PROMOWAVES...have questions...help

[mems]

Hi All;

 

Has anyone ever booked a cruise using Royal Caribbean's Promowaves? I was shocked to go on this web site today and discovered we have paid $1000 dollars more per person by booking our November, 2004, transatlantic cruise on Splendour, last fall on Grandeur ...(ok less $200 on board credit for booking on board for a future cruise...but they did have our $900 deposit to play with for a half year) I was under the impression the best pricing for future cruises was booking early. I guess it's "buyer beware", but could someone explain to me the "facts of life' of cruise booking.

 

Thanks, mems

[bUU]

From what I can tell, the best prices come from booking very early or from booking very late. Of course, the better prices from booking early are always available, while the better prices from booking late are only available is the ship is not selling out.

[mems]

Thanks, bicker for responding. I always thought the best prices were for booking early. Now I'm rethinking. This cruise ship is far from being filled (I've checked the on-line travel sites). We have been on other cruises where the family of cruise staff have had many relatives onboard. I've always thought....isn't that nice... they work hard and have their family on this cruise. I don't mind that...... unless they get preferential treatment $$$$ wise which I think is going on here. Why be loyal to a cruise line if they aren't loyal to you???

[bUU]

Well, loyalty is a big issue -- probably a bigger issue than is relevant to this thread. However, don't you agree that a company should be loyal to its employees just as it is loyal to its customers?

[mems]

Yes, I totally agree, I think it is wonderful the employees familys can cruise at a discount. But then RCCL should not advertise that the best price is booking early. When the people who booked early think they got the best price find out closer to the cruise date that was not the case.

[bUU]

Do they really promise that the best price is always available by booking early? :confused:

[mems]

bicker, Yes, Rccl has said booking early results in the best price. That is why we book on the cruise we are on. Have you ever checked out Promowave?

[bUU]

Hmmm... I don't remember ever seeing that promise in writing. Anyway, yes, I've checked out the Promowave discounts. They seem pretty standard to me. I got the impression that they were targeted discounts, typically geographic.

[mems]

Typically geographic???

[bUU]

The discounts I saw a few days ago were state-of-residency based.

[reggierail]

The Promowave promotions can include senior, resident and air included specials, among other deals. Most of the time they should be transferable to an existing booking. It would be up to an observant TA to do this for you. The Happy Hour specials are for new bookings only.

 

Reggie:D

[MGoBlue2]

mems - What my brochure says is:

Prices vary. The best price for your cruise will depend on availability, sailing date, time of year and stateroom category selected. The best prices are usually available when you book well in advance.

This is an accurate depiction, they usually are. Only a small percentage become Promowave/Happy Hour Specials.

[cmjaffe]

Are the actually cabins left for the sailing at the Promowave "advertised" price (I ask this since I called up about a particular sailing... yes the DID have cabins avail. (in the cat. listed) BUT they were about $450 more per person... usually promowaves are for guarantees ... are you comfortable with that... Are you within 60 days prior to sailing, otherwise you can have a price adjustment ( aka rebooking and getting the discount). All things to consider. Some promowaves are age (senior) or geographic (ressie rate) restricted.

Check out the specifics.

Good luck.

Carolyn

[mems]

Reggie, Thanks for your reply. I started this post to try to understand the booking process. I usually do my own research and tell my TA what I want. I was just shocked when I went to Promo and found the $2000 difference. I guess I don't understand the "promos" or the Happy hour bookings. I don't even know where I got the web site but it was in my favorites and I clicked on it.

 

MgoBlue, Thanks for the brochure quote. I knew I read it somewhere but wasn't sure where. Many UofM people in this family. Love the maize and blue. altho, we now have a Spartan in our family......we love him too.

[mems]

cm, I just checked Promo. This cruise is a seasonal special, not a resident or senior special. The price for an OV is $999pp. We paid $1,999 pp. when we booked a year ago. I've checked with several on-line TA's ....this cruise is not sold out. There are cabins available in all catagories except inside. It is less than 60 days til our cruise.What am I missing?

[MGoBlue2]

mems - Go Blue

 

You may be SOL if it's after final payment date, but maybe not. At the least, I'd call my TA and tell them about the lower rate and ask to be refunded the difference and/or significantly upgraded. Couldn't hurt, and might save you a lot.

[PTarbay]

Does anyone have a link to this site?Thanks!

[mems]

MgoBlue2, Thanks, I already decided that calling our TA was our only recourse. But it sure was an eye opener. Not sure I will ever book in advance again since we are retired and can go where we want when we want. Everyone should be that lucky. BTW....I haven't heard the term SOL in a long time. Is it a Michigan thing or.....a military thing , since the first time I heard it was from my Dad who was in WW2 and is still with us at the age of 88 living in Big Rapids, Mi.

PT, I will give you the web site of the Promo thing when I figure out where it is. It is in my favorites but I'm not sure how to send it on. I do know I got it from the CC boards.

[tinkerme1]

Promowaves promotions should be used "cautiously". They are designed for people who have not previously booked already. If you book a promowave special, you "usually" get lowest priced cabin" in the category that is listed. It is very difficult to get a "great deal" unless you don't care where your cabin is located on the ship.

 

Be sure to read the "fine small print" at the bottom of the "promowave" list! Also, these promotions are only available for one week, and on very select cruises.

 

If you are the type that doesn't care where your cabin is located, and you have the time to cruise whenever the need arises, you may be able to get a great deal on the promowave specials that change every Tuesday.

 

I have noticed that the promowave specials are now getting much more expensive then they used to be, so, make sure that you are getting what you want. :D

[mems]

tink, Thanks for the info. How do you know that? You said the "promowave specials are now getting more expensive" ???? I posted the question because I went to that site and found out our cruise was $1000 less per person. I don't check these things very often. I went there out of curiosity because it was in my "favorites" because at one time someone on CC was chatting about it and I marked it in my favorites and well, one thing lead to another. Well $2000 less for a cruise is....wow!!!!

[paljoeysmom]

We have 2 cruises lined up and in the bucket right now. For our April 2005 cruise I got 15 bids!!!! Booked it with our regular TA who gave us a special deal being that we are a couple of his best clients. Here I was totally excited about our bargain. Then I get on line with one of my Yahoo Cruise Groups and come to find out, someone in our group paid $100 less p/p than we did.

 

So I ask the typical questions, are they seniors, did they receive a residency rate etc. After 2 days of no answer I send an e-mail to my TA stating what they paid and asking if he thought they were telling the truth. He said I bet they booked over a year in advance because he kept track of rates for that same ship since 2003. Sure enough when they responded they said they booked more than a year ago. Mystery solved. According to Cruise Travel Magazine the the pro's for booking early, exceed the last minute specials.

[mems]

PT, Hi. My favorites sez....creative.rccl.com/sales/promowave/RCL.pdf

I typed that in and got no where. I'm not very savvy on the internet but maybe you can make sense out of this. I know I got this internet web site on CC. So good luck. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. mems

[PTarbay]

Mems thank you!It worked fine for me,I just put www. before it.You should talk to your agent.When I was looking through RCI's website I noticed the price for our cabin had dropped $100pp and called her.She called back a few minutes later and we are now paying the lower rate.

[mems]

PT, Good going. Can't call our TA til tomorrow hope it works for us. We are talking 2 grand here, which to me is obscene.

paljoey, We booked early. At least I think over one year in advance is early. Now we are seniors....but that never got us anywhere except....oh never mind. Cruise Travel magazine? Must check it out. Maybe to late for this cruise but will keep it in mind for the next.

Thanks all, mems

[tinkerme1]

Just through experience, I have found out this information. BTW, if you noticed that the price of the cruise "for the same cabin" was $2000 less, make sure that the Category and cabin are really the same as yours! If you are a C&A member, call them and let them know you would like to take advantage of the "special one week rate" and if you're open to changing cabins, it may work for you. It never hurts to ask! Just remember, you will NOT be able to keep the same cabin you have now. Most times they will insist you take a cabin that is within the promotion area.

 

Good luck.