How to lift and switch

[jptoz]

21 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Perhaps your TA booked you into what is called a Friends and family rate.  The only way to know that would be to ask your TA.  I’m not sure if that shows on Royal’s guest booking invoice or not.  
 

there were a lot of friends and family rates on the Oasis sailings if you booked in the past 6 months. 
 

the friends and family rates are only available to TA’s and not on the Consumer website but some TA‘S do quote them if they are available. 
 

unfortunately it is clear in the FAQ’s that These rates are not eligible for the lift and shift.

 

this is the only thing I can think of as to why your shift and lift was denied because you have met all the other criteria.

 

Friends and family rates were definitely available for your July 4 sailing...great rates 

Great rates indeed. Never had a problem with the TA, but I don't ask for anything usually. But never had to deal with a pandemic before. lol.  Doesn't say anything about  Friends& Family only Vacation club. Just wanted to know for the future. Thank you for the info.

[Blizzard54]

14 hours ago, firefly333 said:

As long as you didnt already use another fcc toward the cruise you want to pay off. I'm sure you know, but cant do 2 fcc on same booking

Actually, you can use 2.  FCC 's are issued for each person when they are issued.  When used you can use one for each passenger. 

[jagsfan]

On 5/17/2020 at 12:10 PM, suebussy said:

Quick lift and shift question - I  know it says that the new cruise must be same itinerary, destination, and number of days but.... I'm booked on Anthem 11/29/20 -the  only Bahamas cruise I see within four weeks of that date is all the same, except it is 7 days instead of 8. Has anyone had this issue with lift and switch or can it be done because the number of days is less? I booked though big box travel agent and everytime I call I'm on hold forever, or the new one is, someone takes my information and promises a call back that never comes. Has happened twice to me twice so far with  this TA. (not sure if I am allowed to say the name of the website)

You can’t say the name of any travel agency. 

I can tell you, though, that they’ve never called me back. Big boxes definitely have pluses and minuses. 

Try calling Royal direct. Maybe if you say you don’t wish your new sailing to go through your TA, they’ll take it back from them. 

Or call the big box, put the phone on speaker, and sit down and read for an hour while on hold. 

[Meekomist]

What are the wait times like for a Lift & Switch (Booked Direct with RC) I am hoping they will let me change both our cruise, and our friends to save them a call.. 

 

We have resigned ourselves to the fact that the odds are extremely slim that the Alaska cruise Sept 4 will happen, so want to switch before final payment is due. 

 

...and then wait the million days for the excursions to be refunded. Ugh. They are so slow. 

[ssb]

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Perhaps your TA booked you into what is called a Friends and family rate.  The only way to know that would be to ask your TA.  I’m not sure if that shows on Royal’s guest booking invoice or not.  
 

there were a lot of friends and family rates on the Oasis sailings if you booked in the past 6 months. 
 

the friends and family rates are only available to TA’s and not on the Consumer website but some TA‘S do quote them if they are available. 
 

unfortunately it is clear in the FAQ’s that These rates are not eligible for the lift and shift.

 

this is the only thing I can think of as to why your shift and lift was denied because you have met all the other criteria.

 

Friends and family rates were definitely available for your July 4 sailing...great rates 

FYI 

Do all rates qualify for Lift & Shift?
Most cruise rates do apply with no restrictions, but there are a few exceptions.

Select restricted rates are ineligible for Lift & Shift and Best Price Guarantee - including but not limited to

Net rates
Casino rates
Travel Agent Friends & Family rates
Travel Agent Reduced rates
Complimentary staterooms

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, ssb said:

FYI 

Do all rates qualify for Lift & Shift?
Most cruise rates do apply with no restrictions, but there are a few exceptions.

Select restricted rates are ineligible for Lift & Shift and Best Price Guarantee - including but not limited to

Net rates
Casino rates
Travel Agent Friends & Family rates
Travel Agent Reduced rates
Complimentary staterooms

Thanks for posting that.  I was too lazy to post the actual FAQ's in this case.

[Jimbo]

46 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Thanks for posting that.  I was too lazy to post the actual FAQ's in this case.

Is Commision protected when using CWC?

[Ourusualbeach]

9 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Is Commision protected when using CWC?

Depends on what part of CWC

 

On a lift and shift an agent will only earn commission on the sailed voyage

On a guest cancel the agent only earns commission on the FCC when it’s redeemed on a sailing that sails.
On a cruise that Royal cancels that is after final payment and the customer takes the FCC the commission is paid on the cancelled voyage and the FCC when redeemed.
 

The reason for the double payment in the last case is that The agent has done the work and a Royal has cancelled the voyage.  Once the FCC is issued the guest can redeem that with a different TA or booking direct.  If they didn’t pay commission on the FCC then no TA would want to accept them as payment to book a client a cruise. 

 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Blizzard54 said:

Actually, you can use 2.  FCC 's are issued for each person when they are issued.  When used you can use one for each passenger. 

Ok that's why I could only use one, it was a solo cruise.

 

Good pt

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Depends on what part of CWC

 

On a lift and shift an agent will only earn commission on the sailed voyage

On a guest cancel the agent only earns commission on the FCC when it’s redeemed on a sailing that sails.
On a cruise that Royal cancels that is after final payment and the customer takes the FCC the commission is paid on the cancelled voyage and the FCC when redeemed.
 

The reason for the double payment in the last case is that The agent has done the work and a Royal has cancelled the voyage.  Once the FCC is issued the guest can redeem that with a different TA or booking direct.  If they didn’t pay commission on the FCC then no TA would want to accept them as payment to book a client a cruise. 

 

So my agent got nothing then........

 

I moved a September 2020 sailing to a March 2022 sailing.

 

The September sailing was not canceled by RCCL, I just moved because we knew we didn't want to take a sailing from Bayonne, NJ that soon, even if the chances it wouldn't never happen anyway, just didn't want to chance it.

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

So my agent got nothing then........

 

I moved a September 2020 sailing to a March 2022 sailing.

 

The September sailing was not canceled by RCCL, I just moved because we knew we didn't want to take a sailing from Bayonne, NJ that soon, even if the chances it wouldn't never happen anyway, just didn't want to chance it.

Your agent will get the commission when you sail on the cruise in 2022.  

[zalusky]

So here is a question I don't see discussed yet.  We cancelled a March 7th sailing on March 6 the same day they announced the new Cruise with Confidence policy.  Because we did not have 48 hours they said it would not apply to us (Not Fair).  After some wrangling with a Doctors medical note explaining my wife had multiple risk factors they gave us FCCs but they were only good for 1 year till next March not Dec 31 2021 as stated in the Cruise with Confidence scenario.  We have a down under cruise next March but would feel more comfortable if we could move it to 2022.  However our FCCs are only good till next March.  If we applied them to the next March sailing and then did a Life & Shift would the FCCs come with?  IE Be extended to the new sailing.  It's also not always clear if you have to sail by the expiration date or book by the expiration date. 

 

Of course the next problem is they haven't opened up 2022 sailings down under yet.  Hopefully they do it by Aug 1.

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, zalusky said:

So here is a question I don't see discussed yet.  We cancelled a March 7th sailing on March 6 the same day they announced the new Cruise with Confidence policy.  Because we did not have 48 hours they said it would not apply to us (Not Fair).  After some wrangling with a Doctors medical note explaining my wife had multiple risk factors they gave us FCCs but they were only good for 1 year till next March not Dec 31 2021 as stated in the Cruise with Confidence scenario.  We have a down under cruise next March but would feel more comfortable if we could move it to 2022.  However our FCCs are only good till next March.  If we applied them to the next March sailing and then did a Life & Shift would the FCCs come with?  IE Be extended to the new sailing.  It's also not always clear if you have to sail by the expiration date or book by the expiration date. 

 

Of course the next problem is they haven't opened up 2022 sailings down under yet.  Hopefully they do it by Aug 1.

Yes they would be extended as long as they were applied before the lift and switch.  
 

as far as opening up sailings by Aug 1 I see that as a long shot. 

[patattack]

When doing a lift and shift, does the ship need to leave from the same port?  Example, booking for a cruise out of Miami and lift and shift to same itinerary, timeframe etc out of Ft. Lauderdale?

 

Pat

[molly361]

5 minutes ago, patattack said:

When doing a lift and shift, does the ship need to leave from the same port?  Example, booking for a cruise out of Miami and lift and shift to same itinerary, timeframe etc out of Ft. Lauderdale?

 

Pat

No it doesn't have to be the same port

[Littlestar80]

I tried today to lift and shift my January 2021 Empress Western Caribbean 7 day  cruise to January 2022 Oasis or Symphony Western Caribbean 7 day cruise. My Travel Agent said, that can not be done because Empress and Oasis are different type of ships. I thought the ships ”class” does not matter?? 

[crusinthrough]

30 minutes ago, Littlestar80 said:

I tried today to lift and shift my January 2021 Empress Western Caribbean 7 day  cruise to January 2022 Oasis or Symphony Western Caribbean 7 day cruise. My Travel Agent said, that can not be done because Empress and Oasis are different type of ships. I thought the ships ”class” does not matter?? 

 it should not.  I think I read on one of these L&S threads that someone went from the empress to an Oasis class ship.  

[Ourusualbeach]

33 minutes ago, Littlestar80 said:

I tried today to lift and shift my January 2021 Empress Western Caribbean 7 day  cruise to January 2022 Oasis or Symphony Western Caribbean 7 day cruise. My Travel Agent said, that can not be done because Empress and Oasis are different type of ships. I thought the ships ”class” does not matter?? 

Your travel agent is incorrect.  It does not have to be the same class of ship.  Tell your TA to read the FAQ's that Royal issued.

 

33. Understanding that the same itinerary, stateroom category, sailing length, and timeframe are a requirement, is it essential that my client rebook on the same ship as well?

 

No, it is not required that your client rebook on the same ship or ship class.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[molly361]

54 minutes ago, Littlestar80 said:

I tried today to lift and shift my January 2021 Empress Western Caribbean 7 day  cruise to January 2022 Oasis or Symphony Western Caribbean 7 day cruise. My Travel Agent said, that can not be done because Empress and Oasis are different type of ships. I thought the ships ”class” does not matter?? 

 

22 minutes ago, crusinthrough said:

 it should not.  I think I read on one of these L&S threads that someone went from the empress to an Oasis class ship.  

I went from Empress to Harmony  Here are the FAQ that Ken is referring to  see page 6

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/General_Info/Suspended_Sailings_FAQs_519

Edited May 25, 2020 by molly361

[Littlestar80]

11 minutes ago, molly361 said:

 

I went from Empress to Harmony  Here are the FAQ that Ken is referring to  see page 6

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/General_Info/Suspended_Sailings_FAQs_519

Thank you all for your help! I’ll forward that to my travel agent an hope for the best! 

[Blizzard54]

2 hours ago, Littlestar80 said:

I tried today to lift and shift my January 2021 Empress Western Caribbean 7 day  cruise to January 2022 Oasis or Symphony Western Caribbean 7 day cruise. My Travel Agent said, that can not be done because Empress and Oasis are different type of ships. I thought the ships ”class” does not matter?? 

I was able to move a 7 night Empress to a 7 night Oasis.  

There are a number of TA's  that do not understand the rules.  Royal does not have restrictions on class. On the other hand Celebrity does. 

[Blizzard54]

I just received the new invoices for 3 of the L&S's.  This prices were adjusted corectly. 

All were from Empress.  One moved to Oasis and 2 to Jewel.

These were direct bookings.

In reviewing the paperwork I found this line.  It was never mention in our conversation.

 

 The booking is currently subject to USD 700.00 cancellation penalties at time of this booking invoice 25 MAY 2020. This amount may increase based on the cruise penalty schedule.

 

Has anyone else noticed this?

This booking is for a JS.

[Akina13]

Just completed our L&S. While we got through right away it took her 1 hour and 45 mins to complete. No clue why it took so long. They said we would get the invoices in a few days because they had to work on doing the correct pricing since our new cruise didn’t have kids sail free. This was for ovation sept 4/2020 - moved to sept 3/2021. Ensure to check your invoices tho because for whatever reason they first tried to charge double taxes. (Haven’t read the 8 pages to see if this was already discussed)

[Blizzard54]

7 minutes ago, Akina13 said:

Just completed our L&S. While we got through right away it took her 1 hour and 45 mins to complete. No clue why it took so long. They said we would get the invoices in a few days because they had to work on doing the correct pricing since our new cruise didn’t have kids sail free. This was for ovation sept 4/2020 - moved to sept 3/2021. Ensure to check your invoices tho because for whatever reason they first tried to charge double taxes. (Haven’t read the 8 pages to see if this was already discussed)

They may have put on the new taxes and forgot to take off the old ones.  The amount of taxed is not price protected.  

It took 4 days for my adjusted invoiced to be sent.  They did come with the correct pricing.

[Akina13]

8 minutes ago, Blizzard54 said:

They may have put on the new taxes and forgot to take off the old ones.  The amount of taxed is not price protected.  

It took 4 days for my adjusted invoiced to be sent.  They did come with the correct pricing.

Good to know, thanks 🙂 the taxes were $1 more each. I was ok with paying $2 more for that 🙂