Guarantee + C&A + Price Drop = GIDDINESS!

[jjstexas]

Long time reader, first time poster! Just wanted to thank Cruise Critic and all members for passing on tips - your cumulative knowledge saved me $585! (and we need it - loans from dental school [him] and law school [me] - BAD combination!) Husband and I are sailing on our anniversary/bar trip cruise on the Rhapsody 7/29/07 Western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston.

 

1.) I didn't know what a guarantee was until I read Cruise Critic, so when we saw an oceanview guarantee for $849 (regular oceanview I category - $979), we hopped on it (we sailed category I last time and were happy with it, so we knew we would be happy with anything - and got no portholes!) so THANKS for teaching me about guarantees!

 

2.) I thought that all the C&A savings certificates were for 2008 sailings until I read a post that some 2007 sailings were now up. - Another $125 off!

 

3.) Finally, when we originally booked (WITH RCI), I asked the agent if having a guarantee, we would be able to benefit from a price drop and she said yes without adding any conditions. So when there was a residency drop for Texans down to $749 for oceanview guarantees, I called in - the new rep told me the first rep was wrong and that you actually can't get a price drop after your cabin is assigned (which makes sense, and is why I asked the agent when I booked). Mustering the courage from other people's experiences on cruise critic, I asked to speak to resolutions, who promptly credited me with $200 since the first rep made that representation to me (future lawyer in me coming out!).

SHORT STORY:

CRUISE WITH CRUISE CRITIC ADVICE (Cabin 2048)

Total of $1612.76 (including our pre-paid gratuities, taxes, etc.)

CRUISE WITHOUT CRUISE CRITIC ADVICE (Cabin 2050, the one RIGHT NEXT TO US, which I just checked on the RCI website)

Total of $2197.76 (without guarantee price, no C&A discount, and no price drop [the price drop was only for the guarantees]).

 

YOU GUYS SAVED ME $585! THANKS! Don't try to get me to give you your share, though :)- I'll reciprocate by posting like ya'll do to help someone else. This is kind of bad, though...it gives me a rationale to keep surfing CC instead of studying for the bar! :rolleyes: I'm going to try to pass the bar here in Texas, but I WON'T BE PASSING A SINGLE BAR ON THE CRUISE!

[jjstexas]

I messed up the post icons when I was trying to put a frownie face by the bar! Can you tell it's my first post, haha? I did not mean to make this a frownie face thread.

[Apoggi]

Congratulations! I am glad you listened to the CC and paid attention. I am still hoping for a price drop or resident reduction for my state.

 

 

Ann

[zachnlucy]

Saving money always makes a cruise so much more fun. Congratulations!

[jjstexas]

Thanks, and good luck with your residency reduction! My impression is that Texas does not often get them because of the Galveston port, so I was really surprised and happy to see it.

[firecatgirl]

Wow that's awesome!!

 

How does a stateroom gaurantee work and what's a residency reduction?

[jjstexas]

Okay, a stateroom guarantee is (from my understanding!) where you get a reduced price (for us, $150 apiece for 7-night Caribbean cruise) in exchange for your promise to accept any room within that category that they assign to you. It may be one of the lesser quality rooms (like a porthole for an oceanview instead of a window) or it might be awesome (like an oceanview on the highest deck), but you know that it will at least be of that room category. Not all cruises offer the guarantees - I think ones that are really looking for people do - but if they do, they may have an inside stateroom guarantee, or an oceanview stateroom guarantee, or a balcony guarantee. If you are really picky about your room (you MUST be in the middle, for example), this may not be a good idea, but if you know you will be happy with the least in the category, you will save money and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

Some people have said they didn't get their room assignment until right before the cruise, but we got ours 4 days after, and while it was the lowest deck, at least it didn't have a porthole, and it was near enough to the elevators to be convenient.

 

A residency reduction is when they give another reduction (when you start booking, enter in the state where you live) becuase they want to induce people from your state to come on the cruise. I do not know really how this works, but I suspect that it is based on making it more afforable to inland states (like Texas will just drive a little while to Galveston, while people in Michigan would have a substantial flight and attendant cost). So just select which state you live in and you may or may not have a residency reduction. HOPE THAT HELPS!

[terri23]

Congrats! :) Don't forget your C&A discounts once you hit platinum status (of course, you'll HAVE to get a balcony cabin in order to save that money ;) )

[jjstexas]

I can't wait to be platinum (can you tell I love freebies and discounts to an even greater degree than ordinary people?)! And yes, I guess I'll HAVE to talk husband into getting a balcony then, haha! We are looking forward to experiencing that.

[firecatgirl]

Okay, a stateroom guarantee is (from my understanding!) where you get a reduced price (for us, $150 apiece for 7-night Caribbean cruise) in exchange for your promise to accept any room within that category that they assign to you. It may be one of the lesser quality rooms (like a porthole for an oceanview instead of a window) or it might be awesome (like an oceanview on the highest deck), but you know that it will at least be of that room category. Not all cruises offer the guarantees - I think ones that are really looking for people do - but if they do, they may have an inside stateroom guarantee, or an oceanview stateroom guarantee, or a balcony guarantee. If you are really picky about your room (you MUST be in the middle, for example), this may not be a good idea, but if you know you will be happy with the least in the category, you will save money and you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

Some people have said they didn't get their room assignment until right before the cruise, but we got ours 4 days after, and while it was the lowest deck, at least it didn't have a porthole, and it was near enough to the elevators to be convenient.

 

A residency reduction is when they give another reduction (when you start booking, enter in the state where you live) becuase they want to induce people from your state to come on the cruise. I do not know really how this works, but I suspect that it is based on making it more afforable to inland states (like Texas will just drive a little while to Galveston, while people in Michigan would have a substantial flight and attendant cost). So just select which state you live in and you may or may not have a residency reduction. HOPE THAT HELPS!

 

 

Thanks :) I live in New Hampshire I hope I can get a reduction.

 

Have a great time on your cruise! :D

[piercetc4]

congrats to you on all your savings! have a great cruise!

[thekidsmom]

JJS-since Waco is really just "Mayberry" in disguise, I bet you and I are only 2 'degrees of Kevin Bacon' away from knowing each other.....

 

We live in Hewitt; first name Darlene.....ring any bells??? :)

 

P.S. Congrats on the price drop! We did the Rhapsody in Oct 04, Splendor in Nov 06 and the prices only went up! Our Jan 08 Voyager cruise has gone up $500pp (D1 category) since we booked.......yowsa!

 

Love the line about 'not passing up bars on the ship'!

[jjstexas]

Darlene,

 

I LOVE IT! How funny is that? We live in Hewitt, too, but haven't been here long and are unfortunately leaving soon (in July after the bar) - we were here for my law school 3 years and now my husband is a resident dentist at the Temple VA, so unfortunately we do not know many "grown-ups". Maybe we'll meet you on a cruise sometime!!

 

And while you didn't get a price drop, at least you were smart enough to book before!!