20% off drinks package, is this any good?

[lindauk]

I’ve just received an email for 20% off a drinks package on our Symphony cruise in Nov. Is this a good deal or could it drop further? It’s our first time with RCL so indeed advice from you experts!!

[Clarea]

Price changes are not predictable.

 

Ignore any "percent off" figures touted by Royal, they are meaningless.  Just look at the bottom line price.

 

If you purchase and later see a lower price, you can cancel and reorder.

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, lindauk said:

I’ve just received an email for 20% off a drinks package on our Symphony cruise in Nov. Is this a good deal or could it drop further? It’s our first time with RCL so indeed advice from you experts!!

What is the price per Day with the 20% off. My cruise has fluctuated between $52 a day with 20% off and $49 a day with the BOGO sale. It changes every other week since I booked April 2018.  Some have reported lower prices for their sailings.

[SuiteLady]

Mine has gone from $56/day to $45 day....saw BOGO and didn't seem any cheaper....it is hard to figure out what the actual savings are!  If you are interested, just get it and continue to watch the prices.  If it goes down, call and get the lower price!  The whole percentage off and BOGO is a marketing tool that is pretty clever and very misleading!!

[minikiss]

I've had the same email for our sailing on the Indy in September.

From what I can see the price per day is no different to what it was last Thursday....

I think I have seen emails claiming to be for 25% maybe even 30% off but I'm not 100% sure.

[fdthird]

On our recent Liberty cruise, we got it for $46 a day.  The cheapest I’ve seen it for our upcoming cruise is $47.  Watch the price, not what they tout. 

[Frankmac]

Do those prices include gratuity?

[matj2000]

But it is still 80% on.....

 

 

[lindauk]

Hi folks,

thanks for your replies, converting it from £ to $ it's working out at $48 per day. I don't know whether it includes gratuities or not. Can UK cruisers actually cancel and rebook if the price drops?

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, lindauk said:

 Can UK cruisers actually cancel and rebook if the price drops?

Typically, yes.

[Clarea]

37 minutes ago, Frankmac said:

Do those prices include gratuity?

 

Nope.

[not-enough-cruising]

Just booked for $44 PPPD for Freedom July 2019. 

[minikiss]

so I just went through it as if I was buying the deluxe drink package and the price worked out at £44.08 each per day. ($58)

In the cart it did not add any extra grats to it, I don't think they are allowed to show it without over here, the price has to be calculated to include everything.

That's a very good question about us Brits being able to cancel and rebook.

If we could without a penalty that's not to bad.

[fdthird]

If that’s with18%, that’s about right.  

[minikiss]

23 minutes ago, fdthird said:

If that’s with18%, that’s about right.  

I would say it would have to be.

[rattla]

1 hour ago, minikiss said:

so I just went through it as if I was buying the deluxe drink package and the price worked out at £44.08 each per day. ($58)

In the cart it did not add any extra grats to it, I don't think they are allowed to show it without over here, the price has to be calculated to include everything.

That's a very good question about us Brits being able to cancel and rebook.

If we could without a penalty that's not to bad.

 

Found out it depends where it is sailing from.  If sailing from the UK, gratuities included in the price you see on the planner.  If sailing from Caribbean or even Europe, it adds on gratuities to the price you see, once you get to the checkout.

 

I’m in the UK and they are added to my Oasis cruise from Barcelona when I checkout.

Edited April 24, 2019 by rattla

[rattla]

2 hours ago, lindauk said:

Hi folks,

thanks for your replies, converting it from £ to $ it's working out at $48 per day. I don't know whether it includes gratuities or not. Can UK cruisers actually cancel and rebook if the price drops?

 

Where are you sailing from....  if not the UK it adds gratuities at the checkout (you can put it in the basket to check.  Put in basket and divide the total price by the number of nights)

Edited April 24, 2019 by rattla

[rattla]

1 hour ago, minikiss said:

so I just went through it as if I was buying the deluxe drink package and the price worked out at £44.08 each per day. ($58)

In the cart it did not add any extra grats to it, I don't think they are allowed to show it without over here, the price has to be calculated to include everything.

That's a very good question about us Brits being able to cancel and rebook.

If we could without a penalty that's not to bad.

Oh and yes, you can cancel and rebook without charge in the UK.  Same goes for things like excursions etc.

money is credited back to your card within a few days - a week.  I saved best part of $100 by cancelling and rebooking excursions when they came down in price.

[livylotte]

Sailings from Southampton - the price you see is the price you pay.

Sailings from the Med - you pay the price plus an additional service charge.  This is added to your basket when you checkout .

 

There are no further service charges either way once onboard.

 

There is no knowing how RC work out percentages.  I guess someone somewhere will be getting the 20% but it sure isn't me.

 

I've just looked at my next sailing from Barcelona on Oasis and the price for our deluxe drinks package is £38 which is exactly the same as it was yesterday, last week and last month.  The refreshment package is now 1p more and that went up weeks ago.   I know this sadly, because I check everyday 😋

 

[kylaner3]

Thanks for the info on this thread.  I checked beverage price for my upcoming cruise and it was $46 per day. So I cancelled and re-purchased...saved enough to purchase an excursion and pay $16 difference!  Believe me, I will be watching drink and excursion prices for the next 39 days!!

[Kingseat]

I’ve booked and cancelled our package three times. Finally set at £31 each plus tips. Started at over £40. No problems cancelling. 

[yzfmik]

1 minute ago, kylaner3 said:

Thanks for the info on this thread.  I checked beverage price for my upcoming cruise and it was $46 per day. So I cancelled and re-purchased...saved enough to purchase an excursion and pay $16 difference!  Believe me, I will be watching drink and excursion prices for the next 39 days!!

Doubt it would drop below $46, that's a good prices these days.  That being said it can't hurt to keep checking, I check all my purchases every few days.  I got the Ultimate Dining Package (now Unlimited) for $52 for my upcoming 3 day Navigator sailing.  It was only that low once and had I not continually checked the Cruise Planner, I would have missed that!  I also got VOOM for both my May sailing at a really good price...pays to keep checking.

[Issyalex]

5 hours ago, lindauk said:

Hi folks,

thanks for your replies, converting it from £ to $ it's working out at $48 per day. I don't know whether it includes gratuities or not. Can UK cruisers actually cancel and rebook if the price drops?

Yes we can book/buy anything online and cancel prior to sailing. 

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, Issyalex said:

Yes we can book/buy anything online and cancel prior to sailing. 

up till about 3 days out - the planner gets locked out some time before the sailing. 

[sparks1093]

The lowest we saw it go for our Anthem sailing was $46 pp/pd and we grabbed it at that price. On board they were selling the package for $66 pp/pd plus gratuity and had a BOGO special, buy one and get 50% off the second, so $99 pd for two packages.