Royal Caribbean changing cruise price after paying

[Mum1976Mum]

So, we have just about scraped the money together for a holiday in July. Lots of holidays out of our price range but managed to book a 7 day cruise around Norway for 2.7k - 2 adults, 2 kids. Booked it yesterday morning, paid in full, all good. I booked the hotel, parking, pet sitter etc. yesterday afternoon all non refundable. Got an email at 9pm last night to say price was wrong on website, price would not be honoured and offering me $100 in onboard credit (which we don’t need).

So this morning they still haven’t got in touch to tell me how much more I will have to pay if I don’t cancel. I phone up, it’s £1500 extra!!! I’ve now been on hold to speak to a supervisor for an hour but they say they won’t be able to do anything.

What on earth do we do? If we cancel we are £500 out of pocket. Any advice welcome. I’m so sad.

No one else find this all very strange.

I would be very interested to see all the invoices saying all these different prices over the course of 12 hours

There were No invoices. Those were the prices I was told over the phone - £1500, then £450 then £300 ish. I finally received an invoice which said it was £410. I phoned again and it was £69. Honestly, I think they were just plucking amounts out of their arse in the end.

Where are you finding genuinely premium lines that charge £2k for four people? We’re doing a week in the fjords this year with p&o and that’s £1998 for 3 people in a balcony with a lot of onboard credit, which seemed to be an unusually good deal to me!

Where are you finding genuinely premium lines that charge £2k for four people?

Through the usual agents, FourSeasons; I've always found Cruise Kings and Victoria Travel very good, but others are available as they say

This last one was £1750 and that was 14 nights with a balcony - admittedly for two people rather than four, but it was also twice OP's length of cruise (and don't they usually discount children pretty heavily?)

In fairness it helps that I'm retired so can book very last minute, or pick and choose when the best offers appear, which does make a lot of difference

Ahh I think that makes a massive difference - we’re tied to school holidays (albeit Scottish ones which can help a bit when cruising out of Southampton) and for various reasons can’t generally book at the last minute.

In my experience you don't get specific discounts for kids at all - there will often be discounts for 3rd and 4th passengers of any age sharing the cabin, but how good those are varies by line and by sailing.

OP, have you thought about contacting some of the many YouTube cruise bloggers out there? Emma Le Teace of Emma Cruises or Gary Bembridge from Tips for Travellers spring to mind, there are plenty of others. They are very widely followed and the cruise companies are keen to impress them.

No way should you have to spend a penny more, you booked and paid the deposit in good faith. Basic contract law surely? It’s not like it was some outrageous bargain, you have paid good money. And it has taken the shine off your holiday. Unbelievable that some think you are “lucky” to pay another £69! It’s like extortion to me.

Always book through a credible agent.

Pretty sure consumer law states that if you’ve made a booking at that price they have to honour it even if it’s a mistake.

We have just experienced this with our recent holiday to Turkey from 2 well-known .com travel companies. Both companies increased prices AFTER booking, one by £150 and the other by 800. Got a refund from the one trying to charge 800. Then after paying extra with the other company they didnt even book my flights with the airline, resulting in us loosing a weeks holiday due to needing to go when all 3 kids were off school over easter! Made a complaint and one company sent back a snotty letter taking no responsibility! Theres definitely foul play going on! Under a hundred pounds is perhaps ok in rare circumstances but 800! Robbery.

From the citizens advice website…

Shopping online
your legal rights depend on something fairly tricky in the law: whether or not you have a ‘contract’.
Depending on the company’s terms and conditions, you’ll have legal rights (and a contract) either:

• once you’ve paid for the item
• once they’ve sent it to you

You’ll need to find the company’s terms and conditions to find out where you stand. Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline if you need help. It may be too tricky to work out yourself. If you have a contract, the company can’t usually cancel your order, even if they realise they’ve sold you something at the wrong price. They’ll only be able to cancel it if it was a genuine and honest mistake on their part that you should’ve noticed.

Think you need to email saying that you will contact the papers and take legal action if they do not honor what you’ve agreed to. I would say that if the price is still saying the same as the website that you won’t be the only one that is duped. Also contact trading standards and watchdog

Ex travel agent here. Once you agree to terms and conditions they cannot change the price whether it be up or down. This sounds like someone has made a cock up to me and they’re trying to rectify it by charging to the cost. Check your T&C’s with regards to once you have confirmed. If you have booked direct with Royal Caribbean you will be able to seek advice from ABTA. Do not pay the difference.

Twitter this issue and @ them in. Companies hate being publicly shamed and I bet you'll get a response then!

Trading standards. And contact the news. Law trumps policies and pretty sure this change of price after the processing of payment isn’t acceptable.

Thanks for letting us know about Royal Caribbean , I’m appalled!

@WhatsitWiggle this is probably some of the biggest load of rubbish I have read on here and there has been a few clangers! I recently went on a 15 day Caribbean cruise (flew to Barbados with Virgin), for £849 per person! My children were £49. I am going on a cruise next year for 7 nights from Southampton - 2 adults, 2 children plus car parking and spending of £300 onboard for £1800. I hope I never have to book a holiday through you!

@Doggate1 thanks for your comment, it's added so much to my evening. I also hope you never book a holiday with me.

I agree with cheersforthat. I would send a letter to the CEO of RC
reporting the contuing breach of contract (still advertised at original price). In law this is unfair terms.
The money paid and terms agreed.
Google for case law consumer law contract law. Keep it formal.
RC are doing it because they can get away with it with British consumers who are not as litigious as Americans and it’s an American company.

I was going to recommend Emma and Gary as well @Likewhatever . I don't think they are regulars on Royal but I've never heard them experience anything like this. Meanwhile Kevin '30 and a Wakeup' is always raving about Royal on YouTube, but he will be dealing with the US call centres and US-facing website.

Btw I am now getting adverts for RC on Facebook! Not overly tempted, to put it mildly.

I am not sure a court would uphold this. It sounds like it could be an unfair contract term

We are going on a cruise in two weeks time to Norway and paying £450 each for a week. So £2700 isn’t a bargain. Cruises can be got quite cheap if you get on the marketing emails for the cruise companies. We’re always getting bombarded with cruise discount emails.

Thank you for letting me know about Royal Caribbean and since reading the trust pilot page I can't believe how they've gone down hill. I honestly thought they were the best out there.

OP- check out MSC cruises for similar prices deals.