Royal Caribbean make some changes to their on-board booking programme

Royal Caribbean cruises have brought some changes info effect this month with their on-board booking programmes.  The changes I read about are mainly based on the US market and I am struggling to find out how we are effected here.

One thing I have read is that Royal Caribbean will be taking the option away for people to receive their bonus on-board booking on-board credit on their current cruise and instead having to take it with the new cruise.

Also I read that reduced deposits will not be an option anymore with the full amounts now being required although this was again mentioning US dollars and didn’t mention how the UK market will be effected.

In the US clients are given the option of booking with a refundable or non-refundable deposit. This has always been frustrating for UK cruisers as the Royal Caribbean deposits are always non-refundable for them. In the past UK guests who booked on-board with a low deposit and took on-board credit right away would find the on-board credit amount offsetting the deposit and effectively making them no worse off if they cancel before balance due, it seems that this could have come to an end.

I did read now that for US guests they will now no longer allow refundable deposit bookings on Grand Suites or above. This is good news as it means they can’t be held off from sale by people who often have no intention of proceeding with the sailing. Of course for category’s lower than Grand Suite we still have the same problem with many cabins being held stateside by people not intending to sail in them, this also effects dining options, I often see sailings well over a year in advance with most dining sittings already wait listed as so much has already been held off.