RCL to offer tax free cruise "Promo"

[erby2283]

I originally booked my 12/12 cruise on last week (BOGO 1/2 half off and reduced deposit) and my TA emailed me Sat morning about the tax free deal. Worked out in our favor - just had to rebook and pay the 1/2 deposit again (and wait a few days for my original deposit to be refunded). Balcony cabin price stayed the same - saved $65.37 per person. Not a whole lot but better than nothing!

[PCWalton1]

Do you really think that was free?? Maybe some of the cost was built into the price of the cruise?? $300 obc plus $175 prepaid gratuities for two in Concierage for two, and $$840 for drink package for two comes to $1,315. Before they started giving all this free stuff, we used to get the cabins for around $100 p.p. per day which makes it about $800 p.p. with taxes and fee included.

 

Of course it is not free, sales are relative. But the price of our cabin is the same now as it was before the "sale" so it is still an added benefit for us. :)

[Stateroom_Sailor]

If all that stuff is really free, why can't someone book the cruise for $518p.p.? Allowing for the extra day, the old rate, for 8 days is about $$915 p.p. You paid $1,250. Simple math says the freebies cost $750 per couple. Sounds like still a good deal. What about the people that don't want the freebies? They pay the same as you. So everybody who books that cruise and doesn't want or use all the freebies is subsidizing your cruise. What about the big rise in drink prices. What does that do for the casual drinker? I prefer to only pay for what I want or use, so I'll take the $2,500 the cruise cost and spend it somewhere where I get only what I want and pay for only what I want. As of the current price, it's market driven. If someone is willing to pay it. more power to them. For us people who by on value, not a snowball's chance in H_ll.

 

Well, there's profit margin in whatever you would buy with the OBC, or the drink package. $750 in perks to me might be $500 in expense to the cruise line, just throwing out numbers.

 

Without the drink package, I would probably buy 2 alcoholic drinks on the entire cruise, and a tea or coffee every day. With the package, I'll probably buy a tea and a coffee every day, and 1-2 drinks. Right out of the gate the drink package is only worth maybe $150 to me... what I would pay cash for it. I would pay tips anyways, and use the $300 in OBC for excursions in the Caribbean... taking transports to nearby islands, I want the ship to wait for me!

 

So the real value is $1,250 - $420 = $830, or $103 a day, basically the price of an OV. I don't care what perks I'm not using, they could throw pet grooming, a red carpet, and two additional channels of Brazilian TV for all I care, it's still $100 a day for a CC.

[love2cruise56]

$200 per guest savings would be a nice promo ...unless they just raise the base price by $200 per guest first :)

 

Which they seen to do on their promo's:mad: