Does RCCL play games re:price drops

I was very excited to see a price drop this morning on my FOS balcony. I contacted my TA who in turn contacted RCCl. She was told the drop in fares only applies to new bookings. If I cancel and re book I could lose the discount on a saving certificate I used. The next thing may be you earn a discount only if you purchase 2 fares at the same time. Bummer. Have others had the same problem?

I don't really see the problem. If certain discounts only apply to new bookings and you aren't a new booking then you don't qualify. I think all the lines do new booking discounts randomly.

If you are talking about the Freedom 3/30/14 there is a C and A savings certificates available this quarter for that sailing.

Yes, Royal Caribbean does this all the time - they offer new-bookings-only discounts because they are trying to sell an undersold ship to new passengers without taking a massive hit from already-booked passengers who want refunds for the price drop. It may look like game playing, but it's good business sense for them, and it's part of the business strategy that allows them to keep overall fares low. I do sympathize with your dilemma, though - I recently tried to upgrade to a higher category because the cost of those cabins dropped below what I paid, and I was told, "Sorry, new bookings only."

I was very excited to see a price drop this morning on my FOS balcony. I contacted my TA who in turn contacted RCCl. She was told the drop in fares only applies to new bookings. If I cancel and re book I could lose the discount on a saving certificate I used. The next thing may be you earn a discount only if you purchase 2 fares at the same time. Bummer. Have others had the same problem?

Presumably, the price you saw was part of this week's Tuesday sale. Wait until Friday when the sale is over and if the price drop is still there, then try again.

Already applied the cert. I just had not come across the "new bookings only" price drop.

Presumably, the price you saw was part of this week's Tuesday sale. Wait until Friday when the sale is over and if the price drop is still there, then try again.

The OP sailing is next March, that wouldn't be on the Tuesday sale.

I was very excited to see a price drop this morning on my FOS balcony. I contacted my TA who in turn contacted RCCl. She was told the drop in fares only applies to new bookings. If I cancel and re book I could lose the discount on a saving certificate I used. The next thing may be you earn a discount only if you purchase 2 fares at the same time. Bummer. Have others had the same problem?

This may work....

If it is a substantial drop, then create a "new booking" on another ship/sailing date and transfer the savings certificate to that booking, cancel the Freedom. Re-book the Freedom at the new price, apply the savings certificate from the "new booking" and then cancel the "new booking" .

Granted you would have to put down another deposit for the new booking, but you would receive a refund after you cancel.

If it's a large TA office (aka: Internet) you may want to call back and simply try again.

Yesterday I successfully did EXACTLY what you tried to do and had no problem. When is your sailing? Someone in this thread said March 2014 but it was not YOU who said it so I'm not sure it's accurate info.

If it's a large TA office (aka: Internet) you may want to call back and simply try again.

 

Yesterday I successfully did EXACTLY what you tried to do and had no problem. When is your sailing? Someone in this thread said March 2014 but it was not YOU who said it so I'm not sure it's accurate info.

OP's countdown clock is for the Freedom 3/30/14

If it's a large TA office (aka: Internet) you may want to call back and simply try again.

 

Yesterday I successfully did EXACTLY what you tried to do and had no problem. When is your sailing? Someone in this thread said March 2014 but it was not YOU who said it so I'm not sure it's accurate info.

Yup, I made the whole thing up.:rolleyes:

OP's countdown clock is for the Freedom 3/30/14

Thx -- I suppress the countdown clock/footers. Still a bit of a mystery then why I got price drop and he OP could not.

If you call sales offered for new bookings only "playing games," then yes, they do.

Our experience on our last cruise with RCI is that some folks not technically eligible for the new booking discounts get them. RCI's marketing strategy is to fill the ship. While that is laudable (we are stockholders), there are business which, if the price drops, extend refunds or credits, such as Southwest Airlines. That builds good will.

We were told in the last go around that while you may be able to create a "new" booking by various stratagems, that if discovered that you will be charged the prior rate. RCI personnel told us (and our TA) in no uncertain terms that its auditors find these things prior to debarkation.

I describe this as the Grand Bazaar approach to pricing.

When internet sales first took off, airlines and hotels started wholesaling out excess inventory to liquidators. Some airlines and hotels found that the marginal additional income they received did not adequately cover the annoyance they created in their best customers. (On an airline like American, 80% of its business is from 500,000 people. On an airline like Southwest, the volume of repeat business is even higher. On our last RCI cruise, about 70% were C&A, and a good number of the others were frequent cruisers from other lines.) Thus, you will see some travel providers now advertise that you will not see a better price anywhere for their services than you see on their web site. Other providers, like RCI, follow the strategy of trying to fill every space.

It left us with a bad taste. We paid a very fair price for our cabin a year in advance. Then we find out that the folks next to us paid less for the same room, and got the liquor package tossed in for free. Why book in advance at all?

Very true SoCalTraveler. I booked about 18 months before the Hawaii cruise and had trouble finding 4 cabins in a row for our "cruise crew". I don't feel good about waiting too long so that our crew can travel in consecutive cabins.

Almost everyday since I booked a number of months ago I checked the posted fares to see if the price had dropped. I was excited to see the $340 difference only to find out it was available to only "new bookings". I gotten price drops before. Will the price go back to the original fare or might it go down further to a lower price that I may not receive. My TA asked about the idea of re booking but was told I would be red flagged and that there was a possibility that I would lose the $150. savings cert I used. Just a bit bummed.

By the way, this was not a special Tues price.

I'm wondering why they don't put NEW BOOKINGS ONLY beside the lowered price thereby allowing everyone to know in advance that unless you are a new booking, the lowered price doesn't apply to you.

Surely that would solve some of the issues that are prevalent?

I'm wondering why they don't put NEW BOOKINGS ONLY beside the lowered price thereby allowing everyone to know in advance that unless you are a new booking, the lowered price doesn't apply to you.

 

Surely that would solve some of the issues that are prevalent?

That sounds very sensible to me.....

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That sounds very sensible to me.....

 

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But we are talking about RCCLs Tech Department here - they have enough problems getting the right basic info out there, it would be almost impossible (especially as some price drops are in and out in a flash) for them to accomplish that;)

This may work....

 

If it is a substantial drop, then create a "new booking" on another ship/sailing date and transfer the savings certificate to that booking, cancel the Freedom. Re-book the Freedom at the new price, apply the savings certificate from the "new booking" and then cancel the "new booking" .

 

Granted you would have to put down another deposit for the new booking, but you would receive a refund after you cancel.

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So, it's not Royal Caribbean but the customers who play games with pricing.

Haha, it makes me laugh.

I am in the same, bummed out/frustrated boat as others when I book a cruise and prices drop afterwards. It happens.

It almost seems like more trouble than it's worth to cancel a cruise, wait for the refund, go through the booking process again and hope for the same or similar room to what you had booked already. And all to save $100 give or take.

But hey, if others want to go through the process, I say have fun.

I'm wondering why they don't put NEW BOOKINGS ONLY beside the lowered price thereby allowing everyone to know in advance that unless you are a new booking, the lowered price doesn't apply to you.

 

Surely that would solve some of the issues that are prevalent?

This is what I see for every price on their website:

Prices are per person, shown in U. S. Dollars. For new reservations only. Government taxes and fees are additional. "Deals" pricing reflects the special rate(s) you may be eligible for. Proof of eligibility required. If eligibility cannot be validated, you will be charged the standard rate or denied boarding

This is what I see for every price on their website:

 

Prices are per person, shown in U. S. Dollars. For new reservations only. Government taxes and fees are additional. "Deals" pricing reflects the special rate(s) you may be eligible for. Proof of eligibility required. If eligibility cannot be validated, you will be charged the standard rate or denied boarding

It's just that they don't consistently enforce it and I think that's where the frustration & confusion creeps in.

It's just that they don't consistently enforce it and I think that's where the frustration & confusion creeps in.

Exactly. I suspect the wording is there so they can enforce it whenever they please.

This is what I see for every price on their website:

 

Prices are per person, shown in U. S. Dollars. For new reservations only. Government taxes and fees are additional. "Deals" pricing reflects the special rate(s) you may be eligible for. Proof of eligibility required. If eligibility cannot be validated, you will be charged the standard rate or denied boarding

There are apparently several different types of price drops. Sometimes they drop because of a "sale" (Tuesday or WOW); sometimes they are flagged as "Deals" - where this wording shows up; sometimes they drop for 55+, state, or some other special group; and sometimes they just drop for no apparent reason. Every price drop we've received over the years have been one of the last two types, and there's never been any "new reservation" restrictions on those.

The wording on those looks like this:

"Prices shown reflect the Exclusive Rate that you have selected. A valid driver's license or state-issued ID; U.S. or Canadian military ID; or U.S. or Canadian local, state or federal law enforcement, fire department, or EMT employment badge or ID must be presented at the pier to validate eligibility for the applicable Exclusive Rate. If eligibility cannot be validated, you will be charged the standard rate or otherwise will be denied boarding."

I'm wondering why they don't put NEW BOOKINGS ONLY beside the lowered price thereby allowing everyone to know in advance that unless you are a new booking, the lowered price doesn't apply to you.

 

Surely that would solve some of the issues that are prevalent?