Extra fee to pick your own room has gotten ridiculous - time to move on?

[2chiefs]

Fares are already really high now! Now they're throwing gasoline on to the fire. I've been pricing cruises online for the 2025 season and have noticed the remarkable increase in price to be able to pick your own room. For instance today I mock-booked a balcony cabin on Adventure for May 16, 2025 and the price is $395 higher to be able to pick your own room. That's a lot of "insurance" to ensure you are not bumped from a cruise from the rampant over booking that cruise lines are doing now. I guess it's time to look at other alternative vacations to do. Hopefully all this price gouging the cruise lines are doing will reduce demand, so the prices come back down.

[not-enough-cruising]

"rampant overbooking"?

"bumping insurance"?

 

Really doesn't seem to be much change in pricing for the last 4-5 years to me

 

I would temper your expectations for pricing on your alternative vacation options; everything I have looked at recently is much more expensive than 12-18 months ago.

[2chiefs]

13 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 

 

Really doesn't seem to be much change in pricing for the last 4-5 years to me

 

I'm pricing cruises all the time and I see significant differences. I have a spread sheet with all the cruises we've taken with all costs. And now, more recently I'm seeing a big jump to be able to pick your own cabin. Quite a few people are now getting bumped from their cruises (not picking their own cabin), according to cruising news sources and RCI seems to have more than other lines. Evidently this happens quite often in the weeks leading up to a cruise but was brought to light when the group of folks got bumped from their cruise in Australia last minute. Aussie couple's 'holiday ruined' as they're bumped from cruise just before departure (yahoo.com)

 

 

Edited February 4 by 2chiefs

[smokeybandit]

Since when is there a fee to pick your own room?

 

You're confusing getting a discount for letting RC pick your room.

[2chiefs]

3 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Since when is there a fee to pick your own room?

 

You're confusing getting a discount for letting RC pick your room.

You call it a discount, I call it an extra fee. Same thing. What's your point? My point was that it costs a lot more now to pick your own room.

Edited February 4 by 2chiefs

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, 2chiefs said:

I'm pricing cruises all the time and I see significant differences. I have a spread sheet with all the cruises we've taken with all costs. And now, more recently I'm seeing a big jump to be able to pick your own cabin. Quite a few people are now getting bumped from their cruises (not picking their own cabin), according to cruising news sources and RCI seems to have more than other lines. Evidently this happens quite often in the weeks leading up to a cruise but was brought to light when the group of folks got bumped from their cruise in Australia last minute. Aussie couple's 'holiday ruined' as they're bumped from cruise just before departure (yahoo.com)

 

 

You are extremely overstating the number of people being "bumped" from their cruises.

If you researched a little deeper you would see there is little to no correlation in "involuntary denied boarding" between those that paid to secure a specific cabin, and those that booked a GY rate.

 

The article you quoted has as much to do with a Covid outbreak among the crew and Australia's overzealous Covid rules than it has to do with a GTY booking.

[smokeybandit]

5 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

You call it a discount, I call it an extra fee. Same thing. What's your point? My point was that it costs a lot more now to pick your own room.

If it was a fee it'd apply to every room on every cruise. Since it's a discount, it only applies to certain room categories on certain cruises.

[2chiefs]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

You are extremely overstating the number of people being "bumped" from their cruises.

If you researched a little deeper you would see there is little to no correlation in "involuntary denied boarding" between those that paid to secure a specific cabin, and those that booked a GY rate.

 

The article you quoted has as much to do with a Covid outbreak among the crew and Australia's overzealous Covid rules than it has to do with a GTY booking.

I guess I wasn't clear enough. The people getting bumped at the pier brought to light that the cruise lines are over-booking a lot more now. People are getting bumped more often than previously thought but since they are notified weeks in advance, it hasn't been in the news so much. I've read (and watched cruise news on YouTube) that this practice is more common that people realize. I didn't mean to over-state anything. What I do know based on my own experiences is that the charge to pick your own room has gone up significantly. 

[2chiefs]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

If it was a fee it'd apply to every room on every cruise. Since it's a discount, it only applies to certain room categories on certain cruises.

You win.

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, 2chiefs said:

The people getting bumped at the pier brought to light that the cruise lines are over-booking a lot more now.

Other than the one Aussie cruise that had a covid outbreak, please cite any evidence of people getting bumped at the pier.

 

[firefly333]

40 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

Fares are already really high now! Now they're throwing gasoline on to the fire. I've been pricing cruises online for the 2025 season and have noticed the remarkable increase in price to be able to pick your own room. For instance today I mock-booked a balcony cabin on Adventure for May 16, 2025 and the price is $395 higher to be able to pick your own room. That's a lot of "insurance" to ensure you are not bumped from a cruise from the rampant over booking that cruise lines are doing now. I guess it's time to look at other alternative vacations to do. Hopefully all this price gouging the cruise lines are doing will reduce demand, so the prices come back down.

As a solo I see this all the time. Prices start at $459. Change it to 1 pax, price now starts $1359 or whatever. Solo cant pick gty. Lots and lots of threads asking why are solo paying more than 200%. 

 

We have to explain the cheap price you see is a gty price you cant book as a solo. Tell me about it. And that was some old ship for a few days weekend inside. I'm going to be in florida and cant find a deal.

[JeffT237]

3 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The article you quoted has as much to do with a Covid outbreak among the crew and Australia's overzealous Covid rules than it has to do with a GTY booking.

 

How is this a Covid issue and Australia's Covid policies? Reading the letter and article it seems like Royal admitted what the issue was:

 

"Royal Caribbean confirmed it had oversold its cruise in a statement to news.com.au."

 

It does seem like light on the compensation for the impact of not being able to take the cruise they planned and paid for IMO.  I think most of us who cruise and post on CC would be frustrated as well.

 

 

[PhillyFan33579]

43 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

Fares are already really high now! Now they're throwing gasoline on to the fire. I've been pricing cruises online for the 2025 season and have noticed the remarkable increase in price to be able to pick your own room. For instance today I mock-booked a balcony cabin on Adventure for May 16, 2025 and the price is $395 higher to be able to pick your own room. That's a lot of "insurance" to ensure you are not bumped from a cruise from the rampant over booking that cruise lines are doing now. I guess it's time to look at other alternative vacations to do. Hopefully all this price gouging the cruise lines are doing will reduce demand, so the prices come back down.

This has nothing to do with price gouging and everything to do with a sharp increase in demand for cruises, which has lead to an increase in cruise fares. I still think cruises are very affordable, but unfortunately the rise in cruise prices will likely lead to some people no longer being able to afford to go on a cruise. 

[Scoobydobe7]

15 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

You call it a discount, I call it an extra fee. Same thing. What's your point? My point was that it costs a lot more now to pick your own room.

Agree...was looking at 2025 options also...

[2chiefs]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Other than the one Aussie cruise that had a covid outbreak, please cite any evidence of people getting bumped at the pier.

 

I didn't say anything about other people getting bumped at the pier. Did you not read "weeks in advance"? Seems you just want to initiate arguments. Is that your hobby?

 

[firefly333]

14 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

You call it a discount, I call it an extra fee. Same thing. What's your point? My point was that it costs a lot more now to pick your own room.

I call it a way to advertise like they have cheaper cabins than I can book. Its misleading advertising since I cant book that rate. Solo been complaining forever and of course couples dont care who book gty. Dont know why solo cant book gty on royal. I can elsewhere, it's just royal. 

[smokeybandit]

3 minutes ago, JeffT237 said:

 

How is this a Covid issue and Australia's Covid policies? Reading the letter and article it seems like Royal admitted what the issue was:

 

"Royal Caribbean confirmed it had oversold its cruise in a statement to news.com.au."

 

It does seem like light on the compensation for the impact of not being able to take the cruise they planned and paid for IMO.  I think most of us who cruise and post on CC would be frustrated as well.

 

 

And they didn't know they oversold the cruise until the day of? No that's called CYA in a country that still is leery of covid.

[not-enough-cruising]

6 minutes ago, JeffT237 said:

 

How is this a Covid issue and Australia's Covid policies? Reading the letter and article it seems like Royal admitted what the issue was:

 

"Royal Caribbean confirmed it had oversold its cruise in a statement to news.com.au."

 

It does seem like light on the compensation for the impact of not being able to take the cruise they planned and paid for IMO.  I think most of us who cruise and post on CC would be frustrated as well.

 

 

The article posted was published immediately following the incident.
 

Australian health officials and Royal (I assume)  didn’t want the “C” word mentioned.

 

Several articles published in the weeks following (most notable crew center and other industry publications) stated the real reason for the inventory crisis. 

Edited February 4 by not-enough-cruising

[smokeybandit]

2 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

I didn't say anything about other people getting bumped at the pier. Did you not read "weeks in advance"? Seems you just want to initiate arguments. Is that your hobby?

 

OK, cite people getting bumped weeks in advance. The handful of cruises that did oversell had plenty of volunteers to ensure no one got involuntarily bumped.

[time4u2go]

53 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

rampant over booking that cruise lines are doing now

Where have you seen evidence of this?  It certainly was not in the article you cited.

 

Edited February 4 by time4u2go

[EllieinNJ]

I always look for group rates from travel agents.  Besides getting a lower price they have enough inventory so you can pick a cabin in whichever category you want, no additional charge.

[JeffT237]

3 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

And they didn't know they oversold the cruise until the day of? No that's called CYA in a country that still is leery of covid.

 

I apologize for being lazy and only reading the article posted and letter from Royal.  I didn't do my proper research of going back and looking at Australia's current Covid policies, previous cancelled or denied boardings from Covid, consult social media and YouTube for the true motive, and put the puzzle together to come up with the correct conclusion that this couple who planned and paid for a vacation showed up at the port and were denied boarding by Royal who came up with the transparent excuse of overselling a cruise to hide their true sinister motives. Shame on those passengers, they should get nothing from Royal.  

[smokeybandit]

21 minutes ago, JeffT237 said:

 

I apologize for being lazy and only reading the article posted and letter from Royal.  I didn't do my proper research of going back and looking at Australia's current Covid policies, previous cancelled or denied boardings from Covid, consult social media and YouTube for the true motive, and put the puzzle together to come up with the correct conclusion that this couple who planned and paid for a vacation showed up at the port and were denied boarding by Royal who came up with the transparent excuse of overselling a cruise to hide their true sinister motives. Shame on those passengers, they should get nothing from Royal.  

While your sarcasm is noted, nothing in this thread has been about concern or lack there of for how much it sucked for passengers on that one single cruise to get bumped.

 

Edited February 4 by smokeybandit

[marci22]

1 hour ago, 2chiefs said:

Fares are already really high now! Now they're throwing gasoline on to the fire. I've been pricing cruises online for the 2025 season and have noticed the remarkable increase in price to be able to pick your own room. For instance today I mock-booked a balcony cabin on Adventure for May 16, 2025 and the price is $395 higher to be able to pick your own room. That's a lot of "insurance" to ensure you are not bumped from a cruise from the rampant over booking that cruise lines are doing now. I guess it's time to look at other alternative vacations to do. Hopefully all this price gouging the cruise lines are doing will reduce demand, so the prices come back down.

I know what you mean. They used to list guaranty rooms when the cruise was almost sold out. Now they are doing it much earlier. You have to choose a guaranty or pay a lot more. You could try using a TA that has group space: that way you can pick your own cabin at a better price, and it's refundable until final payment.

[Mum2Mercury]

2 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

Fares are already really high now! Now they're throwing gasoline on to the fire. I've been pricing cruises online for the 2025 season and have noticed the remarkable increase in price to be able to pick your own room. For instance today I mock-booked a balcony cabin on Adventure for May 16, 2025 and the price is $395 higher to be able to pick your own room. That's a lot of "insurance" to ensure you are not bumped from a cruise from the rampant over booking that cruise lines are doing now. I guess it's time to look at other alternative vacations to do. Hopefully all this price gouging the cruise lines are doing will reduce demand, so the prices come back down.

- I agree that the difference between Guarantee and Pick-Your-Room is significant.  

- People are not being bumped from their cruises willy-nilly; seriously, I read this board pretty often, and we've heard of this happening to ONE person.  If you don't want to book Guarantee, fine -- but don't let this be your reason.  It's just not a realistic fear.  

- We usually book Guarantees and have always been satisfied. The one thing I dislike is the waiting to know your room number -- the closer we get to the cruise, the more often I check for that information!  

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

Since when is there a fee to pick your own room?

 

You're confusing getting a discount for letting RC pick your room.

TOMato, toMATO.  

A price difference between the two types of bookings exists.  Call it a fee or a discount, but focus on the bottom line.