Next cruise program changing again!!

[marci22]

I must be missing something, seems like you give up the OBC on the future cruise and basically don't have to put down a deposit at all for that cruise now ?

 

Example:

 

I put down a $100 deposit for a 7 nt balcony cruise. Royal charges my card for $100 and then gives me $100 OBC back on the cruise that I am currently on. At the end of this cruise Royal charges my card $100 less than they ordinarily would have for this cruise. When I walk off the ship, I have paid exactly the same as I would have if I had not put down a deposit but I now have a non-refundable deposit on a future cruise for $100. So basically I converted the $100 OBC on a future cruise into a $100 deposit on the future cruise .... seems like I can only be ahead on this deal.

 

You're not really ahead, you're even. Ordinarily you would get $100 obc on your future cruise and your $100 deposit goes toward your final payment. If you deposit $100 and want the obc immediately, you have paid for the obc out of your pocket. Now you have $100 towards your future cruise, but no obc, and if you cancel, you lose the $100 credit. So you are only 'up' $100 if you follow through with your cruise.

 

I feel they are doing this because losing that credit makes people think twice before cancelling their future booking.

 

I edited for clarity, but I'm not sure it's clear :/

Edited March 20, 2015 by marci22

[JasonV1]

So long as the "decide now" / OBC "then" option deposit is refundable I'm good. I book far out and sometimes I like to keep my options open by booking multiple cruises at the early rates.

 

Probably drives my TA a little crazy (have 2 spring 2017 Celebrity bookings now for the same week) but I am spending more and more with her each year so she doesn't seem to mind.

 

Yeah the OBC is less than in the past, but I book so far out that I enjoy the reduced deposit more than anything (especially when booking 2-3 cruises at a time).

[jticarruthers]

You're not really ahead, you're even. Ordinarily you would get $100 obc on your future cruise and your $100 deposit goes toward your final payment. If you deposit $100 and want the obc immediately, you have paid for the obc out of your pocket. Now you have $100 towards your future cruise, but no obc, and if you cancel, you lose the $100 credit. So you are only 'up' $100 if you follow through with your cruise.

 

I feel they are doing this because losing that credit makes people think twice before cancelling their future booking.

 

I edited for clarity, but I'm not sure it's clear :/

 

Your right I am not ahead but I also have nothing at risk.

 

I already "used up" the OBC, so if I decide to cancel after the cruise I am on, nothing happens.

They can keep my deposit, I used their OBC.

I paid nothing extra at the time of my first cruise.

If I follow through on the second cruise my total bill across both cruises is the same as it was before.

Doesn't matter if is refundable or not, either way I get the same benefit.

Cant see how RCI wins on this one though ...

[marci22]

Cant see how RCI wins on this one though ...

 

Will make some people think twice about cancelling/changing a cruise since they are 'losing' a $100 deposit.

[orville99]

Your right I am not ahead but I also have nothing at risk.

 

 

 

I already "used up" the OBC, so if I decide to cancel after the cruise I am on, nothing happens.

 

They can keep my deposit, I used their OBC.

 

I paid nothing extra at the time of my first cruise.

 

If I follow through on the second cruise my total bill across both cruises is the same as it was before.

 

Doesn't matter if is refundable or not, either way I get the same benefit.

 

Cant see how RCI wins on this one though ...

 

 

Of course if you did a regression analysis on the numbers, you'd find that the maximum benefit to you never exceeds zero, but RCL has you booked on another cruise, so they lock in a future revenue stream - which pleases their stock holders and elevates their bond rating, giving them a lower interest rate when they float bonds to build their next ship. Any way you parse the numbers, RCL wins.

Edited March 20, 2015 by orville99

[whitshel]

Here is a flyer

 

 

 

I know they're a little hard to see but notice you can change your resi up until final payment as much as you want. Again I'm not getting all the nay-sayers, but thats just me.

 

I'll be on board in a little over a week, i'm sure putting down $100 instead of $500 deposit and getting $100 for my cruise i'm on now. I see win win...

[whitshel]

One more, couple highlights. Circled in red, this says they are changing it, so maybe they are both available for a limited time.

 

Also deposit is per stateroom not per person, so you only need to put down a $100 for the stateroom and not have to add another person later.

 

[whitshel]

And one more, so this is definitely better if before you changed your resi you lost your obc to $25 now no losing obc (obviously cause you already spent it :D) and no changing of your deposit amount.

 

[whitshel]

Will make some people think twice about cancelling/changing a cruise since they are 'losing' a $100 deposit.

 

How are they losing the deposit? It still goes towards the amount you are paying for your cruise. And as I just posted you can change as much as you want up until final payment with no deposit change? What am I missing????:confused:

[cruisenfever]

How are they losing the deposit? It still goes towards the amount you are paying for your cruise. And as I just posted you can change as much as you want up until final payment with no deposit change? What am I missing????:confused:

If you book a cruise while on a cruise and have the OBC added to your account on the cruise you are on..........then go home and cancel the cruise the cruise you booked on board......you will lose that $100 deposit.

Edited March 21, 2015 by cruisenfever

[Ourusualbeach]

If you book a cruise while on a cruise and have the OBC added to your account on the cruise you are on..........then go home and cancel the cruise the cruise you booked on board......you will lose that $100 deposit.

 

But you are not "out of pocket any money" as you received the OBC on the ship that you booked the cruise on. With now having the ability to switch dates around as many times as you like there is also no reason to "cancel" a cruise unless you never plan on sailing with Royal again.

[Coralc]

Well yes, if you cancel the future booking, you have zero net costs or returns. You paid $100 for a deposit and spent $100 onboard your current cruise.

 

If you don't cancel, I guess you can move your $100 deposit around to various bookings, until they decide that is probably not an effective way to tie up unsecured cruise bookings. :D:):D

[whitshel]

But you are not "out of pocket any money" as you received the OBC on the ship that you booked the cruise on. With now having the ability to switch dates around as many times as you like there is also no reason to "cancel" a cruise unless you never plan on sailing with Royal again.

 

Ya what he said :D Yay, somebody else gets it :rolleyes:

 

They gave you a $100 that you spent, you don't lose anything.

 

Just like the old way, you pay $100, they give you a $100 obc for a future cruise, you cancel, guess what you dont get that $100 obc. Either way your even.....

[harz99]

I read the thread you originally posted as well as this one and am still a bit confused. Is the price onboard for UK cruisers given in dollars or pounds and what happens when final payment is due, do you pay the UK office or the US one. I dread to think what Guatemala will make of it:)

 

 

We will be on Splendour in just over 4 weeks and are hoping to book onboard for next year, we don't plan on cancelling and would prefer the onboard credit on the next cruise so no different than normal for us but just wondered how it worked in practice.

 

Thanks,

 

Julie

 

The staff onboard use a set calculator to convert the dollar figuee yo GBP for the invoice which will be in GBP if you booked via a UK t/a or the Royal UK site. Was around $100 to £65 from memory.

[Lionesss]

So for us, booking on board, getting the OBC, staying with the date we booked, we will actually get $$$ on current sailing.

 

Ok

Barring any conflicts should work just fine.

 

 

Later

[harz99]

Interesting to see the flyer and Q&A sheet Whitshel posted above. The eagle eyed will note some differences in the way changes to ship etc. alter or not, the offer benefits, when compared to the lengthy T&Cs posted earlier. I could be wrong, but I reckon those earlier lengthy conditions are for a different offer!

[kernow]

The staff onboard use a set calculator to convert the dollar figuee yo GBP for the invoice which will be in GBP if you booked via a UK t/a or the Royal UK site. Was around $100 to £65 from memory.

 

Thanks for the reply, looks like we'll be doing this next month then,

 

Julie

[marci22]

Those new images provide a better explanation than the t&c posted earlier.

 

One thing I noticed is that, while you can move your booking around, once your obc is used, the deposit won't change. For example if you book a higher category of room, you won't get an increased amount of obc added to your 'deposit'. But if you downgrade, I think they are going to take some of the reduced obc *out of your deposit*. From earlier posted t&c: "You may change your ship or sail date, but your onboard credit is subject to repayment out of your onboard deposit if you book a lower category or shorter sailing."

 

This new deal is obviously geared at those who like immediate gratification.

 

I think it's more complication. We are not going to see how all this really works out until people start modifying/cancelling their cruises. Then we will see if they are refunding/not refunding/adjusting accordingly. I would just be careful about getting an updated invoice each and every time a booking is made or modified.

Edited March 21, 2015 by marci22

[molly361]

That flyer is specific to the instant OBC. I have a feeling that if you pick the get the OBC later option you still will not be able to make changes without it reverting to the lower decide later OBC amount. Even though C and A has told me that you CAN make changes, I think they are talking about the Get the OBC now bookings. Does not seem right that is should be different but here are the Terms on the RCL site

 

" For those guests that choose to have their Onboard Credit on their future voyage, if the original ship and sail date selected while onboard is changed in the future, we reserve the right to adjust the onboard credit amount to the Open Booking model between $25 - $100 per stateroom based on length of cruise.. "

 

And this last line gives me a headache

 

After the Offer Period for any North American Offer that is combinable with your Next Cruise Booking has expired, the Offer will be removed from the booking if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking, applies a fare change, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking; certain other changes to the booking may also result in removal of the Offer.

Edited March 21, 2015 by molly361

[harz99]

Those new images provide a better explanation than the t&c posted earlier.

 

One thing I noticed is that, while you can move your booking around, once your obc is used, the deposit won't change. For example if you book a higher category of room, you won't get an increased amount of obc added to your 'deposit'. But if you downgrade, I think they are going to take some of the reduced obc *out of your deposit*. From earlier posted t&c: "You may change your ship or sail date, but your onboard credit is subject to repayment out of your onboard deposit if you book a lower category or shorter sailing."

 

This new deal is obviously geared at those who like immediate gratification.

 

I think it's more complication. We are not going to see how all this really works out until people start modifying/cancelling their cruises. Then we will see if they are refunding/not refunding/adjusting accordingly. I would just be careful about getting an updated invoice each and every time a booking is made or modified.

 

I don't see it as more complication, but there again I'm not from North America. For those of us from Europe and other parts of the world this change has the potential to be very useful, subject as you say, to how things pan out when we try changing our bookings. Something I will find out as soon as the next 2016 Australasia/ Transpacific itineraries are released.

Edited March 21, 2015 by harz99

[marci22]

That flyer is specific to the instant OBC. I have a feeling that if you pick the get the OBC later option you still will not be able to make changes without it reverting to the lower decide later OBC amount. Even though C and A has told me that you CAN make changes, I think they are talking about the Get the OBC now bookings. Does not seem right that is should be different but here are the Terms on the RCL site

 

" For those guests that choose to have their Onboard Credit on their future voyage, if the original ship and sail date selected while onboard is changed in the future, we reserve the right to adjust the onboard credit amount to the Open Booking model between $25 - $100 per stateroom based on length of cruise.. "

 

And this last line gives me a headache

 

After the Offer Period for any North American Offer that is combinable with your Next Cruise Booking has expired, the Offer will be removed from the booking if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking, applies a fare change, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking; certain other changes to the booking may also result in removal of the Offer.

 

Yes to your first bolded statement. If you change your future obc booking, it will revert to the (lower) open booking amount of obc.

 

Second bolded (immediate obc offer): they are doing that now. Almost any change you make now results in losing any obc/perk that is not currently on offer.

 

I think the immediate obc grabs people but Royal has the edge because although you can change your booking, you can't get increased obc for upgrading your cabin and you have to pay them back obc if you downgrade.

 

Plus you have to depend on the expertise of the rep you end up talking to, if you want to modify/change your booking. So know what you should be getting before you call.

Edited March 21, 2015 by marci22

[harz99]

Here is a flyer

 

 

 

I know they're a little hard to see but notice you can change your resi up until final payment as much as you want. Again I'm not getting all the nay-sayers, but thats just me.

 

I'll be on board in a little over a week, i'm sure putting down $100 instead of $500 deposit and getting $100 for my cruise i'm on now. I see win win...

 

Thanks very much for posting the flyer etc.

 

It would be very helpful if you could repost the T&Cs that are at the bottom of the flyer page in a larger font so that we are all able to see them. The offer was so new when I booked on board there weren't any flyers to be had!

[minsterman]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding this but it seems like a no lose situation?

 

For example, say I'm on a cruise and I get to the last day and check my account with guest services to find I have a $100 bill to pay on my last day.

 

Instead of paying the bill, I pay a deposit of $100 on a future cruise which entitles me to $100 obc on this cruise and therefore I have no further bill to pay on this cruise.

 

And I have a $100 deposit against a future cruise. Even if I don't go on the new cruise I haven't lost anything as I've paid out $100 today in the form of a deposit instead of $100 today to pay my onboard bill?

 

Seems like a no brainer!!

Edited March 22, 2015 by minsterman

[marci22]

Instead of paying the bill, I pay a deposit of $100 on a future cruise which entitles me to $100 obc on this cruise and therefore I have no further bill to pay on this cruise.

 

yeah cause you just paid your bill.

[molly361]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding this but it seems like a no lose situation?

 

For example, say I'm on a cruise and I get to the last day and check my account with guest services to find I have a $100 bill to pay on my last day.

 

Instead of paying the bill, I pay a deposit of $100 on a future cruise which entitles me to $100 obc on this cruise and therefore I have no further bill to pay on this cruise.

 

And I have a $100 deposit against a future cruise. Even if I don't go on the new cruise I haven't lost anything as I've paid out $100 today in the form of a deposit instead of $100 today to pay my onboard bill?

 

Seems like a no brainer!!

 

You don't lose anything but you don't gain anything either.

 

If you keep the cruise that you did book while onboard you would be $100 ahead