Question about diamond balcony discount

[emen822]

So I finally have my summer cruise booked. It was a frustrating process with the hold times and then getting the invoice and something was wrong ~ 3 times!  

 

Anyway, I booked a guarantee balcony for the Wonder for June. I noticed that I didn’t get the balcony discount and the guy on the phone said that since I will likely get a neighborhood balcony assigned, that I wasn’t entitled to the discount. The discount was only for ocean view. Does anyone know if that is the case?  I have never booked one of those rooms before but when doing a fake booking and selecting that room type, it’s giving me a discount.  Hate the thought of calling again but I will for that discount. 😁

 

Thanks in advance. 
Mary

[poocher]

A good TA is your friend.

[Merion_Mom]

That is a false statement.  Boo on that person.  A balcony is a balcony is a balcony.

[emen822]

8 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

That is a false statement.  Boo on that person.  A balcony is a balcony is a balcony.

Thank you! 😊

[Ourusualbeach]

29 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

That is a false statement.  Boo on that person.  A balcony is a balcony is a balcony.

Except when its a virtual balcony 

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Except when its a virtual balcony 

 

Then you can get a virtual discount.  🤣

[twangster]

They quietly updated the CAS balcony discount terms and conditions on 12/16/22 when they published the latest benefits page.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/crown-and-anchor-society-benefit-grid.pdf

 

15 Balcony and Suite Discounts are a per stateroom discount applicable on balcony and suite categories only available to Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members. Savings are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferable. When reserving, a valid Crown & Anchor Society membership number must be included in the reservation. Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members will receive an increased discount for making a reservation for a sail date outside of six (6) months. Within six (6) months of sailing, if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking, applies a fare change, changes categories, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking, the discount will be automatically adjusted to the lower value. This offer can only be combined with the Onboard Booking Bonus while making a reservation onboard a Royal Caribbean ship. This offer cannot be used with certain restricted fares and is not combinable with any other promotion or offer, including, but not limited to Shareholder Benefits, and other dollars off and onboard credit offers, MyCruise® Rewards Credit Card Program Upgrades, Companion Fare and Free Cruise promotions and benefits. Single occupancy guests paying 200% cruise fare are eligible for Offer. Single occupancy guests paying less than 200% cruise fare will be eligible for a prorated value of the Offer. Prices vary by ship and sail dates; space is subject to availability at the time of making your reservation. Please call or have your travel agent call our exclusive pre-cruise number at (888) 437-1953 to answer additional questions or to make arrangements. 

 

The information listed above is valid beginning on sailings departing December 16, 2022 and onward.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by twangster

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, twangster said:

They quietly updated the CAS balcony discount terms and conditions on 12/16/22 when they published the latest benefits page.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/crown-and-anchor-society-benefit-grid.pdf

 

15 Balcony and Suite Discounts are a per stateroom discount applicable on balcony and suite categories only available to Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members. Savings are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferable. When reserving, a valid Crown & Anchor Society membership number must be included in the reservation. Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members will receive an increased discount for making a reservation for a sail date outside of six (6) months. Within six (6) months of sailing, if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking, applies a fare change, changes categories, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking, the discount will be automatically adjusted to the lower value. This offer can only be combined with the Onboard Booking Bonus while making a reservation onboard a Royal Caribbean ship. This offer cannot be used with certain restricted fares and is not combinable with any other promotion or offer, including, but not limited to Shareholder Benefits, and other dollars off and onboard credit offers, MyCruise® Rewards Credit Card Program Upgrades, Companion Fare and Free Cruise promotions and benefits. Single occupancy guests paying 200% cruise fare are eligible for Offer. Single occupancy guests paying less than 200% cruise fare will be eligible for a prorated value of the Offer. Prices vary by ship and sail dates; space is subject to availability at the time of making your reservation. Please call or have your travel agent call our exclusive pre-cruise number at (888) 437-1953 to answer additional questions or to make arrangements. 

 

The information listed above is valid beginning on sailings departing December 16, 2022 and onward.

 

 

Sounds like someone pulled the terms and conditions from years past as this states it is not combinable with the shareholder benefit and that changed a couple years ago.  Royal really sucks on making sure that what they post on their website is the most accurate and up to date information.

 

 

[twangster]

10 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Sounds like someone pulled the terms and conditions from years past as this states it is not combinable with the shareholder benefit and that changed a couple years ago.  Royal really sucks on making sure that what they post on their website is the most accurate and up to date information.

 

 

 

I was struggling to understand why a Star booking in 2024 I made two weeks ago had no price difference compared to a never cruised with Royal guest so I called.  The CAs balcony and suites discount doesn't apply as it was not combinable.  

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

I was struggling to understand why a Star booking in 2024 I made two weeks ago had no price difference compared to a never cruised with Royal guest so I called.  The CAs balcony and suites discount doesn't apply as it was not combinable.  

That's because the Balcony discount is not combinable with "extra savings", "instant savings" or "promotional OBC" offers.  Nothing to do with shareholders OBC

Edited January 14, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[twangster]

8 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That's because the Balcony discount is not combinable with "extra savings", "instant savings" or "promotional OBC" offers.  Nothing to do with shareholders OBC

 

Or maybe it's the new policy and not someone who grabbed years old verbiage.  

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Or maybe it's the new policy and not someone who grabbed years old verbiage.  

Do you really think that if it changed mid Decrmber that there wouldn't have been at least a dozen threads on here by now.

[nelblu]

13 hours ago, emen822 said:

So I finally have my summer cruise booked. It was a frustrating process with the hold times and then getting the invoice and something was wrong ~ 3 times!  

 

Anyway, I booked a guarantee balcony for the Wonder for June. I noticed that I didn’t get the balcony discount and the guy on the phone said that since I will likely get a neighborhood balcony assigned, that I wasn’t entitled to the discount. The discount was only for ocean view. Does anyone know if that is the case?  I have never booked one of those rooms before but when doing a fake booking and selecting that room type, it’s giving me a discount.  Hate the thought of calling again but I will for that discount. 😁

 

Thanks in advance. 
Mary

Did you do a mock booking and see the results.  I just did a mock booking CP balcony for Oasis in August '23 and the D+ balcony discount of $250 is included.  I don't think just because it's a guarantee that it would affect the discount.

 

Call again.

 

51 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Or maybe it's the new policy and not someone who grabbed years old verbiage.  

Also, the shareholder's OBC benefit is after the fact.  You apply after a booking,

51 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

 

13 hours ago, emen822 said:

 

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by nelblu

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Sounds like someone pulled the terms and conditions from years past as this states it is not combinable with the shareholder benefit and that changed a couple years ago.  Royal really sucks on making sure that what they post on their website is the most accurate and up to date information.

 

 

The document linked to, at the bottom of the first page does show the date of 12/16/22.  And yes, RCCL's Landside operations sucks, big time.  I'm not sure anybody actually proof reads their stuff before putting a new date on it, I'm skeptical if it is done by design or incompetence.  Amazing.  Oh, and I'm not talking about just this document, either.  The FAQs are full of, at best, not enforced policies. 

[Ret MP]

Which brings up a question, of course.

 

Is there a place where we, the general public, can see the actual price (pre-discounts/reductions/whatever's/pre-ZIP code reductions/Pre-military/Pre-casino.................), the actual MSRP/list price of a cruise by ship, category of cabin?  The price/fare shown includes the current (standard) discounts.  But, where is the discount discounted from.  Yes, I know and see that when you do a real or mock booking one can see that it says it is $XXX.XX off.  But, again, $XXX.XX off of what?  Did they raise the price to discount it?  

[nelblu]

2 hours ago, Ret MP said:

Which brings up a question, of course.

 

Is there a place where we, the general public, can see the actual price (pre-discounts/reductions/whatever's/pre-ZIP code reductions/Pre-military/Pre-casino.................), the actual MSRP/list price of a cruise by ship, category of cabin?  The price/fare shown includes the current (standard) discounts.  But, where is the discount discounted from.  Yes, I know and see that when you do a real or mock booking one can see that it says it is $XXX.XX off.  But, again, $XXX.XX off of what?  Did they raise the price to discount it?  

I can only tell you that the actual $ (30%/60%) reductions I found is usually more than the advertised % off.  For instance, booked a cabin on Oasis for my kids and the gross fare before any discounts is $3,026 and the so called 30% off should total $907.80, but in actuality the reduction = 35+% or $1,070.

I've included the 60% off a 2nd Pax.as this is another promo that Royal runs periodically.

 

For others the only way you can be satisfied is to do mock booking with or without some of the discounts.  I do know that in the past any senior or resident discounts are separately shown.  

 

Some on this board call it Royal Dynamic Pricing.

 

By the way, the balcony discount is not affected by the % off fare except when it's used in conjunction to solo supplement fare at least in my case.

 

Hope this helps.

 

PS.  Someone maybe can confirm the following statement.

Based on memory, once upon a time, Royal began applying the % off after netting the gross fare and any discounts, e.g., balcony, etc.    But along the way they ceased this practice.

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by nelblu

[emen822]

3 hours ago, nelblu said:

Did you do a mock booking and see the results.  I just did a mock booking CP balcony for Oasis in August '23 and the D+ balcony discount of $250 is included.  I don't think just because it's a guarantee that it would affect the discount.

 

Call again.

 

 

Thanks. 
Yes. I did the same and the discount applied. I’m on hold again. 😩

[Engineroom Snipe]

Duplicate.

Edited January 14, 2023 by Engineroom Snipe
Someone beat me to the punchline.

[Ret MP]

2 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

 

Then they will give you a "virtual discount", it shows up until the last page before payment. 😁

I virtually believe that!

 

 

[Engineroom Snipe]

3 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I virtually believe that!

 

 

 

We discussed how even "dated" websites seem to be confusing and open to any interpretation that RCI wants to enforce.

 

"Deja view all over again" or it is "Groundhog Day" all over again...., I am so confused! 😁

 

Time for my nappy, reset the head...🥱

[emen822]

And just as an update … the guy on the phone is now telling me because my discount wasn’t applied the first day that I made the reservation, he cannot add it. He would have to reprice my cruise which is now about $1,000 more. Has anyone heard this before?

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, emen822 said:

And just as an update … the guy on the phone is now telling me because my discount wasn’t applied the first day that I made the reservation, he cannot add it. He would have to reprice my cruise which is now about $1,000 more. Has anyone heard this before?

Doesn't surprise me.  If you change C&A levels and want the higher discount they will reprice it.  

[fenton04]

12 minutes ago, emen822 said:

And just as an update … the guy on the phone is now telling me because my discount wasn’t applied the first day that I made the reservation, he cannot add it. He would have to reprice my cruise which is now about $1,000 more. Has anyone heard this before?

Celebrity did this very thing on our Hawaii cruise that got lifted and shifted twice.  The third time Celebrity eliminated a port added a sea day and charged us for the extra day.  When we called and balked we were told if we did not want to pay for the extra day, we could cancel and rebook.  Yes you guessed it.  The rebooking was way more than the original fare and the extra day.

[emen822]

12 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Doesn't surprise me.  If you change C&A levels and want the higher discount they will reprice it.  

That is crazy. 
In the end, because I was soooo insistent, he was able to make the adjustment to the cruise fare instead of adding it as a promotion. Glad this is over with!  I probably spent about 6 hours on the phone over the last few days.  😱