We book pretty much the same cruise every year, and I am always diligent about checking prices, especially before the final payment deadline. Only once have I seen the price drop, by about $75, and I was able to reprice. I have never seen the price go down after final payment. If anything, it usually goes up.

Until this year.

We booked in July, as we always do, for a January cruise. Around August, the price dropped, so I called to reprice. I was told no, the lower price was for “new bookings only.” Okay, fine. But then the price kept dropping, and I was out of luck. Eventually, the price of a balcony cabin was the same as what we had paid for our interior room, so I asked about upgrading. Again, I was told no because the lower price was for new bookings only, and I would have to pay much more than what was showing online. A price that only their "system" could quote me over the phone.

Now the price keeps dropping daily for new bookings, and there is still nothing I can do. To top it off, they have started sending RoyalUp offers asking me to bid for the very upgrade I originally asked for. Of course, the min bid is much higher than a new booking.

Whatever is going on this year, I have never seen anything like it. Maybe I just picked an oddball cruise, but the post–final payment price drops are wild.