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Price Drop in Penalty Period



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 6th, 2004, 03:26 AM
Birdie 321
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Default Price Drop in Penalty Period

Does anyone have any recent experience with prices dropping within the penalty
period? I haven't cruised in the past few years, but in the late 1990s and
early 2000s, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity always either issued a credit or
offered an upgrade if prices dropped within the penalty period. I am currently
booked on the Norwegian Dawn for 11/28, and have noticed that the prices for
oceanview cabins have dropped a lot in the past few weeks. When my travel
agent called to request an adjustment, an upgrade, or anything, NCL absolutely
refused to do anything because they didn't have to.

Is this new for all the lines, or is NCL the only major line with such "great"
customer service? I knew the rules ahead of time, and I'm not claiming NCL is
doing anything it is not entitled to do. It does, however, seem
counterintuitive for NCL to expect customers to commit money prior to the
penalty period if they are going to refuse to do anything upon request later if
the prices drop. I'm not denying that I had a better choice of a cabin, but I
would even give up the cabin a select one in a lower category at the new, lower
price, if NCL would allow it without penalty. I understand imposing a penalty
if I wanted to outright cancel the booking and leave them with an unsold cabin
at the last minute, but I do not understand why NCL risks alienating customers
who paid a higher price early by dropping prices and refusing adjustments upon
request just to fill the last few unsold cabins. It seems to me that they
should either maintain pricing and risk sailing with a few empty cabins, or
offer some sort of compensation upon request after they drop prices. I have
never sailed with NCL, and I have a bad taste even before the cruise has begun.
No matter how great the cruise is, I am so annoyed at the way NCL is handling
this that I doubt I would ever sail with them again. I certainly would never
buy a cruise from them prior to the penalty period. Even airlines issuing
non-refundable tickets offer a credit upon request after fares drop in order to
encourage people to buy early. Am I being unreasonable? Has anyone else
experienced this? Thanks in advance.
  #2  
Old October 6th, 2004, 12:52 PM
JLeary256
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Posts: n/a
Default

If you bought a new car and a couple months later would you expect a refund on
a discounted price?? No you wouldn't. You agreed to the pricing at the time.
You could have waited and late booked if you wanted to take the chance. As
mentioned, you had your choice of cabins etc. Late bookings get left overs and
sometimes guarantees. I late book every cruise. I am flexable on cabin,
ship, itinerary etc. Those who aren't will book ahead. For me it doesn't
matter if I go or not, it can be a big gamble to late book. The price was
acceptable at the time, go and enjoy your cruise.
  #3  
Old October 6th, 2004, 03:23 PM
Mike Cordelli
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Default

Many merchants offer price protection and will honor a lower price within
some time frame of you purchasing an item. Some airlines, for example, have
it in their terms and conditions, that if the price drops then you can get a
refund. Some car dealers offer three or six month protection. So yes, I
would expect it. The other huge difference in your example, is a price drop
at a car dealer is available for everybody. On a cruise it's only for
people sailing within 60 days. I may or may not need a new car on December
6th. You can't do that with vacations, there are people that have to plan
ahead of time.

I think the changes in the cruise line that don't extend the savings to
currently booked people are shooting themselves in the foot. Their bread
and butter is people who reserve ahead, not people who come in the last two
months. Airlines and hotels know this, which is why at many of them if the
price drops, they pass on the savings. By encouraging people to book less
then 60 days out, many of them will not book at all because the price didn't
drop.


"JLeary256" wrote in message
...
If you bought a new car and a couple months later would you expect a

refund on
a discounted price?? No you wouldn't. You agreed to the pricing at the

time.
You could have waited and late booked if you wanted to take the chance.

As
mentioned, you had your choice of cabins etc. Late bookings get left

overs and
sometimes guarantees. I late book every cruise. I am flexable on cabin,
ship, itinerary etc. Those who aren't will book ahead. For me it doesn't
matter if I go or not, it can be a big gamble to late book. The price was
acceptable at the time, go and enjoy your cruise.



  #4  
Old October 6th, 2004, 03:23 PM
Mike Cordelli
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Many merchants offer price protection and will honor a lower price within
some time frame of you purchasing an item. Some airlines, for example, have
it in their terms and conditions, that if the price drops then you can get a
refund. Some car dealers offer three or six month protection. So yes, I
would expect it. The other huge difference in your example, is a price drop
at a car dealer is available for everybody. On a cruise it's only for
people sailing within 60 days. I may or may not need a new car on December
6th. You can't do that with vacations, there are people that have to plan
ahead of time.

I think the changes in the cruise line that don't extend the savings to
currently booked people are shooting themselves in the foot. Their bread
and butter is people who reserve ahead, not people who come in the last two
months. Airlines and hotels know this, which is why at many of them if the
price drops, they pass on the savings. By encouraging people to book less
then 60 days out, many of them will not book at all because the price didn't
drop.


"JLeary256" wrote in message
...
If you bought a new car and a couple months later would you expect a

refund on
a discounted price?? No you wouldn't. You agreed to the pricing at the

time.
You could have waited and late booked if you wanted to take the chance.

As
mentioned, you had your choice of cabins etc. Late bookings get left

overs and
sometimes guarantees. I late book every cruise. I am flexable on cabin,
ship, itinerary etc. Those who aren't will book ahead. For me it doesn't
matter if I go or not, it can be a big gamble to late book. The price was
acceptable at the time, go and enjoy your cruise.



  #5  
Old October 6th, 2004, 08:43 PM
shoreguy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mike Cordelli" wrote in message
om...
By encouraging people to book less
then 60 days out, many of them will not book at all because the price
didn't
drop.

That is the heart of the problem. Many cruises the price does not drop.
Those of us that wait to the last minute continue to shop until those that
plan ahead fail to fill a ship.

Without last minute or state specific discouts many ships would sail less
the full. The cruiseline expense stays the same and they lose the discount
fair and onboard revenue. To do as you ask the advanced fairs would have to
be higher to make up the shortfall. Having a market of last minute discount
shoppers help improve the profits. Passing the discounts to all has the
opposite effect.

Keep in mind those last minute discounts are for a very limited inventory of
cabins that did not sell.




"JLeary256" wrote in message
...
If you bought a new car and a couple months later would you expect a

refund on
a discounted price?? No you wouldn't. You agreed to the pricing at the

time.
You could have waited and late booked if you wanted to take the chance.

As
mentioned, you had your choice of cabins etc. Late bookings get left

overs and
sometimes guarantees. I late book every cruise. I am flexable on
cabin,
ship, itinerary etc. Those who aren't will book ahead. For me it
doesn't
matter if I go or not, it can be a big gamble to late book. The price
was
acceptable at the time, go and enjoy your cruise.





  #6  
Old October 7th, 2004, 01:20 AM
Birdie 321
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thank you for your reply. You have expressed my feelings even better than I
could have!
  #7  
Old October 7th, 2004, 01:24 AM
Birdie 321
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Of course, you are correct. But by not price protecting people like me (and
I'm not suggesting that they should send a check to all 2,000 people who have
pre-booked, I'm just saying that they should do something for the fraction of
the 2,000, like me, who complain!) they will have even more last minute cabins
to book going forward because I, for one, will not pre-book with a line that
does not price protect me.

One of my questions was whether this was the norm today. A few years ago,
although all cruise lines had the same policy as today, both Royal Caribbean
and Celebrity either offered and upgrade or a credit when prices dropped, right
up until sailing. Believe me, right now I am sorry I did not book with them,
even though they don't allow travel agents to rebate commissions.
  #8  
Old October 7th, 2004, 06:20 AM
StephenM
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Posts: n/a
Default

I've responded in-line. On my last cruise I saw a great price for a window
guarantee, but although I tried very hard I could not secure a cabin. I
eventually went for a reasonably good price on a balcony guarantee and had a
great time, even though my book late strategy nearly cost me not going at
all.

"Birdie 321" wrote in message
...
... I knew the rules ahead of time, and I'm not claiming NCL is
doing anything it is not entitled to do. ...


Quite right.

... but I would even give up the cabin a select one in a lower category at

the
new, lower price, if NCL would allow it without penalty. ...


Yes but this is not the deal that a late booker gets. Would you be prepared
NOT TO GO on this cruise if the price hadn't dropped, that is the real
gamble of the late booker. You secured a selected cabin on a specific
cruise for a reasonable price (you must have thought the price is reasonable
or you wouldn't have booked the cruise). In this instance some people had a
little luck and will go at a better price, maybe next time this will be you.
Don't resent their good luck, wish them well and enjoy your holiday.

... No matter how great the cruise is, I am so annoyed at the way NCL is

handling
this that I doubt I would ever sail with them again. ...


I've never had to deal with the arrogance of the cruise line home office,
but it's well documented for every cruise line. Sometimes they try to help,
very often they don't appear to care. I don't think switching to another
cruise line helps. However the onboard experience is usually very good
indeed.

... I certainly would never buy a cruise from them prior to the penalty

period. ...

A very good strategy if you can take the risk. You may not get the cruise
line, ship, cabin type or dates you really want but over the year a number
of really good bargains will come your way at short notice. Make sure you
can get the airfares (these normally go up in price on short time bookings)
and have a great time.

Stephen


  #9  
Old October 7th, 2004, 06:20 AM
StephenM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I've responded in-line. On my last cruise I saw a great price for a window
guarantee, but although I tried very hard I could not secure a cabin. I
eventually went for a reasonably good price on a balcony guarantee and had a
great time, even though my book late strategy nearly cost me not going at
all.

"Birdie 321" wrote in message
...
... I knew the rules ahead of time, and I'm not claiming NCL is
doing anything it is not entitled to do. ...


Quite right.

... but I would even give up the cabin a select one in a lower category at

the
new, lower price, if NCL would allow it without penalty. ...


Yes but this is not the deal that a late booker gets. Would you be prepared
NOT TO GO on this cruise if the price hadn't dropped, that is the real
gamble of the late booker. You secured a selected cabin on a specific
cruise for a reasonable price (you must have thought the price is reasonable
or you wouldn't have booked the cruise). In this instance some people had a
little luck and will go at a better price, maybe next time this will be you.
Don't resent their good luck, wish them well and enjoy your holiday.

... No matter how great the cruise is, I am so annoyed at the way NCL is

handling
this that I doubt I would ever sail with them again. ...


I've never had to deal with the arrogance of the cruise line home office,
but it's well documented for every cruise line. Sometimes they try to help,
very often they don't appear to care. I don't think switching to another
cruise line helps. However the onboard experience is usually very good
indeed.

... I certainly would never buy a cruise from them prior to the penalty

period. ...

A very good strategy if you can take the risk. You may not get the cruise
line, ship, cabin type or dates you really want but over the year a number
of really good bargains will come your way at short notice. Make sure you
can get the airfares (these normally go up in price on short time bookings)
and have a great time.

Stephen


  #10  
Old October 7th, 2004, 12:16 PM
RichC
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

This seems to have been a problem for the cruise lines for years & the only
way around it is to be flexible with the ship, cabin & dates. I know this
isn't possible for some people as their jobs don't allow for it but what I
don't really understand is that some people have to have a certain cabin or
certain deck. Limiting yourself to those restrictions will only make it
harder to obtain decent prices. I don't find that much differences between
cabins within the lower categories at all. I only wish the days of waiting
on the dock with a packed bag were still around.

"Birdie 321" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have any recent experience with prices dropping within the

penalty
period? I haven't cruised in the past few years, but in the late 1990s

and
early 2000s, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity always either issued a credit

or
offered an upgrade if prices dropped within the penalty period. I am

currently
booked on the Norwegian Dawn for 11/28, and have noticed that the prices

for
oceanview cabins have dropped a lot in the past few weeks. When my travel
agent called to request an adjustment, an upgrade, or anything, NCL

absolutely
refused to do anything because they didn't have to.

Is this new for all the lines, or is NCL the only major line with such

"great"
customer service? I knew the rules ahead of time, and I'm not claiming

NCL is
doing anything it is not entitled to do. It does, however, seem
counterintuitive for NCL to expect customers to commit money prior to the
penalty period if they are going to refuse to do anything upon request

later if
the prices drop. I'm not denying that I had a better choice of a cabin,

but I
would even give up the cabin a select one in a lower category at the new,

lower
price, if NCL would allow it without penalty. I understand imposing a

penalty
if I wanted to outright cancel the booking and leave them with an unsold

cabin
at the last minute, but I do not understand why NCL risks alienating

customers
who paid a higher price early by dropping prices and refusing adjustments

upon
request just to fill the last few unsold cabins. It seems to me that they
should either maintain pricing and risk sailing with a few empty cabins,

or
offer some sort of compensation upon request after they drop prices. I

have
never sailed with NCL, and I have a bad taste even before the cruise has

begun.
No matter how great the cruise is, I am so annoyed at the way NCL is

handling
this that I doubt I would ever sail with them again. I certainly would

never
buy a cruise from them prior to the penalty period. Even airlines issuing
non-refundable tickets offer a credit upon request after fares drop in

order to
encourage people to buy early. Am I being unreasonable? Has anyone else
experienced this? Thanks in advance.



 




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