RCCL New Selling approach

I have found this to be true on ALL of the mass market lines on which we have sailed (Royal, Celebrity, Carnival and NCL) in the past 13 years. It is how they remain profitable while keeping fares low.

 

So many of the things they sell are options that not everyone chooses to utilize. I am fine with them keeping lower fares for those who want the cruise experience without purchasing all of the extras. I would be fine with dining in the MDR every night, or doing casual in the Windjammer or other "included" options. Others in my party want to do the specialty restaurants. I enjoy them, but I would be just fine without them too. I have found that the beverage packages usually end up being an add-on for which I pre-plan. Once I discovered that you have to pay local sales tax on the them if you purchase onboard on embarkation, I would not choose to purchase it when I board. I usually pre-purchase but sometimes will wait.

 

There are so many opportunities to spend extra money that I just tune them out and go on my way. Most of the "extras" that are marketed are things I plan for before I even leave home to board the ship. If I haven't already planned for it, I know there will certainly be someone there on the ship that wants to offer it.

 

It's like the people at the perfume counter in your favorite department store- just say no thank you and go on. I have never been all that bothered by it.

It's like the people at the perfume counter in your favorite department store- just say no thank you and go on. I have never been all that bothered by it.

 

I understand what you mean, but you don't pay thousands to walk into a department store. I'm at a store to buy something and to be advertised to. I'm on a ship to relax. I shouldn't have to deal with people selling stuff to me when I'm paying to be on a ship.

 

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We had someone try to sell us specialty dining at our table on day 5 in the MDR. Didn't go over well. Maybe if they hadn't insisted on doing our BOGO special on day 1 or 2. Restaurants nicely filled, but most of us didn't return since they'd downgraded the menus.

 

I'm adding a line to my list I present the water about no specialty dining at the dinner table.

We had someone try to sell us specialty dining at our table on day 5 in the MDR. Didn't go over well. Maybe if they hadn't insisted on doing our BOGO special on day 1 or 2. Restaurants nicely filled, but most of us didn't return since they'd downgraded the menus.

 

I'm adding a line to my list I present the water about no specialty dining at the dinner table.

 

You have to buy your bogo on day 1 or 2 but it can be used on any day. Sometimes you have to have the person taking the order check with their boss but I have never been refused.

 

Mike

 

 

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I have read some disturbing information about Royal Caribbean's new policy to 'sell, sell, sell' on board their ships in order to increase revenue. Have you found this to be true?

 

 

Actually I haven't. If you don't want to purchase something

You have to buy your bogo on day 1 or 2 but it can be used on any day. Sometimes you have to have the person taking the order check with their boss but I have never been refused.

 

Mike

 

 

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That has not been my experience lately.

 

FWIW, we were approached in Chops on Legend a few years ago. Great deal on Chef's Table. Right at $50 pp. Didn't mind that interruption. 😉

 

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When we boarded Freedom a few weeks ago, we went to the Cafe on the Promenade with friends to eat and relax. During the 1.5 hours we were there, we had 11 'drive by offers' for dining packages. It was so unbelievable that we decided to count for entertainment [emoji849] while we waited for cabins to be available.

 

 

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Maybe if they did not keep raising the prices of their specialty restaurants they would not have so much trouble trying to "sell" them to folks.

 

This - in our first few cruises we went to all the specialty restaurants, however now the price increase totally puts us off all of them.

 

Also, I would book spa treatments if the constant product hard-sell was minimized. Nothing worse after a relaxing massage to be pushed to buy products you don't want!

I have seen this, but it is nothing different from what all the lines are doing, in my opinion.

While I agree that other lines have sales pitches, none are as pervasive as the barkers we experienced on the Allure a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't just the constant nature of the sales, but the use of high-volume sound systems in the Promenade. We gave up trying to drink our morning lattes at Cafe Promenade, taking them elsewhere to drink them in peace and quiet. On the Rising Tide Bar, we dropped down from Central Park and had planned on riding back up, but the din in the Promenade during the turn-around waiting period was simply too much and we bailed.

I hope everyone is noting the hard sales approach on their post-cruise surveys. I've not experienced this level (yet), but enough is enough.

 

 

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I do get a mani/pedi before leaving home but on cruises longer than one week, I usually get a polish change on my fingers. Don't want to listen to a sales pitch and in all fairness, the nail techs usually don't push it. On the other hand, I get monthly massages locally and would never spend the outrageous $ onboard for a subpar massage. To each is own.

It took a number of massages with my favorite therapist at home to work out the "perfect" massage. Unless I have a special request due to injury, etc., I can walk in and ask for "the usual", and know that I will be happy every time - at about half the price they charge on board. I wouldn't even be thrilled to WIN one on the ship, since I would likely need to train the massage therapist. I would probably benefit more from a quiet nap.

I have read some disturbing information about Royal Caribbean's new policy to 'sell, sell, sell' on board their ships in order to increase revenue. Have you found this to be true?

We cruise frequently and nothing has changed in the last couple of years! This has become the norm on RCI ships and the folks that are pushing their products are the workers from the venues they work in. Only doing what the boss told them to do.

RCI obviously has a bottom line problem and they are working it as they usually do.

Just got off of HOTS yesterday and actually didn't notice much...or...maybe just able to tune it out.

I do get a mani/pedi before leaving home but on cruises longer than one week, I usually get a polish change on my fingers. Don't want to listen to a sales pitch and in all fairness, the nail techs usually don't push it.

 

On the other hand, I get monthly massages locally and would never spend the outrageous $ onboard for a subpar massage.

 

To each is own.

 

All is perspective.

Haven't experienced any 'barkers' on any ship. At most we've been asked at the Jammer about dinner packages on day 1 and that's about it. Sometimes we stop and chat and sometimes we don't. It's real easy.

 

 

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So even with the exorbitant price on a Disney cruise they are busy on board selling and selling anyway.

 

Ironically, and they have less to sell. That particular ship only had a wine package, the photo package, and 1 specialty restaurant.

 

In fairness, that is the only Disney ship I experienced it on.

Ironically, and they have less to sell. That particular ship only had a wine package, the photo package, and 1 specialty restaurant.

 

In fairness, that is the only Disney ship I experienced it on.

 

 

I thought Disney ships were liquor free.

I thought Disney ships were liquor free.

 

No. Quite the contrary. Disney don't allow you to bring liquor onboard, and they do not offer beverage packages (beyond a wine package that you only redeem at your Dinner). However, there are plenty of full-service bars and beverage options onboard. Each ship even has 3-5 Adult only bar venues onboard.

 

They are however, Casino-free.

No. Quite the contrary. Disney don't allow you to bring liquor onboard, and they do not offer beverage packages (beyond a wine package that you only redeem at your Dinner). However, there are plenty of full-service bars and beverage options onboard. Each ship even has 3-5 Adult only bar venues onboard.

 

They are however, Casino-free.

 

Thanks for the clarity.

I thought Disney ships were liquor free.

 

they are casino free, not liquor free.

On Allure this month, we didn't get asked about specialty restaurants at all. We only ate in the MDR two nights, though - and had reservations at specialty restaurants for the other 5 nights. We didn't eat at Windjammer or Cafe Promenade - so we probably avoided some sales pitches there.

 

We did see quite a bit of selling in the Promenade - particularly the day they were offering sales on watches. They had sales people standing in the aisles on either side of the kiosk - trying to stop people to tell them about the watch sale. We just ignored them.

 

There were some announcements about activities - and some sales - but we tended to ignore those, too. In the Solarium - we could barely understand them over the loudspeaker!

How did rci hide this from cc posters for the last 20 years:rolleyes:

How did rci hide this from cc posters for the last 20 years:rolleyes:

A lot of time in your cabin with room service?

A lot of time in your cabin with room service?

 

Ha, great answer:D

 

Years ago they set up in the port building selling wine, spa, and excursions, etc., right next to the famous rci cookie table. Go for the free cookie and get a sales pitch

Edited March 28, 2017 by setsail

I'm not sure if they have changed sales policy or if they just have many more products to offer/sell today than even 5 years ago. There is no doubt that RCCL has many more products, pleasures, and amenities to enjoy these days, thus they will sell them accordingly.