Crown and Anchor Emerald benefit

[sandy00039]

Can anyone tell me how much the balcony discount is for emerald level C & A?

[Clarea]

9 minutes ago, sandy00039 said:

Can anyone tell me how much the balcony discount is for emerald level C & A?

 

Emerald Balcony Discount When Booking More than 6 Months from Sailing Date:
$ 75 * for sailings of 3-5 nights
$125* for sailings of 6-9 nights
$225* for sailings of 10+ nights

 

* Deduct $25 if booking less than 6 months in advance.

 

Note also that if you are booking under one of Royal's fake sales, these numbers will be less.

[sandy00039]

Thanks for the quick reply.  Did you move from Illinois to Florida?

[Clarea]

48 minutes ago, sandy00039 said:

Thanks for the quick reply.  Did you move from Illinois to Florida?

 

Yes, and loving every minute!

[jagsfan]

I’m now curious about balcony discounts. 

I just looked at my guest confirmations for Serenade and Harmony. 

Neither lists a balcony discount, only the money off for whichever sale is in effect. 

How do we know we got the discount??

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

I’m now curious about balcony discounts. 

I just looked at my guest confirmations for Serenade and Harmony. 

Neither lists a balcony discount, only the money off for whichever sale is in effect. 

How do we know we got the discount??

 

There should be a line item on your booking confirmation with something like "CAS Balc Suite" at the far left.

[jagsfan]

10 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

There should be a line item on your booking confirmation with something like "CAS Balc Suite" at the far left.

Nope!

Serenade was a balcony stateroom and Harmony a Jr Suite. Neither has it!

I’m going to find out why!

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

Nope!

Serenade was a balcony stateroom and Harmony a Jr Suite. Neither has it!

I’m going to find out why!

 

Sometimes Royal deems that a price includes an "instant discount" (or some other term they use to diminish C&A benefits). This is not normally combinable with the C&A balcony discount, so you may have the best deal you can get.

[Merion_Mom]

I have never lost my balcony discount, regardless of other pricing.

[dani negreanu]

29 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

I have never lost my balcony discount, regardless of other pricing.

 

I'm on the phone with my travel agent in Miami, booking a balcony 10 months out, and giving her my C&A #, and mentioning that I'm Diamond.

 

She quotes me a 50$ discount, while at the same time saying: "If you take this, you're loosing our (TA) 75$ OBC benefit". This 50$ is nowhere near the 225$ discount I'm supposed to get...

 

Now, that the booking was made, shall I "escalate" and ask for a definite answer??? Thanks,

 

[Ourusualbeach]

32 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

I have never lost my balcony discount, regardless of other pricing.

With the platinum and emerald balcony discounts being a low value many times the OBC or instant savings is many times higher.  The two are not combinable so it defaults to which one is the better deal.

 

In your case your balcony discount is always a better deal so you would never lose it you just would not have received the OBC or instant savings.

 

the 60% off is combinable with the balcony discount just not the instant savings or OBC 

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

I'm on the phone with my travel agent in Miami, booking a balcony 10 months out, and giving her my C&A #, and mentioning that I'm Diamond.

 

She quotes me a 50$ discount, while at the same time saying: "If you take this, you're loosing our (TA) 75$ OBC benefit". This 50$ is nowhere near the 225$ discount I'm supposed to get...

 

Now, that the booking was made, shall I "escalate" and ask for a definite answer??? Thanks,

 

The $75 that the TA is giving you is coming out of their commission and they can choose not to give it if you apply any other discounts.  This is between you and Royal.  I’ve also heard of TA’s not allowing c&A discounts if they are booking you in a group although I don’t know why.  Might be time to shop for a new TA.

 

 

[davekathy]

17 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

I'm on the phone with my travel agent in Miami, booking a balcony 10 months out, and giving her my C&A #, and mentioning that I'm Diamond.

 

She quotes me a 50$ discount, while at the same time saying: "If you take this, you're loosing our (TA) 75$ OBC benefit". This 50$ is nowhere near the 225$ discount I'm supposed to get...

 

Now, that the booking was made, shall I "escalate" and ask for a definite answer??? Thanks,

 

I would. I would have asked the TA to explain at the time of booking the cruise why you weren't given the  $225.00 diamond balcony discount. I understand why you would be losing the TA OBC. but I would have not accepted the loss. I transferred our  B2B 2021 Rhapsody cruises we booked while on a Celebrity cruise to a TA when we got home and the TA also gave us free gratuities plus OBC.  

Edited January 8, 2020 by davekathy

[Merion_Mom]

14 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

With the platinum and emerald balcony discounts being a low value many times the OBC or instant savings is many times higher.  The two are not combinable so it defaults to which one is the better deal.

 

In your case your balcony discount is always a better deal so you would never lose it you just would not have received the OBC or instant savings.

 

the 60% off is combinable with the balcony discount just not the instant savings or OBC 

 

 

Example:  I recently booked a cruise.  In the details it lists: 60% off pricing, balcony discount (for the amount I expected), residency discount, "deal" discount.  So I received them all.

[Sunshine3601]

I would just skip booking with TA and book directly with RCCL to get all the discounts and OBC due to you.

[Merion_Mom]

1 minute ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

Example:  I recently booked a cruise.  In the details it lists: 60% off pricing, balcony discount (for the amount I expected), residency discount, "deal" discount.  So I received them all.

 

Maybe they just love me more.  😄 

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

Example:  I recently booked a cruise.  In the details it lists: 60% off pricing, balcony discount (for the amount I expected), residency discount, "deal" discount.  So I received them all.

You got a good deal.

 

Every promo is different but usually the instant savings and the OBC offers are not combinable with the balcony discount.

 

Residency, 60% off and balcony discount are all combinable. 

[dani negreanu]

38 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I’ve also heard of TA’s not allowing c&A discounts if they are booking you in a group although I don’t know why.

 

Thanks, Ken.

Yes, it is also a group booking and for that they gave me an additional 50$. So all in all 125$ v. 225$....

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, dani negreanu said:

 

Thanks, Ken.

Yes, it is also a group booking and for that they gave me an additional 50$. So all in all 125$ v. 225$....

 

 

With the group bookings the only OBC that should be lost is the $50 early booking bonus (book more than 6 months prior to sailing) this is offered by Royal and is not combinable with the Balcony discount.  The $50  amenity OBC is combinable with the balcony discount and Royal will let you use your full balcony discount within the group.

 

It’s too bad that your TA is no5 letting you use the balcony discount. 

[dani negreanu]

52 minutes ago, davekathy said:

I would. I would have asked the TA to explain at the time of booking the cruise why you weren't given the  $225.00 diamond balcony discount.

 

Thanks, Dave.

 

I'm going to do just that.

 

I've booked just before X-mas, when "my" agent was already on holiday...

 

I'm calling on my "dime" long distance from Israel, and English not being my mother tongue, it is difficult for me to have a "discussion" when I'm not exactly understanding the agent's accent.

 

The same will be if I'll phone directly RC.

 

With "my" agent, emails are enough....

Edited January 8, 2020 by dani negreanu

[twangster]

When I was at the lower levels of CAS sometimes the CAS balcony discount didn't always produce the lowest price.  My TA would tell me and even show me... here the best rate I can find for you and here is the rate with the CAS balcony discount.  If I insisted she would have booked the higher CAS rate but that would be silly.

 

As I've grown up in CAS the balcony discount has more frequently been the best rate.  

 

Also be aware that the CAS balcony discount is not always combinable with NextCruise OBC or you'll get a reduced NextCruise OBC when you use the CAS balcony discount.  I missed out on a $100 in Next OBC on the Symphony transatlantic that way.  Appealed to Miami and was denied.  

[davekathy]

15 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Thanks, Dave.

 

I'm going to do just that.

 

I've booked just before X-mas, when "my" agent was already on holiday...

 

I'm calling on my "dime" long distance from Israel, and English not being my mother tongue, it is difficult for me to have a "discussion" when I'm not exactly understanding the agent's accent.

 

The same will be if I'll phone directly RC.

 

With "my" agent, emails are enough....

Dani...I understand and hopefully it all works out for you and you're happy with the end results. I always book with the cruise line first and then call a TA to see if they can sweeten the offer but take nothing away from the original booking (cost, perks and C&A balcony discount). 

Edited January 8, 2020 by davekathy

[Clarea]

53 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

Example:  I recently booked a cruise.  In the details it lists: 60% off pricing, balcony discount (for the amount I expected), residency discount, "deal" discount.  So I received them all.

 

But you probably did not receive the full balcony discount.

 

The invoice may have showed the full discount, but RC deducts the balcony discount from the fake base price and then applies the fake sale discount, so the effect is that you do not get the full balcony discount.  If they would apply the fake discount first and then deduct the balcony discount, you would get the full value of the balcony discount.

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

But you probably did not receive the full balcony discount.

 

The invoice may have showed the full discount, but RC deducts the balcony discount from the fake base price and then applies the fake sale discount, so the effect is that you do not get the full balcony discount.  If they would apply the fake discount first and then deduct the balcony discount, you would get the full value of the balcony discount.

Bob, they have actually fixed this.  Although how  you described was accurate previously,  the bookings that I just checked did have the full value if the C&A discount applied.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Bob, they have actually fixed this.  Although how  you described was accurate previously,  the bookings that I just checked did have the full value if the C&A discount applied.

 

 

 

Hey, you mean we may have had some effect on how they apply the discount?  That's great, and I'm pleased to be wrong on this!