Royal Caribbean's Latest Advertising Scam

[Sparky74]

I received an email from RCCL today with the subject, "Buy one, get one 50% off! Limited time only".

The email told me that I could "Simply book an Interior or Oceanview cabin for two guests on one of our selected cruises and the second guest goes for half price!"

 

Now, I didn't come down in the last shower and I know there's no such thing as a free lunch but I thought there'd be no harm in looking. Past experience has taught me that RCCL usually increase their prices just before a sale.

 

I clicked on the link and was taken to a page (http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/dealsandmore/featuredCruises/selectLandingPromo.do?promoCode=131315&cid=edm_130820_bogoho_aus&wuc=AUS) that told me that this deal was only available on selected cruises (no surprise) and only if I book an Interior Stateroom Guarantee or an Oceanview Stateroom Guarantee.

 

That's OK; I can deal with that.

 

There are 8 cruises eligible for this "deal". Choosing one at random, let's consider 12 nights to the South Pacific on Rhapsody of the Seas sailing from Sydney on 6th March 2014. Interior cabin is priced on this page at $1,445 per person. GREAT! That means $1,445 for the first person and $622.50 for the second person. So a total of $ 2,167.50, right?

 

WRONG!

 

When I click on the "Book Now" link I find that an Interior Stateroom Guarantee costs 2,724.40. Broken down it's $1,862.20 and $862.20.

 

How is this OK?

[Royalty X]

Don't book then... ;)

[The_Big_M]

Ouch!

 

Yeah, that's not a good look.

 

Charging almost 30% more for an interior guarantee over choosing your interior room yourself is far from a bargain.

[rugbypopsie]

Maybe something to do with taxes or port fees...anything in the teeney teeney print? Otherwise I would ask...ACCC would not approve.

 

Sue

[The_Big_M]

Yes, the fine print does talk about that.

 

But it still doesn't look right as the difference given is in the first person's price, which is not meant to change per the promo. (Not to say that a guarantee will always be less than a booked specific room, but it usually is, and shouldn't be out by that much.)

[Royalty X]

I just had a look at the website and it seems the price just isn't quoting up properly when you click through the site. I would call them if you're keen to book and query them on it. :)

[The_Big_M]

No harm in calling, but it's displaying prices consistently. They're just substantially more expensive than the regular booked cabins.

[CruisingJulie]

Yes I agree I got duped by this also, as I've been looking at a particular cruise for a while and thought yeh now I can book it. But even after I phoned them it was too expensive, it is very deceiving. Not happy Jan!!!!

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Yes, just did the exercise too on the phone speaking direct to RCCL.

It appears that the 'ships guarantee' for the first passenger is higher than the standard per person 'select your cabin' price.

The deal we looked at was 'select' an oceanview cabin $1532.38 per person inclusive taxes and Grats, a total of $3064.76.

To book the buy one 50% off for the second person, the fare was $1962.20 for the first person inclusive of taxes and grats, and 50% off that fare for the second person making a total of $2943.30.

Personally I think $1962.20 is way too expensive for a 10 day oceanview on RCCL in the first place.

However when the calculation is done the Guarantee fare in total is $121.46 cheaper because it has been loaded on to the first persons fare.

All in all, don't think it's worth that for what is only a 'ships guarantee' deal, which normally with RCCL is a much better deal than 'select' a cabin.

Agree with all of you, we're not silly and can do the sums.

Jill:(

[KarateMan]

Just about every company, organisation or business in the world comes up with gimmicks to make sales. No big deal really and nothing new. If the deal is right for you at the time take it, if not leave it. It cant be any simpler than that.

[MMDown Under]

At best, it is deceitful.

 

Not happy, Royal Caribbean!

 

As Jill said, we are not silly. Why would a "ships guarantee" cost more than an actual cabin booking?

 

PS I got the same email offer, which got the treatment it deserved!

Edited August 22, 2013 by MMDown Under

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

At best, it is deceitful.

 

Not happy, Royal Caribbean!

 

As Jill said, we are not silly. Why would a "ships guarantee" cost more than an actual cabin booking?

 

PS I got the same email offer, which got the treatment it deserved!

 

 

And at the end of the day it's only $60.00 more per person to select a cabin. Hardly a deal.

Imagine all those who have trotted into their trusty Travel Agent and think they've got the best deal ever! Actually because so many are booking Guarantee I notice the 09 November cruise has no Guarantee 50% deals left but I see there are still plenty of oceanview cabins available so my guess is those who have booked the 50% off deal will still only get an oceanview cabin not even an upgrade to a balcony or better.

 

Jill

Edited August 22, 2013 by Gold Coast Cruisers

[The_Big_M]

The issue is nothing to do with gimmicks - that's the 50% off second person aspect.

 

The issue is that it's illegal to falsely advertise a discount. Here we have something that was priced at one price. Then there's a discount added - but the price was bumped off.

 

Of course, they get around it by introducing a new category "guarantee" so it's not exactly the same. But practice and commonsense doesn't have guarantees priced 30% more than the grade they are guaranteed against.

 

This gets the dodgy rating.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

The issue is nothing to do with gimmicks - that's the 50% off second person aspect.

 

The issue is that it's illegal to falsely advertise a discount. Here we have something that was priced at one price. Then there's a discount added - but the price was bumped off.

 

Of course, they get around it by introducing a new category "guarantee" so it's not exactly the same. But practice and commonsense doesn't have guarantees priced 30% more than the grade they are guaranteed against.

 

This gets the dodgy rating.

 

"Guarantee" is not a new category, it's always been there, and it has always been a little less to purchase a "Guarantee cabin" compared to purchasing a 'selected cabin' with RCCL.

 

Jill

Edited August 22, 2013 by Gold Coast Cruisers

[The_Big_M]

"Guarantee" is not a new category, it's always been there, and it has always been a little less to purchase a "Guarantee cabin" compared to purchasing a 'selected cabin' with RCCL.

 

Jill

 

Guarantee cabins are not available on most cruises, so it hasn't always been there for these cruises.

 

They are typically only released when sales have been lower than expected and more likely as the time nears sailing.

[bazzaw]

Same old adage as applies to anything else --

 

BUYER BEWARE!!

 

Barry

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Guarantee cabins are not available on most cruises, so it hasn't always been there for these cruises.

 

They are typically only released when sales have been lower than expected and more likely as the time nears sailing.

 

Well I have to say that just about every cruise we have been on we have been offered and chosen the "guarantee".

 

Jill:)

[The_Big_M]

Well I have to say that just about every cruise we have been on we have been offered and chosen the "guarantee".

 

Jill:)

 

Just talking about RCL, it sounds like you often look at near term cruises.

 

For example, here are some regular cruises on the three local ships without guarantees (currently).

 

Radiance: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/booking/setDepartureInfo/checkAvailability.do?cabinClassType=&packageCode=RD09K025&shipCode=RD&sailDate=1141011&jumpToStateroom=&totalStaterooms=1&adultCount=2&childCount=0&hasAir=N&state=

 

Rhapsody:'

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/booking/setDepartureInfo/checkAvailability.do?cabinClassType=&packageCode=RH10K028&shipCode=RH&sailDate=1150128&jumpToStateroom=&totalStaterooms=1&adultCount=2&childCount=0&hasAir=N&state=

 

Voyager:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/booking/setDepartureInfo/checkAvailability.do?cabinClassType=&packageCode=VY11K045&shipCode=VY&sailDate=1150125&jumpToStateroom=&totalStaterooms=1&adultCount=2&childCount=0&hasAir=N&state=

 

The same applies overseas as well.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

No, we book most of our cruises a minimum of six months in advance, for instance all 3 legs of our Voyager cruise were guarantee cabins booked 9 months prior.

 

Jill:)

[Steve & Sue]

Had they added the pre-paid gratuities into the final price? We found that the price on the site was different once the gratuities were added on. The room price you see doesn't have the gratuities on it, but the quotes do.

[The_Big_M]

Had they added the pre-paid gratuities into the final price? We found that the price on the site was different once the gratuities were added on. The room price you see doesn't have the gratuities on it, but the quotes do.

 

No, it's not to do with that.

 

As mentioned above, the base price changes substantially between the base grade offered, and the guarantee deal required for the 2-for-1 pricing.

[wynstay]

Having just booked our first cruise - and its an RCCL one - we've just been through this minefield... We didn't understand the "guarantee" system of purchasing cabins - all our friends who'd been on cruises chose which cabin & deck they'd be on. Our TA only offered this ( for slightly more ) after we pursued it. A guarantee cabin would probably be just as good, but for our first cruise we just wanted to know where we'd be ( I have a couple of health issues ). We also checked other TA's websites and RCL's for the same cruise and found so many price variations it wasn't funny :( What really cheeses me off is that Aussies pay at least double what the US citizens pay for the same cruises....Sorry for the venting.....we really are looking foward to our cruise and have topped looking at the ads :)

[keagle]

I always feel that when I book a cruise, it has the characteristics that I want.

 

The date is right.

The length of the cruise is right.

The price is right.

 

Once it is booked I don't worry about it much more. The reason is this. When I booked it, I was happy with it.

 

I do not look at what I could get it for, just what I can get it for.

 

It can create too much stress to save $100 on a 9 night cruise.

 

If it easy to get a discount like it was for our March cruise, then yes I will try to get it, but it is not worth the stress worrying about what another country can get the same cruise for.

[circuitrider]

The promotion still appears to be going on, however for the sailing I'm looking at, they've made it impossible to take advantage of it.

 

Last night, it'd let me pick an interior guarantee, but would error out toward the end, saying that category was not available. Get up this morning, low and behold it's working! Except...it's not applying the discount. Even put one on a courtesy hold, still nada. Well now I know why.

 

In the fine print, it says an Interior or Oceanview Guarantee. Ok, fair enough; in the fine FINE print, it says an Interior Guarantee Category Z, or Oceanview Guarantee Category Y. Well, wouldn't you know it, the Interior Guarantee they'll let me book is a Category N, and the Oceanview Guarantee Category Ys are all sold out.

 

I've been checking for price drops on this cruise for a while, guess I must have missed the small window that there was an actual sale. But how is it that they can continue to advertise a sale that they are supposedly all sold out of? Shouldn't they either, I dunno, put up more cabins for sale? Or remove the entire cruise from the sale page?

 

It's one thing to miss a sale. I get that. But right now it feels like I am in the middle of missing it. That's worse.

[rugbypopsie]

The promotion still appears to be going on, however for the sailing I'm looking at, they've made it impossible to take advantage of it.

 

Last night, it'd let me pick an interior guarantee, but would error out toward the end, saying that category was not available. Get up this morning, low and behold it's working! Except...it's not applying the discount. Even put one on a courtesy hold, still nada. Well now I know why.

 

In the fine print, it says an Interior or Oceanview Guarantee. Ok, fair enough; in the fine FINE print, it says an Interior Guarantee Category Z, or Oceanview Guarantee Category Y. Well, wouldn't you know it, the Interior Guarantee they'll let me book is a Category N, and the Oceanview Guarantee Category Ys are all sold out.

 

I've been checking for price drops on this cruise for a while, guess I must have missed the small window that there was an actual sale. But how is it that they can continue to advertise a sale that they are supposedly all sold out of? Shouldn't they either, I dunno, put up more cabins for sale? Or remove the entire cruise from the sale page?

 

It's one thing to miss a sale. I get that. But right now it feels like I am in the middle of missing it. That's worse.

 

Try going through a ta if no joy report to ACCC to investigate!

 

Sue