If you've tried repricing a Royal Caribbean cruise lately, you may have had a harder time to get it done and it's not just you.
Royal Caribbean has offered the ability for guests to reprice their cruise if there's a lower price later, but many have reported the process has suddenly become more difficult.
On the Royal Caribbean message boards, gi333 posted, "Is it normal that Royal Caribbean doesn’t want to reprice as it is only for new bookings?"
"I called Royal directly and i was told the same information. Flash Sales are not eligible for reprice."
Their experience has been similar to others who have reported issues with getting the reprice to be honored.
It appears the cruise line has changed the terms and conditions to make it more difficult, but not impossible to take advantage of a price drop.
A Reddit user claiming to "work in the pre-cruise department" of Royal Caribbean answered questions about the changes to repricing.
"Repricing is being restricted"
The cruise line employee offered to answer questions about anything related to promotions and booking creation, to which the question of what the current procedure is regarding repricing a booking.
The user responded, "managers are confirming that repricing is being restricted, and most sales now state new bookings only."
He recommends booking refundable fare to get around the change, "If you want price protection, the best strategy is to book early with a refundable deposit. You may also monitor fares and act quickly before final payment."
The problem with booking refundable fare is how much more it costs to book refundable fare instead of non-refundable fare.
Similar to airfare, refundable comes at a significantly higher cost.
He went on to explain the change is related to how the price is advertised, "Before final payment you can only reprice if the lower fare is not marked new bookings only. Many promotions now say new bookings only so they don’t apply."
"Most sales that I’m seeing today are for new bookings only, so existing reservations usually can't be adjusted."
"If new sale is marked new bookings only we cannot reprice. If it’s the same promo code and your category qualifies, and you’re before final payment, you can reprice your reservation."
He also added, "After final payment date no repricing allowed but we can upgrade your stateroom." From my personal experience, I haven't seen that to be the case.
Royal Caribbean has not issued any sort of official guidance on a general policy change, as terms and conditions for individual promotions are always disclosed in the fine print.
How to reprice a cruise
Depending on a few conditions, you can re-price a cruise.
You must be a resident of select countries (US, Canada and others). For example, residents of the UK cannot reprice due to local laws.
Second, you must find a lower price for the exact same stateroom category code as you had booked.
Lastly, you must be before the final payment date. If you spot the same promo code and your category qualifies, and you’re before final payment, you can reprice your reservation.
Unfortunately, a last-minute price drop after the final payment date does not qualify.
Finding a lower price is up to the guest, as the cruise line will not notify you of a price drop.
At that point, you have to call Royal Caribbean (or your travel agent if you booked with them) to ask for a reprice.
Use a travel agent to make it easier
My best advice for managing your reservation, including taking advantage of price drops, is to use a good travel agent instead of booking directly with the cruise line.
A good travel agent should cost you nothing extra (Royal Caribbean pays them a commission) and they take care of working with the cruise line to adjust the cruise fare.
Beci Mahnken is the owner of MEI Travel, and talked about repricing now, "Royal Caribbean’s new ‘bookings only’ policy for offers creates challenges for travelers who expect value throughout the life of their reservation. When existing guests can no longer benefit from a lower rate later in the booking cycle, it may shift when and how people choose to book."
"Travel advisors work hard to build trust and loyalty, and consistency in pricing protections is a key part of that experience. I sincerely hope they re-evaluate this trend for the sake of both guests and long-term loyalty."
The anonymous Royal Caribbean manager from the Reddit post admitted travel agents, "can add significant value through perks and personalized services."
"TAs often lock in rates months or even years in advance for a block of staterooms. These rates stay fixed even if Royal raises prices later."
"Group rates stay locked so when public rates spike, your TA rate looks much better."
