Someone explain this to me

[mickeysgal]

What am I missing here?  Gratuities are an extra 365.00 total for the room. Not per person. The additional dollars for this all inclusive rate is more than the actual cruise. Am I misunderstanding this? 

[Mountaineer0313]

The All Included includes gratuities, drinks and wifi. So yes. I'm not sure if you've priced all those things individually but it's probably a better deal to get the All Included if you'll use those particular amenities.

[prmssk]

How long a cruise?  This seems like a huge difference between cruise only and AI but it's hard to know whether you are just looking at a really good cruise only deal on a long cruise or whether something is really off here.  For the cruises I have looked at lately, the difference has been about $80 per person per day but it can vary quite a bit based on the cruise.

[mickeysgal]

I should clarify - it’s an 11 night cruise I’m pricing out . 
 

Edited May 28, 2023 by mickeysgal

[Ferry_Watcher]

Does your cruise qualify for the 50% off Beverage Package on sale now thru Memorial Day (tomorrow)?  If so, that might save you some money if you don't go All Included.

[Treasure Hunter]

We really don’t drink much so we don’t get the beverage package. That is huge savings. If we get one specialty coffee or a Diet Coke that’s it. We call and get the WiFi with our Elite+ 35% off. We pay the gratuities at the end and tip extra in cash if warranted. It works out better for us. Not such a big hit all at once.

[prmssk]

1 minute ago, mickeysgal said:

I should clarify - it’s an 11 night cruise I’m pricing out . 

That's about $120 per person per day for AI which is about the cost of booking internet and wifi and paying gratuities a la carte unless they actually are raising the drink package prices as we are seeing in the cruise planner with the current sale.

 

It could also just be a glitch in pricing.

[mickeysgal]

3 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

We really don’t drink much so we don’t get the beverage package. That is huge savings. If we get one specialty coffee or a Diet Coke that’s it. We call and get the WiFi with our Elite+ 35% off. We pay the gratuities at the end and tip extra in cash if warranted. It works out better for us. Not such a big hit all at once.

We hardly drink at all- I do drink coffee or tea but not that much either. 

[lostchild]

If you are booking this weekend, even with the current inflated drink package pricing, you will still come out ahead if you book cruise only and book the drink/tip/wifi separately.   AI only includes classic and basic wifi and if you book premium wifi and premium drink package, it is still cheaper not doing AI.  AI is a rip off this weekend for sure.

[mickeysgal]

5 minutes ago, prmssk said:

That's about $120 per person per day for AI which is about the cost of booking internet and wifi and paying gratuities a la carte unless they actually are raising the drink package prices as we are seeing in the cruise planner with the current sale.

 

It could also just be a glitch in pricing.

I’m seeing it as a 239 per person per day difference. 

 

I can easily add in gratuities separately at a total of 385.  So that brings it to a 203.00 per person per day cost for Wi-Fi and drinks. 
 

 

[mickeysgal]

Just now, lostchild said:

If you are booking this weekend, even with the current inflated drink package pricing, you will still come out ahead if you book cruise only and book the drink/tip/wifi separately.   AI only includes classic and basic wifi and if you book premium wifi and premium drink package, it is still cheaper not doing AI.  AI is a rip off this weekend for sure.

Yes! That’s what this sure looks like. It’s crazy 

[jelayne]

According to what is showing in the Cruise Planners with the 50% sale, the regular price the the Classic package is $129 pp pd  If that is what the price will be after the sale the Classic package would be $154 with gratuity X 11 nights then  $1700 of that price difference could be attributed to the beverage package, daily gratuity adds $193.  Haven’t checked to us if there is a new price showing in the cruise planner for wi-fi post sale.

[Mark_K]

The Cruise Only would be non-refundable deposit rate.  Is it possible that the All Included being quoted is a refundable deposit rate?  That could account for a lot of the difference.

[prmssk]

15 minutes ago, prmssk said:

That's about $120 per person per day for AI which is about the cost of booking internet and wifi and paying gratuities a la carte unless they actually are raising the drink package prices as we are seeing in the cruise planner with the current sale.

 

It could also just be a glitch in pricing.

Correction - I was looking at those costs as per cabin but now realize they are per person rates which makes the AI even more insane.  There has to be something going on with that AI fare as it does not seem at all right.

[jelayne]

2 minutes ago, Mark_K said:

The Cruise Only would be non-refundable deposit rate.  Is it possible that the All Included being quoted is a refundable deposit rate?  That could account for a lot of the difference.

Possible if they have changed the booking process.  As of last. Isn’t the choice for a refundable deposit at a cost was the last step.

[the penguins]

3 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

We really don’t drink much so we don’t get the beverage package. That is huge savings. If we get one specialty coffee or a Diet Coke that’s it. We call and get the WiFi with our Elite+ 35% off. We pay the gratuities at the end and tip extra in cash if warranted. It works out better for us. Not such a big hit all at once.

As Elite+ your lattes, etc are all free. You get 240 minutes each free premium wifi. AI would seem a very bad deal.

[N.Ice]

I've seen this kind of pricing also, where the AI is much more than the expected price increase.  My theory, which probably is completely wrong, is that the Cruise-Only fare has some promotions that they do not apply for an All-Included quote... so the additional amount is both the AI price and the lost promotion discounts.  Just my theory... never really bothered to investigate because I pretty much ignore cruises with price points that I don't find attractive.

 

But, if I was interested in such a cruise with this happening, then my plan would have been to just book the Cruise-Only, and then later try to all the All-included or various packages pre-cruise (of course, only if the prices were what I was expecting and not unexpectedly inflated).

[wrk2cruise]

19 minutes ago, N.Ice said:

My theory, which probably is completely wrong, is that the Cruise-Only fare has some promotions that they do not apply for an All-Included quote... so the additional amount is both the AI price and the lost promotion discounts.

 

I have seen this with GTY rates.

[jbcallender]

Realize that with the beverage packages, you must pay additional gratuities on the beverage package, so its not exactly "free at sea".

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, jbcallender said:

Realize that with the beverage packages, you must pay additional gratuities on the beverage package, so its not exactly "free at sea".

You only pay gratuities on the beverage package if you purchase it outright.  The AI price includes the beverage package and the gratuity on the package, wi -fi, and prepaid daily gratuities.

[late2cruisin]

10 hours ago, jbcallender said:

Realize that with the beverage packages, you must pay additional gratuities on the beverage package, so its not exactly "free at sea".

It sounds like you are thinking of Norwegian, which calls its bundle "free at sea" but charges extra for gratuities on the beverage and dining packages that are "included". Celebrity doesn't do that.

[gfkcruiser]

Might want to call to book.