Fare Adjustments

[ducklite]

I just noticed that there is a $200 per stateroom credit for the cruise that I have booked next year on a promotion that ends this week.

 

If I call, will I get this credit on my current booking?

 

Is there a limit to the number of times you can get a price adjustment?  If applicable and I take this, will it exclude me from a future fare reduction?  (I'm thinking that if it would I might be better off waiting for a fare reduction, as it's likely to be at least double what the credit is.)

 

I've only sailed on charters with Windstar before, so this is new to me with this line.

 

Thanks!

[wripro]

Have your TA call and check it out.

[ducklite]

33 minutes ago, wripro said:

Have your TA call and check it out.

I don't use a TA.  I like to have control of my reservations without the monkey in the middle of a third party.

[new_cruiser]

You can go ahead and try. Someone else posted earlier that they had tried and Windstar didn't consider the OBC offer to be covered by the price adjustment policy. 

 

If fares drop, you can get fare adjustment more than once. On my last two cruises, the fare went down 2 or 3 times during the time covered by the price assurance policy and they lowered the fare each time. (Note, under the policy they can lower the fare, compensate with OBC or an upgrade.) For my 2020 cruise, the fare has only gone up so I haven't had a chance to try it this time.

 

I use a TA mainly because my TA gives me OBC. 

Edited August 27, 2019 by new_cruiser

[new_cruiser]

In fairness, I should also say that my TA is more than just a "monkey in the middle".  A good TA can have more influence than an individual customer because of the amount of business the TA handles. They can also allow for handling things more efficiently.

 

I'd booked a cruise directly with Windstar just as they were switching to a new booking system (the Windstar person who handled it said it was the first she had booked on the new system). A few days later, I saw that the room assignment had changed - apparently due to problems in coordinating the new and old reservations. I wasn't able to get any satisfaction from Windstar about it. I transferred the booking to my TA who got Windstar to give us some OBC to make up for the mistake. 

 

When there is a fare drop under the price assurance policy, I just send a quick email to my TA. Usually by the next day, I get an email back letting me know the price has been adjusted. That takes less time for me than calling Windstar.

[minidonuts85]

I've done this before where the price of the cruise was the same as my original booking and then an OBC came along similar to what you are experiencing. I called and they rebooked my reservation under the OBC promo. It was a $50/fee per person but that is passed along in OBC anyway.

[wripro]

21 hours ago, ducklite said:

I don't use a TA.  I like to have control of my reservations without the monkey in the middle of a third party.

 

21 hours ago, ducklite said:

I don't use a TA.  I like to have control of my reservations without the monkey in the middle of a third party.

 

21 hours ago, ducklite said:

I don't use a TA.  I like to have control of my reservations without the monkey in the middle of a third party.

Then I guess you get to control whether you get the fare difference. Those " monkeys" have connections that can get thongs that you can't.

[ducklite]

2 hours ago, wripro said:

 

 

Then I guess you get to control whether you get the fare difference. Those " monkeys" have connections that can get thongs that you can't.

Having control of my booking is priceless.  Knowing that if there is a change that happens last minute, I'll get an email to my phone from Windstar while my TA is at home sleeping and won't even see it for six or more hours.

[wripro]

21 hours ago, ducklite said:

Having control of my booking is priceless.  Knowing that if there is a change that happens last minute, I'll get an email to my phone from Windstar while my TA is at home sleeping and won't even see it for six or more hours.

So you don't sleep?

[new_cruiser]

Perhaps the cruise might be in a different time zone than the agent (e.g. start of a Europe cruise for someone from North America) so the passenger is awake but the TA isn't.

However, even when we book through a TA, Windstar has our email address. They directly sent us a Know Before You Go email before our Panama Canal cruise. We haven't had a last minute change, but if there was, I'd expect them to send it to our email address as well as the TA's.

[Cometman]

For my upcoming cruise, I called Windstar 5 times every time there was a new deal and I received every one. Never an issue.

[drneal]

They will cancel and charge $50/person.

They will re-book at the lower fare and give you a $50 OBC.

No problem.