More Pricing Shenanigans

[Ret MP]

18 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That's probably because "routine" price drops before final payment are not related to that FAQ.

 

What does that FAQ/Policy refer to?  

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

 

What does that FAQ/Policy refer to?  

If the price drops within 48 hours of booking. 

[Biker19]

33 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

 

What does that FAQ/Policy refer to?  

The same one you just quoted. 

[Ret MP]

5 hours ago, firefly333 said:

If the price drops within 48 hours of booking. 

Yep, and the way I read it, after the 48 hours of booking a cruise, if the cruise fare is lowered by sale or any other wording someone would like to use, you're out of luck, there will be no price matching/Price Guarantee.  

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Ret MP said:

Yep, and the way I read it, after the 48 hours of booking a cruise, if the cruise fare is lowered by sale or any other wording someone would like to use, you're out of luck, there will be no price matching/Price Guarantee.  

Just because some issue is not addressed in a FAQ or offically published policy, one can't assume it doesn't happen.

[Ret MP]

4 hours ago, Biker19 said:

The same one you just quoted. 

That's not an answer to the question.  Let me put it another way.  If I buy a book a cruise today, I'll just whole numbers, $2,000.00, and in a week or so the price drops to $1,900.00, the price change came after the 48-hour cut-off for the Price Guarantee but I fill out the forme I linked to where it has the 48-hour caveat, then I get squat.  Right?

[Biker19]

10 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Right?

No, most cruises booked in the US are eligible for price drops not governed by the 48 hour price guarantee - it's a separate unpublished policy. This is all outside of final payment.

Edited May 29, 2023 by Biker19

[CruisingHogFan]

On 5/28/2023 at 12:18 PM, BecciBoo said:

 

 

Mollie, This is the exact scenario and I talked to 2 different reps, they would not allow it.  They both said not now.  Would not allow the military refund and my final pay date is June 5th yet.  I have done this several times in the past and they always did as you said...not anymore!

I’ve never experienced an issue before final payment date.  Just did a price drop on one of our 2024 cruises with the last sale.

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

No, most cruises booked in the US are eligible for price drops not governed by the 48 hour price guarantee - it's a separate unpublished policy.

But, IT IS addressed in their FAQ/Policy/Terms and Conditions.  And I've said that I can't address or defend what RCCL sporadically enforces or not.  

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/resources/best-price-guarantee

 

That link is to the form and it says "Terms and Conditions".  

 

The FAQ is a mirror of the "Terms and Conditions" that's at the bottom of the form you fill out and attempt to get the "Price Reduction".  The Terms and Conditions are Policy and Legally binding.  

 

What RCCL's management tells it's Phone Answerers to enforce today or tomorrow has no bearing on what THEIR policy(ies) are.  And that's my point, there is a policy, enforced or not.

 

 

[Ret MP]

13 minutes ago, CruisingHogFan said:

I’ve never experienced an issue before final payment date.  Just did a price drop on one of our 2024 cruises with the last sale.

And I'm happy for you.  I've had price drops too.  Not recently though.  That's not my point.  Apparently, there have been some folks that have not been able to use the Price Guarantee out of the 48-hour restriction.   

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

But, IT IS addressed in their FAQ/Policy/Terms and Conditions. 

While not made obvious in their FAQ, that (48 hour) policy is mainly for price drops inside final payment - you can tell by the language in the FAQ: :"All Royal Caribbean Best Price Guarantee claim forms must be submitted on-line within 48 hours of reserving your cruise and verified by Royal Caribbean in order to qualify for the onboard credit."

 

All "regular" price drops are an adjustment (lowering) to the price - there's no OBC given. There's no "form" to submit for "regular" price drops. Again, RCI does some things not governed by official easy to digest published policy. 

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Apparently, there have been some folks that have not been able to use the Price Guarantee out of the 48-hour restriction.   

That is very likely due to incompetent CSRs, not because of policy.

[CruisingHogFan]

4 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

And I'm happy for you.  I've had price drops too.  Not recently though.  That's not my point.  Apparently, there have been some folks that have not been able to use the Price Guarantee out of the 48-hour restriction.   

Because they are two different things… Others have mentioned this as well

[sowhat]

Royal Caribbean  is running advertisements  on television  at peak times, so if they are spending  a lot of money  on advertising,  booking  must be slow and trying  to gain  interest  for people  to book  at high prices

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

While not made obvious in their FAQ, that (48 hour) policy is mainly for price drops inside final payment - you can tell by the language in the FAQ: :"All Royal Caribbean Best Price Guarantee claim forms must be submitted on-line within 48 hours of reserving your cruise and verified by Royal Caribbean in order to qualify for the onboard credit."

 

All "regular" price drops are an adjustment (lowering) to the price - there's no OBC given. There's no "form" to submit for "regular" price drops. Again, RCI does some things not governed by official easy to digest published policy. 

I see where you are coming from, I have seen where you are coming from.  But, it does say:

 

Spot a better price on your booked cruise?

 

Our Best Price Guarantee lets you take advantage of a better price within 48 hours from the time you booked— just give us a call or use our online form. You’ll receive the difference as a non-refundable onboard credit inside final payment or rate adjustment outside final payment.

 

And included in that is, if you do it within the 48 hours, you are eligible for an "onboard Credit inside final payment" OR "rate adjustment outside final payment".  And one of the two ways of getting the 'Price Guarantee" is to fill out the form within the 48-hour time frame.

 

Again, and again, with this policy in mind, RCCL could AT ANY TIME just cut off any requests done inside or outside of the 48-hour caveat. It's just like the one bottle of wine restriction that seems like many folks are getting away with bringing onboard more, RCCL could/can crack down on it at ANY TIME it feels like it.  

 

So, if I, you, or my TA calls RCCL and requests the Price Guarantee be applied to a cruise I booked 3 months ago but is still outside of the "final payment" date, I'll get the price drop?  My answer:  RCCL many give it.  But, based on their own policy, they don't have to.  

 

Well, that's about all I have to say, this is getting too long, again.  I'm not going to debate for pages and pages anymore.   

[CruisingHogFan]

1 hour ago, sowhat said:

Royal Caribbean  is running advertisements  on television  at peak times, so if they are spending  a lot of money  on advertising,  booking  must be slow and trying  to gain  interest  for people  to book  at high prices
 

You might want to read the shareholders report before you say bookings are slow

[sandy toes]

On 5/25/2023 at 8:46 AM, SafetyHarbor said:

Yes, just got off the phone with them.  There's nothing they can do, nor do they feel it's unfair to list a price online that can't actually be purchased since "sales come and go within minutes".  And they can't honor the price originally paid anymore.  The CSR's advice was to "keep checking multiple times each day, and when a better price comes up call us to make sure it's still available" before cancelling/rebooking. What a business model.

I have learned, as you have, not to cancel before getting the new, better, lower sale price shown as part of the newest, and greatest sale offer. I attempt to book the newest rate, and after it is successful, I cancel the prior one. It is the only way I can make it work. I am sorry you lost your first real deal to the wind. I know when buying for a cabin it can get pricey. 

[sandy toes]

2 hours ago, Ret MP said:

I see where you are coming from, I have seen where you are coming from.  But, it does say:

 

Spot a better price on your booked cruise?

 

Our Best Price Guarantee lets you take advantage of a better price within 48 hours from the time you booked— just give us a call or use our online form. You’ll receive the difference as a non-refundable onboard credit inside final payment or rate adjustment outside final payment.

 

And included in that is, if you do it within the 48 hours, you are eligible for an "onboard Credit inside final payment" OR "rate adjustment outside final payment".  And one of the two ways of getting the 'Price Guarantee" is to fill out the form within the 48-hour time frame.

 

Again, and again, with this policy in mind, RCCL could AT ANY TIME just cut off any requests done inside or outside of the 48-hour caveat. It's just like the one bottle of wine restriction that seems like many folks are getting away with bringing onboard more, RCCL could/can crack down on it at ANY TIME it feels like it.  

 

So, if I, you, or my TA calls RCCL and requests the Price Guarantee be applied to a cruise I booked 3 months ago but is still outside of the "final payment" date, I'll get the price drop?  My answer:  RCCL many give it.  But, based on their own policy, they don't have to.  

 

Well, that's about all I have to say, this is getting too long, again.  I'm not going to debate for pages and pages anymore.   

I just last week had 2 cruises drop, one late 24, and they asked me if I wanted a charge credit or an OBC. I took the charge credit. The other cruise is past final payment and I thought what the...and called. I was given an OBC. Don't know if I have been blessed by the person answering the line or by King Titan himself used some magic but I got a refund 4 months after booking, and 42 days prior to sailing an OBC. ALWAYS call and try. 

[sandy toes]

On 5/25/2023 at 3:00 PM, neverlaysup said:

Celebrity is up to the same shenanigans. Below is the sale price for the drink package yesterday (50% off) and today (50% off), 

Isn't that simple supply and demand? Yesterday, sold a bunch, now today not as many to sell , so they charge more for fewer total items. 

[sowhat]

8 hours ago, CruisingHogFan said:

You might want to read the shareholders report before you say bookings are slow

So why are they  advertising   on television at great  expense  when the ships are full.

[drunag]

8 hours ago, sandy toes said:

I have learned, as you have, not to cancel before getting the new, better, lower sale price shown as part of the newest, and greatest sale offer. I attempt to book the newest rate, and after it is successful, I cancel the prior one. It is the only way I can make it work. I am sorry you lost your first real deal to the wind. I know when buying for a cabin it can get pricey. 

 

would you not lose out on the non-refundable portion of the cancelled fare? 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

3 hours ago, sowhat said:

So why are they  advertising   on television at great  expense  when the ships are full.



 

Because they're not advertising for the cruises sailing this week, the next week, or even the next month.  They want to get people hooked going forward.  Same reason Disney advertises.  Their parks are full, and they're spending money.  

 

Advertising to is KEEP the people coming.  You don't stop because you currently are filling the ships. 

[Pandamonia]

12 hours ago, CruisingHogFan said:

You might want to read the shareholders report before you say bookings are slow

 

What happens when all the FCC run out? 

 

Ive been on 3 weeks of cruises now just on mostly FCC vouchers from one pre pandemic holiday that got cancelled. I know people that had significantly more FCC than i did. 

 

Demand is softening over the whole world economy as rates increase and growth stalls. Royal is not a special company with a unique service or product catering to the super rich. Its a floating bargain bucket serving overpriced beer and average quality food which thinks there is no upper limit on its pricing and no shortage of demand. 

 

 

[marci22]

I've been watching the price of the 3 night dining package on my cruise. Today it is showing at $78.99 per guest!  Of course it is -Sold out-

[brevardcruiser]

Royal just like any other company in business to make money.  If someone is willing to spend they will gladly sell it.  Every company just like car dealerships has gimmicks to entice buyers of their product and service.  Do what makes you happy!