Club Orange - cruise fare reduced for initial cabin I booked

[kluv2cruz]

I often face this dilemma. I book the cheapest cabin in category I want… let’s say obstructed balcony. Then add CO, and scoot my booking to the cabin I really want, say fancy balcony in my preferred location.

 

Then….

 

Price goes down, before final payment.

 

I call my TA and she compares the current price to my fancy new location balcony (even though I remind her I paid for obstructed), and she says, oh, it’s more expensive now than when you booked. You got a good price.

 

So, is there a way to get a CO booking refared? 
 

Fortunately, it’s so far never been a big enough difference that I get wound tight, but, what if? Do I need to completely cancel, obviously risk not being able to re-add CO and my preferred room.

 

Same question but after final payment (which for one of my bookings I’m in this situation.)

 

Can I call and talk to the Pricing Specialist myself (even though I’m booked with a TA)?
 

Thanks for your wisdom & experience!

 

 

[POA1]

Your TA has to call, but it you are outside final payment, the pricing specialist would be the one to handle it. I kinda think that they "lift" the Club Orange off the booking, refare the original, and put CO back so you are in the same upgraded room. (At least that's how it works in my imagination.)

[Blackduck59]

I'm with your TA, you got a screaming deal. Chances are if you mess with it you lose both the club orange and the upgraded cabin.

Also don't forget that new low fare may not be eligible for club orange. 

Edited July 16 by Blackduck59
Added content

[waiting2retire]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

I'm with your TA, you got a screaming deal. Chances are if you mess with it you lose both the club orange and the upgraded cabin.

Also don't forget that new low fare may not be eligible for club orange. 

How is a fare not eligible for Club Orange?

 

[cbr663]

In theory you should easily be able to get the CO re-fared.  However, your TA doesn't appear to have a thorough understanding of CO and this can present problems.

 

You can certainly try calling HAL yourself and requesting a Pricing Specialist.  It should be easy to re-fare the cruise, but cancelling and adding the CO can present challenges as CO is handled by Ship Inventory and not the PCC.  

 

If you do try it, make sure you explain clearly to the Pricing Specialist that you only want to do this if they are able to guarantee that you will still hold onto your CO.  I called to book a cruise once and asked the PCC to verify that CO was available as I would only book the cruise if I could get CO.  She put me on hold to call Ship Inventory, came back and took all the booking details and when we got to the point of adding CO she put me on hold again to only return to the call to tell me that CO was sold out.  You would have thought that she would have put some sort of hold on the CO when she first called to verify that it was available, but she didn't.  I ended up cancelling the entire cruise.  

[kluv2cruz]

3 hours ago, POA1 said:

Your TA has to call, but it you are outside final payment, the pricing specialist would be the one to handle it. I kinda think that they "lift" the Club Orange off the booking, refare the original, and put CO back so you are in the same upgraded room. (At least that's how it works in my imagination.)

Thanks @POA1

[kluv2cruz]

3 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

I'm with your TA, you got a screaming deal. Chances are if you mess with it you lose both the club orange and the upgraded cabin.

Also don't forget that new low fare may not be eligible for club orange. 

Oh, hadn’t thought of that (ineligibility). Hmmnn. 

[kluv2cruz]

55 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

In theory you should easily be able to get the CO re-fared.  However, your TA doesn't appear to have a thorough understanding of CO and this can present problems.

That I think is the issue. She is experienced but winding down career wise. She says I’m the only client that ever asks for CO (that and the points for booking with her agency). Ach!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Your TA needs to know first what the cost was of the VH Guarantee you paid, then also need to know the cost of your Club Orange, then call HAL and explain that your original cost of the VH was higher than it currently is. A pricing specialist can in fact make the change without disturbing your Club Orange or stateroom. They would do a manual adjustment to the pricing.

[kluv2cruz]

10 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Your TA needs to know first what the cost was of the VH Guarantee you paid, then also need to know the cost of your Club Orange, then call HAL and explain that your original cost of the VH was higher than it currently is. A pricing specialist can in fact make the change without disturbing your Club Orange or stateroom. They would do a manual adjustment to the pricing.

Thanks, that’s the way I would think it would / should / could happen. So far no luck, but nothing huge forgone yet. Part of the challenge is the time lag with an agent who doesn’t work 24/7 (understandably)!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

9 minutes ago, kluv2cruz said:

Thanks, that’s the way I would think it would / should / could happen. So far no luck, but nothing huge forgone yet. Part of the challenge is the time lag with an agent who doesn’t work 24/7 (understandably)!

Unfortunately the biggest problem with HAL right now is the HAL Call Center that has totally untrained Reps. Nor does HAL want to train them because they say "No" Very well and make it extremely frustrating for the TA. Most will not continue to fight the battle. Your TA needs to be forceful, ask to speak with a Pricing Specialist or their Lead Supervisor. Did you book with the Have It All Plus, if booked in the last year with the HIA plus it would have the Low Price Guarantee.

[Haljo1935]

Technically, HAL needs to talk with your TA and may not talk to you directly. But you can have your TA call them and add you. I call my TA first then have them add HAL so I hear everything that's said and can ask questions directly to HAL, if I want to.

[bennybear]

4 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Your TA needs to know first what the cost was of the VH Guarantee you paid, then also need to know the cost of your Club Orange, then call HAL and explain that your original cost of the VH was higher than it currently is. A pricing specialist can in fact make the change without disturbing your Club Orange or stateroom. They would do a manual adjustment to the pricing.

Curious about your thoughts about how it would be handled just shortly post final payment?

[kluv2cruz]

4 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Unfortunately the biggest problem with HAL right now is the HAL Call Center that has totally untrained Reps. Nor does HAL want to train them because they say "No" Very well and make it extremely frustrating for the TA. Most will not continue to fight the battle. Your TA needs to be forceful, ask to speak with a Pricing Specialist or their Lead Supervisor. Did you book with the Have It All Plus, if booked in the last year with the HIA plus it would have the Low Price Guarantee.

This. This is the issue. She spends an unfair amount of time on hold only to be told no then I pus again then the cycle starts. And I give up if it’s a small amount. Yea, low price guarantee.

[kluv2cruz]

4 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Technically, HAL needs to talk with your TA and may not talk to you directly. But you can have your TA call them and add you. I call my TA first then have them add HAL so I hear everything that's said and can ask questions directly to HAL, if I want to.

Oh! Clever!

[Sea Hag]

21 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

I'm with your TA, you got a screaming deal. Chances are if you mess with it you lose both the club orange and the upgraded cabin.

Also don't forget that new low fare may not be eligible for club orange. 

Why not? 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

12 hours ago, bennybear said:

Curious about your thoughts about how it would be handled just shortly post final payment?

This has a lot to when you actually booked the cruise. If you booked during the early booking bonus (Have it All Plus) then NO, you absolutely cannot get any adjustment or credit. The Low Price Guarantee mentioned as perks when booking Have It All Plus is actually more of a perk for HAL because what you are booked under would no longer be available making no possible to do any price adjustments.If you booked Advantage Fares and the price of the current Advantage Fares went down after final then yes they will honor a one time adjustment which is Ship board credit that equals 50% of what the difference in price is.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

12 hours ago, kluv2cruz said:

This. This is the issue. She spends an unfair amount of time on hold only to be told no then I pus again then the cycle starts. And I give up if it’s a small amount. Yea, low price guarantee.

Unfortunately this placing on hold and talking to HAL Reps that appear they do not understand is kind of HAL's new way of making Travel Agents not want to call them. But the question is does this sailing still offer the Early Booking Bonus with the Elite Packages and Pre paid Gratuities? If not then HAL is correct with not being able to do anything because the current pricing is NOT the same. If the price dropped and it still is offering the same exact perks you currently have then you do qualify for the lower price. The Big key is the current pricing and package being offered has to be exactly the same as you currently have to get the lower price.

[kluv2cruz]

8 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

This has a lot to when you actually booked the cruise. If you booked during the early booking bonus (Have it All Plus) then NO, you absolutely cannot get any adjustment or credit. The Low Price Guarantee mentioned as perks when booking Have It All Plus is actually more of a perk for HAL because what you are booked under would no longer be available making no possible to do any price adjustments.If you booked Advantage Fares and the price of the current Advantage Fares went down after final then yes they will honor a one time adjustment which is Ship board credit that equals 50% of what the difference in price is.

Oh, hmnn, interesting. Complicated.

[kluv2cruz]

3 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

The Big key is the current pricing and package being offered has to be exactly the same as you currently have to get the lower price.

That seems to be the “gotcha”.