this, but there is no soul in a corporation, only people. The corporation is there to make money and keep the shareholders happy and to do that they sometimes have to incentivise and attract customers to empty staterooms. It just irks me that they're giving such a great promotion 11 months before the sail date and I booked 13 months in advance... C'est la vie

[krev]

Maybe try calling the C&A, or, keep at the TA. If the chap at RCI already said they could maybe do something the don't give up so easily, put on the gloves and keep at it!

 

 

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[robandana]

This kind of thing happens all the time in life, you book a flight and the next month they are doing a deal to fill the plane and its cheaper...You buy a new car and 2-3 weeks later they slash the prices or have a BLOW OUT SALE....it's just part of life.

 

In your case you planned ahead and because of this you got the room you wanted...as a last minute customer or during a promotion you might get a better deal but not the room you wanted...

 

I try not to look too much at the prices after I buy....;)

[woodyren]

There are a few issues with your booking and some of your statements.

 

Firstly some cruise lines do offer price drops. Some even after final payment but I think you have to book a special fare (Carnival Early Saver if I recall correctly). Also most US travel agents and cruise companies have no cancellation fees prior to final payment so if a better price/offer comes up they will honour it otherwise you would just cancel. But your example is not a price match it is a NEW promotion.

 

The issue is that the promotion is most likely for new bookings only. Happens all the time. So the choice is yours as to whether you cancel and rebook or not. Unfortunately in the UK (and in Australia) you get slugged for cancellation fees even if before final payment. Just one reason why even though I am an Aussie I book with a USA agent. If this booking was with a USA agent you probably could do this BUT the free drinks pkg is only available to UK bookings so it would not have been an option anyway.

 

It's swings and roundabouts and if you are on top of things you can usually come out ahead. In this case it looks like you are on the wrong side of the rules but it is certainly not unfair what RCCL are doing in your case.

 

I would keep pursuing this but it may depend on how much time and how persistent your TA is. I would also think that your TA should be able to manage cancelling and rebooking AND keep your same cabin. If I am reading correctly it will cost you £300 to get £660 worth of drinks pkg and £200 worth of gratuities which you have to pay for anyway if you stay with your original booking. So in actual fact the drinks pkg is costing you £100. Even if you don't drink much that is a bargain.

[exhaustedmum24]

I rang RCI myself about the booking we had made and asked if anything could be added to our booking, RCI wouldn't enter even into a conversation about it.

What does seem unfair (and correct me if I'm wrong) but those in the US seem able to change their bookings under BOGOHO or WOW and get either a small refund or OBC. Is that because they are classed as sales whereas the all-inclusive (in the UK) is a promotion??

Edited August 17, 2014 by exhaustedmum24

[Ocean Boy]

Definitely call but it's only available to uk people and agents

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

And the folks in the UK are always saying that we in the U.S. and Canada get all the good deals.

[Missbrightstar]

I rang RCI myself about the booking we had made and asked if anything could be added to our booking, RCI wouldn't enter even into a conversation about it.

What does seem unfair (and correct me if I'm wrong) but those in the US seem able to change their bookings under BOGOHO or WOW and get either a small refund or OBC. Is that because they are classed as sales whereas the all-inclusive (in the UK) is a promotion??

 

I'm from the UK and something similar happened to us but with a price drop. We ended up going back to our TA, fought tooth and nail and they honoured the price drop. Now with the free drinks and gratuities offer there is nothing we can do. Feel the the same as you and it's not fair that uk people are treated differently

[hazy123]

I think a lot of folk will be sick at the 'all inclusive' offer (as called by the Direct Sales and Service Specialist at RCL cruises) who thought they were doing the right thing by booking early. We booked early for no other reason than we like to book early. I don't care where my cabin is or the ports of call now as we've been to most. We asked our agent to check if we could take advantage of the offer and were happy to pay the extra price now ( around £550). The answer was no. We just wanted to be treated in an equitable position to a new booking. Reasonable - no. We would need to lose our £600 deposit and rebook. So that's not a sensible option. It would just have been nice as a family with young children to know what our total holiday cost would be!

 

If the offer were next summer nearer our cruise time I would not be bothered and just think last minute bookers were lucky, but so far in advance ... Other cruise lines do care and honour offers in the uk!

 

Well, they've lost our future business, only booked with them as kids like the bigger ships!

[cru2]

Same thing happened to us, I am not impressed at all as we have to book early to get an accessible cabin otherwise we can't cruise. Last time I will be sailing with RCI.

 

I have telephoned & emailed & got knowhere, just think it is really bad customer service, obviously the cruises were not selling as anticipated.

 

well as they say you live n learn but will never cruise with this brand again!

[Nikkimouse76]

I booked our cruise back in January I believe. A few months after a sale rolled out, kids sail free. I called RCI to see if I could get that sale applied to my booking. The agent was quite rude and the answer was a simple, 'no'. I went and did a mock booking online and the sale applied to my sailing. I called RCI back, and wouldn't you know the next agent I dealt with bent over backwards to get me the sale price. Turns out the kids sail free promotion was only good for new bookings. The agent canceled my current reservation, then put our original cabin on a courtesy hold, and after that booked our exact same cruise/cabins under a new reservation. I was happy that someone was actually willing to do their job, and not only that but go the extra mile. I got lucky that day.

 

I can understand how you feel. In the end I hope you can put this behind you and still enjoy your cruise.

 

 

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[woodyren]

The reply above illustrates the difference between USA and other countries conditions. The main one is the cancellation fees.

 

USA cruiselines normally zero before final payment although some agents may put a small fee ($100or less for cancellation).

 

Other countries fees are quite high.

 

In the USA price drops are normally honoured because if they are not you could just cancel and rebook for zero cost so the process is easier to just adjust your current booking.

 

Treatment of new offers vary in the USA and often say "for new bookings only" . Technically you just cancel and rebook as the poster above did but this also means that you can't carry over some existing perks. In other countries the cancellations fees make this prohibitive as happened to the OP.

 

Remember the OP's issue is NOT A PRICE DROP. The price has gone up.

Also the OP and a few others seem to think they have an entitlement to the same conditions as the USA while happily expecting a package that is not available to those in the USA. Hey, we would all like it both ways but that doesn't always happen.

 

The answer is simple and as much as I hate the system, dislike taking my business away from Aussie jobs, lessen my choice of cruise lines, I refuse to book with local TA's, refuse to book with Cruise companies that stop me from booking in the USA.

 

I book all my cruises with a US TA so I have the conditions. Even if the price is slightly higher than an Aussie TA I want the flexibility. I also steadfastly refuse to book Princess or HAL because they will not allow me to book with a TA in the USA.

[Sentinal137]

Also the OP and a few others seem to think they have an entitlement to the same conditions as the USA while happily expecting a package that is not available to those in the USA.

 

No. The OP doesn't have any such expectation - the OP feels that early bookers should be treated in this leisure industry the same as others. Early bookers should get the best deals, not the other way around.

 

That said, I booked this cruise thinking it was good value - I'll live with my choice without much issue. I started this thread simply to see if there was anyone out there that knew of a way to get this promotion added to my booking, which there isn't.

 

John

[Merion_Mom]

If I were you, I would like to have the new promotion, too.

 

But to say that "early bookers should get the best deal"?

 

Why? Why should early bookers get the best deal? What is the reasoning behind that statement?

 

Sometimes booking early gets you the best price, and sometimes it just gets you the precise cabin that you want.

 

Sometimes waiting until after final payment gets you a much better price, but a smaller pool or even tiny pool of cabins from which to choose.

 

Sometimes the best price lies somewhere in the middle, when RC decides to drop prices for a bit to "goose" sales.

 

As is said around here, "Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances."

 

Or, "Some days you get the bear and some days the bear gets you." :D

[trojan3000]

Sentinal137 the same has happened to me on Explorer in 2015 out of Southampton but when I check the price the cruise is £850 more than what I have paid. You cannot rebook in the UK without losing your deposit £300.

Reprice your cruise see how much more you have to pay to get the FREE beer and wine.

My cruise is now £1050 more than I paid but you get £200 OBC.

[nelblu]

I rang RCI myself about the booking we had made and asked if anything could be added to our booking, RCI wouldn't enter even into a conversation about it.

What does seem unfair (and correct me if I'm wrong) but those in the US seem able to change their bookings under BOGOHO or WOW and get either a small refund or OBC. Is that because they are classed as sales whereas the all-inclusive (in the UK) is a promotion??

 

Not all promotions are the same. We got a great deal when the original BOGOHO was introduced in May. It costs us less than $800 per for a C1 cabin on Oasis for Feb. '16th, however, if I book the same itinerary it'll cost $300+ per more. There's a lot of complaining/griping on this board with the current promo(s) as the cabin prices have escalated and this may be due to the number of cabin(s) that have been sold with all of the promos that began early this year.

 

Ps. When I booked the Oasis with the May sale we also received $100 OBC (NCC) and $150 OBC and dinner for 2 at a specialty restaurant--a steal with today's pricing.

[Indy_Girl46]

This may be a daft question, but I would appreciate your thoughts...

I booked a cruise on the Anthem of the Seas for my wife and myself for 2015 last march. This month RCI are offering to pay the gratuities and give free Select drinks packages.

As an early booker of the cruise I feel a little cheated that I could have booked now and got the promotion.

Would it be worth my TA calling RCI (or myself, would they talk to me?) about getting the promotion applied to my booking?

Thanks in Advance, John

 

Yes, we feel very cheated. We booked the day Anthem opened for Crown and Anchor members and then they do this. I have already written to RC venting my thoughts and awaiting a reply.

[Indy_Girl46]

I think a lot of folk will be sick at the 'all inclusive' offer (as called by the Direct Sales and Service Specialist at RCL cruises) who thought they were doing the right thing by booking early. We booked early for no other reason than we like to book early. I don't care where my cabin is or the ports of call now as we've been to most. We asked our agent to check if we could take advantage of the offer and were happy to pay the extra price now ( around £550). The answer was no. We just wanted to be treated in an equitable position to a new booking. Reasonable - no. We would need to lose our £600 deposit and rebook. So that's not a sensible option. It would just have been nice as a family with young children to know what our total holiday cost would be!

 

If the offer were next summer nearer our cruise time I would not be bothered and just think last minute bookers were lucky, but so far in advance ... Other cruise lines do care and honour offers in the uk!

 

Well, they've lost our future business, only booked with them as kids like the bigger ships!

 

Yes, I could understand if this promotion was nearer the time of the cruise and they still had a lot of cabins to sell but to do this with, for us, 11 months before the cruise is, we feel, disgusting. Our TA said to cancel and rebook but I would be afraid of losing it and we would lose our deposit £450. Not sure what to do really. In this case loyalty doesn't pay.

[cru2]

If I were you, I would like to have the new promotion, too.

 

But to say that "early bookers should get the best deal"?

 

Why? Why should early bookers get the best deal? What is the reasoning behind that statement?

 

Sometimes booking early gets you the best price, and sometimes it just gets you the precise cabin that you want.

 

Sometimes waiting until after final payment gets you a much better price, but a smaller pool or even tiny pool of cabins from which to choose.

 

Sometimes the best price lies somewhere in the middle, when RC decides to drop prices for a bit to "goose" sales.

 

As is said around here, "Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances."

 

Or, "Some days you get the bear and some days the bear gets you." :D

 

I, personally have to book early to be able to get an accessible cabin without, my daughter would be unable to cruise. I agree with the "ya pays yer money and takes your chances" but I will in future vote with my feet & walk away from RCI.