vjmatty

RC always lists a decoy higher "original" price that the current "sale" price has been marked down from. Interestingly, when the price goes up it remains a "sale" price, and the decoy "original" price also increases. Always to make the current price look more attractive.

Or more...... I can't remember if it was a Celebrity or MSC cruise I was looking at in the Eastern Med, and almost every port was a possible home port, depending when and where you'd like to board, and you just book accordingly. Really handy if you're trying to match up individual cruises from various locations. My favorite was a Costa ship that we boarded in Rhodes.... best pre-cruise stay ever.

And for some lines, a standard product that is dropping in quality. People will take a price increase or a drop in services, but both at the same time can easily offend.

You don’t think it’s helpful, when someone complains about the drink package cost, for people to respond why they don’t buy it? Some feel they need permission or reinforcement in their decision to forgo it. I can understand why it’s helpful to hear that it’s not for everyone, since there are so many threads with people stressing over it. I do agree the alcoholic comments are uncalled for, but I didn’t get that your reaction was limited to those.

Of course only the OP can decide what the OP will do. The rest of us offer input, just like any other thread. That is why the site is called Cruise Critic, people come here for opinions, advice, reviews and the occasional vent. If the OP didn’t want responses they could have posted on the blue F social media site and turned off responses.

Well those are very important items to have as well 🙂

If you use a Royal Caribbean cc, not only is it like an interest free refundable cash advance, but you also get double points that you can redeem for gifts and OBC on your cruise. Also, OBC is a good way to top off to the next level of points to allow the next redemption. Then you get on board, and at the end of your cruise you can withdraw what you don’t use as cash. Yes you can also use the RC cc to simply run up your onboard account and earn points that way, but without an RC cruise scheduled in the future, there’s no guarantee I’ll use them. I’m aware it’s not for everyone.

I’m not sure then why you asked what he’d be kicking about.

It was meant to be in agreement, or in conjunction with what you’re saying.

Thank you.....I've occasionally gone pescatarian on a cruise, or in France where vegetarian options are limited. Did they give you the tumbler with the drink package? Might be more convenient for water than carrying around open cans but I guess I could bring my own.

Sometimes I wonder if RC board members post here when I see all of the defensive reactions to anything critical of RC.

Thanks! I didn't know you had to buy food to get a milkshake with the package, but it works...fries and milkshake is my standard order when people make a McD run since there's nothing else I can eat there lol.

Thank you both, Fabulous and chmusar, for your reviews. I'll be on Anthem for the TA in October from Southampton to Bayonne. A few questions if you don't mind....Is Anthem one of the ships that has breakfast at Johnny Rockets? Also, was the bottled water actually in bottles or have they already switched to cans? As a vegetarian what did they provide you in Chops as a substitute? How was the food at the Solarium Bistro and did you notice if they were open for dinner?

I for one am impressed with the capacity and control of some people's bladders when reading these numbers.

This is from the Australian RC website....I know because I keep bringing it up accidentally when I do a search lol. I also even as a US resident had to call. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/aus/en/faq/questions/how-do-i-purchase-on-board-credit-

Kicking off about how much it cost AFTER having experienced the quality being mediocre, based on his post saying it wasn't worth $20. The problem isn't just the price in a vacuum, it's not knowing if the quality is worth it. He is saying that looking back after seeing what the $72 would have actually paid for in that instance, he would not have been happy. There is no way to know that in advance, so "pay it or don't buy the product" is empty advice if the product ends up not being up to par. Maybe you haven't experienced thoughts of "glad I didn't pay full price" when you've had a less than optimum experience....but many of us have. I don't mind a high price if I'm getting an experience that I find to be worth the money. For example, I don't remember what I paid to eat at the Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower, but I do recall it was 2008 and the exchange rates were horrible against dollar. It is still an experience I will never forget and don't regret for a minute. Reasonable minds may differ.

There is a difference between simply shooting down the DBP package for being expensive and being helpful by offering alternative suggestions, such as OBC which at the end can be refunded if not used, (unlike packages) or taking advantage of other cheaper, legal, non-smuggling ways to avoid the cost of the DBP. That is what this website is for, giving people answers, advice, suggestions, etc. I also don't think there is anything wrong with letting people know it is ok not to buy the package if they find it expensive. That is why most people come here and say they won't buy it. The higher the price goes, the more people are on the fence. It's ok to help people get off the fence in one direction or the other. Why begrudge only those recommending against it? The website is called Cruise Critic for a reason. Maybe the site should just disallow topics about the DBP since people are so sensitive to criticism of it, or take a "five-star reviews only" approach. I think it is easier to just let members scroll on if they don't like a topic, but apparently that's just me.

There’s no need to be nasty, I’ve worked in the service industry and observed behavior for over thirty years. Have a nice day.

Which is not what I think most people do when they justify the package…..it seems more like the question is can I drink enough to make it worth it, rather than would I normally want to.

Mine is an overpacker as well, really fussy about clothes.... he also likes to iron, in fact when he first moved in with me I had to buy an ironing board. On Princess ships, which have laundromats, he will even iron Hawaiian shirts. I tell him there are patterns, no one can see a little creasing.

I don't even ask for towels every single day.... I am drying a clean body and if hung up properly instead of being left on the bed they will dry like new.

I think you are the rare example of someone really getting full value of the package and giving RC a run for their money. When most people figure out the numbers, they’re mostly adding up how many drinks they’ll consume knowing they have the DBP. They don’t use the quantities they’d be looking at if they did not have the package. We’re sailing the 12 day Anthem TA in October….no hot days by the pool, no cocoa cay, and while they are lots of sea days, I can’t see drinking extra to make a DBP worthwhile, especially since the last time I had DBP I ended up with wicked heartburn halfway through a 7 day on Oasis that lasted for days. No more drink marathons for me lol Even the non-alcoholic drinks, I don’t need 2 glasses of fresh OJ, I never drink it at home, fresh or otherwise. I can get by through most of the day with tap water from WJ and water enhancers, wine with dinner, and occasionally Bailey’s after dinner if I’m not having dessert.

We’ve already been to Ephesus so for our next port visit to Kudadasi I’ve booked a rental car to see the ancient ruins in Priene, Didyma and Miletus.

Probably because 1) those wouldn’t be on the RC forum, you’d have to go to the ports of call board, 2) there are a lot more options for shorex than there are RC drink packages (unlike other cruise lines who offer multi-tiered packages) and 3) $100 is still less than half the cost of the Cocoa cay beach club, which makes it look like a bargain.

But will enough people buy it? Obviously if a lot of passengers are balking and complaining, there will be a dramatic drop in demand for DBP purchases. Eventually they’re going to price themselves out of profitability. I mean when a price literally evokes a laughing out loud response upon reading, like with the Cocoa cay cabanas and beach club prices, they’re losing potential buyers. Maybe RC has miscalculated the elasticity of their offerings. The cabanas were mostly empty this past October, yet RC responded by pricing them even higher. Doesn’t sound like they’re paying attention to true demand.