Tuesday Sales -no upgrades

I am having a bad day!! I looked at our upcoming cruise and there are "E" catagory cabins dicounted as Special Pricing Sales Events. (Only on the website, not the Promo Sales listing) We are booked into a OV and want to upgrade. I called, willing to pay the extra $900 and was told it was new bookings only. I don't want a downgrade for less money...I want to pay more money and move up. Whats the problem????:confused:

Because I booked early, if I upgrade today I have to pay $1549 pp but my neighbor can call today and she only pays $1249. for the same cabin. Thats just wrong!!! I can't cancel and rebook, we're only 7 wks from sailing. Business must really be booming for Royal if they can turn down guests who want to spend even more money!

BTW... we're Diamond members, so even being at that level doesn't seem to get you very much. I am so disappointed. And a little ticked off!!!

Anyone run into this?

There's a post about this scenario every week or so. I agree it doesn't seem right that RCL had the use of your money all this time and won't give you as a D member what it will give a first time cruiser. It's a new bookings only so you have to live with it even though it's a tough pill to swallow.

this is the only promotion that they keep for "new bookings only". Keep checking your rates for residency, senior, law enforcement or military discounts and with those you can move up .

There's a post about this scenario every week or so. I agree it doesn't seem right that RCL had the use of your money all this time and won't give you as a D member what it will give a first time cruiser. It's a new bookings only so you have to live with it even though it's a tough pill to swallow.

If steak, milk or chicken goes on sale at the supermarket would you expect them to give money back to anyone who ever bought these items?

There are NV promos too at $1349. I would consider upgrading to the balcony guarantee at $1349. Come Wednesday, you may see a promo that you can get.

I cannot see why people have a problem with this. If they have 10 or 20 cabins to sell and discount them do you really expect them to give thousands of passengers money back??

If steak, milk or chicken goes on sale at the supermarket would you expect them to give money back to anyone who ever bought these items?

I agree completely... and I'd never consider asking for a refund. I was not wanting to get a refund on the cabin I have booked.

I actually wanted to pay $900 more just so I could upgrade.

I am having a bad day!! I looked at our upcoming cruise and there are "E" catagory cabins dicounted as Special Pricing Sales Events. (Only on the website, not the Promo Sales listing) We are booked into a OV and want to upgrade. I called, willing to pay the extra $900 and was told it was new bookings only. I don't want a downgrade for less money...I want to pay more money and move up. Whats the problem????:confused:

Because I booked early, if I upgrade today I have to pay $1549 pp but my neighbor can call today and she only pays $1249. for the same cabin. Thats just wrong!!! I can't cancel and rebook, we're only 7 wks from sailing. Business must really be booming for Royal if they can turn down guests who want to spend even more money!

BTW... we're Diamond members, so even being at that level doesn't seem to get you very much. I am so disappointed. And a little ticked off!!!

Anyone run into this?

Before I joined this website, I never knew about any of this. Ignorance was bliss.

I think it must depend on who you get when you call...we upgraded from an inside to a JS on a Tuesday when it said pricing for "new bookings only" but we got the price on the website...I'm not sure what other price they would give us since nothing else was posted. I guess they could have denied the upgrade, but then they would have missed out on selling the JS (and getting the full $$ right then b/c it was past final payment.) It was a lower price than we had been seeing (the reason we decided to go ahead and book the JS.) No problems whatsoever when calling RCI to pay more to upgrade even though it was noted as for new bookings.

Maybe the price will be there tomorrow and you can call again and still be able to pay the $900.

how do you find these sales and promo's?

It must be Tuesday :D

Sorry OP, this happens all the time.

###

how do you find these sales and promo's?

go to the RCCL website and put in whether you are a senior, military, law enforcement, and what state you are from. Sales for the ones I listed are NOT for new bookings only and you get the price reduction. If it says "Sales event" then it IS for new bookings (these are on Tuesdays) and you can NOT get the reduction.

The problem is this one sale on tuesdays is for new bookings only .... and you want a price on this sale, even though you are not a new booking.

Being diamond shouldnt change the fare you pay (other than a diamond discount on the balcony of course).

how do you find these sales and promo's?

This is the link for the Tuesday Sales :D

http://www.creative.rccl.com/sales/RCI_Sales_Event/rci_sales_event.pdf

I cannot see why people have a problem with this. If they have 10 or 20 cabins to sell and discount them do you really expect them to give thousands of passengers money back??

If steak, milk or chicken goes on sale at the supermarket would you expect them to give money back to anyone who ever bought these items?

I agree 100%. If these people have a problem they should wait until 8 weeks or less to book and get the lower price. It is called supply and demand. Rccl has the right to make up the rules and we have the right not to cruise if we don't like the rules. I personally love to cruise and will follow the rules.

I cannot see why people have a problem with this. If they have 10 or 20 cabins to sell and discount them do you really expect them to give thousands of passengers money back??

If steak, milk or chicken goes on sale at the supermarket would you expect them to give money back to anyone who ever bought these items?

The OP was NOT asking for money back - she was willing to pay more to upgrade - but not more than a new booking would pay.

If you bought milk at the store wouldn't you expect to pay the same price I paid for milk????

I agree 100%. If these people have a problem they should wait until 8 weeks or less to book and get the lower price. It is called supply and demand. Rccl has the right to make up the rules and we have the right not to cruise if we don't like the rules. I personally love to cruise and will follow the rules.

What rules? I think the issue is Customer Loyalty. We all have our preferred cruiseline - I am ok paying more with Royal (and for the cruises we do, yes Royal is more expensive) because I like what they offer. However, because I am "Loyal to Royal" I expect some loyalty to me. Again, let's be very clear - the OP was NOT asking for money back - she wanted to UPGRADE and was willing to pay the additional amount a new booking would pay.

What rules? I think the issue is Customer Loyalty. We all have our preferred cruiseline - I am ok paying more with Royal (and for the cruises we do, yes Royal is more expensive) because I like what they offer. However, because I am "Loyal to Royal" I expect some loyalty to me. Again, let's be very clear - the OP was NOT asking for money back - she wanted to UPGRADE and was willing to pay the additional amount a new booking would pay.

One thing we have learned is that even if we are loyal to Royal --- Royal is soooo NOT loyal to us....

###

The OP was NOT asking for money back - she was willing to pay more to upgrade - but not more than a new booking would pay.

If you bought milk at the store wouldn't you expect to pay the same price I paid for milk????

 

 

 

What rules? I think the issue is Customer Loyalty. We all have our preferred cruiseline - I am ok paying more with Royal (and for the cruises we do, yes Royal is more expensive) because I like what they offer. However, because I am "Loyal to Royal" I expect some loyalty to me. Again, let's be very clear - the OP was NOT asking for money back - she wanted to UPGRADE and was willing to pay the additional amount a new booking would pay.

Thank you!!! I appreciate that you noticed that this isn't about eggs and milk. This is a cruise that hasn't sailed yet and at no time did I ever ask for a refund. I wanted to and still would like to spend more money and upgrade. Yesterday I was told that the balconies were priced for the Tuesday Sale (which we all know is new bookings only.) even though this cruise was not on the Tues Sales promo listing. However, now its Wednesday evening and the Special Sales Event pricing is still showing.

BTW...the only reason I mentioned that we are diamond was to let you know that we are loyal, repeat customers. And I do think that loyalty should be rewarded with some consideration. Notice I didn't say rewarded with compensation, but consideration. As long as they are getting the same dollar amount for the cabin, why should it matter who books it? I feel like the messsage they are sending out is that new cusomers are more valuable than repeat customers. Its rather disappointing.

From what I have been told, it is a systems issue. These Tuesday sales are really for new bookings only. The system does not recognize you want to pay more, pay less etc. It only recognizes that you are a previously booked guest. Is there a balcony guarantee offered at a similar price?

As a RCCL stockholder, I'm not too happy they would turn away $900 from anyone, let alone a Diamond member. I do, however, agree with those who "play by the rules" with regard to wanting/expecting a refund when someone's already-paid-for category goes on a last minute liquidation sale. By booking early, you got a better cabin selection, etc, over someone who has a limited availability to choose from by booking on last minute sales. It's the same philosophy as hotels who liquidate rooms on Priceline as the last minute.

As to the case of the OP, rules can be broken, as evidenced by a few who've been successful upgrading (paying more money) for higher accomodations on these one-day sales. A good TA going to bat for you certainly helps. Two years ago we were booked on a 7-night Serenade cruise and later wanted to switch to a 13-night sailing on Celebrity Infinity on a Tuesday "sale". The Infinity cruise at the Tuesday sale price was higher $$$ than our Serenade booking. With me on the phone, our TA first contacted general reservations, who of course said "no" due to the "new bookings only" restriction. Next we went to Customer Relations, with another negative response. Last stop was the "Conflict Resolution" department, where logic (more $$$ in RCCL's pocket) finally saved the day. Not only did RCCL get more money out of us with regard to the fare, they also made more in on board spending on a 13 night cruise vs 6 nights. Everybody won -- we sailed the cruise we wanted and RCCL got more money.

With regard to RCCL's computers not being able to handle such a transaction, there are always work arounds and "manual manipulation". Unfortunately, luck of the draw who you talk to is often the key.

If a sailing winds up on a Tuesday sale, it means the cruise line needs to liquidate some cabins. Turning away revenue, especially in this economy, is absurd IMO.