UK/Europe New Cancellation,Transfer Policy & Deposit Increase

[KenC]

Yes, it may we be more expensive ... initially. But prices DO go down and at the moment RCI is coming in with some very high prices for 2010 which without doubt will go down. There are 5 of us and £175 to take advantage of a price drop is far too much to pay.......

 

Surely whether £175 is too much to pay for 5 people to get a price drop depends on the size of the drop? On each of our past 3 bookings with RCI/Azamara cruises we have had drops of £400 per person - for a booking of 5 people that would mean £2000 so the £175 admin fee would equate to 8.75% of the drop - not much to sacrifice for such a large saving - and it's only payable on the second drop not the first which is free.

 

Sure it's annoying that the US has different, less penalising, booking terms than the UK, but they also have cheaper petrol, pay less tax and have numerous other benefits we would all love to enjoy. The thing is, there over there and we're over here - their ways of doing things have always differed from ours so why are people getting so hot under the collar and reacting as if these terms are there to personally penalise them? Apart from a very few Brits who read sites such as this, no one booking an RCI cruise in the UK will have a clue that they are being treated differently from US customers and probably care even less. If one wants the flexibility to cancel or change a cruise without penalty or wants to incessantly change one's cabin for whatever reason then these new terms are going to be a hindrance (and probably RCI is targetting people like that for wasting staff time on changes and tying up availability) but if one doesn't want to do either then they make no difference at all.

 

It does seem extremely aggrevating that US customers 'may' tie up some fabulous cabins (though the cache of being in a particular location on a ship seems a bit over rated to me) with refundable deposits and be able to dump them without penalty when it comes time for final payment - but how many of us have been there to take advantage of the big price drop or new booking bargain sometimes when large quantities of cabins suddenly become available 56 days prior to sailing!!! Sometimes it cuts both ways.

 

 

Ken

[Garyorient]

Gary i think UK TA's will be taking the pain - do you think its fair for you as a TA ?

 

 

I'm glad i'm not booking with you with like or lump attitude. Another saying is you reap what you sow.

 

 

 

jj......

 

Why do you thnk that the UK TA's will take the hit on this change of policy?

As I say it is a policy which has been in place with all the major players in one form or another for quite a while now.

 

I didn't give a take it or leave it attitude, I merely said that if you want to have all the advantages of the American market then book through an American TA, and get no ABTA protection, no ABTA come back and assistance for your grievances or problems, and pay more currently for the product.

 

Get off your high horse and maybe read what I wrote. Was simply sayng that the UK market could not offer the same facilities and if you are happy paying more money to get those facilities then fair enough, but be aware of the downside.

[Garyorient]

Surely whether £175 is too much to pay for 5 people to get a price drop depends on the size of the drop? On each of our past 3 bookings with RCI/Azamara cruises we have had drops of £400 per person - for a booking of 5 people that would mean £2000 so the £175 admin fee would equate to 8.75% of the drop - not much to sacrifice for such a large saving - and it's only payable on the second drop not the first which is free.

 

Sure it's annoying that the US has different, less penalising, booking terms than the UK, but they also have cheaper petrol, pay less tax and have numerous other benefits we would all love to enjoy. The thing is, there over there and we're over here - their ways of doing things have always differed from ours so why are people getting so hot under the collar and reacting as if these terms are there to personally penalise them? Apart from a very few Brits who read sites such as this, no one booking an RCI cruise in the UK will have a clue that they are being treated differently from US customers and probably care even less. If one wants the flexibility to cancel or change a cruise without penalty or wants to incessantly change one's cabin for whatever reason then these new terms are going to be a hindrance (and probably RCI is targetting people like that for wasting staff time on changes and tying up availability) but if one doesn't want to do either then they make no difference at all.

 

It does seem extremely aggrevating that US customers 'may' tie up some fabulous cabins (though the cache of being in a particular location on a ship seems a bit over rated to me) with refundable deposits and be able to dump them without penalty when it comes time for final payment - but how many of us have been there to take advantage of the big price drop or new booking bargain sometimes when large quantities of cabins suddenly become available 56 days prior to sailing!!! Sometimes it cuts both ways.

 

 

Ken

 

Well said Ken

Better put than I could have done.

PS Do you want a job as a cruise salesman?;)

[Elizanessie]

Gary

 

First of all the OP is a "she"...yea me.:D

 

I have booked with US TA before and let me tell you I have always paid less than booking it here. I switched to booking here to see what it was like and although any probems I had I could get fixed it took longer to get response from my RCCL UK agent than it has done with anything I ask my US TA about.

I do realise it isnt always the case and it is up to all cruisers who they book with...but UK TA...nah not a hope in heck of me ever booking with them. Even the biggies cant get their info correct on their websites about RCCL & their ships,beleive me I have sat for hours and hours going through their sites and letting them know about the errors they have..and they dont even bother to change them. That alone says enough for me with regard to UK TAs.

 

Miami played no part in this new policy here...the decision was made entirely here.

 

I notice you said that 20% of your clients who booked with RCCL moved their bookings to your company...mm...now I always believed you cannot actually do that in the UK. In fact the more I think on that I am sure I have an email from someone in the know at RCCL UK who states this just recently.

 

In the end it all comes down to who everyone feels they can trust with their money and their booking.

This weeks news about a certain huge TA company having money problems just goes to show at the moment you just never know what is going to happen.

[livylotte]

That's fine, then you seriously must have money to burn.

 

LOL I wish I had!

 

Whatever RCI will charge you, in essence they will not discount. They may incentivise you with OBC or similar, but I will absolutely guarantee you in terms of capital cost outlay, if you have a travel agent who you are loyal to and book frequently with there is absolutely no possibility tthat RCI direct will be cheaper, and any incentive will not mitigate for that.

 

This is why some 20% of our business is with clients who have booked directly with RCI, phoned us for a price and then moved their bookings from RCI direct to the TA, but clearly you know best.

 

I may be making a mistake but I want to give it a try, many people on here have used US TA's sucessfully for years. If it goes wrong then it's my problem. I am sure you offer your customers an excellent service but recently, I have been fobbed off, lied to, given the wrong information and generally had the worst customer service I have ever encounted from a very large UK TA and right now anything seems better!

[coxswain]

Wrong - a boat is what you get into when the ship sinks -:D:D:D Hee hee

 

Not a maybe, a definite yes!!! Would be fun - we can have a punch-up over the CL thingy? :)

 

 

That what i said if you look at it lol lol

 

 

Sure i got you a good result on the CL lol

 

 

 

 

jj.....

[coxswain]

Why do you thnk that the UK TA's will take the hit on this change of policy?

As I say it is a policy which has been in place with all the major players in one form or another for quite a while now.

 

I didn't give a take it or leave it attitude, I merely said that if you want to have all the advantages of the American market then book through an American TA, and get no ABTA protection, no ABTA come back and assistance for your grievances or problems, and pay more currently for the product.

 

Get off your high horse and maybe read what I wrote. Was simply sayng that the UK market could not offer the same facilities and if you are happy paying more money to get those facilities then fair enough, but be aware of the downside.

 

 

 

LOL High horse.

 

 

Correct me if i'm wrong Gary but can't you book through a CLIA TA in the U.S which has cover similar to ABTA ??

 

 

 

jj.....

[coxswain]

Ok i've just recieved the spring C&A mag which has arrived in time for summer - brilliant or what !!

 

 

Anyway there is a voucher for my cruise in Oct - if i use it will it be classed as a change ??

 

 

 

 

jj.....

[mzk90]

No, as a C&A voucher is a discount, not a change to a booking!

[coxswain]

Thanks fellow Gooner lol

 

 

 

 

 

jj......

[mzk90]

lol, no worries!

[Elizanessie]

Ok i've just recieved the spring C&A mag which has arrived in time for summer - brilliant or what !!

 

 

Anyway there is a voucher for my cruise in Oct - if i use it will it be classed as a change ??

 

 

 

 

jj.....

 

 

Hey JJ did you notice the Cruise Doctor piece on page 18?

 

Question- Am I able to use my Crown & Anchor vouchers when I book/have booked through a Travel Agent

 

Answer- Yes you may. However, it is at the travel agent's discretion to decide whether or not they will accept them. ...and then it goes on blah blah.

 

Now correct me if I am wrong but in the past didnt RCCL/C&A say these coupons were for loyalty to them and therefore TAs had to accept them? :confused:

[coxswain]

Yes Liz i noticed that as well - it does make you wonder why we bother !!

 

 

 

 

 

jj.....

[hellosailer]

Here we go again - the US loves democracy - i.e. everyone is equal!! Just that some are more equal than others ROTFL!!! For some reason, we in the UK are not as equal as others!!

 

j.j. Watch my avatar. I intend to change it frequently!! Never know who you will meet on one dark night!!!:D:p

[coxswain]

Sailer drop me an email john4667@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

jj.....

[hellosailer]

Done - you will meet the 'real' me!! hehehehe!!!!

[Elizanessie]

It has been a couple of weeks now since the new charges came into being and I have noticed some price drops happening and I wondered if anyone has used up their one free change and been told in future they will be charged the £35 admin fee ?

[coxswain]

It has been a couple of weeks now since the new charges came into being and I have noticed some price drops happening and I wondered if anyone has used up their one free change and been told in future they will be charged the £35 admin fee ?

 

 

Yip 2wks into the IOS 2010 sailings and price drops - i'm holding fire and not booking anything for 2010 theres NO incentive !!

 

 

 

 

 

jj.....

[KenC]

It has been a couple of weeks now since the new charges came into being and I have noticed some price drops happening and I wondered if anyone has used up their one free change and been told in future they will be charged the £35 admin fee ?

 

I wish ... the price of an E2 guarantee on our 5 night jaunt on Navigator out of Malaga in October has increased by 45% .... yes 45% since booking in May!!! So glad we booked when we did - just goes to show that prices can go up as well as down. :eek:

 

It will be great to be out of this recession ... but the down side could be better cruise sales meaning fewer price drops!!!! Well, maybe not quite yet ... as Azamara are still struggling to fill cruises in Asia next January and the one we are on has just dropped again bringing our savings over the past 9 months to £1000 each!!!! :D

 

Cheers

 

Ken

[Elizanessie]

I wish ... the price of an E2 guarantee on our 5 night jaunt on Navigator out of Malaga in October has increased by 45% .... yes 45% since booking in May!!! So glad we booked when we did - just goes to show that prices can go up as well as down. :eek:

 

Cheers

 

Ken

 

Geez Ken that is big increase :eek:

 

Our transatlantic on the Navigator in Nov had price drops this week..not a lot but £52 per person on our E1..but it was my first ever price drop so I am happy :D There is still a heck of a lot of cabins available on our TA so I guess RCCL thought it was time they tried to fill them.

 

Hopefully you will get a price drop soon.:D

[6MonthsHere6MonthsThere]

It has been a couple of weeks now since the new charges came into being and I have noticed some price drops happening and I wondered if anyone has used up their one free change and been told in future they will be charged the £35 admin fee ?

 

 

 

Hi Liz, Yes, we have, this week we changed Cabins and there was also a price drop, as RCCL counted this as 2 alterations although the changes were made at the same time both Margaret and myself were charged a 35GBP admin fee, in the first instance they tried to charge us a 75GBP pp admin fee but relented after asking them to explain how they came to that figure:confused:

 

John.

[KenC]

Geez Ken that is big increase :eek:

 

Our transatlantic on the Navigator in Nov had price drops this week..not a lot but £52 per person on our E1..but it was my first ever price drop so I am happy :D There is still a heck of a lot of cabins available on our TA so I guess RCCL thought it was time they tried to fill them.

 

Hopefully you will get a price drop soon.:D

 

I know .... couldn't believe it!!!! Still, I think some of these prices are set by computer linked to occupancy figures/sailing dates etc. - there doesn't seem to be a lot of rhyme or reason to many of these changes. Checked cabin availability in other grades on our cruise and there are plenty of D balconies still available - so me thinks there will be a lot of upgrading going on from E to D.

 

Can't believe you've never had any price drops before!!! I hope you get a further hefty one on your transatlantic between now and November - it's got to be more likely than not on a transatlantic ... especially around the time when the cousins have to make their final payment 56 days out or lose their refundable deposits!!!! :D

 

Cheers

 

Ken

[KenC]

Hi Liz, Yes, we have, this week we changed Cabins and there was also a price drop, as RCCL counted this as 2 alterations although the changes were made at the same time both Margaret and myself were charged a 35GBP admin fee, in the first instance they tried to charge us a 75GBP pp admin fee but relented after asking them to explain how they came to that figure:confused:

 

John.

 

That doesn't sound right to me - was the price drop was as a result of changing cabins or were they in the same category??? My understanding is that if you change cabin grade and there is a lower price difference then you pay 1 fee - if the grade is more expensive then you don't pay. The only way you should have to pay for 2 alterations is if the cabin change was in the same grade and involved a price drop simultaneously.

 

Ken

[coxswain]

That doesn't sound right to me - was the price drop was as a result of changing cabins or were they in the same category??? My understanding is that if you change cabin grade and there is a lower price difference then you pay 1 fee - if the grade is more expensive then you don't pay. The only way you should have to pay for 2 alterations is if the cabin change was in the same grade and involved a price drop simultaneously.

 

Ken

 

The email from RCI

 

Under the new conditions, every guest will be allowed one amendment for free and if you are upgrading and the total cruise cost increases as a result, then there is no fee charged, so you will still hopefully be able to take advantage of higher stateroom categories becoming available or price drops, without a fee, although this cannot be guaranteed !!!!!!

 

 

 

All bases covered !!

 

 

 

 

jj......

[Elizanessie]

The email from RCI

 

Under the new conditions, every guest will be allowed one amendment for free and if you are upgrading and the total cruise cost increases as a result, then there is no fee charged, so you will still hopefully be able to take advantage of higher stateroom categories becoming available or price drops, without a fee, although this cannot be guaranteed !!!!!!

 

 

 

All bases covered !!

 

 

 

 

jj......

 

 

Ok an example -

 

E1 was £600 now £500

D1 was £700 now £620

 

So if you had an E1 you could in effect upgrade to the D1 for £20 more without admin fee or stick with E1 and pay £35 or use it as your 1 free admin fee?

 

Is that correct?