Notice RCL don't sell through TA when ship is almost full.

[datolim]

Wanted to book extra cabin for family. All the TA says the ship is full.

Just happen to try RCL and they have cabins.

Selling price is high and they don't have to pay TA commission.

[Biker19]

In smaller markets, RCI could do some inventory manipulations - probably would not work in the US.

[datolim]

In smaller markets, RCI could do some inventory manipulations - probably would not work in the US.

 

The run computers on these sort of thing. Their marketing department with their sales algorithms would auto generate signal not to hand more cabins to the TA.

[Ocean Dancer]

The run computers on these sort of thing. Their marketing department with their sales algorithms would auto generate signal not to hand more cabins to the TA.

Have you been around here long? They also run computers for their website and they can't even do that right:cool:

[goneclear]

If you live in the Caribbean the only way to book with RCL is through a TA in Puerto Rico. Even if you book with your local TA they then link with the TA that represents RCL in Puerto Rico.

I am just stating this because the headline is a bit misleading depending on where you live.

[peter1975]

Wanted to book extra cabin for family. All the TA says the ship is full.

Just happen to try RCL and they have cabins.

Selling price is high and they don't have to pay TA commission.

 

Pure speculation. I'm going to vote "Not True" on this statement.

[YoHoHo]

I agree. Seems like the OP has made an incorrect conclusion based on some assumptions and we don't have details.

 

Why in the world would a cruise line not want to use their full sales force, i.e. including TAs, to fill every single cabin on a cruise. They do not want to sail with empty cabins as each one is a complete loss.

 

Did the cruise show on RCL's website with available space? If not then it is likely that the TAs could not see availability either.

 

Why might that be? We don't know how close to embarkation date this booking was made and it could be that they stop selling cabins two days before sailing date for example. However on a phone call they allow that exception. That is strictly a guess.

 

In any case, I would be surprised if a CL withdrew inventory for their own use because the "Selling price is high and they don't have to pay TA commission". They would not get a lot of support from the their TAs

[datolim]

I can only tell you what happened. For this cruise the local TA website has a pop up on top that says we have not been updated by RCL on the cabin availability. Other cruises the TA is selling as per normal.

[datolim]

I check the same cruise and superior balcony cabin number for 3 other dates next year and it says sleep 4.

When I wanted to book same for next month which is almost full up I was told it can sleep 2 only. Cannot make sense out of this.

[leaveitallbehind]

Even if a stateroom is designated as being able to accommodate 3 or 4 passengers, total bookings to capacity are based on double occupancy. Total booking limits are based on lifeboat capacity and this number is reached as a function of mix of passenger load in all staterooms. It is possible that the ship is at a booking total where even though a stateroom can hold more than 2 passengers, they can only accommodate double occupancy bookings to fill the remaining capacity of available staterooms.

 

In other words, just because a stateroom is designated to be able to hold 3 or 4 passengers, it does not mean that stateroom will be able be booked with 3-4. The total mix of passengers in each stateroom towards the total capacity of the ship as it is being booked will determine each remaining stateroom capacity availability.

[AdGuyMG]

I can only tell you what happened. For this cruise the local TA website has a pop up on top that says we have not been updated by RCL on the cabin availability. Other cruises the TA is selling as per normal.

 

The accurate up to the second cabin availability and pricing updates go out to TAs sporadically thru systems such as Sabre or Amadeus. Much like how you get your smartphone, Iphone or computer Windows update.

 

So when you go to a TA website's home landing page or take it further to the ship and date you want, the true inventory availability and pricing of a last minute or near sellout cruise will not be accurate until you do a mock booking.

 

I check the same cruise and superior balcony cabin number for 3 other dates next year and it says sleep 4.

When I wanted to book same for next month which is almost full up I was told it can sleep 2 only. Cannot make sense out of this.

 

You are running into something called occupancy restrictions that sometimes limit 3rd and 4th passengers due to life boat capacity or revenue guidelines.

[chengkp75]

Yes, there are more "beds" on the ship than they are allowed to sell. This gives those people wanting 3-4 in a cabin the flexibility to book cabins for 3-4 in various categories. As others have said, when the bookings for 3rd/4th passengers reaches the level where the ship would be at maximum capacity (the lifeboat capacity limit), with all cabins at least at double occupancy, they stop taking bookings for 3rd/4th passengers. This is to force you to book an additional cabin, as they make more money on the first two passengers in a cabin, over leaving a cabin empty and putting a 3rd/4th guest in another cabin.

 

As to a higher price on the particular cruise you want to book, this is simply supply and demand. If demand is high, so will be the price. And, if the cruise is reaching capacity (as evidenced by restricting 3rd/4th bookings), then I would expect the price to be high.

 

As to TA commissions, the cruise lines aren't really bothered by these, and prefer to have cruises booked by TA's. The TA does not receive commission on the full fare, only on what the cruise line decides is "commissionable" fare. The other part of the fare is "non-commissionable fare", and this amount is simply whatever the cruise line decides is the amount they won't pay commission on. If the price between your TA and the cruise line is significant, I would check with the TA to see what the total cost of the cruise is. Many TA's take the "non-commissionable fare" and call it "port charges" (not port taxes and fees), this allows them to advertise a much lower base fare "bargain". Many times if you take the cruise lines fare, add the port taxes and fees, and compare with the TA's fare plus port taxes and fees, plus "port charges" (which you won't see on the cruise line's cost, because its already there in the fare), you come out very close between the two.

[leaveitallbehind]

Wanted to book extra cabin for family. All the TA says the ship is full.

Just happen to try RCL and they have cabins.

Selling price is high and they don't have to pay TA commission.

 

Not an accurate statement. The cruise lines have a very solid and positive relationship with TA's. It is reported that 75% of all cruises globally are booked through TA's. The cruise lines have no problem paying what is a very nominal % of commission to a TA to service a booking. They are not saving on that or discouraging the use of a TA to withhold a commission regardless of the stateroom rate. And if you book directly the cruise line is paying a service employee to handle the booking, so they are not saving their commission. And even if you book entirely on line, they still have to pay their crack IT team to manage the website to handle the bookings. :rolleyes:;)

[datolim]

Thanks to all for the feedback.

Here in SG the local TA has to show the total fare as per government regulation i.e. taxes, port charges and gratuities which is deem to be compulsory. Always find the local TA prices to be below RCL.

[leaveitallbehind]

Thanks to all for the feedback.

Here in SG the local TA has to show the total fare as per government regulation i.e. taxes, port charges and gratuities which is deem to be compulsory. Always find the local TA prices to be below RCL.

 

Which would usually be the result of some discount provided if the stateroom booked is part of a block of rooms held by the TA for customer reservations, or a giveback directly from their commission. At least in the US, most mass market cruise lines do not discount their stateroom rates through TA's.

[YYC F/A]

The comments above are correct RE staterooms perhaps being able to accommodate 3 or 4 guests physically, but being restricted to booking at double occupancy only (due to onboard zonal lifeboat and fire zone max passenger capacity).

 

However from time to time the reverse can occur. You can search the system for double occupancy staterooms and it will show all are sold out (in that category, or even shipwide). However if you update to 3 or 4 guests, a few cabins will then show up on this otherwise "sold out" cruise. In these cases, Ship Inventory/Revenue has deemed that the ship only has a few cabins left, they can accommodate 3 or 4 guests no problem without any fire/lifeboat zone issues, and they want to maximise the revenue and only sell those last few cabins to guests with 3rd and 4th guests and will show sold out when searching for 2 guests.

 

TA's in North America are strictly forbidden from rebating and can be put on stop-sell status if they do. However from time to time an agency may have a break on the price if they've taken out a group block as the group rates are static for several months and could be lower (or conversely, higher) than the prevailing market rates.

[datolim]

All these feed back shows the selling practices could be different between US and other countries like SG.

Local TA selling prices below RCL and RCL control the allotment of cabins to the localTA.