Did You Receive a State Discount (based on residence)?

[ggo85]

As a follow up to my earlier post on why RCI offers discounts based on the state in which you live, I'd like to see whether the various theories hold water (no pun intended:). Do most people get discounts for cruises that depart from nearby ports or is RCI trying to woo people from more distant states?

 

For those who've received "state" discounts in the past couple of years, would love to see you post the state in which you reside and the port from which your cruise departed.

 

I would volunteer to go first but have never had the pleasure of a discount based on where I live.:(

[Daghis]

I received my first state residency discount for our upcoming Freedom of the Seas cruise (out of Port Canaveral, FL) in October. I live in Pennsylvania.

[3DobermansDZS]

We received a residency discount for our Jewel of the Seas cruise this past April. We live in Georgia.

[sleepless]

I live in Michigan. I received my first state discount for a cruise on the Explorer of the Seas in 2009. My second state discount was on the Oasis in July of 2011.

[lrn2cruise]

How can you tell if you get one? I dont think we did when we did FOS last summer. I live in Texas.

 

Sometimes, I wonder if RC will give me one for Mariner, but I dont see that either:mad:

[Clarea]

We've received a good number of state discounts over the last few years. We live in Illinois and have received state discounts for cruises out of Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Miami, Galveston, and San Pedro.

[bighairtexan]

I've never gotten a state discount on any cruise line. HOWEVER, I finally got my 1st senior discount for a Sept. cruise. I was beginning to think I was the unluckiest cruiser in the world.

[kruzerci]

We have lived in Georgia and Alabama the past few years and have received discounts from Port Canaveral and Miami several times.

[shonandsuzie]

We live in Michigan and we've gotten the state discount several times for cruises out of varying ports.

[DonnaK]

I only received a state discount once, on Explorer New Years cruise out of NJ. We live in NY. It was offered about 4 months out.

[gw2fll]

For our last cruise on NOS we received a residency discount. The cruise departed from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, FL) and we live in NC.

 

We booked the cruise over Memorial Day weekend last year. There was a big sale going on at the time - we did not get reduced deposits or an OBC, just a price reduction when I entered our state of residence. (I also recall our cruise tickets indicating that we had received a special rate and to remember to bring the supporting documentation with us to the pier or else we would have to pay additional before boarding.)

[northcove]

We got it. In NY, sailing out of NJ.

 

Here's what my receipt says:

Promo Restrictions: RESIDENT At least one guest must be resident of the following: CT,DE,MA,ME,NH,NJ,NY,PA,RI,VT

[Bonnie Voyager]

I have received the resident discount quite a few times out of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Bayonne. I live in Delaware. The discount usually became available to me very close to final payment, sometimes after final payment.

[jakenashleysmom]

Always check the residency box, never had it apply. I generally cruise on school break weeks, that may be why. I also wondered what the criteria was for them to apply the law inforcement discount, and the armed forces discount. We would be eligible for both, but they have never applied to our sailing. Once I *thought* it applied, but alas I had plugged in the wrong date!:eek:

[Bonnie Voyager]

Always check the residency box, never had it apply. I generally cruise on school break weeks, that may be why. I also wondered what the criteria was for them to apply the law inforcement discount, and the armed forces discount. We would be eligible for both, but they have never applied to our sailing. Once I *thought* it applied, but alas I had plugged in the wrong date!:eek:

 

 

My resident discounts were almost ALL over Easter Week! We have also received the Military Discount several times. It is usually equivalent to the resident discount savings. Sometimes we have had them both available at the same time (but can only choose one, of course). Sometimes we got NADA! :p;)

[Host Faith]

We live in NJ, and have usually found a state discount/price drop for our cruises sailing out of San Juan.

[jakenashleysmom]

My resident discounts were almost ALL over Easter Week! We have also received the Military Discount several times. It is usually equivalent to the resident discount savings. Sometimes we have had them both available at the same time (but can only choose one, of course). Sometimes we got NADA! :p;)

Interesting. Do you recall how close to sailing they were offered? We are going out of Baltimore in February....I will keep checking!

[vmt514]

We booked our Oasis for June 30 in April - so only 2 1/2 months out. Got a state residency discount, we live in Florida. We are also eligible for military and 55+ (DH, not me) discount, but they didn't apply to this cruise.

We did book through an on-line agent and they still gave us pre-paid grats, special dinner and one spa since we books a balcony, even with getting the residency discount. I had checked RC directly and they offered that discount. I did notice it went away about a week later.

[maxs mom]

It all depends on how well the cruise is selling out. We live in NC and have received the resident's discount and the senior discount quite a few times out of many different ports. Once or twice, the discount was subsatantial. Haven't received any of these recently, though.

[BillOh]

A resident rate for Ohioans got us to try our first cruise on Majesty that we didn't plan on taking, so they did win us over.

[Starry Eyes]

I have gotten residency discounts on sailings from California and NJ. I live in Wisconsin.

[Bonnie Voyager]

Interesting. Do you recall how close to sailing they were offered? We are going out of Baltimore in February....I will keep checking!

 

Typically when I have gotten a resident/military/senior discount it has been very close to final payment when it was offered, so probably 3 or 4 months out from the sail date. Just keep checking! :D

[justforkicks]

Received a discount sailing from Baltimore a couple of years ago, seems it was given near the date of final payment.

[JMG]

We received a discount when we booked our August cruise. Cruise out of Balt, we live in PA. Booked cruise in Jan. In Feb we got a 55+ discount for the cruise.

[kag19]

We received one on our last trip in 2009 on Serenade of the Seas leaving out of San Juan. We live in Michigan.