Changing Categories: Must Pay Prevailing Rates?

Mainsail Minnie

Momketeer
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
I just tried to upgrade our stateroom via Costco, and the agent told me DCL told her that I would have to pay the current prevailing rate for the stateroom in the new category. I had the Costco agent speak to a different DCL agent, knowing the first one could just be wrong, but the second agent said the same thing, adding that she has 5 years experience with DCL. I did not change categories as I was under the impression that it should be the same cost it would be when you originally booked.

Has the old policy changed, or did we just get two ignorant DCL agents?
 
I have not heard of the policy changing and it has always been that if you change a category down the line you would pay the rate that category was on the day you booked the original category. Example: you can't decide on an ocean view or a verandah. The ocean view is $100 and the verandah is $200 (I wish) on the day you want to book. You decide on the ocean view but a few months later you change your mind and want to upgrade to the verandah. Now the verandah is $300. You should be able to pay the $200 which the verandah was the day you booked your ocean view.

Try calling again. I would be interested if the policy changed.

The policy may change if you are within the penalty phase but I am not 100% sure.

MJ
 
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Agree with the previous poster. In the past you've always locked down the prices for all categories when you book the first time. If it would have been $100 difference to switch from one category to another a the time of your initial booking, it would be $100 if you changed it now. If you add a person however, that persons fare would be at the current prevailing rate, and if you change the cruise to a different date, you would also pay the prevailing rate. Since I don't book with a TA, I've always been able to confirm this was true by pulling up my reservation and seeing what I'd be charged for the upgrade and comparing that to a new booking. You could ask your TA to get full details for the fare if you were to choose to upgrade - they can break it down by the new fare per person plus the port fees and taxes. Then you could take these numbers and compare them by looking up the cruise online and seeing what the fares would be booking today today - I'm thinking they will be different and you just had some CM's that didn't really know how it works.

Aby
 
I have not heard of the policy changing and it has always been that if you change a category down the line you would pay the rate that category was on the day you booked the original category. Example: you can't decide on an ocean view or a verandah. The ocean view is $100 and the verandah is $200 (I wish) on the day you want to book. You decide on the ocean view but a few months later you change your mind and want to upgrade to the verandah. Now the verandah is $300. You should be able to pay the $200 which the verandah was the day you booked your ocean view.

Try calling again. I would be interested if the policy changed.

The policy may change if you are within the penalty phase but I am not 100% sure.

MJ
The DCL agent she spoke to said paying the prevailing rate for a category change has always been the policy & she's been there 5 years. I know that's wrong because I used to book myself only a few years ago & saw that my pricing for changing categories was different than prevailing pricing. But I can't see that now as I'm using an agency & can't change my own cabin, which is my least favorite thing about using an agency.

DCL reps can be so ignorant. This is making me crazy!

I haven't changed passengers & am not within penalty phase, btw.
 


The DCL agent she spoke to said paying the prevailing rate for a category change has always been the policy & she's been there 5 years. I know that's wrong because I used to book myself only a few years ago & saw that my pricing for changing categories was different than prevailing pricing. But I can't see that now as I'm using an agency & can't change my own cabin, which is my least favorite thing about using an agency.

DCL reps can be so ignorant. This is making me crazy!

I haven't changed passengers & am not within penalty phase, btw.

Yeah I would definitely ask your TA to just get the new quote for you, including the final cost, fare breakdown per person, and the taxes and fees. Then just do a cost comparison on the DCL website. If you indeed will get charged the prevailing rate, then it should exactly match what any person booking today on the website sees as the cost (unless it was an OBB in which case it would be 10% off just the cruise fare for each person). If it's lower then it's your previously locked in pricing making the difference. One your TA has a quote, if you're happy with it then they can upgrade it for you despite the CM's warnings since you know better

Aby.
 
The DCL agent she spoke to said paying the prevailing rate for a category change has always been the policy & she's been there 5 years. I know that's wrong because I used to book myself only a few years ago & saw that my pricing for changing categories was different than prevailing pricing. But I can't see that now as I'm using an agency & can't change my own cabin, which is my least favorite thing about using an agency.

DCL reps can be so ignorant. This is making me crazy!

I haven't changed passengers & am not within penalty phase, btw.

Maybe call DCL directly and ask the general question of changing categories down the line? No need to tell them you currently have a Ressie with an TA.

MJ
 
I called back and upgraded the stateroom, and was charged the prevailing rate. I added the upgrade cost to the previous cruise cost, so I know it is the prevailing rate.

However, this wasn't a problem for me, because after checking Cruise Fish & Touring Plans I saw that the prevailing rate for this category is actually $14 total less than it would have been when I booked the cruise. When I called I had assumed prices would have been higher for the new category because they were significantly higher for my original category. Lesson learned to check Cruise Fish first for the history of your desired category's pricing.

But that still leaves the abstract issue that I was charged the prevailing rate. I know for a fact that when you change your own category online when booking direct via DCL, it is not prevailing rate (or at least wasn't a few years ago when I last did that), yet DCL charged me prevailing rate to do it over the phone. Two thumbs down for that.
 


I called back and upgraded the stateroom, and was charged the prevailing rate. I added the upgrade cost to the previous cruise cost, so I know it is the prevailing rate.

However, this wasn't a problem for me, because after checking Cruise Fish & Touring Plans I saw that the prevailing rate for this category is actually $14 total less than it would have been when I booked the cruise. When I called I had assumed prices would have been higher for the new category because they were significantly higher for my original category. Lesson learned to check Cruise Fish first for the history of your desired category's pricing.

But that still leaves the abstract issue that I was charged the prevailing rate. I know for a fact that when you change your own category online when booking direct via DCL, it is not prevailing rate (or at least wasn't a few years ago when I last did that), yet DCL charged me prevailing rate to do it over the phone. Two thumbs down for that.

Maybe in this case it’s because the prevailing rate now was lower than when you booked the cruise? If the prevailing rate was actually higher today instead of lower you may have had the price protection after all.

Aby
 
It makes no sense financially to hold the rate for a different cabin just for you who didn’t get that cabin at date of purchase.
Not making booked customers who are just changing categories pay the prevailing rate has always been DCL's standard practice. The policy does benefit DCL, as it encourages people to book early & therefore commit themselves to a DCL cruise rather than considering other vacation options.
DCL is a business.
Duh.
 
You pay the rate when you booked. Some of the call centre people don’t know this. I book directly now but just booked a cruise for November and changed categories with an OBB credit. I was definitely not charged the prevailing rate. Usually I do this online where it’s easy to see that the computer puts in a different rate than the prevailing rate. Ask the agent to check. It’s amazing how many don’t know this.
 
You pay the rate when you booked. Some of the call centre people don’t know this. I book directly now but just booked a cruise for November and changed categories with an OBB credit. I was definitely not charged the prevailing rate. Usually I do this online where it’s easy to see that the computer puts in a different rate than the prevailing rate. Ask the agent to check. It’s amazing how many don’t know this.
I'm starting to think that none of the reps know this. They're clearly not being trained about it. But yes, it's clear as day when you change categories online. If only those who book with an agency could change staterooms online...
 
I just did this thru Costco a couple weeks ago. Changed from a 7A to a 4E. The Costco rep told me I would have to pay the difference in the prevailing rate minus what we already paid. I told him this was not the case. I explained to him how Disney actually charges you when you upgrade. He was very skeptical.

He called Disney and when he came back on the line, he apologized and told me I was right. I owed Disney the amount I said it should be, not the amount he told me it would be. I don’t think the Costco agents know all of DCL’s policies.
 
DCL is a business. Of course you should pay the prevailing rate. It makes no sense financially to hold the rate for a different cabin just for you who didn’t get that cabin at date of purchase. It is simple supply and demand.

Except that isn't DCL's policy. DCL's policy has always been that you can change the category of your stateroom and pay the amount you would have paid if you had booked that stateroom originally. The problem here is that the reps answering the phones don't know the correct information. I think the issue with the OP is that the cost of the room had decreased (an unusual situation with DCL) and thus it was charging the prevailing rate rather than the higher rate from the original booking day.
 
I think the issue is when the agent first pulls up the information (in your reservation and it shows the available categories), it displays the prevailing rate. It is not until you go into the process a little further and actually select the category that you are upgrading to that the price is adjusted based on when you booked. So most agents only take the first step, see the prevailing rate and quote that. An experienced agent who knows the policy will know to go one more step before quoting prices. Unfortunately, those agents are far and few between so you get individuals that spew wrong information - both on policy and price! Many of them don't take that step because they think they are committing to the upgrade - they are not, they can get the correct price and if you decide not to upgrade, they can cancel and restore your reservation exactly how it was
 

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