Major difference in price - how?!

[Wendy&Grumpy]

We just booked Enchantment for July 4th and got an Oceanview GTY rate that is $140 less pp than RCCL's website rate. How is this possible??

 

Not complaining at all, just would like to understand how outside vendors are able to sell for so much less? (All the other category rates are the same as RCCL's, only the inside and oceanview GTY's are less.)

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The TA/vendor could have put a group booking together ans spread the savings over all of the reservations. Also, a TA can reserve/hold a block of rooms early on when rates are lower.

[pcur]

We just booked Enchantment for July 4th and got an Oceanview GTY rate that is $140 less pp than RCCL's website rate. How is this possible??

 

Not complaining at all, just would like to understand how outside vendors are able to sell for so much less? (All the other category rates are the same as RCCL's, only the inside and oceanview GTY's are less.)

 

Usually a travel agent will have a hold on a block of cabins at a reduced rate. RCCL gives them up to a certain date to sell the cabins, and then whatever is not sold they are put back into RCCL's inventory. The agency you booked with is most likely selling a GTY category from within their held cabins. They will sell as many of the OV cabins they have held until near the expiration date of the hold, and then assign yours right before they have to turn the unsold cabins back over to RCCL.

[grandgeezer]

One possible explanation is that your travel agent has a group rate. That means that they have committed to enough cabins that RCL has given them a lower rate that they pass some of it on to you. We are booked on a B2B, 13 day Med cruise and 14 day transatlantic, on Celebrity Equinox in October. Our travel agent had group rates for both, and we paid $700 p.p. less than Celebrity's published rate for a balcony. We also got a more than generous obc from them. The transatlantic now shows as "sold out", and the cost of the Med. portion is more than we paid for the B2B. Good timing on our part.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The only trouble with a group rate is that you do not get price drops. Our TA had us in a group on our Alaska trip a couple of years ago. The cruise prices really dropped and we wanted to take advantage of that. But, we were locked in.

[reallyitsmema]

We just booked Enchantment for July 4th and got an Oceanview GTY rate that is $140 less pp than RCCL's website rate. How is this possible??

 

Not complaining at all, just would like to understand how outside vendors are able to sell for so much less? (All the other category rates are the same as RCCL's, only the inside and oceanview GTY's are less.)

Make sure you are logged in when you are checking pricing on the RCI website. There are Crown and Anchor rates that will only show when you are logged in.

[grandgeezer]

The only trouble with a group rate is that you do not get price drops. Our TA had us in a group on our Alaska trip a couple of years ago. The cruise prices really dropped and we wanted to take advantage of that. But, we were locked in.

 

I don't know if that is true, or not. To get a price drop, the rate you paid must be lower than the published rate on the cruise line's web site, not any lower rate you can find. We pick cruises based on group rates and we've never seen this happen.

It might be up to your travel agent on whether they give it to you.

[bighairtexan]

I almost always am booked on a "group rate" through my TA. I've been able to get the very rare price drop that is less than what I paid. It even says in the fine print from the TA that I can get the price drops but that it MAY affect the OBC or other amenities I got through the TA. So far I've gotten several drops but only once was my OBC adjusted downward. IF THE LOWER RATE is for "New Bookings Only" then I'm probably out of luck, just as I would be if I booked directly.

[Wendy&Grumpy]

Ahhh, it must be a group rate!

 

Thanks everyone!

 

I'm thinking we might book with them for last minute cruises more often! :D

[Clarea]

The only trouble with a group rate is that you do not get price drops. Our TA had us in a group on our Alaska trip a couple of years ago. The cruise prices really dropped and we wanted to take advantage of that. But, we were locked in.

Not always the case. Maybe it depends on some aspect of how the group is set up. We are in a group for a March cruise in which we got price drops from the BOGOHO promo.

Edited June 14, 2014 by clarea

[Merion_Mom]

We just booked Enchantment for July 4th and got an Oceanview GTY rate that is $140 less pp than RCCL's website rate. How is this possible??

 

Not complaining at all, just would like to understand how outside vendors are able to sell for so much less? (All the other category rates are the same as RCCL's, only the inside and oceanview GTY's are less.)

 

The website is showing $409 pp. Are you saying that you are paying $269pp through this TA?

 

JUMP ALL OVER THAT! ;)

Edited June 14, 2014 by Merion_Mom

[Wendy&Grumpy]

The website is showing $429 pp. Are you saying that you are paying $289pp through this TA?

 

JUMP ALL OVER THAT! ;)

 

Actually, we're paying $269!

 

We were getting a rate of $409 from RCCL, but I see now that's the Military & Florida resident rate, not the standard. :)

 

(They're also offering inside at $219!!! We considered that but opted for the window this time. ;))

Edited June 14, 2014 by Wendy&Grumpy

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I would quote each of you that mentioned price drops and group bookings--but, I can not quote more than 2 people at a time. :p

 

It is good to know that not all group bookings keep you from getting price drops. I will remember that. It was likely the TA's policy-- we have not used that TA again.:)

[Wendy&Grumpy]

Got our assignment today - 2008 - ugh!

 

S'ok though. I called and they switched us to 2632. :D

 

We are happy cruisers!!!

[robcruz]

Is there an easy way to find out which travel agencies have group rates for which cruises or at least which TA's offer group rates for the largest number of cruises?