Does RCI Hold Back Cabins During Sales?

[Regguy]

So, I've been looking at a cruise in Australia for a month or so. Just around the holidays, there were dozens of balcony cabins available. The latest sale has dropped the price of the cruise pretty significantly, but all of the sudden there are many fewer cabins available -- like a small fraction.

 

It seems to me one of a couple of things may be going on. Perhaps this cruise sold really well over the holidays. Or maybe they have given large chunks of inventory to a tour group or somewhere in the Australian market. Alternatively, I wonder if they are holding back cabins to sell some less desirable locations at the current attractive price. Has anyone seen this?

 

In the end, I'm mostly just curious. I likely will book refundable in my preferred category at the current price and then monitor to see if another location opens.

 

(Sorry if this is previously discussed -- my search skills stink and I am new to RCI.)

[Clarea]

Not saying it does not happen, but I've seen no evidence (nor have I read) of RC holding back staterooms during sales.

[rukkian]

So, I've been looking at a cruise in Australia for a month or so. Just around the holidays, there were dozens of balcony cabins available. The latest sale has dropped the price of the cruise pretty significantly, but all of the sudden there are many fewer cabins available -- like a small fraction.

 

It seems to me one of a couple of things may be going on. Perhaps this cruise sold really well over the holidays. Or maybe they have given large chunks of inventory to a tour group or somewhere in the Australian market. Alternatively, I wonder if they are holding back cabins to sell some less desirable locations at the current attractive price. Has anyone seen this?

 

In the end, I'm mostly just curious. I likely will book refundable in my preferred category at the current price and then monitor to see if another location opens.

 

(Sorry if this is previously discussed -- my search skills stink and I am new to RCI.)

 

If they did that, and then released them after the sale, you could always just switch rooms.

[Clarea]

If they did that, and then released them after the sale, you could always just switch rooms.

True, unless they withheld entire categories, which I really don't think happens.

[Regguy]

Right -- that's what I'm planning. There are a couple 4Ds, and I will grab one. Last week, there were dozens. Also, not a single 3 person balcony is now available, where there were many last week.

 

My instinct is that the Oz cruises are marketed a bit differently -- there seem to be some AU travel agents that have some inventory not available on the US site that they sell as all inclusive no gratuity cruises. I am going to play around with it next week to see what I can learn -- just out of curiosity.

[tullers]

Right -- that's what I'm planning. There are a couple 4Ds, and I will grab one. Last week, there were dozens. Also, not a single 3 person balcony is now available, where there were many last week.

 

My instinct is that the Oz cruises are marketed a bit differently -- there seem to be some AU travel agents that have some inventory not available on the US site that they sell as all inclusive no gratuity cruises. I am going to play around with it next week to see what I can learn -- just out of curiosity.

 

Multiple occupancy staterooms are actually capacity controlled. They don't necessarily want a ship with every bed occupied but rather every stateroom occupied. There is a whole science/magic that goes into capacity control. Also, it is not uncommon for TA's to book group space which will usually include a good number of these capacity controlled rooms.

[fishtaco]

Firstly all RCI cruises starting and finishing in Australia and booked with RCI au from Australia have all grats built into the price, cruises booked on RCI au for other destinations may not.

 

In my experience RCI au does not hold back cabins during a sale for TA,s but they do make certain category cabins Guarantee only during a sale although this category remains Guarantee after the sale.

 

For my Jan 20th cruise I was weighing up between Superior balcony and Deluxe balcony with Superior being the higher category in Australia.

During the wow sale,before and after the wow sale both categories were cabin choose with plenty of choice remaining but the day the cheaper Birthday sale started Deluxe balcony became and remained guarantee only.

 

This may happen when certain TA,s are offered greater than best price discounts for Family & Friends or cheaper fares for o/s and interstate passenger?

 

Some Australian cc members involved in TA,s will deny cruise lines give special discounts to TA family and friends but when a TA on vacation tells you so on an actual cruise you tend to believe them.

 

I suppose if they offered TA,s a choice in cabins with heavily discounted cabins then they would just hang back and score good positioned cabins?

 

After the birthday sale mini suites dropped to Superior balcony cabin sale price and the day after final payment mini suites dropped to below superior balcony Birthday sale price with no option to pay for upgrade unless full original price difference is paid:mad:

 

Not sure if its the same on RCI USA but If you deposit during a sale you cannot change to a higher category if it becomes cheaper than your lower category without cancelling and re booking which is usually after deposit loss period.

[Regguy]

Multiple occupancy staterooms are actually capacity controlled. They don't necessarily want a ship with every bed occupied but rather every stateroom occupied. There is a whole science/magic that goes into capacity control. Also, it is not uncommon for TA's to book group space which will usually include a good number of these capacity controlled rooms.

 

It is weird because when I checked last week, there were dozens of three person cabins available -- several on each deck. Now there are zero, and not only that but none of the three person cabins that were available are now being sold as two person cabins. In fact there are now hardly any two person cabins left at all -- only certain categories -- where there were many many last week.

 

Ultimately, I think there is either an IT issue or some sort of group booking or or TA hold took most cabins out of inventory. I will check from time to time and see if anything pops back open as the sales change.

[uksimonusa]

It is weird because when I checked last week, there were dozens of three person cabins available -- several on each deck. Now there are zero, and not only that but none of the three person cabins that were available are now being sold as two person cabins. In fact there are now hardly any two person cabins left at all -- only certain categories -- where there were many many last week.

 

Ultimately, I think there is either an IT issue or some sort of group booking or or TA hold took most cabins out of inventory. I will check from time to time and see if anything pops back open as the sales change.

 

There are only so many life boat positions onboard, when the ship is getting close to capacity, they will restrict 3 people cabins, so they don't run out of boat space

[tullers]

There are only so many life boat positions onboard, when the ship is getting close to capacity, they will restrict 3 people cabins, so they don't run out of boat space

This isn’t a problem with the big cruise lines. Their life boat capacity actually exceeds their passenger + crew capacity by a nice margin. There are quite a few factors involve including passenger demographics, spend pp by age group, dining, families v. Couples v. Singles. They even limit the # of children demographically due to finite resources for onboard programs.