Voom Crown & Anchor On Board Discount Comparison

[twangster]

As many of you know the C&A program typically offers some discounts for specific items that work for on board purchases only (not advance cruise planner purchases).  One typical C&A discount is for purchasing Voom internet plans.  The problem is knowing when you are better to buy Voom, in advance before sailing or buying Voom once on board.  The answer is... it depends.

 

C&A discounts improve as you move higher up the C&A ladder.  Cruise length is also a factor.  Voom pricing in the Cruise Planner also varies as sales occur from time to time.  

 

An approach to some times saving on Voom is by purchasing on day two or later.  Many of us have smart phones that stay connected to land cell towers while we wait for sail away which is typically 4pm or later.  Then comes dinner and first night entertainment keeping us busy for much of the first night.  If you can wait to purchase Voom on board the morning of day two the full voyage plans are cheaper compared to day one because they are pro-rated and drop in price as each day passes.  I call this the "Day Two Voom Strategy".

 

The least expensive method is by not buying Voom at all.  I know some people like to completely disconnect when cruising.  I get it and that's your privilege to choose to do so.  Many of us enjoy being connected while cruising.  There are many reasons to remain connected and this doesn't need to evolve into a thread about your reasons to cruise one way or another.  To each their own, there is no wrong way to cruise, connected or unplugged.    

 

Given the variables of different discounts for different C&A levels plus cruise length plus cruise planner variable and then consider the Day Two Voom Strategy, when is the best time to buy Voom?  To help address this question I've created a spreadsheet that calculates pricing and changes colors to determine the least expensive approach to purchasing Voom.

 

 

 

In PDF format for a common Cruise Planner Voom Surf and Stream price of $13.99

 

Voom CAS Discounts.pdf

 

It works like this:

 

Enter the Cruise Planner Voom price for your sailing in cell B3.  A common Cruise planner price is $13.99 for Surf and Stream so I'll use that for this example.

 

 

The spreadsheet then calculates the different approaches to purchasing Voom and highlights the cheapest approach in green.  Day two purchases are sometimes the least expensive but some people desire to acquire Voom on day one so the next least expensive Voom cost is highlighted in yellow.  The most expensive method of purchasing Voom is highlighted in red.  

 

 

As expected your status in the C&A program and length of cruise are the two most important factors in Voom cost.  Find your C&A status and length of cruise to determine the least expensive approach to purchasing Voom.

 

For Gold members the Cruise Planner will generally be the least expensive except for 3 & 4 nights cruises if you can purchase Voom on day 2. 

 

 

For Platinum and Emerald members the Cruise Planner will generally be the least expensive except for 6 nights or shorter cruises if you can purchase Voom on day 2. 

 

 

For Diamond members a day 2 Voom purchase is the least expensive approach for 7 night cruises and shorter.  An on board discounted purchase is best for 3 night cruises while the Cruise Planner is always the least expensive on 8 night or longer cruises.

 

 

For Diamond Plus members a day 2 purchase is the least expensive approach for 10 night cruises and shorter.  An on board discounted purchase is best for 3 to 7 night cruises while the Cruise Planner is always the least expensive on 11 night or longer cruises.

 

 

If you can find Voom for $11.99 in the Cruise Planner the math all changes which is where the power of the spreadsheet comes into play.  Enter that price and it recalculates.

 

At lower sale prices the Cruise Planner is generally the least expensive for the majority of cruisers.

 

Pinnacle get free Voom so I've decided not to include them.

Edited July 5, 2019 by twangster

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

  An on board discounted purchase is best for 3 to 7 night cruises while the Cruise Planner is always the least expensive on 11 night or longer cruises.

Gotta be careful with absolutes, someone is bound to come up with a rare example that doesn't comply.

 

BTW, thanks for the work that went into this.

[twangster]

Just now, Biker19 said:

Gotta be careful with absolutes, someone is bound to come up with a rare example that doesn't comply.

 

BTW, thanks for the work that went into this.

 

Point taken, just summarizing the $13.99 CP example I used.  Changing prices or something else changes all the math.

 

One two cruises they offered a special for day one full voyage purchases wiped out my day two strategy.

[The Sunset Glow]

Thanks so much for posting this!!!🙏 I've always wondered what the best strategy was.

 

We typically use our D+ days broken up to spread out the wifi throughout the cruise. We get 4 - 24 hour blocks between both of us so we sign up one afternoon for 24 hours and have it until the same time the next day so one day covers 2 in a sense. We'll do this on a couple of days and then we'll use the other person's 48 hours to apply it to a package for the remainder of the cruise for the last 3 or so days. It depends on the length of the cruise and how many sea/port days we have as to how we go about it.

[Biker19]

16 minutes ago, twangster said:

  Changing prices or something else changes all the math.

As mentioned above, a D or D+ couple, both of whom have the same status, can move that day 2 out some more by using the second set of discounts.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Biker19

[twangster]

Speadsheet dropped from first post, adding it here:

 

Voom CAS Discounts.xlsx

 

[The Sunset Glow]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

As mentioned above, a D or D+ couple, both of whom have the same status, can move that day 2 out some more by using the second set of discounts.

 

Yes, I'd be interested in seeing what a day 4 or 5 sign up would look like.

[Biker19]

Just now, The Sunset Glow said:

Yes, I'd be interested in seeing what a day 4 or 5 sign up would look like.

You just adjust the spreadsheet for fewer days as you will use one of the D or D+ discounts to move out on the chart.

[h20skibum]

Great spreadsheet.  There are other variables, but your spreadsheet gives an easy way to compare. 

 

On our Grandeur sailing, we had cell service until midnight the first day.  Second day, we used the free day for D. Third day, used the D discount for the rest of the voyage. Of course here, we had two D’s sharing a one device plan. 

 

 

[cyclone1414]

Awesome work, thanks so much for sharing!!

[mondsd]

Thank you for sharing this.  

[Beachin2]

Cool tool, thank you.

[sandebeach]

Wow, this is a great spread sheet, thanks for doing this.

[Tee & Chilli]

Thank you..

The spreadsheet confirmed my calculations. With 1 diamond member the cruise planner cost is less expensive than on board.

[pcur]

22 hours ago, twangster said:

As many of you know the C&A program typically offers some discounts for specific items that work for on board purchases only (not advance cruise planner purchases).  One typical C&A discount is for purchasing Voom internet plans.  The problem is knowing when you are better to buy Voom, in advance before sailing or buying Voom once on board.  The answer is... it depends.

 

C&A discounts improve as you move higher up the C&A ladder.  Cruise length is also a factor.  Voom pricing in the Cruise Planner also varies as sales occur from time to time.  

 

An approach to some times saving on Voom is by purchasing on day two or later.  Many of us have smart phones that stay connected to land cell towers while we wait for sail away which is typically 4pm or later.  Then comes dinner and first night entertainment keeping us busy for much of the first night.  If you can wait to purchase Voom on board the morning of day two the full voyage plans are cheaper compared to day one because they are pro-rated and drop in price as each day passes.  I call this the "Day Two Voom Strategy".

 

The least expensive method is by not buying Voom at all.  I know some people like to completely disconnect when cruising.  I get it and that's your privilege to choose to do so.  Many of us enjoy being connected while cruising.  There are many reasons to remain connected and this doesn't need to evolve into a thread about your reasons to cruise one way or another.  To each their own, there is no wrong way to cruise, connected or unplugged.    

 

Given the variables of different discounts for different C&A levels plus cruise length plus cruise planner variable and then consider the Day Two Voom Strategy, when is the best time to buy Voom?  To help address this question I've created a spreadsheet that calculates pricing and changes colors to determine the least expensive approach to purchasing Voom.

 

 

 

In PDF format for a common Cruise Planner Voom Surf and Stream price of $13.99

 

Voom CAS Discounts.pdf 35.22 kB · 21 downloads

 

It works like this:

 

Enter the Cruise Planner Voom price for your sailing in cell B3.  A common Cruise planner price is $13.99 for Surf and Stream so I'll use that for this example.

 

 

The spreadsheet then calculates the different approaches to purchasing Voom and highlights the cheapest approach in green.  Day two purchases are sometimes the least expensive but some people desire to acquire Voom on day one so the next least expensive Voom cost is highlighted in yellow.  The most expensive method of purchasing Voom is highlighted in red.  

 

 

As expected your status in the C&A program and length of cruise are the two most important factors in Voom cost.  Find your C&A status and length of cruise to determine the least expensive approach to purchasing Voom.

 

For Gold members the Cruise Planner will generally be the least expensive except for 3 & 4 nights cruises if you can purchase Voom on day 2. 

 

 

For Platinum and Emerald members the Cruise Planner will generally be the least expensive except for 6 nights or shorter cruises if you can purchase Voom on day 2. 

 

 

For Diamond members a day 2 Voom purchase is the least expensive approach for 7 night cruises and shorter.  An on board discounted purchase is best for 3 night cruises while the Cruise Planner is always the least expensive on 8 night or longer cruises.

 

 

For Diamond Plus members a day 2 purchase is the least expensive approach for 10 night cruises and shorter.  An on board discounted purchase is best for 3 to 7 night cruises while the Cruise Planner is always the least expensive on 11 night or longer cruises.

 

 

If you can find Voom for $11.99 in the Cruise Planner the math all changes which is where the power of the spreadsheet comes into play.  Enter that price and it recalculates.

 

At lower sale prices the Cruise Planner is generally the least expensive for the majority of cruisers.

 

Pinnacle get free Voom so I've decided not to include them.

 

I am in AWE of your effort here!  It made my ocd-planner-retired-project-manager heart go pitty-pat!  Good job, and thank you!!

[little britain]

22 hours ago, The Sunset Glow said:

 

Yes, I'd be interested in seeing what a day 4 or 5 sign up would look like.

D+ sign up day 5 

[mo&fran]

That is an extremely useful piece of information.  Like most people, most of our cruises are 7 days, and I just use my D+ discount. That said, we did a 15 day TA , so I went ahead and bought the package before. 

 Your analysis shows that anymore than 7 days,  the cruise planner is the way to go.

[PCB1971]

Hello,

 

Thanks for sharing all the info regarding the voom discounts.

 

Maybe someone can assist in making clear if my Diamond Voom discount can be used together with the premium casino member internet discount (I believe it is 35% discount in an internet package?)

 

In other words can I use my Diamond discount for 1st day, my wife Diamond discount to use in the second day, and for the remaining days of the cruise use the 35% discount of the casino Prime member to buy a package?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, PCB1971 said:

Hello,

 

Thanks for sharing all the info regarding the voom discounts.

 

Maybe someone can assist in making clear if my Diamond Voom discount can be used together with the premium casino member internet discount (I believe it is 35% discount in an internet package?)

 

In other words can I use my Diamond discount for 1st day, my wife Diamond discount to use in the second day, and for the remaining days of the cruise use the 35% discount of the casino Prime member to buy a package?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Not 100% sure, but I think you should be able to do that.  You are not combining discounts on any single purchase.

[dswallow]

Also if you are getting the Deluxe Beverage Package, the combo version of it usually has an additional $2 or so per day savings in the internet portion cost.

 

My rule of thumb has generally been (based on me wanting the internet package for the full duration of the cruise, from day 1) : never buy internet onboard; get it in advance. Even if there is a savings, it's too tiny to worry about, especially considering any downside of finding out the onboard price is higher than you expected.

 

Obviously very different for those who just want it for a subset of the cruise, which is generally the place where it matters.

[srdancer]

We will be both be diamond for 1st time on our 11 day Anthem cruise in Jan.

Plan we were thinking of:

On 1st day - just use our cell phones until out of NJ/NY area

Day 2 mid to late afternoon until same time day 3 (2 sea days) use 1 diamond free day

Day 4 San Juan - our cell phones should work fine

Days 5-8 in ports - pay $10 per day on one phone to Verizon and can use that phone as if at home

Days 9, 10, 11 are sea days

Day 9 - no access

Days 10, 11 - use other free day from mid to late fternoon day 10 to the same time day 11.  

If we can get a 3 day package with discount for the last 3 sea days, might do that instead, depending on the cost.

Does this make sense?

[PCB1971]

2 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Not 100% sure, but I think you should be able to do that.  You are not combining discounts on any single purchase.

Thanks Bob. Will try to do that in my next cruise (Rhapsody of the Seas sailing from Venice in coming August). Also read in one of your many posts replying to questions of fellow cruisers that Voom Surf and Stream is not so good because there is no OB3 system in place right? So I guess that in my coming sailing (Venice, Kotor, Corfus, Athens, Mykonos, Argosteli) I should not expect the same performance from internet that I have experienced in my last cruise in Symphony right?

 

Thanks for all the information you continually make available.  

[cruisecookie]

If we can purchase a Voom Surf and Stream 2 device package on a 9 day cruise for $22.79/day on Cruise Planner is that better than purchasing on the ship with our D+ discount?

[Tree_skier]

I got a 4 device package for 26.99 on Adventure for Dec 1 cruise.  There is no scenario that you can find that will be cheaper than that.

[perfect match]

Thanks, Twangster! Bookmarking for future reference!