Non-Refundable Deposits?

[John Reid]

Just back from a 10-day on Celebrity and was checking to see if there were any price drops on our upcoming Grandeur cruises. I checked the January 20 sailing.

 

Besides the usual "how can we make it harder to use this website," there was another surprise.

 

A non-refundable deposit rate.

 

This rate was the price I paid for the cabin 5 months ago. The refundable rate was $148 more per person for the same category.

[Clarea]

One ot two other posts on the topic:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2516587

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2516519

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2516462

[traveler279]

I just checked with our TA and verified that part and parcel with the Non-refundable price program that the great Price Drop game is over. Each change will incur a $100 USD charge so that takes care of that.

 

 

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[Biker19]

I just checked with our TA and verified that part and parcel with the Non-refundable price program that the great Price Drop game is over. Each change will incur a $100 USD charge so that takes care of that.

If you don't change anything else, a price drop alone should not trigger any fees.

[Wine-O]

If you don't change anything else, a price drop alone should not trigger any fees.

 

I was under the impression that you will be charged if you change ships and/or dates, not if you opted for the lower price.

[Biker19]

I was under the impression that you will be charged if you change ships and/or dates, not if you opted for the lower price.

Right.

[OCSC Mike]

I was under the impression that you will be charged if you change ships and/or dates, not if you opted for the lower price.

 

Correct.

[Paulxyz2004]

I just checked with our TA and verified that part and parcel with the Non-refundable price program that the great Price Drop game is over. Each change will incur a $100 USD charge so that takes care of that.

 

 

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If you don't change anything else, a price drop alone should not trigger any fees.

 

We will see how this all will work in the long run.

 

 

I wouldn´t be surprised if they don´t honor price drops on non-refundable fares anymore. Let´s face it in the past you could get price drops up until the cruise date. This was changed to up until final payment date, which was not too long ago moved to an earlier point.

Why would they offer price drops at all? Well because people could simply cancel and re-book with no monetary loss, as long as it´s done before final payment date. If people did this it would have cost them in administration, so it was easier and less costly to them to just adjust prices.

As this is not the case anymore with the non-refundable fares I can see them not honoring price drops on those fares anymore.

We will see, but it would be the logic next step to me I would be running the show at RCI.

[Biker19]

We will see, but it would be the logic next step to me I would be running the show at RCI.

Considering they now offer the NRD, I think the next step would be to do away with the refundable option - as is the case with suites. Loss of fee free price drops would be after that. Price drops would still happen but to have it make sense it would have to be greater than the penalty (at this point $100pp). It would cut down on all those folks calling for the 0-100 drops.

[traveler279]

I was under the impression that you will be charged if you change ships and/or dates, not if you opted for the lower price.

 

 

 

That was my understanding, also, but she's pretty specific about it. She's worked for years for a large agency. She's never led us astray. And she's a expat Canadian living in FL.

 

I'll keep watching and see if others continue to get no-charge drops.

 

 

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[Biker19]

^ this just started this week officially so there's bound to be a learning curve and implementation specifics which take a while.

[Bootman4U]

Explain to me the non-refundable for suites stuff. We have never had that happen so perhaps that is a new policy. What we are under right now is a partially non-refundable for a guaranteed AquaTheatre on the Harmony.

[Hoppy2cruise]

Explain to me the non-refundable for suites stuff. We have never had that happen so perhaps that is a new policy. What we are under right now is a partially non-refundable for a guaranteed AquaTheatre on the Harmony.

 

When did you book the guarantee?

 

Beginning in April, Grand Suites and above booked onboard are non-refundable fares. Beginning sometime in May or June, all GS and above -regardless of how booked- are non-refundable fares.

[island lady]

My booked 12/2/18 Oasis cruise was over 400 bucks lower than what I booked my JS at in May. I called this morning to get the lower price, which reduced my balanced owed by that much...pretty much the same as I had done on previous cruises for price drops before final payment.

 

End result, I got the reduction, but had to add 400.00 to my 100.00 previously lowered deposit booked through Next Cruise, to bring it up to the 500.00 required as if booked online, which was not a problem for me since I would have to eventually pay that anyway.

 

Asked about cancellations before final payment. The young D+ desk CS agent told me I would lose my whole 500.00 deposit. But I clarified, and he agreed, that as long I simply changed ships and date, it would just be a 100.00 change fee.

 

Now the icing on the cake: Received additional 100.00 OBC. The situation worked for me. ;)

Edited July 8, 2017 by island lady

[molly361]

My booked 12/2/18 Oasis cruise was over 400 bucks lower than what I booked my JS at in May. I called this morning to get the lower price, which reduced my balanced owed by that much...pretty much the same as I had done on previous cruises for price drops before final payment.

 

End result, I got the reduction, but had to add 400.00 to my 100.00 previously lowered deposit booked through Next Cruise, to bring it up to the 500.00 required as if booked online, which was not a problem for me since I would have to eventually pay that anyway.

 

Asked about cancellations before final payment. The young D+ desk CS agent told me I would lose my whole 500.00 deposit. But I clarified, and he agreed, that as long I simply changed ships and date, it would just be a 100.00 change fee.

 

Now the icing on the cake: Received additional 100.00 OBC. The situation worked for me. ;)

 

Thanks for the confirmation that they are going to ask for the full deposit if you change an on board booking to a non refundable. My OA sailings for late 2018 right now are the same price non refundable as I have for my refundable ones. You ,must have a JS?? Good savings

[island lady]

Thanks for the confirmation that they are going to ask for the full deposit if you change an on board booking to a non refundable. My OA sailings for late 2018 right now are the same price non refundable as I have for my refundable ones. You ,must have a JS?? Good savings

 

Yes I do have a JS. I was a bit concerned at first at switching to the "non-refundable" offer...but for a savings of 469.00 over what I originally booked it for, plus going from 100.00 OBC to 200.00 OBC...it was worth the risk of a possible cancellation should I need it. I always cruise anyway, so a cancellation for me would simply be switching to another sailing date or switching to another sailing/ship.

 

Since I have been cruising over 15 years, I have only had to do that twice. The most I would stand to lose before final payment would be that 100.00 change fee....hey...I will step up and take that 569.00 bucks...you betcha! ;)

 

The airlines have been set up doing that for years now. You can pay extra for a refundable/changeable fare. But the airlines make you pay the entire amount up front. :o

[rodenboy]

Pardon my ignorance, and apologies if this has been covered already, but what will happen if you book the cheaper, non refundable rate and then the sailing gets cancelled due to a charter/emergency dry dock etc?

 

 

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[Clarea]

Pardon my ignorance, and apologies if this has been covered already, but what will happen if you book the cheaper, non refundable rate and then the sailing gets cancelled due to a charter/emergency dry dock etc?

One of the options offered would be a full refund.

[Biker19]

Pardon my ignorance, and apologies if this has been covered already, but what will happen if you book the cheaper, non refundable rate and then the sailing gets cancelled due to a charter/emergency dry dock etc?

I imagine the usual OBC and price protection would apply - perhaps for NRD rates only on a replacement sailing.

[island lady]

I imagine the usual OBC and price protection would apply - perhaps for NRD rates only on a replacement sailing.

 

I have Rhapsody booked for 2018 AND 2019. ;)