leaveitallbehind

Just so you are aware, with US based bookings, the guarantee options typically are at a lower cruise fare, which is their appeal for the trade off of having the cruise line select the stateroom. If booked this way, you will be assigned a stateroom in the category you select (and possibly higher) so there is no risk in that. Once assigned, if you are not happy with the location, you can contact whomever you booked through and as long as there is still availability within the assigned sub-category they can advise you of alternative locations and you can switch your assignment accordingly at n/c. This also can offset any concerns over potentially undesirable location assignments.

What one person thinks is the best cruise ship, or cruise line, or cruise itinerary, is completely subjective and may be completely the opposite of what someone else thinks. And both, for their own reasons and tastes, are correct for them and not any better of an idea or worse than another person's. And how it would relate to you and what your expectations are in a cruise experience may be totally irrelevant not knowing anything about you or what you would enjoy, or dislike, in a cruise. In other words, IMO, your questions without any context quite frankly is of little value as there is no right or wrong answer. If you are seriously trying to decide on a cruise line, or ship, or itinerary that may be of interest to you, I would suggest talking with a travel agent who specializes in cruises and review with them what your expectations and interests would be in a cruise experience and let them help guide you to choices that would be a good fit.

Good luck, but I doubt there will be anything they can do, and I think it will be a shorter call than that. As mentioned before, post final payment price adjustments are typically for new bookings only and would only be available if you cancel your original booking, incurring whatever penalties you will have accrued, and rebook it as a new booking at the new price. You would likely also loose any booking offers provided at the time to be replaced with whatever is included with the new booking. Rarely the adjustment is worth that. As mentioned before by @Ourusualbeach, your TA has to follow the same rules as anyone else regardless of how they booked.

I interpreted the OP's comments with the TA as being something that they should have explained prior to them dropping the packages, perhaps when it was originally booked. Explaining it after the fact is just that and would not be worthy of commenting on IMO. But part of my confusion is with such an experienced cruiser not realizing that at the time they made the booking. Not criticizing them, just curious. But you and I are basically saying the same thing regarding the booking issue.

As you and @Ourusualbeach suggest it has been quite some time. Our last favorable experience was 14 years ago on Oasis in 2010 when Grand Suites had a very attractive price change post final payment that was indicated as for new bookings only. But with a little discussion our TA at the time was able to rebook the three 4D (today) balcony staterooms in our party to three Grand Suites for $300 total per stateroom. There was fair resistance in having them do it as their older change flexibility had pretty much disappeared by then, but we all enjoyed GS's that cruise.

Deposit type post final payment makes no difference. That only matters prior to final payment.

Just one other comment, typically favorable price changes after final payment are specified for new bookings only. That typically is to avoid post final payment price adjustments.

As I'm sure you must be aware, there are two separate base fares, Aways, which includes the basic wifi and classic beverage package as part of that fare, and Standard which is a cruise only fare which does not include those packages. As mentioned by @Jeremiah1212, they are two separate booking fares with the wifi and beverage package buried into the fare with Aways. As they are inclusive items, attempting to remove them is not going to adjust the fare downward. What you are basically doing is trying to get to the Standard fare where they would not be included. But as they are two separate fare bases, you would in essence need to cancel the Always booking fare that you used originally and rebook with the current Standard fare in price. At the time of placing a booking, unless there is some specific promotion equalizing the two, Standard pricing is always lower than Always. In your case there may not be a reduction in price with this change as the prevailing Standard fares may be at the level the Aways was when you booked it. Fares do go up! That, or your intent to drop the packages, couldn't be predicted by your TA at the time you made your original booking while also not being Zenith. What should they have explained to prevent this issue at the time? Sorry, I'm a little confused.

In my experience most promo and sale prices are using a NRD fare, frequently with wifi (or wife) and beverage package included.

With the stateroom category indicated you can book: Always fare (basic wifi / classic beverage package included), either with a refundable or non-refundable deposit -or- Standard fare (which does not include either package), either with a refundable or non-refundable deposit. The fare base for each is scaled based on the refundable or non-refundable deposit option chosen. With either Always fare you can upgrade either or both of the basic wifi and classic beverage package to both premium versions. With either Standard fare you can add any wifi and / or beverage package separately.

Perhaps I should have used the word "acknowledged".

OBC issued by the cruise line is non-refundable and any unused portion at the end of the cruise will be lost. Refundable OBC is issued by a third party, such as yourself, a friend or family member, or your travel agent, essentially as a gift. Any unused portion at the end of the cruise is issued back as a credit to you. OBC issued by a credit card provider is also refundable and any unused portion will be credited back to the card account. Note that TA issued refundable OBC may be credited back to them and it would then be up to them as to whether or not you receive a credit. If both are issued on a given cruise, the non-refundable OBC is charged and depleted first by the cruise line, and the refundable OBC to be charged and depleted last. Any charges, other than that which would be a deposit made on board for a future cruise, that are credited to your on board account will have OBC applied to the charges as described. Future cruise deposits are charged directly to your credit card and not to the stateroom's on board account. The OBC will be applied as the charges are incurred and cannot be applied discretionarily.

This is a rather common question. If you think about it, just about everybody reaches their next tier on a given cruise at some point in the cruise. It likely is rare otherwise. Just to echo the above responses, the tier levels are achieved by the total points earned and accrued on a given cruise and next tier advancement is recognized on the subsequent cruise from that on which they were earned. The only RCCL C & A exception is Pinnacle, which is recognized on the cruise on which it is reached.

Just to add, you can get as many duplicate door cards (same as the others but without CC data, etc., embedded) as needed so that as many passengers traveling together can access each room as needed. Also, different topic, if CC privileges are included on the primary cards with the children you can have their charging limits set or eliminated altogether if desired per card.

I'm not sure it matters. Correct or not, true or false, doesn't change the outcome of what can and will happen to those who are late on their own for a port of call departure time. And just to add, IMO it won't ever likely be successfully painted as anyone else's responsibility other than the passengers'.

True or false? I don't think we will likely ever know all of the facts from all perspectives - only those presented by the writer of the article. But IMO, I'm not sure that's relevant. What is relevant is that ships have a schedule to maintain and they will leave based on that, with or without you. And this is nothing new. I realize this is a vacation and the cruise ship is the focal part of that, in particular in terms of transportation. But cruise ships have a schedule which must be kept and delaying that has many ripple effects including potentially incurring extra port charges for delayed departure, compromising the timing with the next port of call, etc., etc. That schedule is maintained at the expense of those who, in particular with independent shore activities, fail to responsibly return to the ship on time. Those times, and consequences for missing them, are well published and should be easily understood by all, with return times generally also providing for a 30 minute cushion prior to departure. So if they miss the ship, they are already at least 30 minutes late. It's very unfortunate for those who by failing to return on time are left behind, but it is what it is. Responsibility to be on time lies with the passenger. I realize as well that these may be argued as different situations, but airplanes, trains, and buses all leave at their appointed schedule, whether you are on board or not. JMO.

Agree. And to be clear, my comments indicating that RCCL C&A benefits are better than Celebrity CC benefits was for the tier levels up to Zenith. Zenith is stronger with premium beverage package and laundry as you mention.

No he is not. He is the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, which is the parent company of RCCL, Celebrity, and Silversea. In that respect, yes, in theory he is in charge of everyone. But his focus is with the strategic operational leadership of the corporation. To your question, Michael Bayley is CEO of RCCL and Laura Hodges Bethge is President of Celebrity. Each cruise line is a separate company and operated independently by them. I would think it very unlikely that Jason Liberty would be too involved in that level of operational concern with either cruise line. He has much bigger fish to fry.

I will be curious over time to see the responses from Celebrity cruisers who are new to CocoCay. Especially as typically every Celebrity itinerary with a stop there will be there with a large RCCL ship.

It's a pretty long thread with a lot of responses from recent cruisers. Probably have to wade through it all to answer that question.

Cruisers are people, regardless of how experienced they are with one line or another. Not sure how anyone's presence on board could "Royalize" Celebrity. Did you have that effect on Celebrity when you left RCCL? Not sure how one could tell on board what cruise line one has previously sailed with to have that concern - or more importantly should even care! We cruised RCCL extensively when our family was young as that is their primary target demographics. When our kids became adults we shifted our cruising mainly to Celebrity as that demographic fit better. But from time to time for different (sometimes family) reasons we still cruise RCCL. They fit us both for different reasons. But we don't have an attitude about others who may cruise both from time to time...

If it is a legitimate mistake they will make an adjustment. You can also cancel up to two days before sailing without penalty with a refund to the credit card used in the purchase. On board, typically by 24 hours prior, you will receive an OBC. I would not be concerned at this point and hopefully it will be corrected prior to boarding.

....and visa versa with RCCL. It works both ways. Not to mention that the RCCL tier benefits up to Zenith are far better than Celebrity! We have cruised both lines rather extensively (50+ combined) and while we earned D+ on RCCL, we will be Elite on our own merit with Celebrity after our upcoming June cruise. In all that time I never saw ourselves or others as "crossovers" to either line. Just cruisers who for different reasons at different times liked and cruised both.

No they just changed that effective 6/5. Tier levels now have equal benefit reciprocity. So Diamond + now = Elite +, etc., and visa versa. (Some lowest tier levels have remained combined)

Understand the clarification,and thanks. But to me it's the same question and comments. If they once had them (for many years) why now remove them - assuming they do. I guess I fall into the camp that doesn't get it.