Anthem UK cruises in the summer?

[sgmn]

Is it just me, added my C@A number but no discount showing for balcony cabin. 

Prices for 23Aug (balcony guarentee) works out £157 pppd including grats and port fees. Not brillent but I guess par for the course for UK prices in summer. 

Also surprised there are inside and OV for sale as well as balcony 

Edited to say Cyprus cruises does give diamond discount and includes flights, price works out around £170 pppd for balcony including flights and grats 

Looks like no drink package included 

Edited April 7, 2021 by sgmn

[Bloodgem]

Good luck to all who are going to book a cruise today. I hope you all get the cruises and cabins you want.

You won't have any competition from us as work commitments and cruises don't match up. 

[xlairways]

Has anyone seen if they are selling the meal and drinks package for the short uk cruises?

 

Thank you.

[bigeck]

2 hours ago, little britain said:

I guess with flights included they can do some kind of bubble.  Just looking at October too...

I booked 23rd October

[HighlandBoy]

2 hours ago, xlairways said:

Has anyone seen if they are selling the meal and drinks package for the short uk cruises?

 

Thank you.

For the 5 night on 15th July DP is £60.04 and UD £113.60 hope that they come down a bit.

[Billy Baltic]

I’m surprised they’re even selling the DP. I’ve been on sailings out of Southampton where the DP was fully utilised. Sea days where all inside and outside bars were packed at lunch time. Broken glasses around the royal promenade. People getting supported as they tried to walk (stumble) into lifts in late afternoon. I enjoy a drink but this was a whole other thing. 

[CaroleC]

21 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

I’m surprised they’re even selling the DP. I’ve been on sailings out of Southampton where the DP was fully utilised. Sea days where all inside and outside bars were packed at lunch time. Broken glasses around the royal promenade. People getting supported as they tried to walk (stumble) into lifts in late afternoon. I enjoy a drink but this was a whole other thing. 

Oh my goodness, I do hope our sailing on the Virtuosa with MSC isn’t like that as all bookings include DPs 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Pandamonia]

1 hour ago, HighlandBoy said:

For the 5 night on 15th July DP is £60.04 and UD £113.60 hope that they come down a bit.

 

So the 6 Nighter is 430 quid per cabin for 2 people with DP and additional 40-50 a night for Ultimate dining. 

 

So 480 quid a night for 2 people to get a decent All inclusive experience. 

 

Crikey. 

[cublet]

45 minutes ago, CaroleC said:

Oh my goodness, I do hope our sailing on the Virtuosa with MSC isn’t like that as all bookings include DPs 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hello,

 

I was on the Eclipse that was a TA's 'perk/thank you' cruise whereon the TA's were given a drinks package. Most looked upon it as less of an opportunity and more of a challenge!

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[Disney-daft]

I've just noticed that the sailings on the Anthem are showing an OBC ($75 for balcony) which i'm sure they weren't this morning (happy to be corrected though!)

 

Is there any way of checking whether this is on my booking?

[Pandamonia]

1 minute ago, Disney-daft said:

I've just noticed that the sailings on the Anthem are showing an OBC ($75 for balcony) which i'm sure they weren't this morning (happy to be corrected though!)

 

Is there any way of checking whether this is on my booking?

Most time Guarantees dont include that so check if thats what you booked. It should show on your receipt from booking if it was applied

[Disney-daft]

6 minutes ago, Pandamonia said:

Most time Guarantees dont include that so check if thats what you booked. It should show on your receipt from booking if it was applied

Thanks - I didn't book a guarantee. It isn't showing on my booking receipt either.... I'm 99% sure I didn't see it mentioned when I was booking earlier but it is most definitely showing now! 

 

This is my first cruise with RCI, are the amenable to applying these sorts of things retrospectively?

[FamilyCruiserUK]

1 hour ago, CaroleC said:

Oh my goodness, I do hope our sailing on the Virtuosa with MSC isn’t like that as all bookings include DPs 🤦🏻‍♀️

Us brits like to get our moneys worth, so every time there is "all inclusive" it means we go mad and drink as soon as bars open. Just look at the AIs abroad. Even though people blame the mid 20s i have seen all ages getting smashed. 

 

Even more so in these lockdown times. 

[CaroleC]

7 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Us brits like to get our moneys worth, so every time there is "all inclusive" it means we go mad and drink as soon as bars open. Just look at the AIs abroad. Even though people blame the mid 20s i have seen all ages getting smashed. 

 

Even more so in these lockdown times. 

Oh well, when in Rome and all that!! 😂😂

 

I’m not a big drinker myself, guess it may be a case of if you can’t beat them etc! 🙈😆

[Norwich Cruiser]

A few years ago RCG had a policy not to sell any alcoholic drink packages on short Southampton sailings for the reasons folks have mentioned.

[FirstTimeFreddy]

I don't know how Royal Caribbean hope to compete when they're offering nil perks and just $25 OBC. Princess and Celebrity are both offering either all inclusive or upgrade packages. I'm booked on the Sky Princess in a Balcony cabin on a 6 day seacation with two ports, premium drinks, wifi and gratuities included for £799pp. Royal Caribbean want £779 for a similar cruise in a balcony cabin with no perks.  As for Celebrity, £1450 is super expensive for a similar offering. For me the choice is easy as I want the most bang for my buck, and it seems to me that Princess are the best value choice (so far).

Edited April 7, 2021 by FirstTimeFreddy

[ZiggaZagga17]

42 minutes ago, FirstTimeFreddy said:

I don't know how Royal Caribbean hope to compete when they're offering nil perks and just $25 OBC. Princess and Celebrity are both offering either all inclusive or upgrade packages. I'm booked on the Sky Princess in a Balcony cabin on a 6 day seacation with two ports, premium drinks, wifi and gratuities included for £799pp. Royal Caribbean want £779 for a similar cruise in a balcony cabin with no perks.  As for Celebrity, £1450 is super expensive for a similar offering. For me the choice is easy as I want the most bang for my buck, and it seems to me that Princess are the best value choice (so far).

Because they know (somewhat) that the status chasers will pay the money they ask for - plus the extra to pay for your food again, not forgetting the inevitable drinks package etc - so they can amass even more 'pointless' points!

Diamond Lounges are packed 3 x over (most of the Oasis class will use 2 additional venues) and the D+'s have been kicked out of the Concierge Lounges to add to the scramble for free drinks (we've not forgotten all this Covid stuff yet hopefully) .. 

I've never understood it .. there's a few nice touches that we get, but I cannot see the importance of it in front of a different cruise line that's cheaper and has a better itinerary/standard etc .. 

Like you say .... let your £ decide and not the Crown n Anchor Balance! 

[ZiggaZagga17]

1 hour ago, Norwich Cruiser said:

A few years ago RCG had a policy not to sell any alcoholic drink packages on short Southampton sailings for the reasons folks have mentioned.

I remember those days ... anything that originated/finished in the UK would be a 'pay at the bar' drinks policy!

Then they figured out that us Brits were abusing the packages - hence the all adults in the cabin must purchase - rubbish ...

Then they figured out we still spent more on the packages probably than any other nation ha ha ha

 

 

[bigeck]

Just off the phone to Royal.

Got my invoices through but when I checked prices, they were offering $200 Obc.

So I called and got it re priced and got £200 off 3 cruises and $200 Obc on Anthem and $100 on Jewel.

It pays to check prices

[Pandamonia]

3 hours ago, ZiggaZagga17 said:

Because they know (somewhat) that the status chasers will pay the money they ask for - plus the extra to pay for your food again, not forgetting the inevitable drinks package etc - so they can amass even more 'pointless' points!

Diamond Lounges are packed 3 x over (most of the Oasis class will use 2 additional venues) and the D+'s have been kicked out of the Concierge Lounges to add to the scramble for free drinks (we've not forgotten all this Covid stuff yet hopefully) .. 

I've never understood it .. there's a few nice touches that we get, but I cannot see the importance of it in front of a different cruise line that's cheaper and has a better itinerary/standard etc .. 

Like you say .... let your £ decide and not the Crown n Anchor Balance! 

Its only in Royals head and some of its guests that think a Royal cruise is luxury and has any status. Most people think this because they have just not seen anything better. The line has gone down hill over the 6 years ive been sailing on them. 

 

You only have to look at the "key" product to see how desperate they have gotten to think of new ways to milk money from existing customers. Then there is the MDR(food is sometimes barely edible) Upgrade to Chops for $45 or what ever it is now and then sit down and see on the menu another $35 steak upgrade or lobster and find out there are barely any wines from the $65 drinks package but there are plenty of $50-$100 wines to drink with your $45+$35 steak(frozen) and then expect an 18% tip on top! 

 

Royal has lost the plot on what it thinks it needs to provide for that kind of money. in 2015 the cost of that upgrade was $18 on Serenade of the Seas and it was better! Contrast that to what i paid last year at the top of an Italian Ski Resort in a 5 star boutique hotel with a top notch Michelin Star quality restaurant 4 course silver service Tomahawk Steak flown all the way from Scotland and the whole meal cost me and the old man 70 Euros each including a proper bottle of Chianti and a glass of "real" champagne (not chateau Michelle *vom*) This is in a Ski Resort which isnt known for its value! 

 

Sometimes its all about perspective... Royal seem to be moving away from where they gained their loyal customers. They seem to purely trade in the allure of the fancy ships and its features more than ever. 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by Pandamonia

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

51 minutes ago, bigeck said:

Just off the phone to Royal.

Got my invoices through but when I checked prices, they were offering $200 Obc.

So I called and got it re priced and got £200 off 3 cruises and $200 Obc on Anthem and $100 on Jewel.

It pays to check prices

Did you get diamond balcony discount plus $100 OBC on your Jewel booking as when I entered my diamond number I got the CAS balcony discount but lost the OBC.

[bigeck]

6 minutes ago, HalifaxYorksCruiser said:

Did you get diamond balcony discount plus $100 OBC on your Jewel booking as when I entered my diamond number I got the CAS balcony discount but lost the OBC.

She said it wasn't combinable but when the invoice come through it was on it.

The balcony discount was £200, 

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

5 minutes ago, bigeck said:

She said it wasn't combinable but when the invoice come through it was on it.

The balcony discount was £200, 

Will call them tomorrow as I guess they are shut now. My balcony discount was £161 but was only for a guaranteed cabin. 

[Jeannie333333]

7 hours ago, Disney-daft said:

I've just noticed that the sailings on the Anthem are showing an OBC ($75 for balcony) which i'm sure they weren't this morning (happy to be corrected though!)

 

Is there any way of checking whether this is on my booking?

Its either the Diamond etc balcony discount OR the OBC ----  just to ensure loyal cruisers dont get any preferential rates and extra reductions!

Edited April 7, 2021 by Jeannie333333
word omitted

[bigeck]

36 minutes ago, HalifaxYorksCruiser said:

Will call them tomorrow as I guess they are shut now. My balcony discount was £161 but was only for a guaranteed cabin. 

I just checked my cruise planner. I got balcony discount and £144.92 obc

Depends who you get on the phone I think