Upgrades

[rfholcom]

I am full of questions today and I do apologize. Has anyone gone back and checked their cruise for cheaper rates after they booked? I happen to look today and it looks like the cruise I am on has alot of cabins still available and the rates appear to be cheaper. It looks like I can get a regular balcony cabin for the same rate I currently have a partially obstructed balcony for. Has anyone either ask for and received money back after booking or changed to a higher category for the same price?

[vhord]

I did not upgrade but I recently changed our RCI southbound cabin from starboard to port when one became available after the final payment deadline. Since it was a cabin in the same catagory there was no additional charge.

[CruiseIsGood]

Many people do this, or ask for a ship-board credit, depending on how close it is to cruise time. It never, ever hurts to ask, so call your TA as soon as possible!

[The Barb]

:D Absolutely ask for an upgrade and cabin credit from your TA.. They should be able to get one or the other, and if your are really lucky, both.

 

I just experienced that same thing. I checked NCL website and several online sites. I found the cabin I booked had dropped by quite a bit. My TA was able to secure a really great upgrade. I am still working on the on board credit.

 

Be firm and friendly!

 

The Barb

[SEPyle]

I am full of questions today and I do apologize. Has anyone gone back and checked their cruise for cheaper rates after they booked? I happen to look today and it looks like the cruise I am on has alot of cabins still available and the rates appear to be cheaper. It looks like I can get a regular balcony cabin for the same rate I currently have a partially obstructed balcony for. Has anyone either ask for and received money back after booking or changed to a higher category for the same price?

 

Getting a refund depends on what cruiseline you are sailing on. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity will refund your credit card if you contact either them (booked directly) or by calling your TA right up till just before the cruise. There's one exception: Both Celebrity and RCCL have special rates called Happy Hour rates. These are on Tuesday afternoon, and are on specific sailings (when they need to fill up a ship close to sail date). They will NOT honor a rate reduction on these rates. I'm a TA and I love being the "good-guy" when rates come down. It all depends on what cruise line as to the rest. I can usually get onboard credit for my clients on Carnival, but the others can be sticklers!

 

Good luck! If you're booked with RCCL or Celebrity, call right away! If your TA says they won't (with any rate other than an Happy Hour) change TA's because it's not the cruise line saying no!

 

Sharon

[cruisingbug]

We noticed the same thing - Princess "Flash" specials 3 days after we booked, for $46 less per cabin. We called our Internet TA but they said that they couldn't adjust for flash prices. Didn't ask for onboard credit but wasn't offered it either. We already got a very good price for our cruise, but knowing that the price was almost $100 cheaper per stateroom 3 days later is annoying. :(

 

Also pays to check your hotel reservations. We got an earlier flight out and it was easier to rebook online than to call and change - and we ended up getting our room in Vancouver for $89 a night where it was $115 before!

[mommabean]

Yes,

 

I booked a D1 deluxe balcony room on RCI on a Monday. That was the highest category available on my sailing. On Tuesday there were 3 JS junior suites released at the exact price I paid. Great locations, too. I called RCI since I made my reservation with them directly and they switched me to the JS that I choose with no problem - no additional charge. But with the JS comes priority boarding and 2 cruise credits. Not to mention 50% more room and balcony space.

 

The other time we cruised with RCI, a few weeks before departure I saw that senior citizen rates went into effect on expedia for my cruise. Again, I called RCI since I booked through them that time, also, and they immediately credited my credit card back the difference for both of us even though it's just my husband who qualified. Now that was really cool, too.

 

I'll always book online through RCI since it's easy to adjust your own reservation or call them and have them do it. I've always gotten through to them with no long hold time and any day of the week. Contrary to what I've read others sometimes say, their customer service has always been wonderful to me.

[TSSTHH]

Is the refund with celebrity applicable for cruise only or is that also applicable with cruisetours package ?