Never happened before on a Price Drop?

[jencruzin]

 We've had interesting luck in price drops this January and now into Feb; today's price check doing a mock booking showed a $72 drop in our price. So I phoned in to ask it to be honored. We still owe a balance, but final payment is due next month.

The guy said he sees a price increase. On my end, I'm doing another mock booking, not logged in, cache cleared - yep, a $72 difference.

He can't honor it, because....taxes and port fees for this cruise has significantly DROPPED. And, already knowing the cruise line has no control over those, and given my time was limited, I said "OK' and said bye to the guy.

So then, I wondered. Since port fees and taxes have significantly dropped - wouldn't that have reflected on my balance due? It hasn't changed. Will it, in a matter of days? Is there something that I am forgetting?

[crzndeb]

Call back and talk to someone else. You should still get the price drop. Make sure you are checking like for like.

Edited February 7, 2023 by crzndeb

[shof515]

Keep calling until you get a hold of someone knowledge on how to reprice. 

 

Last week i had a miserable time doing a reprice on another cruise line due to call center rep having inexperience with the booking system and not comparing pricing correctly

[SNemeth]

My experience in April with a drop in port fees was a onboard credit that they never told us about.  I think they would rather give you a credit and hope you don't use it rather than a refund.

[Ourusualbeach]

It is only the cruise fare that they will lower. 

 

Port fees and taxes stay the same as the day that you booked the sailing.  The only option you have is if you have a refundable deposit is to chance and rebook, of course this means waiting for a refund and losing any pre-purchased cruise planner items.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

Call back and talk to someone else. You should still get the price drop. Make sure you are checking like for like.

 

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

Keep calling until you get a hold of someone knowledge on how to reprice. 

 

Last week i had a miserable time doing a reprice on another cruise line due to call center rep having inexperience with the booking system and not comparing pricing correctly

They got the right answer.  Port fees and taxes do not get adjusted on price drops.

[jencruzin]

So, here was the OUTCOME of all this.

 

After me trying three times, three different agents...

agent 1 (early morning): "No, I see a a price INCREASE. Where are you seeing a drop?"
 

agent 2 (early afternoon): "I only see an increase. I cannot see what you're referring to. Are you mock booking the same category as your own booking? I do see that port fees and taxes have dramatically dropped, we have no control on that." Me: "Well, if port fees and taxes have dropped, shouldn't this come off from my outstanding balance I still owe?" 

A pause....
"No, that doesn't change."
 

agent 3 (after dinner last night): "I don't see what you're seeing. I'll have to cancel your flights and start over. Want me to do that?" We instantly hung up.
 

agent 4 (around 9pm): "Oh, hold on. What I have done is deducted your excursions, your dinner bookings, your flights and gratuities....I see it. I am going to see about you possibly saving more money on the price drop" he came back, "I'm not seeing a $72 price drop. I see a $90 drop instead" and he honored it.

See the different responses? All from different agents from the same company. Utterly ridiculous, even though we gained a bigger PD than intended.

Edited February 8, 2023 by jencruzin

[jencruzin]

14 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

They got the right answer.  Port fees and taxes do not get adjusted on price drops.

Is this though, fair to the customer? I don't think it is because if the company gets a decrease in port fee and taxes per customer, that extra free money goes to the cruise line.

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, jencruzin said:

Is this though, fair to the customer? I don't think it is because if the company gets a decrease in port fee and taxes per customer, that extra free money goes to the cruise line.

Is it fair to the cruise line when the port fees go up and you don't get charged extra?

 

It works both ways and from what I've seen, far more increase than go down.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[Jbluebird]

It's always interesting to look at cabin prices and price drops.  Our balcony cabin in November when I originally booked was 3527 pp.  I was able to get a price drop in December, but the cabin price at that time was about $150 more than the original price.  I then got another price drop at the beginning of January with a cabin price that was about $140 less than the December price.  My last price drop was at the end of January with a cabin price about $40 less than the previous price.  All of the cabin prices are before the percentages or money off and all for the same cabin category.  I was also told that even though the port fees/taxes are significantly less for each successive price drop, my fees etc will not drop because they are for the original booking. I don't understand all the differences in cabin pricing from month to month or even week to week. 😕

Edited February 8, 2023 by Jbluebird
add a word

[Starry Eyes]

For each cruise, I write down my price before taxes and port fees.  I use that as my benchmark when I do mock bookings for price drops, always looking at price before taxes and ports fees.

 

Port fees and taxes do change; often they go up.  If one is not careful one could miss a price drop that is offset by a change in port and taxes.

[Miloomar]

What is this about port fees and taxes going down?

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, Miloomar said:

What is this about port fees and taxes going down?

Those can be almost as dynamic as cruise pricing.

[Miloomar]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Those can be almost as dynamic as cruise pricing.

Never noticed this before

Edited February 9, 2023 by Miloomar

[Biker19]

Just now, Miloomar said:

I mean taxes make sense since they are a percentage of the cost, so if the room goes up and down so does the tax. But I didnt realize port fees changed

There's no tax/fee based on the cabin price - all the extra taxes/fees are based on something other than that.

[firefly333]

On 2/7/2023 at 3:49 PM, jencruzin said:

 We've had interesting luck in price drops this January and now into Feb; today's price check doing a mock booking showed a $72 drop in our price. So I phoned in to ask it to be honored. We still owe a balance, but final payment is due next month.

The guy said he sees a price increase. On my end, I'm doing another mock booking, not logged in, cache cleared - yep, a $72 difference.

He can't honor it, because....taxes and port fees for this cruise has significantly DROPPED. And, already knowing the cruise line has no control over those, and given my time was limited, I said "OK' and said bye to the guy.

So then, I wondered. Since port fees and taxes have significantly dropped - wouldn't that have reflected on my balance due? It hasn't changed. Will it, in a matter of days? Is there something that I am forgetting?

I've had ports change and port fees drop. You dont get those back. Twice iv had fairly large fees drop. I even wrote to mbayley and they replied since we dont charge more if they go up, we dont have a policy fleetwide to price match. I also missed a port of the 3 lower priced ports. No refund. It's up to the ship. 

 

@Ourusualbeachwill tell you. If its fees too bad, so sadm bye bye. No refund.

 

Yes a ship can refund some port fees if you miss a port, but not obligated. 

[firefly333]

10 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Is it fair to the cruise line when the port fees go up and you don't get charged extra?

 

It works both ways and from what I've seen, far more increase than go down.

If all cruiselines did it then it wouldn't be expected imo.

 

Carnival for instance does give it back as obc all the time. A actual consistent policy. 

[bonsai3s]

11 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Is it fair to the cruise line when the port fees go up and you don't get charged extra?

 

It works both ways and from what I've seen, far more increase than go down.

Ken...quick question regarding price drops after final payment. I was told today by RCCL that OBC's are no longer given after final payment. Is this correct?  Thanks,E.

 

* OP, don't mean to hijack your post.

[Biker19]

49 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Is this correct? 

Yes, that ended about 6 months ago.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, bonsai3s said:

Ken...quick question regarding price drops after final payment. I was told today by RCCL that OBC's are no longer given after final payment. Is this correct?  Thanks,E.

 

* OP, don't mean to hijack your post.

Ended Sept 2022.  Back to pre covid policies now 

[BeachLover718]

23 hours ago, jencruzin said:

So, here was the OUTCOME of all this.

 

After me trying three times, three different agents...

agent 1 (early morning): "No, I see a a price INCREASE. Where are you seeing a drop?"
 

agent 2 (early afternoon): "I only see an increase. I cannot see what you're referring to. Are you mock booking the same category as your own booking? I do see that port fees and taxes have dramatically dropped, we have no control on that." Me: "Well, if port fees and taxes have dropped, shouldn't this come off from my outstanding balance I still owe?" 

A pause....
"No, that doesn't change."
 

agent 3 (after dinner last night): "I don't see what you're seeing. I'll have to cancel your flights and start over. Want me to do that?" We instantly hung up.
 

agent 4 (around 9pm): "Oh, hold on. What I have done is deducted your excursions, your dinner bookings, your flights and gratuities....I see it. I am going to see about you possibly saving more money on the price drop" he came back, "I'm not seeing a $72 price drop. I see a $90 drop instead" and he honored it.

See the different responses? All from different agents from the same company. Utterly ridiculous, even though we gained a bigger PD than intended.

One of our April cruises dropped by over $1300!!! We have already paid in full. Our travel agent tried twice and we called C& A twice (supervisors) and the only thing they’d do is give us a cabin ‘upgrade’ to a balcony (which we already have) on a different deck- which we aren’t interested in. They won’t even use the price drop as a credit against a Jr suite and let us pay the difference. We’re Diamond Plus (25 cruises on Royal, not to mention our Celebrity cruises) and NOTHING for us loyal cruisers because we paid in full last month! We know their policies but this shows that they don’t really value their loyal customers. I guess corporate gets a letter next not that anything will change but just to vent. 

[BeachLover718]

10 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Ended Sept 2022.  Back to pre covid policies now 

We were told the same thing. See my other reply post . Our cruise dropped $1300 (it’s a 17n and we’re in an extra spacious balcony- on a B2B no less for 25m of cruising) and we’re getting NOTHING from Royal because we already paid in full. 

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, BeachLover718 said:

One of our April cruises dropped by over $1300!!! We have already paid in full. Our travel agent tried twice and we called C& A twice (supervisors) and the only thing they’d do is give us a cabin ‘upgrade’ to a balcony (which we already have) on a different deck- which we aren’t interested in. They won’t even use the price drop as a credit against a Jr suite and let us pay the difference. We’re Diamond Plus (25 cruises on Royal, not to mention our Celebrity cruises) and NOTHING for us loyal cruisers because we paid in full last month! We know their policies but this shows that they don’t really value their loyal customers. I guess corporate gets a letter next not that anything will change but just to vent. 

Other than during the Pandemic price drops after final payment have not been allowed, nothing new.  Why do you think they should change just for you.  That would open it for everyone.

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, BeachLover718 said:

We were told the same thing. See my other reply post . Our cruise dropped $1300 (it’s a 17n and we’re in an extra spacious balcony- on a B2B no less for 25m of cruising) and we’re getting NOTHING from Royal because we already paid in full. 

If you are after Royals final payment date then you do not get anything nor should you expect anything.

[nelblu]

On 2/7/2023 at 6:31 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

It is only the cruise fare that they will lower. 

 

Port fees and taxes stay the same as the day that you booked the sailing.  The only option you have is if you have a refundable deposit is to chance and rebook, of course this means waiting for a refund and losing any pre-purchased cruise planner items.

Sometimes I’ve had minor credits on my invoice and it’s T&F.  Not a lot, just minor amounts.