Royal Refund "Sale"

[peteukmcr]

I assume this thread is related to a specific US based 'sale'.

 

There are promotions in the UK at the moment too.

 

Having decided against sailing in 2018 on Oasis (a sailing we booked in Nov 2016) due to what we considered too high a fare, the cost of flights from the UK to the US and the decline in the value of GBP against USD, I was in the process of cancelling when I checked current fares.

 

Well, looks like we're still visiting Florida! Scored close to a USD 400 price drop and gained USD 100 OBC!

 

That's twice now we've scored large price drops with RCI/Celebrity. I got an approximately USD1100 price drop for our upcoming Reflection sailing 6 months before final payment.

 

Often read of my US friends scoring price drops and increases in OBC, but never us in 12 years of cruising RCI, but in the past 7 months, twice.:)

 

And now just when we've committed to travel to the US, Theresa May announces a general election in the UK at short notice on June 8th! Goodness knows what this and the resulting outcome will do the GBP/USD exchange rate. Hopefully will move a little in our favour making Oasis even better value! I can but hope ;)

[deliver42]

The sale worked for me. I had been checking the Symphony prices, and they didn't go up for the sale. I lost my C&A discount, but got $200.00 OBC which means I saved $75.00. No problem. I worked with a TA this time, and 7D cabins are sold out. I took an 8D on 9 which was fine with me. I already priced both on the website, so the savings, though not much are real for me.

[Husky1987]

Thanks Ellen. Does it define "suite" anywhere? Wondering if a JS is included.

 

I got $300 for a JS

[Ashland]

Ahhhh, the old "Bait & Switch"....Gotta love these "sales"

Well I just called RCI back and was offered to pay an additional $68.00 for $200. OBC....I now have $350. OBC...probably more than I've ever had before....but I'm one of those that has a hard time spending it...but I'll manage on this 9 night cruise :D

[Clarea]

I got $300 for a JS

Thanks!

[long time lurker]

Thanks to the OP for this thread. I just doubled my OBC for my January 2019 sailing that I had booked about a week ago! Woo Hoo!

[nelblu]

Nor are ours. By the way, it says up to $300 back. What determines the amount? Is there a schedule I'm missing?

 

Probably length and cabin type.

[Ashland]

Just checked on two other cruises I have for 2019 B2B on Freedom...I can pay an additional $229.00 per cruise and get an additional $300 OBC (already have $100 for booking onboard) for each cruise...so total OBC per cruise is $400...not sure what to do now ..never had these choices before and I'm :confused:...What do you all think...would you ? How would I spend this much credit ?

Edited April 18, 2017 by Ashland

[nelblu]

These promo sales don't do anything for any of my bookings as they do not match the C+ balcony discount. The only impact if there's a real drop on the fare prices. But, like an idiot who ahs a lot of optimism I search and get disappointed. ;p

[my3princez]

Just checked on two other cruises I have for 2019 B2B on Freedom...I can pay an additional $229.00 per cruise and get an additional $300 OBC (already have $100 for booking onboard) for each cruise...so total OBC per cruise is $400...not sure what to do now ..never has these choices before and I'm :confused:...What do you all think...would you ? How would I spend this much credit ?

For me, I would have to answer this question: If this offer didn't exist, would I spend an additional $229 onboard?" If yes, then go for it - you'll get $71 in extra spending money. If not, then there is no point in spending the additional $229 to get $300 OBC anyway.

[Grandma Petania]

I have 4 cruises booked between now and Feb. 2019, all in Central Park Balconies. Using the new prices and OBC, I am $368 ahead. On one, the price went up only $23, and the OBC went from $100 to $200. On the other three, I had no OBC before this sale. Even though the price of the cabins went up ($71, $108 & $136) the $200 OBC on each was a good enough deal to go to the trouble to get them repriced. That will very nicely cover the automatic gratuities for two of us. Glad I just happened to check today.

[dani negreanu]

I'm :confused:...What do you all think...would you ? How would I spend this much credit ?

 

You don't have to spend it. Just cash it out at the casino... and take it back home ...

Below, pls. see my thread --

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2486770

[Husky1987]

Thanks to the OP for this thread. I just doubled my OBC for my January 2019 sailing that I had booked about a week ago! Woo Hoo!

 

Nice! Glad it worked out for someone else too!

[Tara619]

Thanks! We get a net savings of $173 on our March 2018 FOS trip and $128 on our March 2019 AOS trip. I typically use a TA but didn't for the 2019 trip. Is the only/best way to get a lower price to call? Or can I do it online?

[ese]

Sometimes it pays to check the everlasting "sales" every once in awhile....

 

Just gave up my C&A discount on our JS 9618 cruise on Navigator in Nov. 2018. Price of the cruise went up $150, but came with $300 in OBC.

 

 

It's always cheaper the earllier yu book. Book before you end acruise and get the best deals. Discounts and onboard credits

[Ashland]

Thanks! We get a net savings of $173 on our March 2018 FOS trip and $128 on our March 2019 AOS trip. I typically use a TA but didn't for the 2019 trip. Is the only/best way to get a lower price to call? Or can I do it online?

You must call...and luckily since you didn't use a TA you can do this yourself...otherwise the TA must do this as they own your booking.

[Ashland]

You don't have to spend it. Just cash it out at the casino... and take it back home ...

Below, pls. see my thread --

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2486770

Thanks so much. So I need to set up my acct as a cash one or pay the 5%? Do I have to wait until the end of the cruise to do this?

[bluedevil72]

I had this happen to me earlier today. We booked an Inside Promenade on the Liberty for August a couple of weeks ago. During the weekend sale I changed to a Balcony Guarantee for less that $200 more.

 

This morning I was checking the new sale and the Balcony Guarantee was $83 more but with the $200 OBC, I would be $117 to the good......so I called. With my screen still up, the agent looked at the price and told me that it would be much more than that. I told her that was not what I had seen on my screen. She assured me that was the price that she was seeing. In the meantime, I had gone one more screen and had gotten the "spinning wheel." When I refreshed my screen, the price had changed to what she was telling me that it was.

 

So, in the time that it had taken for me to call and get somebody on the phone, and it wasn't that long, the price had gone up. I love cruising on RCCL but these pricing games that they play will drive you crazy. Oh well, we got a good price on the Balcony Guarantee and I will continue to play their game and keep looking.

[tmbasuhre]

I saved $142 and got $200 onboard credit! That's a lot of piña colada!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[dani negreanu]

Thanks so much. So I need to set up my acct as a cash one or pay the 5%? Do I have to wait until the end of the cruise to do this?

 

You can see Bob's replies on the thread, or --

 

What I've done is this: our account was set up with credit card while checking online. After reading Ken's advice, when we got aboard, I've deposited 500$ and switched it to "cash account". It was either there or in the safe. Day 3 or 4, when we saw that no way we're going to spend that much non-refundable OBC, went to the casino and, smiling brazenly, asked the cashier how to proceed (we don't gamble...). He asked how much OBC I'd like to cash. Said 150$. Gave me a 150$ voucher, said - "go to this machine, insert it, wait until it shows the 150$ credit, and then hit 'cash-out'. Come back to me with the new voucher, and I'll give u back 150$". I left him a fiver.

[missguy]

I have a question. I booked in Canadian funds and just checked our cruise in both Canadian and US funds and the OBC is the same amount but is it in Canadian or US money? Also, this offer is til when? Thank you!

[Clarea]

I have a question. I booked in Canadian funds and just checked our cruise in both Canadian and US funds and the OBC is the same amount but is it in Canadian or US money? Also, this offer is til when? Thank you!

OBC is in USD.

[Ourusualbeach]

I have a question. I booked in Canadian funds and just checked our cruise in both Canadian and US funds and the OBC is the same amount but is it in Canadian or US money? Also, this offer is til when? Thank you!

As you booked in CDN funds there are two scenarios,

 

- If you wait and use the OBC on board it will be, as Bob stated, in US$.

- If you get a prompt that allows you to use your OBC for cruise planner purchases Royal will convert the OBC to CDN$ as all your cruise planner purchases are done in CDN$. You will get appx. $131 CDN for every $100 in OBC that you have.

[luckyinpa]

Sometimes it pays to check the everlasting "sales" every once in awhile....

 

.

why only once in a while? i do it every day and keep track on a spreadsheet what the 'sales' are :halo:

 

still amazing the airline pricing this company has. changing hour by hour.

[Nemomof3]

Our 1/2018 cruise went up $30 but obc went from $100 to $200 so we got a little help.