Always Check For Reduction In Rates

[dmk]

da cruisin bears:

 

If I understand you correctly, the actual price you paid was $1807.64. To get any kind of refund, the price of thye cruise would have to drop below what you paid - $1807.64.

[JillzyC]

Just contributing because I'm in a similar situatio as Susibell2 - we cruised last Oct. with RCI, and are sailing this Oct. with Carnival. Our TA mentioned NO discounts to us, but then I come on cruise critic and learn about a military discount (too late), a resident discount (never heard of it till today, but we live in Ohio), and if we like Carnival we'll cruise with them again (past cruiser discount).

 

Any advice? Should I just hang out here, educate myself, and book without a TA from now on? I thought the benefit of using a TA was that they know these little things and take care of them for you, but this is our second cruise and second TA, and it seems like we missed a lot of opportunities for savings...

[roboref]

The reason a lower price must be honored is due to a federal law that requires them to give you the lowest price. The restriction is that it must be the same category. This is one reason for all the different catergories listed in a cruise line book. Most inside cabins are identical (with a few exceptions) the difference being the deck location. So they can sell catergory 4 (inside cabin deck4) for $600, then if cabins are not filling up, they can offer Cat 5, (same cabin except on deck5) for $500. In this case they do not have to give the $500 price to those booked in Cat.4. Thus they maximizethe yield on each sailing.

 

Another way around this federal law is to offer it for only new bookings with a different catergory assigned to it. This new offer could be cat 5a, which is an inside cabin on Deck 5, but is priced at $450, now passengers booked in Cat 4 or 5 would be elgible for a price reduction as the cabin is "new bookings only" and it is not Cat4 or 5. In this scenario you could end up in the exact same cabin but pay from a low $450 to a high of $600.

 

Another tactic the lines use is to sell a Guarantee (GTY) Cabin Cat 3 (any inside cabin) for $500, as demand increases for inside cabins, they no longer sell the inside GTY, but now sell inside Cat 4 for $600, as demand slows they could offer a "happy hour promontion for inside cat5 (new bookings only for $450). Niether the GTY cabin or Cat 4 cabins passengers are elgible. So again we can see a cruiseline can sell the same cabin in different Cats not have to price match and increase the yield for the ship. Also another thing thwy will do is "upgrade a GTY cabin to a Cat3 to a Cat5 (inside deck 5), making seem like they have really done something for you, Move up to Cats, but still same cabin type as original, and sell another GTY cabin.

 

However after all this, I will rant about my biggest pet peeve. The cruiselines saying they want the biggest discounts for rooms to be for those who book earliest. That is great, however after the final payment due date, if the ship hasn't filled up they are going to give the lowest prices at that time. I purchased an inside GTY on a Transatlantic cuise 9 months out for a very low price. No price drops to be found until 6 weeks before the cruise then they offered an OUTSIDE GTY for $25 less than the inside. I have to give KUDOS to Celebrity, I did not expect them to give me an upgrade but I asked, since a lower price cabin that was in a higher Cat was available could I be upgraded and they gladly upgraded me from inside to outside. My TA wasn't very pleased about the extra work for her, but now I am happy. I am sailing transatlantic for 14 days for what I paid for an Inside cabin 7 day cruise on Carnival in 2000.

[AnnieB_cruizin]

I saw someone ask the question, but I didn't see an answer. We have received reductions in past when booked with a TA, but booked with Travelocity this time around. Price right now is actually higher than what we paid, but if it drops would welcome a shipboard credit to help with my frozen drink budget! Anyone have any experience with Travelocity or similar? Please share!

[breenw]

I've booked through Travelocity and I have always called them whenever I noticed a price difference. They have been very accommodating in getting upgrades and/or onboard credit.

[Lori in AZ]

I booked a celebrity cruise for Alaska in May 2006 through Costco.

 

Does anyone try getting lower cost or upgrade when price drop through Costco? Does anyone have trouble with Costco?

 

Celebrity and Costco travel website don't show prices and I am not sure where I can find a reduction in price anywhere else before calling Costco?

 

Thanks in advance for your response.

[smile8115]

I got a great deal on cruises by using "beat my quote" option from both, icruise and cruisebrothers. I just spoke to the representatives and asked if they could beat/match the lowest price--most of the time they are willing to do so.

[lindycanada]

How do I check the price of my cruise if it's full and no rates show up for the cruise?:rolleyes:

[prairie_fox]

I would say that if its full then you wont find a lower rate prosted to sale another room at a lower rate to fill the ship. The ship would already be full at that time with no rooms left.

[Nilla]

OK question! We booked our cruise last February with an online travel agency for the NCL star this month! I just went onto the NCL website cabins in the category we booked are $60+ dollars chaeper. There are 4 adults going in two seperate cabins this woudl be a refund of nearly $250! Do I just call the tracel agent and see what they can do for me??

[cruisegirl29]

Call your TA now! Fast! You'll probably get upgraded if it's available or on board ship credit........but you better call now & fast before the rates change again!!!!

 

Sue

[Nilla]

Thank you so much! I am calling them right now ! I will let you know what they say! Thanks again for the help!

[cruisegirl29]

Your welcome! Good Luck!

Sue

[Nilla]

Talked to a travel agent they will contact NCL for me tommorow and let me know what they say! Thanks!

[lahoban]

I just checked and our's went down 259.00. Yeahhh!!! I will keep checking till next week when final payment's due.

[Nilla]

Well after many hours with my TA on the phone and them beign no real help, I got a call from my Ta and they said NCL woudl upgrade me one category! Whooppty doo! SO I declined then called the NCL Upsell # and got an Upsell 14 categories for $200 pp! So I was happy with that! BUt I think if we had a better TA we may have gotten a bit farther! So goodluck!

[llgator]

Anyone with experience on Costa and price reductions? I went thru Cruise.com and their prices on their website have gone down almost $200 per person. I called my TA and she said that Costa doesn't want to do anything about it because it's within the 60 day period before the cruise. But she said she would talk to a supervisor on Monday. It seems like the travel agency would honor their own advertised prices? Any advice?? We really would just like an upgrade rather than a refund! Is this up to the travel agency or Costa?

[madelinerose]

I use an online TA. Just yesterday, I was checking their site to see if the rate for our September cruise had dropped. Well, to my surprise, it had! I emailed them and within 30 minutes I had a revised confirmation page with the new, lower price - yay! ;)

[wbmom401]

does anyone know if you can check pricing of a cruise with a military discount. I am wanting to keep an eye on the cost of my cruise and wasn't sure if i am missing something on carnivals website. i was also wondering if anyone knows how where you can call to check on RCCL military discounted rates. RCCL says that you need to call your base, well it has been MANY years since my husband was in the service. Carnival is the only one that will quote you the rates...at least that is what i have found so far. Any help would be great....THANKS

[gszenacm]

on a cruise that I finalized on Friday...it was listed at $499 for inside cabin and now it is at $349...we have a party of 12, so this could be a considerable savings.

 

I emailed my TA, and hopefully she will be able to do something for us...specially now that I've read all these VERY informational threads I feel much more educated!

 

Thank you!!

[idocdlw]

does anyone know if you can check pricing of a cruise with a military discount. I am wanting to keep an eye on the cost of my cruise and wasn't sure if i am missing something on carnivals website. i was also wondering if anyone knows how where you can call to check on RCCL military discounted rates. RCCL says that you need to call your base, well it has been MANY years since my husband was in the service. Carnival is the only one that will quote you the rates...at least that is what i have found so far. Any help would be great....THANKS

 

 

*****.com lists military rates

[wbmom401]

idocdlw,

 

Thanks, i will try there and see what i can find!!!

[gszenacm]

The price is BACK to $499! My TA probably hasn't even seen my email and now the prices are back to $499...how can this happen? I'm sure it was a mistake, but if I would have booked at that point they would've given be the cheaper rate...

 

Well, lets see what happens now..

[llgator]

Even though we could now book the same cabins for $600 less than we paid, my TA said Costa will not budge, they even want $700 more for us to upgrade, since we're within the sixty day period. They say that the new rates are for new bookings only and when I called Costa's upsell dept., they said they weren't allowed to discuss it with me, I'd have to deal with my TA. Any good advice other than grin and bare it?

[HappyCruiser383]

I've researched and researched until my eyes are stuck to the computer. It seems that no matter where you live or how many cruises you've been on, there's never a discount for you. I've entered different states and yes/no to the "Past guest?" question. The prices all still come out the same. Am I just goofy?:confused: