Found lower price after final payment

[hamrag]

While Royal Caribbean may still honor lower prices after the final payment date, none of the other cruise lines do.

 

Not true! Celebrity do.

[lambs2]

Not true! Celebrity do.

Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are owned by the same company. Azamara too.

[Budget Queen]

We are a family of 6 booked in 2 Interior cabins on the NCL Gem for a transatlantic sailing on Nov,29,2009. Already paid for it in full, and then 4 days after final payment, the price dropped $100/person. Once I seen that i called my TA with hopes of getting an onboard credit or at worst a free cabin upgrade but was advised that NCL had a very strict policy on making changes after final payment date has passed, so was told nothing could be done without paying the cancellation fees. Was very disappointed with that outcome.

 

3 days ago, i noticed yet another NCL price drop, now it was $250/person less. Now I was furious!!! There was no way I was going to let this slide so once again, called my TA and was once again told that nothing can be done so I asked to speak to a manager. At first, the manager also told me nothing could be done but after a short heated discussion, with a few choice words for the agancy and the cruise line, i was finally able to get both my cabins upgraded from an interior cabin to a balcony cabin for FREE. Although I would have preferred a NCL credit for the difference, I will gladly take a balcony category upgrade.

 

Don't give up...be persistent...get your agent to go to bat for you with the cruise line, and if need be, go over their head!!!

 

Sorry, but this is HOW IT IS. You are entitled to nothing, after the cruiseline final payment. The terms are clearly in your contract and you agreed to them, when you booked. This is how it works. Unsold space is discounted until it is sold, bottom line, what is left over. You, had a full selection of cabins, and sailing dates.

 

OK you got, a "free" upgrade, into unsold space, no money. Next time, if you want to be a part of the late booking discounts, then hold off and see what comes available. BUT, then you would have had to be willing not to go, and had no plans in place and open to any available cabin. Trade offs any way you book.

[LJH1]

Relax! Because probably the few cabins remaining are not diserable locations. If you were happy with the price when you booked then move on and start thinking about what your going to do on your cruise.

[LJH1]

What folks don't realize is that if you wait till last minute to get savings you will end up paying that difference in airfare thats if there are any cabins left on the ship and seats left on the flights.

[mlbcruiser]

If you don't have a brochure from NCL, you can look at your contract or call NCL to find out what the final pymt. due date per NCL (not your T/A) is. If it is 75 days prior to sailing, just count backwards on a calendar from the sail date to today's date. Prior to the final pymt. date you should be allowed to cancel and rec'v. a full refund (minus any charges from your t/a. Some agencies charge a nominal fee - like $25 pp - for a cancellation of this type, but many don't.) If you are still within the cancellation period (pre-final pymt. date), almost all t/a's (or the cruiseline if you booked w/them) will give you an adjustment to the lower price. They do this because if they didn't, you could still cancel, then rebook w/some other agency at the lower price! Now, having said that, sometimes the cruiselines will run special sales that say "for new bookings only". This is how they get around allowing already booked passengers to get the lower prices. So, they could actually refuse to book you at the new price. This should be easy to find out by just asking the cruiseline! There are many, many price lowerings where this is NOT the case, however, and you can still cancel and rebook.

 

RE: RCCL and adjustments after final pymt. Years ago they also did not generally allow any sort of an adjustment after final pymt. We and our neighbors sailed w/them many times and if they did, we sure never got one! But in the past few years it's been sort of common knowledge that they do, and it's really a brilliant idea. Some of the arguments in posts above may sound valid, but just look at Southwest Airlines. They are the ONLY airline that I know of not charging change fees and they allow you to easily rebook your same flight at the lower price when the price falls. It's up to YOU to notice it, though. You then have a credit to use towards a future flight, even though they don't give you the money back. Most airlines will issue a credit, BUT! They ALSO charge you a change fee that is sometimes more than the price of your ticket in the first place! So, how can SWA manage to do this and manage to make money? Well, they do it! Same premise w/RCCL and the other cruiselines.

 

SO very much has to do w/the T/A that you use. The really top notch sellers of brand X cruises usually have more clout w/brand X cruiseline and therefore can get you perks and upgrades , etc. It's sometimes harder if your t/a doesn't want to cut their own commission by selling you what turns out to be a lower priced cabin once there is a price drop. Hence, it's often easiest to get an upgrade so there isn't any lowering of price. Like w/everything else, rules are made to be broken and every great once in a while, they are. So, good luck. If you don't get satisfaction, well, live and learn!

[harry0]

MLB

Well stated. I now will book my cruises partly depending on thier price drop policy-like you said live and learn. I usually cruise with Royal and assumed all cruiselines had this policy, lesson learned.

 

Rick-could the word you are looking for be-Smart. I will always look at Southwest first to fly anywhere.

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

So, how can SWA manage to do this and manage to make money? Well, they do it!

 

No, they can't. Not with oil above $70. Have you looked at the past several quarters of earnings reports? Check your facts please. Nothing against Southwest...it's a great airline and we do fly them.

 

I guess what is annoying to me is that cruising is a true luxury...pure excess...and the same people that are enjoying luxury and excess are worried about a few dollars here and there. Seems ironic.

[Don Haynes]

No, they can't. Not with oil above $70. Have you looked at the past several quarters of earnings reports? Check your facts please. Nothing against Southwest...it's a great airline and we do fly them.

 

I guess what is annoying to me is that cruising is a true luxury...pure excess...and the same people that are enjoying luxury and excess are worried about a few dollars here and there. Seems ironic.

 

I couldn't agree more. When you look at the cruise lines profit/loss reports, none are earning a profit of a hundred dollars per cruiser. I know we all want cheaper cruises, and much more than a hundred dollars off, but the only way to achieve these lower booking fares is to charge more for excursions and drinks, if not food. No wonder the little chocolate bar on the pillow has been cut....

[STARFISH*4]

last week when there was a price drop on my PC sailing i called my TA to see if there was possible upgrade....for a price--to high tho for obstructed OV (originally in inside cabin)....yesterday i called again after another price drop i was able to get an OV-not obstructed for free...pretty PLEASED with that:)

[Explore4]

Similar happened to me. NCL gave me a $25 onboard room credit - lol

[flashdog_1]

I really like my cabin BG on PofA booked for November (final payment has been made). Until today the price had done nothing but go up. I felt so good for having gotten a cabin I wanted, and at what appeared to be a bargain.

 

But today it is about $150 pp less than what I paid. I've emailed my TA to see if NCL would think about an OBC (without specifying any amount, just asking her a question). The difference in price is not enough to upgrade to a mini suite whose price has not come down that much. Mini suite is more than double what I paid for the balcony on deck 7 stern.

 

I can hope for an OBC!

[flashdog_1]

Here's the message I received from my TA after she talked to NCL:

 

 

Norwegian has advised us that they will not refund a passenger or offer any

on board credit for a lower rate after final payment. Norwegian did advise

that if a higher category is equal or less than what you currently paid then

they may offer a complimentary upgrade. At this time there are no higher

categories that are equal or less than what you currently paid.

[Jamisonke]

I booked with a TA and made my final payment....today on the TA website found my cruise for almost $300.00 less. Contacted TA and was told NCL does not honor any price reductions after final payment but he would try and get me something ie. OBC or room upgrade....what are my chances of getting anything?

 

You're not likely to get anything more than an upgrade.

 

I don't know if I believe this is always the case. I am booked on the NCL Sun sailing to South America on Nov 3. Last month, NCL called me to state that the price of our stateroom (Category AA) had decreased and that they were offering us a $400 OBC. We had been paid in full for months, and its this kind of proactive behavior from NCL that keeps us coming back. We have never had a problem with NCL addressing price issues after final payment, but we also always book directly with NCL. I have found that TAs sometimes tell their clients that nothing can be done because they don't want the hassle of trying to get something done.

[sjbdtz]

I don't know if I believe this is always the case. I am booked on the NCL Sun sailing to South America on Nov 3. Last month, NCL called me to state that the price of our stateroom (Category AA) had decreased and that they were offering us a $400 OBC. We had been paid in full for months, and its this kind of proactive behavior from NCL that keeps us coming back. We have never had a problem with NCL addressing price issues after final payment, but we also always book directly with NCL. I have found that TAs sometimes tell their clients that nothing can be done because they don't want the hassle of trying to get something done.

 

 

There's an important distinction between "we had been paid in full" and "final payment date".

 

One is the date that YOU paid. The other was the deadline date for payment.

 

Reductions after the deadline date for payment are RARE.

 

Reductions after you paid early....are not so rare.

[DAGVBSB]

I booked with a TA and made my final payment....today on the TA website found my cruise for almost $300.00 less. Contacted TA and was told NCL does not honor any price reductions after final payment but he would try and get me something ie. OBC or room upgrade....what are my chances of getting anything?

 

We have a similar situation now. The odds depend on your TA. Some agencies are great about giving you something for price drops after final payment... and some just ARE NOT! NCL is saying the same thing to our TA. We just wanted to upgrade to the higher cabin category for the current price, but it is a no-go so far... GOOD LUCK!! In the past we HAVE been able to get OBC or an upgrade when we were persistent, but NICE.:)

 

 

There is a reason that rule is in place.... you take a chance whenever you book a cruise:

 

1.) The earlier that you book, the better the selection of cabins in the catagory that you want. You could get a BC cabin right next to the BB cabin section....that makes the BC almost the same as a BB for the BC price. You get a deal.

 

2.) If you hold off on booking, the prices could drop, but the selection of cabins has declined and you may not be able to get exactly what you want. That is the risk you take waiting for a better price.

 

 

After final payment date, NCL has cabins that they have to fill. Just like any other business, NCL has to discount the remaining rooms in order to "sell" them. That is why the prices usually always drop after final payment date. If NCL has to upgrade customers who have already paid or give them the difference back, NCL is losing money. If you can book early, get the cabin of your choice and still be able to get any sale fares offered later, how is that fair to the company??

 

It is simply selfish people wanting everything at the expense of NCL. You booked your cruise when you did, paid the price for that cruise at the time of booking, selected the cabin and catagory that you wanted. NCL owes you nothing more.... no OBC or refund. You are simply being greedy.

[Jamisonke]

There's an important distinction between "we had been paid in full" and "final payment date".

 

One is the date that YOU paid. The other was the deadline date for payment.

 

Reductions after the deadline date for payment are RARE.

 

Reductions after you paid early....are not so rare.

 

 

I am aware of these distinctions. I would not have posted my comment if it hadn't occurred after the final payment date.

[xiphoid76]

I read thru this forum and found it very interesting.

I received a call from my NCL representative stating that he could upgrade me from my interior cabin to a balcony and offer a 75 dollar OBC since the prices have dropped since the final payment - my trip is on the Gem in 11/09. I was very excited and me and my partner were looking at the cabin online and very excited to have our first balcony ever on a cruise.

Low and behold 30 minutes later he called back and said the last one was snatched up and we could not have the free upgrade, but for 400 dollars more could have a balcony. No upgrade and no OBC after being promised it.

I was very upset for the night - woke up the next day and decided oh well, I am still going to enjoy my cruise - can not let this ruin it. I think that is the attitude you have to have.

I did call NCL then next day and talked to a different representative and told her about my phone call the night before. She was the nicest person (much nicer than our other NCL rep) and she said that should never have happened and upgraded us from interior J level cabin to a BC cabin free. No OBC, but woohoo! I think if they never called the first time I would have been happy with my interior even though the prices dropped, but I think the upgrade was justified since they gave it to us and then took it away.

No matter what, even if they take it away again, we will have a great cruise!

[blindrid]

I booked with a TA and made my final payment....today on the TA website found my cruise for almost $300.00 less. Contacted TA and was told NCL does not honor any price reductions after final payment but he would try and get me something ie. OBC or room upgrade....what are my chances of getting anything?

 

I always get confused when people are surprised that prices drop after the final payment date. It's called "let's fill the ship" and one should not expect any renumeration.

 

If you want to take the chance that rates would not go up as well, just book your next cruise after the final payment date. Can't have it both ways.

[newmexicoNita]

My cruise is December 4, 2009 I made my final payment to TA on 9/9/09. How do I check to see if that was early????? Thanks for all the help... My husband use to handle all this stuff but....since I am retired and he is still working I assured him I could handle it...so I'm trying to do it without asking him for help...

 

you did make final payment prior to the due date, but the price reduction appears to have been after the final payment date.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

No, once you've made your payment they will not "refund" any money just because you paid before the due date. As others have said and I have found to be true, that if the rate for your category goes down, they MAY give you an upgrade or on-board credit. You need to be clear to your TA that you know this has happened to others and the TA should ask to speak to a supervisor, not just a reservations agent if the agent cannot confirm.

Good luck!

 

Sorry, you are wrong, if final payment has been made, but the date has not arrived, NCL will adjust. I have had it happen many times. After final payment date NCL upgrades if upgrades are available.

 

NIta

[elvisbuff]

Sorry, you are wrong, if final payment has been made, but the date has not arrived, NCL will adjust. I have had it happen many times. After final payment date NCL upgrades if upgrades are available.

 

NIta

 

We sail 11/29 and I just got a free upgrade today from an OV to a BD balcony.:):D

[Tucker in Texas]

They do this because if they didn't, you could still cancel, then rebook w/some other agency at the lower price! Now, having said that, sometimes the cruiselines will run special sales that say "for new bookings only". This is how they get around allowing already booked passengers to get the lower prices. So, they could actually refuse to book you at the new price.

 

We had a situation where we booked a cruise that dropped several hundred dollars PRIOR to final payment. When my TA attempted to get an adjustment, he was told "no way, Jose" new bookings only. When he said then the logical thing to do would be to cancel our booking and rebook, they said that they "flagged" our name and we would not be able to rebook that cruise at the lower price.

 

As you said, lesson learned. Will not book NCL before final payment due since I am not picky about my cabin unless I see it is selling out and, in that case, they won't lower the prices anyway.

 

Tucker in Texas

[*Wink*]

We had a situation where we booked a cruise that dropped several hundred dollars PRIOR to final payment. When my TA attempted to get an adjustment, he was told "no way, Jose" new bookings only. When he said then the logical thing to do would be to cancel our booking and rebook, they said that they "flagged" our name and we would not be able to rebook that cruise at the lower price.

 

As you said, lesson learned. Will not book NCL before final payment due since I am not picky about my cabin unless I see it is selling out and, in that case, they won't lower the prices anyway.

 

Tucker in Texas

I can understand your frustration, but there are some promotions that are only for new bookings. Many are not. I've been able to take advantage of quite a few. Yours just happened to be for new bookings only, and yes, they do flag reservations.

[STARFISH*4]

last week i was able to get free upgrade from inside to OV for PC 12/06 cruise...the week before that they wanted to offer me an OV (obstructed for 100 more)...i passed and waited and very PLEASED with OUR UPGRADE--just ASK see what they can do...doesnt hurt;)