More strange Royal Caribbean pricing !!!

[TheMiz]

Ok gang let me hear from you more seasoned cruises

 

Here is what is happening to me

 

While pricing a cruise for Dec 2015

Found just want I wanted , it was perfect so was the price and it even had a

$100 OBC per person on a 7 night cruise all for $2007.43 tax included

 

I thought that works for me I go to book the cabin I wanted I couldn't believe

I was getting the cabin I wanted the price was fair and a total of $200 OBC

so I logged in to book our magical cruise , but wait after signing in my C&A discount kicked in only to find out the OBC credit disappeared , I contacted

my agent and they thought it was odd. So we called CS and they said that was just the way it was.

 

By using the C&A balcony discount of $250 and with losing the $200 OBC my C&A balcony discount ends up only $50.

 

I guess I don't understand why I can't get the advertised price as shown on the Royal website and why am I pentlized for using my C&A Balcony credit.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

It is a bummer--but, they are not allowing combining with this promotion. It is clearly listed in the terms.

 

I feel your pain.

[Clarea]

Unfortunate, but I thought I had read that the OBC was not combinable with the balcony discount.

[orville99]

They changed their pricing model about a year ago, and now the system automatically gives you the "best" price. Since the C&A discount ended up lower, that is what you got. The reality is that you save $250 up front in real $$ and give up $200 in play money (non refundable, no cash value OBC) onboard.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[ottmar]

We are platinum and booked a guaranty balcony last week on the Oasis. No one mentioned that I could get a $250 discount. I did get the #200 on board credit though and also half price for my wife on the WOW sale.

 

If OBC is play money, how do they keep track if I spent it all, does it come off my card first before I have to pay real money?

 

Someone please explain it to me, you wouldn't think that with seven cruises with RCI behind us I didn't run into the balcony discount nor the OBC stuff.

 

....Ott

[Clarea]

We are platinum and booked a guaranty balcony last week on the Oasis. No one mentioned that I could get a $250 discount. I did get the #200 on board credit though and also half price for my wife on the WOW sale.

 

If OBC is play money, how do they keep track if I spent it all, does it come off my card first before I have to pay real money?

Someone please explain it to me, you wouldn't think that with seven cruises with RCI behind us I didn't run into the balcony discount nor the OBC stuff.

 

....Ott

That's correct, OBC reduces the amount Royal charges your credit card. It's applied at the end of the cruise, before Royal applies the charge.

[ehfl]

They really need to think about going to transparent pricing. If they offer a C&A discount, it should be off the price listed. Their "sales" are not really sales, and their discounts are not really discounts. It just makes people angry and confused. The prices shown when searching are often not the price available once you start a booking.

[belmontcrew]

They really need to think about going to transparent pricing. If they offer a C&A discount, it should be off the price listed. Their "sales" are not really sales, and their discounts are not really discounts. It just makes people angry and confused. The prices shown when searching are often not the price available once you start a booking.

 

Agree100%!! I would like to think that being a C&A member with several cruises with Royal would be worth more than what amounts to $50 less than what any Joe who has never sailed with Royal gets.

[TheMiz]

We are platinum and booked a guaranty balcony last week on the Oasis. No one mentioned that I could get a $250 discount. I did get the #200 on board credit though and also half price for my wife on the WOW sale.

 

If OBC is play money, how do they keep track if I spent it all, does it come off my card first before I have to pay real money?

 

Someone please explain it to me, you wouldn't think that with seven cruises with RCI behind us I didn't run into the balcony discount nor the OBC stuff.

 

....Ott

 

 

Having just checked the WOW price on the cruise in question which is on the Oasis has the WOW price as $2107.43 so it is $100 higher with the WOW price

[tugboat]

Ok gang let me hear from you more seasoned cruises

 

Here is what is happening to me

 

While pricing a cruise for Dec 2015

Found just want I wanted , it was perfect so was the price and it even had a

$100 OBC per person on a 7 night cruise all for $2007.43 tax included

 

I thought that works for me I go to book the cabin I wanted I couldn't believe

I was getting the cabin I wanted the price was fair and a total of $200 OBC

so I logged in to book our magical cruise , but wait after signing in my C&A discount kicked in only to find out the OBC credit disappeared , I contacted

my agent and they thought it was odd. So we called CS and they said that was just the way it was.

 

By using the C&A balcony discount of $250 and with losing the $200 OBC my C&A balcony discount ends up only $50.

 

I guess I don't understand why I can't get the advertised price as shown on the Royal website and why am I pentlized for using my C&A Balcony credit.

 

My DS and DIL are sailing on the same cruise we are, they get a $200.00 OBC his second cruise

His mother and I have 38 cruises we get a $225.00 Balcony discount

 

I am not sure who is getting the better Deal

 

Is RCL trying to tell us old folks something or what,

 

Maybe they are trying to say something like go try NCL or Princess time will tell

Edited December 20, 2014 by tugboat

[ivanrocko]

They really need to think about going to transparent pricing. If they offer a C&A discount, it should be off the price listed. Their "sales" are not really sales, and their discounts are not really discounts. It just makes people angry and confused. The prices shown when searching are often not the price available once you start a booking.

 

 

I agree.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[dorisis]

The pricing for RCs cruises has become frustrating.All the restrictions make it impossible to really get a sale price.

But RC is not alone in the tricky pricing. It seems that most of the other mainstream lines are following. Airlines and hotels are doing it too.

 

Finding a good cruise at a good price is becoming a very hard thing to do.

[tsconley19]

Ok gang let me hear from you more seasoned cruises

 

Here is what is happening to me

 

While pricing a cruise for Dec 2015

Found just want I wanted , it was perfect so was the price and it even had a

$100 OBC per person on a 7 night cruise all for $2007.43 tax included

 

I thought that works for me I go to book the cabin I wanted I couldn't believe

I was getting the cabin I wanted the price was fair and a total of $200 OBC

so I logged in to book our magical cruise , but wait after signing in my C&A discount kicked in only to find out the OBC credit disappeared , I contacted

my agent and they thought it was odd. So we called CS and they said that was just the way it was.

 

By using the C&A balcony discount of $250 and with losing the $200 OBC my C&A balcony discount ends up only $50.

 

I guess I don't understand why I can't get the advertised price as shown on the Royal website and why am I pentlized for using my C&A Balcony credit.

 

 

I booked my Adventure OTS cruise during a Recent BOGO. I received 1/2 off passenger 2, and a $200 C&A Diamond balcony discount. Price was very reasonable. I then sailed on the Brilliance OTS last week and went to the Loyalty Club on the ship. I asked if there was a better cabin or something they could offer me. They added $100 OBC for our Adventure sailing.

Recently, I checked our upcoming Adventure sailing on the RCCL website. It showed a better cabin in the same category than what I had booked. However the price had gone up $100. I decided to call Royal. They switched me to the new cabin without an increase in price. Of course I haven't made final payment yet. It doesn't hurt to ask!

Tom

Edited December 20, 2014 by tsconley19

[Trekker954]

Its time like this, when I get annoyed at Royals pricing, that I book and then transfer over to a big box TA company who will no doubt end up giving you some OBC. It's usually a percentage of price you paid Royal. This should help the sting a little bit. I personally only transfer if the cruise isn't too far in advance with little chance of price drops.

[iuki]

They changed their pricing model about a year ago, and now the system automatically gives you the "best" price. Since the C&A discount ended up lower, that is what you got. The reality is that you save $250 up front in real $$ and give up $200 in play money (non refundable, no cash value OBC) onboard.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

You are absolutely correct! When RCCL offered the BOGO promotion, I called to see what the new pricing would be. It turned out that the discount we received as a C&A member was actually a better price than the BOGO promotion. It was then that I discovered why the first-time cruisers traveling with us paid more than what we were paying even though they booked under the BOGO promotion. The CS Rep said the exact thing you have stated, the computer computes the "best" price when you enter all the data online under which you qualify for a discount. The "best" price is then selected for you.

 

I check out prices online, then call the RCCL website phone number to compare prices. It has ALWAYS totaled the exact same "best price" quotes.

[orville99]

We are platinum and booked a guaranty balcony last week on the Oasis. No one mentioned that I could get a $250 discount. I did get the #200 on board credit though and also half price for my wife on the WOW sale.

 

If OBC is play money, how do they keep track if I spent it all, does it come off my card first before I have to pay real money?

 

Someone please explain it to me, you wouldn't think that with seven cruises with RCI behind us I didn't run into the balcony discount nor the OBC stuff.

 

....Ott

 

I believe the Platinum balcony discount is only $100, so in your case, the $200 in funny money was seen by their system as the "best" price.;)

[papaflamingo]

I have been doing this for years. I am eligible for an "Interline Rate" that is considered "deeply discounted," so it is not combinable with other discounts, i.e. Future Cruise or C & S discounts. So what I do is price the cruise "bottomline." I price it with my C & S Discount, consider any OBC I may or may not be eligible for, use other discounts that I'm eligible for like "senior" and "military." Pick the one that gets me the best deal. Often it is only $50 less, but hey....$50 is $50.

I agree that pricing gets quite complicated. As someone mentioned it's the same with hotels and airlines, and even car rentals. So you just need to be patient and always look at bottom lines. Get the best deal you can and enjoy your vacation.

When I first cruised in 1998, the Interline Rate (deeply discounted good deal) for an inside cabin on Grandeur (a new ship) was $750. Today that would be the equivalent of $1,086. Sure there are some inside cabins for that amount, but we sailed in Sept. which is a lower month. I can book today on Oasis for Sept. 2015 for $699 for an inside cabin. That would equate to about $482 in 1998. That's 35% less.

Anyway, my point is that even with all the convoluted pricing, cruising is MUCH cheaper than it was in the past. You just need to watch the pricing, and get the deal you are happy with. Then enjoy a wonderful vacation.

[orville99]

My DS and DIL are sailing on the same cruise we are, they get a $200.00 OBC his second cruise

His mother and I have 38 cruises we get a $225.00 Balcony discount

 

I am not sure who is getting the better Deal

 

Is RCL trying to tell us old folks something or what,

 

Maybe they are trying to say something like go try NCL or Princess time will tell

 

You are:) Based on RCL's latest income statement, their variable cost of revenue is between 30-35%, so it costs them between $60 and $65 to give your DS $200 in OBC. On the other hand, they gave up $225 in revenue on your booking. :)

[tm3750]

Saw this thread and wanted to ask if what I found was correct.

 

I logged on " without " my C&R login and found a cruise for a total of $1834.70 with $300.00 OBC so in reality the price is $1534.70.

 

Went back in and logged in with my C&R login and the price went down to $1784.70 with no OBC.

 

So am I understanding this right? if I act like a complete new customer who has never sailed on RCCL before I can actually buy this cruise for $250.00 cheaper than a C&R member?

 

I understand the overalll price is less as a C&R member but the OBC I know I will use and if it wasn't there it would come out of my pocket at the end of the cruise anyway.

[belmontcrew]

Saw this thread and wanted to ask if what I found was correct.

 

I logged on " without " my C&R login and found a cruise for a total of $1834.70 with $300.00 OBC so in reality the price is $1534.70.

 

Went back in and logged in with my C&R login and the price went down to $1784.70 with no OBC.

 

So am I understanding this right? if I act like a complete new customer who has never sailed on RCCL before I can actually buy this cruise for $250.00 cheaper than a C&R member?

 

I understand the overalll price is less as a C&R member but the OBC I know I will use and if it wasn't there it would come out of my pocket at the end of the cruise anyway.

 

I have been looking at a couple of dates and get the same thing. Shouldn't a C&A member be able to book a cruise for somewhat less than someone who has never sailed with RCI before?

[orville99]

Saw this thread and wanted to ask if what I found was correct.

 

I logged on " without " my C&R login and found a cruise for a total of $1834.70 with $300.00 OBC so in reality the price is $1534.70.

 

Went back in and logged in with my C&R login and the price went down to $1784.70 with no OBC.

 

So am I understanding this right? if I act like a complete new customer who has never sailed on RCCL before I can actually buy this cruise for $250.00 cheaper than a C&R member?

 

I understand the overalll price is less as a C&R member but the OBC I know I will use and if it wasn't there it would come out of my pocket at the end of the cruise anyway.

 

You would think that it is lower, but from RCL's perspective, you actually paid more, and IMO that's at the core of their pricing scheme. To get the $300 OBC, you part with $1834, and the OBC costs RCL ~$100, so they get $1734 net revenue from you. If you use your C&A discount, they get $1784. If you take the OBC "deal," they know you'll probably spend $200 of it on shore excursions or in the shops (where they get a hefty % of the cost rebated to them). If you take the C&A "deal" they know you'll probably spend that much on board out of pocket, so they come out ahead either way.

Edited December 20, 2014 by orville99

[TheMiz]

I have been doing this for years. I am eligible for an "Interline Rate" that is considered "deeply discounted," so it is not combinable with other discounts, i.e. Future Cruise or C & S discounts. So what I do is price the cruise "bottomline." I price it with my C & S Discount, consider any OBC I may or may not be eligible for, use other discounts that I'm eligible for like "senior" and "military." Pick the one that gets me the best deal. Often it is only $50 less, but hey....$50 is $50.

I agree that pricing gets quite complicated. As someone mentioned it's the same with hotels and airlines, and even car rentals. So you just need to be patient and always look at bottom lines. Get the best deal you can and enjoy your vacation.

When I first cruised in 1998, the Interline Rate (deeply discounted good deal) for an inside cabin on Grandeur (a new ship) was $750. Today that would be the equivalent of $1,086. Sure there are some inside cabins for that amount, but we sailed in Sept. which is a lower month. I can book today on Oasis for Sept. 2015 for $699 for an inside cabin. That would equate to about $482 in 1998. That's 35% less.

Anyway, my point is that even with all the convoluted pricing, cruising is MUCH cheaper than it was in the past. You just need to watch the pricing, and get the deal you are happy with. Then enjoy a wonderful vacation.

 

 

In Sept. I booked the Grandeur for a spring 2016 cruise last month I checked it with the WOW discount . My Sept booking was with my $350 C&A discount I called my agent told him the cruise was a few hundred dollars cheaper with the current WOW sale , he called CS and got me both the $350 C&A and the WOW price.

 

This Oasis cruise I booked is just one of five I have coming up in the next 18 months. Also the only that I caught such a odd pricing.

 

On the OBC I can always end up using my RCCL stock holders bennie.

[TheMiz]

Saw this thread and wanted to ask if what I found was correct.

 

I logged on " without " my C&R login and found a cruise for a total of $1834.70 with $300.00 OBC so in reality the price is $1534.70.

 

Went back in and logged in with my C&R login and the price went down to $1784.70 with no OBC.

 

So am I understanding this right? if I act like a complete new customer who has never sailed on RCCL before I can actually buy this cruise for $250.00 cheaper than a C&R member?

 

I understand the overalll price is less as a C&R member but the OBC I know I will use and if it wasn't there it would come out of my pocket at the end of the cruise anyway.

 

 

 

Just my point

[molly361]

You would think that it is lower, but from RCL's perspective, you actually paid more, and IMO that's at the core of their pricing scheme. To get the $300 OBC, you part with $1834, and the OBC costs RCL ~$100, so they get $1734 net revenue from you. If you use your C&A discount, they get $1784. If you take the OBC "deal," they know you'll probably spend $200 of it on shore excursions or in the shops (where they get a hefty % of the cost rebated to them). If you take the C&A "deal" they know you'll probably spend that much on board out of pocket, so they come out ahead either way.

 

Or you could pay the 5% and take that $300 out at the casino- So you would be ahead $285 if you deduct the 5% ($15)

[TheMiz]

Or you could pay the 5% and take that $300 out at the casino- So you would be ahead $285 if you deduct the 5% ($15)

 

 

That is just what I do. If I haven't used any of it.

 

I remember the good old days when they didn't charge the % fee also when it was just 3%.