Is this new - adding people to booking constituting a brand new booking

[calypso17]

We booked a cruise on Quantum of the Seas for December 2019 while onboard Symphony earlier this year.  We booked two suites and were told adding the additional people to the existing booking would not be a problem.  However, now that we have confirmed the other people who are going and want to insert them as 3rd/4th pax in the two suites, my TA says RCL advises that it will be treated as a brand new booking so we will be repriced and lose our onboard OBC.  In any case, it now appears that booking 8 pax into 2 suites is more expensive than just leaving the 2 suite bookings untouched and booking the 4 pax into the cheapest available inside stateroom.  Is this a new policy?  If so, I am wondering why it was not highlighted to us both onboard and via my TA back in June.

 

Thank you!

[ryunisa]

Phone RCI directly and explained what TA has advised you and whether it is correct. I booked onboard too and my prices dropped but was told by TA that I wasn’t allowed to downgrade, only upgrade but when I booked my conditions where that I was allowed to change the booking as many times before final payment. RCI then confirmed in my notes that it was allowed and ask me to ask my TA to phone them and get it changed and it was done.

[calypso17]

Thanks - I live outside the USA but my TA is in the US.  RCL US does not want to talk to me - they are making me call their authorised representative in my country - which is actually a TA! My TA says it was RCL who advised her the only way to add the new people would be to cancel and rebook (at no detriment to my deposit but at the expense of my US$50 OBC for booking onboard and at the current price).

[Tee & Chilli]

Ask your TA for a three way call with Royal so you can listen in.

[ryunisa]

35 minutes ago, calypso17 said:

Thanks - I live outside the USA but my TA is in the US.  RCL US does not want to talk to me - they are making me call their authorised representative in my country - which is actually a TA! My TA says it was RCL who advised her the only way to add the new people would be to cancel and rebook (at no detriment to my deposit but at the expense of my US$50 OBC for booking onboard and at the current price).

 

When I phoned I did make it clear that I knew that RCI couldn’t change the booking as it was transferred to a TA but I booked onboard and wanted to check the terms and conditions as I was told one thing but TA is telling me something different.

[Biker19]

On 12/28/2018 at 10:59 AM, calypso17 said:

 However, now that we have confirmed the other people who are going and want to insert them as 3rd/4th pax in the two suites, my TA says RCL advises that it will be treated as a brand new booking so we will be repriced and lose our onboard OBC.  

The repricing part might be true (much easier to book the extra people first and then cancel) but you should not lose the OBC.

[xxHadleyxx]

We have always run into this----adding more than is origianlly booked makes it a whole new booking at the new prie and losing all perks.  we normally book directly through RCI and this has been the case.  We have been told otherwise when booking onboard before---ut could never get it in writing and RCI would not budge when told their onboard agents misinformed us.

 

If oyu expect to have others join you, and are just not sure who, you can book TBD as the second third, fourth, etc passengers.

 

However, dropping the TBD and having fewer passengers than booked also reprices things---so either be willing to pay for as many as you have booked at that price (they can no show, and you'll get port fees returned) or only book whoi you know is sailing and deal with higher prices later for add ons or book seperate rooms for those joining later.  There is jsut not much flexibility.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, xxHadleyxx said:

However, dropping the TBD and having fewer passengers than booked also reprices things--

Typically not so on US bookings.

[xxHadleyxx]

20 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Typically not so on US bookings.

We've only ever tried this on US bookings.   Have always been told we had to make it into a new booking to add more than the number originally booked in the cabin (meaning, reprice at current price), even if there is additional sleeping space in the cabin and room on the ship and in the lifeboat.

I wish this were not the case-----there are often times DH and I book but our young adult son can not know that far out of he can get the time off----would be lovely to be able to add him to our room later on at the rates we booked at, but we are always told either book for him from the get go, knowing we'll lose the money if someone does not sail witth us in that bunk, or reprice later.  even if we had to pay current rates for a third passenger, but could keep the first and second passenger rate already booked, that would be ok.  

woulöd be even lovlier to be able to book it for 3 at the low rates from teh start, then drop the third passenger and not pay for the third bunk at all if he cannot join us---but this has not worked for us---twice we've paid for an empty bunk when we called well in advance (4-6 months) when he found out his schedule and could not join---both times we were told we could have him "no show" and get port fees and taxes back or we could reprice as a room for two.

 

Edited December 30, 2018 by xxHadleyxx

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, xxHadleyxx said:

we've only ever tried this on US bookings.   Have always been told we had to make it into a new booking to add more than the number originally booked in the cabin (meaning, reprice at current price), even if there is additional sleeping space in the cabin and room on the ship and in the lifeboat.

That may be true for adding people, but we were talking about removing people. There are more costs with the new NRD bookings ($100pp), but removing a person above the min 2 in the cabin should not reprice the booking. As with any RCI issue, the policy could change at any time and you may need to make several calls to get someone with the right answer.

[camofwilliamsburg]

As long as one name remains the same it does not need to be cancelled. Adding the other pax names are at current pricing for third and fourth guest.

[xxHadleyxx]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That may be true for adding people, but we were talking about removing people. There are more costs with the new NRD bookings ($100pp), but removing a person above the min 2 in the cabin should not reprice the booking. As with any RCI issue, the policy could change at any time and you may need to make several calls to get someone with the right answer.

That's wonderful if you have been successful in removing a person from a booking and not having to pay for that third or fourth bunk anyway---we have not been, from US bookings, having made a few calls.  

As we all know, RCI is not always consistent---but at least in our experience we have consistently run into not being able to dop or add passengers without repricing.  when wer you able to drop people and not reprice and not pay for the dropped person?  Perhaps it is a more recent thing---I'd love to know if the policy has changed for the better

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, xxHadleyxx said:

  when wer you able to drop people and not reprice and not pay for the dropped person?  Perhaps it is a more recent thing---I'd love to know if the policy has changed for the better

I'm going by reporting here on CC, though I don't remember seeing this issue recently - most folks with this issue have the 3rd/4th person be a no show to avoid any chance of a reprice (though many times this is talked about inside final payment).

[xxHadleyxx]

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I'm going by reporting here on CC, though I don't remember seeing this issue recently - most folks with this issue have the 3rd/4th person be a no show to avoid any chance of a reprice (though many times this is talked about inside final payment).

which is what we were advised to do as well--have our son "no show" and then we got refunded taxes and port fees, but not the base fare.  

[ccletzgo]

It reprices the booking at the currant rates.  You can keep the booking number.