Repricing Cruise

[scubaslayer]

How can you reprice a cruise if you stateroom type is sold out or does that mean you can no longer reprice? I'm ok with the price we booked at but saving money is never a bad thing.

[Tree_skier]

chances are if you booked at a decent price a sold out category would price higher than you paid.  

[scubaslayer]

I managed to score a good deal on a 2 bedroom aquasuite for next summer. So there weren't many to start with and honestly I was only able to book that sailing because it was running a good $2000 per person lower than every other sailing I have looked at.

[Tree_skier]

16 minutes ago, scubaslayer said:

I managed to score a good deal on a 2 bedroom aquasuite for next summer. So there weren't many to start with and honestly I was only able to book that sailing because it was running a good $2000 per person lower than every other sailing I have looked at.

Good score!  I booked a 2 br GS on Navigator the day the itineraries were released and scored as well.  Within a couple of days the same cabin, for four people, was over double what I booked it for.  I stopped checking prices after they all sold out.  The 1 br GS is still way more than what I got the 2 br for so I'm pretty sure, even if I did price out the 2 br, it'd be even higher.

[leaveitallbehind]

39 minutes ago, scubaslayer said:

How can you reprice a cruise if you stateroom type is sold out or does that mean you can no longer reprice? I'm ok with the price we booked at but saving money is never a bad thing.

The only time you would reprice a cruise is if the stateroom category that you booked into had a fare decrease after you booked it.  You then would contact whomever you booked through and they could adjust your booking to reflect the lower fare.

 

But if a stateroom category is indeed sold out then there would no longer be any fare reduction within that category, and therefore would no longer be an opportunity to get a fare adjustment.  The cruise line could only adjust a fare to a category that has inventory actively selling that was at a lower fare than you paid.

 

If additional inventory in your category should subsequently open up and was at a lower fare, you could then ask for an adjustment. 

[Biker19]

36 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

But if a stateroom category is indeed sold out then there would no longer be any fare reduction within that category, and therefore would no longer be an opportunity to get a fare adjustment.

We have had reports (though rare and before the COVID shutdown) of folks getting price drops on a sold out category. 

[vjmatty]

I’ve gotten a fare reduction on a sold out category, but it’s hard to know when there’s a price drop without actual inventory of that cabin. If you happen to notice that all other categories are significantly cheaper, then it could be worth a call to RC and ask about a price drop. 

[mets123]

You have nothing to lose by trying. Last year on the Anthem before I made final payment, I asked for a re-price. Even though the category was sold out, I got a $700 refund. It does happen.

[Ourusualbeach]

4 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

The only time you would reprice a cruise is if the stateroom category that you booked into had a fare decrease after you booked it.  You then would contact whomever you booked through and they could adjust your booking to reflect the lower fare.

 

But if a stateroom category is indeed sold out then there would no longer be any fare reduction within that category, and therefore would no longer be an opportunity to get a fare adjustment.  The cruise line could only adjust a fare to a category that has inventory actively selling that was at a lower fare than you paid.

 

If additional inventory in your category should subsequently open up and was at a lower fare, you could then ask for an adjustment. 

This is a common misconception.

 

Sold out categories can indeed be repriced.  Royal does maintain a price for sold out categories in the event of cancellations.

 

Price drops can be category specific or across the board where they may see a sailing not selling and apply a flat rate % off of every category.  This woukd be applied to sold out categories as well.

 

The best way to monitor this woukd bevto track a category similar to what you booked, fir example owners suite and crown loft suite.  If you see a big price drop on a similar category it's worth a call.

 

I have had a price drop applied to a Royal suite and there is only one if those. 

 

 

[CruisingWalter]

11 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

But if a stateroom category is indeed sold out then there would no longer be any fare reduction within that category, and therefore would no longer be an opportunity to get a fare adjustment.

 

That depends on whether the category is officially Closed by Royal Caribbean or Waitlisted.

 

If the category is closed, there won't be any additional fare reductions.  If it is Waitlisted, we've never see the cruise fare reduce. The Waitlist price is usually significantly higher than anyone who has already booked. 

 

If you're working with a TA, it's super easy for them to price check your stateroom and if there is a price reduction, they can re-fare you cabin without the need to call Royal Caribbean (or Celebrity).

[molly361]

It was several years ago but I got a price Drop on a sold out category by calling Royal. When I saw the other categories close by went down 

[Essex_uk]

Hi. Perhaps you folks can correct me on this point. Having read through the comments above I gather that repricing has been available to a few of you prior to paying the full invoice?

I asking this as the T&C for us using RCI from the UK is different - repricing is only available within the first 48 hours after making the booking.

[LEMJMcC]

14 hours ago, scubaslayer said:

How can you reprice a cruise if you stateroom type is sold out or does that mean you can no longer reprice? I'm ok with the price we booked at but saving money is never a bad thing.

I booked our Junior Suite online last summer for our July 2024 Alaskan cruise and have watched the prices online since until they showed sold out; the fares always went up, not down.  I recently called RCI after I had made the final payment to see if re-pricing was an option.  I was told by the agent that there were no more JSs available therefore he could not check the current fare of a that same type of cabin.  He looked at the other classes of cabins and told me that their fares had increased. 

 

I think from what I've read and heard that this particular cruise is either sold out or nearly so.  Yours might differ.  In the past I've had success in getting lower fares up to a certain point, even after final payment.  I think once I was given onboard credits instead of a refund for some reason that I cannot recall.

 

As stated above, it can't hurt to ask.  "You have not because you ask not"

 

 

 

[leaveitallbehind]

Thanks for the corrections.  I am aware that waitlisted categories show a pricing for comparisons. Wasn't thinking if the last pricing on a sold out category was lower than the original purchased fare then a reprice would make sense.

[scubaslayer]

4 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

 

That depends on whether the category is officially Closed by Royal Caribbean or Waitlisted.

 

If the category is closed, there won't be any additional fare reductions.  If it is Waitlisted, we've never see the cruise fare reduce. The Waitlist price is usually significantly higher than anyone who has already booked. 

 

If you're working with a TA, it's super easy for them to price check your stateroom and if there is a price reduction, they can re-fare you cabin without the need to call Royal Caribbean (or Celebrity).

This actually would work well and I didn't think about that. My TAs website lets you price and then shows upgrades and downgrade prices, including waitlisted rooms. I guess when I get those discount emails, I can jump on an do a quick pricing to see. My work hours mean I am often looking at things late at night. No need to bother someone with a call when I am getting home at 10pm their time.

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, Essex_uk said:

Having read through the comments above I gather that repricing has been available to a few of you prior to paying the full invoice?

All North American bookings are eligible for price drops until the final payment date.

Edited April 26 by Biker19

[Essex_uk]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

All North American bookings are eligible for price drops until the final payment date.

Thank you for confirming the position. A big ask but can you copy this fact from the T&C's available to you in the US. 

[Biker19]

8 minutes ago, Essex_uk said:

A big ask but can you copy this fact from the T&C's available to you in the US. 

The T&C for each market can be found at: Primary Country of Residence - Guest Terms and Conditions (royalcaribbean.com) That may not show the ability to get price drops explicitly but it is like section 30 of the Aussie cruise contract.

Edited April 26 by Biker19

[Essex_uk]

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

The T&C for each market can be found at: Primary Country of Residence - Guest Terms and Conditions (royalcaribbean.com) That may not show the ability to get price drops explicitly but it is like section 30 of the Aussie cruise contract.

Thanks for this. Much appreciated.

[scubaslayer]

I put my deposit down 2 days ago. I went into the TAs website to reprice and it now shows it as $10,000 more for my group of 4. I think something was up with the price for that sailing, because the per person price is now what it has been for every other sailing in this room for the past 5 months. I will check periodically when I get an email that looks like it might make it better (like black Friday) but I probably lucked out, along with the other 2 people that seemed to book about the same time (since there were 3 rooms when I was booking). My kid is going to flip when she finds out upon arrival. As of now she wants her graduation gift to be a surprise. She thinks I am just booking this as our regular family vacation for next summer.

[Ourusualbeach]

7 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Wasn't thinking if the last pricing on a sold out category was lower than the original purchased fare

It doesn't have anything to do with the last price.  The price on a sold out cabin can still fluctuate as Royal maintains a price (not the one you see as the waitlisted price in cruising power) that can change at any time.  The last price could very well have been higher

[leaveitallbehind]

39 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It doesn't have anything to do with the last price.  The price on a sold out cabin can still fluctuate as Royal maintains a price (not the one you see as the waitlisted price in cruising power) that can change at any time.  The last price could very well have been higher

So the only way to find that out would be to call?  My point about the last fare was meant in comparison to the original fare on a sold out category, not recognizing ongoing fluctuations.  Would that not be the same as a waitlisted fare base?

[smokeybandit]

I had a price drop last week. First price drop I've had on a cruise in 2 years.

[Ourusualbeach]

36 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

So the only way to find that out would be to call?  My point about the last fare was meant in comparison to the original fare on a sold out category, not recognizing ongoing fluctuations.  Would that not be the same as a waitlisted fare base?

Only way is to call.  CP will not show accurate prices. 

[Pratique]

RCI agent told me to keep an eye on the website for price drops, but of course that doesn't work if the category is sold out. I am booked on a transatlantic in a suite where the suites are usually sold out more than a year in advance. It would be nice if there was an easy way to periodically check (or at least get a clue) for a possible price drop without having to call every few weeks for months on end only to be told that the price has gone up.