Signature to Neptune upgrade in lieu of price adjustment with nonrefundable deposit

[vkmtlqc]

Just wanted to share our experience dealing with a price drop on a non-refundable deposit fare in case somebody else finds themselves in a similar situation:

 

Several months ago we booked a non-refundable deposit fare that seemed like a good deal at the time. A few weeks ago the price went down by $1.2K. Our big box travel agent contacted HAL and came back with two options: (1) cancel the booking, lose the non-refundable deposit ($600) and $100 OBC and then make a new booking at the lower price, which would save us $500, or (2) accept an upgrade from Signature to Neptune in lieu of price adjustment. We accepted the upgrade. Neptunes are currently priced at $2.5K more than Signature suites, so we figured this was a good deal, especially since there will be 3 adults travelling in the cabin, so the extra space and the double sofa will be very much appreciated.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Sounds like a great deal to me. Enjoy the Neptune Suite -- free laundry -- being able to have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.

Which ship will you be on? What itinerary?

[sail7seas]

Good D EAL ENJOY IT

 

 

I see this your first post and you are new to CC.

 

 

Welcome. :) Happy you found us

 

 

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i

[fatcat04]

Prepare to be spoiled!! :D

Enjoy your cruise and welcome to CC :cool:

[cavecreekguy]

Congrats! I got an offer for a great price on an upsell to a Neptune suite once and didn't respond. I was like "oh, I'm by myself so I should leave the for someone who really needs the extra space." I've regretted it ever since. I hope you have a fabulous cruise!

[kazu]

Sounds like a great deal to me :)

 

enjoy!

[VennDiagram]

Very nice! Enjoy the breakfasts in the Pinnacle Grill, and the complimentary laundry and dry cleaning. And the concierge services, and the Neptune Lounge (y) >wistful sigh< ;)

[CherryG]

Good deal! We've been in a Neptune a couple of times, and love it.

[Iamthesea]

Great deal!

 

Besides the suites that connect to those Inside staterooms, are there any bad Neptune Suites?

 

If you had an SY (one of the larger angled ones with extra room near the balcony door) would you upgrade to a Neptune if the price were reasonable?

[puppycanducruise]

Sounds like a good deal.

Enjoy your suite and the cruise.

[MTZak]

Just wanted to share our experience dealing with a price drop on a non-refundable deposit fare in case somebody else finds themselves in a similar situation:

 

Several months ago we booked a non-refundable deposit fare that seemed like a good deal at the time. A few weeks ago the price went down by $1.2K. Our big box travel agent contacted HAL and came back with two options: (1) cancel the booking, lose the non-refundable deposit ($600) and $100 OBC and then make a new booking at the lower price, which would save us $500, or (2) accept an upgrade from Signature to Neptune in lieu of price adjustment. We accepted the upgrade. Neptunes are currently priced at $2.5K more than Signature suites, so we figured this was a good deal, especially since there will be 3 adults travelling in the cabin, so the extra space and the double sofa will be very much appreciated.

Thanks for the info. I also have a non-refundable deposit fare booked. Am curious as to where you found the decreased price for your specific cabin class. Thanks

[Tricia724]

….If you had an SY (one of the larger angled ones with extra room near the balcony door) would you upgrade to a Neptune if the price were reasonable?

 

We did just that on our last cruise. We had a great angled SY balcony, and are also 4-star and get laundry included, so when the first upsell offer to a Neptune came along, I thought about it briefly but passed. When a second upsell offer came, I was in an entirely different frame of mind and grabbed it and was so glad I did. We both agreed that having the Neptune added so much to our enjoyment of the cruise.

 

For us, the main attraction is always space....both space in the cabin and on the balcony. Some people say they only use their cabins to sleep in and take a shower. That's not us. We enjoy our balcony and spend a good bit of time there. I also enjoy the vanity/dressing area and breakfast in the Pinnacle Grille; my other half loves the snacks in the Concierge Lounge. Our cruise was 16 days which made it especially nice to have the full suite. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself.

[vkmtlqc]

Thanks for the info. I also have a non-refundable deposit fare booked. Am curious as to where you found the decreased price for your specific cabin class. Thanks

 

I do a mock booking once a month or so to see if the price has dropped. We use an online TA associated with one of the big box stores. On their website, once you click on an available cabin, a window pops up with a list of fares. Right now it shows 3 different fares with and without the Explore4 package. When I saw the price drop, I called the TA and asked them about my options. They put me on hold for 5 minutes to call HAL, then came back with HAL’s offers, then put me back on hold for a couple of minutes to tell HAL what my decision was. Before the TA came back on line, I was already receiving email notifications from both the TA and HAL with the new cabin assignment.

 

When we booked the non-refundable deposit fare, we were told explicitly that we wouldn’t be able to benefit from any price drops unless we were willing to lose the deposit and re-book the cruise. It looks like this policy is actually negotiable in a way.

[vkmtlqc]

Which ship will you be on? What itinerary?

 

This is a 10-day Southern Caribbean Holiday Cruise on Zuiderdam.

[Iamthesea]

Tricia724

 

Thank you . ;)

 

Right now, the price difference to upgrade to a Neptune would range from $330pp - $670pp+. The lower being a GTY which we do not want. And there are only 3 cabins in the SB & SA categories that we would like the location. The last open category has the two Neptune Suites at the very bow...no thanks.

 

DH and I have previously been in a standard SS, while my parents had the Neptune. We have also stayed in one of the Carnival Suites that was laid out like the Neptune. And contrary to your liking, I did not like the dressing/make-up area being squeezed in between the hallway and bathroom. I remember it getting hot and stuffy...especially when my DH was showering. I much prefer using the dresser out in the cabin. However, it's not a deal breaker. The laundry would be helpful, especially since we are disembarking and going to another ship (we do have free laundry on Celebrity, though.) The lounge would be a plus! And is there free internet for the Neptune?

 

Like you, we do like extra space especially when the cruise is a long one. This cruise will only be 7 nights.

 

I guess we will wait and see if we get an upsell offer. If the offer is too good to be true, then we would probably upgrade. If not, we will be perfectly happy where we are. We booked through a TA, and sometimes those do not come through in a timely manner.

 

When you accept an upsell, are you able to choose your stateroom?

[Iamthesea]

I do a mock booking once a month or so to see if the price has dropped. We use an online TA associated with one of the big box stores. On their website, once you click on an available cabin, a window pops up with a list of fares. Right now it shows 3 different fares with and without the Explore4 package.

 

That's interesting that you get multiple pricing options. My big box TA shows the one price when I do a mock booking. I am assuming it is without the Explore4.

 

Our TA does give incentives. For our upcoming cruise, we put down a reduce deposit of only $200, and received a really good rate! Plus...

1) Prepaid Gratuities for two (from TA, I think) 2) $200 Onboard Credit from HAL and 3) $200 Onboard Credit + another $50 (from TA.)

[teamjess]

Can you please tell me what you mean by "Big Box TA?"

[Iamthesea]

Don't quote me on this. :rolleyes: I think this is correct for the most part. Some people book their cruises through places that also sell big box items for your home. For instance, Sam's Club. However, that's not the type of 'big box' agency that I use.

 

My TA works for a large online travel agency group that specialize in cruises. They handle bookings for most all cruise lines...large and small, ocean and river cruises. Sometimes I can deal directly with my personal TA by email and phone. Other times, if she is out of the office, I have to deal with another agent.

 

The big box agencies can offer better rates and deals because they buy large groups of rooms at a discount from the cruiseline. Then basically resell them. If you Google "travel agents that specialize in cruises" you will come up with some online agencies. I noticed that mine is not be listed, but it is one of the largest, and one that many on CruiseCritic use. ;)

[vkmtlqc]

Can you please tell me what you mean by "Big Box TA?"

 

This would be a travel agent associated with one of the major warehouse-type retail chains. (Forums like Cruise Critic do not allow us to post the actual name of the chain/TA, so we have to use a descriptor phrase instead).