Port fees dropped $20 pp before final?

[coaster]

Final is due tomorrow on Granduer in November. Price is lower due to lower taxes and port fees now. Just the gamble for booking early? Folks booking now have the lower rate.

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by coaster

[firefly333]

Too bad so sad, bye bye. We switched to much cheaper ports and that's what they said to me, twice. 

 

I booked grand Cayman and jamaica and got switched to costa maya and Belize.. and dont think you will get a obc once onboard if you overpaid. It's up to the ship to decide. I wrote to mbayley and posted the letter a couple weeks back about no refund for overpaying port fees. ..and then to boot missed costa maya. Rcl says we dont charge you extra if theh go up, we dont have a policy to refund if they go down and how they change by the hour ..

 

Depends on then ship. If they decide no, so sorry. Bad luck. 0 back.

Edited August 6, 2022 by firefly333

[coaster]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

Too bad so sad, bye bye. We switched to much cheaper ports and that's what they said tk me, twice. 

Ports are the same when booked.

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, coaster said:

Ports are the same when booked.

Overpayment is overpayment.

 

Changing ports has nothing to do with it.. my new port fees were less. My TA also said he can do nothing. 

[firefly333]

8 minutes ago, coaster said:

Ports are the same when booked.

Ok I went and found their reply. My question was what is their written policy on overpayment of port fees and taxes. I mentioned carnival refunds overpayment as obc. 

 

Here is their response. 

 

---------

 

Jxxxx,

 

Thank you for writing into the Royal Caribbean Executive office. I am happy to address your concerns and requests on behalf of Mr. Bayley today.

 

We’re sorry to hear of the disappointment and trouble you have had with requesting refunds of Taxes & Fees. Since you are still onboard the Liberty, we ask that you please bring these issues to the attention of our dedicated Guest Services staff onboard, so they can address them promptly.

 

Generally, Taxes & Fees costs fluctuate daily, sometimes hours, before a sailing. When you make your vacation plans, we lock in those costs for your specific reservation. As we do not charge guests if those prices go up, we also typically do not refund if they should go down prior to sailing. Also, compensation or refunds for missed ports while inboard are at the discretion of the ship crew and staff. We apologize again for the inconvenience and frustration.

 

Thank you again for contacting us. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.

 

Sincerely,

[coaster]

Guess those  who booked later will get the better port and taxes. Why book early anymore?

[prmssk]

1 minute ago, coaster said:

Guess those  who booked later will get the better port and taxes. Why book early anymore?

I haven't seen them go down often (like OP is experiencing).  More often they seem to go up.  By locking in port fees when you book you protect yourself against increases but might miss out on a decrease.

[coaster]

Taxes and fees lowered for our Nov 4th cruise on Granduer. $ 173.67 pp compared to $151.82 pp now. Royal says we still pay the higher amount even before final payment.  Without all of this, represenative I talked to said we could save $2 without factoring in the reduced port charges. I paid the extra $2 as Royal seems desperate to get every dime they can get. Sad they are in this situation now.

Edited August 6, 2022 by coaster

[twangster]

It goes both ways.

 

No one complains when port fees and taxes go up but folks are locked in at the lower rates and Royal doesn't force the increase on existing bookings.  

[coaster]

Hope my $2 donation goes far. All I can say now. 

[ARandomTraveler]

Can't you just get a price drop if you're before final payment? 

[coaster]

2 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Can't you just get a price drop if you're before final payment? 

Nope... I thought so also. These taxes and fees seem to be an exception.

[DaKahuna]

You can always cancel and re-book your cruise.  But seriously, is it worth the $20.00

[coaster]

3 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

You can always cancel and re-book your cruise.  But seriously, is it worth the $20.00

Cancel and rebook and lose $100 pp? Don't think so. It is over $40 total also. Not in the camp where Royal can do no wrong either.

Edited August 6, 2022 by coaster

[packedandready]

Don't know the policy now, but there have been a number of times a strange amount of obc popped up during our cruise. Was always told, when asked about it, that it was a refund for lower port fees. 

[coaster]

No obc showing for this cruise. I wish that was the case. It would seem fair as those booking later than us are paying less in port and taxes.

[packedandready]

Did they say why you can't be repriced as if there was a rate decrease?

[coaster]

Will call once more before I reply

[coaster]

Made 4 calls where I was on hold and nobody answered where it rang until the fourth call. No reduction in price at all unless 48 hrs after you booked even before final payment is what I was told. Will only book last minute in the future. No advantage booking before final payment and paying higher rates.  Should of taken original reps offer to reduce cruise by $2. Not so loyal in the future... Royal is being greedy now. Again, hope Royal appreciates my extra $2. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by coaster

[coaster]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

It goes both ways.

 

No one complains when port fees and taxes go up but folks are locked in at the lower rates and Royal doesn't force the increase on existing bookings.  

I book hotels and price goes up sometimes. I can cancel and rebook when prices go down though 48 to 24 hrs before arrival. No loss of any deposit as hotels dont require a deposit normally. They just charge you for a no show if you didn't cancel 48 to 24 hrs ahead. Loved Royal's policies last year and into May of this year. Not so much now. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by coaster

[coaster]

• Royal is saying now if you booked after the end of March, no price reductions before final payment or beyond. I understood after final, but before final is new to me. Just called again to clarify and they are standing firm no reduction before final payment.

Edited August 6, 2022 by coaster

[ARandomTraveler]

9 minutes ago, coaster said:

• Royal is saying now if you booked after the end of March, no price reductions before final payment or beyond. I understood after final, but before final is new to me. Just called again to clarify and they are standing firm no reduction before final payment.

This isn't true. I've gotten 5 price drops and I booked after March. My final payment date isn't until the end of this month. Call again tomorrow. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, coaster said:

• Royal is saying now if you booked after the end of March, no price reductions before final payment or beyond. I understood after final, but before final is new to me. Just called again to clarify and they are standing firm no reduction before final payment.

You get price drops on the cruisefare, not on the fees and taxes. 

 

Sept is a small amount its dropped. Maybe other people dont notice. When I was pricing in mock bookings I have to add in the odd $4 that fees dropped. I've had 2 more than $20 I'm back from. Yes to me they shouldnt be allowed to collect extra fees and taxes and then use them for a profit.

 

Price drops are only on the cruisefare. If you complain people will just say you are being cheap, so I've given up but agree with you. As above i actually wrote to them. 

 

I'm going to wait for going going gone sales and book last minute I think. I used to book last minute mostly until covid. Saves worrying about insurance. Lol I told you above they have no policy to refund overpayment of fees and taxes. I've been getting nothing. I think they overcharge on purpose. Odd how their port fees are always higher than carnival. I dont want carnival but find it odd the exact same ports the fees and taxes are less and they refund any extra as obc. Always. Rcl cruisers say the little extra doesnt matter, get over it. .. i have a very good ta i quoted above you didnt believe and i see called back. Lol. Well i tried to tell you. 

 

 

[Biker19]

5 hours ago, coaster said:

No obc showing for this cruise.

OBC for port fee drops, if any, wouldn't show up until you are on board.

[brillohead]

It's always a crapshoot.... if you don't book early, you might not get your desired room location/category.  Or the entire price may go up if you don't lock in the lower cruise fare rate.

However, taxes/fees aren't really something to complain about, IMO (I am allowed to have an opinion, just as anyone else is) -- they are set at the time of the purchase by the port authorities involved.  Royal doesn't get to just pick an amount and call it taxes/fees.  

On any given cruise, there will likely be people who paid more and people who paid less.  It's just the way this works.  If $20 is going to make or break your cruise experience, then maybe cruising isn't for you??