What happens when a fare is reduced after I have booked and paid in full?

[mssimpson]

I booked my first cruise about a month ago. Not being familiar with all the ins and outs, I chose to go with a reputable travel agent and she has been wonderful.  We were within the final payment deadline period so I paid in full at the time of booking. 

 

Since then, the price of my trip has dropped about $1200 (same included amenities). I asked my travel agent if I would receive any adjustment in my fare or compensation and she said unfortunately, no, I would not. 

 

However, in reading through various online forums, it seems many who are not able to get refunds are able to get onboard credit. My question is - - are there advantages to booking directly with a cruise line rather than with an independent travel agency? 

[1025cruise]

Once you are within final payment period, all bets are off.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, mssimpson said:

I booked my first cruise about a month ago. Not being familiar with all the ins and outs, I chose to go with a reputable travel agent and she has been wonderful.  We were within the final payment deadline period so I paid in full at the time of booking. 

 

Since then, the price of my trip has dropped about $1200 (same included amenities). I asked my travel agent if I would receive any adjustment in my fare or compensation and she said unfortunately, no, I would not. 

 

However, in reading through various online forums, it seems many who are not able to get refunds are able to get onboard credit. My question is - - are there advantages to booking directly with a cruise line rather than with an independent travel agency? 

If your "wonderful" TA is truly "wonderful" (and is hopefully.a top seller for your cruise line), she can contact the regional sales manager and ask for an SBC allowance.  

[crzndeb]

What cruise line? Some of the luxury lines have different rules than the mass market lines. And on some of those mass market lines, I know of one that has a booking category that honors price drops, up to 2 days before sailing. That booking category also comes with penalties.

.But most mass market lines, once final payment date is over, then you can’t get an adjustment. That’s the rules of the cruise lines, not TA’s. It’s better not to look after you have made final payment. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by crzndeb

[clo]

We were within about three weeks of departure when our price dropped $400pp.  I contacted our Oceania rep and he offered OBC on the upcoming cruise or $400pp off the future cruise. I chose the latter.

[mssimpson]

2 minutes ago, clo said:

We were within about three weeks of departure when our price dropped $400pp.  I contacted our Oceania rep and he offered OBC on the upcoming cruise or $400pp off the future cruise. I chose the latter.

So, may I assume you work directly with the cruise line, not with a travel agency? Sorry to be dense. Although I have traveled quite extensively and make my own travel arrangements, cruising is all new to me.

 

[clo]

1 minute ago, mssimpson said:

So, may I assume you work directly with the cruise line, not with a travel agency? Sorry to be dense. Although I have traveled quite extensively and make my own travel arrangements, cruising is all new to me.

 

I'm new to this and also travel a good bit. I had booked the first one with the cruise line directly and then got referred to a TA where I booked the second one. Once I made my choice he just told me to let my TA know and he would do what needed to be done from his end. But,  gotta tell ya, when I've related this here people acted like it was quite unusual. Go figure. ?

[Flatbush Flyer]

33 minutes ago, mssimpson said:

So, may I assume you work directly with the cruise line, not with a travel agency? Sorry to be dense. Although I have traveled quite extensively and make my own travel arrangements, cruising is all new to me.

 

A TA has access to all the perks et al. that an O phone rep has. 

But, a TA can also share their commission and provide perks related to consortia of which they are a member. Also, the O regional sales rep has great flexibility in what they can do.

[snowskier]

Just as they may not give money back when the fare goes down, they won't charge you more if the price goes up.

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, mssimpson said:

So, may I assume you work directly with the cruise line, not with a travel agency? Sorry to be dense. Although I have traveled quite extensively and make my own travel arrangements, cruising is all new to me.

 

If your category price has dropped that much, a lot of times you can move to a higher category cabin. I don’t know what category you booked, but check with your TA on that.

[clo]

1 hour ago, snowskier said:

Just as they may not give money back when the fare goes down, they won't charge you more if the price goes up.

So please explain how/why I got what I did.

[mssimpson]

From what I can tell, it seems to be dependent upon which cruise line and the status of the passenger within that cruise line. And about a dozen hidden factors. 🙂

[sanger727]

6 hours ago, mssimpson said:

From what I can tell, it seems to be dependent upon which cruise line and the status of the passenger within that cruise line. And about a dozen hidden factors. 🙂

yes. If it helps, I sometimes book directly and sometimes with TAs and have never gotten OBC for a price drop after final payment. I suspect Oceania may be an exception rather than the rule. Most cruise lines will let you upgrade to a higher cabin category but nothing else. Carnival offers OBC but only if you book a certain rate. I’ve heard of Norwegian offering it sometimes but when they do it’s only 25% of the price drop and I don’t think it’s always offered.

Edited February 26, 2020 by sanger727

[Toofarfromthesea]

19 hours ago, mssimpson said:

I booked my first cruise about a month ago. Not being familiar with all the ins and outs, I chose to go with a reputable travel agent and she has been wonderful.  We were within the final payment deadline period so I paid in full at the time of booking. 

 

Since then, the price of my trip has dropped about $1200 (same included amenities). I asked my travel agent if I would receive any adjustment in my fare or compensation and she said unfortunately, no, I would not. 

 

However, in reading through various online forums, it seems many who are not able to get refunds are able to get onboard credit. My question is - - are there advantages to booking directly with a cruise line rather than with an independent travel agency? 

 

Just out of curiosity, did you get any good perks from your TA?

[pacruise804]

19 hours ago, crzndeb said:

What cruise line? Some of the luxury lines have different rules than the mass market lines. And on some of those mass market lines, I know of one that has a booking category that honors price drops, up to 2 days before sailing. That booking category also comes with penalties.

.But most mass market lines, once final payment date is over, then you can’t get an adjustment. That’s the rules of the cruise lines, not TA’s. It’s better not to look after you have made final payment. 

 

Is there any difference between final payment date (when the payment is due) versus making final payment (which could be made 1-2 weeks before final payment date)?

[mssimpson]

39 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Just out of curiosity, did you get any good perks from your TA?

Nothing more than good advice and hand-holding as we went through the booking process. That's really all I was looking for, then I started to see all the perks others are getting and I got greedy. I am so excited about my first cruise and still feel I got a great deal. Few other businesses offer after-purchase refunds so I'm OK with how things are turning out.

[crzndeb]

22 minutes ago, mssimpson said:

Nothing more than good advice and hand-holding as we went through the booking process. That's really all I was looking for, then I started to see all the perks others are getting and I got greedy. I am so excited about my first cruise and still feel I got a great deal. Few other businesses offer after-purchase refunds so I'm OK with how things are turning out.

That’s a great attitude you have going into your first cruise. I have been cruising for 40 years, and still remember my first cruise like it was yesterday. Soak it all in and have a great time!

[crzndeb]

57 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

 

Is there any difference between final payment date (when the payment is due) versus making final payment (which could be made 1-2 weeks before final payment date)?

I believe for the majority of cruise lines, it is the cruise lines final date, not when you pay it. A lot of people pay off their cruise months in advance. (not me...lol)

[pacruise804]

Thanks.  We also don't pay off months in advance, but usually allow a week or so wiggle room in case there are any computer errors.

[Flatbush Flyer]

15 hours ago, sanger727 said:

yes. If it helps, I sometimes book directly and sometimes with TAs and have never gotten OBC for a price drop after final payment. I suspect Oceania may be an exception rather than the rule. Most cruise lines will let you upgrade to a higher cabin category but nothing else. Carnival offers OBC but only if you book a certain rate. I’ve heard of Norwegian offering it sometimes but when they do it’s only 25% of the price drop and I don’t think it’s always offered.

Where Oceania really shines in this respect is that booking onboard gets you a lower price match guarantee good until embarkation (with some fine print but still a great perk - along with the book onboard fare discount and the $300 SBC with option to apply on current or future cruise).

Post final payment adjustments otherwise are also an unusual situation with Oceania. Most non-Caribbean cruises with unique itineraries sell out quickly. So, price drops on those cruises are uncommon. For example, the 2022 World Cruise segments opened for booking last night (2/26) and some cabin classes are already waitlisted.

[clo]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Post final payment adjustments otherwise are also an unusual situation with Oceania.

Our situation was pre-Christmas and a not full ship so I guess they reduced the fare(s). I won't anticipate this in the future. But awfully glad I ask...and my O rep suggested I keep an eye out.

[Donald]

Say I buy a new American car in July. I get to pick the color, perks, and extras on it.

You wait until October to buy the same model from the same dealer. Now it is end of the Model Year time.

You will probably get a better price - but the available colors, perks, and extras may be limited.

You may not get exactly what you want - but still get a great deal.

 

If you tell me about your great deal on the same model I bought, I may be a bit jealous.

Can I go back to the dealer and demand a partial refund, based on the new lower prices?

I can try, but will most likely not have too much luck.

 

While my example is not exactly the same as purchasing a cruise, the procedures and outcomes are remarkably the same.

[2wheelin]

13 minutes ago, Donald said:

Say I buy a new American car in July. I get to pick the color, perks, and extras on it.

You wait until October to buy the same model from the same dealer. Now it is end of the Model Year time.

You will probably get a better price - but the available colors, perks, and extras may be limited.

You may not get exactly what you want - but still get a great deal.

 

If you tell me about your great deal on the same model I bought, I may be a bit jealous.

Can I go back to the dealer and demand a partial refund, based on the new lower prices?

I can try, but will most likely not have too much luck.

 

While my example is not exactly the same as purchasing a cruise, the procedures and outcomes are remarkably the same.

I tried your same analogy but with a washer and was pounced on because in my stupidity, I was comparing apples to oranges since the washer could be used right away. So I said to consider it air fare instead of a washer and amazingly no one replied.

People seem to think they should get the sale price but be protected from the price going up.

[mssimpson]

30 minutes ago, Donald said:

Say I buy a new American car in July. I get to pick the color, perks, and extras on it.

You wait until October to buy the same model from the same dealer. Now it is end of the Model Year time.

You will probably get a better price - but the available colors, perks, and extras may be limited.

You may not get exactly what you want - but still get a great deal.

 

If you tell me about your great deal on the same model I bought, I may be a bit jealous.

Can I go back to the dealer and demand a partial refund, based on the new lower prices?

I can try, but will most likely not have too much luck.

 

While my example is not exactly the same as purchasing a cruise, the procedures and outcomes are remarkably the same.

Of course, I understand your analogy and I appreciate your reply. As I stated at the very beginning of my post, I am new to cruising and do not understand all the policies and procedures. I have seen numerous posts mentioning refunds and onboard credits. Although it may not be the norm, it is certainly not unheard of. I was simply asking how it works. It is obvious purchasing a cruise package is somewhat different than purchasing a car. Again, thanks for the reply.

[Donald]

4 hours ago, mssimpson said:

Of course, I understand your analogy and I appreciate your reply. As I stated at the very beginning of my post, I am new to cruising and do not understand all the policies and procedures. I have seen numerous posts mentioning refunds and onboard credits. Although it may not be the norm, it is certainly not unheard of. I was simply asking how it works. It is obvious purchasing a cruise package is somewhat different than purchasing a car. Again, thanks for the reply.

It never hurts to try - and it will cost you nothing to ask.

 

Trying this sort of thing on a mass market cruise is much like trying it with a mass market car.

If you have a problem with the price of your Chevrolet purchase, you will probably not get much satisfaction.

If, on the other hand, there is an issue with pricing on a Rolls Royce or Ferrari, you will most likely get some personal attention from the dealer.

Another good reason to avoid the WalMart-type mass market cruise lines.