Error in Deluxe Beverage package pricing?

[dpostman]

2 minutes ago, brillohead said:

 

This.  

I feel cheated when the option is "two free perks" and the value of those "perks" varies greatly from one to the next.  I don't drink booze (I'm a redhead, so I'm pretty crazy when stone cold sober -- adding booze would NOT be a good idea!), so a "free" $500 booze package is meaningless to me.  The other options are usually something like $125 in "free" gratuities or $100 in "free" internet or $225 towards shore excursions.  So basically I just paid way more for my cruise but got way less "free" value back in return.  

Until they start offering refundable OBC in the same dollar value as the "free" drink package, the "free perks" thing is a complete rip-off to people who don't drink booze.  

 

I completely understand where you coming from.  But I assume that the values are based on their actual costs.  A $500 booze package probably only costs them out of pocket about $100, Maybe less.  But, a $125 gratuities discount, they will have to supplement that by $125.

 

It is the $500 value associated to the bev package that is grossly inflated.

dp

[ChollaChick]

18 hours ago, Rinderoo said:

I think I'm going to get this one for my group: 

Oh I want this one!

 

[brillohead]

2 minutes ago, Evilgrin72 said:

On the flip side, the additional revenue generated by people who buy a bunch of drinks onboard allows the cruise lines to keep their base costs very low. They have an impetus to do that because low advertised rates mean more bookings. So the drinkers have been subsidizing your costs for as long as you've been cruising. 

Yes and no... they CHOOSE to drink, and I CHOOSE not to.  Just like the casino, the specialty dining, sushi/cupcake class, the galley tour, the jewelry/purse/perfume/liquor stores, shore excursions, etc.  

Everyone paying for and partaking of the things that are important to them and not paying for things they don't is just like everything else in the world.  

[booze brothers]

ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS

Dear Guest, Well, this round’s on us. On Monday, July 1st, 2019, from 4:00 PM to 1:30 AM EST, we posted incorrect pricing of $18 USD per person, per day, for Deluxe Beverage Packages. Given that we typically price these packages at about $55 USD per person, per day, it was the (messed up) deal of the century. This was a BIG mistake! It might have been bad code, a random computer glitch — or maybe we just need to reinstate our intern typing test. Any which way, it was our error, and we’ll own it. Enjoy your deep, deep discount — while we go drown our sorrows. Happy 4th of July! Sincerely,

[brillohead]

3 minutes ago, dpostman said:

 

I completely understand where you coming from.  But I assume that the values are based on their actual costs.  A $500 booze package probably only costs them out of pocket about $100, Maybe less.  But, a $125 gratuities discount, they will have to supplement that by $125.

 

It is the $500 value associated to the bev package that is grossly inflated.

dp

Yes and no... internet, once they've paid for the equipment, costs them very little.  Cruise lines are quick to hand out non-refundable OBC because all that money is coming back to them again, and the mark-up on things is so high that they aren't out that much in the end.  

[Evilgrin72]

Just now, brillohead said:

Yes and no... they CHOOSE to drink, and I CHOOSE not to.  Just like the casino, the specialty dining, sushi/cupcake class, the galley tour, the jewelry/purse/perfume/liquor stores, shore excursions, etc.  

Everyone paying for and partaking of the things that are important to them and not paying for things they don't is just like everything else in the world.  

 

Right, but you realize that by partaking in these things, they're keeping your fare "artificially" low. If they all stop spending money on board, your fare goes through the roof. 

 

So it's not as simple as "why should my rate go up so others can drink for free?" The only reason your rates have been what you paid was BECAUSE of the fact that others are dropping coin at the bar or in the casino. They've been covering a portion of your cost for every cruise you've ever been on. 

 

 

[dpostman]

2 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Yes and no... internet, once they've paid for the equipment, costs them very little.  Cruise lines are quick to hand out non-refundable OBC because all that money is coming back to them again, and the mark-up on things is so high that they aren't out that much in the end.  

 

You are right about OBC but the internet, it is the one I can't figure out.  Perhaps they must pay for bandwidth usage for satellite up-link and that would be an actual cost to them.

 

dp

[S.A.M.J.R.]

22 minutes ago, rusty nut said:

Mathematical algorithms could easily calculate, almost exactly, how many they would sell at $35, $40, $25, etc.

Either way, If 10,000 people consistently buy at $50, and they just discovered that 100,000 would buy at 18, they can easily figure out that 20,000 would buy at $35. (just guessing on the numbers, of course) As a profitable business, what would you do; sell 10,000 at $50, or sell 20,000 at $35? The answer should be obvious. My point is, they now have a high and low base with which to calculate from, including sales history. It's just math the rest of the way.

My point is I don't think the limited time the $18 deal was offered gives them a large enough data pool.  I don't think it takes any experimenting that more people would buy at $18 vs. $50.  The question is how many more.  I don't think you can extrapolate 'x' people bought at $18 in 6 hours, so 'x' * months = how many would would buy if we always offered this. 

 

I don't think it was an experiment.  I think it was a mistake.  An experiment would have been lowering the cost to $35 or $40, not cutting it in more than half. 

[brillohead]

12 minutes ago, Evilgrin72 said:

 

Right, but you realize that by partaking in these things, they're keeping your fare "artificially" low. If they all stop spending money on board, your fare goes through the roof. 

 

So it's not as simple as "why should my rate go up so others can drink for free?" The only reason your rates have been what you paid was BECAUSE of the fact that others are dropping coin at the bar or in the casino. They've been covering a portion of your cost for every cruise you've ever been on. 

 

I still don't see the issue as existing in a vacuum, though... there are too many facets involved.  

[CruiseKeeper]

2 hours ago, boatseller said:

Seems they decided to honor the mistake, np, then it should apply to everyone.

I plan to call tomorrow an demand I get the $18 price and everyone else who paid the full price should as well.

This isn't like an airline mis-pricing some odd route that maybe 10 people might get.

It's cute that they're 'owning' their mistake, but they're just screwing over anyone who missed the deal.  

 

Reparations for all!  This is precious.  

[lizzie_m]

21 minutes ago, booze brothers said:

ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS

Dear Guest, Well, this round’s on us. On Monday, July 1st, 2019, from 4:00 PM to 1:30 AM EST, we posted incorrect pricing of $18 USD per person, per day, for Deluxe Beverage Packages. Given that we typically price these packages at about $55 USD per person, per day, it was the (messed up) deal of the century. This was a BIG mistake! It might have been bad code, a random computer glitch — or maybe we just need to reinstate our intern typing test. Any which way, it was our error, and we’ll own it. Enjoy your deep, deep discount — while we go drown our sorrows. Happy 4th of July! Sincerely,

No idea why, but I didn't get an email.  However, the drink package is still in my cruise planner.  If I get to keep it, great.  If they cancel it, so be it.  If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

[Evilgrin72]

Just now, brillohead said:

I still don't see the issue as existing in a vacuum, though... there are too many facets involved.  

 

It definitely doesn't. I'm just saying, as you can say "why should I have to pay a higher fare so others can save money on booze," others can just as easily say "why should I have to pay $12 for a Pina colada that costs $1 to make just so others can cruise for $349pp.". It goes both ways. So IF, going forward, they opted to make cruises all-inclusive, you wouldn't be getting the shaft. Right now, it's largely the people spending money on beverages, excursions, etc that are getting the shaft. Sure, they have the right to not spend that extra money - the same way you'd have the right to choose a non-all inclusive vacation if this ever did come to pass. Just trying to save you and others some apoplepsy in the rare event that RCL ever decided to do this, that's all. 

[retiredgram]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Actually they don't.  Only have the limited hours for the $18 sale doesn't tell them anything.  How many of the people who bought at $18 would have purchased at $50?  How many who didn't purchase at $50 did purchase at $18?  

We purchased at $18, would not purchase otherwise.

[Frankmac]

I hope all of you who got this 18 dollar package realise that the rest of us were eagerly awaiting a price reduction for Independence day, that will now never come.

Hope you're all proud of yourselves. 😉

Edited July 4, 2019 by Frankmac
wrong spelling

[Anita Latte]

I totally think this was an experiment but not exactly an experiment for pricing. I think it was more of an experiment in the workings of social media. Royal is the talk of the cruise world and no advertising dollars were spent. 

 

Because packages are paid in full at time of purchase, Royal just received an unknown boost of inflow. How these purchases are accounted for against future liability IDK, but if they could figure out a way to match the lower package cost to actual expenditures, that could be some interesting data. Especially if they could compare it to other pricing and actual expenditures. Will people spend (drink) less because they spent less? When they spend more, do people drink more thinking they need to get their money’s worth? How many D and D+ cruisers purchased the package versus purchases at other pricing? Is this shades to come of changes in their loyalty benefits...will this somehow play a part in a revamped lounge loyalty benefit? A benefit that is becoming less and less a benefit because there are so many a higher loyalty levels now?

 

i think the experiment was a little more successful than anticipated and this is why there was all the blunder in the response of honor, then don’t honor, etc, because I fully believe that they wanted to see what would happen...but did not necessarily anticipate the extent of what would happen. And now, there’s a lot of data for marketers to study, IF they can figure out a meaningful way to gather it.

[Milwaukee Eight]

26 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Yes and no... they CHOOSE to drink, and I CHOOSE not to.  Just like the casino, the specialty dining, sushi/cupcake class, the galley tour, the jewelry/purse/perfume/liquor stores, shore excursions, etc.  

Everyone paying for and partaking of the things that are important to them and not paying for things they don't is just like everything else in the world.  

Thank you for helping make my argument that Royal should award points and tier status based on $ spent with Royal covering all aspects, Drink Package, Casino, Park West, Excursions, and so on, not just nights. 

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I would like to see Royal roll the package into the price of the cruise fare. That way everyone has it for FREE. Coffee, Juice, Soda, Water, Beer, and Alcohol for ALL!  We cruise, therefore we are entitled to it. 

They regularly do that as a Free Deluxe Drinks Package in the UK then increase the fare by £500 per cabin per week to cover it.

Edited July 4, 2019 by grapau27

[icsys]

1 hour ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I would like to see Royal roll the package into the price of the cruise fare. That way everyone has it for FREE. Coffee, Juice, Soda, Water, Beer, and Alcohol for ALL!  We cruise, therefore we are entitled to it. 

The package is never FREE! The fare is bumped up to cover the cost.

[TheMiz]

11 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

They regularly do that as a Free Deluxe Drinks Package in the UK then increase the fare by £500 per cabin per week to cover it.

 

 

Exactly , you don't have to buy the Package you can book Best Rate 

 

I had a look at a Aug 10th 9 Night Med cruise on Celebrities EDGE  

Veranda for X  is $1906

Veranda for X with 2 perks is $2314 pp 

Veranda X with 4 perks $2629 pp

 

X = Gty Veranda 

Edited July 4, 2019 by TheMiz

[not-enough-cruising]

11 hours ago, micruiser2002 said:

 

But is that the email attached to your C&A account?

FOLKS, you don’t need the email. It has nothing to do with you personally, it’s basically a press release. If you purchased the package you have an invoice and a receipt. 

[icsys]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Actually they don't.  Only have the limited hours for the $18 sale doesn't tell them anything.  How many of the people who bought at $18 would have purchased at $50?  How many who didn't purchase at $50 did purchase at $18?  

If we had seen it at $18 we would have bought it in an instant, checked but no such luck.

At $50+... not a chance in hell.

Edited July 4, 2019 by icsys

[brillohead]

22 minutes ago, Evilgrin72 said:

It definitely doesn't. I'm just saying, as you can say "why should I have to pay a higher fare so others can save money on booze," others can just as easily say "why should I have to pay $12 for a Pina colada that costs $1 to make just so others can cruise for $349pp.". It goes both ways. So IF, going forward, they opted to make cruises all-inclusive, you wouldn't be getting the shaft. Right now, it's largely the people spending money on beverages, excursions, etc that are getting the shaft. Sure, they have the right to not spend that extra money - the same way you'd have the right to choose a non-all inclusive vacation if this ever did come to pass. Just trying to save you and others some apoplepsy in the rare event that RCL ever decided to do this, that's all. 

It's not JUST booze, though.... EVERYONE who spends money on ANYTHING is contributing to the company's bottom line.  It's pretty equal along the line -- everything costs money and everything has a mark-up.  

And yes, I WOULD be getting the shaft on an all-inclusive because the prices are jacked up to cover all the expensive things that are included that I would never utilize.  (One of the many reasons I don't do AI vacations... I don't get my money's worth out of them.)

 

[brillohead]

18 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Thank you for helping make my argument that Royal should award points and tier status based on $ spent with Royal covering all aspects, Drink Package, Casino, Park West, Excursions, and so on, not just nights. 

Head over to MSC -- they give you points for dollars spent!

[brillohead]

19 minutes ago, Anita Latte said:

I totally think this was an experiment but not exactly an experiment for pricing. I think it was more of an experiment in the workings of social media. Royal is the talk of the cruise world and no advertising dollars were spent.

I totally think you're giving Royal's IT department WAY more credit than they could possibly deserve!  

RCI's IT department is CONSTANTLY screwing up and glitching things (look at how they unlinked everyone's cruise planner from their C&A number last week).  

They screwed up, plain and simple.  

[TheMiz]

12 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I totally think you're giving Royal's IT department WAY more credit than they could possibly deserve!  

RCI's IT department is CONSTANTLY screwing up and glitching things (look at how they unlinked everyone's cruise planner from their C&A number last week).  

They screwed up, plain and simple.  

 

 

When Royal changed over to a new designed webpage  I lost 8 cruise points and have never got them 

back I have tried and tried . My wife who has cruised with me every time I have except for one 5 night cruise I went on with my daughter and grandkids. She is missing 20 plus points 

 

 

I have to be honest here, I would have gladly given up my drink package for having my points corrected .  I am a D+ and get plenty to drink that way.

 

I have reached out to Ms. Yera-Rodriguez we have a mutual friend, a few months ago about my problem . No luck there 

Edited July 4, 2019 by TheMiz