Waitlisted price increases from website pricing?

[seasack]

We were waitlisted for the 20 day holiday cruise before the 2025 World Cruise. We were informed yesterday our room request became available. On the Crystal website when that became available it’s says our room pricing is $9100.00 per person and that’s what it was listed at when we were put on the waitlist. Our invoice for that room from our TA showed an increase to $9600.00 per person with the caveat from Crystal that it’s because it’s waitlisted and they can now charge us a premium. I’m currently not sure if I will proceed with the booking?
 

Has anyone else experienced this type of situation? It is certainly not sitting well with me!

[History&Wine]

I'm guessing your 20 days is Dec 16 (7 days)  plus Dec 23 (13 days) ?  I get 9200 for the Verandah room and with the B2B discount this should be the $9100 you were quoted.

 

The only thing I can think of is the fares are "from" a certain price.  I hope Crystal isn't charging more for a waitlisted rooms.

 

In any case..see you on the world cruise! 

 

 

[History&Wine]

Oh..you said before the 2025 world cruise...my post assumed 2024.  Mea Culpa....

[seasack]

No worries!

 

It’s the Dec 18th to Jan 7th before the 2025 World Cruise. 

 

i will also be on the 2024 World Cruise with the 2 segments before which includes the 2023 holiday cruise so I will see you on board for that!
 

 

[Keith1010]

Without knowing all the details we really can't be certain.

 

Is it a room where the pricing is from? In other words are all the rooms the same price or is it a category where the prices might range by location.

 

You could ask but I don't believe a waitlist locks you in for the price but I could be wrong. This is something you should have your TA run down for ou.

 

Keith 

[seasack]

1 minute ago, Keith1010 said:

Without knowing all the details we really can't be certain.

 

Is it a room where the pricing is from? In other words are all the rooms the same price or is it a category where the prices might range by location.

 

You could ask but I don't believe a waitlist locks you in for the price but I could be wrong. This is something you should have your TA run down for ou.

 

Keith 

Hi Keith when I go on the website for the exact room I’m talking about right not on the Crystal website it’s says the room is $9100.00. I went on the Crystal website and the exact room and the price is as I stated. The room is a double guest room with veranda and is maxed out at $9100.00
 

I went through the travel agent route. Believe it or not we have the same one. She told me the same thing and suggested we call directly to Crystal. She is quite frustrated with Crystal at this point. My wife got off the phone with Crystal a few hours ago and they said the same as I mentioned above. 
 

I am frustrated and decided to see if anyone has had the same experience and is there anything anyone can suggest I try?
 

 

[BWIVince]

Is it a mid/aft Double Veranda (PP with double occupancy)?  Current pricing shows at $9100 for those, so I would question the price difference.  Was the invoice the agency one from Crystal or the one your travel agent issued?

 

Also, was there any kind of deposit put down for the waitlist?  Generally speaking, adding your name to a waitlist doesn't guarantee pricing against any fare changes, but depending on the amount of deposit placed to get on the waitlist, that can be subject to change.  That doesn't seem to explain what appears to have happened here though, if you're being charged more than the published fare.  Outside of a fare changing while you're waitlisted, I've never heard of an actual premium being charged for being waitlisted.  I suspect there's a miscommunication somewhere.

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

6 minutes ago, seasack said:

Hi Keith when I go on the website for the exact room I’m talking about right not on the Crystal website it’s says the room is $9100.00. I went on the Crystal website and the exact room and the price is as I stated. The room is a double guest room with veranda and is maxed out at $9100.00
 

I went through the travel agent route. Believe it or not we have the same one. She told me the same thing and suggested we call directly to Crystal. She is quite frustrated with Crystal at this point. My wife got off the phone with Crystal a few hours ago and they said the same as I mentioned above. 
 

I am frustrated and decided to see if anyone has had the same experience and is there anything anyone can suggest I try?
 

 

I see.

 

It's interesting I don't see any room starting at $9,100.00 for that cruise although I see one starting at $9,000.00.  Is this the 12/18/24 to 1/7/25 cruise? The one at $9,100.00 shows is a single guest room. Can you let us know what category?

 

I now understand that you are asking what the experience is for someone clearing a waitlist. That is a good question.

 

Keith

[seasack]

The invoice is from Crystal.

 

It is PP with double occupancy. I did question the difference and was to to bad so sad!
 

No deposit put down. 
 

I’m getting no where at this point. I have to wait to Monday when my deposit is required if I want to proceed.

 

Frustrating to say the least…

 

Thanks for your suggestions!

[seasack]

I hope that works. 

[travelberlin]

51 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

 

 

You could ask but I don't believe a waitlist locks you in for the price but I could be wrong. This is something you should have your TA run down for ou.

 

Keith 

Actually it is my understanding that a wait list is at the price in which the cabin was originally listed. Never experienced a price increase.

This has been our experience with several cruise lines.

I would clarify this with Crystal.

Ivi

Edited September 8, 2023 by travelberlin

[seasack]

I cut out as much of the private info as I could. Hopefully it makes sense with what is left?

 

As you can see the $9600.00 vs what should be $9100.00 and it is an invoice from Crystal! They had no explanation how they came up with the extra amount they are charging me. 

 

Any help would be appreciated as this is an increase of $1000.00 for double occupancy?

[Keith1010]

 

 

When I first went to the website i saw the lower price of $8,500.00 and didn't go further so I see what you are saying.  

 

I do know that the from price has not always held up and I have no experience on whether or not a wait list locked you in.  

 

Not a wait list but I did have one booking where it said from and it was for a room where there is not difference in price based on location as they are all near one another and paid more than the from.  

I guess I would have the TA take one more run on this one.

 

Keith

[seasack]

2 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

 

 

When I first went to the website i saw the lower price of $8,500.00 and didn't go further so I see what you are saying.  

 

I do know that the from price has not always held up and I have no experience on whether or not a wait list locked you in.  

 

Not a wait list but I did have one booking where it said from and it was for a room where there is not difference in price based on location as they are all near one another and paid more than the from.  

I guess I would have the TA take one more run on this one.

 

Keith

Thanks Keith that’s the plan for Monday. 

[History&Wine]

How much does Crystal charge to be placed on a wait list?  
And is that refundable?

 

[avalon244]

Here's what happened.  When you originally booked, it was booked as 2 btb segments.  Segment 1 is $5,300. Segment 2 is $4,300. That equals $9,600. So you received the 5% btb discount. However what you're looking at on the website is a 20- day cruise at $9,100. But there is no 5% btb discount. Crystal isn't trying to scam you. Glad to be of help.

[AtA]

43 minutes ago, avalon244 said:

Here's what happened.  When you originally booked, it was booked as 2 btb segments.  Segment 1 is $5,300. Segment 2 is $4,300. That equals $9,600. So you received the 5% btb discount. However what you're looking at on the website is a 20- day cruise at $9,100. But there is no 5% btb discount. Crystal isn't trying to scam you. Glad to be of help.

Except if they did it as a 20 day cruise the price is $9100. As a b2b, they're paying $9175?

[avalon244]

13 minutes ago, AtA said:

Except if they did it as a 20 day cruise the price is $9100. As a b2b, they're paying $9175?

It looks that way, but there's probably a few extra dollars gained on the society discount at the higher rate and perhaps port charges. Either way, the difference is pretty negligible. 

[Stickman1990]

3 hours ago, seasack said:

I went through the travel agent route. Believe it or not we have the same one. She told me the same thing and suggested we call directly to Crystal. She is quite frustrated with Crystal at this point. My wife got off the phone with Crystal a few hours ago and they said the same as I mentioned above. 

That’s just weird - why would a TA tell their client to ring a cruise line direct?
 

Surely they have contacts that they can and should be leveraging rather than telling clients to do the donkey work directly. That’s part of the value add of a good and well connected TA. I’m guessing they’re still expecting the booking to go through them?

 

If it were me I’d get a new agent who took the lead in resolving issues such as this 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Stickman1990

[Mr Luxury]

6 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

That’s just weird - why would a TA tell their client to ring a cruise line direct?
 

Surely they have contacts that they can and should be leveraging rather than telling clients to do the donkey work directly. That’s part of the value add of a good and well connected TA. I’m guessing they’re still expecting the booking to go through them?

 

If it were me I’d get a new agent who took the lead in resolving issues such as this 

I agree,

Not very helpful of the TA telling you to contact Crystal to find out the answer.

I would be changing my TA.

 

[seasack]

My travel agent tried first and they told her that that was the price after I questioned what was going on. I did not like the answer and that’s when she suggested I call myself and hear it for myself which I did and got the same response she did. I still don’t like it and nowhere does it say that can can charge you more that what it currently says on the website. 

[seasack]

9 hours ago, avalon244 said:

Here's what happened.  When you originally booked, it was booked as 2 btb segments.  Segment 1 is $5,300. Segment 2 is $4,300. That equals $9,600. So you received the 5% btb discount. However what you're looking at on the website is a 20- day cruise at $9,100. But there is no 5% btb discount. Crystal isn't trying to scam you. Glad to be of help.

I never originally booked it I just booked it now and there is the 20 day on the website with $9100.00 price that I wanted to book I wasn’t looking to book it as a btb.
 

That’s a misleading way to price it you are correct and it certainly wasn’t explained that way to me by Crystal!

[seasack]

@avalon244 Btw the 5% on my invoice is because I’m adding it to cruise after that that I already have booked so idk if this is all adding up the way you suggested?

[Keith1010]

I am not sure about now but shortly after this came out you could book it as one cruise and it did include a back to back 5% discount off the rate or you could book just one of the two cruises.  

 

Keith 

[seasack]

Has anyone recently booked it as a 20 day by itself and got the 5% discount. In other words you booked it and it was priced out at $9600.00 pp vs the listed $9100.00 pp and then got the 5%.

 

Just trying to make sense of this situation which Crystal is not making crystal clear!