GROUP POINTS LISTING-TAs or OTHERS IN THE KNOW

[montgomeryfamily]

Does anyone have the latest listing of what you can get with Royal Caribbean group points?

 

There is a large group of older ladies who meet at a local adult enrichment center and have gotten together for a cruise next fall (they have 8+ cabins). Most of them have never cruised and none have cruised on Royal Caribbean. I volunteer there and have provided them cruising information as they have asked me lots of questions since I've cruised three times on the ship they will be on.

 

A travel agent who came to the center to visit booked them together for a group, but hasn't been helphful overall. Also, the travel agent never told them anything about getting points for the group sailing. After I mentioned the possibility of points to the ladies, they asked the travel agent. At first apparently the travel agent denied they would get any points for the group on the sailing, but when I checked with a contact I have who works for Royal Caribbean, I found out that the sailing would give them 8 group points. Now the travel agent says that nothing can be obtained for 8 points and this was why she had responded the way she had originally.

 

Unfortunately, my contact is not in a position to get the listing of what the points can be used to obtain. Apparently Royal Caribbean just refers people to cruisingpowerdotcom (which only travel agents can access). I would like to know if it is correct that the 8 points can't get anything for them or if it can, what can it get.

 

With everything that has gone on with the travel agent, if the ladies find out that the points can get them some extras, they have decided they will look for a new TA and just rebook. They all have inside guarantees, so it won't matter that much about cancelling at this point. Plus since these ladies are on a fixed income and this is a big splurge for all of them, every little bit will help.

 

I hope someone on the board can help. If you don't want to post here, please email me at kacruiser@ev1.net. Thanks. :)

[SRQfireman]

I'm guessing the TA doesn't want to give up everything in her bag of tricks....i.e.....let you have the 8 pts for your use verus her's/ or splitting them.....you getting the free berth as well????

[Ella2]

Kathy, I sent you an e-mail.

[montgomeryfamily]

My understanding that the ladies are dividing the value of the free berth between all of them to lower by some small amount the cost of their individual cruises.

 

While this is not my group and I am not sailing with these ladies nor in any way connected with their booking, I have sailed in groups before and also as a group leader. In all of those groups that I was associated with, the group got both the free berth and also benefits based on the amount of points for the sailing. In fact, Carnival even sent the point listing which listed all of the things you could get for various points.

 

Royal Caribbean doesn't give group rates, so the rates the ladies are paying are the same as regular rates. If the points can in fact be used for anything, the travel agent should either give them to the ladies or tell them she doesn't want to give them up--not deceive the ladies about the situation. But I don't want to assume that the TA is being deceptive. I want the real facts and so do the ladies.

[Dem920]

Kathy:

 

I sent you an email. Hope it helps.

 

DEM920:)

[montgomeryfamily]

Thanks, Ella2 and Dem920.

[ocngypz]

What date and what ship? And also, it depends on the actual rate code which was used to book them.

 

They may have been booked under FIT because the rates were lower. There were Z guarantees, which are excluded from groups.

 

If they were booked under FIT, there are no points. Likewise there are no tc's earned either.

 

The selection of amenities with Royal.. are pretty ho hum, except if you have enough points for dinner at Portofinos.

[phabric]

I would also like to know what the points could buy.

[Mamacruisediva]

We have 9 cabins Cat I Oceanview. We got 4 pts. In each cabin there will be a bottle of Champagne, basket of fruit and an RCI beach towel. We could have gotten a modest cocktail party with little trays of snacks. I decided on the former!

 

My TA told me as soon as the cabins were finalized. Not sure what your TA is up to?!? Best of luck!:)