Suite Deposits changing

[TexanTwoStep]

Just saw on another forum/website that deposits for a suite are changing from the standard deposit to 10% of the cruise fare per guest fleetwide starting June 1st.  They are also becoming non-refundable.

[smokeybandit]

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/05/22/royal-caribbean-increases-suite-deposit-policy

 

I call it the Icon of the Seas rule.

 

This won't affect everyone. Just people booking suites over $2500pp (since the deposit reverts to the $250 if the 10% is less than $250). I only book suites and only once was our cruise fare over $2500pp. That was for an Alaskan cruise that ended up dropping 50% by the time I paid final payment.

[ZBrady]

Matt has a right up with the details - https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/05/22/royal-caribbean-increases-suite-deposit-policy

[DoomSlayer]

21 minutes ago, TexanTwoStep said:

Just saw on another forum/website that deposits for a suite are changing from the standard deposit to 10% of the cruise fare per guest fleetwide starting June 1st.  They are also becoming non-refundable.

Slightly different experience as this was with a casino comp and not a regular booking.  I purchased a 2 bedroom grand suite on Allure for January 2024 -- upgrading from a comp balcony.  I am bringing my oldest daughter, her husband, and the grandbaby, so I wanted the suite.  I had to pay the full price for the upgrade upfront and was not given an option for a deposit and to pay over time even though it was 10 months out from when I booked it.  This was not a problem for me as I had already budgeted for this, but I could see how it could upset some people.

[Ampurp85]

Just now, DoomSlayer said:

Slightly different experience as this was with a casino comp and not a regular booking.  I purchased a 2 bedroom grand suite on Allure for January 2024 -- upgrading from a comp balcony.  I am bringing my oldest daughter, her husband, and the grandbaby, so I wanted the suite.  I had to pay the full price for the upgrade upfront and was not given an option for a deposit and to pay over time even though it was 10 months out from when I booked it.  This was not a problem for me as I had already budgeted for this, but I could see how it could upset some people.

Just an FYI...........but casino comps require full payment no matter how far out the sailing is. I believe it has always been this way.

Also in regard to suites I believe they were nonrefundable for a while, maybe since the who Royal suite class started. Only JS offered a refundable deposit option. 

[DoomSlayer]

11 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Just an FYI...........but casino comps require full payment no matter how far out the sailing is. I believe it has always been this way.

Also in regard to suites I believe they were nonrefundable for a while, maybe since the who Royal suite class started. Only JS offered a refundable deposit option. 

Correct.  I was just mentioning this as it can be a shock to some people.  If you book the comp at face value, you only pay port fees and taxes -- meaning zero risk if you cancel because you will get the port fees and taxes refunded and you are out no money for the room.  But if you upgrade, pay in full, you stand a chance of losing non-refundable money from the upgrade if you have to cancel for some reason.  Royal is unable to sell travel insurance for bookings so far in advance, so you need to have a good plan b for insurance in case you need to cancel.  I paid with my credit card which has it so I am covered there, but if someone pays with debit card or a card without travel insurance attached, they could be risking a lot of money if they don't insure their purchase.

[AlmondFarmer]

The new 10% deposit presents a scenario in which upon downgrading from a suite to lower category, the new total is less than original deposits paid.

This will certainly discourage one from booking a Royal Loft and switching to inside guarantee. 

[Pattycruise]

5 minutes ago, AlmondFarmer said:

The new 10% deposit presents a scenario in which upon downgrading from a suite to lower category, the new total is less than original deposits paid.

This will certainly discourage one from booking a Royal Loft and switching to inside guarantee. 

I can’t imagine anyone who is booking a  Loft would downgrade to anything, but especially not an inside guarantee. 

[Pattycruise]

Seems to me to be a money maker for Royal.  But I look at it from the perspective if I booked it I intend to go, not booking it as a placeholder snd I could afford to lose the deposit (the old deposit amount).  Did that many people who booked high end suites cancel?  Suites always seem to be sold out on the sailings I do. 

[ZBrady]

As the article alluded to, it almost certainly has to do with dissuading people from booking without true/complete intentions of keeping the reservation.

Unfortunately, many people will view it as *another* money gouging scheme, whether justified or not.

[Ampurp85]

I recall reading so many accounts in CC of people booking suites and canceling. It is a thing, lots of people will book multiple sailings for the same time frame and then cancel close to final payment. I think this is also why the nonrefundable deposit became truly nonrefundable. I am sure this will be another nail for people who seem to not understand how business works.

[twangster]

I don't see this s being hugely impactful.  

JS being NRD is a slight bummer given that a JS isn't really a suite on most ships.  

[Matt]

14 minutes ago, twangster said:

I don't see this s being hugely impactful.  

JS being NRD is a slight bummer given that a JS isn't really a suite on most ships.  

Agreed.

Other than the JS change, there's no change to the suite price, just how much you have to lay out when you book it and place a deposit.

I see this as a change to reduce "suite hogs", and maybe they make a few extra bucks on cancellations.

[USFFrank]

I would think if someone booked a suite then later cancelled it, it would be snatched up rather quickly. Anyway as long as they don't do this to the other types of rooms. I used to book non refundable, and I have never canceled a cruise as of yet, but I've now decided to not do that anymore. I try and book as far out as possible. I have one on the books for 2025 that I booked this past February. When you book them that far out the refundable deposit fee is not as much compared to booking closer.

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, Pattycruise said:

 Did that many people who booked high end suites cancel?  Suites always seem to be sold out on the sailings I do. 

There are still many out there who don't blink at losing the $250pp deposit for suites.

For me, when I heard the news this morning, it doesn't matter in the long run. However, we are type to not book unless we have every intention of going so the money will have to go at some point either way. Not a big deal.

What will make it a big deal for us is if they change the policy in place right now that allows you to change ship/sail date for $100pp penalty.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Agree that it sucks about losing the ability to book a refundable JS but the amount of the deposit really doesn’t bother me.  More up front just means that I will owe less at final payment.

[SweetPea]

Disney has done this for ages and it's NBD. However, as with @Lovetocruise2002 it WOULD become a big deal for us if Royal ended the flexibility to move cruise dates. While we never book with the intention of canceling, stuff happens. 

[JasonOasis]

18 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Seems to me to be a money maker for Royal.  But I look at it from the perspective if I booked it I intend to go, not booking it as a placeholder snd I could afford to lose the deposit (the old deposit amount).  Did that many people who booked high end suites cancel?  Suites always seem to be sold out on the sailings I do. 

Our last cruise was on Freedom but before that my husband and I booked a sort of last minute cruise on Symphony that set sail this past February. In November of 2022 when we started looking there were no suites available but when we booked the cruise just after Christmas there were several Junior Suites available and 4 Grand Suites. By the time we got someone from Royal on the phone there was only 1 Grand Suite left and still several Junior Suites.  So people do book and then cancel or book and then downgrade.

I don't see this as a money maker for Royal because what Royal wants is customers who are serious about sailing in a suite actually booking a suite. 

[twangster]

To get to this point of implementing change and standardizing the suite deposit policy across the fleet must have taken some time for the review, analysis and gathering internal agreement before making this public.

I only hope they follow up by giving the same due effort and time into standardizing suite benefits more closely across the fleet. 

Including Voom with all full suites for example, especially now with the lower cost Voom through Starlink. 

The 11am to 11pm SL beer & wine only on Oasis class is another example.  That is mostly a crewing issue which they accept on Oasis class but no others.  Those bar crew don't do double duty as CK hosts or anything else.  If they are able to maintain extra bar crew on Oasis class for the SL bar why not on other classes?

While they may never add a CK venue on older classes there are many small and subtle ways they could standardize more suite benefits across the fleet.  

[OCSC Mike]

14 minutes ago, twangster said:

To get to this point of implementing change and standardizing the suite deposit policy across the fleet must have taken some time for the review, analysis and gathering internal agreement before making this public.

I only hope they follow up by giving the same due effort and time into standardizing suite benefits more closely across the fleet. 

Including Voom with all full suites for example, especially now with the lower cost Voom through Starlink. 

The 11am to 11pm SL beer & wine only on Oasis class is another example.  That is mostly a crewing issue which they accept on Oasis class but no others.  Those bar crew don't do double duty as CK hosts or anything else.  If they are able to maintain extra bar crew on Oasis class for the SL bar why not on other classes?

While they may never add a CK venue on older classes there are many small and subtle ways they could standardize more suite benefits across the fleet.  

Might as well cross-post my response...

I'll only be playing the role of suite guest one last time next week for the foreseeable before returning to the frugal cruise life but this makes a lot of sense to me.

It may be factored into the price, of course, but the Oasis class suite perks were what I enjoyed last year and am looking forward to next week (nothing against the room, it was very nice). Without them it would be far less of an enhanced experience to me. Personal preferences, as always.

[F1guynz]

I was looking at a sailing using the new deposit rates and I saw you now have the option to book any suite with a refundable deposit. For an extra $9700 NZD on top of the original $14,500 NZD (Gulp!)

[twangster]

28 minutes ago, F1guynz said:

I was looking at a sailing using the new deposit rates and I saw you now have the option to book any suite with a refundable deposit. For an extra $9700 NZD on top of the original $14,500 NZD (Gulp!)

Strong possibility of refunding the deposit for that cruise  

[Baked Alaska]

IMHO, the deposit change doesn't matter; it goes toward the cruise fare payment. What does matter are the ever-increasing cruise fares. 

[twangster]

On 6/8/2023 at 5:10 PM, F1guynz said:

I was looking at a sailing using the new deposit rates and I saw you now have the option to book any suite with a refundable deposit. For an extra $9700 NZD on top of the original $14,500 NZD (Gulp!)

Be aware another site has offered that you will still end up with an NRD fare despite the refundable checkbox.  

The perfect storm of how not to book a JS.  Higher fares, still NRD.  

[F1guynz]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

you will still end up with an NRD fare despite the refundable checkbox. 

That seems misleading to me.

I wouldn’t pay it but if I did I always take screenshots of each screen in the booking process.

I had an experience in the past where I needed a screenshot to prove I was entitled to a partial refund. The Call Centre wouldn’t believe me but once I sent the screenshot to guest engagement I got my refund.