On Oasis..Surprise price increases

[Ocean Boy]

We were on the Caribbean Princess the week of December 6th. I missed a lot of things I've gotten accustomed to on RCI, but I thought the food was fantastic. We ate in both specialty restaurants for $25 each and they were excellent. I thought Crown Grill (their steakhouse) had a much better menu than Chops, especially for the price. Both Porterhouse and Maine Lobster are still on the menu and included in the cover charge.

 

 

Could you tell us what you missed on your Princess cruise that you prefer with RCI?

[Ourusualbeach]

On board Oasis now. Almost everything has gone up. Every restaurant is up $5 as posted.

There is no kids soda package, adult soda package is $8.50 plus gratuity.

Ultimate is $62 plus gratuity.

Premium is $55 plus gratuity

RR is $22 plus gratuity

No dining packages or specials are being offered.

 

Talking to one of the staff and they said Miami told them that the people cruising the next 2 weeks have lots of money so they are raising the prices.

 

I'm surprised that they never raised the Internet, it's still at $15 per day.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Ourusualbeach

[Coralc]

Talking to one of the staff and they said Miami told them that the people cruising the next 2 weeks have lots of money so they are raising the prices.

 

 

WOW!:rolleyes: Price gouging at its finest. :eek: Thanks for letting us know Ken.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Coralc

[CVU]

They would not have gotten any extra money from me :D I will not book any specialty restaurants! Problem solved.

 

Same here!!!

[Biker19]

WOW!:rolleyes: Price gouging at its finest.

 

Is the almost doubling of the cabin price during holidays also price gauging?:cool:

[A&L_Ont]

On board Oasis now. Almost everything has gone up. Every restaurant is up $5 as posted.

There is no kids soda package, adult soda package is $8.50 plus gratuity.

Ultimate is $62 plus gratuity.

Premium is $55 plus gratuity

RR is $22 plus gratuity

No dining packages or specials are being offered.

 

Talking to one of the staff and they said Miami told them that the people cruising the next 2 weeks have lots of money so they are raising the prices.

 

I'm surprised that they never raised the Internet, it's still at $15 per day.

 

Do you think they will lower the price after these two weeks? I doubt it but thought I'd ask anyhow. I'm glad we have already prepaid for beverages and drink packages for March.

 

Glad to see you made it safe and sound to Oasis.

[Ourusualbeach]

Do you think they will lower the price after these two weeks? I doubt it but thought I'd ask anyhow. I'm glad we have already prepaid for beverages and drink packages for March.

 

Glad to see you made it safe and sound to Oasis.

 

From what I gathered talking with a couple of staff the prices will return to the old prices after the New Years cruise. I feel sorry for the staff as they are the ones that are having to deal with it.

 

So far a great cruise and the staff have been excellent and once again make up for the decisions by the bean counters in Miami.

 

The trip down was easy and our Nexus cards saved us at let half an hour at the border.

[molly361]

From what I gathered talking with a couple of staff the prices will return to the old prices after the New Years cruise. I feel sorry for the staff as they are the ones that are having to deal with it.

 

So far a great cruise and the staff have been excellent and once again make up for the decisions by the bean counters in Miami.

 

The trip down was easy and our Nexus cards saved us at let half an hour at the border.

 

Have fun- It was great getting to see you guys Friday!!!:)

[Ourusualbeach]

WOW!:rolleyes: Price gouging at its finest. :eek: Thanks for letting us know Ken.

 

What I disliked was the fact that everything was offered at the regular prices in the cruise planner ahead of time. I didn't pre purchase anything as I was waiting so I could use OBC for the purchases.

[Ourusualbeach]

Have fun- It was great getting to see you guys Friday!!!:)

 

That was a well timed stop. Who knew shopping for crock pot liners would have been so much fun.;):)

[travelgoddess1]

Is the almost doubling of the cabin price during holidays also price gauging?:cool:

 

IMO, yes it is. But people pay it, for whatever reason.

[Ocean Boy]

IMO, yes it is. But people pay it, for whatever reason.

 

Yup, maybe some people... but not THIS person.

[tugboat]

And, most cruisers are NOT on Cruise Critic, so they just follow blindly along.

 

Blindly?

 

This is how the markets work. Even the industry you work in.

 

Competition is one factor that can restrain bad service, but if the consumer doesn't care (as a whole), why should RCI overprovide.

 

I am a cruiser cheerleader at work everyone knows I take a cruise every vacation I take

 

So I talk a coworker into a cruise, he goes comes back and says not will he never sail on RCL again but never cruise on any cruise line.

He quoted Cruise Critic he says if you go any cruise line pages all of the people are complaining and prices going up.

 

On his cruise he stated the service, food and the nickel and diming drove him up the wall but he says what was worse he had to fly to Fort Lauderdale to paid for this treatment, he said any other vacacation he would walk away on the third day.

 

We have a steak house here in Texas (Salt Grass) he says he can go there for a much better steak and service than the ships for less money.

 

He told me and everyone else at work I was a nut job for suggesting a cruise to anyone.

 

So I ask am I to close to the new improved cruising I can't see the forest for the trees

[A&L_Ont]

From what I gathered talking with a couple of staff the prices will return to the old prices after the New Years cruise. I feel sorry for the staff as they are the ones that are having to deal with it.

 

So far a great cruise and the staff have been excellent and once again make up for the decisions by the bean counters in Miami.

 

The trip down was easy and our Nexus cards saved us at let half an hour at the border.

 

At least it is returning to the normal pricing after the holiday time frame. I'd figure your view of Nassau today looks better than the skiff of snow that we have here. I'm glad to hear the Nexus cards worked well too.

 

I feel for the staff having to explain the price differences. It doesn't surprise me that they jacked up the prices. I have heard that there is a premium to be on the rising tide bar for NYE, and there is no way I'd pay for that privilege.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited December 20, 2015 by A&L_Ont

[Lionesss]

They would not have gotten any extra money from me :D I will not book any specialty restaurants! Problem solved.

 

 

 

Yup my DH converted me to this way of cruising.

 

YIKES, I cannot believe these prices on specialty dining.

 

Probably preparing for the "New" suite perks on ships.

 

Safe travels.

[Cindy]

Could you tell us what you missed on your Princess cruise that you prefer with RCI?

 

Good question! The most obvious is the ship itself. We knew going in that the design of the Princess ships contributes to traffic flow problems with dead ends and deck switches, but we had forgotten how much that impacts the ease of getting around.

 

We missed RCI's technological advances -- the electronic signage, ease of checking your account, wifi (we paid for internet that was unusable unless we sat in the internet café or very close by).

 

We didn't think the Caribbean Princess was as well maintained or updated as older ships we've been on. The Navigator OTS, the Serenade OTS, and the Celebrity Constellation are all older than the Caribbean Princess, but they seemed more modern and newer than the Princess ship.

 

The big deal breaker for us was suite perks and the condition of our Vista (aft) corner suite. We paid about the same for the suite as we would have paid for an OS on the Liberty the same week with approximately the same itinerary. We thought our cabin was cramped and extremely dated (think ancient printed bedspread:p, lots of aqua and peach, mismatched colors everywhere). Unfortunately, the vibration in our suite was extreme, and in fact kept me from sleeping well the whole trip. We've been aft many times and I've never experienced anything like it! We ended up having to wrap the TVs in beach towels, use an eyeglass repair kit to tighten screws in the ceiling, etc. to try to dampen the noise, but nothing really helped. There was also a large mirror over the vanity that visibly shook...I kept waiting for it to come down but thankfully it never did! It seemed like a) there had to be a propulsion problem for the vibration to be that constant and extreme, and b) some of the problems could have been remedied with better maintenance. Another maintenance problem was our loungers didn't lounge...they were rusted in the upright position.:(

 

The suite breakfast in Sabatini's was excellent, but other than that I thought the suite perks were lacking. The thing I missed the most was access to a concierge. We had anytime dining, and Princess doesn't take advance reservations like RCI does. Even in a suite, we had to remember to call every morning as soon as the Dining Line opened. I would have loved to just turn that over to a concierge to handle.:o

 

I realize these are certainly first world problems, and we had a nice trip. I would cruise on Princess again, but the price would have to be right and it would be for itinerary. We thought the staff and crew were excellent, and our dining room service was polished and professional. We did the Chef's Table, and it was outstanding. Some of the entertainment was very good. We had the drink package, and in addition to drinks being much less expensive than they are on either RCI or Celebrity the package was very "user friendly." The ship was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Our roll call was great and we met some really nice people. I'm just not sure Princess would be our first choice any more, even though it was our first love!

Edited December 20, 2015 by Cindy

[travelgoddess1]

At least it is returning to the normal pricing after the holiday time frame. I'd figure your view of Nassau today looks better than the skiff of snow that we have here. I'm glad to hear the Nexus cards worked well too.

 

I feel for the staff having to explain the price differences. It doesn't surprise me that they jacked up the prices. I have heard that there is a premium to be on the rising tide bar for NYE, and there is no way I'd pay for that privilege.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

On our final NYE cruise in 2013, the Rising Tide Bar price was roughly $1300/table, but before we could say "Heck No" a large company bought out the entire bar. Schooner Bar tables were slightly less. There was a premium price everywhere on the Royal Promenade. The price did include a bottle of champagne. (Not a high-priced bottle, however.) :(

[Cindy]

On our final NYE cruise in 2013, the Rising Tide Bar price was roughly $1300/table, but before we could say "Heck No" a large company bought out the entire bar. Schooner Bar tables were slightly less. There was a premium price everywhere on the Royal Promenade. The price did include a bottle of champagne. (Not a high-priced bottle, however.) :(

 

:eek:WOW!:eek:

 

I think it's kind of sad that the PUBLIC areas on an already expensive sailing commanded that kind of a price tag for a seat.:( Unfortunately I guess they got it, so they'll continue to charge, but that's an outrageous price! What was available for the huddled masses that night?

[cruisinwithmaandpa]

On the Oasis last week. Izumi hibachi has 2 prices. $30 if you wanted chicken etc. $35 if you wanted the lobster. Their menu shows what is included for each price and you made your decision based on that. Obviously if you want lobster it's going to cost more than chicken. Plus they let you mix and match. I had steak and lobster and the cost was $35.

[A&L_Ont]

On our final NYE cruise in 2013, the Rising Tide Bar price was roughly $1300/table, but before we could say "Heck No" a large company bought out the entire bar. Schooner Bar tables were slightly less. There was a premium price everywhere on the Royal Promenade. The price did include a bottle of champagne. (Not a high-priced bottle, however.) :(

 

I watched NYE a few years ago on the web camera and snapped this shot of either Oasis or Allure. In all honesty in makes me happy to stay home for Christmas and NYE from the cost of the cruise and extra costs once on board. My birthday is December 31, so it would be fun but in all honesty I'd rather cruise the first week of January for much less money.

[CVU]

I watched NYE a few years ago on the web camera and snapped this shot of either Oasis or Allure. In all honesty in makes me happy to stay home for Christmas and NYE from the cost of the cruise and extra costs once on board. My birthday is December 31, so it would be fun but in all honesty I'd rather cruise the first week of January for much less money.

 

YIKES!!

No way would I want to be there seeing that photo!!!:eek::eek: I am short and hate big crowds. Saving our money not going.:D

[Ocean Boy]

:eek:WOW!:eek:

 

I think it's kind of sad that the PUBLIC areas on an already expensive sailing commanded that kind of a price tag for a seat.:( Unfortunately I guess they got it, so they'll continue to charge, but that's an outrageous price! What was available for the huddled masses that night?

 

That was my thought too!:eek:

 

Thanks for answering my question about Princess. Every once in awhile I get the thought to try them but I really enjoy RCI's ships. And I just don't take enough vacation time to want to risk having a sub par week cruising.

[Tricia28]

On the Oasis last week. Izumi hibachi has 2 prices. $30 if you wanted chicken etc. $35 if you wanted the lobster. Their menu shows what is included for each price and you made your decision based on that. Obviously if you want lobster it's going to cost more than chicken. Plus they let you mix and match. I had steak and lobster and the cost was $35.

Just got off the ship yesterday. Prices are now $35 and $40. There are no $30 options. I think they will try to keep the pricing higher if people are paying it. I think you only see discounts if you book a package and commit to 3 or 5 restaurants

 

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[suzyluvs2cruise]

Just got off the ship yesterday. Prices are now $35 and $40. There are no $30 options. I think they will try to keep the pricing higher if people are paying it. I think you only see discounts if you book a package and commit to 3 or 5 restaurants

 

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I agree with what you've said. People need to talk with the wallets and not pay inflated prices. Until that happens the price will be "whatever the traffic will bear".

 

I also think Specialty Dining prices should be the same from ship to ship within the fleet but know consistency is not one of RCI's strong suits.

[Cindy]

That was my thought too!:eek:

 

Thanks for answering my question about Princess. Every once in awhile I get the thought to try them but I really enjoy RCI's ships. And I just don't take enough vacation time to want to risk having a sub par week cruising.

 

We really enjoyed our experience on Celebrity, and as of right now they would be our choice for a more upscale experience if we were choosing between Celebrity, HAL, and Princess.