Fare reduction ... but can we benefit?

[Team Alpha]

OK, so here's my dilemma. We've booked a Celebrity cruise with the perks (drink package, OBC, grats) through an Australian bricks and mortar TA. I've noticed that the fares on this cruise have been dropping significantly. So I rang our TA to see if we can access the lower fares without sacrificing our perks. She advised me that the only way to do it is to effectively cancel the original booking (and may forfeit our deposit) and re-book at the new fare which is of course without the perks so we would have to add/pay for them. She said they can't 'refare' and existing booking. 

 

Meanwhile, I have a friend who is sailing on a Celebrity cruise (Australia & NZ) and he booked with an online US based TA (whose name sounds a lot like 'holidays2go') and he noticed a price drop on his cruise whereby a balcony cabin was now cheaper than the oceanview he originally booked. He was able to keep all his perks and upgrade to the balcony cabin at the now cheaper fare.

 

So what's the deal - is this an issue just for us in Australia that we can't access the lower fares after booking? Or conversely is the ability to do so limited to US TA? Or am i missing something completely and there is a way to refare to the lower prices?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Rob

[mr walker]

Not sure I quite understand your question. If the new fare you see now doesn't include the perks, which were ' built-in' to your original fare, then it would be lower than the fare you paid. Not sure I can see that you can expect to get the perks you paid for in your original fare, for a fare that doesn't include the perks.

 

[Chiliburn]

Your friends agent can and  does honour price drop .Only US agents and some european  Agents.

Not in Australia  ,we have to cancel and rebook the new deal and sometimes you loose your cabin.

Been there done that Rob.

Forget about it and enjoy your cruise because I’ve seen people spoil their holiday stewing over it.

Edited October 28, 2019 by Chiliburn

[The_Big_M]

A combination of factors there. It sounds like the US currently has a special/package pricing that includes the extras. If for example a current deal in the US did not have extras included, they also could not refare that you keep the extras with a rebooking.

[windsor26]

34 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Your friends agent can and  does honour price drop .Only US agents and some european  Agents.

Not in Australia  ,we have to cancel and rebook the new deal and sometimes you loose your cabin.

Been there done that Rob.

Forget about it and enjoy your cruise because I’ve seen people spoil their holiday stewing over it.

It is rare but has been known for an on line australian agency to give something of a reduction perhaps in obc or a bottle of wine or dinner  so it is always worth asking

Perhaps it is easier to deal with on line agencies as they seem to do more business  than a bricks  mortar TA who are not cruise specilists

[The_Big_M]

5 minutes ago, windsor26 said:

It is rare but has been known for an on line australian agency to give something of a reduction perhaps in obc or a bottle of wine or dinner  so it is always worth asking

Perhaps it is easier to deal with on line agencies as they seem to do more business  than a bricks  mortar TA who are not cruise specilists

 

They'd be doing that out of their commission, so it's more realistic if it's say a $10000 fare where the commission would support it than say an $800 fare.

 

That's why there's no single answer, as each scenario has differences.

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, windsor26 said:

It is rare but has been known for an on line australian agency to give something of a reduction perhaps in obc or a bottle of wine or dinner  so it is always worth asking

Perhaps it is easier to deal with on line agencies as they seem to do more business  than a bricks  mortar TA who are not cruise specilists

It’s good to think there’s a Australian agent out there with a heart.

 

 I’ve always thought I was just their prey.

Edited October 28, 2019 by Chiliburn

[Big Kev]

There can be different many factors between USA and AU pricing and conditions now...  A sale on one or the other at time of booking,  Refundable, or non refundable deposit on initial booking,  Final payment dates different... Penalty period  start dates different, gratuities included or not   .. etc. etc 

 

Sue and Phil..

[muddles@sea]

I rebooked the 2021 Solstice Sydney to Hawaii cruise that I saw was $300 cheaper than when I booked in January through an on line agency.The booking had a $10 non refundable deposit. Called same agency, lost my $20 but saved $600 and scored a classic beverage package😁. Very happy as lots of sea days on this cruise.

[The_Big_M]

Are you sure you got the beverage package? Those have normally been excluded on the Transpacifics...

[MicCanberra]

Sometimes using a US TA or even UK TA has some benefits, sometimes they don't. Aussie TAs tend not to honour price drops once booked. Different regulations.

[frantic36]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Sometimes using a US TA or even UK TA has some benefits, sometimes they don't. Aussie TAs tend not to honour price drops once booked. Different regulations.

 

I am not sure if it is regulations? 

 

My current TA I have had for a few years is Australian based and she has price matched prior to final payment. This was on Seabourn and Silversea and my sister benefitted for her Oceania cruises. I think it might vary with cruise lines as she couldn't re fare our Cunard cruise without cancelling and rebooking and us loosing the cabin we had originally chosen. The price difference wasn't worth it for us to go further.

 

I didn't get the same benefit with the multi franchise travel company you see in the shopping malls prior to me finding my TA.

[muddles@sea]

On 10/30/2019 at 12:23 PM, The_Big_M said:

Are you sure you got the beverage package? Those have normally been excluded on the Transpacifics...

Had me worried so checked with TA and we have the classic package.

[The_Big_M]

12 minutes ago, muddles@sea said:

Had me worried so checked with TA and we have the classic package.

 

Good job, nice bonus!

[MMDown Under]

On 10/31/2019 at 8:41 AM, frantic36 said:

 

I am not sure if it is regulations? 

 

My current TA I have had for a few years is Australian based and she has price matched prior to final payment. This was on Seabourn and Silversea and my sister benefitted for her Oceania cruises. I think it might vary with cruise lines as she couldn't re fare our Cunard cruise without cancelling and rebooking and us loosing the cabin we had originally chosen. The price difference wasn't worth it for us to go further.

 

I didn't get the same benefit with the multi franchise travel company you see in the shopping malls prior to me finding my TA.

Seabourn, Silversea and Oceania are more expensive cruise lines, so I suspect a wise TA would be willing to share their higher commission with passengers, rather than loose their custom for future cruises. 

[MicCanberra]

Bigger the price, the more room to move.

[frantic36]

5 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Seabourn, Silversea and Oceania are more expensive cruise lines, so I suspect a wise TA would be willing to share their higher commission with passengers, rather than loose their custom for future cruises. 

 

Fair comment. However the cruise that I couldn't get a price drop on with the franchise agency was Crystal. I found out later Crystal will also price match. My comment was more to the question whether it can't be done in Australia due to regulations. 

[MMDown Under]

7 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

Fair comment. However the cruise that I couldn't get a price drop on with the franchise agency was Crystal. I found out later Crystal will also price match. My comment was more to the question whether it can't be done in Australia due to regulations. 

I doubt there would be any regulations stopping TAs price matching.  However, sometimes reduced fares state "for new bookings only".  

[MicCanberra]

Not so much regulations as to be a company Policy.

[Team Alpha]

On 10/30/2019 at 11:07 AM, muddles@sea said:

I rebooked the 2021 Solstice Sydney to Hawaii cruise that I saw was $300 cheaper than when I booked in January through an on line agency.The booking had a $10 non refundable deposit. Called same agency, lost my $20 but saved $600 and scored a classic beverage package😁. Very happy as lots of sea days on this cruise.

I didn't think Celebrity did the beverage package perks on the repositioning cruises to and from Australia. Good to know they do.

 

[MicCanberra]

They do sometimes, depends on how sales are going.