How to Reprice a Cruise You Already Booked

Lines only reprice against the same sailing you booked. Royal Caribbean's Best Price Guarantee asks for the same cruise, same date and same room type, found on its own website or through its call center. Celebrity's terms ask for the same ship, sail date and stateroom category, priced on a Celebrity-owned channel.

That rules out a cheaper fare on a travel site, a different category with a similar name, or a lower price that only applies to guests who qualify for a special rate you do not hold. Compare the category code on your confirmation, not the cabin description.

Fare type matters too. Celebrity lets a booking on a refundable deposit fare move to either fare type, while a booking on a non-refundable deposit fare can only reprice to the same fare type.

On Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, repricing is available until your final payment date or within 24 hours of booking. After it, the most you can ask for is a complimentary cabin upgrade when a higher category is priced at or below what you paid, subject to availability.

Carnival is different. Its Early Saver price protection runs until 2 business days before sailing, and lowers the fare if the booking is not yet paid in full, or pays the difference as non-refundable onboard credit once it is. Norwegian's remedy varies by region, fare type and booking channel, and is at its discretion.

Each line's date is in the final payment dates by cruise line table.

• Royal Caribbean: your travel partner if you booked through one, or Royal Caribbean's chat if you booked direct.
• Celebrity: call 1-888-751-7804, or ask your travel partner.
• Carnival: follow the request process in the Early Saver terms, or ask your agent if you booked through one.
• Norwegian: ask Norwegian or your agent, and ask what applies to your fare before assuming anything.

If a travel agent made the booking, the line usually expects the agent to make the request. The travel agent guide covers how that works.

• Your booking number and the names on the booking.
• Ship, sail date and the category code from your confirmation, like 4D or 8G.
• Your fare type and any promotions on the booking.
• The lower fare you found, with a screenshot showing the date and time, and the number of guests it was priced for.

Fares move during the day. Celebrity's terms say the repriced fare is the one listed when your request is approved and processed, so call soon after you see the drop.

If you have not paid in full, the lower fare reduces your remaining balance. If you have already paid in full, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity say they refund the difference. On Carnival Early Saver, the difference comes as onboard credit unless the booking is not yet paid in full. Onboard credit or a refund explains why that distinction matters.

Repricing swaps your fare for the current one, and the current fare comes with the current promotions, not yours. Celebrity's terms say the repriced fare is inclusive of any applicable promotions at the time, and that certain promotions are excluded from the guarantee altogether.

That can cut both ways. If you booked with a bundle, onboard credit or a reduced second guest fare that has since ended, the new lower fare may come without it, and the total value of your booking can go down even though the fare went down. Ask the line or your agent to compare the whole package, fare plus perks, before you accept.

Carnival adds its own exclusion: fares other than Early Saver, such as Super Saver, do not qualify for Early Saver price protection.

A fare that dropped once can drop again before final payment, and each drop is a new request. CruiseSignal watches your exact sailing, category and fare, and tells you the amount and the deadline so you can ask the line for the difference while it is still money. Each line's full terms are on the price protection pages.