Musing on "The Last Dollar"

[SelectSys]

 

Awesome!

 

Then they should do away with senior discounts too?

 

Why? RCCL is free to give discounts to whoever they like if it serves their interest.

[mjldvlks]

. . . .

Companies need to find a happy medium.

 

If what was posted above about them averaging 104% across the fleet, I am guessing they are at least medium happy.

 

Seriously though, in addition to the above, think of all of the facilities the ship has to have available for kids, kids zone, adventure ocean, small life jackets, etc. I realize some of these things are extra cost and may not be used, but there is a cost to having the facilities and the personnel available.

 

If I remember correctly, passenger fares alone would only get the company to 90 some % of its overhead [the "nut" as a friend of mine used to say] at least on the CNBC special focusing on NCL a few years ago. Anyway, take all of these factors into consideration, it starts to make sense to charge full fare regardless of age.

[fred30]

Until the children get to the age of spending money in the arcade and getting internet packages etc there probably not as much extra revenue being generated by the younger kids.

[JohnGaltny]

I'm really mad that RCCL doesn't offer a discount for 40-something bachelors without kids. This is criminal.

 

LOL that's because there are so few of you that the demographic isn't useful.

Actually, I think you should be awarded a free cruise every 2 years until you turn 50.:D

[JohnGaltny]

Great screen name. I actually don't think you have many fans on the board.

 

BTW - glad to see you are not ranting about pricing. It wouldn't make sense given my assumption of your belief in markets.

 

Extremely perspicacious of you both in knowing the question AND in knowing I have many more non-fans than fans on this board.

 

You are entirely correct that my belief system would never allow a rant on this subject. As a guy who owned his own business for many years, I understand the cruise line business model. The real end of this discussion is "I PAID IT" and did so with a smile. That tells me RCI is right in this aspect. I have other aspects where I think they are mistaken but 104% occupancy in 2014 tells me I may be wrong.

[truffles2]

Congratulations for making the first Ayn Rand reference I have ever seen on this board!

 

 

 

Great screen name. I actually don't think you have many fans on the board.

 

BTW - glad to see you are not ranting about pricing. It wouldn't make sense given my assumption of your belief in markets.

 

Actually, he has many long-time fans....and I am one. I'm sure he knew all the answers to the muse before anyone replied:D. Right?

[Emperor Norton]

The number of berths is limited by muster station and total number of passengers. So adding a third person to your stateroom may very well limit the addition of another person somewhere else on the ship.

 

Yes, SOLAS rules determine how many people can be on board and a child counts against them just as much as an adult.

[Cuizer2]

Yes this is a muse, not a rant.

 

I have ZERO problem with RCI (or any business) making money by providing a service or product people will pay for. I actually think that's a good idea.

 

That said, I just finished final payment on a short (4 night) cruise on Majesty. In paying for 5 people I realized that my 3 yr old granddaughter, who is the third person in her parents' booking (though likely in our cabin - LOL) is a full fare passenger.

 

Now both my and my sons' cabins are "full" (that is fully paid at the double occupancy rates). Thus, my GDD is pure profit from the standpoint of RCI. Honestly, is she going to eat that much in the MDR? Is she going to amass that pile of French fries with legs that one sees walking around in the Windjammer?

 

Just musing on why the GDD is a full fare guest. Shouldn't there be some sort of discount for a child under X age on board as a third person in a cabin?

 

In reality, I know why -- because even knowing all of the above, I still paid it. On that basis I really can't rip on RCI. With a nod to the GEICO commercials:

 

"If your a cruise line in the 21st century, you dig for every last buck----it's what you do". LOL

 

Usually the 3rd or 4th passenger in a cabin is charged a reduced rate.

[JohnGaltny]

Usually the 3rd or 4th passenger in a cabin is charged a reduced rate.

 

Thanks so much. So glad to know that I remain "unusual". :D

[JohnGaltny]

Actually, he has many long-time fans....and I am one. I'm sure he knew all the answers to the muse before anyone replied:D. Right?

 

Thanks Truffles. I think you make 5 fans which equals my number of principal visit warnings. LOL. I am still waiting for my steak knives from my fifth warning.

 

Actually, I am not at all upset which is why I made this a muse rather than a rant. You KNOW I am capable of both.

 

On the upside, I am really enjoying an intelligent presentation of logic and opinion, even where I disagree. If you have followed me you know it has not always been thus.

Edited December 17, 2015 by JohnGaltny

[JohnGaltny]

Looks like this idle muse is over,

 

Thanks to all for their thoughts and opinions AND the lack of flames,

[John&LaLa]

Looks like this idle muse is over,

 

Thanks to all for their thoughts and opinions AND the lack of flames,

 

But no one mentioned the 3rd and 4th rate is higher in a suite than an inside

[LMaxwell]

I'm really mad that RCCL doesn't offer a discount for 40-something bachelors without kids. This is criminal.

 

I assure you that you are receiving "life" at a major discount currently.

[Big_G]

I'm really mad that RCCL doesn't offer a discount for 40-something bachelors without kids. This is criminal.

 

I assure you that you are receiving "life" at a major discount currently.

 

You got that right. :D

[sprint180]

Not being blessed with grandchildren mine are only idle musings as well but I'm wondering if RCI wants full fare for the young ones as a "pay up front" kind of thing? You know, if for example an adult fare is $100, RCI stands to make $$ because said adult is going to spend money in the casino, eat at the specialty restaurants, buy a dozen watches at the half off sale, etc. etc. That $100 fare RCI gets turns into so much more by the day that passengers debarks. On the other hand, darling granddaughter's $100 remains the same, unless of course there's babysitting involved (lucrative). RCI is more likely to incur costs because unlike adults, kids are not the gift that keeps on giving. Thoughts?

 

I think that is a good point.

[robtulipe]

DW and I were in a Family OV that we had been assigned to our Y OV gty booking for that cruise. Down the hall in an inside cabin was a family with a toddler and another child not much older. I commented to our cabin attendant that they should be in our cabin which had a separate bunkroom and a lot more space. His reply was thank God they weren't as the family was eating in their cabin and so much food, drink and other stuff like crayons was being spilled/left on and ground into the carpet he was having to shampoo it almost every day. If they had been in our much larger FO he would have 2 1/2 times the carpet to clean. It was taking him more than three times the time to clean their small cabin than our large one. ;)

Edited December 18, 2015 by robtulipe

[tlatrice]

DW and I were in a Family OV that we had been assigned to our Y OV gty booking for that cruise. Down the hall in an inside cabin was a family with a toddler and another child not much older. I commented to our cabin attendant that they should be in our cabin which had a separate bunkroom and a lot more space. His reply was thank God they weren't as the family was eating in their cabin and so much food, drink and other stuff like crayons was being spilled/left on and ground into the carpet he was having to shampoo it almost every day. If they had been in our much larger FO he would have 2 1/2 times the carpet to clean. It was taking him more than three times the time to clean their small cabin than our large one. ;)

 

:eek: WOW! And to think I was embarrassed that my son left his socks on the floor one day when we went to dinner!

[DCGuy64]

Looks like this idle muse is over,

 

Thanks to all for their thoughts and opinions AND the lack of flames,

 

 

Big Ayn Rand fan here, I'm with you all the way..

[robtulipe]

:eek: WOW! And to think I was embarrassed that my son left his socks on the floor one day when we went to dinner!

 

How awful of DS. I hope these weren't dirty worn ones. It could have been worst, like his previously worn briefs. :p

Edited December 19, 2015 by robtulipe

[Biker19]

I have other aspects where I think they are mistaken but 104% occupancy in 2014 tells me I may be wrong.

 

According to RCI's SEC filings, that occupancy rate has been steady (within 1%) for years (that's across all their brands and ships). The only thing that changes over the years is the price to be on the ship.

[GUT2407]

Not being blessed with grandchildren mine are only idle musings as well but I'm wondering if RCI wants full fare for the young ones as a "pay up front" kind of thing? You know, if for example an adult fare is $100, RCI stands to make $$ because said adult is going to spend money in the casino, eat at the specialty restaurants, buy a dozen watches at the half off sale, etc. etc. That $100 fare RCI gets turns into so much more by the day that passengers debarks. On the other hand, darling granddaughter's $100 remains the same, unless of course there's babysitting involved (lucrative). RCI is more likely to incur costs because unlike adults, kids are not the gift that keeps on giving. Thoughts?

 

I often wonder about that when talking about Port days v Sea days. Port days I suspect a lot less food is eaten, drinks on a package consumed, mess to clean etc, whereas sea days they have the chance to sell us stuff, including drinks to those without packages.

[tlatrice]

How awful of DS. I hope these weren't dirty worn ones. It could have been worst, like his previously worn briefs. :p

 

They WERE dirty socks! That's why I was so embarrassed! And yes, his underwear on the floor would have been WAY worse!

[cindivan]

The number of berths is limited by muster station and total number of passengers. So adding a third person to your stateroom may very well limit the addition of another person somewhere else on the ship.

 

 

Way late on replying to this! But apparently someone else drug it up so....

 

We booked the Harmony over a year out from sailing. We have three kids, and even though two of the rooms we booked had a third bed, we had to book a third room because of lifeboat capacity for our family of five.

[GateGuardian]

I think another reason is when a cruise goes into port, they have to pay the port per person regardless the age. They also take up a seat in the theater.

[LMaxwell]

I think another reason is when a cruise goes into port, they have to pay the port per person regardless the age.

 

That's a straight pass through to the guest. That's what port charges are. The cruise line isn't making or losing money there.