Price drop - so discouraged - please advise

[manazca]

We are still cruise newbies ... Booked 2 staterooms through a TA (full payment date passed). I was still keeping an eye on prices and noticed that the next category of a stateroom is now cheaper (for our stateroom for example an upgrade is $800 less per room! For my parents a JS is the same price I paid for their cabin - their 1st cruise, 50th anniversary ...)

I called the TA, he called RC and said he was told that this is the Going, gone, gone price and it only applies to new bookings. Is there anything that can be done? I thought I had read about several people being upgraded when prices dropped after the final payment.

I feel terribly discouraged :( TIA!

[Russ Lomas]

We are still cruise newbies ... Booked 2 staterooms through a TA (full payment date passed). I was still keeping an eye on prices and noticed that the next category of a stateroom is now cheaper (for our stateroom for example an upgrade is $800 less per room! For my parents a JS is the same price I paid for their cabin - their 1st cruise, 50th anniversary ...)

I called the TA, he called RC and said he was told that this is the Going, gone, gone price and it only applies to new bookings. Is there anything that can be done? I thought I had read about several people being upgraded when prices dropped after the final payment.

I feel terribly discouraged :( TIA!

Although I have not done this in the past, I have heard of it happening MANY times. If the price drops for the category above you, you should be able to request a free upgrade to that category as I understand it. If you are in an inside for $1000 and an outside cabin is now less than you have paid, you can request the upgrade to the outside at no charge. If it is now listed for $1010 for the outside, you can pay the extra $10 for the upgrade to the outside cabin.

 

The one thing they will NOT do is if you paid $1000 and you are now past final payment and it drops to $600, you can no longer cancel and re-book for the $600 price, like you can up til final payment is due.

 

 

I am sure many others here will chime in too, but my advice is to act quickly since once those cabins are gone at the great price, there is no way to request the upgrade.

 

Good luck.

[shadowlover]

can you cancel and rebook? Or have you paid final payment?

[IsanTom]

Have a couple of martini's and go to bed!

[Royal2464]

It's quite possible that there is nothing you can do. If the sale price is limited to new bookings only, it prevents you from asking for an upgrade. Your only recourse is to speak to the resolutions department. I don't have their number but if you call the general number and ask to be transferred to resolutions it should work.

[RhondaC]

From what I understand, everything said above is true, except if it's a GGG sale. Those are definitely for new bookings only. This happens to all of us. A GGG sale comes up and our sailing is on there, but there's nothing that can be done.

 

Have a wonderful cruise anyway! 😀

[manazca]

Although I have not done this in the past, I have heard of it happening MANY times. If the price drops for the category above you, you should be able to request a free upgrade to that category as I understand it. If you are in an inside for $1000 and an outside cabin is now less than you have paid, you can request the upgrade to the outside at no charge. If it is now listed for $1010 for the outside, you can pay the extra $10 for the upgrade to the outside cabin.

 

The one thing they will NOT do is if you paid $1000 and you are now past final payment and it drops to $600, you can no longer cancel and re-book for the $600 price, like you can up til final payment is due.

 

 

I am sure many others here will chime in too, but my advice is to act quickly since once those cabins are gone at the great price, there is no way to request the upgrade.

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks! That was my understanding, too. The TA will get back to me only tomorrow and I am not even sure the cabins won't be gone before then ... I guess my lesson here will be to not book with a TA anymore.

[manazca]

It's quite possible that there is nothing you can do. If the sale price is limited to new bookings only, it prevents you from asking for an upgrade. Your only recourse is to speak to the resolutions department. I don't have their number but if you call the general number and ask to be transferred to resolutions it should work.

 

Thanks! Does this advice apply to bookings through a TA as well or only direct from RC?

[MommaBear55]

Advice for the future: never look at prices after the final payment! If they will let you upgrade, great but as a final sale, new bookings only deal they may not. Just be happy that if the prices had gone up they don't charge you more.

[Biker19]

You'll hear of examples from folks that got around the "new bookings only" policy with the GGG sale. It happens, but I have no idea what criteria is used to waive it.

 

Biker, who just got a price drop to the GGG sale price on an existing booking (to be fair it was outside final payment).

[manazca]

Advice for the future: never look at prices after the final payment! If they will let you upgrade, great but as a final sale, new bookings only deal they may not. Just be happy that if the prices had gone up they don't charge you more.

 

I totally see the value of this advice. This is our 3rd cruise and I've never looked at prices after payment for the previous two cruises. But this time there are several issues ... (we are on different decks than my parents, they do not speak English, getting a JS for their first and only cruise we are offering them for their gold anniversary, us taking a CP cabin instead of an ocean view in order to afford the one large bill and now realizing but all would have been possible had we not planned in advance and instead booked it now :( I am sorry, I know it is no one's business, my error and bad luck :( Truly appreciate all the advice.

[Nado44]

I'd keep a close eye on the regular prices for these cabins. Should they drop to the GGG sale prices, call RC and request the upgrade.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Nado44

[Ourusualbeach]

We are still cruise newbies ... Booked 2 staterooms through a TA (full payment date passed). I was still keeping an eye on prices and noticed that the next category of a stateroom is now cheaper (for our stateroom for example an upgrade is $800 less per room! For my parents a JS is the same price I paid for their cabin - their 1st cruise, 50th anniversary ...)

I called the TA, he called RC and said he was told that this is the Going, gone, gone price and it only applies to new bookings. Is there anything that can be done? I thought I had read about several people being upgraded when prices dropped after the final payment.

I feel terribly discouraged :( TIA!

 

This is correct and nothing can be done. All you can do is hope that the prices stay the same and call as soon as the sale is over. I believe that is Thursday.

 

This has absolutely nothing to do with having booked through a TA or direct with Royal.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Ourusualbeach

[manazca]

I'd keep a close eye on the regular prices for these cabins. Should they drop to the GGG sale, call RC and request the upgrade.

 

How does one know those are regular prices versus GGG? I checked them on my TA's company website and it says nothing about GGG. It is only when the TA called RC he was told those were GGG prices.

Edited September 13, 2016 by manazca

[Royal2464]

How does one know those are regular prices versus GGG? I checked them on my TA's company website and it says nothing about GGG. It is only when the TA called RC he was told those were GGG prices.

 

The Going, Going, Gone sale appears on Royal's website under the Crown and Anchor members section. They can also be accessed through http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

 

The sale rules apply to all bookings, those made through a TA or through Royal.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Royal2464

[Biker19]

How does one know those are regular prices versus GGG?

 

Listed here: http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

[manazca]

The Going, Going, Gone sale appears on Royal's website under the Crown and Anchor members section. The sale rules apply to all bookings, those made through a TA or through Royal.

 

I see, so even if I did not enter my C&A number when I checked the price on my TA's website, I got the GGG quotes, is that right?

[Biker19]

The sale rules apply to all bookings, those made through a TA or through Royal.

 

Unless RCI decides to waive them.;)

[Biker19]

I see, so even if I did not enter my C&A number when I checked the price on my TA's website, I got the GGG quotes, is that right?

 

There seemed to be a bit of a glitch in the start of the timing this week - normally C&A members see the prices on Monday and general public on Tuesday. There was something stuck for a while this morning but then everyone seemed to get the pricing.

[skiiergirl]

There seemed to be a bit of a glitch in the start of the timing this week - normally C&A members see the prices on Monday and general public on Tuesday. There was something stuck for a while this morning but then everyone seemed to get the pricing.

 

The flyer indicates this week's GGG sale is open to everyone starting today and goes through midnight Fri night/Sat morning.

 

OP....if you have a great TA then ask them to check the pricing immediately after midnight (eastern) on Fri night/Sat morning to see if the pricing is still the "lower" pricing but no longer under the GGG rules. I have heard of that happening....but not always!

[Biker19]

Wonky flier this week - much longer than usual, has sailings on it outside of final payment, the sale period is longer than unusual, C&A didn't get a head start.I wonder if this is one week anomaly.

[LovesCruising]

Thanks! That was my understanding, too. The TA will get back to me only tomorrow and I am not even sure the cabins won't be gone before then ... I guess my lesson here will be to not book with a TA anymore.

 

How is this your travel agents fault? Its Royals rules not the TA's. Confused:confused:

[manazca]

How is this your travel agents fault? Its Royals rules not the TA's. Confused:confused:

 

 

 

I'm sorry, I should have explained myself but I was too emotional. I guess I prefer to be able to talk to RC directly and not depend on someone else for pleading for me or for getting answers.

 

 

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[Clarea]

I'm sorry, I should have explained myself but I was too emotional. I guess I prefer to be able to talk to RC directly and not depend on someone else for pleading for me or for getting answers.

Travel agents sometimes have more influence with the cruise line.

[easyboy]

Advice for the future: never look at prices after the final payment! If they will let you upgrade, great but as a final sale, new bookings only deal they may not. Just be happy that if the prices had gone up they don't charge you more.

Totally agree. It leads only to regrets and frustrations.