british cruiser questions

[Broch]

[quote name='Elizanessie']Hi Simon :D

I just logged into "My Cruises" on the RCCL UK website and looked in my NV reservation and noticed it had been reduced by the Fuel Surcharge. :D[/quote]

Hi Liz. Got my invoice amended today. Refund most gratefully received.

[Lushpuppy]

I called my ta today - £120 refunded to my credit card as fully paid! Quite suprised it was not an obc!

[suekay]

[quote name='Elizanessie']You can only see your reservation balance details online if you are booked with RCCL UK.

If you are booked with a TA either here or in US you wont be able to see your balance, you will need to ask them the details.[/quote]
Thanks for your reply. I'm quite happy to wait now I know I'm not missing anything

[Broch]

[quote name='Lushpuppy']I called my ta today - £120 refunded to my credit card as fully paid! Quite suprised it was not an obc![/quote]

Good on Rccl and pleased for you, as I would of thought after payment, refund would have been OBC

[mickfoxland]

phoned my ta today , thomas cook, and they removed the surchage

[English Jane]

Hiya Mick - guess what ... we're on your cruise!!!!!

 

Jane

x

[NorbertsNiece]

Emailed my TA today. As I've paid the full amount and they've yet to pay RCCL I'll be getting the fuel surcharge refunded to my CC. As above, surprised not to be given as OBC but happy to have the money back in £.

[mickfoxland]

Hiya Mick - guess what ... we're on your cruise!!!!!

 

Jane

x

it will be wonderful to see you again

mick

[Elizanessie]

Emailed my TA today. As I've paid the full amount and they've yet to pay RCCL I'll be getting the fuel surcharge refunded to my CC. As above, surprised not to be given as OBC but happy to have the money back in £.

 

I just noticed something in your post....which seems strange to me.. "As I've paid the full amount and they've yet to pay RCCL "

 

 

Why didnt your TA pay RCCL your money when you paid it to them? :confused:

 

I have never had a TA hold my money,it had always gone straight to RCCL.

[tiggerlily]

i phoned the TA yesterday to see how much it would be to upgrade from d2 to junior suite.

They wanted

£1200 for 2 each week (booked bakc to back on vision in Jan)

i thought prices were coming down, so i might have got a suite for little more.

Has any one else had this prob?

[NorbertsNiece]

I just noticed something in your post....which seems strange to me.. "As I've paid the full amount and they've yet to pay RCCL "

 

 

Why didnt your TA pay RCCL your money when you paid it to them? :confused:

 

I have never had a TA hold my money,it had always gone straight to RCCL.

 

Good question.

His email says :

 

Thank you for your e mail , you will receive a full refund of your fuel surcharge in due course ,we processed your payment on 04 December 2008 , as we have yet to pay RCCL this will be refunded prior to your departure date as oppose to an on board credit ,

 

I have asked him why I have to wait.

Maybe the date the TA sets for final payment is not the same as the date set by RCCL..... ???

[Elizanessie]

Good question.

His email says :

 

Thank you for your e mail , you will receive a full refund of your fuel surcharge in due course ,we processed your payment on 04 December 2008 , as we have yet to pay RCCL this will be refunded prior to your departure date as oppose to an on board credit ,

 

I have asked him why I have to wait.

Maybe the date the TA sets for final payment is not the same as the date set by RCCL..... ???

 

Mmm weird eh...never heard of a TA holding the money :confused:

TAs dont have to wait until final payment date to pay RCCL. Some cruisers pay for their cruise in full when booking.

 

I would guess then the TA is getting the interest in their accounts rather than RCCL.

No matter if I have booked in US or UK I always see my payments on my CC account within 2 days of me paying it.

 

What would worry me these days is if the TA went bust what happens to your money that they are holding to pass onto RCCL?

[Lushpuppy]

It was always my understanding that TAs (I know Thomas Cook do), ask for final payment earlier than the tour operator requires. The TO will bill the TA, but the TA takes your money. So yes, the TA will earn money in interest on the payment. RCCI wont get their money for some time after you have paid it to the TA.

I guess with all the discounts TAs are offering on the High Street, they need to make money somehow.

I love to support our local TA. If at all possible I will make sure they have our business. Its still nice to have that friendly personal touch:)

[Lushpuppy]

Mmm weird eh...never heard of a TA holding the money :confused:

TAs dont have to wait until final payment date to pay RCCL. Some cruisers pay for their cruise in full when booking.

 

I would guess then the TA is getting the interest in their accounts rather than RCCL.

No matter if I have booked in US or UK I always see my payments on my CC account within 2 days of me paying it.

 

What would worry me these days is if the TA went bust what happens to your money that they are holding to pass onto RCCL?

As long as its ABTA protected, or you have paid by credit card, you are covered.

[cavkc]

i phoned the TA yesterday to see how much it would be to upgrade from d2 to junior suite.

They wanted

£1200 for 2 each week (booked bakc to back on vision in Jan)

i thought prices were coming down, so i might have got a suite for little more.

Has any one else had this prob?

 

We upgraded from an GS to a OS for our Explorer cruise and the additional cost was £900 for a 12 night cruise. They also resold our GS at the same price we subsequently paid for the OS !!

[LoisGriffin1]

Does anyone book through the UK site directly? I really prefer booking my holidays myself rather than using a ta. It seems fairly easy to do and that means I can happily book all my flights seperately.

[uktraveller]

Does anyone book through the UK site directly? I really prefer booking my holidays myself rather than using a ta. It seems fairly easy to do and that means I can happily book all my flights seperately.

Yes - We booked our August '08 cruise through a big online TA and had one heck of a struggle getting them to honour a big price drop :mad: -so the Navigator cruise we have booked for next October we did direct with RCCL. So far I have called them to change cabin, get a price drop, add a platinum balcony discount and get an upgrade instead of a 2nd price drop - each time it has been quick and easy. I like having control over my booking!

[LoisGriffin1]

I do too. I feel safer some how. I went with a ta for my cruise to Alaska because its my first cruise and I didn't know what I was doing but I think I am confident enough to do it myself from now on.

 

Its good to know how easy it is to change things so thanks for that.

[Elizanessie]

Yes - We booked our August '08 cruise through a big online TA and had one heck of a struggle getting them to honour a big price drop :mad: -so the Navigator cruise we have booked for next October we did direct with RCCL. So far I have called them to change cabin, get a price drop, add a platinum balcony discount and get an upgrade instead of a 2nd price drop - each time it has been quick and easy. I like having control over my booking!

 

I totally agree :D

 

I love the fact that if anything crops up or I want to change something then it is done very quickly and I can see it online in My Cruises :D specially when it comes to price drops etc.

[uktraveller]

I do too. I feel safer some how. I went with a ta for my cruise to Alaska because its my first cruise and I didn't know what I was doing but I think I am confident enough to do it myself from now on.

 

Its good to know how easy it is to change things so thanks for that.

One piece of advice I would offer.... once you have booked direct and have control over your booking through "My Cruises" be careful what you try to modify on the website as opposed to on the 'phone. Modifications on the website can result in the cruise being re-priced....I changed to a different cabin in the same category and my balance shot up!! :eek: They put it back for me when I called but now I make changes by calling them!!

[jan1403]

I booked in Sept direct with RCCL thinking it would be cheaper than a TA. However, I found out 2 weeks ago that it would have been £200 cheaper if I had booked with Thomas ****. I emailed RCCL who informed me they should have applied an early booking discount and promptly reduced the cost by £200. They have since also removed Fuel Surcharge saving me another £70. Very impressed with customer service so far.

[Elizanessie]

Does anyone book through the UK site directly? I really prefer booking my holidays myself rather than using a ta. It seems fairly easy to do and that means I can happily book all my flights seperately.

 

Just be on RCCL UK site and they have a new offer on- 5% off if you book online through their site :D

[hollyanna]

Hi all. I am also a UK cruiser from Yorkshire and hope someone can help,

 

I have had trouble getting into my account on RCI website for a few days as I wanted to add gratuities in UK £ as much cheaper than doing onboard at present (£4.90 per passesnger per day Versus $15.50 per person per day!!!)so called RCI Dept who deal with problems with the website... she said very odd but had come across this with another man the other day, and had to change my password and log in etc. She then noticed herself that the buttons have changed... you can no longer access payment details of future cruises, only the next one coming up on the right side of the page. (I have 3 booked), so cannot therefore pay anything or add gratuities etc on future cruises, or look at tota now with fuel surcharge knocked off. She thought this odd. Has anyone else noticed the changes? You can look at other future cruises but not what you have paid and balances etc which is what I like about booking with RCI.

 

Thanks for any help in advance, Hollyanna

[NorbertsNiece]

Hi all. I am also a UK cruiser from Yorkshire and hope someone can help,

 

I have had trouble getting into my account on RCI website for a few days as I wanted to add gratuities in UK £ as much cheaper than doing onboard at present (£4.90 per passesnger per day Versus $15.50 per person per day!!!)so called RCI Dept who deal with problems with the website... she said very odd but had come across this with another man the other day, and had to change my password and log in etc. She then noticed herself that the buttons have changed... you can no longer access payment details of future cruises, only the next one coming up on the right side of the page. (I have 3 booked), so cannot therefore pay anything or add gratuities etc on future cruises, or look at tota now with fuel surcharge knocked off. She thought this odd. Has anyone else noticed the changes? You can look at other future cruises but not what you have paid and balances etc which is what I like about booking with RCI.

 

Thanks for any help in advance, Hollyanna

 

Have you tried going in through the .com website as opposed to co.uk? I've noticed there are slightly different features in the .com one.....

Thanks for the heads up on the gratuity situation. Will follow suit and call my TA.

[uksimonusa]

Hi all. I am also a UK cruiser from Yorkshire and hope someone can help,

 

I have had trouble getting into my account on RCI website for a few days as I wanted to add gratuities in UK £ as much cheaper than doing onboard at present (£4.90 per passesnger per day Versus $15.50 per person per day!!!)so called RCI Dept who deal with problems with the website... she said very odd but had come across this with another man the other day, and had to change my password and log in etc. She then noticed herself that the buttons have changed... you can no longer access payment details of future cruises, only the next one coming up on the right side of the page. (I have 3 booked), so cannot therefore pay anything or add gratuities etc on future cruises, or look at tota now with fuel surcharge knocked off. She thought this odd. Has anyone else noticed the changes? You can look at other future cruises but not what you have paid and balances etc which is what I like about booking with RCI.

 

Thanks for any help in advance, Hollyanna

 

Why are your tips $15.50 per day, they should be $9.75 which is about £6.37, at the moment. Still higher than the £4.50 though