Changes to the Next Cruise Program

[cruisenfever]

Well, I just got my official one from yesterday and it shows $25-$100. Not happy. Especially since the ship STILL has the forms that show $100 for a 7 day. Wonder how much I'll have to fight for that $75.

 

Reba, the LA, is clearly not up to speed on the new structure.

 

Surprise, surprise. Corporate doesn't inform everyone.

 

 

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The changes are effective as of today March 15, so you can't blame the LA at the time you created it. I would definitely call C&A 1-800-526-9723.

Edited March 15, 2014 by cruisenfever

[molly361]

Well, I just got my official one from yesterday and it shows $25-$100. Not happy. Especially since the ship STILL has the forms that show $100 for a 7 day. Wonder how much I'll have to fight for that $75.

 

Reba, the LA, is clearly not up to speed on the new structure.

 

Surprise, surprise. Corporate doesn't inform everyone.

 

 

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I would fight it. Especially if I bought multiples, which I usually do.

 

 

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I agree I would fight it also

[villauk]

So, if you book onboard and then upgrade to a JS or suite after final payment, do you get the extra OBC? Also, you could end up with different OBC amounts for different cabins on the same sailing if you use a combination of both old and new NCC - I think :D! This may be the case for us as we have some old certificates left, but do book more than one cabin for each sailing. Look forward to trying to sort that when we book - NOT!!

Edited March 15, 2014 by villauk

[seaofwonder]

I agree I would fight it also

 

 

Yes, I guess I'll deal with it when we get home. Reba assured me it was the old amount, but it isn't.....if I can catch her at a slow time, I will try to see if she can fix it.

 

 

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[internetwhiz]

Yes, I guess I'll deal with it when we get home. Reba assured me it was the old amount, but it isn't.....if I can catch her at a slow time, I will try to see if she can fix it.

 

 

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Did you just buy one?

 

 

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[c-leg5]

Once your next cruise booking has been applied to a specific cruise it can't be moved. If you cancel a booking to purchase a different category or sail date your Future cruise credit will be lost completely. The $100 deposit and the obc will be lost. I just went through this scenario with rci last week.

 

If you cancel all will be lost. We have had no problem moving the booking to a different cruise date or ship as long as you keep the booking number.

[Langley Cruisers]

The rep told me this morning that anything already booked or any open bookings will be honored under the old system.

 

Oh! :)

 

Disclaimer-We all know that just because a rep tells you something it is not necessarily true:rolleyes:

 

Oh. :(

 

We'll see. Frantic call to our travel agent was not returned last night before she left for the day. :p

[Ray in NH]

Agreed. I do not intend to spend $200 for a NCC to get a $25 OBC. That's a lot of money to spend in order to save $25. :confused:

 

Another way to look at it is "with current interest rates, how long would it take to earn $25 on a $200 investment?"

Ray in NH

[CRUISEFAN0001]

What's clear in this thread is that plenty of bad will and negativity will come from this change in policy...including from some of their most loyal customers.

 

Rather than just express those views here...it would seem the more prudent thing would be to convey those "I'm not at all happy" thoughts in e-mails or letters to Royal Caribbean...where they will actually see them.

 

If enough people provide the feedback...they will have to at minimum review that decision.

[springaussie]

The big problem for me is the situation we have at this time of year, when there are popular cruises being released and you don't have much time to book before suites are gone. Basically if you're not cruising during this period, we would lose out OBC for those cruises.

 

I guess one solution is to make plans to be cruising from mid February to mid April every year.

 

But Royal do not follow the deployment release dates.

[ace1zoe2]

I'm OK with booking specific cruises on board, and I'm encouraged that longer cruises and cruises in suites get more OBC. That's good for many folks. In fact, we have a TA next year that I might be able to cancel and rebook because the OBC will go from $200 to $400. I lucked out with timing because I'll be cruising next week.

 

The big problem for me is the situation we have at this time of year, when there are popular cruises being released and you don't have much time to book before suites are gone. Basically if you're not cruising during this period, we would lose out OBC for those cruises.

 

I guess one solution is to make plans to be cruising from mid February to mid April every year.

 

 

This is the problem that I have as well. We've done 9 RCI cruises & at least 8 of them have been booked 16-18 months in advance as soon as the schedule has been released in order to get the aft rooms we wanted. We've always used the NCC for the OBC as well as the reduced deposit.

 

We have NEVER moved the date, changed the ship or cancelled a single cruise we've ever booked. Now the opportunity to book early & get a decent OBC is gone. When we take our next cruise in October '14 to the med (which was booked last April '13 the new itineraries for '16 won't be out yet. My cruise for Sept '15 was already booked as soon as it came out in Feb '14 with my NCC.

 

I had intended to purchase at least 2 NCC in Oct for our next booking but now that there is no significant amount of OBC it's not worth tying up my $ to get $25... there will probably be a better "online" sale offering more OBC after I get off the ship.

 

I probably dislike this loss of "perks" more than anything RCI has done in the past. We usually cruise in March and again in Sept/Oct. Problem is in March half the schedules still aren't out and in Sept/Oct the premium cabins will be taken.

 

 

 

 

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[SJS]

I'm very disappointed too. I was going to purchase my first next cruise cert on my cruise in May. Since I like interior rooms and not decided on when I'm taking my next cruise, there is no incentive for me to buy one of these now. And maybe my next cruise will now not even be on RCI?

[Aquahound]

The rep told me this morning that anything already booked or any open bookings will be honored under the old system.

 

Disclaimer-We all know that just because a rep tells you something it is not necessarily true:rolleyes:

 

I hope you're right. I just booked a 4 nighter on Liberty using a NC. $25 ain't much, but I'm gonna raise hell if they don't honor it. :mad:

[steveru621]

I'm very disappointed too. I was going to purchase my first next cruise cert on my cruise in May. Since I like interior rooms and not decided on when I'm taking my next cruise, there is no incentive for me to buy one of these now. And maybe my next cruise will now not even be on RCI?

 

I would say a 25% return on your investment is extremely positive.

[cruiselvr04]

Was going to wait to book on board for a September cruise. No use to waiting now. And now no waiting to talk to LA.

[jennyau]

Sucks but I'd probably still buy one. Having the reduced deposit to hold any cruise I see just because I like the price is nice. Sure I may change my mind but if I had to shell out a full deposit of $500 for the two of us, I wouldn't do it.

 

You're lucky...... In Australia the full deposit is $400pp. The NCC brings it down to $100. To me they are definitely still worth it even though in the end you pay it all anyway. Last cruise we had to stump up $2400 deposit for six of us. This latest cruise booking was much nicer...... even without the OBC.

 

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[tcieyes]

We were just on Brilliance, had a wonderful cruise and almost got a next cruise certificate. Good that we didn't. There are so many changes right now. We are also concerned. We just achieved Emerald status and were considering a longer cruise, in May 2014, in a suite that would result in Diamond status as a bonus. I would appeal to Royal, to consider what they are doing. I am Loyal to Royal, but it appears that they are moving away from a guest centered model. No OBC for 3-4 night cruises. Some of us have work schedules that only allow us to go that shorter cruise route, much of the time. Let me go further. Having battled cancer and been in chemo for months on end, not knowing when or if ,I will have to restart, those individuals on weekly chemo schedules cannot go on 7 day plus, or will miss treatments,... yes we are on the ship, usually wearing hats (no hair)..., as there are portions of our chemo cycles where it is safe for some of us to cruise. Royal has not thought about these things, even though they have the Wishes program.. there are a lot of us out there that love to cruise. Some of us get numb feet as a side effect of the chemo. Picture a fold up wheelchair crammed in an E1 balcony stateroom trying to not fall over anything, b/c you cannot book a larger one b/c you no longer have kids traveling with you and you can't get any OBC either..... There must be a more thoughtful solution to all of this.:eek:

[debshomespun]

I just purchased 4 Next Cruise Certificates (or whatever they are called now) while on Legend back in Feb/14. Hopefully, when I book these into cruises, I will get the full OBC I was thinking I would get when I got the NCC. Only time will tell. At lest they ARE TRANSFERABLE and if I don't like the way RC goes with them, I may be able to sell them and at least get my money out of them. Since they don't expire, and we are D+, I think we will use them at some point in our cruising future. :D

[Familygoboston]

We only started booking the NCC last year , currently hold 4 , and have only ever booked two specific cruises onboard in all our 15 years of cruising preferring to shop around when we get home. We still hold RCI shares.

 

I am always amazed when I hear of Americans, or those that book through the US, booking multiple cruises that they physically cannot take as the cruises overlap holding on to them until the optimum flight/hotel prices fall into line then cancel before final payment the cruise they do not want. You know who you are;):D

RCI's market has increased elsewhere in the world where booking conditions are completely different and guests don't have the luxury of playing this game.

This change looks like it goes some way towards curbing this policy .

It is just the way I see it, no flames please.

 

Heather, I understand this is a continental injustice (we Americans can have 2 cruises booked the same week and then cancel one penalty free, and the Europeans and Ausies cannot based in the non refundability of the deposit) but I don't see this change as adressing that! If they wanted to address that they would have removed the "reduced deposit" portion of the NC benefits, not the OBC portion of the benefits. If one has to pay 500 per couple to deposit on 2-3 cruises and only wants to take one, that's still a hefty chunk of change to have tied up for most people. It's an interesting problem, but not sure that this changes those dynamics, Heather!

 

If they really wanted to "fix" the problem of people booking multiple conflicting cruises and then canceling (without making US deposits non refundable, which could happen someday) they could make it so that if you've already got a conflicting booking, you can't make a new one. For instance if I'm booked Sunday -Sunday in Allure, I wouldn't be allowed to book Oasis Sat to Sat the same week, to hedge my bets on A) price drops or B) airfare deals. But they do take those bookings, so they either aren't concerned with the last minute cancellations, or make so much money (in interest) from the deposits that they don't care, because it's actually revenue. In their minds they think, any deposit is a good deposit, it makes us money even if it gets canceled.

Edited March 15, 2014 by Familygoboston

[dfishner]

Glad I used my last one a few months back for this December on Allure. I will not being purchasing NCC anymore it is no longer worth it the paper it is printed on.. And it is always the same thing when RCL takes something away another screw up corp decision. Love the ships dislike most of the business decisions made from the home office. I am glad I am not loyal to one line it comes back to bite you in the end and your loyalty means nothing to them.

[UNV-IT!!!]

Another way to look at it is "with current interest rates, how long would it take to earn $25 on a $200 investment?"

Ray in NH

 

The major problem with this logic is no one needs to give $200 for a NCC. You only need to give $100. Make the booking for a single person allows you only needing to leave $100. When your ready to pick your ship and sail date you the can add the second person and additional deposits. There is absolutely no reason to give more then $100 at a time.

[Esmerelda]

I know we will not be purchasing anymore NCC while onboard. As well, I will stick to booking my cruises, after final payment date.

 

Who in the RC corporation comes up with these brilliant ideas? Are they hurting that bad for money? I've yet to sail on a ship that pretty much wasn't full. I just don't get it.

 

:confused:

[internetwhiz]

I know we will not be purchasing anymore NCC while onboard. As well, I will stick to booking my cruises, after final payment date.

 

 

 

Who in the RC corporation comes up with these brilliant ideas? Are they hurting that bad for money? I've yet to sail on a ship that pretty much wasn't full. I just don't get it.

 

 

 

:confused:

 

 

Think RC will notice when revenue from all of is who give them our 100 dollarses stop. They will sure have a lot less upfront money. Ya think.?

 

 

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[Big_G]

The increase in OBC for booking a specific cabin and length of cruise may just be worth it to some people to book while on board now.

 

It will be for me. We'll just have to pick our next cruise before boarding. The new OBC schedule makes it worth it to plan ahead. We have one NCC left. To me, this is just a more incentive to book. I can't be the only one. :D

[Karter]

I just purchased 4 Next Cruise Certificates (or whatever they are called now) while on Legend back in Feb/14. Hopefully, when I book these into cruises, I will get the full OBC I was thinking I would get when I got the NCC. Only time will tell. At lest they ARE TRANSFERABLE and if I don't like the way RC goes with them, I may be able to sell them and at least get my money out of them. Since they don't expire, and we are D+, I think we will use them at some point in our cruising future. :D

 

The terms and conditions stay the same as when they were purchased. For people like me who keep 10 to 12 on hand at all times some times it is hard to keep track of all the different rules that were in effect when they were purchased. Now I have a new rule to keep track of - any new nextcruise certificates I buy I will only use on balconies or above and keep the older ones for insides or shorter cruises. This is the same thing I did when they reduced the benefits last time - just use the ones that give the best value.