Does anyone else dislike the non-refundable deposit option?

[SRF]

I wonder how many of you, that express so much displeasure over the non-refundable cruise fares, purchase refundable air fare to get to/from your cruise?

 

And do all of you NOT purchase trip insurance? Which would cover most/all of the deposit.

 

And finally, if $100 is that much to you, can you really afford the cruise?????

[broberts]

One persons abuse of the systems is another persons flexibility.

 

There are always those who only see their benefit. That does not change the fact that they are abusing a system.

[LMaxwell]

I wonder how many of you, that express so much displeasure over the non-refundable cruise fares, purchase refundable air fare to get to/from your cruise?

 

And do all of you NOT purchase trip insurance? Which would cover most/all of the deposit.

 

And finally, if $100 is that much to you, can you really afford the cruise?????

 

I haven't had to purchase airfare in years due to proximity to Florida ports.

 

I do purchase travel insurance; however since we have no pre-existing medical conditions I take the insurance much closer to final payment time, and not when I make the booking.

 

Red herring; whether $100 is affordable to me or not is not what is at discussion. My wife and I both work; I travel about 20% of the time for work. We have a young child in school. All our folks are alive and relatively well, but advancing through their 70's. If I am looking at itineraries 12-18 months out with Royal I'm either faced with a more than trivial surcharge for a refundable deposit, or tied to onerous T&C's with a nonrefundable deposit.

 

Businesses write contracts and policies that favor protecting the business. And I as a consumer can decide if a policy is something I can live with or not. Therefore I have adjusted my booking strategy going forward and instead of leaving a deposit far in advance, I'll simply wait until a cruise is much nearer to final payment date before booking. And if the cruise I want becomes sold out or price prohibitive, I shop around to other brands.

 

Once we re-introduce travel to and from a ship into the equation I'll re-examine.

[rukkian]

I haven't had to purchase airfare in years due to proximity to Florida ports.

 

I do purchase travel insurance; however since we have no pre-existing medical conditions I take the insurance much closer to final payment time, and not when I make the booking.

 

Red herring; whether $100 is affordable to me or not is not what is at discussion. My wife and I both work; I travel about 20% of the time for work. We have a young child in school. All our folks are alive and relatively well, but advancing through their 70's. If I am looking at itineraries 12-18 months out with Royal I'm either faced with a more than trivial surcharge for a refundable deposit, or tied to onerous T&C's with a nonrefundable deposit.

 

Businesses write contracts and policies that favor protecting the business. And I as a consumer can decide if a policy is something I can live with or not. Therefore I have adjusted my booking strategy going forward and instead of leaving a deposit far in advance, I'll simply wait until a cruise is much nearer to final payment date before booking. And if the cruise I want becomes sold out or price prohibitive, I shop around to other brands.

 

Once we re-introduce travel to and from a ship into the equation I'll re-examine.

Very rarely is the cost of nrd not more than$100 less than refundable in my experience. If you know you will take a cruise, in most cases, you are better if taking the nrd and just losing the$100. If you are not sure if you will take a cruise, it is a different story. You could also just buy the nrd, get insurance, (which is usually less than$100 per person and get it back.

 

I get that people don't like it cause it is a change, but don't understand why some are just against it, even when you could probably cancel and rebook twice or more in most cases before even breaking even.

 

For people that just like to hop around and can't commit, this might not be a good option, but for most people, you will be better off just don't the nrd if you look at it logically instead of emotionally.

 

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[Ladysilver]

I hate it too! :mad:

[mcatmcat]

I never look to the NRD option unless it’s really close to final payment. I could never buy a cruise with no refund before final payment

 

 

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[Mikew0805]

I wonder how many of you, that express so much displeasure over the non-refundable cruise fares, purchase refundable air fare to get to/from your cruise?

 

And do all of you NOT purchase trip insurance? Which would cover most/all of the deposit.

 

And finally, if $100 is that much to you, can you really afford the cruise?????

 

So because someone does not want to lose $100, that means they cannot afford to cruise? That is the most ignorant things I have heard in a while.

[Mikew0805]

I only choose non refundable if it is a sure thing save medical issues, which travel insurance will cover. Otherwise, if it is far enough out, and something better comes along, I want the freedom to change my reservation.

[mollyeilis]

Sometime not so easy. I have an existing medical condition that makes planning more than 6 month out very difficult. The medical insurance often will not cover the existing condition.

 

 

You have to make sure you get the pre existing condition waiver.

 

You can do it with Southwest.

 

 

And alaska. Both do fee-free credits if the fare drops.

 

Interesting. Did not know that....but I am guessing they are in the minority? I fly mostly United, Delta, and Jet Blue. So Southwest will give you money back if the fare drops

below what you originally booked...all the way up until you fly?

 

Isn't Southwest one that you cannot pick a seat? If this is the one, the rare time we flew with them, I got called off to the side for a random security check with the DH having to board alone. Then when I finally got on board, we could not sit together. Or is that another airline? :confused:

 

 

It’s SW where you choose your seat as you enter the plane, yes.

 

It seems like the consensus is more do NOT like it than like it-:)

 

 

Why would anyone LIKE nonrefundable fares for themselves?

 

“Sorry that seat is taken” If he/she escalated further I’ll tell him/her to go get a steward/ess if they have a problem with me saving a seat for my wife who checked in before them but was detained by security. Pretty sure airline personnel would side with me, if they had my wife had not shown up before them.

 

 

 

 

SW has NO policy on seat saving. They don’t think it’s good or bad. They won’t side with anyone.

 

 

Rather than put yourself in the middle seat, save the middle seat. Sit in the more wanted seat. Few wish to sit in the middle.

 

And simply explain what happened.

[Tiggercat]

I hate it. I guess it works for RCCL, but it has stopped me from booking a cruise that is a few months out. I was debating between Sept 2018 and May 2019 for a med cruise and simply can't guarantee vacation time coordination just now. In the past I would book early and and feel good in the knowledge that I could cancel if plans didn't work out. 90% of the time plus it worked and we did not cancel. Now I waver and check all the different cruiselines and may book NCL for flexibililty, even though I may prefer RCCL. I am sure everyone is different but I find it discouraging to have to pay more (over 100$ p/p) so I won't book it at all for now. Probably a bad idea on my part as prices will possible go up, but I can't bring myself to pay higher... :(

An employee of Royal Caribbean told me that EVERYONE loves this new option!!! Not me and apparently a lot of other people.

[Clarea]

An employee of Royal Caribbean told me that EVERYONE loves this new option!!! Not me and apparently a lot of other people.

That's funny.:D

[SRF]

So because someone does not want to lose $100, that means they cannot afford to cruise? That is the most ignorant things I have heard in a while.

 

Nobody WANTS to lose $100.

 

But if it really that huge a deal financially, then yes, maybe cruising is not the best venue for you.

 

But inside 90 days, you lose more than that if you have to cancel and do not have insurance.

[SRF]

What I find annoying is that people who prefer refundable deposits but who rarely, if ever cancel are penalized for the supposed bad behavior of others. If cancellations were truly a problem, penalize those abusing the system rather than those who simply prefer some flexibility.

 

How?

 

What would you do to accomplish this?

[SRF]

Since we’re on the subject of airlines, carriers other than Southwest still offer fully refundable fares, they just cost so much more it seldom makes sense to book them.

 

Not always.

 

I just booked some Eu flights in Wizz Air. Fully refundable was only about 20 Euro more than the fare with restrictions. You could save a bit more with no advanced seat selection and no checked baggage.

 

OTOH, I have never found SW to be that cheap. There is a reason they are not on any of the fare comparison sites.

 

We used to do weekend getaways trips from Baltimore to Nashville (some friends there a neat town). Driving to the airport, big SW billboard. Nashville $79.95. Hmm, but that was one way. So $160 round trip. Oh, and SW only advertised air fare, with taxes and fees, so figure $240+. OK, we were on Delta, round trip for $135 each, and upgraded to first class.

 

SW cheap? Nope.

[LMaxwell]

Let's make this simpler; I find the T&C's onerous, so I don't book way in advance.

[John&LaLa]

I have saved quite a bit by booking non refundable.

 

For example: Have booked HOS for 12/8/19 JS cabin.

 

Non refundable per person: 1848.00 Refundable: 1998.00

 

Difference of 150.00 per person.

 

OBC: 300.00 non-refundable, 200.00 refundable.

 

Worst I can lose if I change dates or ships before final payment?

200.00 (100.00 per person)

 

I don't know...you do the math. :confused:;)

I don't book cruises to change them...or do "markers".

 

BTW: Just called today on one of my non-refundable cruises to take advantage of

253.00 price decrease. Happily changed by CS...balance reduced...no penalty.

I'm with you Pat, but I'm at a stage in life where I can do what I want for the most part

 

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[cruisegirl1]

An employee of Royal Caribbean told me that EVERYONE loves this new option!!! Not me and apparently a lot of other people.

 

Can't imagine the on board booking agents like it. Used to be that the booking appointment times were filled up. Last two cruises hardly any one requested an appointment in the sign up book, and the two times we wanted to speak to the booking agent, there was no one was waiting, and she took us right away.

 

She did tell us that once she hands the non refund paper to sign that they lose a lot of bookings.

 

 

M

[Grandma Dazzles]

Realize people could always book with more than one cruiseline, but I think it would help if you could only book one cruise, specific dates, at a time, with a refundable fare.

 

It amazes me the number of people who book different cabins, especially suites or popular locations, for the same sailing with the idea of "picking which is the best deal" a few days or hours before final payment is due. You only have to look for an aft or hump cabin a few hours after the date passes and find great cabins back in inventory.

 

Those of us who fly frequently or have to fly to a cruise are used to change fees. I don't see this as any different.

[KiwiGal117]

I don't have a problem with the NRD, but I do understand the points being made here for those who do. I did, however, have an issue when I booked a cabin on a NRD rate for three people. The next day, another friend decided to join us, so I called to move myself into another cabin. They told me I'd have to lose my deposit. I wasn't cancelling, switching ships or sale dates, which is what triggers the loss, but I couldn't get them to understand that. I ended up booking another cabin online, and recently called back to have myself removed from the first cabin, CS took me off, no issue. As usual, the devil was in the details in that you need to get a CS rep who understands the rules, but as we all know that is a common problem with Royal Caribbean.

[island lady]

It wasn't clear you were only talking about full suites: you mentioned a JS a couple of times. :confused:

 

You seem very pro-NRD and I was just pointing out other perspectives, my point being that when larger parties are traveling, the NRD is more expensive to lose because there are more people, regardless of what cabin they are in.

 

Yes, indeed I was talking about JS also. It's same set up...they have been sold out for months on my December cruise. JS cabins are popular with families for the extra room and pull out bed. Currently people book those, and then many cancel/change at the last minute before final payment without penalty that really never intended to stick to that sail date...it takes those out of inventory until then. That makes it hard for families to book those cabins so late, due to scheduling time off, flights, rental cars, hotels etc. Does it not?

 

Yes, your penalties could be come into play to cancel if you have NRD...but ONLY if you cancel or change.

 

In my example, I saved 150.00 a person booking NRF deposit versus the refundable. Plus I picked up an extra 100 in OBC. If I booked refundable, I would have 100% chance of losing that 150.00 per person I saved plus the extra OBC. If I booked NFD, I would have maybe 5% chance of losing 100.00 per person in the rare chance I would have to change or cancel.

 

Hmmm....:confused:;) So yeah...NFD works for me.

 

Yes, I like the savings...but once again...and have stated this many times already...NRD may not for be for everyone. That's why there is a choice.

[island lady]

If DH didn’t have the manners to wait for you, the least he could have done was save you a seat. Granted, airlines are easier to change out than husbands , but I think your beef is more with DH than SW in this instance.

 

 

 

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Gee...that makes him seem pretty lame...but no...that was not the case. :rolleyes: Security waved him on in, when they held me back. The check was right at the gate before you boarded the plane. He sat down, and passengers sat all around him expressing "no saving of seats". I was the last to board and had to take the only seat left further down. :(

 

My DH still holds the doors for me, carries things for me, and when I broke my foot on Brilliance, he wheeled me all around and even into every port in the wheelchair. Did all the cooking, cleaning, laundry..etc. for me when we got home. Sweet guy. :)

 

 

But thanks for your concern about the man I married. Guess I know him just a bit better than you do. ;)

Edited February 9, 2018 by island lady

[island lady]

I think it's also rare that one would be going through security with such little cushion that boarding is occurring whilst someone is still stuck at security, even with an additional screening involved.

 

It as many years ago, and was a spot check I have never seen on any other airline. Hopefully things have changed. It was very inconvenient.

[island lady]

They didn't say the random security check was the initial airport screening. They don't do it as often as they used to, but there is also random screening while boarding. I took the post to mean that is what happened.

 

And you would be right. Thanks! :)

[island lady]

Haven't had to deal with it yet, but not a fan of the idea. Maybe, if the non-refundable option had a reduced deposit, it would be worthwhile. Maybe.

 

It does. 100.00 per person NRD...500.00 per for refundable on 7 night cruises booked on board with NC.

[island lady]

Another slap in the face from RCCL... don't book a cruise unless you are absolutely certain nothing in your family. job or finances change or you are out your deposit. I believe most of us who frequently cruise know to ensure all of the options you want with your trip to book early. The other problem it leaves us is if the cost of the cruise goes down you won't be able to take advantage... the last time we made a change to lower the cost they cancelled the original booking and created a new one at the lower cost... so now does that mean to make a change to lower cost you'll lose your initial deposit?!!! 👊🏻 Duck!

 

Wrong..have done it many times. No penalty..no lost deposit..no lost OBC with same booking number. Just called CS two days ago to score a drop in fare to the tune of 253.00 on one of my cruises. I book direct with RCI