Rules after Final Payment - Price Drops

[odiesam]

I know price drops are unavailable after final payment but what are the rules on moving up a category? Especially related to onboard credits?

 

I know you can move up a category if your price you paid is equal to the higher category (or pay the difference) but if that same higher category you want to move up to is also offering onboard credit - you are not allowed that? Not only that you lose any onboard credit your current reservation has? That is what Crown and Anchor told me.

 

Higher categories are similarly priced to what we paid and offering onboard credit - C&A told me we could move up but the onboard credit was only available to new bookings AND we would lose our current booking's on board credit.

 

Is this true?

 

Thanks - the onboard credit seems to muck the waters.

[Aussie Jeep]

Following

[Proseknitic]

I know price drops are unavailable after final payment but what are the rules on moving up a category? Especially related to onboard credits?

 

I know you can move up a category if your price you paid is equal to the higher category (or pay the difference) but if that same higher category you want to move up to is also offering onboard credit - you are not allowed that? Not only that you lose any onboard credit your current reservation has? That is what Crown and Anchor told me.

 

Higher categories are similarly priced to what we paid and offering onboard credit - C&A told me we could move up but the onboard credit was only available to new bookings AND we would lose our current booking's on board credit.

 

Is this true?

 

Thanks - the onboard credit seems to muck the waters.

What happens after final payment?

 

1) it depends on your country rules. Some countries/contracts lock you in six months out. After that, you are out of luck

2) Upgrades are a courtesy. Cruise lines don't have to upgrade you. Many times they will, but the extra perks aren't added (cruise points for class paid, not class sailed). Extra OBC? doubt it. Nor are you going to get an additional discount for C&A membership if you are going from inside/outside to balcony. You might be able to use that as part of your argument for the upgrade.

3) Prior benefits may be at jeopardy if they are not currently available for new bookings (OBC, drinks packages and the like).

4) If your profile says "automatic upgrade" and the cruise line upgrades you for their reasons - you don't lose any benefits.

 

It is not a question of fairness. It is a matter of them trying to make the maximum amount of money (stock holders & BOD care about things like that) and fill the cabins...

 

-Holly

who has paid on both ends of the spectrum. I am willing to pay a bit more to book ahead and chose my cabin. Upgrades? 4 times out of ~ 40 cruises on Royal

[papaflamingo]

I know price drops are unavailable after final payment but what are the rules on moving up a category? Especially related to onboard credits?

 

I know you can move up a category if your price you paid is equal to the higher category (or pay the difference) but if that same higher category you want to move up to is also offering onboard credit - you are not allowed that? Not only that you lose any onboard credit your current reservation has? That is what Crown and Anchor told me.

 

Higher categories are similarly priced to what we paid and offering onboard credit - C&A told me we could move up but the onboard credit was only available to new bookings AND we would lose our current booking's on board credit.

 

Is this true?

 

Thanks - the onboard credit seems to muck the waters.

 

It really depends on the rules of the cabin price at time of upgrading. For example, often cabins are offered as "New Bookings Only." If that is the case, then since you are already booked, you will not qualify for the rate. You might be able to talk them into it, my TA was able to do that one cruise and got me a fantastic upgrade. But seems if you book directly, it'll be harder.

Other times the cabin maybe offered with no OBC, etc. If that's the case, then you might loose your OBC. But if you can upgrade from a balcony to a JS for only the loss of $100 OBC, it would be well worth it.

You are also subject to the C & A discount rules. So if you booked over 6 months out and got a C & A discount, then do an upgrade, you might lose some or all of the discount. You are bound by the rules in effect when you change cabin classes.

Here are 2 examples. One year we had a JS on Oasis booked. Three weeks out the Crown Lofts dropped considerably in price. But the were "New Booking Only, no other discounts apply." I emailed my TA, and after a very long discussion with RCCL (she can be quite persuasive), she not only got us the upgrade, but also retained our C & A discount even though I wasn't qualified and the discount was exempted!

Last year we went to Alaska. About a month out the rates on the JS dropped to less than what we paid for a balcony. Back on the phone to my TA. The problem was we booked using a Future Cruise credit with $100 OBC, and the rate, Interline (Airline employee) was not eligible for Future Cruise bookings. So I suggested they simply remove the $100 OBC and I would no longer receive the benefit of Future Cruise (again, she can be quite persuasive). So they agreed and we got a free upgrade. No refund as it was past final payment, but I was willing to give up the $100 OBC for a JS. But, turned out, they never removed the OBC.

So, it really depends on the rate rules in effect when you try to upgrade. It helps, IMHO, to have a great TA who will really battle for you. Then possibly you will still get the OBC from your original booking. But what I do is consider what the value is if I lose the discounts and OBC as they say I will and decide if it's worth it, then hope for the best.

 

In your case, if you can get a nice upgrade for only loss of OBC (depending how much that is), just consider the OBC value as the "cost to upgrade." Would you pay say $100 to upgrade if you kept your $100 OBC? If so, then do it. It's simply a wash.

Edited December 12, 2014 by papaflamingo

[odiesam]

We cruise this weekend - our experience:

 

We booked 2 inside cabins with $100 OBC each - one for my husband and I (platinum almost emerald) and my son and gf (barely platinum). We were offered an upgrade to a balcony about 3 weeks before sailing for a move to a balcony for $100 and ability to keep OBC. We took this but my son was not offered the same upgrade. Less than a week before sailing I noticed the balcony guarantee for this same sailing dropped to just a little over what my son's inside cabin cost plus $200 OBC. I called twice (1st person I spoke with said this was for new bookings only) but the 2nd reservationist said they could upgrade for $75 and get the $200 OBC. They received a higher balcony category than we did (cabins now assigned) and they won't let us upgrade to a higher balcony category unless we pay $300 and lose our OBC. (?!?)

 

Moral of the story - it depends who you talk to at RCCL on how they will treat upgrades but it doesn't hurt to keep calling. We are happy though because we both ended up with balconies for a fairly decent price!

[marci22]

Moral of the story - it depends who you talk to at RCCL on how they will treat upgrades but it doesn't hurt to keep calling.

 

Yes.