booking rules question

[coldweather]

Good Day.

 

I have cruised for many years across multiple cruise lines.  We are looking at a 5 day Liberty of the Seas cruise where we would book 3 adults into 1 cabin using a guarantee rate. 

My questions are to understand the Royal process for booking and possibly changing names/number of people in the cabin.

 

Questions:

1. Can I price match a guarantee cabin until final payment? In other words, if I book a 3 person guarantee today and the price drops can I get the lower price until final payment?  

2. What is the process/penalty if I need to switch my guarantee cabin from 2 adults to 3 adults?  Do I get the updated pricing at the time of the change.  (This would be prior to final payment.)

 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

 

[Biker19]

Just now, coldweather said:

1. Can I price match a guarantee cabin until final payment? In other words, if I book a 3 person guarantee today and the price drops can I get the lower price until final payment?  

2. What is the process/penalty if I need to switch my guarantee cabin from 2 adults to 3 adults?  Do I get the updated pricing at the time of the change. 

Yes.

Yes - that change would likely trigger a reprice since it's likely a different category.

[SoloAlaska]

It was much cheaper for us to book 2 rooms than to get a room for 3 adults on a 2025 cruise. So we booked a balcony for 2 adults and an interior for 1 and a ghost booking. This way if another wants to join us we have the rate locked in but if there isn’t we can cancel that ghost and save a few hundred dollars. Our RCI cruise is charging 200% for solos so the saving is just the taxes and port fees etc. Our TA just told us to make sure to update the name 3 months before our cruise date.

[Ourusualbeach]

11 minutes ago, SoloAlaska said:

Our TA just told us to make sure to update the name 3 months before our cruise date.

It can be updated as late as 48 hours prior to sailing

[firefly333]

10 minutes ago, SoloAlaska said:

It was much cheaper for us to book 2 rooms than to get a room for 3 adults on a 2025 cruise. So we booked a balcony for 2 adults and an interior for 1 and a ghost booking. This way if another wants to join us we have the rate locked in but if there isn’t we can cancel that ghost and save a few hundred dollars. Our RCI cruise is charging 200% for solos so the saving is just the taxes and port fees etc. Our TA just told us to make sure to update the name 3 months before our cruise date.

It might have changed but when my TA checked you didnt need to book a ghost, to be able to add someone to a 2 person cabin. .. now I get DP340 so yes, but not a regular rate, not necessary at the time I asked. 

[SoloAlaska]

35 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

It might have changed but when my TA checked you didnt need to book a ghost, to be able to add someone to a 2 person cabin. .. now I get DP340 so yes, but not a regular rate, not necessary at the time I asked. 

Either way adding a ghost is easy and my friend thinks it’s really funny she’s “coming” on my family vacation. If she has vacation time and no one else is coming she’s more than welcome to join us though. 

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, SoloAlaska said:

Either way adding a ghost is easy and my friend thinks it’s really funny she’s “coming” on my family vacation. If she has vacation time and no one else is coming she’s more than welcome to join us though. 

Be sure and delete her before you sail, or you wouldnt get the extra solo pt. 

[Another_Critic]

Just now, firefly333 said:

Be sure and delete her before you sail, or you wouldnt get the extra solo pt. 

If it was booked as a double, it's my understanding that you no longer get the extra point when dropping the 2nd passenger.

[firefly333]

Just now, Another_Critic said:

If it was booked as a double, it's my understanding that you no longer get the extra point when dropping the 2nd passenger.

I thought as long as you dropped the 2nd pax before you sailed you got the pt.

 

Maybe @Ourusualbeachknows. 

[Woody14]

Just a note:    All said above is assuming you are American.  There are lots of people from other countries on here and the rules are different for different countries.

 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Another_Critic said:

If it was booked as a double, it's my understanding that you no longer get the extra point when dropping the 2nd passenger.

When you drop the second passenger the booking becomes a solo booking earning the extra point for a solo booking.

[PhillyFan33579]

34 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

When you drop the second passenger the booking becomes a solo booking earning the extra point for a solo booking.

You only get the double points for a regular cabin if you pay the fare for two passengers (rules for D+ with 340 points or more is different). From my personal experience, when I have cancelled a second passenger ahead of time I have gotten the double points when I paid for the “missing” second passenger but I didn’t get double points when I cancelled a second passenger and RCI didn’t charge me for the second person. RCI doesn’t seem to be consistent on how they handle that situation, but that is a different story. Additionally, I have never gotten double points when someone I cruised with was a no show and I ended up in the cabin alone. On a side note, I have always gotten double points when cruising solo on a casino comped cruise. 

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I didn’t get double points when I cancelled a second passenger and RCI didn’t charge me for the second person.

With a competent CSR or a TA, that should not happen. 

 

9 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Additionally, I have never gotten double points when someone I cruised with was a no show and I ended up in the cabin alone.

 You must not have had that happen before early 2020 - that was the norm back then.

[PhillyFan33579]

9 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

With a competent CSR or a TA, that should not happen. 

 

 You must not have had that happen before early 2020 - that was the norm back then.

My first cruise on RCI was in January 2020 so I don’t have any experiences specific to RCI prior to that time.  Agree with you about a competent (or not so competent) CSR. 

[Ourusualbeach]

57 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

From my personal experience, when I have cancelled a second passenger ahead of time I have gotten the double points when I paid for the “missing” second passenger but I didn’t get double points when I cancelled a second passenger and RCI didn’t charge me for the second person.

Royal charges for 2 people in the cabin (90% of the time, on rare occasions there may be a special where you get a reduced rate)

 

Because they charge for 2 if you drop a passenger there is nothing "extra" to pay.  Dropping a passendger does not trigger a reprice unless you also change categories

[cruiseboy89130]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I thought as long as you dropped the 2nd pax before you sailed you got the pt.

 

Maybe @Ourusualbeachknows. 

@Ourusualbeach If you drop before final - do you get double points? Any extra steps needed? Thanks!

[Biker19]

Just now, cruiseboy89130 said:

If you drop before final - do you get double points?

It doesn't matter when you modify the booking to a solo as long as it's before pier check in.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Biker19

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, cruiseboy89130 said:

@Ourusualbeach If you drop before final - do you get double points? Any extra steps needed? Thanks!

Yes, drop the second passenger prior to final payment and you get the double points. 

 

The reason that no shows no longer get the double points is that Royal holds that second passengers money in penalty (it does not get applied to the first guest. The reason it is officially held in penalty is in case the no show files an insurance claim Royal can issue the letter of the penalty withheld and as such the first passenger did not pay the full double occupancy rate.