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RCCL No-refund Deposit Rule Penalizes Suite Cruisers


jamesh6
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What I don't like, is they are also charging full price deposit for Suites. It used to be $100 each. We usually book suites. We have at least 20 cruises booked. Normally it would cost $100x2x20=$4000 for deposits. With the new rule it's $450x2x20 or $18,000. That sucks losing all that hard-earned money up front because it could be in investments generating profit for me and not them.

I can understand the non-refundable because some book and bail, and travel agents block and then release unsold cabins near sailing.

You can, however, for a $100 penalty each, MOVE the booking to another cruise. If you cancel you lose the $900 a couple.

It will, however, allow you to book suites later instead of hovering for the cruise release date and having to snag the suites at 12.01am.

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As a former RCCL cruiser, I would like to know the answer to my question. Why are cruisers who want to reserve a suite penalized with a no-refund deposit rule while other category cruisers are not? Blatantly discriminating and unfair. I will not cruise RCCL again.

 

As a RCCL cruiser who has never had the benefit of a refundable deposit, I think it a great idea. Discrimination works in mysterious ways, however I will for the time being continue to cruise RCCL

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What I don't like, is they are also charging full price deposit for Suites. It used to be $100 each. We usually book suites. We have at least 20 cruises booked. Normally it would cost $100x2x20=$4000 for deposits. With the new rule it's $450x2x20 or $18,000. That sucks losing all that hard-earned money up front because it could be in investments generating profit for me and not them.

I can understand the non-refundable because some book and bail, and travel agents block and then release unsold cabins near sailing.

You can, however, for a $100 penalty each, MOVE the booking to another cruise. If you cancel you lose the $900 a couple.

It will, however, allow you to book suites later instead of hovering for the cruise release date and having to snag the suites at 12.01am.

 

Somebody with your $'s should really be worried about this:rolleyes:

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What I don't like, is they are also charging full price deposit for Suites. It used to be $100 each. We usually book suites. We have at least 20 cruises booked. Normally it would cost $100x2x20=$4000 for deposits. With the new rule it's $450x2x20 or $18,000.

 

 

If my memory serves me correct that low deposit only came into effect a few years ago. Our deposits were much higher in the past than the last few years. When it became lower more people booked and would cancel later without sailing. The positive thing is if you have 20 cruises booked before the new program you won't be out your $18,000 for a few years as it takes effect.

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As former RCCL cruiser the answer doesn't really effect you but I will give you my take/spin on it. There are cruisers who book multiple space holders cruises that they have no intention on using all of them, and cancel before final payment. This non refundable deposit takes some, if not all of those individuals, and makes them think twice if not stop them from booking cruises just to drop them.

 

I am a suite cruiser (Star and occasionally Sky Class) and this new policy has no concern to me. I actually like it. It means that I have a better chance of finding the cabin that I am looking for instead of waiting for someone to turn it in days before final payment.

 

You hit the nail on the head. Too many suites were blocked by those who might or might not actually take the cruise. This will enable those who actually intend to cruise to have a better shot at getting the cabin they want.

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DH & I just booked a cruise yesterday for 9/18. We booked a balcony with non-refundable deposit as the price was less expensive and there were only 5 left on deck 8 and none on deck 9. We are looking over a year here. It looks to me that people are really booking lots of cabins and then wanting a refund when the closing date comes around!!

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I am curious as to why RC didn't just quietly penalize only those who were canceling multiple bookings. I know stores sometimes track folks who buy and then return a ton of things, so why couldn't RC do something similar? Cruises are booked under people's real names, so it should not have been too hard to find out the names associated with the years long overbook/cancel pattern and quietly let those folks know that the game is up and they won't be able to abuse the system any more.

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I am curious as to why RC didn't just quietly penalize only those who were canceling multiple bookings. I know stores sometimes track folks who buy and then return a ton of things' date=' so why couldn't RC do something similar? Cruises are booked under people's real names, so it should not have been too hard to find out the names associated with the years long overbook/cancel pattern and quietly let those folks know that the game is up and they won't be able to abuse the system any more.[/quote']

 

Easier said than done. Official corporate policies are how this would be implemented and that is what they did.

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As a former RCCL cruiser, I would like to know the answer to my question. Why are cruisers who want to reserve a suite penalized with a no-refund deposit rule while other category cruisers are not? Blatantly discriminating and unfair. I will not cruise RCCL again.
Bye Felicia.

 

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I am curious as to why RC didn't just quietly penalize only those who were canceling multiple bookings. I know stores sometimes track folks who buy and then return a ton of things' date=' so why couldn't RC do something similar? Cruises are booked under people's real names, so it should not have been too hard to find out the names associated with the years long overbook/cancel pattern and quietly let those folks know that the game is up and they won't be able to abuse the system any more.[/quote']

 

Many of the people that book many and cancel are probably some of their most loyal customers. If they only penalized them, they would probably leave. If you simply make it a corporate policy, while some may leave, others will stay and just change their booking habits, or pay the penalty.

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Personally I like this new non-refundable deposit option. If I can save 4 bucks on a cruise buy choosing this I am happy. Just have to be careful I guess but I like it. That being said I don't book suites, just balconies. I do see RCCL's issue here with people booking bunches of cabins with no intention of keeping them.

 

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Exactly. I only book Balconies or on short cruises maybe OV. I have changed every cruise I have booked through 2018 to non-refundable deposits and have enjoyed the amount of money I have saved!

 

This was done specifically b/c people would book suites or multiple suites and then move or cancel them before final payment, thus taking those suites from people that would have booked early, given the chance. And by then the price has increased or those cruises chose a different cruise/line to get what they wanted. I for one totally agree with the new suite policy and love getting the lower NRF for my balcony/ov cabins, plus OBC. Very happy.

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This is just another reason to NOT book real early.

 

Of course they might start holding the line and not discounting after final payment is due and sail with some empty cabins and offer them at port as upgrades for $$$.

 

We have sailed enough now, that a cabin is just a place to keep our stuff and clean up, so for us not a big deal, but we have early in our cruising lives wanted aft cabins and can see that people will book early for specific cabins and if so, the deposit should be non-refundable especially on a limited category cabin, i.e. suites.

 

I also have not doubt, more categories will be added if it curbs over reserving.

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Exactly. I only book Balconies or on short cruises maybe OV. I have changed every cruise I have booked through 2018 to non-refundable deposits and have enjoyed the amount of money I have saved!

 

This was done specifically b/c people would book suites or multiple suites and then move or cancel them before final payment, thus taking those suites from people that would have booked early, given the chance. And by then the price has increased or those cruises chose a different cruise/line to get what they wanted. I for one totally agree with the new suite policy and love getting the lower NRF for my balcony/ov cabins, plus OBC. Very happy.

I agree with you. The cruise I mock booked was something like 2,200 and change non-refundable and refundable was 2,600 and change. I'll take those savings. I mean a 7 day cruise in a balcony for 2 adults and 1 child for 2,200 and change is incredible.

 

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Now people are booking cruises they don't plan to take just so they can take time to decide which one they wanna take? Holy cow, how selfish. Other people may have wanted to book that cruise and didn't because there was nothing available in that category.

 

I've also heard that people were booking their next cruise on board just to get on board credit and then canceled the cruise when they got home. What is wrong with people? Society going straight downhill. No one thinks about their fellow man anymore, I guess.

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I also think it's only a matter of time before all categories require non-refundable deposits, for our benefit of course.

 

Bob, come try the dark side and enjoy having your business be valued like RCI used to do. Just dip your toe.

 

On one hand I can't blame a company for doing things to bolster revenue and ensure profits, but as I have said before, on this website I am on the consumer side.

Edited by Host Clarea
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I am curious as to why RC didn't just quietly penalize only those who were canceling multiple bookings. I know stores sometimes track folks who buy and then return a ton of things' date=' so why couldn't RC do something similar? Cruises are booked under people's real names, so it should not have been too hard to find out the names associated with the years long overbook/cancel pattern and quietly let those folks know that the game is up and they won't be able to abuse the system any more.[/quote']

 

I think that is actually worse. How do you quietly penalize your most loyal repeat customers when they aren't violating any current rules, terms, or conditions? I have never cruised in a suite and I only have a handful, 4 or 5, booked at any given time across multiple different cruise lines, but if a cruise line ever called and told me my business wasn't valued I'd be OFF like a prom dress.

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Bob, come try the dark side and enjoy having your business be valued like RCI used to do. Just dip your toe.

 

On one hand I can't blame a company for doing things to bolster revenue and ensure profits, but as I have said before, on this website I am on the consumer side.

 

What is the dark side?

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3 cruises now I have had to wait until after final payment was due to finally get a grand suite. Even booking over a year out, a junior suite is hard to get on many cruises. So, I end up booking a balcony, and checking the web site several times a week until a junior opens up and call to change to it, then keep watching until a grand suite opens up.

 

Given how few GSs are available on the smaller ship classes (like the last 2 cruises I took on Radiance of the Seas with 16 total grand suites) having 3-4 open up after final deposit shows 20%-25% cancellation rate. Explorer of the seas fully booked, 22 GSs, after deposit 4 opened up.

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Now people are booking cruises they don't plan to take just so they can take time to decide which one they wanna take? Holy cow, how selfish. Other people may have wanted to book that cruise and didn't because there was nothing available in that category.

 

This has been happening for quite some time and is the main reason this new policy was put in place.

 

I've also heard that people were booking their next cruise on board just to get on board credit and then canceled the cruise when they got home. What is wrong with people? Society going straight downhill. No one thinks about their fellow man anymore, I guess.

 

That actually was not happening. If you cancel the cruise when you get home and you used the OBC on the previous cruise you just don't get your deposit back (since deposit = OBC amount).

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This has been happening for quite some time and is the main reason this new policy was put in place.

 

 

 

That actually was not happening. If you cancel the cruise when you get home and you used the OBC on the previous cruise you just don't get your deposit back (since deposit = OBC amount).

 

I heard that people were booking suites and getting $300 OBC and then down graded their cabin to a non-suite after they got home. I'm not sure how this it benefited the cruiser but that is what I have heard. Maybe RC had a hard time recovering the difference in OBC amounts for a suite to a regular cabin.

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I heard that people were booking suites and getting $300 OBC and then down graded their cabin to a non-suite after they got home. I'm not sure how this it benefited the cruiser but that is what I have heard. Maybe RC had a hard time recovering the difference in OBC amounts for a suite to a regular cabin.

 

Hmm... I could see a scenario where you book a suite for the OBC, then downgrade to an interior and your deposit amount doesn't change but you get to keep the $300 OBC. That's actually kind of clever, effectively paying a bigger deposit for more OBC, even if it is a moral gray area. I would think that Royal would just downgrade the amount of OBC you get if you change cabin category, but knowing the IT issues they have it wouldn't surprise me if this loophole existed.

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