RCCL non-refundable deposit vs TA's refundable deposit.

[KyleClark]

I booked a group rate with a TA today and was told it is refundable up to final payment.  Out of curiosity was is the thinking behind this?   I'm happy about it, but what is the difference between a TA owned reservation and a RCCL owned reservation? 

Edited June 30, 2023 by KyleClark

[firefly333]

Group rates are also a little lower in cost. Your balcony discount counts again. 

 

Works for me! 

[c-leg5]

38 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Group rates are also a little lower in cost. Your balcony discount counts again. 

 

Works for me! 

 

What do balcony discounts have to do with it?

 

A first time cruiser can book a group rate.

[cruiserking]

The refundable deposit is booked through the cruise line by your travel agent. The benefit to having a travel agent is if your fare goes down there's a good chance your agent will be able to get the better price for you. When you book with the cruise line they aren't always so helpful reducing your price. 

 

Jonathan

[firefly333]

11 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

 

What do balcony discounts have to do with it?

 

A first time cruiser can book a group rate.

Yes but as your loyalty goes up, those balcony discounts often arent combinable with the direct rate. Take $650 off ... which is more than your discount so you didnt get it until you booked a group rate. 

 

Harmony this december the balcony was $16 less than booking a inside. For balconys the difference in group rates and higher loyalty.. group rates are better because now I get my discount. 

 

I'm sure my ta would explain it different. Theres also a $50 obc treated differently, but seems to not matter. I get the extra $50 if I book a inside, but not if I book a balcony. The $50 for maybe group rate on a 7 day isnt combinable with one of my discounts. 

 

All I'm sure of is the rates I'm getting for rcl are better than from other lines including carnival who everyone says is less expensive.  I'm happy. 

[OCSC Mike]

16 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Harmony this december the balcony was $16 less than booking a inside. For balconys the difference in group rates and higher loyalty.. group rates are better because now I get my discount. 

 

@firefly333

Now even I'm confused and you know I've been learning all about this TA/group stuff, lol.

What loyalty level makes balconies so much cheaper? D+? 340 pts?

Edited June 30, 2023 by OCSC Mike

[Another_Critic]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

@firefly333

Now even I'm confused and you know I've been learning all about this TA/group stuff, lol.

What loyalty level makes balconies so much cheaper? D+? 340 pts?

Balcony discounts start at Platinum.  There's a big jump between Emerald and Diamond, then IIRC, $25 more for D+, then $25 more for Pinnacle.

 

The point firefly333 is making is that the full C&A balcony discount is combinable with group rates. 

 

The C&A balcony discount varies with RCI non-group rate "sales".

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Another_Critic

[ARandomTraveler]

1 hour ago, cruiserking said:

The refundable deposit is booked through the cruise line by your travel agent. The benefit to having a travel agent is if your fare goes down there's a good chance your agent will be able to get the better price for you. When you book with the cruise line they aren't always so helpful reducing your price. 

 

Jonathan

I would say the exact opposite. It's much more likely that you'll be able to call Royal Caribbean and get the price reduction applied to your balance when you can call them on your own. 
 

If you rely on a travel agent, you're assuming that you'll be able to get ahold of them, and then get them to call Royal Caribbean for you immediately. If it's a weekend, after hours, a holiday, or they're on vacation or not working that day, you're out of luck. I've seen so many posts on cruise critic from people who are frustrated that they weren't able to get their travel agent to call before the price went back up. 
 

In 10 years, I've never had a problem calling Royal Caribbean myself and getting them to reduce the price, and send me an updated invoice before I even hang up the phone. 
 

There are some travel agents who can get you lower rates than you might find online yourself, but you lose the ability to call Royal Caribbean and make changes to your reservation yourself. 

[Ourusualbeach]

19 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I would say the exact opposite. It's much more likely that you'll be able to call Royal Caribbean and get the price reduction applied to your balance when you can call them on your own. 
 

If you rely on a travel agent, you're assuming that you'll be able to get ahold of them, and then get them to call Royal Caribbean for you immediately. If it's a weekend, after hours, a holiday, or they're on vacation or not working that day, you're out of luck. I've seen so many posts on cruise critic from people who are frustrated that they weren't able to get their travel agent to call before the price went back up. 
 

In 10 years, I've never had a problem calling Royal Caribbean myself and getting them to reduce the price, and send me an updated invoice before I even hang up the phone. 
 

There are some travel agents who can get you lower rates than you might find online yourself, but you lose the ability to call Royal Caribbean and make changes to your reservation yourself. 

Ta"s do not have to call Roydl to get a price drop in most cases.  They can refare your booking on line.

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, Another_Critic said:

The point firefly333 is making is that the full C&A balcony discount is combinable with group rates. 

OK. Was just a bit confused. That example must have been unique then. Pretty sure my TA would have told me that I could have a balcony for the same price as the interior I asked for. 

[OCSC Mike]

43 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

If you rely on a travel agent, you're assuming that you'll be able to get ahold of them,

 

That’s a pretty safe assumption for some of us.  👀

[Another_Critic]

48 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

If you rely on a travel agent, you're assuming that you'll be able to get ahold of them, and then get them to call Royal Caribbean for you immediately. If it's a weekend, after hours, a holiday, or they're on vacation or not working that day, you're out of luck. 

I emailed my TA while I was cruising in the Atlantic (transatlantic).  He was cruising in the Pacific (HI to Van repo).  I waited a long time for a response ... 7 minutes.  😲

[ReneeFLL]

50 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

…If you rely on a travel agent, you're assuming that you'll be able to get ahold of them, and then get them to call Royal Caribbean for you immediately. If it's a weekend, after hours, a holiday, or they're on vacation or not working that day, you're out of luck. 

 

6 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

That’s a pretty safe assumption for some of us.  👀

You need to find one that doesn’t have “office hours”. The one I use also cruises a lot instead of TA’s that just sit in an office and really don’t know that much about cruising. Knowing some of the ins and outs of things can be helpful.

[cruisegus]

yes just had that similar quick response from my TA who is on a cruise right now.

 

emailed her yesterday afternoon about 4 pm asking about possible group rates she had for some specific dates, email with info return by 6:36 pm. of course I had quick checking email for the evening already.

 

This morning I checked email at 0755 and made a decision, emailed back.  Invoice in my email by 0918.  I'd say that is the same great response I always get from my TA.

 

My understanding is that group rates is the TA or their overarching company agrees to take so many cabins of a certain category for a reduced rate to fill by a certain date.  If they don't fill what they are committing to, the next time their discount is not as deep.  Because they can turn back over unsold cabins on that certain date, in essence they are considered refundable by the cruise line. 

.                      (layman's terms but I think the basic principle it true).

 

Using group rates for GS+ my provide a discount but they are also Non-refundable. 

Edited July 2, 2023 by cruisegus

[Ourusualbeach]

9 minutes ago, cruisegus said:

My understanding is that group rates is the TA or their overarching company agrees to take so many cabins of a certain category for a reduced rate to fill by a certain date.  If they don't fill what they are committing to, the next time their discount is not as deep.  Because they can turn back over unsold cabins on that certain date, in essence they are considered refundable by the cruise line. 

.                      (layman's terms but I think the basic principle it true).

 

Using group rates for GS+ my provide a discount but they are also Non-refundable. 

That is nowhere near how group rates work.

 

First off, group rates are the same for all TA's regardless of whether you have sold out your groups in the past or not.  What selling your groups allows you to do is it gives you the ability to hold more groups.

 

There is no such thing as group rates on a Grand Suite.  Group rates are limited to balconies and below. 

[KyleClark]

7 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That is nowhere near how group rates work.

 

First off, group rates are the same for all TA's regardless of whether you have sold out your groups in the past or not.  What selling your groups allows you to do is it gives you the ability to hold more groups.

 

There is no such thing as group rates on a Grand Suite.  Group rates are limited to balconies and below. 

What is the upside and downside for a TA to sell group rates?  How does that help them and why wouldn't the cruiseline have the same group rates?

[Ourusualbeach]

13 minutes ago, KyleClark said:

What is the upside and downside for a TA to sell group rates?  How does that help them and why wouldn't the cruiseline have the same group rates?

Group rates are rates offered by the cruiseline to travel agents that the cruise line foes not offer to people thst book directly. 

 

The upside for a TA is that those rates get locked in giving them time to promote their group.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[ink76]

1 hour ago, cruisegus said:

yes just had that similar quick response from my TA who is on a cruise right now.

 

emailed her yesterday afternoon about 4 pm asking about possible group rates she had for some specific dates, email with info return by 6:36 pm. of course I had quick checking email for the evening already.

 

This morning I checked email at 0755 and made a decision, emailed back.  Invoice in my email by 0918.  I'd say that is the same great response I always get from my TA.

 

My understanding is that group rates is the TA or their overarching company agrees to take so many cabins of a certain category for a reduced rate to fill by a certain date.  If they don't fill what they are committing to, the next time their discount is not as deep.  Because they can turn back over unsold cabins on that certain date, in essence they are considered refundable by the cruise line. 

.                      (layman's terms but I think the basic principle it true).

 

Using group rates for GS+ my provide a discount but they are also Non-refundable. 

Can the TA advertise this or this something offer they best customer I thought it was a no no for TA to book rooms lower than cruise line publish rate they could only offer obc  but yes this sound great.

[OCSC Mike]

2 hours ago, ink76 said:

Can the TA advertise this or this something offer they best customer I thought it was a no no for TA to book rooms lower than cruise line publish rate they could only offer obc  but yes this sound great.

Dunno about advertising but I was given them immediately upon using a TA for the 1st time (from more than one TA). I’m definitely not a best customer. I wish I was, lol, it would mean I was cruising a lot more in nicer cabins.