Fare decrease

[sunshiners]

I booked on a cruise in a Neptune Suite last November for travel in January 2024.  I have just noticed that the fare for 2 persons is now AUD2110 cheaper.  Can I have my travel agent have this amended.

[OlsSalt]

In the past, we have cancelled a prior cruise booking (when there was no penalty) and then rebooked at the lower price - may not get the same cabin but in those days we did not know enough to be choosy about our cabin locations.

 

At that time, one did not amend the reservation to get the lower price but needed to cancel it entirely. You can always ask. But it could be this new lower price is because they have only less desirable cabins left?

[Crew News]

28 minutes ago, sunshiners said:

I booked on a cruise in a Neptune Suite last November for travel in January 2024.  I have just noticed that the fare for 2 persons is now AUD2110 cheaper.  Can I have my travel agent have this amended.

If you booked at the "Best Fare" rate, there will be amendment fees which may be just a bit less that your total cruise deposit.  If you booked any other fare, my HAL Personal Cruise Consultant says there is no charge to amend the cruise to include a whole new itinerary/location/date.  The same rules should apply to your travel agent as well.

[ski ww]

If we had just a basic cruise with no perks. extras, OBC or the HIA package we would get the lower price. If you had perks, OBC or the HIA package you could loose some of those perks.

[richwmn]

@sunshiners, most of the answers you have and will receive are based on US reservations. You said the price decreased by AUD2110 from which I believe you are from Australia. The rules for the US may not apply to Australia, you should contact your travel agent to be sure.

Edited February 25, 2023 by richwmn

[lissie]

Ask your agent - its not just the price - its also the add ons like drinks and OBC. How much would you lose if you cancelled and rebooked? 

 

I saw a big drop on one of our cruises on  a different cruise line - but when I ran the figures it was about the same as what we have - because of a large OBC  we have (which we know we will  spend on drinks and gratuities) 

[Cruising Is Bliss]

5 hours ago, lissie said:

Ask your agent - its not just the price - its also the add ons like drinks and OBC. How much would you lose if you cancelled and rebooked? 

 

I saw a big drop on one of our cruises on  a different cruise line - but when I ran the figures it was about the same as what we have - because of a large OBC  we have (which we know we will  spend on drinks and gratuities) 

 

This! Always run the numbers to see how much the change saves or costs me. I did a re-fare that upped our cruise rate because the newly included items were all things we would have paid for individually. The new *higher* cruise rate was significantly less than the original rate plus the individual costs of the added things.

[VMax1700]

I always understood that Australia was much the same as UK/Ireland for booking conditions and once you had paid your deposit you were locked in.  All this talk about 're-faring' and 'cancelling and rebooking' is North American booking conditions.  The rest of the world is screwed. 🙄

[lissie]

37 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

I always understood that Australia was much the same as UK/Ireland for booking conditions and once you had paid your deposit you were locked in.  All this talk about 're-faring' and 'cancelling and rebooking' is North American booking conditions.  The rest of the world is screwed. 🙄

Could be true - but personally we've paid a total of A$50 deposit for 2 people - so its not that big a deal! 

[VMax1700]

1 minute ago, lissie said:

Could be true - but personally we've paid a total of A$50 deposit for 2 people - so its not that big a deal! 

In that case just crunch the numbers and go for it.

(Wish we got offered deposits like that!)

[Hlitner]

Here in the USA, we would simply send a short e-mail to our cruise agent asking her to look into the price drop.  Usually, within a few hours, she will send us a revised invoice with the lower price.  Sometimes this has no impact on the other amenities (such as pre-paid gratuities) and other times you might lose some booking amenities that were part of the original deal.

 

Hank

[MAVIP]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

In that case just crunch the numbers and go for it.

(Wish we got offered deposits like that!)

Don't you buy FCD's on board with USA conditions?

[Nang]

3 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I always understood that Australia was much the same as UK/Ireland for booking conditions and once you had paid your deposit you were locked in.  All this talk about 're-faring' and 'cancelling and rebooking' is North American booking conditions.  The rest of the world is screwed. 🙄

I am an Aussie and have refared a number of times with no penalty, same booking number, same cabin at a lower price with the most recent time being for a September 2023 cruise around the Mediterranean .

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, MAVIP said:

Don't you buy FCD's on board with USA conditions?

Certainly do!  OP's deposit is AUD50 for 2, which is about €32 or €16 each.  Never seen an offer like that here.  Would jump on it if it was available.

 

However I am fresh out of FCD's so any further bookings will incur full deposits (normally 15%).  

Trying to persuade Ellen that we need a cruise in May/June to get a few FCD's. 😁

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, Nang said:

I am an Aussie and have refared a number of times with no penalty, same booking number, same cabin at a lower price with the most recent time being for a September 2023 cruise around the Mediterranean .

That is interesting. Maybe it is just UK/Ireland.  Probably the price we pay to be overly protected from ourselves. 🙄

[MAVIP]

48 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Certainly do!  OP's deposit is AUD50 for 2, which is about €32 or €16 each.  Never seen an offer like that here.  Would jump on it if it was available.

 

However I am fresh out of FCD's so any further bookings will incur full deposits (normally 15%).  

Trying to persuade Ellen that we need a cruise in May/June to get a few FCD's. 😁

OK, Colin, I understand what you mean (and must admit that I did not realise the value of the AUD). It's like the offers in USA for deposits of even US$ 1. But what's comforting 😅with an FCD we get an OBC 🤑 which is not the case with that US$1 offer (I suppose). 

And we too spent the 2 x 3 FCD's we had and need to buy new ones in April on the NS.  In the meanwhile no new bookings for Joost and 

Lenny

Edited February 25, 2023 by MAVIP