What happens when cruise lines post wrong fares?

[sandbag7]

These things do happen; one of our friends got a free flight to NYC due to a mistaken price quote on Expedia, but I have to say $199 for a Panama Cruise wins the prize.

[RDeagazio]

First of all. let me say that at the time I blocked the space RCI quoted me the fare of $440.00 pp.. they had to live up to their end like they would if it were a single cabin. if this space had been blocked for your group and they came back and wanted more money you'd have pitched a fit. No. my agency did NOT mark up the fare and sold the cruise for $440.00 pp which was advertised to the group at the time we blocked the space.

 

This happens frequently with the airlines.. years back AA mis-published a fare from Houston to New York for $25.00 round trip... more recently USAir mis published fares and sold thousands of tickets for some ridiculously low fare and both times the tickets were honored.

 

I don't appreciate the personal attack against my integrity or the way I treat my clients. I have been in this business over 25 yrs and have some very loyal and well taken care of clients. My only point in posting a reply to the OP was to relay the outcome of my personal experience with a mispublished price.

[sandbag7]

Well Bob, having been on 90+ cruises, you certainly knew (unlike the OP) that the quote YOU received was in error; as to whether the cruise line is REQUIRED to honor that quote in view of your opportunistic posting of the deposit is a legal question. In any event, your occurrence would appear to have little in common with the OP's.

[kryos]

Is this fair? Airlines have screwed up with on-line pricing and have honored all reservations made at the wrong rates.

 

Please let me know what you think?

The airlines might have to honor the prices because the customers paid in full for the tickets? I'm just guessing that if the tickets were paid in full by credit card, it could be a legal nightmare if they refused to honor the tickets.

 

In the case of a cruise, I would imagine you might have a good argument that the price should be honored if you already paid in full for the sailing, AND the cruiseline ACCEPTED your payment. Then, if two weeks down the road the cruiseline realizes there has been a mistake in the pricing, I would imagine they would have to live with it. But, if you only put down a deposit, then as long as the cruiseline offers you the option of a full refund, I would imagine they are within their legal rights to refuse to honor the erroneous pricing.

 

Just my opinion ...

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[RichardK]

Well Bob, having been on 90+ cruises, you certainly knew (unlike the OP) that the quote YOU received was in error; as to whether the cruise line is REQUIRED to honor that quote in view of your opportunistic posting of the deposit is a legal question. In any event, your occurrence would appear to have little in common with the OP's.

 

Very well put! And someone said that this thread isn't about character? It bleeds of it!

 

Another one of my favorite quotes on the issue: "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." GEORGE WASHINGTON (1732-1799).

 

Or in the case of the 100 cabins, maybe it should be reworded to read the "lowest bidder". Talk about using the system…………..

[RCCL ADDICT]

"CUPPY"

 

Was it your husband that got food poising and you could not get the ship's doctor to come to your cabin.

 

If so what was the end redult ?

 

Did RCL do the right thing and give you a fulgive you a full refund ?

 

It has been a long time since I have read your original postings, which resulted in a very heated discussion with several other members.

[crookedhalo]

First of all. let me say that at the time I blocked the space RCI quoted me the fare of $440.00 pp.. they had to live up to their end like they would if it were a single cabin. if this space had been blocked for your group and they came back and wanted more money you'd have pitched a fit.

 

Only thing, if I remember correctly, you were not booking this for a specific group - you noticed what you thought was an incredibly good price for a cruise on line THEN booked the 100 cabins. Therein lies the difference. I commend your company if, in fact, they did not mark the cruise up. Bottom line is this: your customers got a great rate ($440/per person based on double occupancy=$880 for a 7 day cruise oceanview) and RCCL got a great loss ($1000/per person double occupancy = $200,000.00 lost for the 100 cabins). I'm pretty darn sure RCCL raised the rates on this cruise (and probably others) to make up this loss, hence the rest of the cruising public paid for your deal. Sometimes it's not about what is legally right, but about what is in the best of everyone.

[rsinj]

In the case of a cruise, I would imagine you might have a good argument that the price should be honored if you already paid in full for the sailing, AND the cruiseline ACCEPTED your payment. Then, if two weeks down the road the cruiseline realizes there has been a mistake in the pricing, I would imagine they would have to live with it. But, if you only put down a deposit, then as long as the cruiseline offers you the option of a full refund, I would imagine they are within their legal rights to refuse to honor the erroneous pricing.

 

Just my opinion ...

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Well rita, my opinion of your opinion is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

 

What does the contract say? Does it give the cruiseline the right to do that? In print advertisements, there is always a disclaimer that they are not responsible for typographical errors - that's very clear. However, saying it is justifiable to not honor a reservation because "only" a deposit was made and not full payment - nonsense. Do they have some stipulation that says "while we are implementing our new computer system, if it gives out wrong prices, then we have the right to change your price - after we confirm the reservation and take your deposit money"?

 

I wonder where else something as absurd as that might hold - maybe, if I sign a contract to sell my house, take the buyers downpayment, then a day later find out I priced it too low (doh! it was a mistake), you think because the buyer hasn't paid in full I can return the deposit and not honor the contract? How about if you buy something on layaway - you make your first payment, then the store decides to change the price on you - hmmm - how about that?

 

When you put your deposit down, you purchased the cruise. At that point, assuming you ultimately make the scheduled final payment, I don't think the cruiseline can unilaterally change the price or decide to not honor the reservation UNLESS there is something in the terms which explicitly give them that right.

 

Most businesses would do the right thing and honor the price - there are many cases that we've seen this happen with airlines - even absurd cases where there was a computer glitch giving tickets for something like $1 each. If the price was blatantly in error, then obviously the buyer probably had some inkling. However, if the price was something like 25% discounted (or double a discount) - who's to know if that is a mistake - other than the cruiseline?

 

The original poster has a printed confirmation and has paid a deposit which the travel agent has accepted. The new computer system doubled the discount? Well, that's the cruiseline's problem - cost of implementing a new computer system - they eat those costs. When you implement a new computer system, you do enough testing before letting it go live so that sort of thing doesn't happen. Let the travel agent work it out with the cruiseline - it's their problem, not the poster's.

 

Howard

[cuppy]

RCCL Addict - yes it was my hubby with the foid posioning :eek: We received 70% of what we paid back from RCCL and they were originally suppose to refund the remaining 30% in cruise credits. Needless to say those never came. We called RCCL and they said they would give us a discount off our next 7 day cruise booking and were going to send me a letter stating that - Never came. Anyway, we ended up cancelling the 3 cruises we had booked with them and took other trips and booked an 11 day Hawaii cruise with a different cruise line. My hubby called RCCL a few weeks ago and they have in the system that we are to get a discount off a 7 day future booking (not valid during holiday sailings, inaugural sailings and so on) and said if we want to book while on board to have them contact so and so (can't remember who,he has the info) and they will apply the credit. I forget how much it is for 5% - 15%.

 

So this is our first RCCL cruise since then and he is not allowed any escargot. We will most likely book another cruise on board for next November. I gave up fighting with RCCL, it just wasn't worth the hassle.

 

As for my OP- my TA is very good and said that I should not have to pay the extra. The rate I am paying is a good deal, but one that they do offer those cabins at during certain sailings.

 

My hubby & I talked and if we lose our rate then we have 2 other back-up cruises that we are interested in. They won't be suites, but they will be on RCCL. I am looking at the Europe sailings for next year and the prices are pretty good - these prices I am familiar with at least :o

[cuppy]

Good news - just got a call tonight from my TA and they are honoring my price :D

 

 

Hubby and I are going to book another trip anyway while we are on the Sovereign next weekend with RCCL. Probably a short cruise for the spring; maybe something out of Cape Liberty.

[DisneyDestroyer]

My favorite part of this thread is how the same people (almost used a different word) who are so quick to support a cruise line's changing the itinerary with no notice are the same ones who are saying that despite the cruise line's accepting a specific (obviously too low) rate, they can change it because that number was clearly not intended.

 

Try sticking to the same logic.

 

You are so quick to say that the contract gives them the <legal> right to make the change, despite the fact that it's quite clear this change was not what the consumer wanted, without allowing for any recourse or recompense for the consumer. Witness all the posts on the Celebrity boards right now because of their unjustified changes, many of which are after the no-refunds date.

 

And yet when the consumer has the <legal> right to demand the cruise line fulfills its contract to honor a specific price, all of a sudden you're defending the cruise line and demanding that things should go based on what is clearly expected instead of the law.

 

Just admit it, you want things to always go the cruise line's way, never the individual's way.

[DisneyDestroyer]

D'oh, sorry, double post

[DisneyDestroyer]

D'oh, sorry, triple post.

[Ocean Boy]

Just admit it, you want things to always go the cruise line's way, never the individual's way.

Yup, I'm sure that the cruise lines' C.E.O.s love knowing that so people are looking out for the company's bests interests while they get a good nights sleep! :eek: