Can RCCL change the price of your cruise?

[Smartipantz]

I'm currently working with a travel agent but wanted to reach out to my fellow travelers on a dilemma that I have never been faced with.  Truthfully I'm furious.  I'll give you the shortened version...

 

Booked a cruise, placed my deposit and received my Booking Confirmation from RCCL at the price of $7181.79 on January 2020.  On November 9, 2020, received an updated Booking Invoice from RCCL for $6608.79 (I assume it was rebooked by the travel agent to give us a better price).  Today, I asked for an updated invoice because we are getting close to our final payment date and the price is $7391.79!!!  MORE than the original booking!  And without any explanation!!!  How can that happen?  

 

Without totally dissing my travel agent, she has been "working" with the cruiseline but I'm not getting any worthwhile answers.  

 

I've cruised many times with RCCL and have never had any thing happen like this.  I'm hoping someone can shed some light so I don't feel like I'm in the twilight zone.  I wonder how hard it would be to transfer my booking to another travel agent... one I have a little more confidence in.

 

[binro01]

Once you placed your deposit, your price should have been locked in. It only should change if it is repriced. I personally never seen a change occur other than downwards when I get a reprice.

 

What did the TA say? This seems like a kinda sketchy. I would also personally call Royal about this, so you have a record with them, just in case you want to pull your booking from them because of this.

[Smartipantz]

4 minutes ago, binro01 said:

Once you placed your deposit, your price should have been locked in. It only should change if it is repriced. I personally never seen a change occur other than downwards when I get a reprice.

 

What did the TA say? This seems like a kinda sketchy. I would also personally call Royal about this, so you have a record with them, just in case you want to pull your booking from them because of this.

Most definitely sketchy.  The problem is Royal will not talk with me since I'm going through a travel agent which adds to my frustration!!  

[Biker19]

17 minutes ago, Smartipantz said:

I wonder how hard it would be to transfer my booking to another travel agent..

You'd have to have a good reason to give RCI to take away the booking.

[binro01]

8 minutes ago, Smartipantz said:

Most definitely sketchy.  The problem is Royal will not talk with me since I'm going through a travel agent which adds to my frustration!!  

Call them again. Tell them you want to start the process of removing the booking from the TA for this reason. Let them know your issue. Show them your invoices. Get the ball rolling.

[Smartipantz]

32 minutes ago, binro01 said:

Call them again. Tell them you want to start the process of removing the booking from the TA for this reason. Let them know your issue. Show them your invoices. Get the ball rolling.

I called RCCL again and they can't give me any information.  They said to tell the agent I would l like them to release the booking.  I asked "what if they won't?"  They gave me a RCCL email to use to request the change.

 

My travel agent stated "I will wait until Friday because they told me to do so and if I hear differently I will advise you, if not that is the amount we will have to pay."  My response:  I will be patient and allow you to deal with RCCL as my travel agent.  If the resolution is “that’s the amount we will have to pay”, I will be asking you to release this booking immediately.  Keep in mind, we have been dealing with this for about 6 weeks so she has had plenty of time to resolve this.

 

So frustrating.

[volk904]

I am no expert but I would get on the Royal Site and run through like a new booking and see what price you get just to compare.  The other thing you should do is compare a detailed invoice now to the detailed invoice when you placed the deposit.  
 

Finally if you were paying your tips with your booking that price may have gone up since your date.  I am not sure you are locked into daily tips.  

[Smartipantz]

5 minutes ago, volk904 said:

I am no expert but I would get on the Royal Site and run through like a new booking and see what price you get just to compare.  The other thing you should do is compare a detailed invoice now to the detailed invoice when you placed the deposit.  
 

Finally if you were paying your tips with your booking that price may have gone up since your date.  I am not sure you are locked into daily tips.  

We booked a 2-bedroom grand suite.  There are only a handful of 2-bedroom grands on the ship so once they are all booked, the pricing doesn't change.  They are just not offered anymore.

 

I have 3 detailed booking confirmations from RCCL, one from Jan 2020, Nov 2020 and today.  All have different prices with todays being the highest price, higher than my original booking.

 

And yes, I did pay my grats!  I always like to get as much paid for before we get on the ship 🙂  

 

I honestly think I have what I need to make a case.  My main reason for the post is to see if anyone has ever been charged more than their original booking price... it was all new to me.  I will not pay it without some sort of explanation.  Seriously, I shouldn't even be paying more than my Nov 2020 invoice which was even lower....

[Another_Critic]

Did you make ANY changes to the booking since you placed your deposit in January 2020?

[Smartipantz]

Just now, Another_Critic said:

Did you make ANY changes to the booking since you placed your deposit in January 2020?

None!

[Goofyisme]

What changed on your bookings.  Was it the base price or a discount or something else?  Need to determine the specific line item that changed.

Are the invoices you received from RCCL or the travel agent?

[jonj]

You can get on a three way call with your TA and Royal so they can go over it all. Your TA can call them then once on the line they can conference you in. 

[cruiselvr04]

I always book my own and then hand them off to a TA so I have the original invoice and in 40 cruises this has never happened to me.  
 

I will say it may be your agent.  I’d try to do a 3 way call with your agent and Royal.  Someone messed up somewhere. 

 

 Even some experienced agents mess up.  Mine tried to tell me recently that I’d lose $500 for a deposit.  I had to screen shot her from Royals website that it would only be $200 loss with $300 in FCC.  She should know that. 
 

Good luck!

[Ashland]

The original lower booking confirmation is your proof of price !!! Escalate this as necessary !!!

[Spunky946]

Besides the final price, what’s the difference?  You have to go line by line to see what changed.

[neverbeenhere]

This issue happened to us. After we made final payment our cruise was canceled by either Royal or the travel agency. Neither would take responsibility, we ended up with an increased price and loss of some benefits. A total of three supervisors and something like 6 hours on the telephone, I got no place with Royal or The Agency. (With each blaming the other) 
 

We are no longer with that agency. 
 

 

blame it on the rain that was falling falling… Blame it on the rain. 

Edited October 28, 2021 by neverbeenhere

[Smartipantz]

25 minutes ago, Goofyisme said:

What changed on your bookings.  Was it the base price or a discount or something else?  Need to determine the specific line item that changed.

Are the invoices you received from RCCL or the travel agent?

Between the first booking invoice and the one I received today, there is a line "Savings NRD" that is missing on todays invoice.  That was for a total of $300.  I did ask her if our Crown & Anchor discounts were applied.  Also, the amount on the BOGO60 line differs by $90.  The second invoice is baffling as it looks like it was repriced because all the numbers are different except for the grats and taxes.  

 

The invoices are RCCL invoices.

[Smartipantz]

1 minute ago, neverbeenhere said:

This issue happened to us. After we made final payment our cruise was canceled by either Royal or the travel agency. Neither would take responsibility, we ended up with an increased price and loss of some benefits. A total of three supervisors and something like 6 hours on the telephone, I got no place with Royal or The Agency. (With each blaming the other) 
 

We are no longer with that agency. 

Ohhhhh that is not comforting.  I'm so sorry that happened.  

 

Ya know, I'm OK if the travel agent made and error and owned up to it.  We are humans.  There is such a discrepancy with my case, that I can't make heads or tails of what happened and there is absolutely NO explanation.

[csnarpy]

NRD is Non Refundable Deposit. 
 

it sounds like a screw up by your TA in the type of promotion that was being applied.
 

But If you had an invoice with the lower amount and it’s changed then it sounds like your Booking was most likely cancelled and rebooked. (By accident or not, I can’t tell you.)  I can confirm that once a booking is made, then that price is locked unless a change is made by repricing. No one reprices to a higher charge. 
 

I’m sorry but something is pretty shady.

[monorail81]

There was a glitch once where we did something in the Reservation or Planner and it increased the price of my booking. I can’t remember the particulars because it was about three years ago. I want to say that I added it was someone’s birthday. I had to call and have them fix it.  It was some weird glitch they knew about. I wish I could remember what it was exactly that I did….

[shellunderwater]

47 minutes ago, monorail81 said:

There was a glitch once where we did something in the Reservation or Planner and it increased the price of my booking. I can’t remember the particulars because it was about three years ago. I want to say that I added it was someone’s birthday. I had to call and have them fix it.  It was some weird glitch they knew about. I wish I could remember what it was exactly that I did….

Yes, happened to us several years ago too.  Can't say it's same issue. 

[Smartipantz]

2 hours ago, csnarpy said:

NRD is Non Refundable Deposit. 
 

it sounds like a screw up by your TA in the type of promotion that was being applied.
 

But If you had an invoice with the lower amount and it’s changed then it sounds like your Booking was most likely cancelled and rebooked. (By accident or not, I can’t tell you.)  I can confirm that once a booking is made, then that price is locked unless a change is made by repricing. No one reprices to a higher charge. 
 

I’m sorry but something is pretty shady.

Hmmm - $300 is the total of our FCC.  I wonder if that is what that is.  

[Coralc]

20 minutes ago, Smartipantz said:

Hmmm - $300 is the total of our FCC.  I wonder if that is what that is.  

Most probably. But I would still want the $6608.79 price if you have it on an invoice. . 

[Smartipantz]

Update:  RCCL has audited the booking and apparently there were issues in how the FCC's were applied.  The final price ended up being what was reflected on the November 2020 invoice.  Hallelujah!  Thanks for all your input!!!!

[CaroleC]

1 hour ago, Smartipantz said:

Update:  RCCL has audited the booking and apparently there were issues in how the FCC's were applied.  The final price ended up being what was reflected on the November 2020 invoice.  Hallelujah!  Thanks for all your input!!!!

Result! Congratulations 🥳