Pricing Changes

[temple1]

I tried to find this in a search but not much luck.

 

I seem to recall if you found a senior or state discount you could call Royal Caribbean and they would verify and apply it to your reservation. Our final payment date is still a few days away. Yesterday I saw a senior discount and when I called, she repriced the cruise and said it would cost us more.

 

Did I just get an inexperienced person or is that the new norm?

[Paulxyz2004]

Senior/Resident/Military/etc. Discounts are not Discounts in the way of a certain percentages or certain amount of your paid Price.

 

It is a set Price at the Moment of them offering it. So once it is offered they have Price X for regular bookings and Price Y for the reduced ones.

 

Now the Price you paid can easily be lower than what the discounted Price is now.

 

Basically the policy These days is, whenever you make a Change your cruise is repriced at the current rate.

[molly361]

If you are before final payment and there is a resident's rate and it brings your cost down they should apply it. I would call again.

[marci22]

Sounds like OP saw a senior rate promo, but the price is actually higher than what she paid without the promo. That happens. Sales go on all the time that are more expensive than what some people paid without a sale.

[Paul65]

Did I just get an inexperienced person or is that the new norm?

 

Neither. You got the correct answer. You can call and get that senior rate, but if the senior rate is higher than you originally paid, then there's no benefit to switching. That is the old norm.

 

A promotional rate like that will be lower than the current going rate, but that doesn't (and never did) mean you get the same difference off an older, lower fare.

[cruisinfanatic]

I tried to find this in a search but not much luck.

 

I seem to recall if you found a senior or state discount you could call Royal Caribbean and they would verify and apply it to your reservation. Our final payment date is still a few days away. Yesterday I saw a senior discount and when I called, she repriced the cruise and said it would cost us more.

 

Did I just get an inexperienced person or is that the new norm?

you can just go online and price your cruise

[kearney]

Pricing of a cruise can be very tricky. It is difficult to get a good deal. They say 50% off.... but off of what.... sometime the gross price has changed.... there are different discounts for different things sometimes they are combinable.

 

Here is what I do now. I pick several cruises that appeal to me. I go onto the Royal Caribbean website... to a search... check the sr box, add residency info and C&A number ... and then go to the cruise I am interested in and select a cabin.... one that appeals to me.

 

On a spreadsheet I enter gross price and list each of the discounts and port charges. I

then come back when there is a sale to see how price compares.

 

Bottom line. If you can get an ocean view balcony cabin on Oasis Class ship for less than $800/person. That is a good price. So when a sale comes around and I see that I can get it for around that price... time to decide if I want to go or not.

A few observations from being such an anal person. Gross cruise prices seem to vary and I do not understand why. Recently I noticed that the C&A balcony discount went from $225 to $200. Not sure if this is just a one time error... but something I noticed.

 

I have not used a travel agent, so I may be missing an opportunity to do better. Any points of view on that? When I have called in directly to RCCL the agents have been helpful in finding me the best price (at that time).... sometime the resident discount was better than other discounts. Also it seems that they may have better access to knowing cabin availability than what they should on the website. For example my husband has trouble walking so I prefer a cabin near stern elevator on Oasis class. Nothing showed up on the website... but the agent found one. One comment. It is difficult to know when talking to agent if you are getting a good deal. There are so many numbers taht they throw around. This is where doing work ahead of time helps you recognize a good deal or not. Just some thoughts.

[temple1]

I have taken a cruise or two on Royal Caribbean over the years although I have not been on Royal since 2014.

 

I seem to recall in the dim reaches of my memory that when something like a discount for State or over 55 popped up I could call and take advantage of the discount. Period end of transaction.

 

Perhaps I am experiencing that golden memory that will fog our recollection of events. :p

 

That is why, it must be my faulty memory, that I was surprised by the phone call and that is what I should have put in my original post.

Edited July 24, 2016 by temple1

[BDL]

A few observations from being such an anal person. Gross cruise prices seem to vary and I do not understand why. Recently I noticed that the C&A balcony discount went from $225 to $200. Not sure if this is just a one time error... but something I noticed.

 

For 7 day cruises, the $225 discount is if the cruise is more than 6 months away. When you get within the 6 month time period the discount is $200. I'm not sure the following link will work but I'll try it.

 

http://content.onlineagency.com/sites/33609/pdf/11022415_cas_tiers_flyer.pdf

[molly361]

I have taken a cruise or two on Royal Caribbean over the years although I have not been on Royal since 2014.

 

I seem to recall in the dim reaches of my memory that when something like a discount for State or over 55 popped up I could call and take advantage of the discount. Period end of transaction.

 

Perhaps I am experiencing that golden memory that will fog our recollection of events. :p

 

That is why, it must be my faulty memory, that I was surprised by the phone call and that is what I should have put in my original post.

 

If the total price you get when you do a mock booking is less than what you already have call them again. You should be able to get it if you are before final payment date.

[mollyeilis]

 

I seem to recall in the dim reaches of my memory that when something like a discount for State or over 55 popped up I could call and take advantage of the discount. Period end of transaction.

 

You can get it; it's just not apparently cheaper than what you have.

[molly361]

I am assuming that OP would not have started this thread if the price of their cruise at the resident rate is more than their original booking.

[temple1]

Thanks Molly, you are correct, I know I've not been on the boards much in the past year - work and all but I am somewhat familiar with how it all works. (on here and on the Royal Caribbean website.) ;)

 

So from all the answers so far - Royal Caribbean has always repriced cruises when we call for a resident or senior discount prior to final payment date? And my question stems from my faulty memory?

[Guest maddycat]

Thanks Molly, you are correct, I know I've not been on the boards much in the past year - work and all but I am somewhat familiar with how it all works. (on here and on the Royal Caribbean website.) ;)

 

So from all the answers so far - Royal Caribbean has always repriced cruises when we call for a resident or senior discount prior to final payment date? And my question stems from my faulty memory?[/quote]

 

No, you remember correctly. It's fairly recent that RCI reprices the cruise to the current price. I also remember calling when a discount showed up and it was applied to my booking (original booking price minus discount).

Edited July 24, 2016 by maddycat

[temple1]

Thanks Molly, you are correct, I know I've not been on the boards much in the past year - work and all but I am somewhat familiar with how it all works. (on here and on the Royal Caribbean website.) ;)

 

So from all the answers so far - Royal Caribbean has always repriced cruises when we call for a resident or senior discount prior to final payment date? And my question stems from my faulty memory?[/quote]

 

No, you remember correctly. It's fairly recent that RCI reprices the cruise to the current price. I also remember calling when a discount showed up and it was applied to my booking (original booking price minus discount).

 

Thanks MaddyCat, Good to know sometimes I start to wonder. :D

[molly361]

 

Thanks MaddyCat, Good to know sometimes I start to wonder. :D

 

Were you able to get your price lowered??

[cruisegoal100]

I have not used a travel agent, so I may be missing an opportunity to do better. Any points of view on that? When I have called in directly to RCCL the agents have been helpful in finding me the best price (at that time).... sometime the resident discount was better than other discounts. Also it seems that they may have better access to knowing cabin availability than what they should on the website. For example my husband has trouble walking so I prefer a cabin near stern elevator on Oasis class. Nothing showed up on the website... but the agent found one. One comment. It is difficult to know when talking to agent if you are getting a good deal. There are so many numbers taht they throw around. This is where doing work ahead of time helps you recognize a good deal or not. Just some thoughts.

 

With an agent who does a lot of cruise bookings you will get the same cabin availability access as RCCL provides plus there is always the opportunity for 2 additional benefits: additional perks from agent and/or group booking rates. We always use an online cruise agent but always do booking by phone to allow questions to be answered.

Good luck with your future bookings.

[traveler279]

As an example of how the base price can change, when we booked our next cruise last February the base price before sales and discounts was $3292. That base now is $4448. At one point it was $4658. I go in and mock book occasionally but with the base being what it is now it would take a huge sale to be a price drop.

 

 

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