It really can pay to re-price your cruise!

[SPS]

Hello, All!

Been a while since I've been here. Several times in the past, I've done a second "mock-booking" of my existing reservation, to see if I would come up with a lower price to no avail.

With the current 2021 sale going on, I was able to see that booking an available cabin RIGHT NEXT TO MINE was $79 cheaper so I decided to call RCCL. (Not a bunch, but, hey, every bit helps!)

To my surprise, not only was the basic rate $79 cheaper, but, I actually qualified for an additional discount as a resident of MICHIGAN! This has NEVER happened for me. In my experience, those discounts have usually been available for those in the home port state.

At the end of the call, I had a $244 discount off my cruise fare!

If not for finding this blog a few years ago, I wouldn't have known that re-pricing an existing reservation was possible.

[Matt]

That's awesome news!

[Dad2Cue]

1 hour ago, SPS said:

With the current 2021 sale going on, I was able to see that booking an available cabin RIGHT NEXT TO MINE was $79 cheaper so I decided to call RCCL. (Not a bunch, but, hey, every bit helps!)

It doesn't even have to be a cabin anywhere near yours ... just the same category.  Sometimes it will show that a room in that category isn't available but you still may be able to re-price.  Like you say, every bit helps.  I just re-priced a cruise 2 days in a row.  The first day was a $75 cruise fare reduction. The second day I noticed another $75 discount for something else.  I felt ashamed for calling two days in a row but it was a different person each time so it didn't seem to matter. I don't get many "Iowa" discounts but I watch those "military" discounts very closely.

[ehw51]

I learned about re pricing here, it is a great thing. We have repriced cruises and items on the cruise planner. Any time we can save a money it helps with adding another cruise. Thanx Royal Caribbean blog.

[Pooch]

Down $215 so far and my TA got an original price that was $260 less than I expected to begin with so that’s $475 less than I had planned to book.  I watch every day!

[dejavu21]

That is awesome.  I always track my cruise price once booked.  I actually called RC last month when I saw a price drop that appeared to be lower than my original cost.  Sure enough, I reduced my cruise $750.  That reduction paid for my drink package!     And for those wondering, the call took less than 10 minutes.  

[dejavu21]

I literally just received another price alert for my July 2021 cruise 5 minutes after posting above.  I just saved another $600 today with the 13% price drop.  7 minutes on the phone with RC.  FYI, i track my prices with Cruiseline.com and their Shipmate App.

[Pooch]

From where/how are you getting price alerts?

oops would help to read the whole post!!

[SPS]

On 6/13/2020 at 9:36 AM, SPS said:

At the end of the call, I had a $244 discount off my cruise fare!

If not for finding this blog a few years ago, I wouldn't have known that re-pricing an existing reservation was possible.

UPDATE!!!

With the current sale going on as of today (July 9th) I called again to receive another $144 off of our cruise fare.

In just under one month, we have now saved $388! Keep checking those prices!

FYI: I use the price alert feature on the Shipmate app to monitor prices. It sends me an email each time the price changes (up or down).

[Ogilthorpe]

59 minutes ago, SPS said:

UPDATE!!!

With the current sale going on as of today (July 9th) I called again to receive another $144 off of our cruise fare.

Excellent news!

For us, everything we have booked keeps going up in price!   ...  yes, I still check frequently

[mpoole3]

I saved $30 today on my Brilliance cruise!  Now 2 DX cost more than the actual cruise!   Just waiting on @Matt to book!

[twangster]

3 minutes ago, mpoole3 said:

I saved $30 today on my Brilliance cruise!  Now 2 DX cost more than the actual cruise!   Just waiting on @Matt to book!

He is allowed to cruise with you again now that you are a family guy?

[mpoole3]

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

He is allowed to cruise with you again now that you are a family guy?

hahaha!   YUP!   Kids cruises are the way to go now!

[cruisinnewbie]

I saved $67 today - hey, every bit counts. I'm hoping to see some more drops by 2022, but we shall see. 

[Floski]

I just checked both of my upcoming Harmony cruises, and they are both higher than

what I have.  Also, the drink package has gone back to crazy.   It'll be better around Labour Day 

[Pooch]

Saved $74 today and, thanks to you all, was able to add a military discount a couple of weeks ago that saved another $101.  I do have to say I don’t really understand Royal math.  The military discount is $504 yet my price only dropped $101

[Baked Alaska]

34 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Saved $74 today and, thanks to you all, was able to add a military discount a couple of weeks ago that saved another $101.  I do have to say I don’t really understand Royal math.  The military discount is $504 yet my price only dropped $101

There isn't an emoji for my reaction which is "yay?" Glad you saved a little green!

[FionaMG]

I keep checking religiously every day but we got the cruise so cheaply to begin with (we accidentally scored a massive senior discount) that it would take something of a miracle for the price to drop below what we're paying. With the current sale, the going rate at the moment is still nearly $700 more!

[SPS]

1 hour ago, FionaMG said:

 

I keep checking religiously every day but we got the cruise so cheaply to begin with

 

I’ve had this same problem in the past. This is the first cruise I’ve ever been able to reprice at all, let alone twice in a month!

[Matt]

14 hours ago, mpoole3 said:

I saved $30 today on my Brilliance cruise!  Now 2 DX cost more than the actual cruise!   Just waiting on @Matt to book!

Let's see how many wives can be irate with their husbands for going on vacation without them!

[twangster]

About a month ago the price of the balcony category for a Greek cruise dropped.  I was able to move from a studio balcony to an obstructed balcony and save over $900.  Plus now I get double CAS points for being solo.  Double win.

[Dawn T.]

Hi all!  Price drops have been so rare for me that I only check occasionally now, rather than daily or weekly.  I got lucky with 2 price drops recently.  For an Explorer cruise in April 2020, which was booked in May 2019 in a junior suite, I saved $721 in May of this year, then another $148 in June.  We were also booked on Explorer in a junior suite out of Rome this September.  I moved it to Odyssey in a junior suite out of Rome in September 2021.  The move was done in May, before final payment was due.  Royal had not cancelled the cruise yet.  I repriced it in June and saved $899.  Very excited to save so much on two trips!

[FManke]

My MEI TA saved us $1800 on our Greek Isle cruise last year by repricing our cruise when the prices dropped, without even being asked! Just sent happy emails telling us of our savings! With the L&S, prices locked in for next year with a final payment date of 7/4/2021, our reservation is still eligible for continued repricing if the price continues to drop. Unlikely, but a guy can wish, right?

Happy Cruising!

[WAAAYTOOO]

I noticed that yesterday they started a new "Flash Sale" ($300 for most of my cruises) but it negated the C&A balcony discount ($250 on most of my cruises) so about a $50 lower cruise fare.  By the time they diminish it with pricing tricks, it generally didn't give me much more than a $25 discount so I'm not going to bother Michelle for $25.  I also noted a VA resident discount ($600) on one of my December 2020 Oasis cruises but the $606 military discount was negated so I will keep what I have.  VA resident discounts are extremely rare, as far as I can see.

I am an obsessive "checker" so I see all of these little fluctuations and pricing voodoo that generally won't make much of a difference....but I still do it every day.

[wstephensi]

Saved over $700 on my Harmony sailing last summer with a military discount.  It was after final payment so it was applied as a well used OBC.  So it pays to check even after final payment.

[WAAAYTOOO]

18 minutes ago, wstephensi said:

Saved over $700 on my Harmony sailing last summer with a military discount.  It was after final payment so it was applied as a well used OBC.  So it pays to check even after final payment.

I'm very surprised that they allowed this.  That's great news.  Generally, they would make you take the cancellation penalty before they would give you any kind of price reduction after final payment.  Happy to hear about this !

[FManke]

21 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I am an obsessive "checker" so I see all of these little fluctuations and pricing voodoo that generally won't make much of a difference....but I still do it every day.

It's hard not to. I know.

[ehw51]

Repriced our b2b for 2021 saved over 300 on the pair. No savings on our Nov 29, 2020, we already repriced it last go round. We do it most everyday, learned it here and appreciate it every time we get a price drop. Hopefully they start up ASAP.

[Papamillz2]

Since booking our cruise two months ago, we have had four small price drops all in the mid $40 range. Every little bit helps and now we’ve saved $179! Sharla at MEI is tremendous!

[Pooch]

My current total is $390 saved.  I am very thankful first for all of you for teaching me so much about cruising (if you need WDW advice, I am your gal!!) and second to my TAs at MEI Danette and now Emily for putting up with me!!’

[Pooch]

Emily at MEI was able to move our February trip to the identical cruise & room  in March.  The move saved us $710 ( my total is now a cool $1100 in savings) AND today she was able to get us $200 in OBC. What a miracle worker .

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

I check prices almost everyday and have saved quite a bit by doing so.  Takes very little time...I get to speak to a really nice Royal employee...and save the bucks!  In March I had to re-book our April 2020 cruise to April 2021 and at time of new booking upgraded from Spacious Balcony rooms to Junior Suites (for some of us) still paying less than original 2020 booking!   Since then I have called and saved several times...saved so much on my 2 daughters' JS rooms (kids sail free for 2021) that now with the FCC's applied from our 2020 sailing there is still FCC $$ left!!  That is crazy!!   Now we are just all praying the 2021 sailing will take place... 

[RCRosealetta]

So how do I go about doing this? I just got notification of a lesser rate, but it's through Expedia.com and not the RCL website. Does that matter? It went down about $45 dollars per person since I booked and I'd like to get that back/save more.

 

Thanks!

[WAAAYTOOO]

52 minutes ago, RCRosealetta said:

So how do I go about doing this? I just got notification of a lesser rate, but it's through Expedia.com and not the RCL website. Does that matter? It went down about $45 dollars per person since I booked and I'd like to get that back/save more.

 

Thanks!

You will have to contact Expedia.  Only they can reprice for you

[RCRosealetta]

I think you misunderstood. I booked through the cruiseline itself, but it's the Expedia.com website that is now showing a lower price. Will RCL "match" the expedia price?

[Lovetocruise2002]

2 minutes ago, RCRosealetta said:

I think you misunderstood. I booked through the cruiseline itself, but it's the Expedia.com website that is now showing a lower price. Will RCL "match" the expedia price?

Expedia is considered a travel agent. Royal will not match travel agent deals and promos. You can only get a price adjustment if your actual cruise fare through Royal has dropped. It is easy to find out. Just give them a call and ask them to check pricing for you to see if there is a drop. If there is, and you have not made final payment, and you live in North America, they can adjust quickly for you.

[AnnetteJackson]

Don't forget to check those Residence rates... those have been insane lately.  Many people assume that your C & A number links your state to check for that, but it doesn't always. I was able to reprice a trip for a client and they saved over $300 per room just because they lived in TX.

 

[Scooter6251]

I have saved a few times in the past by repricing, but I just repriced a Nov 2021 cruise on Harmony, and the price is exactly double less $70 of my booked fare.  It's an outside balcony and they don't show many cabins even available.  I guess it's the result of some many people moving this years cruises to next year.

 

[AnnetteJackson]

17 minutes ago, Scooter6251 said:

I have saved a few times in the past by repricing, but I just repriced a Nov 2021 cruise on Harmony, and the price is exactly double less $70 of my booked fare.  It's an outside balcony and they don't show many cabins even available.  I guess it's the result of some many people moving this years cruises to next year.

 

Many times the discounts will show closer to sailing.  So it could be you find in 5 months that the price adjusts.  OR right before you make final payment you can check as well.  MANY times I have adjusted prices and then paid final for clients.  Its all about supply and demand and revenue Management:)

[mpoole3]

On 8/1/2020 at 9:34 AM, AnnetteJackson said:

Don't forget to check those Residence rates... those have been insane lately.  Many people assume that your C & A number links your state to check for that, but it doesn't always. I was able to reprice a trip for a client and they saved over $300 per room just because they lived in TX.

 

Wait you are still doing cruises?!