What happens if there is a price drop after final payment?

[richstowe]

I sort of regret checking pricing this morning for our Dec 19 sailing on the Royal. Balcony rooms are now priced significantly lower than our inside. Even though it states prices are for new bookings only I figured I'd call Princess anyway. I wasn't expecting any reimbursement or obc but simply inquired about upgrading to a balcony. They said there was nothing they could do other than put us in a potential upgrade pool. Oh well. Maybe we'll get lucky with an upsell offer.

Good luck :)

For the life of me I haven't figured out if it is better to book with a TA or direct in terms of

upgrades and post cancellation date adjustments. I have read here on CC both sides of the argument.

In addition there is the issue of calling the cruise line direct even when you have booked

with a TA. The answer is said to be "NO" but I got help once so this isn't always true.

Who the heck knows.:confused:

[olingirl]

I just got a price reduction on my Dec 18 sailing, kept the OBC and got a refund. Call Princess back, you may get a different answer.

[loveJake]

I just got a price reduction on my Dec 18 sailing, kept the OBC and got a refund. Call Princess back, you may get a different answer.

 

Mine was for the Dec 9th and she did not m a ke up her mind by herself, was transfered and on hold 2 times. All depends who you get, or how good your TA is. I agree, call back.

[luv2vacation]

I sort of regret checking pricing this morning for our Dec 19 sailing on the Royal. Balcony rooms are now priced significantly lower than our inside. Even though it states prices are for new bookings only I figured I'd call Princess anyway. I wasn't expecting any reimbursement or obc but simply inquired about upgrading to a balcony. They said there was nothing they could do other than put us in a potential upgrade pool. Oh well. Maybe we'll get lucky with an upsell offer.

 

This was the exact same response I got today concerning a price drop on my Dec cruise. Like you I was only hoping to get the better cabin that is now at a lower price than I paid but I couldn't get the agent to budge on her decision.

[ready2cruzagain]

Personally, I just wish they would be consistent. Aggravating that one can get the upgrade and keep obc and others can't.

 

I wish they would just set the price and leave it there and quit all of this up and down pricing game. Heck, just be consistent and give everyone the same treatment, if one gets the upgrade then everyone else that asks should.

 

I was reading where RCCL told their cruisers to stop expecting last minute discounts. Here is the article if you haven't seen it: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-27/royal-caribbean-to-cruisers-stop-expecting-last-minute-discounts?campaign_id=yhoo

[FawnRiver]

This was the exact same response I got today concerning a price drop on my Dec cruise. Like you I was only hoping to get the better cabin that is now at a lower price than I paid but I couldn't get the agent to budge on her decision.

 

 

New bookings only is a clear condition of the offer they are making, they do not have any responsibility to alter that for people who have already booked and paid for their cruise. It is nice to get something for nothing, but they have no obligation to alter what you have already agreed to.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[caribill]

I was reading where RCCL told their cruisers to stop expecting last minute discounts. Here is the article if you haven't seen it: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-27/royal-caribbean-to-cruisers-stop-expecting-last-minute-discounts?campaign_id=yhoo

 

Carnival Corp (which owns Princess) has stated to the investment community that they are willing to let a small percentage of cabins go unsold rather than heavily discount the product to sell them.

[richstowe]

Carnival Corp (which owns Princess) has stated to the investment community that they are willing to let a small percentage of cabins go unsold rather than heavily discount the product to sell them.

I truly hopefully fully and completely hope that the cruise lines never come to their senses and

follow through with this. We will see. For now RCCL does seem to be doing so. :(

 

[loveJake]

Funny thing for Carnival to say since they have, think it is called, early saver rates. You can get the lowest price up to 3 days before you cruise. Great program have used it. Your deposit is non-refundable BUT you can transfer the deposit to another cruise for $50. Don't book this rate first off, but switch before the rate is gone, usually 30 days before final payment. With insurance it is totally safe.

[geoherb]

Carnival Corp (which owns Princess) has stated to the investment community that they are willing to let a small percentage of cabins go unsold rather than heavily discount the product to sell them.

I hope they don't stop totally. I book most of our cruises after the final payment date. This year I was watching prices on more than a dozen cruises for the week after Christmas. The three lines were Holland America, Princess, and Celebrity. The Holland America cruises seem to be the most stable in terms of prices--not fluctuating much from week to week. The Princess and Celebrity ones were up and down. The HAL ones eventually came down after the final payment date, as did some of the ones on Celebrity and Princess. We're ending up taking a 3-day cruise and a 4-day one on the Caribbean Princess. The prices add up so that we can get a balcony for less than the cost of an inside cabin on any of the other cruises. Edited November 9, 2014 by geoherb

[caribill]

Funny thing for Carnival to say since they have, think it is called, early saver rates. You can get the lowest price up to 3 days before you cruise. Great program have used it.

 

However, if they go to not reducing pricing as much as embarkation day nears, you will not save as much as in the past.

[loveJake]

However, if they go to not reducing pricing as much as embarkation day nears, you will not save as much as in the past.

 

Well go to the carnival website and you can go on a 7 day cruise leaving 12/4 for $28 a day, think that is a pretty good price to fill cabins.

[geoherb]

One thing Celebrity does to keep as many people complaining about changes to fares of certain categories is to have some general categories that it offers after the final payment date--Cat. X, for instance, is a balcony guarantee and Category Y is an outside guarantee. On Princess, it seems like the guarantees are offered for the lowest levels of a type of cabin. For instance, we have Cat. BF guarantees on our upcoming cruises. Anyone who booked a Cat. BF might be upset that the price Princess is now offering for them is a lot less than it was before the final payment date.

[caribill]

On Princess, it seems like the guarantees are offered for the lowest levels of a type of cabin. For instance, we have Cat. BF guarantees on our upcoming cruises. Anyone who booked a Cat. BF might be upset that the price Princess is now offering for them is a lot less than it was before the final payment date.

 

Princess offers GTY booking for every category from lowest priced inside to full suites.

[Timeforvaca]

My upcoming Regal cruise dropped by quite a bit after final payment. These prices, however, were for "new bookings only". The mini suites were cheaper than the deluxe balcony that I had booked, by several hundred dollars per person. I managed to get a $200 OBC and an upgrade to a mini. It really does matter who you get on the phone. I would suggest calling back....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[loveJake]

My upcoming Regal cruise dropped by quite a bit after final payment. These prices, however, were for "new bookings only". The mini suites were cheaper than the deluxe balcony that I had booked, by several hundred dollars per person. I managed to get a $200 OBC and an upgrade to a mini. It really does matter who you get on the phone. I would suggest calling back....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Exactly, glad someone had the same experience I had.

[Daniel1313]

Most of the time, fare reductions are for new bookings only. And, they are often for just some categories, not all. You can cancel, take the penalty and lose any previous promotion OBC, and re-book. You're far better off finding a good TA who discounts when booking originally.

 

I disagree. I have sailed princess on 12 cruises. I have had at least one price reduction on all my cruises. 3 or 4 of them I have received price reductions after final payment. Princess just credits my credit card for what the reduction was for..

 

That's not to say that my travel agent hasn't told me that sometimes a reduction is for new bookings only.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Daniel1313

[pppatpc2]

To get the credit do you call your travel agent, or Princess directly?

[loveJake]

To get the credit do you call your travel agent, or Princess directly?

 

However you booked.

[kenzie]

After my enquiry without expectations re price drops after final for post Xmas 3 & 4 day cruise, , Princess agreed to a wonderful refund of £1900 across 5 cabins, with no loss of OBC. Thank you Princess and a wonderful TA

[Jadn13]

Just got a significant refund on my Credit Card after Final Payment for my December 22nd Cruise.

 

Call back and see if anything they can give you OBC if not a refund, It's worth it.