Booking Concern

We booked a Star Collector 14 day cruise on the Windsurf, originally embarking and disembarking from St. Maarten, Dec. 9-23. We booked early. We all know the impact the hurricane season had on the Caribbean. Our embarkation port was changed to Barbados. Our itinerary was changed. We did not complain about either. We decided we liked the cruise experience on the Windsurf (we have sailed on the ship before), so we decided not to cancel. Many of our fellow cruisers chose to cancel as they either didn't like the new itinerary, or changing to a new embarkation port was too difficult. It was challenging changing flights to a new island. We had to book into the island two days in advance of the cruise. Now we have been seeing the new prospective passengers for the cruise are being offered sizeable on board credits and free amenities. We have been offered nothing. I've contacted both our travel agent and Windstar. Both send us back to the other. We are very unhappy with Windstar at this time. We feel like we are being punished for being both loyal and for booking early.

That is really a shame. We no longer book through TA's as we couldn't talk to WS directly which became very frustrating. Since I book my own I can call and have been given great service. You might try "taking it away" from the TA to deal direct. We had to change itineraries and dates because of hurricanes. I think dealing through a TA would have made it harder. I did get help from our bank card people with airline cancellations so didn't get any rebooking fees. But it did take loads of time. We also love the Surf and can't wait to be on board again in January instead of this week!

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Your travel agent should be able to take care of this. Even though it is close to your departure date, they should at least give you some shipboard credit. Sb44 is right. If you can't get help from your travel agent, change the travel agent and persist with WINDSTAR direct.

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I see that Windstar has changed its price drop guarantee for new bookings made from Nov 8, 2017 where they will only drop the fare price on request 120 days out. However you should fall under the previous policy where they would make an adjustment for price drops as long as the request is made at least 7 days out from sail date. You should be able to find it if you do an internet search. Windstar can decide how to reimburse you for the difference. We got an OBC when there was a substantial price drop 2 week’s before our cruise earlier this year. It’s worth you or your agent phoning again. Good luck!

I am really surprised to hear that you have had such difficulties with Windstar. Perhaps having the travel agent in the mix complicates the matter, since the travel agent earns a commission.

We booked directly with Windstar, nearly a year in advance.

Our San Juan itinerary has been changed with it's own unique challenges, but fortunately the port of embarkation remained the same. When I politely asked if Windstar would honor their price assurance policy, they graciously did so. I felt that they were very generous with us, inspiring our loyalty.

We have mainly done land based travel and have never dealt with a company that had any type of price assurance policy, so we thought that they were great.

I suggest that you persist in asking for the price assurance. Maybe a conference call with all the parties would be useful? Good Luck!

Thinking about it, when I called about the fare dropping on our cruise I did mention the name of the policy, which is Windstar Fare Price Assurance Policy. Perhaps you have to mention those “magic” words? By the way, this policy is still cited on Windstar’s site but appears way lower on the page than their new policy for bookings made from now on. Definitely try again; hopefully you’ll have a more positive outcome this time.

Thinking about it, when I called about the fare dropping on our cruise I did mention the name of the policy, which is Windstar Fare Price Assurance Policy. Perhaps you have to mention those “magic” words? By the way, this policy is still cited on Windstar’s site but appears way lower on the page than their new policy for bookings made from now on. Definitely try again; hopefully you’ll have a more positive outcome this time.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. We really appreciate the suggestions.

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I am really surprised to hear that you have had such difficulties with Windstar. Perhaps having the travel agent in the mix complicates the matter, since the travel agent earns a commission.

 

We booked directly with Windstar, nearly a year in advance.

 

Our San Juan itinerary has been changed with it's own unique challenges, but fortunately the port of embarkation remained the same. When I politely asked if Windstar would honor their price assurance policy, they graciously did so. I felt that they were very generous with us, inspiring our loyalty.

 

We have mainly done land based travel and have never dealt with a company that had any type of price assurance policy, so we thought that they were great.

 

I suggest that you persist in asking for the price assurance. Maybe a conference call with all the parties would be useful? Good Luck!

Thanks for your response. Much appreciated. Enjoy your cruise.

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We appreciate you taking time to respond. The information is very helpful We have checked out their Price Assurance Policy and have asked our TA to follow up. There is a significant difference in the current fare posted and the one we paid in June.

I am really surprised to hear that you have had such difficulties with Windstar. Perhaps having the travel agent in the mix complicates the matter, since the travel agent earns a commission.

 

We booked directly with Windstar, nearly a year in advance.

 

Our San Juan itinerary has been changed with it's own unique challenges, but fortunately the port of embarkation remained the same. When I politely asked if Windstar would honor their price assurance policy, they graciously did so. I felt that they were very generous with us, inspiring our loyalty.

 

We have mainly done land based travel and have never dealt with a company that had any type of price assurance policy, so we thought that they were great.

 

I suggest that you persist in asking for the price assurance. Maybe a conference call with all the parties would be useful? Good Luck!

Thank you for pointing us in the right direction. I guess it really is important to note all the details and Terms and Conditions was not something I had looked over. I have forwarded this information on to our TA. The Windstar agent wouldn't discuss anything with me, but kept telling me that the TA had to be the go between. There has been a significant price drop on the fare for our category of cabin since we booked in June. There is an additional bit in the Price Assurance policy that says we should be eligible for any 'complimentary inclusive features' associated with the new fare. I wonder if that might mean the complimentary amenities they are offering i.e., free wifi. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome. Thanks again.

I see that Windstar has changed its price drop guarantee for new bookings made from Nov 8, 2017 where they will only drop the fare price on request 120 days out. However you should fall under the previous policy where they would make an adjustment for price drops as long as the request is made at least 7 days out from sail date. You should be able to find it if you do an internet search. Windstar can decide how to reimburse you for the difference. We got an OBC when there was a substantial price drop 2 week’s before our cruise earlier this year. It’s worth you or your agent phoning again. Good luck!

Thinking about it, when I called about the fare dropping on our cruise I did mention the name of the policy, which is Windstar Fare Price Assurance Policy. Perhaps you have to mention those “magic” words? By the way, this policy is still cited on Windstar’s site but appears way lower on the page than their new policy for bookings made from now on. Definitely try again; hopefully you’ll have a more positive outcome this time.

Hi Toucanbritz,

Just wondering if the following part of the WFPAP applied to your request and cruise? I read the following to mean any new amenities they are offering.

WINDSTAR FARE PRICE ASSURANCE POLICY: .................(the bottom half of the policy states:)

Guests who select reimbursement will be eligible for any complimentary inclusive features (e.g., hotels, air, tours) associated with the new fare and will forfeit any complimentary inclusive features associated with the original fare. All requests for reimbursement must be made directly to Windstar Cruises at 877-276-6895 (during regular reservations hours) at least seven (7) days prior to sailing. Windstar reserves the right to modify or terminate this policy at any time for bookings not yet made.

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Lately I have used AMEX Platinum when reserving WS. I get the offered price with the offered discounts plus very generous sbc and the other sbc offered and a bottle of French champagne ( my favorite ). When the prices change I call AMEX they tell me the new price etc and what will the trade off be, I know I can’t keep everything or double up per the agreements. I do the math and what ever is the best I go with. Last May in Venice/Rome I went with the lesser price losing my perks and for 1/6 b2b I am going with my original and the math works for me better. However I normally get to keep the French champagne! For us it is all in the math whether hotel, discounts, sbc etc. I am not interested in upgrades for on the sailing ships I love being down under and refuse upgrades and I am not an excursion person. Again, I do the math every which way. Happy Sailing.

Lately I have used AMEX Platinum when reserving WS. I get the offered price with the offered discounts plus very generous sbc and the other sbc offered and a bottle of French champagne ( my favorite ). When the prices change I call AMEX they tell me the new price etc and what will the trade off be, I know I can’t keep everything or double up per the agreements. I do the math and what ever is the best I go with. Last May in Venice/Rome I went with the lesser price losing my perks and for 1/6 b2b I am going with my original and the math works for me better. However I normally get to keep the French champagne! For us it is all in the math whether hotel, discounts, sbc etc. I am not interested in upgrades for on the sailing ships I love being down under and refuse upgrades and I am not an excursion person. Again, I do the math every which way. Happy Sailing.

Hello Strenz. Thanks for taking the time to respond. It sounds as if AMEX card works well for you. As to upgrades, we have been on the ship a number of times and know that an upgrade for us usually means a cabin closer to the stairs or elevator. We are walkers, we use the stairs, we don't really care about being midship. They did upgrade us for this upcoming cruise, however, we weren't really asked if we wanted the upgraded cabin. It was 'you've been upgraded, if you would prefer your original cabin please let us know'. Like you we rarely, if ever, do the excursions offered by the ship.

We booked a Star Collector 14 day cruise on the Windsurf, originally embarking and disembarking from St. Maarten, Dec. 9-23. We booked early. We all know the impact the hurricane season had on the Caribbean. Our embarkation port was changed to Barbados. Our itinerary was changed. We did not complain about either. We decided we liked the cruise experience on the Windsurf (we have sailed on the ship before), so we decided not to cancel. Many of our fellow cruisers chose to cancel as they either didn't like the new itinerary, or changing to a new embarkation port was too difficult. It was challenging changing flights to a new island. We had to book into the island two days in advance of the cruise. Now we have been seeing the new prospective passengers for the cruise are being offered sizeable on board credits and free amenities. We have been offered nothing. I've contacted both our travel agent and Windstar. Both send us back to the other. We are very unhappy with Windstar at this time. We feel like we are being punished for being both loyal and for booking early.

So I might understand better. Are you saying that you were given the opportunity to cancel and receive a full refund but decided not to do that and remained committed to the revised departure port/itinerary at the price you originally agreed to? And are you now displeased that WS is discounting that cruise to fill the remaining cabins mere days prior to departure?

Hi Toucanbritz,

 

Just wondering if the following part of the WFPAP applied to your request and cruise? I read the following to mean any new amenities they are offering.

 

 

WINDSTAR FARE PRICE ASSURANCE POLICY: .................(the bottom half of the policy states:)

 

Guests who select reimbursement will be eligible for any complimentary inclusive features (e.g., hotels, air, tours) associated with the new fare and will forfeit any complimentary inclusive features associated with the original fare. All requests for reimbursement must be made directly to Windstar Cruises at 877-276-6895 (during regular reservations hours) at least seven (7) days prior to sailing. Windstar reserves the right to modify or terminate this policy at any time for bookings not yet made.

 

 

 

 

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We hadn’t received any bonus extras (e.g. OBC, free hotel) for that cruise at the time of booking and no complimentary extras were being offered for new bookings either - it was a pure price drop issue. They gave us an upgraded cabin and OBC to compensate for the price difference. They get to choose what they offer you. The only complimentary event was the private BBQ on the beach and all cruisers got that irrespective of when they booked.

Dear Toucanbritz,

Thanks for your advice and for taking the time to respond. Things have worked out well with the help of our TA and suggestions like yours.

We hadn’t received any bonus extras (e.g. OBC, free hotel) for that cruise at the time of booking and no complimentary extras were being offered for new bookings either - it was a pure price drop issue. They gave us an upgraded cabin and OBC to compensate for the price difference. They get to choose what they offer you. The only complimentary event was the private BBQ on the beach and all cruisers got that irrespective of when they booked.

Hi there,

You are correct, we did decide to stay with the cruise. We could cancel and get a credit towards a future cruise but not get our money back, at least that was my understanding at the time. We decided to stick with the cruise for a number of reasons: we enjoy the Windstar on board experience, we have been to most of the Caribbean islands so change of itinerary, though not perfect, was not a big deal, and we thought sticking with the cruise was a good thing for the cruise line and for the Caribbean economy was something we could do. We weren't happy about them discounting the cruise but understood why they would and we've seen that happen in the past on other cruise lines. We weren't seeking out compensation for them reducing fares. However, when someone pointed out that on the WS website under Terms and Conditions they have a WS Fair Price Assurance Policy which addresses reduced fees and compensation i.e., OBC to make up the difference and/or other comps.

(See the older policy down near the bottom of the page which states you can access this policy up to 7 days in advance of cruising. They now have a new policy closer to the top of the page which has changed the number of days to 120 for bookings after a date in November.)

We had to find this policy and ask them to address it in light of our situation. Caveat emptor for sure and we have learned to pay closer attention to details.

We weren't happy about all the amenities they were offering when we were offered nothing. It started with $100 OBC that they said we were not entitled to. This was followed by increasingly larger amounts and other amenities like free Wifi. Additionally, they list on the website that Star Collection Bookings include a free laundry package. We have booked a Star Collector cruise. They have not offered that to us and just ignore our questions about this particular amenity. We did feel like we were being penalized for booking early and for staying with the cruise.

In the end, with the help of our TA, Windstar has reached out to us. We appreciate the information and suggestions offered by people here on CC.

So I might understand better. Are you saying that you were given the opportunity to cancel and receive a full refund but decided not to do that and remained committed to the revised departure port/itinerary at the price you originally agreed to? And are you now displeased that WS is discounting that cruise to fill the remaining cabins mere days prior to departure?

Hello,

Thanks for your suggestions. We did find the policy and our TA was able to take this information to WS. We have been compensated. It did take considerable negotiation and the information kept changing which was confusing. Best regards.

I am really surprised to hear that you have had such difficulties with Windstar. Perhaps having the travel agent in the mix complicates the matter, since the travel agent earns a commission.

 

We booked directly with Windstar, nearly a year in advance.

 

Our San Juan itinerary has been changed with it's own unique challenges, but fortunately the port of embarkation remained the same. When I politely asked if Windstar would honor their price assurance policy, they graciously did so. I felt that they were very generous with us, inspiring our loyalty.

 

We have mainly done land based travel and have never dealt with a company that had any type of price assurance policy, so we thought that they were great.

 

I suggest that you persist in asking for the price assurance. Maybe a conference call with all the parties would be useful? Good Luck!

What was the compensation?

Hi there,

You are correct, we did decide to stay with the cruise. We could cancel and get a credit towards a future cruise but not get our money back, at least that was my understanding at the time. We decided to stick with the cruise for a number of reasons: we enjoy the Windstar on board experience, we have been to most of the Caribbean islands so change of itinerary, though not perfect, was not a big deal, and we thought sticking with the cruise was a good thing for the cruise line and for the Caribbean economy was something we could do. We weren't happy about them discounting the cruise but understood why they would and we've seen that happen in the past on other cruise lines. We weren't seeking out compensation for them reducing fares. However, when someone pointed out that on the WS website under Terms and Conditions they have a WS Fair Price Assurance Policy which addresses reduced fees and compensation i.e., OBC to make up the difference and/or other comps.

 

(See the older policy down near the bottom of the page which states you can access this policy up to 7 days in advance of cruising. They now have a new policy closer to the top of the page which has changed the number of days to 120 for bookings after a date in November.)

 

We had to find this policy and ask them to address it in light of our situation. Caveat emptor for sure and we have learned to pay closer attention to details.

 

We weren't happy about all the amenities they were offering when we were offered nothing. It started with $100 OBC that they said we were not entitled to. This was followed by increasingly larger amounts and other amenities like free Wifi. Additionally, they list on the website that Star Collection Bookings include a free laundry package. We have booked a Star Collector cruise. They have not offered that to us and just ignore our questions about this particular amenity. We did feel like we were being penalized for booking early and for staying with the cruise.

 

In the end, with the help of our TA, Windstar has reached out to us. We appreciate the information and suggestions offered by people here on CC.

Cool. I would think it appropriate to bind someone to a policy that was in place at the time of their booking. I'm not going to do all the reading but it would seem that said policy afforded you 'price protection' at the time. It would be unfair in my mind to change that policy and not grandfather folks who had previously booked. Glad it's seemingly worked out for you.

We appreciate you taking time to respond. The information is very helpful We have checked out their Price Assurance Policy and have asked our TA to follow up. There is a significant difference in the current fare posted and the one we paid in June.

I am glad to hear that it worked out for you. Happy sailing!

Dear Toucanbritz,

Thanks for your advice and for taking the time to respond. Things have worked out well with the help of our TA and suggestions like yours.

Glad to be of help and that things are sorted. Enjoy your cruise 😊

That is really a shame. We no longer book through TA's as we couldn't talk to WS directly which became very frustrating. Since I book my own I can call and have been given great service. You might try "taking it away" from the TA to deal direct. We had to change itineraries and dates because of hurricanes. I think dealing through a TA would have made it harder. I did get help from our bank card people with airline cancellations so didn't get any rebooking fees. But it did take loads of time. We also love the Surf and can't wait to be on board again in January instead of this week!

 

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I am experiencing the same issue. Booked before the itinerary changed at full price and then price has been lowered significantly as well as OBC offers being given to anyone willing to book now. I booked direct and Windstar will do nothing. As a side note, I am a travel agent, and your TA has nothing to do with Windstar's policies. If Windstar isn't willing to budge, there is nothing you (or your TA) can do. I am a prime example as I tried myself. I book different land and cruise based suppliers all over the Caribbean and am shocked Windstar would not revise its cancelation policy (as others have) or offer their current guests something. To be honest, seeing how the company handled the situation, I don't think I would book them again for myself or my clients. Its really a shame.

This seems to be a prime example of Your Mileage May Vary. I'm in the same spot and had my TA call Windstar. First offer was an upgrade and $250 OBC per person which I accepted. Perhaps you could try another call agent or ask for a supervisor?

I am experiencing the same issue. Booked before the itinerary changed at full price and then price has been lowered significantly as well as OBC offers being given to anyone willing to book now. I booked direct and Windstar will do nothing. As a side note, I am a travel agent, and your TA has nothing to do with Windstar's policies. If Windstar isn't willing to budge, there is nothing you (or your TA) can do. I am a prime example as I tried myself. I book different land and cruise based suppliers all over the Caribbean and am shocked Windstar would not revise its cancelation policy (as others have) or offer their current guests something. To be honest, seeing how the company handled the situation, I don't think I would book them again for myself or my clients. Its really a shame.

Check out the Windstar Fair Price Assurance Policy, on the Terms and Conditions page. You'll have to scroll down as it's listed twice. The first is a new policy for bookings after a listed November date. Farther down you'll find their older policy. It might apply to you.

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