Error in Deluxe Beverage package pricing?

[boatseller]

Thread should not have been merged, that's a bad on the Mods.

For those getting so sanctimonious about my semi-serious post griping on RCI honoring the mistake, y'all need to follow the travel industry on a wider basis.  There are norms on how this is handled and RCI blew it, big time.

They had two options:

1. Confirm that was the published price and all sales stand, with or without admitting the mistake.

2. Announce it was an error and refund all purchases.

Instead, it's a back-n-forth PR scramble.

For perspective, when airlines make pricing mistakes, it almost always limited to certain city pairs and dates, making the mistake viable to literally a handful of travelers.  Broadly available mistakes, like the UA/Krone thing, are immediately reversed.

So, if the error was limited to one sailing of Grandeur, fine, most wouldn't qualify anyway.  That's the difference and RCI's screw up.

[Guest BigRoger]

Posted at number 540 that this has all the hallmarks of a test firing ranging shot to know what price will persuade D, D+ and P to spend more and buy drinks package rather than lounge and free drinks.... shape of things to come with C&A (no lounges, no waiters, no free drinks) but good prices to spend more with RC.....

 

.....then again maybe it was Oswald alone in Dallas and they did land on the moon.... happy 4th July!

[rusty nut]

6 minutes ago, BigRoger said:

Posted at number 540 that this has all the hallmarks of a test firing ranging shot to know what price will persuade D, D+ and P to spend more and buy drinks package rather than lounge and free drinks.... shape of things to come with C&A (no lounges, no waiters, no free drinks) but good prices to spend more with RC.....

 

.....then again maybe it was Oswald alone in Dallas and they did land on the moon.... happy 4th July!

I'd be more than happy to give up the Diamond Lounge for a $18 booze package.

[icsys]

8 minutes ago, BigRoger said:

Posted at number 540 that this has all the hallmarks of a test firing ranging shot to know what price will persuade D, D+ and P to spend more and buy drinks package rather than lounge and free drinks.... shape of things to come with C&A (no lounges, no waiters, no free drinks) but good prices to spend more with RC.....

 

.....then again maybe it was Oswald alone in Dallas and they did land on the moon.... happy 4th July!

Somehow I can't see that... but I'd buy all week long at $18pppd

They already give discounts to Pinnacle and D+, If they want to persuade more to buy the package, extend it to Ds.

[Biker19]

26 minutes ago, boatseller said:

Thread should not have been merged, that's a bad on the Mods.

If you (or your posts) want to stay around on CC, don't pick a fight with the mods @Milwaukee Eight

[Evilgrin72]

37 minutes ago, brillohead said:

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.)

 

OK. I'm not inclined to try to further explain cost subsidy nor derail the thread any longer. Just know that if the cruise lines continue to raise the costs of excursions / beverages, etc in order to artificially mitigate fares, your base rates are going to go through the roof. If and when that happens, refer back to this rather than starting the "What is with the rates on RCL these days?" thread. You're reaping the benefits of their largesse right now, but it probably won't always be so. For evidence, try to get a $50 room online at Caesars Palace in Vegas these days. It was easy 20 years ago. 

 

To everyone else : sorry for the hijack, but as someone in a related business, statements like "why should I pay more so (insert group here) can pay less?" can come off myopic when the person saying it is currently and historically  paying less because (same group) is paying more. Even if the OP doesn't even realize it. Milwaukee Eight is right, tier status should rightly be based on dollars spent, not nights onboard. That's on the cruise line, not any of the passengers, but some people don't realize how good they have it. Then, when the market corrects, the outrage starts from those who didn't even realize they were surfing on other passengers' backs all these years. 

[Evilgrin72]

40 minutes ago, boatseller said:

Thread should not have been merged, that's a bad on the Mods.

For those getting so sanctimonious about my semi-serious post griping on RCI honoring the mistake, y'all need to follow the travel industry on a wider basis.  There are norms on how this is handled and RCI blew it, big time.

They had two options:

1. Confirm that was the published price and all sales stand, with or without admitting the mistake.

2. Announce it was an error and refund all purchases.

Instead, it's a back-n-forth PR scramble.

For perspective, when airlines make pricing mistakes, it almost always limited to certain city pairs and dates, making the mistake viable to literally a handful of travelers.  Broadly available mistakes, like the UA/Krone thing, are immediately reversed.

So, if the error was limited to one sailing of Grandeur, fine, most wouldn't qualify anyway.  That's the difference and RCI's screw up.

 

Seems to me they had a third option. Admit it was a mistake, but honor it anyway. Clearly they thought the PR hit wasn't worth the lost revenue. Sorry you missed out, I'll toss one for you. 

[sandebeach]

53 minutes ago, brillohead said:

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

Holland America also gives extra points based on pre-cruise and onboard spending but it is (or was) capped at maximum of $300 in purchases per day. 

[TheMiz]

24 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

If you (or your posts) want to stay around on CC, don't pick a fight with the mods @Milwaukee Eight

 

 

I am confused what was merged ?

[Biker19]

Just now, TheMiz said:

I am confused what was merged ?

Lately, the mods have been merging anything that is somewhat similar - so, anyone starting a new thread related to the $18 drink package issue, will likely end up here.

[NateUpNorth]

27 minutes ago, Evilgrin72 said:

OK. I'm not inclined to try to further explain cost subsidy nor derail the thread any longer. Just know that if the cruise lines continue to raise the costs of excursions / beverages, etc in order to artificially mitigate fares, your base rates are going to go through the roof. If and when that happens, refer back to this rather than starting the "What is with the rates on RCL these days?" thread. You're reaping the benefits of their largesse right now, but it probably won't always be so. For evidence, try to get a $50 room online at Caesars Palace in Vegas these days. It was easy 20 years ago. 

 

To everyone else : sorry for the hijack, but as someone in a related business, statements like "why should I pay more so (insert group here) can pay less?" can come off myopic when the person saying it is currently and historically  paying less because (same group) is paying more. Even if the OP doesn't even realize it. Milwaukee Eight is right, tier status should rightly be based on dollars spent, not nights onboard. That's on the cruise line, not any of the passengers, but some people don't realize how good they have it. Then, when the market corrects, the outrage starts from those who didn't even realize they were surfing on other passengers' backs all these years. 

 

But what about those that have been spending dollars for 20+ years? Is there an algorithm you'd like to suggest to equate 1980's spending to 2019 spending and then convert that into a tier status spreadsheet?

 

Just take the points/benefits/whatever they offer. There's no perfect solution.

[Milwaukee Eight]

46 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

If you (or your posts) want to stay around on CC, don't pick a fight with the mods @Milwaukee Eight

Why did you tag me. Already spent enough time in jail. 

[grandgeezer]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

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

Too late, I'm already there. It's nice to get a great cruise at a reasonable price, which might change as more people are seeing the true value there versus what they are getting currently.

[Evilgrin72]

20 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

 

But what about those that have been spending dollars for 20+ years? Is there an algorithm you'd like to suggest to equate 1980's spending to 2019 spending and then convert that into a tier status spreadsheet?

 

Just take the points/benefits/whatever they offer. There's no perfect solution.

Oh, I do. It's no skin off my nose, it's bad business for the cruise line to do it the way they do, but that's not my decision to make. I'm also not an investor so it's somewhat irrelevant to me. I personally wouldn't likely benefit much by a change, nor would it be to my detriment. I'm probably firmly middle-class in terms of what I spend on board compared to others. None of this is about me, I'm just speaking about the business in general. 

[John&LaLa]

4 hours 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?  

 

I wouldn't pay $35 

I may change my mind after a 14 day bender on Liberty,  though. 😉🍺🍺

[travelplus]

6 hours ago, RoamingRetirees said:

Sounds to me like they just read the original post and then immediately gave their two cents' worth. 

I am glad Royal decided to honor the mistake but i was alluding to that they are under no obligation to do so. Mistake Fat Finger fares do happen and the airlines are not obligated to honor the mistake.  It has to do with PR of the company. 

[rakes5]

Wonder if on-board booking will be higher in 2020, for all those enjoying drink packages, while on-board. 

Edited July 4, 2019 by rakes5

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, icsys said:

Somehow I can't see that... but I'd buy all week long at $18pppd

They already give discounts to Pinnacle and D+, If they want to persuade more to buy the package, extend it to Ds.

 

The discount is a joke. Basically the same as never ending sale price. Even for Pinnacle

[Clarea]

6 minutes ago, rakes5 said:

Wonder if on-board booking will be higher in 2020, for all those enjoying drink packages, while on-board. 

 

Pricing is based on whatever they think they can get.

[John&LaLa]

6 hours ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

 

I just created a poll to see the success rate

 

I don't see one anywhere🤔

[Casino Comp Chick]

2 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I don't see one anywhere🤔

 

 

[John&LaLa]

Just now, Casino Comp Chick said:

 

 

 

Thanks, I just found it and voted

[Milwaukee Eight]

13 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

The discount is a joke. Basically the same as never ending sale price. Even for Pinnacle

Onboard you would see about a 10% better price with with your 40% off onboard than best in Cruise Planner, typically. 

 

In my opinion. 

[John&LaLa]

3 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Onboard you would see about a 10% better price with with your 40% off onboard than best in Cruise Planner, typically. 

 

In my opinion. 

 

Maybe, but still to high. I might buy if 40% off the never ending sales price. And probably not at all if I make Prime in the casino

Edited July 4, 2019 by John&LaLa

[Casino Comp Chick]

9 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Pricing is based on whatever they think they can get.

 

Hi could you add an option to my poll for the following option? Link attached below: Thank you!

 

Didn't look at Cruise Critic on Monday... Missed it!