RCCL No-refund Deposit Rule Penalizes Suite Cruisers

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.

Discriminating? LOL. :rolleyes:

Simple answer. RCCL identified people who were booking MANY WEEKS of suites and ultimately cancelling most of them. On a regular basis year after year.

Discrimination.......too funny.

Simple answer. RCCL identified people who were booking MANY WEEKS of suites and ultimately cancelling most of them. On a regular basis year after year.

 

Discrimination.......too funny.

I thought RCCL has a 90-day window to fill cabins which were previously booked and canceled with no penalty. If the window is too short, then the window could be increased to 4, 5, or 6 months with possibly a pro-rated refund.

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

I will not cruise RCCL again.

I have no interest in changing your mind so my answer would not interest you

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

RCI just hates its customers, discriminates against all of them.

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 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.

RCI just hates its customers, discriminates against all of them.

Is it discrimination if they do it to everyone equally? HAHA ;p

So you'd rather have your entire payment be non-refundable 6 months before, rather than having just your deposit being non-refundable 90 days out? That's some kind of crazy logic. The simple answer is to take out insurance that will cover any monies not refunded to you by RC, which most people who can't afford to lose their payment should do anyway.

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

Maybe then I will start using a TA and get some perks

Maybe then I will start using a TA and get some perks

Oh boy, I feel for that TA.:halo:

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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Oh boy, I feel for that TA.:halo:

I'll probably get fired by her/him PS Nice halo

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.

This +1^

Glad the OP will free up a couple of Suite Cabins for those of us who plan to use them.

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This +1^

 

Glad the OP will free up a couple of Suite Cabins for those of us who plan to use them.

 

 

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Very kind of them. [emoji2]

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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.

Except in the long run the non-refundable price will be what used to be refundable, and they'll simply be charging more for a refundable deposit booking.

As someone that uses a TA that charges a cancellation penalty, I personally feel this is to weed out cruisers that book cabins they have no interest in taking. I have paid several thousand in fees to my TA just because I change my mind on itineraries, or have placeholder cruises booked. FWIW, I don't cruise Royal and possibly won't for the foreseeable future, but this change was to cut down on that.

Now granted you have the outliers like myself that will just pay a fee to cancel a booking. But a non refundable deposit would give me pause.

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I thought RCCL has a 90-day window to fill cabins which were previously booked and canceled with no penalty. If the window is too short, then the window could be increased to 4, 5, or 6 months with possibly a pro-rated refund.

A. As mentioned...as a former RCCL customer, this change has no effect on you.

B. When all these people who book multiple suites across multiple ships, most of which they have no intention of using as they are just place holding while they decide, it does two things. 1. It makes a number of suites unavailable (until the last minute) for people who want to book them with the actual intention of going on the cruise. 2. It means RCCL then has to fill these suites within the full payment window, often times at a discounted rate and thus a loss of revenue.

C. If you are going stretch the window to 6 months...doesn't it practically turn it into a non-refundable deposit at that point? And really only punish the people who are not trying to abuse the system?

D. Discriminating?....definitely a first world problem.

Except in the long run the non-refundable price will be what used to be refundable, and they'll simply be charging more for a refundable deposit booking.

By anecdotal reports, that's already the case.

Except in the long run the non-refundable price will be what used to be refundable, and they'll simply be charging more for a refundable deposit booking.

I feel the same way when people say that the cruise price should include gratuity. Prices will go up, and at some point, they will be suggesting an additional gratuity again.

Except in the long run the non-refundable price will be what used to be refundable, and they'll simply be charging more for a refundable deposit booking.

And all prices will be up.

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Except in the long run the non-refundable price will be what used to be refundable, and they'll simply be charging more for a refundable deposit booking.

I guess you could say that. In the end of its 2800 for refundable and 2300 for non-refundable I'm taking the lower price and liking it.

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As someone who books suites and has had to search to find available rooms anywhere from 6 months to a year out, I'm glad they have instituted this on suites. Far too many "professional cruisers" have been hogging these rooms and then canceling at final payment. We've had to book a junior suite a few times and then wait for a GS to open up - and by that point, the rates have gone way up. You can thank all the folks who held multiple suites for this first world problem. And it was a lot worse when the deposit amount was lowered for suites - when it was a $500 deposit, it didn't seem as prevalent.

As someone who books suites and has had to search to find available rooms anywhere from 6 months to a year out, I'm glad they have instituted this on suites. Far too many "professional cruisers" have been hogging these rooms and then canceling at final payment. We've had to book a junior suite a few times and then wait for a GS to open up - and by that point, the rates have gone way up. You can thank all the folks who held multiple suites for this first world problem. And it was a lot worse when the deposit amount was lowered for suites - when it was a $500 deposit, it didn't seem as prevalent.

Agreed. We have experienced this issue as well. We typically don't book as soon as new dates are released as we have no clue what our schedule will be that far out. When we book a cabin, we plan to use it.

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