I booked my cruise before cruise lines adopted the current pricing policy where cruise fare includes taxes and port charges. I recently was notified of a price drop and called the travel agent. When the agent contacted the line he was told the cruise now costs $100 more than when we booked it. There is no way to do a comparison to see what part of the cruise fare increased or decreased. Has anyone else had this problem?
Contributor Level:
Purser
New pricing creates uncertainty in price drop
3 Answers
Contributor Level:
First Mate
No, sounds crazy. Although with some places around the world they do add the gratuity to the initial price. I hope you got to keep your initial price. Absolutely not an expert, however the pricing policies in the US and Canada may differ from say New Zealand or Australia. And the closer to the sail date, the more it costs. Anyway, just my opinion.
Contributor Level:
Captain
Smarter folks than me can give a better answer, and/or correct my input. From my understanding, if your cruise is NOT fully paid, and the price drops, the cruise line should give you the lower price. If you have already FULLY PAID your cruise, lower negotiations are not possible. The cruise price change is most likely one of two reasons: Supply and demand. As cabins are booked, the prices will increase. Also, port charges are increasing. This would be reflected in a new higher cruise price. There are a lot of variables in cruise prices (same as a land resort). I too get mailings and find usually the advertised discounts apply to cruises in the next month or two. Searching cruises further out (next year, two years out) show roughly zero discounts.
If you trust your agent, go with their input/advice. Best wishes to you on your cruise.
Contributor Level:
Admiral
I had some issues with that as well. I finally checked my total price (excluding insurance and gratuities) and divided by 2. Also, I do a mock booking that will also take into account location and any OBC I might have. Since you are dealing with a TA, they should be able to do this for you. I’ve written down the price to beat so when the price drops I don’t get too excited.
Happy sailing!