Can I book a room for 4 and cancel one person?

[jp2746]

So I have been looking for a cruise next summer and I have one son who will probably not go.  So, there will probably be three of us.  Just in case, I checked a room for 4 vs. a room for 3.  It was cheaper for 4 because the oceanview was sold out for 3.  Can I book for 4 and just cancel one of our kids since it is cheaper?  I understand we can change the name for a fee, but I don't know if I want to share a small room with anyone besides our kids.

[PhillyFan33579]

5 minutes ago, jp2746 said:

So I have been looking for a cruise next summer and I have one son who will probably not go.  So, there will probably be three of us.  Just in case, I checked a room for 4 vs. a room for 3.  It was cheaper for 4 because the oceanview was sold out for 3.  Can I book for 4 and just cancel one of our kids since it is cheaper?  I understand we can change the name for a fee, but I don't know if I want to share a small room with anyone besides our kids.

Depending on demand, there could be a good chance they will move you to a 3 person cabin if you cancel and the location might not be where you want to be on the ship. 

Edited August 18, 2022 by PhillyFan33579

[thepla]

7 minutes ago, jp2746 said:

So I have been looking for a cruise next summer and I have one son who will probably not go.  So, there will probably be three of us.  Just in case, I checked a room for 4 vs. a room for 3.  It was cheaper for 4 because the oceanview was sold out for 3.  Can I book for 4 and just cancel one of our kids since it is cheaper?  I understand we can change the name for a fee, but I don't know if I want to share a small room with anyone besides our kids.

We booked three and only two showed up. Since two adults and one free child it was no big deal.

 

We were in Dubai, msc. Sorry wrong cruise line. Not sure would be ok here.

Edited August 18, 2022 by thepla

[njkruzer]

Can you just have the 4th person be a no show? I think you'd get the taxes and fees back.

[jp2746]

So I would just show up and since he didn’t make it they would give us taxes and fees back?  That would be great.
 

I’m not really worried about the room changing.  It’s just $500 more for three. I don’t understand why they don’t give you a four person room option?  Instead they show that they are sold out of that category for three. 

[Starry Eyes]

12 minutes ago, jp2746 said:

So I would just show up and since he didn’t make it they would give us taxes and fees back?  That would be great.
 

I’m not really worried about the room changing.  It’s just $500 more for three. I don’t understand why they don’t give you a four person room option?  Instead they show that they are sold out of that category for three. 

Yes, if the fourth does not make it to the pier you will get taxes and fees back.  Booking this way also gives you lots of time to firm up 4th passenger’s plans.

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, jp2746 said:

I understand we can change the name for a fee

There's no fee to change names on a booking.

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Depending on demand, there could be a good chance they will move you to a 3 person cabin if you cancel and the location might not be where you want to be on the ship. 

There's virtually no chance of that - depending on the ship/category there may be no cabins at all with only an occupancy of three (in the same major category as the occupancy of four) - most cabins which have an occupancy of more than 2, can usually have either three or four (2S on O class being an exception). In the rare cases when someone may get moved it's when they drop from 3 or 4 down to 2 - then they may get moved to a cabin designated for only two.

[Sunshine3601]

IMO, You are best to just do no show for your son if he doesn't go.   Yes, they will refund port taxes and fees for no shows.

[BND]

I agree.  Just do a no show and then you don't have to worry about a move.  

[RobInMN]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but if I understand correctly from other posts on the boards, if you change the number of people in the room, they will re-price the room at the current room rate, not the rates at which you booked?? In many cases, it may actually be cheaper to just have #4 be a no-show. This would be especially true if you booked super early, and only cancelling the person with a couple months to go.

[Biker19]

52 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but if I understand correctly from other posts on the boards, if you change the number of people in the room, they will re-price the room at the current room rate, not the rates at which you booked?

Dropping the fourth person from a cabin should not trigger a reprice.

[RobInMN]

12 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Dropping the fourth person from a cabin should not trigger a reprice.

Thanks! I really wasn't sure, but other posts made it sound like that might be the case. Glad it's not.

[Starry Eyes]

OP, you did not mention the age of your 4th passenger.  If perchance your 4th is older and you become really certain that real fourth family member will not be going on the cruise, you could price that cabin for four with a fictional young small child as the fourth passenger to see if that gives a better rate (such as kids sail free).  If the price is lower you could make up a random kiddos name and dob as they will be a no show.  

[Homosassa]

OP, you might want to go the the cruise line website and read the conditions in the ticket contract about cancellations. 

 

There is verbiage about "no shows" or cancellation of the third or fourth passenger in a cabin.

 

[rudeney]

1 hour ago, ChC said:

I always advice other people that do not abuse the system. There are loopholes in system like no-show in this case. But if too many people are taking advantage of this in order to lower the price (for instance, there are cruises where 2 person in a cabin is cheaper than a solo), the cruise line may exercise their right to reprice the cabin. Then no fun for any of us. I know the chance of cruise line take a turn in policy is not very practical as they allowed certain loopholes for so long. But, please do not abuse the system (like make up names and date of birth, that is really too low and outright fraud). 

 

In OP's case, you should just book 4 as your fourth passenger is genuine. If the fourth passenger can not make it, too bad. But I really do have problem with one of the poster above suggesting making up names etc. Please don't go down that route.

 

Booking 4 people in a cabin for less (total price) than 3 people is based on RCCL's expectation of making additional non-fare revenue from that 4th person in shorex, drink/dining packages, etc.  As with all of their pricing, they are playing games.  I see no problem with customers who figure that out playing the game their own way.  

[rudeney]

Yes, I support @Starry Eyes suggestion because I see RCCL's pricing as a game.  They run perpetual "sales" that are not really sales.  They are at best just marketing gimmicks and at worst bait-and-switch.  If I were booking a cruise for 3 and that booking for 4 was less expensive, I'd book it for 4.  I might not make up a fictitious name, but I'd use another friend or family member, knowing full well that there would be little to no chance of that person (or child) being on the cruise.  

[Starry Eyes]

Oops, I offended someone.  So, please don’t dream up a name…instead pick the young friend or family member you can most imagine inviting along and use that little darling’s name/ dob.   (There are so many great kids I ‘d have trouble picking if it were me.). Hey, the idea is apt to grow on you and the adorable sprite may join you🤷‍♀️…if not, don’t panic if they no show.

[Ourusualbeach]

I have had this happen several.times for clients.  

 

While technically any room that holds 4 should be able to hold 3 and therefore you should be able to cancel the 4th off the reservation without a reprice and get the fare reduced by the fare for the 4th guest what occasionally happens is that Royal restricts occupancy to only 4 guests.  They will not allow you to book 3 guests in a certain category because they want to increase capacity.

 

When this happens you cannot cancel the 4th guest or you will in most cases be moved to a triple occupancy cabin.  You can have the 4th be a no show and get taxes and fees back, you can also wait and hope that as it gets closer to sailing that Royal reduces the occupancy requirements so that you can cancel the 4th guest and get the full fare of that 4th guest removed.  After final you can even do this up to the start of the 100% penalty phase as there are different rules for cancelling 3rd and 4th guests