Royal Caribbean eliminates onboard spending credits when guests book cruises using nonrefundable deposits.
Under the program introduced July 2017, passengers choosing a fare with nonrefundable deposit would receive a discount and bonus credit of up to US$100 per cabin to spend on the voyage.
Now, anyone paying nonrefundable deposit on/after November 1, 2018 no longer gets the credit.
According to Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales, trade support & service, internal research had found that the spending credit had not been a significant factor for Royal Caribbean guests who choose the nonrefundable option. Resources gone towards the credit will be used to further lower the price, she said.
When passengers paying nonrefundable deposits end up canceling, they get future cruise credits equal to their deposits, less a US$100 change fee. The cruise credit expires in one year.
A lot of higher-suite categories on RCI ships can only be booked via nonrefundable deposits.