Always Check For Rate Reductions

[ladiebug05]

My family will be on the Mariner of the Seas on July 24, 2005. A few weeks ago I check the rates and they had went down a significant amount. I called my TA and she returned my call and said that RCI was giving me a discount of $420 per stateroom (we booked two inside rooms). I just checked the rates again today and noticed another reduction and called the TA again and she got us an additional discount of $344 per stateroom. I feel like I have won the lottery!!

 

If it hadn't been for the CruiseCritic boards I would have never known to keep checking rates as often as daily. Today's discount was a one day only special! LIFE IS GOOD!!! :D

[Emmabelle]

I wish our cruise rate would go down. :( I keep checking every day for our July 28 cruise on the Empress. It just keeps going up. Oh well, I still can't wait. :)

[michele67]

ladybug-

 

The rate for my cruise has gone down too-emailed TA she hasn't responded- is it normal for a cruise line to reimburse when rates go down?

[LonW]

Wish mine would go down but it has only been going up. Got a balcony for $849.00 per person on upcoming cruise, plus had a coupon for additional $100.00 of the cabin.

 

I keep checking but since I booked a year in advance, I am not counting on it. Price keeps going up and down but never close to what I paid.

[Grayce]

I have been checking our cruise but the rates have been steadily rising and last time I checked there weren't any balconies or suites left. No discount for me :rolleyes:

[GeniRich]

We have 3 cruises booked with RCI. I check the rates everyday. So far they have only gone up. Also we book early and when the rates seem to be better. Our cruise during Christmas last year went down by $160.00 per person after we booked. No trouble at all getting the lower fare. I will continue to check and hope for the best.

[ladiebug05]

Yes .. from what I understand it is RCI's policy to reimburse you the difference of the rate change. Sometimes the rate decrease is for certain states only "residential special" and sometimes its a "one day only special" For us, the prices didn't drop until about a month before the cruise and then again 11 days out. I guess it depends on how booked the ship is.

[cincicruisers]

praying to the upgrade faires here!

Never been as lucky... Congrats on your upgrade.

[Iamthesea]

Ladiebug05 - When did you originally book this cruise? We cruised on the Mariner last year at the same time in July and never saw a reduction in prices from the time we booked in January.:( Do you mind my asking what you originally paid pp for an inside?

[Pumbaamd]

On our next two cruises (Brilliance D1 hump and Grandeur JS Aft) with RCL our cabin class has sold out. The class below is going for more than what we booked for quite a while ago. It kinda depends on certain itineraries and the time of the year. But just in case, just keep on checkin'. . .

[ladiebug05]

We had originally booked in the beginning of February of this year. We booked at the rate of $1,100 per person. That was for four with two inside cabins.

[Murphy]

I check our reservation almost daily, but the ship's been sold out for almost a month now and we don't sail until October! Expecting some cabins to open up in the next 2 weeks when final payment is due, but doubt any rates will be lower, unless a TA is holding a huge block that they can't sell.

[Ella2]

My 8/28 Mariner cruise has had TWO price reductions since I originally booked, the second one AFTER final payment; I'm getting a nice chunk of change credited back. :)

 

It seems like the mid-late August Caribbean sailings are on the "hot fare" list now, so definitely worth checking for a price reduction!

[KamloopsCruisers]

Ladiebug05 - Congrats on getting such a reduction. Woohoo! I'm one of those cruisers who usually chooses a cruise where the prices keep increasing, but one day maybe I too will get a reduction.

 

Enjoy!

[TPKeller]

I think it's always good to check around the time that final payments are due. That's when the rubber meets the road, so to speak...

 

It is sometimes very unpredictable, however. The cruise I am looking at for late October (which is still hurricane season!) just went up $50 pp over this past weekend, literally as Dennis was blowing away parts of Florida! Go figure.

 

Theron

[stillfrantic]

I check my Aug. date daily and have been very surprised the price has not changed one penny, either up or down, since I booked in early April.

[Aldeya]

Do you all check ONLY RCI website for the price drop?

 

Our July 29 VOS cruise prices were steadily going UP from what we paid for balcony. Last week on ANOTHER site I saw a one-day Special price that was lower that ours. When I checked RCI site there was no mentioning of this sale. When I called I was told it's for the new bookings only.

 

So do you check and follow only RCI site for a price drop?

 

TIA

[LLM]

My 8/28 Mariner cruise has had TWO price reductions since I originally booked, the second one AFTER final payment; I'm getting a nice chunk of change credited back. :) QUOTE]

 

So do they give stateroom credit after final payment has been made?

 

Lisa

[firstcruise05]

Do they still give you the discount if your cruise is paid in full? I got a pretty good deal on our balcony cabin so I'm probably not going to get a discount at all but our final payment date is coming up and I was planning on paying it all this week however, I'll wait until the deadline if it means that I could lose out on any discounts.

[mommabean]

I made my reservation so close to the cruise date that payment had to be made in full. Two days later the prices dropped for one day only. I got a JS at the same price as my original D1. All it took was a call to RCI. I noticed price changes and availability changed up until the day before departure for Alaska on the Serenade.

 

On our first cruise on NOS the regular price never changed. But I did see the sudden appearance of the Senior discount at the expedia site. I called RCI and was immediately given the discount for both of us based on my husband's age. It was credited back to our credit card right away even though we had paid in full.

 

It's worth checking the prices daily even at other sites especially as the cruise date draws near.

[princess40]

Where do you check the prices? To see if they go down on RCCL web site or somewhere else? Help!!!!

[jebl]

Leaving in Jan on the Brilliance and I too check almost daily for price changes. Got one reduction for $200 per cabin but now our cat D1 is sold out and the next lowest is higher than what we paid. Looks like this cruise is almost sold out. But I will keep checking. It could be something like a TA holding a block or rooms or a lot of rooms sometimes open up after final payment is made.

 

Last Apr. I found out about a Senior Citizen discount on our Radiance cruise. Had already made final payment but my TA got me a credit back to my credit card for the difference, about $650. Used that just as we would have for an onboard credit.

 

Still hoping for either a reduction or an upgrade this next trip. I do believe in fairies, I do believe in fairies, I do believe in fairies............

[booze brothers]

I'm pretty new at this computer stuff. I sure would like a link, or some more information, as to how to check prices. Please, all you smart people, HELP!

[TPKeller]

Lots of you have asked where to check prices. Folks are sometimes reluctant to post links to travel agent sites, as this can generate some ire around here.

 

Generally speaking, especially with RCCL after their new clampdown on discounting, I have found that all the big web based travel sites display the same prices. So...my advice is to pick one of the sites that you like and find easy to use, and just check them often.

 

On a more technical note: Some sites are structured so that they are more friendly to bookmarking the info for a specific cruise. Some are not. It can be a fairly easy process to check daily if you find a site that lets you bookmark the info for your specific cruise.

 

I wish I knew of good examples and could post them... but I guess you have to do a little research on your own.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Theron

[CruzinSuz]

Did RCI give you the price reduction on the One Day Sale?