Booking Advice Needed

[Reds4life]

I have been booked since January for Adventure of the Seas May 25, 2018. My balance is paid in full for an Interior. Final payment date was Feb 24. I have a $50 OBC and the booking is through [travel agent].

 

This morning I saw the price of an Oceanview guarantee is $60 lower than the rate that I paid. I would be willing to switch and lose the OBC but still be coming out ahead $10 for a room with a window. Is this an option or am I locked into my reservation?

 

If I recall correctly, [travel agent] offers a $50 OBC also for Royal Caribbean, but they wouldn't let me have OBC from both [travel agent] and Royal Caribbean, and my booking already had $50 from RCI. Anyone have any experience with this?

Edited March 1, 2018 by Host Clarea
Removed TA name

[Reds4life]

Thanks for your help. Does anyone have any cabin experience with AOS Oceanview on decks 2 and 3 in the very front or very rear? That's where we would be changing to from a deck 8 very front interior.

[Clarea]

I have been booked since January for Adventure of the Seas May 25, 2018. My balance is paid in full for an Interior. Final payment date was Feb 24. I have a $50 OBC and the booking is through [travel agent].

 

This morning I saw the price of an Oceanview guarantee is $60 lower than the rate that I paid. I would be willing to switch and lose the OBC but still be coming out ahead $10 for a room with a window. Is this an option or am I locked into my reservation?

 

If I recall correctly, [travel agent] offers a $50 OBC also for Royal Caribbean, but they wouldn't let me have OBC from both [travel agent] and Royal Caribbean, and my booking already had $50 from RCI. Anyone have any experience with this?

You are not locked in, you can upgrade anytime you want. Contact your travel agent to get an upgrade price. The price you see on the website might be restricted to new bookings, so your upgrade price might be different.

[cb at sea]

I wouldn't want to be too far forward....your OV on deck 2 might have portholes, instead of windows.

[Reds4life]

Ok, I have not had a good experience with this today or with RCI in general. The TA first tells me that I can transfer to the Oceanview and lose my $50 OBC but pay $61 more than the current price online. Then I asked to speak to guest relations and they told me that I am not eligible for the new Kids Sail Free promotion because it was not available when I first booked the cruise. They also went back and forth with a potential change penalties. All in all, they don't want to give me the rate or the room. I guess I'm just screwed. I don't think I will cruise with RCI again. Seemed like an easy rebook to the current rate and promo for an oceanview room.

[BonnieJB]

It has been my experience that once you make your final payment you can pay more to upgrade but you can not pay less if prices go down. Don’t let $50 or $60 ruin your cruise. Just enjoy regardless of your cabin.

[SRF]

You can't PAY less, but you can upgrade if the cost is less.

 

There is just no refund.

[saroede97]

It has been told to me that YOU can take the booking away from and TA. Not sure how that is accomplished but pretty sure it involves a call to RCI.

[Clarea]

It has been told to me that YOU can take the booking away from and TA. Not sure how that is accomplished but pretty sure it involves a call to RCI.

If there are extenuating circumstances, RC will take back a booking from a TA. However, there has to be something unusual going on, it cannot be that the guest just changed their mind.

[Reds4life]

If there are extenuating circumstances, RC will take back a booking from a TA. However, there has to be something unusual going on, it cannot be that the guest just changed their mind.

What kind of extenuating circumstances? This TA doesn't reply to emails or voice mail for an average of 3 to 4 days and then calls me at work and leaves rude voice mails with her raising her voice and making inappropriate comments. Should that be enough?

[Paulxyz2004]

Ok, I have not had a good experience with this today or with RCI in general. The TA first tells me that I can transfer to the Oceanview and lose my $50 OBC but pay $61 more than the current price online. Then I asked to speak to guest relations and they told me that I am not eligible for the new Kids Sail Free promotion because it was not available when I first booked the cruise. They also went back and forth with a potential change penalties. All in all, they don't want to give me the rate or the room. I guess I'm just screwed. I don't think I will cruise with RCI again. Seemed like an easy rebook to the current rate and promo for an oceanview room.

 

You are past final payment, so it would be a cancellation at the going penalty rate and then a rebook at current rate. You are the only one to determine if that´s still benefitial to you.

 

I´m not sure another TA or RCI directly would get you a different outcome though.

[Clarea]

What kind of extenuating circumstances? This TA doesn't reply to emails or voice mail for an average of 3 to 4 days and then calls me at work and leaves rude voice mails with her raising her voice and making inappropriate comments. Should that be enough?

A non-responsive agent can be a condition for which RC will take back the booking. All you can do is to try calling RC and explain the situation.

[papaflamingo]

Ok, I have not had a good experience with this today or with RCI in general. The TA first tells me that I can transfer to the Oceanview and lose my $50 OBC but pay $61 more than the current price online. Then I asked to speak to guest relations and they told me that I am not eligible for the new Kids Sail Free promotion because it was not available when I first booked the cruise. They also went back and forth with a potential change penalties. All in all, they don't want to give me the rate or the room. I guess I'm just screwed. I don't think I will cruise with RCI again. Seemed like an easy rebook to the current rate and promo for an oceanview room.

I'm confused. If you used a TA then the TA owns the booking and needs to make any changes. But what Guest Services told you is correct. Read the "terms and conditions" for the rate. I suspect that since you booked in Jan., this is what "got" you. It's a copy and paste from the terms and conditions for the rate you want on your specific cruise:

 

"Cruise must be booked between March 1, 2018 and March 5, 2018 the “Splash and Save Offer Period”.

 

Since you booked before March 1, you are not eligible for the rate. This is fairly frequent with the rates. Often there is a "new bookings only" clause. It is the rate rules. They apply to everyone. But if you can upgrade for $61 and lose your $50 OBC, well, only you can decide if it's worth it. As for never sailing with Royal Caribbean again... well, that's certainly one choice.