not dropping prices-right!!!

[jimmyzwei]

while RCL may very well be doing some last minute discounting, it appears that their strategy is to do it behind the curtain through an upsell/resell shell game rather than publishing any late day discounts.

 

Which from a business point of view makes great sense ... you actually are thereby rewarding your loyal customers who have already committed to cruise with you,

[TRK]

What happened to us for our Oct. 4 sailing on FOS is, one week after final payment, they are offering senior and military rates. That is a total of $300 for two. I know the policy but called guest services anyway. All I got from the rep. was a sales pitch for drink packages,excursions and for pay dining. I'm SOL but it still hurts.

[molly361]

The only way RCL is going to make folks happy is if they do not change pricing AT ALL after final payment. (And I don't believe that is ever going to happen)

 

They are saying no last minute discounts but they are now offering lower cost guarantees and special rates such as senior and military AFTER final payment has passed.

 

That is going to make people just as upset at they would be by the Last Minute discounts that they decided to stop offering.

[orville99]

Which from a business point of view makes great sense ... you actually are thereby rewarding your loyal customers who have already committed to cruise with you,

 

 

I suppose you could look at it that way. Of course you can also look at as a clever tactic to squeeze more revenue out of existing customers who already finished paying for their cruise while selling leftover inventory at rack rates. As with all sound business strategies if it improves the bottom line...The days of visible last minute discounting are over;)

Edited August 9, 2015 by orville99

[Paulette3028]

I suppose you could look at it that way. Of course you can also look at as a clever tactic to squeeze more revenue out of existing customers who already finished paying for their cruise while selling leftover inventory at rack rates. As with all sound business strategies if it improves the bottom line...The days of visible last minute discounting are over;)

 

I agree with you....the days of visible last minute discounting are over....to be replaced with 'upsells'. The upsell from one cabin to a JS or larger might be at a wonderful price and people are clearly willing to do it -- therefore it is working for Royal.

[John&LaLa]

Everybody here seems focussed on those Enchantment sailings. Fain said from the beginning that 3/4 night cruises were not part of the new policy. What kind of availability is there in some upcoming 7 night cruises

[Paulette3028]

[quote name='John&LaLa']Everybody here seems focused on those Enchantment sailings. Fain said from the beginning that 3/4 night cruises were not part of the new policy. What kind of availability is there in some upcoming 7 night cruises[/QUOTE]

I agree, that people need to move their focus to longer cruises.

Below is another way to look at the overall discussion -- just my POV, at least.

There are many different kinds of cruisers. One distinct differentiator is those people that like to plan ahead and have the greatest choice in cabins and their dining options. Then you have the other cruiser who books last minute, which reduces their choice of cabin and may limit was is available as far as dining options.

Both, I am sure, want the best price they can get.

Now the cruiser who got very good last minute deals, is struggling to justify giving up cabin availability and dining options, because the 'last minute deal' that they had gotten in the past -- is not (or may not be available) the kind of great deal they got in the past. Edited August 10, 2015 by Paulette3028

[orville99]

[quote name='John&LaLa']Everybody here seems focussed on those Enchantment sailings. Fain said from the beginning that 3/4 night cruises were not part of the new policy. What kind of availability is there in some upcoming 7 night cruises[/QUOTE]

Every one of the longer cruises we have booked have more than doubled in price since we booked them, so even if RCL waivers on its no last minute discounting policy on longer cruises, those "deals" will be a discount on a price that has been jacked up through the roof. I have no problem whatsoever with someone who bites on that kind of "deal". I just have to remind myself not to break out laughing when they tell me about it:):D:):D

[American Bear]

[quote name='John&LaLa']$971 for 4 people for a week :eek:
Do you think that kind of pricing is sustainable :what:[/QUOTE]

We did a B2B last year in a balcony, 14 days total on the Divina out of Miami.
At that time, we compared and came away with,,,
we couldn't find an RCL cruise within $1200. of the Divina,
Celebrity had a good sale but was $800. more,
NCL with the Getaway was running $1500. more,
Carnival 2.0 Conquest class about $850. more.
MSC owns a very profitable shipping company, and is a private company.
They don't answer to stock holders, so my opinion from what they've stated in the Press, yes they can sustain low prices for 'quite a while' while they're building up their North American business.
This fall they'll have 2 ships in the Caribbean, and 4 ships in South America.
Then who knows where their prices will go?:)

[American Bear]

[quote name='Paulette3028']I agree, that people need to move their focus to longer cruises.

Below is another way to look at the overall discussion -- just my POV, at least.

There are many different kinds of cruisers. One distinct differentiator is those people that like to plan ahead and have the greatest choice in cabins and their dining options. Then you have the other cruiser who books last minute, which reduces their choice of cabin and may limit was is available as far as dining options.

Both, I am sure, want the best price they can get.

Now the cruiser who got very good last minute deals, is struggling to justify giving up cabin availability and dining options, because the 'last minute deal' that they had gotten in the past -- is not (or may not be available) the kind of great deal they got in the past.[/QUOTE]


Agreed, and my opinion is those last minute buyers of great deals will look elsewhere because they're not available anymore at RCL.
Whether it hurts RCL with their leaving is a good question!

[papcx]

My view is that a lot of cruise lines are selling cruises cheaper much further out than they used to.

I got an email today from a TA (in the UK) that had plenty of what I'd consider bargains on various lines, incl 7 nights med cruise with flights and a drinks package for £579. Next week? No Sept & Nov. (okay. The Med in Nov may not be that appealing but it's still a bargain.)

Think about how many more berths are coming.

2 Oasis class.
1 Quantum class.
2 BreakawayPlus class.
4 ships for MSC.
Carnival Vista.
9 ships for Carnival corp.
probably more I can't think of right now.

That's a lot of beds to fill.

I think prices will start low(ish) for early bookers and raise only slightly. The threat of no late bargains will encourage some to book at the (slightly) higher price.

Come sail time though, if there's empty cabins, they'll be sold (or as others have said upsold to allow bargains in lower berths.)

[teecee60]

[quote name='molly361'][B][I][COLOR="Black"]I don't call those prices reasonable for a 3/4 night Bahama cruise[/COLOR][/I][/B] the end of August/September, but that might be just me:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Perhaps I should have said "less outrageous" as opposed to "more reasonable." :)

[quote name='papcx'][B][I][COLOR="Black"]My view is that a lot of cruise lines are selling cruises cheaper much further out than they used to.[/COLOR][/I][/B]

I think prices will start low(ish) for early bookers and raise only slightly. The threat of no late bargains will encourage some to book at the (slightly) higher price.

Come sail time though, if there's empty cabins, they'll be sold (or as others have said upsold to allow bargains in lower berths.)[/QUOTE]

I experienced just this situation a couple of months ago when I booked a transpacific on Explorer OTS... 24 nights for $1049pp! :eek: :D ;)

I had NEVER booked a cruise that far in advance (11 months) before. BUT... the price has DOUBLED since then. Edited August 10, 2015 by teecee60

[Paulette3028]

[quote name='American Bear']We did a B2B last year in a balcony, 14 days total on the Divina out of Miami.
At that time, we compared and came away with,,,
we couldn't find an RCL cruise within $1200. of the Divina,
Celebrity had a good sale but was $800. more,
NCL with the Getaway was running $1500. more,
Carnival 2.0 Conquest class about $850. more.
MSC owns a very profitable shipping company, and is a private company.
They don't answer to stock holders, so my opinion from what they've stated in the Press, yes they can sustain low prices for 'quite a while' while they're building up their North American business.
This fall they'll have 2 ships in the Caribbean, and 4 ships in South America.
Then who knows where their prices will go?:)[/QUOTE]

I don't worry about how many cabins the cruise line has to fill or the number of ships doing a specific itinerary. I look at where I want to go, and when; eventually we will be able to take longer cruises than we can do now, and we will book as far out as we can to get good pricing. If they keep raising the prices after that, so be it.

I don't want to pick my cabin from a short list of what is 'still available' so last minute cruise booking I can never see as a real thing for us....so I just don't worry about it.

[American Bear]

[quote name='Paulette3028']I don't worry about how many cabins the cruise line has to fill or the number of ships doing a specific itinerary. I look at where I want to go, and when; eventually we will be able to take longer cruises than we can do now, and we will book as far out as we can to get good pricing. If they keep raising the prices after that, so be it.

I don't want to pick my cabin from a short list of what is 'still available' so last minute cruise booking I can never see as a real thing for us....so I just don't worry about it.[/QUOTE]


And many cruisers would agree with you, and book just like you, but there are also many cruisers that book the last minute for a cheap price.
These last minute deal shoppers are the cruisers RCL will be forced to come back to, and accommodate when all the new, larger ships (with a lot more cabins to fill) start hitting the American ports in the next few years!
For us, we were always available to last minute, great deals from all the cruise lines cause we live within driving distance to any port in Florida, and we are retired.:)

[American Bear]

[quote name='papcx']My view is that a lot of cruise lines are selling cruises cheaper much further out than they used to.

I got an email today from a TA (in the UK) that had plenty of what I'd consider bargains on various lines, incl 7 nights med cruise with flights and a drinks package for £579. Next week? No Sept & Nov. (okay. The Med in Nov may not be that appealing but it's still a bargain.)

Think about how many more berths are coming.

2 Oasis class.
1 Quantum class.
2 BreakawayPlus class.
4 ships for MSC.
Carnival Vista.
9 ships for Carnival corp.
probably more I can't think of right now.

That's a lot of beds to fill.

I think prices will start low(ish) for early bookers and raise only slightly. The threat of no late bargains will encourage some to book at the (slightly) higher price.

Come sail time though, if there's empty cabins, they'll be sold (or as others have said upsold to allow bargains in lower berths.)[/QUOTE]

I'd agree, these large ships that are coming to ports mostly in America the next few years have to cruise full, or they're losing money!
And nothing with aggravate the stockholders more then losing money.
I think it was the Travel Channel did a show a few years back on a NCL ship explaining how tight the margins are for each cruise to be profitable, and cruising with a full ship is a necessity. (I think you can find it on youtube)