This is new to me

I have an October cruise and it's $42. So it clearly appears to be cruise specific pricing and possibly based on a variety of factors like days before sailing.

I have an October cruise, and mine is at $47/day.

They are also offering me 20% off but my price is $50 plus gratuity What a joke. I won’t even entertain that offer.

 

 

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As I understand it the regular price onboard is $60 plus gratuity and if that is the case than $50 is a good deal. Not as good as $42 obviously but a good deal nonetheless. It's not enough to make me buy it 230 days from my sailing but still.

If you are not sailing until after Thanksgiving, I would wait for Black Friday/Cyber Monday and see if Royal has any solid offerings. I have stumbled on some great prices lately, even one of our excursions we booked for $64 and is now $89 or so.

I checked pricing on our cruise for next year and we have the same $50/drink package price but we have so much time before that one, I'll just wait around for a big (real) sale.

I had the Refreshment Package in my cart, didn't check out, and now the price went up. Damn you Royal Caribbean. Just leave the prices alone and we'll all be happier. :)

Now waiting for another "sale".

As I understand it the regular price onboard is $60 plus gratuity and if that is the case than $50 is a good deal. Not as good as $42 obviously but a good deal nonetheless. It's not enough to make me buy it 230 days from my sailing but still.

If you do the math the on board price would be about $62.50 plus gratuity. My issue is why are onboard prices different from ship to ship? Even at $50 knowing what I know I won’t bite. They have no incentive to lower my price if I’m willing to buy it now. I’m willing to pay as I go if I have to.

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... My issue is why are onboard prices different from ship to ship? ...

Because Royal charges what the market will bear.

If you do the math the on board price would be about $62.50 plus gratuity. My issue is why are onboard prices different from ship to ship? Even at $50 knowing what I know I won’t bite. They have no incentive to lower my price if I’m willing to buy it now. I’m willing to pay as I go if I have to.

 

 

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Are the onboard prices different from ship to ship or are the sale offers different from ship to ship? I can certainly understand the latter. I figure at $50 per I'll wait until a week or so before buying it. If it goes lower than that a lot will depend on exactly how much time we have before we sail. It would have to be super low to entice me to book it more than 90 days before the cruise.

Royal wants money sooner rather than later.

It was posted on this site some time ago, Michael Bayley saying, people who pay pre cruise are more likely to spend more when on board.

Are the onboard prices different from ship to ship or are the sale offers different from ship to ship? ...

Yes and yes.

Are the onboard prices different from ship to ship or are the sale offers different from ship to ship? I can certainly understand the latter. I figure at $50 per I'll wait until a week or so before buying it. If it goes lower than that a lot will depend on exactly how much time we have before we sail. It would have to be super low to entice me to book it more than 90 days before the cruise.

Well if some one is offered 20% off the on board price at $42 and someone else is offered the same 20% at $50 in my world that tells me that there are multiple on board prices. I actually prefer the way Celebrity offers the drink package by including it in the price. Yes I know that the price is inflated but it still works out less per day than a RC cruise once you purchase the drink package.

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The problem is that the prices don't just change from ship to ship, the supposed base price (that sales are being offered on) that RCL is offering on the same ship is changing. For example we are going on Ovation of the Seas in Jan 19 from Sydney. When I first saw the price it was buy one, get 50% off the other and it was $56 a day - which RCL priced in the cart as 25% off for each person (apparently gratuity is included on Australian Cruises). When that sale was over it went to $60 per day. OK, understand that but then this week it is 25% off again so I am thinking OK $56 a day...not bad. However, this time the 25% off comes to $58 per day....aargh. As discussed on this thread I will probably just wait for major holidays or Black Friday to see if it gets any better sine cruise is still several months away.

The onboard prices must be different ship to ship or even on the same ship, but different dates. Popular times have more expensive packages. Our March cruise which falls during spring break, is holding steady at $60 per day. But today is the first day that the pink SALE banner has been added even though the price has not changed at all. It now says “10% off onboard prices”. Our cruise next August also has all the exact same prices that it had yesterday, but the sale banners have been added to some of the packages. So the ones that say 20% off were also 20% off yesterday, just without the eye catching sale sign.

Well if some one is offered 20% off the on board price at $42 and someone else is offered the same 20% at $50 in my world that tells me that there are multiple on board prices. I actually prefer the way Celebrity offers the drink package by including it in the price. Yes I know that the price is inflated but it still works out less per day than a RC cruise once you purchase the drink package.

 

 

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I just looked back through the thread and I see people saying $42, but not that they are saving 20% but I guess I could have missed it. For me it's the price I pay that is important, not any percentage saved.

The problem is that the prices don't just change from ship to ship, the supposed base price (that sales are being offered on) that RCL is offering on the same ship is changing. For example we are going on Ovation of the Seas in Jan 19 from Sydney. When I first saw the price it was buy one, get 50% off the other and it was $56 a day - which RCL priced in the cart as 25% off for each person (apparently gratuity is included on Australian Cruises). When that sale was over it went to $60 per day. OK, understand that but then this week it is 25% off again so I am thinking OK $56 a day...not bad. However, this time the 25% off comes to $58 per day....aargh. As discussed on this thread I will probably just wait for major holidays or Black Friday to see if it gets any better sine cruise is still several months away.

Kill me.....Just kill me! I don’t need a drink package anymore my head is constantly spinning by the Royal Caribbean pricing.

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I just looked back through the thread and I see people saying $42, but not that they are saving 20% but I guess I could have missed it. For me it's the price I pay that is important, not any percentage saved.

Look at the picture in my post. That's from today. The little flag on the package graphic shows "20% off" :)

Here, these are both from today. My 2 upcoming sailings. Lol. 20% off of WHAT? How could an average person who doesn't follow this on CC have any idea what is and is not a real sale or deal?

Look at the picture in my post. That's from today. The little flag on the package graphic shows "20% off" :)

Ah, that explains it, I can't see pictures on this computer. (I suspect that Royal's graphic doesn't change because the IT department can't figure out how to change it.)

Kill me.....Just kill me! I don’t need a drink package anymore my head is constantly spinning by the Royal Caribbean pricing.

 

 

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I learned a long time ago not to accept any marketing at face value and I've learned since I booked Anthem the same applies to Royal to the nth degree. I priced a voom and drink package special and the best deal would be had if I booked one voom/drink package and then a plain drink package, which is doable if you call. So as I said, I pay attention to what my final price would be.

I learned a long time ago not to accept any marketing at face value and I've learned since I booked Anthem the same applies to Royal to the nth degree. I priced a voom and drink package special and the best deal would be had if I booked one voom/drink package and then a plain drink package, which is doable if you call. So as I said, I pay attention to what my final price would be.

One nice thing is that they do put, very clearly, the price per day. So 20%, 90%, doesn't matter. I just log in and look at price per day real quick and make a decision accordingly.

I've been watching prices for my cruise for a while now (Christmas sailing)... I've noticed that when the drink package price goes down, the prices for shore excursions & such are up. :o Equally, when the shore excursion pricing is down, the drink package prices have gone up! Fortunately, I've caught low pricing on all the things I wanted thanks to cancelling and rebooking, but if you're not paying attention to prices, you could "overpay" for one item when you feel like you're catching a deal on another if you book all of them on the same day. :rolleyes:

I've been watching prices for my cruise for a while now (Christmas sailing)... I've noticed that when the drink package price goes down, the prices for shore excursions & such are up. :o Equally, when the shore excursion pricing is down, the drink package prices have gone up! Fortunately, I've caught low pricing on all the things I wanted thanks to cancelling and rebooking, but if you're not paying attention to prices, you could "overpay" for one item when you feel like you're catching a deal on another if you book all of them on the same day. :rolleyes:

Not necessarily true, either. I booked my drink package, internet, and shore excursions on the same day and drink package was $43, shore excursion was substantially cheaper, too. I'm convinced there is no rhyme or reason as far as we are concerned. There is most likely an algorithm that they are using to price it out. Similar to how airlines have complicated algorithms based on supply/demand.

I will continue to check. We don’t sail till April so I’ll look at Black Friday.

One nice thing is that they do put, very clearly, the price per day. So 20%, 90%, doesn't matter. I just log in and look at price per day real quick and make a decision accordingly.

I 100% agree! The daily price is the only thing that matters, and every guest needs to work out what daily price represents good value for them. Everyone’s drinking habits are different so what is good value for one wouldn’t be good value for another

Look at the picture in my post. That's from today. The little flag on the package graphic shows "20% off" :)

 

Here, these are both from today. My 2 upcoming sailings. Lol. 20% off of WHAT? How could an average person who doesn't follow this on CC have any idea what is and is not a real sale or deal?

 

IMO, this is the biggest problem. 20% off what just as you said. We don't know the onboard price they are charging people right now.

I think it's safe to say RCL plays the shell game and we are just suckers looking for the ball. Sometimes we win (low prices) and sometimes we lose and probably pay full price.

Sometimes we win (low prices) and sometimes we lose and probably pay full price.

Well, I know what your saying but I doubt we ever really win, we may get a better price but RCI pretty much always wins. It is just a matter of winning more or winning less.

But I still accept it and play the game and still end up enjoying a cruise. We are booked for our first 12 night cruise next summer on Brilliance in the Baltics, since packages have been available a few months ago, there have yet to be any sales. Since we are in Canada this is the price listed for now.... ya.... Not wining :eek:

Really really hoping we get a good sale on Black Friday or Cyber Monday (yn)

dp

Hi just booked a cruise on voyager of seas with travel agent for next year. I have a couple of questions 1) how do I find out how much drinks packages etc are? 2) how do I track it and buy it when I am happy with price. TIA