Disappointed in Royal

[scottrn7]

Royal doesn't want your commitment that ties up their inventory i.e. cabin/suite, if the commitment rings hollow. I don't blame them. Using your scenario, they also don't want your friends & family's hollow commitment either. So if your are sincere about your date, ship, cabin, etc, book it w/o fear. If not, book it at the higher rate or even better, don't book it until you are sure all is a definite go.

 

I hear you, and all along I was thinking being loyal to royal might improve things over the years. Finding the benefits for the rewards levels are decreasing over time made is wonder why even bother getting to Diamond Plus.

 

As far as the booking we had made plans that had to be changed due to health issues. For the most part we book way in advance usually when sailings are first released due to my wife being handicap. We felt secure in feeling that if circumstances arose we could back out being risk free. Now will have to really consider other things to do rather than

cruise. It was a easy was for my wife to travel. Oddly enough in the last year two cruises we booked were cancelled by RCCL. We were able to re-book one of them. Still working and have to plan a schedule.

 

The only constant in the universe is change, but hopefully for the better.

 

We not be booking as many cruises in the future as we have done in the past.

[scottrn7]

I really don't see the big deal. Airlines and hotels already offer discounts if you book non-refundable fares. Why not have the same option on a cruise?

 

Understand, but the attraction to get friends and family to cruise and to look specifically at Royal Caribbean was the fact it was risk free.

 

Not everyone had the lifestyle to cruise anytime but want to go some day. I would say just get one booked and then budget it out to make a monthly payment to pay it out. Often there was price reductions that if you found it you could benefit and get back some money there.

[scottrn7]

So you are angry that RCI offers a non-refundable fare?

 

Or am I reading that wrong...

 

The idea of the fare makes sense- as it does cost money to allow people to have that kind of flexibility- one could have cabin reserved for just about 2 years, and then cancel it with 75 days to go. Which now makes that cabin tough to fill at the last moment. And yes, the last moment is that long, when many also have to factor in flying and arranging vacation time.

 

Not angry, just disappointed. Like anything in life our expectations and what we are used to often gets changed over time.

I understand yes, I could book a room and cancel it with 75 days to go. We book a stateroom often when the sailings are released due to needing a handicap room. So we are there for the long haul.

 

I think overall it will make people take a long look at booking.

[Merion_Mom]

Not angry, just disappointed. Like anything in life our expectations and what we are used to often gets changed over time.

I understand yes, I could book a room and cancel it with 75 days to go. We book a stateroom often when the sailings are released due to needing a handicap room. So we are there for the long haul.

 

I think overall it will make people take a long look at booking.

You can still do that. At the refundable fare.:confused:

[scottrn7]

The rest of the world copes with this. Time to adapt. There's also a multiple page thread this could've gone in instead of starting another one

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2497510

 

They introduced it due to people in NA booking up loads of suites and then cancelling the ones they didn't want just before final payment, resulting in them having to sell those cabins at a reduced rate in the final 75 days.

 

Well I don't live on here so didn't seen any other threads. Yep, adaption is a way of life, be cool or be cast out. I always find that one could removed themselves from the equation. Spend my shillings elsewhere too :)

[dd likes to cruise]

It's not just Royal, Carnival has those non-refundable rates, and from what I read here on CC so does Holland and Princess. Also more travel agents have started charging their own fees if you cancel or even make fare or room changes. As long as the cruiselines can still fill their ships they will most probably keep them.

 

You mentioned you may do other types of trips. I've seen some all-inclusive places charge cancel fees. And as mentioned most hotels now give you the option of refundable rates and cheaper non-refundable rates.

 

And don't forget you can choose to select the refundable rates - they are just higher.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Not angry, just disappointed. Like anything in life our expectations and what we are used to often gets changed over time.

I understand yes, I could book a room and cancel it with 75 days to go. We book a stateroom often when the sailings are released due to needing a handicap room. So we are there for the long haul.

 

I think overall it will make people take a long look at booking.

 

If I am not mistaken RCI has changed the free cancellation date to 90 days out from the previous 75 days.

 

Bill

[Clarea]

It's not just Royal, Carnival has those non-refundable rates, ...

One very nice aspect of Carnival's Early Saver fare is the ability to get price drops after final payment.

[Sarah1974]

Book the cruise you want to go on. If you can't commit, wait until you can. This is what most of us have to do.

 

I agree!

 

I live in the UK and once booked we cannot cancel without a loss of deposit

[Sprasa03]

I feel so naive! I didn't even know there was a thing called a suite hog! But now that I know such a thing exist - I can see why Royal would want non-refundable bookings.

[BecciBoo]

The idea of the fare makes sense- as it does cost money to allow people to have that kind of flexibility- one could have cabin reserved for just about 2 years, and then cancel it with 75 days to go. Which now makes that cabin tough to fill at the last moment. And yes, the last moment is that long, when many also have to factor in flying and arranging vacation time.

 

This is horse hockey. I have tried to price a last minute cruise for 1 to 3 weeks before departure for months and all the cruises are either booked full and/or high priced. I haven't come across one cruise that was discounted. This is just another way to make money. The only way to save money is still booking early.....and then crossing your fingers and buying insurance....just sayin:evilsmile:

[S.S.Oceanlover]

One very nice aspect of Carnival's Early Saver fare is the ability to get price drops after final payment.

 

You also only lose $50pp with the remaining balance held for up to 2 years instead of just one with Royal.

 

Bill

[CruiseKeeper]

I feel so naive! I didn't even know there was a thing called a suite hog! But now that I know such a thing exist - I can see why Royal would want non-refundable bookings.

 

 

 

Me too. I've read where some say this practice took place but I haven't seen it. I think some are apologists for everything that Royal does. Was this abuse at all prevalent?

[Biker19]

I have tried to price a last minute cruise for 1 to 3 weeks before departure for months and all the cruises are either booked full and/or high priced. I haven't come across one cruise that was discounted.

You need to redefine "last minute" to 30-90 days out.;)

[hurdlesfun]

This is why you use the insurance, if you can't go you get money back

 

 

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[hurdlesfun]

Also I understand everyone wanting the best deal but if you thought it was a good deal when you booked then be content yes sometimes prices go down but they also go up so be happy your going on a cruise!

 

 

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[Trainman-2]

and yes even though RCI has billions, of course they're greedy for more.

 

Corporations exist to make money for the people who invest in them.

 

This is not greed!

 

It is the way things work in a free market society.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Corporations exist to make money for the people who invest in them.

 

 

 

This is not greed!

 

 

 

It is the way things work in a free market society.

 

 

 

Yes yes yes Agree

 

Some just can't handle a free market society. We, USA, moved further away from free market society during the last 8 years. Hopefully it will right itself shortly.

 

 

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[payitforward]

Corporations exist to make money for the people who invest in them.

 

This is not greed!

 

It is the way things work in a free market society.

 

I'm still amazed at how many people seem to be shocked or resentful of the fact that companies are not in business just to make them happy, but are instead in business to make money!

[BecciBoo]

You need to redefine "last minute" to 30-90 days out.;)

 

Nope, I said exactly what I meant...1 week is 7 days and 3 weeks is 21 days last time I checked.

[ckfred]

Let me ask this question. As opposed to canceling a cruise, what if you want to change a cruise? Three years ago, we booked a 7-night cruise out of either Hamburg or Copenhagen. The more we thought about it, the more we decided that we didn't like the cruise. So, we switched to a 12-night cruise out of Harwich, departing within a few days of our original cruise.

 

So, with RC's new choice of refundable or non-refundable, does switching from one cruise to another cause a person to lose a deposit, if the original booking was on a non-refundable fare?

 

It used to be with the airlines, that if you booked a non-refundable ticket, you could change flights on a travel day, or even the travel day, if seats in the original fare category were available, with no penalty. Of course, that disappeared a good 10 or 15 years ago.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Let me ask this question. As opposed to canceling a cruise, what if you want to change a cruise? Three years ago, we booked a 7-night cruise out of either Hamburg or Copenhagen. The more we thought about it, the more we decided that we didn't like the cruise. So, we switched to a 12-night cruise out of Harwich, departing within a few days of our original cruise.

 

So, with RC's new choice of refundable or non-refundable, does switching from one cruise to another cause a person to lose a deposit, if the original booking was on a non-refundable fare?

 

It used to be with the airlines, that if you booked a non-refundable ticket, you could change flights on a travel day, or even the travel day, if seats in the original fare category were available, with no penalty. Of course, that disappeared a good 10 or 15 years ago.

 

 

 

How long after you booked the first did you hold the cabin?

 

 

 

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[ptf2009]

Yes yes yes Agree

 

Some just can't handle a free market society. We, USA, moved further away from free market society during the last 8 years. Hopefully it will right itself shortly.

 

 

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Totally agree! Hopefully times will be changing......

[Sascol]

I get where you are coming from and yes even though RCI has billions, of course they're greedy for more.

 

Greedy? I think not.

 

Royal Caribbean is a business. It is the goal of a business to profit. This allows them with a potential profit enhancer. As long as other deposit options are still there (which they are) no big deal. Even if the other options were not still there, again, it is their goal to make a profit so this is their choice to make.

[payitforward]

Let me ask this question. As opposed to canceling a cruise, what if you want to change a cruise? Three years ago, we booked a 7-night cruise out of either Hamburg or Copenhagen. The more we thought about it, the more we decided that we didn't like the cruise. So, we switched to a 12-night cruise out of Harwich, departing within a few days of our original cruise.

 

So, with RC's new choice of refundable or non-refundable, does switching from one cruise to another cause a person to lose a deposit, if the original booking was on a non-refundable fare?

 

It used to be with the airlines, that if you booked a non-refundable ticket, you could change flights on a travel day, or even the travel day, if seats in the original fare category were available, with no penalty. Of course, that disappeared a good 10 or 15 years ago.

 

You would lose $100 of the $250 per person deposit. The remaining $150 can be applied to the new cruise.