Jump to content

Price Changes


Recommended Posts

Hi there.  So, my family and I sailed on the Navigator last August for our first ever cruise.  It was a last minute booking and seemed to be a very competitive price.  By the time we were a couple of days in to the cruise we completely fell in love with the experience and we were so swept up in it all we booked our next cruise whilst on board to take advantage of the special offers.  We were due to sail again this August and had been putting money aside to pay for it by the final payment date, however, last week we found the price had gone up by £700 since we booked on board last year.  The price quoted for this year's cruise was slightly above our budget as it was but we cannot stretch to another £700 so unfortunately we've had to cancel and we're gutted.

I understand the price fluctuates but what prompts it?  I don't know about in other countries but here in the UK once you book a holiday that requires flights, that's it.  It's a set price and you know where you stand.  We all loved our cruise holiday so much but if prices can increase by nearly £1000 in only 8 months, and that's common, it's unlikely we'll ever cruise again unless we pay the whole total on booking.  Is that what people normally do?

Thanks for reading.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sorry to hear about this. I have booked many cruises early, like over a year out. My experience has been that the price booked is the price I have to pay by the final payment date, regardless of a price increase. Now, if there is a price decrease and I haven't made the final payment, I immediately get on the phone with my travel agent and get my booked price reduced. I think you will find many folks on this forum have done the same thing, book well in advance and make payments each month until the final payment is due. Consider it an "interest free loan" from Royal Caribbean. As far as price fluctuations, they are probably caused by the price of fuel, market demand, etc. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really don't understand this.  I'm not sure if this is because you are in the UK.  I thought the price when you made a deposit was the price you paid.  In the US, we can take advantage of price decreases which I understand you can't in the UK.  Almost always, the cruise costs more at final payment but I only have to pay the price that I agreed upon when I booked (unless I change the reservation by adding another person, in which case I have to pay current price).  Who told you that you owed 700 more?  Was it Royal Caribbean or a TA?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure I am clear either. Is the change a result of an actual price change or change in currency exchange rate?

If you book the cruise and the currency on the booking document is British pound sterling, the price will not change. However, if your cruise booking is in USD and the exchange rate changes, the price (in USD) of the cruise does not change, but the end cost to you in £ will. For the better or worse depending on which way the dollar flies.

We've been caught in this before and we now book in $CDN so we don't get taken out back to the wood shed because of currency swings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we booked on the cruise the paperwork given to us was in pounds sterling.  It was when I logged on to the website to view the final balance due that I saw the balance due had increased by £700 since we booked it as I compared it to the original paperwork.  I can only assume that Brexit may have played a part in this - possibly with embarkation and disembarkation taxes within Europe increasing since booking.  I don't really know and have no idea how these things work.  The T's and C's do say they can levy a surcharge and so from the comments above, it sounds like my situation is unusual.  We have booked direct - maybe if we'd used a travel agent then it would have been different.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The rules in the UK are different, and they do no have the ability (or at least not as easily, I'm not an expert on this) to simply "cancel and rebook" like we do - there are penalties which may or may not negate the value depending the particular case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it possible you didn't calculate for the port fees and taxes, or maybe the gratuity charges? Maybe it is the exchange rate. Iv noticed it's not always a straight exchange. Being Canadian iv noticed some times Canadian currency is the better deal, sometimes USD is the better deal. No rhyme or reason to it, sometimes different currencies get different rates for some reason.

Either way I hope you get it figured out, now one wants surprise increases to their cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, GrubbyGrubbles said:

When we booked on the cruise the paperwork given to us was in pounds sterling.  It was when I logged on to the website to view the final balance due that I saw the balance due had increased by £700 since we booked it as I compared it to the original paperwork.  I can only assume that Brexit may have played a part in this - possibly with embarkation and disembarkation taxes within Europe increasing since booking.  I don't really know and have no idea how these things work.  The T's and C's do say they can levy a surcharge and so from the comments above, it sounds like my situation is unusual.  We have booked direct - maybe if we'd used a travel agent then it would have been different.

I have not had any price changes on any of my cruises due to Brexit, or exchange rates, or anything.  Did you transfer your booking to a TA or just using RCCL?  (This is one good reason to use a TA).  The price you got from the Next Cruise desk should be the price you have to pay.  Your original paperwork is your contract to pay.  I do not see how they can change prices in mid contract. (they are not mobile phone companies after all).  Phone RCCL and ask.  Tell them you had agreed on a price X months ago and don't understand why it has changed.  Don't be too hasty to cancel, unless you re-book another cruise so as to not loose your deposit.

Are you sure that the 700 is in GBP and not USD?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...