Cruise Planner - False Advertising

[maranelloboy05]

I know there's been a lot of talk around how RCCL calculates the prices shown on the planner, however I've found one that I can't figure out. My GFs birthday is the week before our cruise and I want to get her a massage. The pricing shows "Starting at $89.00" however when I click into the treatment no matter which day and time I select its more than $89. Has anyone run into this before?

Edited January 8, 2019 by maranelloboy05

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, maranelloboy05 said:

I know there's been a lot of talk around how RCCL calculates the prices shown on the planner, however I've found one that I can't figure out. My GFs birthday is the week before our cruise and I want to get her a massage. The pricing shows "Starting at $89.00" however when I click into the treatment no matter which day and time I select its more than $89. Has anyone run into this before?

Before the 18% gratuity? 

[maranelloboy05]

3 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Before the 18% gratuity? 

 

Correct, lowest I could find is $99 plus 18%. It's $10, but its the principle of the matter.

 

I work in advertising, I get the fine print, I get funny math, this doesn't seem like either.

[amybk27]

Usually the lower prices are at less desirable times, i.e., the first day on the ship or in port.  What might be the case is that the select times that are $89 are full.

[Tree_skier]

I had the same thing when trying to book for my wife on Liberty for a halloween cruise.  My suspicion is that there is one time slot that is $89 and the rest are other prices. So they can legitimately say that $89 was offered but no longer available 

[Ralphinsc]

As stated above. Cheapest slots usually book up the fastest. How close is your cruise, OP? 

[davekathy]

And the advertisement does say "prices starting from"...

[smc99]

 That $89 price is probably the price for an in-port day, less gratuity.  Spa treatments on at-sea days are always higher. 

[maranelloboy05]

Its in May.

 

I'm still not sure I buy the "it was available", that seems very very dishonest to me. You're using an online platform, it is extremely easy to program the site to show the price as the lowest currently available. If there was one slot available for $89 at some point in the past and no longer available than that item is no longer "starting at $89" its now "starting at $99".

[39august]

You will find better pricing when on board the ship. There are discounts on port days. 

[Merion_Mom]

3 hours ago, maranelloboy05 said:

I know there's been a lot of talk around how RCCL calculates the prices shown on the planner, however I've found one that I can't figure out. My GFs birthday is the week before our cruise and I want to get her a massage. The pricing shows "Starting at $89.00" however when I click into the treatment no matter which day and time I select its more than $89. Has anyone run into this before?

 

2 minutes ago, 39august said:

You will find better pricing when on board the ship. There are discounts on port days. 

 

I endorse this advice. 😊

[payitforward]

Usually the "starting from" price is on boarding day.

[mcatmcat]

I know what you are saying , this is new for 2019 I guess

 

I r remember I was able to pick the advertised price if you changed the days maybe to a boarding day or port day but now the lowest price before taxes and tips are gone and my cruise is more than 300 days ago 

 

[suesnake2002]

I have found this slso, no matter what day or time (including port days) there are no openings on the advertised price. And I'm talking about cruises booked 2 years out. It annoys me too, so instead of trying it out, i blow it off

[LeeW]

19 hours ago, maranelloboy05 said:

You're using an online platform, it is extremely easy to program the site to show the price as the lowest currently available.

 

Only for real web programmers.  You are talking RCI here.  Even the % off prices have no relation to reality.

[Paulxyz2004]

19 hours ago, maranelloboy05 said:

Its in May.

 

I'm still not sure I buy the "it was available", that seems very very dishonest to me. You're using an online platform, it is extremely easy to program the site to show the price as the lowest currently available. If there was one slot available for $89 at some point in the past and no longer available than that item is no longer "starting at $89" its now "starting at $99".

 

Easy or not, why should they? They want to advertise "starting from $$$" and not "starting from $$$ currently available".

[Loonbeam]

As long as they offer ONE massage at the listed price, they are within advertising rules.  Obviously you would need to be very lucky o get that ONE offer.

 

[mngolfer]

If you like the current price, pay it. If not don’t. I hate when people complain about price, it is what it is and they are in the business of maximizing profit. 

[neverbeenhere]

They massage your wallet for $ 10 extra. 

[NateUpNorth]

25 minutes ago, mngolfer said:

If you like the current price, pay it. If not don’t. I hate when people complain about price, it is what it is and they are in the business of maximizing profit. 

 

Technically his complaint is about the advertising practice........

[nelblu]

2 hours ago, Paulxyz2004 said:

 

Easy or not, why should they? They want to advertise "starting from $$$" and not "starting from $$$ currently available".

 

 

Talk about false advertisement and look at states (NJ) that have lotteries.  They advertise a top prize of "X", however, when that prize is hit, they still advertise that prize level.  Some citizens of NJ took the state to court a few years, but were not successful.

[maranelloboy05]

21 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

 

Technically his complaint is about the advertising practice........

 

Right, honestly I don't really have a problem with the price either way, however I don't like being fed a price and shown a price I can't actually buy the product for.

 

Did some digging on the FTC site and can't find any language for this exact situation, however even if its not actually illegal its about as close as they can get. I do automotive advertising for a living, the amount of compliance we go through is mind boggling and from what I've seen I'd be willing to bet this is illegal somewhere in the US.

[squadron]

On 1/8/2019 at 12:18 PM, amybk27 said:

Usually the lower prices are at less desirable times, i.e., the first day on the ship or in port.  What might be the case is that the select times that are $89 are full.

The key phrase if "starting from" - see it in everything from dept store ad s to car prices.

[Ralphinsc]

On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 4:47 PM, maranelloboy05 said:

Its in May.

 

I'm still not sure I buy the "it was available", that seems very very dishonest to me. You're using an online platform, it is extremely easy to program the site to show the price as the lowest currently available. If there was one slot available for $89 at some point in the past and no longer available than that item is no longer "starting at $89" its now "starting at $99".

 

I'm actually able to find slots lower than the "starting at" prices for my April cruise during port days. Got a couples massage advertised as "starting at" $259 for $209 in Nassau on our seventh day. And they still have multiple slots available in that bracket. 

 

Agree with you on the pricing code being an easy fix. But with the general problems of the RC website, it's almost a blessing entirely in itself to be able to book online and not have it screw up in some way. 

[PrincessBelle39]

We found this too.  I was looking at the couples massage but the closest price I could find to the 'from' price was $100 more.  I assumed the cheaper bookings had sold out.