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Anyone care to speculate on what our chances will be of purchasing an upgraded cabin just 2 wks. prior to our sail date? Watching our inside cabin category price continue to drop, I noticed a balcony category we can afford ( though the price was NOT on the sight of the agency we booked with). I have emailed my T/A & HOPE with crossed fingers he can get this for us! But I must confess, he will see 2 emails in the a.m. because prior to noticing the new price, I had sent an email asking if he would try for a shipboard credit for us due to the price drop. My 2nd email supercedes the first, of course. (I did rec'v. one price adjustment about a month after booking ll mos. ago, though it was not happily given.- Are you all confused yet?) Sidenote: I did ask about balcony prices dropping some time ago, & to be notified if my t/a saw any especially good prices. The answer was grim, with instructions to me to check back a month or two prior to sailing. I didn't really anticipate they would come down this much! Just needed to share this while I anxiously await the answer!
Tell me more!! Are you saying that if you continue to check prices and they drop you can get an adjustment?? I figured once you locked in (like with a home mortgage rate) you were stuck with that price. Please, explain it to me as I would like to ck into this if I'm understanding it all. (Altho I did ck prices last wk & mine is still a deal). TELL ME MORE!
I thought it was possible to buy an upgrade at the pier if there were available cabins. If you don't get anywhere with your TA maybe you should try the cruiseline.
Hi Mlbcruiser,
It never hurts to ask, so keep in touch with your travel agent and see what can be done. At least you already got one price reduction and if all fails, you can always check at the pier.
Discounts on pricing close to sailing date can be a bit of infuriating topic.
Up until final payments are due, it should be easy to get the "break" if prices drop on your sailing. (Simply put.. it's because you can cancel with no penatly and rebook until that point).
Once you've made final payment things can get trickier. Some cruise lines will note *pricing applies to new bookings only*. In those situations your only shot at getting the discount is an aggressive, and possibly well connected TA.
If the "new pricing" is not designated "new bookings only*, you should get the discount.
We've found ourselves on both sides of this issue lately. Both times on CruiseMates Group Cruises.
For our upcoming group cruise on the Celebrity Summit, a while back prices dropped significantly on all categories. Our TA got the price reductions no problem.
Since that time prices on that sailing rose by almost $1000/person in all categories, so we came out way ahead.
On our CruiseMates New Year's group cruise. After final payment date passed Princess lowered some categories by a significant amount, but designated those prices for *new bookings only*.
We got stuck with being unable to get the discounted prices, or any upgrades or perks to make up for it.
Princess wouldn't do anything to assist, and I believe the agent who handled that cruise perhaps didn't force the issue as they should have!
Thanks to all of you for your responses. See below for some answers to your remarks & questions:
For Rick: Yes, our T/A complained in a way . . . We have used the same T/A for several yrs., even before his agency was associated w/a very large conglomerate of agencies that it is now. There have always been price guarantees in place if the price of a cruise dropped. When we & our friends decided to book this cruise ( ll mos. in advance), we first found a net price, then our agent matched it. Not too much later, the prices on our cruise dropped. Although our agency had a price guarantee on their own net sight, we needed to "prove" the price we saw, even though our agent could look it up himself if he wanted. (In the past. out of l3 cruises, I had only received a price adjustment once - last spring on a medit. cruise, & telling my T/A to check the net sight was enough.) We were well within the cancellaltion period. Our friends threatened to cancel their booking & forwarded him a copy of the guarantee on their sight. They said things were getting nasty. We did get the adjustment. But our T/A told me it was somewhat of a stressful ordeal for him because the agency owner felt we had already gotten a good price out of them w/the orig. booking price match. I do think our T/A knows his business, but we have always been up front about wanting the best price & now that there is the net, prices are out there for all to see. I can see that the T/As do not want people repeatedly asking for the adjustments. His agency has a new policy that went into effect shortly after our price adjustment that is not as customer friendly. ( I want to add here that I think we rec'd. better service from him BEFORE the merging of so many agencies. I don't think he has the time to check on rates once his customers are booked. At least not for the ones like us who sail once or twice a year in the lower priced cabins (though our friends sometimes get higer priced ones).
For Gloria: Yes, many agencies offer price guarantees that indicate if the price of your cabin drops, you can get an adjustment or an upgrade or something. Usually this is hard to get once you have made your final pymt., but apparently some people are getting perks as I have read this on this sight. These adjustment policies are rapidly changing & don't always seem to be the norm in recent months.
To Donna: The pricing did not indicate new bookings only, but it was NOT the cruiseline's own price. I think the net agency's prices are lower than Carnival's own because I did check w/Carnival about a week ago & was given different pricing than what the net agency had. (Not unusual.) Carnival told me to talk to my agent & have him contact them & so forth. Had I booked w/them, she said she could have done something ( but since their price is higher in the first place, I don't see why they would have.) The ONLY way we can afford to upgrade is at the net price I have seen. We will certainly TRY at the pier (good idea!) but I am worried those cabins will be gone by then w/the new pricing. (We once tried to upgrade to an outside cabin on board the Norway & the price was ridiculous! The cabin we wanted sat empty all cruise.) I just felt this recent price drop was something we could afford & it might be worth it to try for the balcony.
To Kuki: Yes, it is a fact that you can get caught on either side of the fence on this type of thing. I guess what bothers me the most is in the brochures the cruiselines REALLY promote the belief that booking early is the way to get the best price. Then this happens. Supply and demand I understand. The cruiselines set their prices by guessing what the market will be. Maybe they should just say, "Take your chances. We don't know WHEN we will offer the best price, or WHO will offer the best price."
We are the CUSTOMERS of the cruiselines AND the agencies. I want to get the best service & price that I can, and from reading these posts I think that SOME of the agents out there are doing EXCEPTIONAL jobs of getting the deals for their customers. I think lately I'm not feeling that I'm getting this type of service. Though, as I mentioned above, I believe my agent is very knowledgeable & on a straight out booking will straighten out any problems in a professional manner. However, I had asked my T/A months ago to advise me if he noticed any really good deals, but I was pretty much told not to expect any price drops, & I was not contacted when prices started dropping. Too much to ask? Maybe it truly is as T/A's might end up cutting their own commissions, but this is an UPGRADE, so I'd think he'd make a LITTLE, at least. I'd like it to work out in both our favors. And if we can't have the balcony, then I'd sure like to get the shipboard credit since the price on my cabin in down now. We shall see. . . It's hard to wait til Mon., but, unlike in past years, the agency is now closed on the weekends. (Yes, I know people need a day off!)
P.S. I failed to mention that several months ago when I asked my T/A to advise me if he saw any really good deals on a balcony cabin (which I had done the last couple of cruises, as well, with no luck), he mentioned that the ship was almost fully booked already. (Which was why he didn't expect there would be any big drops in price.) He also told me that he was NOT experiencing many cancellations at all due to the Sept. terrorist attacks. So, there must have been an awfully lot of cabins dumped 70 days out because I am sure seeing lots of availability! As for the prices moving all around, I think the cruiselines make up for us cheapskates with the prices they get away w/charging the people who do not pay much attention & book when prices are high. (Esp. the ones who book WITH the cruiseline. Exception has apparently been Princess. My hat is off to them, too!
I sailed in December on Explorer of the Seas and was able to get an upgrade at the pier for $200 from a balcony to a suite. A friend was able to go from inside to balcony for $300. I asked at the pier coordinator's desk and received this.
This was during the time when people were still afraid to travel and the ship was at 75% capacity.
My TA had said that this was something RCCL was doing at the time. She had not heard this done on other cruiselines.
I have no clue if you can still do this on RCCL or not. My guess is that their ships are sailing pretty full right now.
mlbcruiser, I am a TA myself and although I sympathise with you, a price guarentee does not always work. Example, my agency offers a price guarentee if the cruise line lowers its price within the refund period (we also fight and most often win with upgrades or onboard credits after final payment). What we can't control is the Travel Agency that has a group sailing with very special pricing. Its tough to match that price with one room when they have 100 rooms put aside at a great discount. Also you can not expect your TA to browse all the online travel agencies to see if they have a better price and then try to match it. We believe in giving the best price from the cruise lines and offer exceptional service. You can't expect great service AND bargin basement pricing. You get one or the other.
Heres another example of cruise pricing. 1st understand that the cruise lines pay an average of 10 to 15 percent commision to travel agencies based on their volume. If an agent is very lucky, he or she recieves 50% of that commision. So a $1,000 cruise (not including port or taxes) gives the agency $100 to $150 commision. If some agency put together a group cruise for your sailing date a year ago and are selling the cruise for $850, well, do the math.
I hope I'm not sounding to harsh and I hope I fully understand the question or statement. I'm just trying to put everything in its proper perspective from a TA's point of view.
Also, keep in mind for any future cruises, that the best pricing CAN be the week after final payment was due for that sailing.
mlbcruiser, thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions.
Evidently on Princess you can upgrade at check-in if there are any cabins. I say this because on our cruise last year (1st) there was a big sign behind the counter that said the ship was sold out, and I took this to mean don't bother asking for a room change or an upgrade as there are none to be had. We booked an inside cabin & were upgraded to OV. Our upcoming cruise we booked BD & were upgraded to BB on the Caribe deck, whick I am told has the larger balconies, so we are happy. I hope you get your upgrade and everything works out great for your trip!! Gloria
I have to agree with Cruise Guy here.. I thought MLB was talking about a reduction in pricing by the cruise line.
If they just happened to find another agency with lower pricing for their cruise, unless the first agent had guaranteed they would match the lowest price they could find, it would be unrealistic to expect any discount.
There is always someone out there, somewhere, with a lower price.
Glad for the input. First of all, Teresa, where will I find the pier coordinator? This is someone who works for my cruiseline & ship or is it someone who handles all the business at the pier? Thanks for that tip.
No, Cruiseguy & Kuki, you're not too harsh. I value honest, polite opinions like your's. I do think I am pretty reasonable understanding my T/A can't always be looking for a lower price, but many people feel it is their agent's duty to do this, & have had this type of great service. But I DO believe you can get great service AND best price IF you have one of the terrific agents I have seen others talk about on this sight. Because sometimes those cruisers are inside cancellation time, too, & I've read of some pretty great upgrades & credits, etc. Also keep in mind that I did ASK my agent to watch for a low price on a balcony. And I have dealt w/him enough in the past several years, bringing him a couple of sets of neighbors & another friend who booked w/him the past few years on a regular basis as well. So I was wanting someting a little extra, I'll admit. I'm sure he must have seen a few low prices roll through his company the past few months as even the cruiseline's OWN pricing fell. The agency my T/A is associated w/also blocks off large blocks of cabins. And perhaps I am wrong (& my neighbors who go are, too) but in the past it was always mentioned that we WOULD get a lower price if any became available. I guess the problem comes over UNDERSTANDING just where this lower price is supposed to come from. In our minds, it just meant ANY lower price. Apparently we were wrong. We were always under the impression our agency was one of the big group discounters & that the price given to them by the cruiseline was always the best. I am beginning to realize that is not the case - about the price, that is. Really, I am not blaming my agent, & again, I think he is generally a very good agent. I have even spoken to people whose T/A has just called them up out of the blue w/info. on some great upgrade or much better cabin for a little more $, so I know that DOES happen. Keep in mind that the cruiseline's own customer serv. agent TOLD me to contact my agent & that he should try to get us a shipboard credit. So, I did. It doesn't hurt to hope. THEN I decided to heck w/that. I'd just try to see if he could get me into a balcony for the price the other agency had. If it works, great.
Just for info. purposes for any cruisers out there who might be interested & for comparison purposes to their experiences, nothing gained, nothing lost. My T/A indicated this price was for new bookings only, but Carnival did not tell me that. They just said they do not have that category avail. that will hold a 3rd person. They told my T/A & that there were no 3rd person rooms avail. anymore. He also said he could not get an onboard credit for the same reason, and that upgrades are not usually given at this time of year. I do believe he did call Carnival. However, I still believe some agents get more favors & that what Carnival has told me and what they told him may be two different things, as they were ready to sell me a higher category than the one I could afford that would have held a 3rd person, yet told him there were NO 3rd person cabins avail.!??? Perhaps in 12 -24 hrs. that had changed? Anyway, at least I tried!
2 Wks. to go; Trying to BUY an upgrade.
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