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Original poster

Royal Caribbean changing cruise price after paying

469 replies

Mum1976Mum · 04/05/2023 09:26

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.

OP posts:
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TeeBee · 04/05/2023 09:45

I was about to book a cruise with RC. I now won't be, I will use another company. Thanks for the heads up OP. Sorry they have acted so dreadfully; it really does reflect badly on them.

KimberleyClark · 04/05/2023 09:45

WhatsitWiggle · 04/05/2023 09:42

All those saying they don't know the legal position, I do, and unfortunately OP has agreed to the terms and conditions that indicate the company reserves the right to correct pricing errors. Yes it's crap but RC do not have to give her the holiday at the incorrect price.

But they haven’t corrected this “pricing error”, the holiday is still being advertised at the incorrect price. Which makes me wonder if it is just shady business practice.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 04/05/2023 09:46

Mum1976Mum · 04/05/2023 09:41

Plus the website is still showing the ‘incorrect price’! Over 48 hours after they ‘became aware of it’

Tweet them and point this out. Sounds like they are deliberately trying to mislead people. It may well be legal but it is immoral.

They won't want the bad publicity so social media is the way to go, I think.

WhatsitWiggle · 04/05/2023 09:46

"Plus the website is still showing the ‘incorrect price’! Over 48 hours after they ‘became aware of it’"

Ah, now that is shit, no excuse for that. Screenshot it with date/time and argue that they are still advertising at the price you paid.

NoWordForFluffy · 04/05/2023 09:47

WhatsitWiggle · 04/05/2023 09:42

All those saying they don't know the legal position, I do, and unfortunately OP has agreed to the terms and conditions that indicate the company reserves the right to correct pricing errors. Yes it's crap but RC do not have to give her the holiday at the incorrect price.

Totally possible for a contract to include an unfair term which a court wouldn't allow RC to rely on in this instance.

doverdiva · 04/05/2023 09:47

TeeBee · 04/05/2023 09:45

I was about to book a cruise with RC. I now won't be, I will use another company. Thanks for the heads up OP. Sorry they have acted so dreadfully; it really does reflect badly on them.

Agree !

This is a terrible way to treat a customer. Whether they have the technical legal right to make a change or not, it just shows total lack of respect and is almost cruel. It is like a bait and switch situation !

I will also be avoiding Royal Caribbean.

careerthink · 04/05/2023 09:47

It might be worth calling your insurance, they may have come across this before and be able to advise?? Although if you've literally only just booked I appreciate you may not have insurance lined up yet if you don't have annual cover, so I don't want to sound goady!

Pottedpalm · 04/05/2023 09:48

I wouldn’t alert them that they haven’t changed the price, and keep screenshotting with date etc.
i agree it doesn’t seem an unreasonably low price. Get on their social media!

careerthink · 04/05/2023 09:49

Totally possible for a contract to include an unfair term which a court wouldn't allow RC to rely on in this instance.

Absolutely, I'm always rolling my eyes at (some) liability clauses in contracts that I know don't have a leg to stand on due to overriding legislation, but they do it to hedge their bets.

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 04/05/2023 09:49

Tweet and share this thread on social media too.

Appleblum · 04/05/2023 09:50

AFAIK, companies are allowed to cancel the sale if they were wrongly sold at a price which was not reasonably possible. There is a law regarding that but I'm not sure where/what it's called.

I think in this instance your price was too good to be true. I would expect a 7 nights cruise to be around the region of £5k for 2 adults and 2 children.

WhatsitWiggle · 04/05/2023 09:52

@KimberleyClark I hadn't seen ops post saying the price was still showing. That does change things as an incorrect price should be corrected as soon as the company become aware.

OP, contact trading standards and see what they say.

DrMorbius · 04/05/2023 09:52

Op did you pay by credit card?

careerthink · 04/05/2023 09:53

I think in this instance your price was too good to be true. I would expect a 7 nights cruise to be around the region of £5k for 2 adults and 2 children.

I disagree, I've been researching cruises religiously the last few months and £5k is the upper end (depending on a few factors, obviously can be much more, but also less), you can do a Disney cruise for 7 days on £5k for 4 people, and they come up MUCH more expensive than RC usually.

RC often do free child places too which can really bring the price down.

EsmeSusanOgg · 04/05/2023 09:53

If there is a genuine error, they do not have to honour the price. However, they do have to give you a full refund if you cannot afford/ do not want to pay the new price. They cannot charge a cancellation fee for their mistake.

Neededanewuserhandle · 04/05/2023 09:54

WhatsitWiggle · 04/05/2023 09:32

I work in travel. It is legal IF the price the holiday was booked at is obviously too cheap. So if the price was £2500 and should have been £3000, then there's an argument to say it's not a big enough price difference and could legitimately have been a special offer.

Given the OP has stated that most holidays were out of her price range, I think the company are on fair grounds to say it would have been obvious this was a bargain.

There is no legal basis for this claim.

EsmeSusanOgg · 04/05/2023 09:55

Pottedpalm · 04/05/2023 09:48

I wouldn’t alert them that they haven’t changed the price, and keep screenshotting with date etc.
i agree it doesn’t seem an unreasonably low price. Get on their social media!

Oh gosh yes, if the wrong price is still being advertised they are in a lot of trouble.

JudgeJ · 04/05/2023 09:55

Appleblum · 04/05/2023 09:50

AFAIK, companies are allowed to cancel the sale if they were wrongly sold at a price which was not reasonably possible. There is a law regarding that but I'm not sure where/what it's called.

I think in this instance your price was too good to be true. I would expect a 7 nights cruise to be around the region of £5k for 2 adults and 2 children.

There did used to be a law about companies accidently incorrectly pricing goods, something like an advertised price being 'an invitation to treat' but not legally binding or if it still exists. It seems very wrong that once money has changed hands one party can decide to renege on the contract, if the OP had decided to cancel her contract RC would not refund her.

CheersForThatEh · 04/05/2023 09:57

In your shoes I'd also make a video with the price and a commentary about the date and time and incorrect price and if possible show your booking info at the same time so you can be watertight that that is true.

I'd then look of there is an ombudsman or similar so I was informed and reply saying that you cannot afford the holiday at the new price, it is still showing as valid on the website at that price and the only resolution you're prepared to accept is them honouring the price or a full refund, plus expenses for the non refundable things you have booked (if there are any). Failure to do so means you would like it raised as a formal complaint, now, with a view of escalating to the ombudsman if a satisfactory resolution is not found.

Chandler12 · 04/05/2023 09:58

WhatsitWiggle · 04/05/2023 09:42

All those saying they don't know the legal position, I do, and unfortunately OP has agreed to the terms and conditions that indicate the company reserves the right to correct pricing errors. Yes it's crap but RC do not have to give her the holiday at the incorrect price.

You don’t. Companies can put whatever terms they like in consumer contracts if they’re unfair they’re not legally binding.

OP they can vary the price but they cannot hold you to the cancellation costs. I also wouldn’t say the price advertised is so low that it would be an obvious error either. Complain to them first in writing (they might even honour it once it goes higher up) then escalate to ABTA.

Re what you’ve paid so far hopefully you’ve paid credit card, if so do a s75 request to have it refunded (should you complain and they not honour price above or give full refund). If it’s debit card you don’t have same protections but you can request chargeback - I think that’s time limited though so act quick if need be.

Piony · 04/05/2023 10:01

It's definitely worth trying to get your money back on eg the pet sitting. They should have no trouble at all reselling it in the summer hols and it was only booked last night. Also, assuming you bought online check if cooling off periods apply for everything. Use consumer websites not the companies' own T&Cs.

Pushmepullu · 04/05/2023 10:03

Virgin Holidays were a great company for doing this. A few weeks before the departure date they would contact travellers to tell them the flight price had gone up, usually if you wanted to cancel you paid a cancellation charge. They knew that most people would have booked parking, applied for visas etc and so would be out of pocket. Threats of taking them to Trading Standards didn’t bother them because it would be the individual who would be inconvenienced and disappointed.

PurpleFlower1983 · 04/05/2023 10:03

That’s ridiculously bad customer service but that is VERY cheap for a week on RC for 4 of you. I hope you manage to sort something out.

careerthink · 04/05/2023 10:05

I think I can see the possible mistake.

There's a sale advertised on their front page saying 3rd and 4th guests sail from £129, Europe sailings included. When you go on that it's not on there.

Then when you find the cruise separately, it says it is eligible for the 3rd and 4th sailing discount. Although it's coming up as £3866 for me with 2 children (so between the 2 prices you're grappling with).

And for those who are saying it is too cheap, if I've found the right one it is in school term time so another reason to consider it's not a ridiculous price.

FernGully43 · 04/05/2023 10:09

Any option to find another holiday for the same time frame so you're not wasting the non-refundable booked services?

(But his bloody digusting of that company... I'm sorry you're having to deal with their mistake)