How do cruise lines handle price drops after you book?

5.41K viewsCruise Line Policies

What happens if the price on my cruise goes down?

This question was answered on our Cruise IQ show on September 28, 2017.
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With the strong booking momentum that is occurring within the cruise industry, finding price drops after you book is not as common as it once was. In fact, in many instances, the best prices are found when booking well in advance. If you do find a lower price on a cruise you have already booked, the ability to get the price adjusted will depend on whether you are outside of penalties or final payment and if you booked under a special pricing program or promotion. Generally speaking, if you have not made the final payment and cancelation penalties have not started, you can get a price adjustment by calling your cruise line or booking agent. Once within penalties, the ability to get the lower fare is greatly reduced, unless you booked under certain price programs. Carnival Cruise Line for example, offers a special program called Early Saver. Under this program requiring a non-refundable deposit, you are protected from price drops up to two days before sailing. The amount of the price drop will be provided to you as a shipboard credit. In almost all other circumstances, if you no longer qualify for the price drop, you may be able to get a room upgrade if a higher category is offered at the same or lower price than you paid.