Rebooking with Club Orange?

[billco]

Is it possible to rebook a cruise prior to final payment to take advantage of the current promotion - Free Prepaid Crew Appreciation?

If Yes, is it also possible to transfer prepaid Club Orange and HIA?

 

Last May I booked an Obstructed Oceanview and upgraded to the best cabin in the category by buying Club Orange. More recently I upgraded to HIA without crew appreciation.

 

So, would I be able to cancel my booking, rebook an Obstructed Oceanview, upgrade to best in category with my previous prepaid Club Orange, and transfer my previous prepaid HIA?

Edited September 18, 2023 by billco

[Ken the cruiser]

If I might ask, when you upgraded to the "best cabin in the category" using the CO perk and then refared to get even a better deal to add HIA, was the "refared" cruise fare based on the new higher category cabin rate you upgraded to or the original "lower" cabin rate you originally booked prior to using the CO free upgrade option?

Edited September 18, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[billco]

The HIA was the same for both - $100 per day for both, It would have been $120 per day if I had selected HIA at time of booking.

Edited September 18, 2023 by billco

[Ready2go11]

Since HAL is not always consistent, your best bet is to contact your TA, PCC or HAL directly (depending on how you booked the cruise ) to inquire. 
 

Has the base cost of the cruise increased at all since your original booking (not including CO or HIA)?  If so, even if you could cancel everything you have (and rebook to get CO and same upgraded room) to get crew appreciation added, you would have to pay the current base fare if higher since it would be regarded as a new booking. That could make it a wash or worse to add included crew appreciation. 
 

If there has been no change in base price it may be doable, but you run the risk that when cancelling, your chosen room is added back to inventory and someone snatches it before you can fully rebook since it will take several steps to make it all happen in rebooking and adding CO. Best to call and see, if no price change in fare has occurred.  
 

 

 

[colin v]

In my experience you will receive refunds for prepaid items and then start from scratch. 
 

My gut tells me you will not benefit for all of the work involved. But my guy also tells me to visit the Dutch Cafe multiple times a day for treats, so it’s not exactly trustworthy. 

[billco]

1 hour ago, colin v said:

In my experience you will receive refunds for prepaid items and then start from scratch. 
 

My gut tells me you will not benefit for all of the work involved. But my guy also tells me to visit the Dutch Cafe multiple times a day for treats, so it’s not exactly trustworthy. 

I called my PCC. She added the promotion (Free Prepaid Crew Appreciation) onto my booking. Easy Peasy.

[KAKcruiser]

Do you still have a refundable deposit?  I currently am booked under the advantage fare and added Club Orange and HIA (for $50 per day) and was told that the Free Prepaid Crew Appreciation could not be added.

[billco]

3 hours ago, KAKcruiser said:

Do you still have a refundable deposit?  I currently am booked under the advantage fare and added Club Orange and HIA (for $50 per day) and was told that the Free Prepaid Crew Appreciation could not be added.

At first, I don’t think she understood what I was asking for, but she told me I could cancel my booking and get a full refund of deposit, Club Orange, and HIA. When she realized all I wanted was to add the crew appreciation, she said no problem.

 

like many people have said, sometimes it depends on who you’re talking to. I do have confirmation now that crew appreciation has been added

[canadianbear]

6 minutes ago, billco said:

At first, I don’t think she understood what I was asking for, but she told me I could cancel my booking and get a full refund of deposit, Club Orange, and HIA. When she realized all I wanted was to add the crew appreciation, she said no problem.

 

like many people have said, sometimes it depends on who you’re talking to. I do have confirmation now that crew appreciation has been added

Wow, that’s amazing & very lucky!  I’d go out & buy a lotto ticket!

[kazu]

If the pricing is the same and the perks have only improved, it is not a problem to refare at all.  No need to cancel.

The trick is when the pricing changes and/or the perks have changed.  When that happens you can be refared but either pay the higher price or lose some perks if they are not all still there.

 

Always pays to do the math 😉 

[KAKcruiser]

Please make sure you still have a refundable deposit.  That's where I had the problem.  They would add the crew appreciation but the deposit would become nonrefundable.

[Ken the cruiser]

49 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

Please make sure you still have a refundable deposit.  That's where I had the problem.  They would add the crew appreciation but the deposit would become nonrefundable.

So true. We learned about that negative NRD booking issue back in 2019 with our 30-day Australia circumnavigation cruise when we initially refared it to a lower price which also included changing the deposit from a refundable to a NRD. But at the time we didn’t know any different and thought we could still refare our booking if the price for our VS went down again prior to final payment. And sure enough our category’s NRD fare went down another $3500. But when we checked with our TA, we were informed that we were not allowed to refare a NRD booking. Definitely one of those lessons learned we have have not forgotten about since. 😉

Edited September 19, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[billco]

1 hour ago, KAKcruiser said:

Please make sure you still have a refundable deposit.  That's where I had the problem.  They would add the crew appreciation but the deposit would become nonrefundable.

Thanks. Fortunately I booked with a Future Cruise Deposit.

[KAKcruiser]

I'm not familiar with how that works.  Does that make a difference?  Could it still be nonrefundable?  

[Toofarfromthesea]

2 hours ago, billco said:

Thanks. Fortunately I booked with a Future Cruise Deposit.

 

Hmm, on the home page screen it seems to tie the free crew appreciation to a nonrefundable deposit.  It says "nonrefundable deposit offer - up to 45% off fares + Free Prepaid Crew Appreciation.  Are you sure that adding the free crew appreciation didn't convert your deposit into a nonrefundable deposit?  Unless, of course that was what you intended.

[KAKcruiser]

One of the problems with nonrefundable deposits is that you can't make any price adjustments as Ken the Cruiser pointed out.  And, they are very tricky about it.  You assume that this would be the fare clearly identified as nonrefundable.  But, it also looks like you can get the Crew Appreciation added to the HIA which is usually a refundable deposit.  But, if you read the fine print, it seems to make that a nonrefundable deposit.  You have to be very careful.

[billco]

11 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Hmm, on the home page screen it seems to tie the free crew appreciation to a nonrefundable deposit.  It says "nonrefundable deposit offer - up to 45% off fares + Free Prepaid Crew Appreciation.  Are you sure that adding the free crew appreciation didn't convert your deposit into a nonrefundable deposit?  Unless, of course that was what you intended.

The FCD was $100. Pretty close to final payment, so I don't think it matters. I figured it didn't hurt to ask and in this case it worked.

[Toofarfromthesea]

5 hours ago, billco said:

The FCD was $100. Pretty close to final payment, so I don't think it matters. I figured it didn't hurt to ask and in this case it worked.

 

Hmmm, I have an upcoming 1/13 17 day cruise where I've already made the final payment and pre-paid the grats.  I wonder if I can get the free grats promotion and a refund on the grats I've already paid.  I may just have to give my TA a call.