Residency Rate Question

[Foffie232]

First, I wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you super experienced cruisers. I thought I was an experienced cruiser having taken 6 cruises on two different lines, but boy was I wrong! You guys are awesome! Reading this message board has saved me some money and explained A LOT of things. So thank you to everyone for that :)

 

Second, I'm a frequent RCCL cruiser and was trying to book a cruise on Majesty for July 13 of this year. I noticed that, on rccl.com, there is a residency rate for my state (Delaware) for a superior ocean view cabin. I had to call RCCL for something not really related and thought I would just attempt to book this over the phone while I was talking to the customer service person but she could not bring up the residency rate for Delaware when she tried. So I didn't book over the phone. I went to my travel agent and tried to see if she could beat the residency rate through her discounts and when she called the travel agent desk at Royal Caribbean, they didn't have any rates lower than the residency rate I found on rccl.com and ALSO did not have the residency rate for Delaware at all. The customer service person my travel agent spoke to said there was no residency rate at all for that cruise for anyone outside of Florida.

 

So my question is this: If I book this residency rate online, when I get to the peer and check in, are they going to question the rate I got and charge me more money because it apparently wasn't really in their internal computers? It just sounds so strange that no one else could find this residency rate... even the people AT Royal Caribbean.

 

Thanks for all your help!!

 

Stephie

[phoenix1181]

If you book online, get a confirmation from RCCL and pay what they request, within the appropriate time frames, no one is going to question anything.

[DON M.]

I would tell the rep that the residence rate is on their own web site and if you cant get that rate over the phone, I would just book it from the web site with your deposit, they then would have to honor it. Make sure you print-out a copy of the rate so they cant say it wasn't on for the day you booked it.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

Make sure you print-out a copy of the rate so they cant say it wasn't on for the day you booked it.

 

Yeah, I think that's the key. As phoenix said, it's not likely that anybody will question anything -- they get so many different rates and so many different discounts, there's no way they could keep track of everything -- but just to cover your bases, keep a hard copy as proof. :)

[Travel Angel]

Yeah' date=' I think that's the key. As phoenix said, it's not likely that anybody will question anything -- they get so many different rates and so many different discounts, there's no way they could keep track of everything -- but just to cover your bases, keep a hard copy as proof. :)[/font']

 

 

If you qualified for a residency rate, your cruise docs will state this and you will have to be certain that either your passport or photo ID state your residency based on the state the discount was offered to when you check in. Many times a residency rate will be in the system and then be taken away. When you spoke with RCI it was no longer available when they looked it up, but you booked online and you have the rate, so I would not be stressing out over this. You will be just fine.

In the past, there were some shady agencies that were offering lower fares to get customers using residency rates/sr. rates, etc, but not telling their clients of this. Then when the documents arrived and showed that you were on a reduced fare, they would cover that up with a sticker.... RCI became wise to this and started checking at the pier based on the promotion you fell under.

 

Go have a great cruise at that great rate that you captured !

[packedandready]

How can you tell which cruises are offering what residency rates? Thanks

[RoofingPrincess]

We had a similar situation occur on my last cruise. I'm in CT and my roomie for that cruise was in Arkansas - she was the primary passenger on the booking. I saw a price drop with the CT residency, but when she called to take advantage of it, she was told that it wasn't in their computer -- but there was a residency rate for AR! This happened three separate times (yes, we got 3 price drops!)

No one asked us for any proof of residency at the pier (this is not to say that no one ever will, just that we weren't asked).

BW, your passport is not proof of residency - it doesn't have your address on it (and even if it did, since they're good for 10 yrs, it might not even be a current address). You need to take your driver's license.

Congrats on finding a good price!

 

Packed, the easiest way to find out about residency rates is to go to the online booking process, and make sure to enter your state as the last step before looking for rooms.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

If you qualified for a residency rate, your cruise docs will state this and you will have to be certain that either your passport or photo ID state your residency based on the state the discount was offered to when you check in.

 

True, and I'm glad you brought this up! :) What I meant was more along the lines of RCI folks who process the deposit and subsequent payments. But you're right, we've had a couple of resident discounts and they are definitely sticklers about checking for state ID at the pier!

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

they are definitely sticklers about checking for state ID at the pier!

 

No one asked us for any proof of residency at the pier

 

LOL!! That's the joy of dealing with RCI: it's always never the same' date=' and you can never always count on that! :D[/font']

[DON M.]

I think to determine what states will get residence rates, someone uses darts and a large map of the U.S.

[cruisinfanatic]

First, I wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you super experienced cruisers. I thought I was an experienced cruiser having taken 6 cruises on two different lines, but boy was I wrong! You guys are awesome! Reading this message board has saved me some money and explained A LOT of things. So thank you to everyone for that :)

 

Second, I'm a frequent RCCL cruiser and was trying to book a cruise on Majesty for July 13 of this year. I noticed that, on rccl.com, there is a residency rate for my state (Delaware) for a superior ocean view cabin. I had to call RCCL for something not really related and thought I would just attempt to book this over the phone while I was talking to the customer service person but she could not bring up the residency rate for Delaware when she tried. So I didn't book over the phone. I went to my travel agent and tried to see if she could beat the residency rate through her discounts and when she called the travel agent desk at Royal Caribbean, they didn't have any rates lower than the residency rate I found on rccl.com and ALSO did not have the residency rate for Delaware at all. The customer service person my travel agent spoke to said there was no residency rate at all for that cruise for anyone outside of Florida.

 

So my question is this: If I book this residency rate online, when I get to the peer and check in, are they going to question the rate I got and charge me more money because it apparently wasn't really in their internal computers? It just sounds so strange that no one else could find this residency rate... even the people AT Royal Caribbean.

 

Thanks for all your help!!

 

Stephie

Don't know where you saw Delaware. Only Fl right now for the discount.

[MacThespian]

Second, I'm a frequent RCCL cruiser and was trying to book a cruise on Majesty for July 13 of this year. I noticed that, on rccl.com, there is a residency rate for my state (Delaware) for a superior ocean view cabin. I had to call RCCL for something not really related and thought I would just attempt to book this over the phone while I was talking to the customer service person but she could not bring up the residency rate for Delaware when she tried. So I didn't book over the phone. I went to my travel agent and tried to see if she could beat the residency rate through her discounts and when she called the travel agent desk at Royal Caribbean, they didn't have any rates lower than the residency rate I found on rccl.com and ALSO did not have the residency rate for Delaware at all. The customer service person my travel agent spoke to said there was no residency rate at all for that cruise for anyone outside of Florida.

 

So my question is this: If I book this residency rate online, when I get to the peer and check in, are they going to question the rate I got and charge me more money because it apparently wasn't really in their internal computers? It just sounds so strange that no one else could find this residency rate... even the people AT Royal Caribbean.

These residency rates can change really quickly. I saw one online, but didn't call up my travel agent for a day or so, at which point it was no longer available. If you see one online, the best bet IMHO is to book it immediately online (and print out the confirmation, just in case); you can always cancel it later, as long as the final payment date hasn't passed.

[OHCruisinDad]

How can you tell which cruises are offering what residency rates? Thanks

 

packedandready - In addition to checking on line, download the weekly Promowave sales brochure that usually has up to a page of residency and senior specials. The link is http://www.creative.rccl.com/sales/promowave/RCL.pdf

 

Good luck with your fare search. :)

[Merion_Mom]

These residency rates can change really quickly. I saw one online, but didn't call up my travel agent for a day or so, at which point it was no longer available. If you see one online, the best bet IMHO is to book it immediately online (and print out the confirmation, just in case); you can always cancel it later, as long as the final payment date hasn't passed.

 

WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!? When have you EVER seen a PA residency rate?

 

I have never never never never never seen one. (not on any cruise *I* was researching, anyway :))

[cruisinfanatic]

Now I see it. RCL was down for awhile last night. The site and everyone elses does show a Delaware rate. You'll save $100 for the cabin. Book it online. Doubt you'll have any problem.