Royal's Dynamic Pricing Policy Is An Absolute Joke

[S.A.M.J.R.]

OK, I don't really understand the rant, well, I do, but I'm not sure what it's supposed to accomplish.

 

ANY business is trying to make the most money it can, right?

 

They do this through whatever (legal) methods they want to, right?  If they pick methods/pricing the customers don't like, they won't get enough customers to make money.  If they pick methods/pricing the customers like/think they get value out of, they make money. 

 

So, isn't it up to each customer to either accept a businesses methods or not?  I don't like the way the low cost airlines do business (low base fares, then add on for seat selection, luggage, snacks, etc) so I don't do business with them.  But my going on a message board and ranting about their pricing does what exactly?  Nothing.  It's a waste of electrons. 

 

If you're unhappy with how Royal does things, the answer is very simple, don't sail with them. 

 

Now, I'm sure the OP will come back and say I'm another "Loyal Royal", and to that I'll say I'm getting ready to go on my 4th cruise in 8 years.  We're happy with the product they provide at the price they provide.  That's it.   

[Tree_skier]

Maybe the federal government could appoint a cruise czar who could control the  price of cruises and all the ancillary sales subsequent to the initial purchase.  Expecting people to fend for themselves and purchase what is in their own best interest is unfair to those who don't have as much information as regular CC posters.  

 

Perhaps an even better plan would be to federalize cruise travel to have the government run a single cruise line that charges a set price for for everything.  That way there would be no need for sales or promotions or confusing OBC offers.  You could even have the IRS run the back end and USPS handle the day to day operations on board the ship. That way you know it would be fair to everyone and efficiently run.

 

I understand North Korea has entered the market of cruise travel some years back and they have none of the problems that the OP complains about.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Tree_skier

[ULCajunCruiser]

There are lots of valid points being made in this thread, if you can get past the "noise"

 

While I'm happy with the price I get for my cabin, my beverage package, my internet plan, etc. (or I wouldn't have purchased them) I'm more than pleased to see price drops or reductions.

 

So I agree with the OP's general point that it is much more difficult with RCCL to track these price drops  than on other lines.   

 

OP's statement about "dynamic pricing" is also true, but not unexpected and I have come to learn to live with it.   Do I wish they'd just post a price and stick with it?  Probably so, but doesn't mean I condemn them for doing so.

 

Just last week my DBP was priced at $57.99 at 30% off.   The next day it was at $67.99 at 20% off ($3 higher than before) so they were then able to offer us a Black Friday deal of $60.99 at 30% off!!  Not illegal, but hit's me as a bit shady!!!

 

 

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

Ditto. I look for itinerary, date and pricing differences. For instance, I just booked a 4-day cruise on the Royal Navigator in a Grand Suite instead of booking the same cruise on Princess in a Princess Penthouse Suite (even though I am higher in Status on Princess). The suite perks are basically the same. We are saving over $1000 for the same dates/itinerary on Royal, even when taking into consideration the price for VOOM/Deluxe Beverage Package, Ultimate Dining and $200 on board spending.  It does not always work out that way but this time it did. Royal had a better sale. NCL Suite/Haven prices are SO MUCH higher right now, but that too may change in the future. 

Hi, @HBCcruiser.  Your post was a little unclear.  I just want to verify that you are PAYING for those:  VOOM, DBP, UDP?  Because none of them is included with a Grand Suite on the Navigator of the Seas.

 

🙂

[HBCcruiser]

2 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

Hi, @HBCcruiser.  Your post was a little unclear.  I just want to verify that you are PAYING for those:  VOOM, DBP, UDP?  Because none of them is included with a Grand Suite on the Navigator of the Seas.

 

🙂

Yes.  I purchased those items. The Royal cruise, including those add-ons,  is over $1000.00 cheaper than the Princess cruise which includes WiFi and drinks but NOT the specialty dining. That would be extra on Princess. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by HBCcruiser

[LGW59]

18 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Yes.  I purchased those items. The Royal cruise, including those add-ons,  is over $1000.00 cheaper than the Princess cruise which includes WiFi and drinks but NOT the specialty dining. That would be extra on Princess. 

Nicely done! The OP should hire you as a travel planner.

[Merion_Mom]

25 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Yes.  I purchased those items. The Royal cruise, including those add-ons,  is over $1000.00 cheaper than the Princess cruise which includes WiFi and drinks but NOT the specialty dining. That would be extra on Princess. 

 

Doesn't the princess package include ONE night of specialty dining?

 

[HBCcruiser]

6 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Doesn't the princess package include ONE night of specialty dining?

 

 

Yes, when you purchase a suite. The Royal UDP includes all meals in specialty restaurants including lunch during sea days. Both suite packages have specialty dining for breakfast, although Princess does not include the specialty breakfast on the last day, whereas Royal does. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by HBCcruiser

[Chauncey Picklepants]

5 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Maybe the federal government could appoint a cruise czar who could control the  price of cruises and all the ancillary sales subsequent to the initial purchase.  Expecting people to fend for themselves and purchase what is in their own best interest is unfair to those who don't have as much information as regular CC posters.  

 

Perhaps an even better plan would be to federalize cruise travel to have the government run a single cruise line that charges a set price for for everything.  That way there would be no need for sales or promotions or confusing OBC offers.  You could even have the IRS run the back end and USPS handle the day to day operations on board the ship. That way you know it would be fair to everyone and efficiently run.

 

I understand North Korea has entered the market of cruise travel some years back and they have none of the problems that the OP complains about.

This made my night 😂😂😂😂

[SNJCruisers]

23 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Thank you, sage advice, I’ll be in the Celebrity EDGE Iconic suite next year. I’ll let you know what I “learn”.

Nice ship.  It was my last cruise in January of 2020.  Will be on the Apex on a B2B in January.  When you sail, Captain Kate will probably be involved with the Beyond.  She was the most interactive Captain I've seen in all my years of cruising.

[SNJCruisers]

17 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 

Never buy ship excursions (regardless of line, except for private destinations),  and with the new C&A drink voucher system, I don't even look at a drink package.

I normally never buy ship excursions either, but I originally had the CocoCay Club booked @ 65 pp on my cancelled Oasis cruise and now at a 50% discount, it's 99.50.  130.00 for two is the top end I would pay.  199 discounted and 398 regular price is ridiculous.

Will never reach the status to get the Diamond and Diamond Plus vouchers.

[SNJCruisers]

16 hours ago, bouhunter said:

Well that's a whole lot of numbers and entirely meaningless.  Unless of course one doesn't factor in the cruise price itself, the ship or the ports,  and bases their decision entirely on the cost of a booze package.

Once again, how about the dynamic pricing regarding Coco Cay Beach Club.  I had it @ 65 on my cancelled Oasis cruise.  It's now 99.50 on "sale" and 199 regularly.  

I chose the drink package as a comparison since many people purchase it, but obviously the policy is in effect with other purchases.

[LGW59]

6 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

I normally never buy ship excursions either, but I originally had the CocoCay Club booked @ 65 pp on my cancelled Oasis cruise and now at a 50% discount, it's 99.50.  130.00 for two is the top end I would pay.  199 discounted and 398 regular price is ridiculous.

Will never reach the status to get the Diamond and Diamond Plus vouchers.

I never ever buy ship excursions!  Of course I’ve not cruised yet during the restart and I don’t plan to until late next year.  I’m private tours all the way and I line them up well in advance.

[SNJCruisers]

16 hours ago, firefly333 said:

i already know SNJ hates my local bookings where I can drive to the ocean which I love. 

But that can't happen until you retire and relocate to your oceanfront condo in FLA.

Currently you cruise out of Galveston, which if I'm not mistaken is located on the Gulf of Mexico. 🤔

[SNJCruisers]

13 hours ago, loman said:

If you dont like the product or its policies , dont use them. Thats what i would do .

Its nice to have choices.

No question.  After my B2B on the Oasis and checking out YouTube videos, I will decide if the newer builds by RCI will be on my radar.  May have to settle for the refreshment package if the usual is ridiculously priced, but that's a small price to pay if the ship looks real appealing.

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

No question.  After my B2B on the Oasis and checking out YouTube videos, I will decide if the newer builds by RCI will be on my radar.  May have to settle for the refreshment package if the usual is ridiculously priced, but that's a small price to pay if the ship looks real appealing.

YouTube is great for getting a sense of a ship and suites.  Once I do that though I always try to connect with someone here on CC that has actually experience it by being on-board as well as in the suite I think I want to sail in.

[SNJCruisers]

11 hours ago, deliver42 said:

I've priced the Cheers package on Carnival and the drink package on Royal, and they both came in at about $842.00 including grats.

But Cheers is the same price no matter which ship you're on or when you cruise.  That is not the policy with RCI.

[SNJCruisers]

4 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Nicely done! The OP should hire you as a travel planner.

Don't need any help.  Have 15 cruises booked over the next 15 months.

[SNJCruisers]

47 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I never ever buy ship excursions!  Of course I’ve not cruised yet during the restart and I don’t plan to until late next year.  I’m private tours all the way and I line them up well in advance.

Fully agree, but if you're visiting CocoCay and you wish to possibly visit the Beach Club, you're at the mercy of RCI and their pricing policy.

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Fully agree, but if you're visiting CocoCay and you wish to possibly visit the Beach Club, you're at the mercy of RCI and their pricing policy.

I never sail to the Caribbean, been there done that.  I get what you are saying though.

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

But that can't happen until you retire and relocate to your oceanfront condo in FLA.

Currently you cruise out of Galveston, which if I'm not mistaken is located on the Gulf of Mexico. 🤔

Well retire is a easy word. I've used the term retire since my early 20s when I started buying properties and flipping or renting them out. People would ask what I was going to do as a job. 

 

And no idea what Galveston being on the gulf of mexico has to do with dynamic pricing. I was booked on jewel feb 2021 to coco cay. Cancelled and now nothing scheduled there until oasis. ..but rcl can get to coco cay from there.

Edited December 1, 2021 by firefly333

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

Fully agree, but if you're visiting CocoCay and you wish to possibly visit the Beach Club, you're at the mercy of RCI and their pricing policy.

But if I do half moon cay thru carnival and have a drink pkg I cant use it there ... and couldn't use it on mahogany bay roatan. .. which I went to when I had cheers thru carnival in sept. So anything to drink you are at the mercy of carnival .. even with the drink pkg. How is this better?

 

Carnival i had the drink pkg which isnt good at their private ports ... rcl I can use my drink pkg or my daily drink vouchers. For me rcl wins this round if you are using coco cay as a example.

[SRF]

14 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

OK, I don't really understand the rant, well, I do, but I'm not sure what it's supposed to accomplish.

 

ANY business is trying to make the most money it can, right?

 

They do this through whatever (legal) methods they want to, right?  If they pick methods/pricing the customers don't like, they won't get enough customers to make money.  If they pick methods/pricing the customers like/think they get value out of, they make money. 

 

So, isn't it up to each customer to either accept a businesses methods or not?  I don't like the way the low cost airlines do business (low base fares, then add on for seat selection, luggage, snacks, etc) so I don't do business with them.  But my going on a message board and ranting about their pricing does what exactly?  Nothing.  It's a waste of electrons. 

 

If you're unhappy with how Royal does things, the answer is very simple, don't sail with them. 

 

Now, I'm sure the OP will come back and say I'm another "Loyal Royal", and to that I'll say I'm getting ready to go on my 4th cruise in 8 years.  We're happy with the product they provide at the price they provide.  That's it.   

 

Exactly.

 

And let's see, what cruise line over the past 10 years has had enough business to build the most new ships?

 

But as several posts point out, you need to shop.  Even with the add ons, Royal may be cheaper than one of the lines with everything included.  Or maybe they will not be.  

 

The same thing with airlines.  Some of the lower cost airlines are not the cheapest for a given trip.  A friend was flying from San Diego to Minneapolis.  SW was $200 more than Delta (even with paying for a checked bag) and Delta was non-stop.

 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

8 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Once again, how about the dynamic pricing regarding Coco Cay Beach Club.  I had it @ 65 on my cancelled Oasis cruise.  It's now 99.50 on "sale" and 199 regularly.  

I chose the drink package as a comparison since many people purchase it, but obviously the policy is in effect with other purchases.

There is no denying your numbers; I just don’t care. Private companies charge what they want. Buy, don’t buy. Patronize, take your business elsewhere. The beauty of free market economy; however the bottom line is this-Royal sails as full as they want to be (always sold out pre pandemic) Coco Cay cabanas and clubs always sell out, the company was thriving under this business model so don’t expect it to change. 

[John&LaLa]

9 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Don't need any help.  Have 15 cruises booked over the next 15 months.

 

Them's rookie numbers, but have fun.