New suite policy faq

[Teeara]

I would rather have the OBC for whatever the future cruise is that I'm booking. I already have OBC for my current cruise. It would make me more inclined to book a suite with the OBC on a longer cruise.

[juliea344]

When I booked a suite on board last month they did not offer reduced deposits for suites. It was $1000 for 4 of us (still refundable at that point). The only thing I got was $200 OBC towards the next cruise. They didn't even offer instant OBC. So this new policy will just ensure that I book online from now on. It's not worth the $200 to have no flexibility in my planning.

 

Allure of the Seas February 2017

Freedom of the Seas February 2018

Harmony of the Seas February 2019

[ATLgirl15]

Glad to see this policy instituted. I had no idea about the OBC scam but I know people "hold" suite reservations just in case and then cancel later. It seems like the only way to get a suite is a year in advance or 60 days from sailing. It's ridiculous for those of us who seriously want to book a cruise.

 

 

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[Traveling Library]

I would prefer going back to the future cruise certificate. With their new onboard policy we were told we HAD to book a cruise, even knowing we never were going to take that cruise (we were waiting for the next deployment to be announced a week later). We opted not to book anything onboard because we felt that it was unfair to tie up a cabin that we had no intention of using.

[crusinthrough]

If you book a suite onboard for a particular sailing you pay a full deposit of $1k. If you change this date you pay $100 per person, which could be $400 (4 people in a room). If you cancel this cruise RC keeps your $1000 deposit? That's insane. Plans change and life happens especially when you book further out. I would think most people do not have $1000 to donate to RC just because they cancelled a cruise.

 

With the new room change policy, higher suite prices and now this policy, I'm not sure of the benefit of picking RC over another line.

 

 

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[Biker19]

If you book a suite onboard for a particular sailing you pay a full deposit of $1k. If you change this date you pay $100 per person, which could be $400 (4 people in a room). If you cancel this cruise RC keeps your $1000 deposit? That's insane. Plans change and life happens especially when you book further out. I would think most people do not have $1000 to donate to RC just because they cancelled a cruise.

Welcome to life outside of NA - all bookings are like that.

[Clarea]

If you book a suite onboard for a particular sailing you pay a full deposit of $1k. If you change this date you pay $100 per person, which could be $400 (4 people in a room). If you cancel this cruise RC keeps your $1000 deposit? That's insane. Plans change and life happens especially when you book further out. I would think most people do not have $1000 to donate to RC just because they cancelled a cruise.

 

With the new room change policy, higher suite prices and now this policy, I'm not sure of the benefit of picking RC over another line.

Just don't book the suite onboard a cruise, then you get the same rules as before.

[grapau27]

Welcome to life outside of NA - all bookings are like that.

Very true.

 

love sailing with RCCL

[crusinthrough]

Just don't book the suite onboard a cruise, then you get the same rules as before.

 

 

I guess I don't get the rationale of keeping a $1000 deposit. Were that many people booking suites onboard and cancelling? I suppose we'll never know.

 

 

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[Clarea]

I guess I don't get the rationale of keeping a $1000 deposit. Were that many people booking suites onboard and cancelling? I suppose we'll never know.

This is just a wild a$$ guess, but maybe there are legal implications for keeping deposits for US/Canadian bookings. Maybe by limiting this new policy to onboard bookings, they think it will be easier to get away with it. They have been known to push the envelope and have had the Florida Attorney General rule against them in the past.

[molly361]

Just don't book the suite onboard a cruise, then you get the same rules as before.

 

For now;p

[Clarea]

For now;p

Correct. And watch what happens when they extend the policy to JS, and then to categories below that. :eek:

[crusinthrough]

This is just a wild a$$ guess, but maybe there are legal implications for keeping deposits for US/Canadian bookings. Maybe by limiting this new policy to onboard bookings, they think it will be easier to get away with it. They have been known to push the envelope and have had the Florida Attorney General rule against them in the past.[/

 

Makes sense since onboard bookings are not done in FL. Since the cancellation rules will remain the same for non onboard bookings, I'm not sure how of the overall benefit to RC. People will still book online, with a TA etc and cancel / change sailings. It's almost as if they don't want people to book onboard. Instead of taking away the option they keep dwindling the benefits (OBC was the first change) so that it's not even worth buying one.

 

 

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[molly361]

Correct. And watch what happens when they extend the policy to JS, and then to categories below that. :eek:

 

The pessimist in me sees that coming eventually

[nelblu]

If you book a suite onboard for a particular sailing you pay a full deposit of $1k. If you change this date you pay $100 per person, which could be $400 (4 people in a room). If you cancel this cruise RC keeps your $1000 deposit? That's insane. Plans change and life happens especially when you book further out. I would think most people do not have $1000 to donate to RC just because they cancelled a cruise.

 

With the new room change policy, higher suite prices and now this policy, I'm not sure of the benefit of picking RC over another line.

 

 

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If I understand the policy correctly, only to those future cruises booked on board, and no change or cancellation fees for those reserves made via a RCL agent or on-line.

[Pratique]

Makes sense since onboard bookings are not done in FL. Since the cancellation rules will remain the same for non onboard bookings, I'm not sure how of the overall benefit to RC. People will still book online, with a TA etc and cancel / change sailings. It's almost as if they don't want people to book onboard. Instead of taking away the option they keep dwindling the benefits (OBC was the first change) so that it's not even worth buying one.

 

 

 

If the contract is still bound by Florida law (I'm guessing that it is), then I see no apparent difference booking onboard.

 

One possible benefit to the company is that this policy encourages people who book onboard to sail with RC rather than cancel and take their money elsewhere after they have had time to go home and think about it. It may also increase the conversion rate (percentage of bookings that are fully paid) since people are reluctant to forfeit their deposit, which may also improve the performance numbers for the onboard sales staff (do they work on commission?).

 

I do not see how refundable deposits help the company, other than as a convenience to customers, since the deposit money can't be accounted for as revenue until the deposit is no longer refundable.

[bUU]

I do not see how refundable deposits help the company, other than as a convenience to customers, since the deposit money can't be accounted for as revenue until the deposit is no longer refundable.

Well, I'm not sure that's true. All money must be accounted for, and I'm pretty sure that deposits are booked as unearned revenues. It would be great if some accountant would chime in here and clarify where deposits appear on the balance sheet.

 

As a result of this prepayment, the seller has a liability equal to the revenue earned until delivery of the good or service.

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/unearnedrevenue.asp

 

So if I read that right, they book the deposit as revenue at the time the deposit is made, which looks good to investors. At the same time they book a liability, which doesn't look bad to investors because they know that that represents service "pipeline". Regardless, I don't think the deposits are hidden until the cruise.

Edited March 23, 2017 by bUU

[rvrocker]

Let put a few things together

1. The problem of post cruise charges for minibar (well documented in another thread).

2. The 7.95 per order room service charge for non suites

3. Now this change

 

To me it adds up to only more dollars for RCCI.

 

 

 

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[travelgoddess1]

Let put a few things together

1. The problem of post cruise charges for minibar (well documented in another thread).

2. The 7.95 per order room service charge for non suites

3. Now this change

 

To me it adds up to only more dollars for RCCI.

 

 

 

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That sums it up accurately enough. :). Bottom line, it's still all about the money. :rolleyes:

[marci22]

They do give you 30 days to make changes without penalties. I still wouldn't do it, though. Too many things can happen and I wouldn't want to lose the whole deposit.

 

You can also downgrade your cabin (same ship and sail date) without penalty.

[rvrocker]

MSC is looking better all the time

 

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[TeeRick]

That sums it up accurately enough. :). Bottom line, it's still all about the money. :rolleyes:

 

Yes it is about the money as they are a business with shareholders. The three items listed are recent changes but are unrelated really. We got charged on Anthem for the minibar too and had it reversed - nobody really knows one way or the other if this is being done intentionally but it is suspicious. The $7.95 room service charge is an industry trend like ever increasing gratuities. The on board booking change for suites is something I agree with - they are closing a loophole that is unfair to other passengers who want a suite which is otherwise unavailable because of some people milking the system and doing the last minute switch. Yes RCL benefits too as they get to sell a suite earlier to real buyers for a higher price then when it comes up in inventory after the final payment date. RCL makes continuous large investments in ships and services and needs to turn a reasonable profit just like any other business. They must be doing something right as their ships are always full so a lot of people like and buy the product presumably because they think it is a good vacation value to them.

[travelgoddess1]

Yes it is about the money as they are a business with shareholders. The three items listed are recent changes but are unrelated really. We got charged on Anthem for the minibar too and had it reversed - nobody really knows one way or the other if this is being done intentionally but it is suspicious. The $7.95 room service charge is an industry trend like ever increasing gratuities. The on board booking change for suites is something I agree with - they are closing a loophole that is unfair to other passengers who want a suite which is otherwise unavailable because of some people milking the system and doing the last minute switch. Yes RCL benefits too as they get to sell a suite earlier to real buyers for a higher price then when it comes up in inventory after the final payment date. RCL makes continuous large investments in ships and services and needs to turn a reasonable profit just like any other business. They must be doing something right as their ships are always full so a lot of people like and buy the product presumably because they think it is a good vacation value to them.

 

I disagree with losing the full deposit if you change plans. Even though it only applies at this point to NextCruise bookings, I can see this eventually spreading to all bookings in all classes of service. There might be a legal angle to this, however, as consumers in the U.S. have some protection from this practice. Since I'm not a lawyer, it is for others to debate.

 

Once again, the simple solution would have been to eliminate the instant OBC option.

 

If you want more suite availability, you are also going to have to restrict travel agents' option of holding large blocks of cabins.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

I disagree with losing the full deposit if you change plans. Even though it only applies at this point to NextCruise bookings, I can see this eventually spreading to all bookings in all classes of service. There might be a legal angle to this, however, as consumers in the U.S. have some protection from this practice. Since I'm not a lawyer, it is for others to debate.

 

Once again, the simple solution would have been to eliminate the instant OBC option.

 

If you want more suite availability, you are also going to have to restrict travel agents' option of holding large blocks of cabins.

 

Well said Karen! :)

[Goodtime Cruizin]

I posted this on another thread & I'm pretty sure some will not agree w/ me on this....but I'm one that believes a $100 cancellation fee per person when cancelling after 30 days should apply with any & all reservations. What I see is Cabin Hogs wishing for RCCL to 'commit' to them by holding specific cabins on specific sail dates while refusing to commit to RCCL by using faux reservations and taking multiple cabins off of inventory. If one removes a cabin from inventory, one should use it and/or expect to pay a penalty for cancellation. Given that this new policy allows one to cancel within 30 days w/o penalty is plenty of time to finalize vacation decisions. If one can't figure it out in 30 days, one shouldn't book. I just placed a $900 deposit for two people/on cruise. Believe me, I'd hate to lose that money if an unfortunate circumstance came up to where I could not make the cruise. But I also realize that I had a choice in booking a cabin 15 months in advance thus not allowing a business the opportunity to sell their product. Again I recognize that some will not agree w/ my position, but don't beat me up too much. :)