What am I doing wrong?!!

[klfhngr]

Never get an upgrade and never get a price drop, what the .......! Any suggestions/advise?!

[cruzzingranny]

Are you Diamond Plus C&A member? If not then you can forget looking for an upgrade. Even D+ upgrades are few and far between.

Do you check the cruise price weekly? Are you checking for exclusive rates ie; senior, military, resident and newly added police and firefighter.

[ottawapuppy]

Never get an upgrade and never get a price drop, what the .......! Any suggestions/advise?!

 

Once you book, go back to the web site every day and price the same cruise you have already booked. If the price is less, and are not within the 70-day final payment window, call the cruise line and have them change your price. You have to watch it yourself. Prices will vary with capacity. We have had lots of luck with price reductions this way.

 

Check Crown & Anchor coupons that are issued as well, depending on the conditions, you might be able to apply the coupon to an existing booking.

 

After 15 cruises, we have never gotten an upgrade. We ask every time at the pier. (well, maybe not the last few times, we have given up on the dream of an cheap/free upgrade)

 

Good luck!

Mike

[klfhngr]

Thanks guys... I do periodically check for price drops... I've asked for upgrades, never seem to get one. Not Diamond...... But TC cruiser that brings in a lot of cruisers for RCI!

[rclcruzer]

I feel your pain!! I am always hoping for the same thing someday in my life :(

Geeze.....my in-laws just left yesterday out of SD on HAL for a 10 day Mex. Riv. cruise and because the ship was sailing at 1/2 capacity....yes you heard it right, 1/2... they were upgraded to the Presidential suite! Lucky! Well, this is their 19th voyage on HAL..

My upcomming Mariner cruise on the 5th I believe is sold out. I will be asking about an upgrade anyway :p Good luck, here's hoping the upgrades are on our way one day!

[RetireeWannabee]

I think you have to keep booking more and more cruises to improve your chances!!!

[Sabbo]

Consider using Cruise Shark which will check your rates and notify you before they change again.

 

Here is the thread.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=932098

[cruisenfever]

Price drops will be honored even after final payment. They will just credit back to your credit card the amount of the price drop.

 

You must keep checking.

[aurelius180]

Never get an upgrade and never get a price drop, what the .......! Any suggestions/advise?!

 

 

You're just an awesome shopper who gets the lowest price possible right off the bat. ;)

 

I was in the same boat until over the weekend I got a $280 drop for our room on a 4-nighter. It was a residency special. Keep checking...I have a feeling RCI isn't lowering their prices per se, but will offer specials like this to lower the price.

[Penton]

15 cruises on Royal Caribbean and never an upgrade but on 3 out of 4 with Holland America have been upgraded and a minimum of 6 categories on each of those!:)

[klfhngr]

Trust me, I'll keep checking... Thanks everyone for the info....

 

The HAL upgrade, to Pres. Suite?! That would be a dream come true! I'll even take a JS, lol!

[DHADEN]

Never get an upgrade and never get a price drop, what the .......! Any suggestions/advise?!

 

Only one really "bottom line answer"......

 

You are booking very popular cruises that always sell out.

 

We go in the "off" season, and I usually ALWAYS get price drops. Just got one I didn't expect on the Freedom for July (a very popular time). Had two E2 Cabins booked and got upgrades to D2's plus lowered my original invoice by $840 each cabin!!!:eek:

 

I know that didn't help you, but I couldn't help SHOUTING my glee!! :D

[cruiseguy1016]

Trust me, I'll keep checking... Thanks everyone for the info....

 

The HAL upgrade, to Pres. Suite?! That would be a dream come true! I'll even take a JS, lol!

 

The next time you check on the price, make sure you have entered all of the possible discounts that you may be eligible for (i.e. residency, senior etc.) then bookmark the page that shows the pricing for your category. Then the next time you want to check the price (I do it daily) all you have to do is go to the bookmarked page and it will show you any price changes. It saves the trouble of going through all the steps of doing a "fake" booking.

[Lynn the Cruiser]

I never get an upgrade, either, but I did get a discount this time (about $500). I still keep checking because the cruise isn't till July. I am also hoping for a senior discount because this is the first year I am able to take advantage of that!(so my luck, there probably won't be one...my OLDER friends got the discount every year they cruised with us!) Cruising during prime time doesn't help, either!

[scayuga]

I think upgrades are just a luck of the draw - nothing you can do to affect it and price drops are fairly common on most cruises and it may depend on how early (or late) you book your cruise. We usually book fairly early to get particular cabins and as a result we see both price drops and raises occur before the actual cruise. Savings also occur if you check Crown and Anchor certificates.

[Momof2angels]

I heard that while looking up a "fake" booking online you can increase your chances of a price drop if you hold clover in your left hand while balancing a rabbit's foot on your head, and tapping your mouse three times.;)

Please be aware, it doesn't work every time!:rolleyes:

One day it might work for us!:rolleyes:

[Rancher Dave]

Never get an upgrade and never get a price drop, what the .......! Any suggestions/advise?!

 

 

Too many CCL cruises...:D

 

I just got super lucky this past few days moving to an April sailing and picking up my first price drop today. Sort of first today...there was one deal that worked to my advantage on Friday that I took advantage of as I moved the booking to the new sailing so that could maybe have been a price drop depends on if you want to count it or not...

 

Probably could have gotten one on first cruise but lacked the knowledge of price drop savings ops and TA was not tracking them.

[stanford's girl]

Are you Diamond Plus C&A member? If not then you can forget looking for an upgrade.

Really??? RCI only upgrades Diamond Plus passengers?? :confused:

[ziggypup]

I heard that while looking up a "fake" booking online you can increase your chances of a price drop if you hold clover in your left hand while balancing a rabbit's foot on your head, and tapping your mouse three times.;)

Please be aware, it doesn't work every time!:rolleyes:

One day it might work for us!:rolleyes:

 

Nope, the secret is to have a bowl of "Eye Of Newt" and "Wing Of Bat" stew while you are at the keyboard.

[Longtimecruiser#2]

Once you book, go back to the web site every day and price the same cruise you have already booked. If the price is less, and are not within the 70-day final payment window, call the cruise line and have them change your price. You have to watch it yourself. Prices will vary with capacity. We have had lots of luck with price reductions this way.

 

Good luck!

Mike

 

RCCL will honor price drops after final payment. I saved about $400/pp only 6 weeks before our cruise next month.

[Ladylouwho]

I have heard of people getting upgrades if they have a really "great" cabin that people want, think JS1100 on the Brilliance Class. Someone, not too long ago posted that they were offered a GS to give up the JS1100 cabin they had on a Brilliance Class ship.

 

As for me, having sailed in the JS1100 cabin on the Serenade of the Seas in Alaska in May, 2007, despite the many cruises we have been on, I would not give that cabin up, (and we have sailed in Suites). My husband and I still consider JS1100 on the Serenade our "Home Away From Home". Plus our Cabin Steward Neowman from the Philippines was the Best Ever!!!!

 

Colleen

[Longtimecruiser#2]

RetireeWannabee -I love your screen name. That's my goal!:D Sheryl

[GoodAsGold]

I noticed my fare went down by $330. with a special senior rate for my category. Other folks on my roll call are getting price reductions and credit. But, when I emailed my TA he said he checked, but it's for new reservations only. I looked on the website again and in small print that's what it said. :( But why are other people who made their final payments getting these price drops??

 

 

The next time you check on the price, make sure you have entered all of the possible discounts that you may be eligible for (i.e. residency, senior etc.) then bookmark the page that shows the pricing for your category. Then the next time you want to check the price (I do it daily) all you have to do is go to the bookmarked page and it will show you any price changes. It saves the trouble of going through all the steps of doing a "fake" booking.

[monn_a]

Really??? RCI only upgrades Diamond Plus passengers?? :confused:

 

 

Not true it's just the luck of the draw...I was upgraded once when I was still a Gold member...they called and offered a JS (no fee).

[Longtimecruiser#2]

I noticed my fare went down by $330. with a special senior rate for my category. Other folks on my roll call are getting price reductions and credit. But, when I emailed my TA he said he checked, but it's for new reservations only. I looked on the website again and in small print that's what it said. :( But why are other people who made their final payments getting these price drops??

I think your TA didn't want to lose commission. Your TA needs to call RCCL and ask for the price drop.