Is 125% really fair? Not a pot-stirring post, btw.

[n2mm]

I passed on the 25%. the only cruises available to me had been out for a long time, so prices were high. So with the 25% there was no savings for me. I was happy to take my full refund and sit this one out. Maybe had we had a wider booking window, maybe I could’ve found something to book, but my window was 15 months, but with Covid I could really only look at 2021 and since I wont cruise in the summer, there was nothing to book since I already had a January 2021 cruise booked (which got moved to April 2021).

 

[monkeydawn]

How are you thinking discounts should be handled in a sliding cost economy? Cause that’s not Disney... that’s basic economics.

I agree with you. Its the most practical way to handle all of this. I think the extra percentage is a fair way to help offset the increased costs for some, is a nice bonus for others and yet still not enough to get some to get the "same deal" on a comparable cruise at a later date.

If the OP wanted a more fair system the only thing I can come up with is only allowing people to book a very comparable cruise at the same rate tier as the original booking. So, say you booked a 7 night med cruise on platinum opening day for June of 2020, you would be allowed to book a 7 night med cruise in June of 2021 for platinum opening day rates (of the 2021 schedule), even if the current going rate were higher. This gets you to about as close to even as possible IMO. BUT there are a few issues. The first being what if there are no similar cruises being offered next year, then the customer must take a refund in order to be completly fair to Disney since some itineraries are much faster to book than others (meaning you could have had a lackluster 2020 cruise planned that was getting the axe because no one loved it and then rebook a *hot* itinerary). Another issue is that cruises tend to go up year to year so everyone would likely be paying at least a little more. A third issue is that circumstances will change for people between this year and next, people will graduate/ get married/ have babies/ not be available, so that what the customer needs in terms of the cruise may change. There is limited flexibility with this plan. There is also the logistical headache of matching up the booking tiers.

You could say combine the two methods, DCL gives the 125% good on any future cruise but make booking rates the same tier as the initial booking rate. I dont believe this is fair to Disney in several ways though. I think DCL (and most cruise lines) is doing something that is a good compromise of whats best for both them and the customer and also what is somewhat easier and makes most people happy enough to stay with DCL.

 

[NancyIL]

I agree with you. Its the most practical way to handle all of this. I think the extra percentage is a fair way to help offset the increased costs for some, is a nice bonus for others and yet still not enough to get some to get the "same deal" on a comparable cruise at a later date.

If the OP wanted a more fair system the only thing I can come up with is only allowing people to book a very comparable cruise at the same rate tier as the original booking. So, say you booked a 7 night med cruise on platinum opening day for June of 2020, you would be allowed to book a 7 night med cruise in June of 2021 for platinum opening day rates (of the 2021 schedule), even if the current going rate were higher. This gets you to about as close to even as possible IMO. BUT there are a few issues. The first being what if there are no similar cruises being offered next year, then the customer must take a refund in order to be completly fair to Disney since some itineraries are much faster to book than others (meaning you could have had a lackluster 2020 cruise planned that was getting the axe because no one loved it and then rebook a *hot* itinerary). Another issue is that cruises tend to go up year to year so everyone would likely be paying at least a little more. A third issue is that circumstances will change for people between this year and next, people will graduate/ get married/ have babies/ not be available, so that what the customer needs in terms of the cruise may change. There is limited flexibility with this plan. There is also the logistical headache of matching up the booking tiers.

You could say combine the two methods, DCL gives the 125% good on any future cruise but make booking rates the same tier as the initial booking rate. I dont believe this is fair to Disney in several ways though. I think DCL (and most cruise lines) is doing something that is a good compromise of whats best for both them and the customer and also what is somewhat easier and makes most people happy enough to stay with DCL.

What you describe is the "Lift and Shift" that Royal Caribbean has offered. I moved two fall 2020 cruises to fall 2021 cruises of the same type (Canada, Transatlantic, etc.), for the same number of days, and in the same cabin category. The best thing is the cruises I moved were price protected, except for the taxes. The 2021 Transatlantic cruise I moved to is almost twice the price of the cruise I had booked for 2020, and the same is true of my 2021 Canada cruise - but I kept my 2020 prices:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-with-confidence
• NEW! Lift and Shift - Lift and Shift is for those guests simply wishing to move their existing booking to next year. For CWC [Cruise With Confidence] guests that are ready to move to an alternative sail date in the following year, we’re happy to price protect the original pricing and/or promotion if the alternative sailing is the same itinerary, length, and stateroom category. However, the alternative sail date that the guest will be moved to, needs to be dated within 4 weeks (before or after) of the original sail date, but for the following year. For example, if you are moving from a July 30, 2020 sailing, you must move to a sailing that is the same itinerary, length, and stateroom category, and the sail date should be June 30, 2021 – August 30, 2021. To be eligible, guests must move their booking on or before August 1, 2020.

 

[monkeydawn]

What you describe is the "Lift and Shift" that Royal Caribbean has offered. I moved two fall 2020 cruises to fall 2021 cruises of the same type (Canada, Transatlantic, etc.), for the same number of days, and in the same cabin category. The best thing is the cruises I moved were price protected, except for the taxes. The 2021 Transatlantic cruise I moved to is almost twice the price of the cruise I had booked for 2020, and the same is true of my 2021 Canada cruise - but I kept my 2020 prices:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-with-confidenceThat's a good term for it! LOL

 

[MomOTwins]

I'm going to chime in on the OP's original question to say, that it is kind of "fair" in the broader scheme of things. I've never been able to plan more than a few months out with my work's vacation rules--the one time I tried it, I got denied the vacation on the dates I hoped to use and had to move my disney cruise anyway. So every cruise i've been on, I've been paying hundreds if not thousands more than people who are able to plan their vacations earlier and book the same rooms on opening day. So in that sense, yes I'm getting more of a discount now, but for those of you that can book opening day, you're getting a much bigger discount than the differential on my 25% versus yours.

 

[Bella29]

I don't think fair is the goal here; giving me a full refund since they can't provide the cruise I booked is fair enough for me. But 125% credit is not going to make me whole if I try to use it to book a new cruise where I missed the opening day price and i'm competing with other displaced cruisers. So it's not enough to convince me to let Disney keep my money. I have a cruise booked for this fall. If they have to cancel, I will take the refund, spend it on a different kind of vacation, and maybe try DCL again in a few years.

Some cruiselines are giving you something like a cruise portability option, where you can get a similar room on a similar length cruise. I would definitely do that if DCL offered it and the dates worked for us.

 

[spiders]

Nothing in life is fair. There are people who can take advantage of certain situations and there are people who can't. There isn't anything fair about it. I will never be able to take advantage of an opening day offer. I bid my leave in the fall for all of the following year. I can only take advantage of special offers if the dates already match my existing leave and I will never be able to plan any type of days off 15 months in advance. That's not Disney's fault - that my problem and my problem alone to deal with.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Nothing in life is fair.

Or, as my mother used to say, "Who told you life was fair?"

 

[auntlynne]

I totally get the point originally made. An opening day price x 125% versus a cabin booked after the prices increase x 125% are not going to buy the same cabin on the future cruise that both parties will now be booking at the same time and price.

And we have watched the DCL prices climb over the years! I imagine the same cruise you booked for 2020 is going to be more expensive in 2021 (But probably not 25% higher, even at later booking dates).

Fairness a question? DCL is offering full refund on cancelled cruises? That is fairness.

I’m thinking OP should have titled his post, “Early bookers lose out mathematically with 125% credit.” Even that could have stirred up opposition, when you factor in all the money Platinums have saved over the years of early booking on excessive cruising ( wink, wink - don’t hate for my kidding).

 

[JM23457]

It's certainly fair. The people who already had their 2021 cruises booked didn't get hurt in any way. The people who lost their much-awaited 2020 cruises get a little compensation & help to book a cruise that's probably a bit more expensive the next year. And the cash DCL gets to keep instead of refund helps keep the line solvent. It's a win win win.

That is, unless you're the type who feels miserable every time someone else gets something & you don't. In which case, why cruise? You would always be miserable because someone else always gets more. Focusing on the good in your life instead of what others have more of is a much better path to follow. We're all very lucky people to even be able to cruise at all, especially on DCL.

 

[KVH]

We might as well complain that people that book on opening day get better deals than those that book after prices go up. How is that fair to those who don't book on opening?

 

[mmackeymouse]

How are you thinking discounts should be handled in a sliding cost economy? Cause that’s not Disney... that’s basic economics.

I guess my idea would be the same was Dreams does their OBC structure....each category is worth a flat rate credit. Then, everyone, no matter when they booked are on a level playing field.

I totally get the point originally made. An opening day price x 125% versus a cabin booked after the prices increase x 125% are not going to buy the same cabin on the future cruise that both parties will now be booking at the same time and price.

And we have watched the DCL prices climb over the years! I imagine the same cruise you booked for 2020 is going to be more expensive in 2021 (But probably not 25% higher, even at later booking dates).

Fairness a question? DCL is offering full refund on cancelled cruises? That is fairness.

I’m thinking OP should have titled his post, “Early bookers lose out mathematically with 125% credit.” Even that could have stirred up opposition, when you factor in all the money Platinums have saved over the years of early booking on excessive cruising ( wink, wink - don’t hate for my kidding).

Thank you for understanding. Yes, maybe it could have been worded a bit differently. But yes, essentially the way you put it is correct....if Mary Jones booked at a certain rate and then John Doe booked at a certain rate 6 months later....if they are looking to book for February for example, one is at a financial advantage over the other.

I think 25% would get us into a comparable cruise in 2021, but only just barely. It's kind of crazy that the cruise is nearly 25% higher from one year to the next. Speaking of crazy, I think considering where the cruise industry is rumored to go, I'm kind of surprised there has been no drop in prices.

That said, some cruises don't really have an equivalent from year to year. That is the case for us. Yes, there is a cruise on the same date, but we are currently booked for a 3 night on the Fantasy, which 3 nights are usually on the Dream. We wanted to sail on the Fantasy. So, for us, we'd rather put that extra 25% toward a different cruise/itinerary.

 

[RysMomma]

I’m so sorry for your loss. *hugs*

Thank you!

 

[SL6827]

I am planning on most likely moving our three night that we have booked for next year into 2022. Probably the Spring of 2022, so I will be keeping an eye out for when they release those dates and will just move over to then as soon as I can.

 

[SL6827]

With this extra 25%, is Disney offering after people's PIF date, before, or when usually?

 

[Calantha]

With this extra 25%, is Disney offering after people's PIF date, before, or when usually?

Not sure I quite understand your question, but the 125% is only available if you are already PIF. Otherwise they just refund what you have paid.

 

[SL6827]

Not sure I quite understand your question, but the 125% is only available if you are already PIF. Otherwise they just refund what you have paid.

Ok, that is what I was thinking. You must be paid in full and the cruise gets cancelled. I will move my 2021 before my PIF date arrives, or I think I will anyways, lol.

 

[ChicosWife]

I'm in the camp that thinks they didn't have to do anything. I'll take my 25% and say " Thank You very much"

 

[I_love_Cruising]

I'm perfectly happy with their current solution. I would even be okay to get a FCC of 100% if it had no expiration date.

I think that 25% off a future cruise would have been a nice idea. Like give a 25% on the next cruise you have booked or book. But that would put people at an "advantage" that had shorter cruises booked and rebooked more expensive ones. But everybody would have the same chance of getting the most out of those 25%.
But that would never happen. Because then there would be no reason to keep our funds, they could refunded 100% in cash and given a code for 25% off to be used until a certain date.

 

[fdefulvio]

There are only very specific sailings where 25% would not not be enough to cover price increases. We had our August 2020 7-night cancelled and were able to move to an August 2021 date with over $1000 credit left on our account. That was after moving to a week earlier, which was $600 more. If we would have booked the same week, we would have had over $1500 in extra credit. This was for an initial $9300 booking. Obviously, if our initial booking was cheaper, we would have had less credit left.

The price of an equivalent cruise only went up about $300 between August 2020 and August 2021, and there have been no price increases from the time it was released. Most 2021 sailings have not had any price increases. This was true for most summer 2021 bookings. I had to go to the April 3, 2021 sailing to find any kind of significant price increases.

I think the high demand dates around holidays may be the only instances where 25% may not cover increased prices. These are also the highest rate cruises. I learned early on that DCL prices vary significantly by date. The same 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise can range from $8000-$16,000 for a Family Veranda depending on the date.