Error in Deluxe Beverage package pricing?

[karena1]

8 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Thought so. The D+ and P I know are unlikely to purchase the package at the 30%/40% off onboard pricing. Oasis Class has better options if you like certain beers and wines over other ships to P’s and Suite Guests. 

We are D+ and always buy the package.  Totally worth it for us since we like drinks at the pool during the day, and we don't always go to the DL at night.  We like other lounges a lot, and don't like where the DL is on Harmony or Navigator, so don't go there at all.

[rusty nut]

7 minutes ago, Beachammo said:

Has ANYONE had the $18 package cancelled yet? Mine is still good.

 

I also had a back/forth for the first 15 mins on whether I should purchase or not. My wife drinks very little alcohol and we have plenty of wine in the cabin with the bottles brought on and all the bottles Royal sends to the cabin.

 

But with the bottle waters, coffees, non alcohol frozen drinks for the wife, soda, Bloody Mary's in the mornings, and my night caps after the diamond happy hours, I felt it was definitely worth it on the TransAtlantic.

 

Did not purchase for our Holyland cruise as the lack of sea days tilted the value to a negative for us.

 

 

Ours doesn't say cancelled, yet.

Reality: We ALL knew it was an error on RC's part. We ALL selfishly, and hurriedly, tried to take advantage of that error, as I did. We ALL knew it was too good to be true and yet we bash RC for an honest mistake. I'm disappointed, sure, but I understand reality, also.

[BillOh]

4 minutes ago, MandyMooToo said:

 

I agree, if they cancel my package it will be too bad, so sad but I won't cry over it.  I will just wind up buying at another sale price.  But I do find it aggravating that they reneged after saying so many times that they would honor the mistake.  Don't say one thing and then do another.  Whatever though, I'll still enjoy my cruise with a G&T....or 4 😁

My only real worry, if they cancel the sale, they won't refund the $100obc I used to cut the card charge even further.  Might have to battle to get it back. Or not. 

[Judyrem]

I love this thread!  😍

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, BillOh said:

My only real worry, if they cancel the sale, they won't refund the $100obc I used to cut the card charge even further.  Might have to battle to get it back. Or not. 

 

That part (refund of OBC) seems to work well on Royal's website.

[Sherri914]

15 hours ago, brank813 said:

I found that price also for my cruise which isn't until Nov. of 2020. I was sure that I was misreading something.  I hope they honor it seeing as they've already charged my credit card.  Fingers Crossed!

Where'd you find it for a Nov 2020 cruise!  I've been wanting to add it to mine (also Nov 2020) but it says nothing is available yet.

[A&L_Ont]

3 minutes ago, rusty nut said:

Ours doesn't say cancelled, yet.

Reality: We ALL knew it was an error on RC's part. We ALL selfishly, and hurriedly, tried to take advantage of that error, as I did. We ALL knew it was too good to be true and yet we bash RC for an honest mistake. I'm disappointed, sure, but I understand reality, also.

 

If only the folks on FB were so logical. 😉😀

[MandyMooToo]

1 minute ago, BillOh said:

My only real worry, if they cancel the sale, they won't refund the $100obc I used to cut the card charge even further.  Might have to battle to get it back. Or not. 

 

Ouch, I had not though of that!  You know what else will be a problem?  What about people that had to cancel prior purchased packages to buy at this rate and now the rate is at $50 a day?  If they paid say, $46 a day before will Royal honor that price or will they have to re-buy at the current price?  🤔

[Clarea]

Just now, MandyMooToo said:

 

Ouch, I had not though of that!  You know what else will be a problem?  What about people that had to cancel prior purchased packages to buy at this rate and now the rate is at $50 a day?  If they paid say, $46 a day before will Royal honor that price or will they have to re-buy at the current price?  🤔

 

That should be interesting. 

[karena1]

As of right now, none of my packages have been canceled.  Will keep checking to see when/if it happens.

[paross4]

My cruise planner no longer shows a link at the top to "Order History".  (it was there yesterday after I booked the $18 packages)   I take it that this means it has been cancelled.  Oh well...

[Boo's Mom]

I don't think it was an error. 

 

My Order History is calling it the "Deluxe Package Special Offer".

 

If it was a mistake, they would never cancel what occurred during their mistake. 

That would be a PR nightmare. 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by Boo's Mom

[bouhunter]

16 minutes ago, rusty nut said:

Ours doesn't say cancelled, yet.

Reality: We ALL knew it was an error on RC's part. We ALL selfishly, and hurriedly, tried to take advantage of that error, as I did. We ALL knew it was too good to be true and yet we bash RC for an honest mistake. I'm disappointed, sure, but I understand reality, also.

A voice of reason and common sense in a sea of greed.

[rusty nut]

4 minutes ago, Boo's Mom said:

I don't think it was an error. 

If it was, they would never cancel what occurred during their mistake. 

That would be a PR nightmare. 

 

 

Mistake on Royal's part...check

Cancelled so called deal...check

PR nightmare...check

 

[bouhunter]

5 minutes ago, Boo's Mom said:

I don't think it was an error. 

If it was, they would never cancel what occurred during their mistake. 

That would be a PR nightmare. 

 

 

Obviously it was an error. 

 

Newsflash:  a few hundred people ticked off if they don't get their cheap booze is not a "PR Nightmare" for a billion dollar international firm......

[CruiseKeeper]

9 minutes ago, paross4 said:

My cruise planner no longer shows a link at the top to "Order History".  (it was there yesterday after I booked the $18 packages)   I take it that this means it has been cancelled.  Oh well...

 

You can still reach order history under the menu.   I can, on my IPad.

Edited July 2, 2019 by CruiseKeeper

[Joseph2017China]

17 minutes ago, cgags47 said:

That’s not accurate at all. You don’t book a Shore excursion for one price, thinking that it might change and you’ll lose out on it. No, these were purchased at an advertised price. That price should be honored. 

Actually, they can also do a shore excursion and have it canceled for the same reason.  Contract language is in the fine print that says they can cancel the purchase and refund the money paid.  I'm pretty sure you know that it was incorrect, just like most people who bought it.  So, it is a gamble.  Nothing more, nothing less.  You buy it, and hope that it stays.  But if it doesn't, you are back at where you were before.  Today, at corporate headquarters, in a conference room, people are scrambling with data of how much was purchased, and what the losses might be.  They will compare it with the publicity that will make them look good, or possibly be negative.  They will present their findings.  They will review it.  They will decide.  You will not see refunds today, or tomorrow, but it might come in the next week.  This is the way corporations work, and you will not know until they decide.  It was a gamble to purchase.  I know it.  But I will not loose anything, but I can gain something.  Now is the time, to just chill, and wait and see.

[sandebeach]

My thought this morning. Could this have been a Marketing test by Royal to try and answer the age-old question "Is the drink package worth it"?

[shelldigity]

Like many others, I'm not losing much if they take this from me -- we never buy a beverage package and we maybe average 2 drinks/day/person.

 

But what kills me is how this was handled.  This is a deal that was available for mere hours and only on sailings for next year, for those who'd already committed to giving Royal thousands of dollars for their trip.  Their competitors offer free or equally discounted beverage packages as a promo all the time.  How much money were they really going to lose on this?  Is it worth all the time the employees have spent/are spending on deleting messages, dealing with angry customers, and going through and refunding everyone?  How shady is it that they actually went through and deleted things?  Is it worth the negative PR?  Did they even think about how the customers who were assured this would be honored would feel?  And what does it say about the business that they value that little bit of additional profit over their customer experience?

 

Package pricing fluctuates all the time -- how is anyone to know what's a technical error?  Willing to bet they don't refund anyone who bought a $500 cabana for $1300.  Funny how the $18 glitch was fixed but I can still see that $1300 rate this morning.  And what will they do with those who canceled their beverage packages to buy at the promo price?  

 

This deal was going to bring them publicity in the cruise world either way they decided to handle it.  Imagine how great this would have looked for them if they admitted there was a glitch but that they would honor it because of how much they value their customers.  Instead, they come across as a shady, disorganized company who just wants to get as much out of their customers as they possibly can -- and that's why I'm disappointed.  I'll still have a great trip, but I can't say I won't look around at other choices next time I'm considering a cruise.  Poor customer service does not sit well with me. 

 

(And as a software engineer I sure do have questions about their on-call rotation and deploy procedures.)

[Judyrem]

2 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

A voice of reason and common sense in a sea of greed.

Greed?  I hope you are kidding. It's not like we are getting it FREE!     RCCL is the "greedy" one here.  We are just the hapless consumers.  Shame on them.

 

There are countless examples of RCCL's Greed and are too numerous to mention.

[Boo's Mom]

I have received a "free drink package" so many times as a booking incentive. 

It is not a big deal to the cruiseline. 

And it (the offer that ended recently) was not free. 

 

I am standing on the premise that this drink package special offer was not a mistake. 

It was a marketing ploy that actually benefits both parties. 

 

It alone probably generated multiple millions of people going to their website. 

They normally pay for that in advertising dollars. 

 

 

[pop5]

I bet that a lot of people who were on the fence about booking for next year went ahead and booked to get the drink package sale. 

[TMO3CCO1]

1 hour ago, KelJ said:

 

The red word “cancel” is what you would click to cancel your purchase. It doesn’t mean it’s been canceled. If you click the blue “view order details,” you will see what was purchased and the price paid. 

Looked again and it still shows in my order details but doesn’t show up in my calendar under the cruise planer. Does that mean they haven’t canceled it?

[Clarea]

Just now, Boo's Mom said:

 ...

It was a marketing ploy that actually benefits both parties.

...

 

 

If Royal cancels and does not let people who cancelled a more expensive package re-order at their previous price, it won't be good.

[Clarea]

Just now, TMO3CCO1 said:

Looked again and it still shows in my order details but doesn’t show up in my calendar under the cruise planer. Does that mean they haven’t canceled it?

 

I don't think we really know yet.