Why are the prices so different?

[Scottee25]

I was just poking around at the cruises in the Wow Sale and I came across the 16 Night Suez Canal Cruise on March 23, 2020. The prices looked really good...

 

 

But when I click "Book Now", the prices I get are WAY different (I am selecting 1 stateroom, 2 guests)...

 

 

The prices I see on the above page do not change for Interior and ocean view regardless of whether or not I provide my C&A number. The balcony price is reduced $150 but the $100 OBC is gone when I provide my C&A number. My biggest question is why are the Interior and Ocean View room prices so much higher on this screen than what was advertised on the initial page? I get that Royal's site has its quirks and sometimes the prices do vary, but this is an incredible difference. Anyone have any thoughts why?

[neverbeenhere]

I believe you answered your question.  Now you’re messin with a son of a glitch. 

[dodgestang]

Initial page shows you cheapest possible category in each grouping

Second page shows you cheapest possible AVAILABLE

 

Just a thought 😉

[Biker19]

20 minutes ago, dodgestang said:

Initial page shows you cheapest possible category in each grouping

In this case, and at other times, the initial page is simply wrong. Sometimes it's wrong the other way too - it shows a higher cost on the initial page and cheaper later on. Just something to realize with the RCI web site.

[sharonna3]

I was just saying to my husband. Don't take the advertised sale seriously because once you start clicking you won't find that price. It's like they have 1 cabin at the starting price and that's already booked before the sale starts 😕

[2chiefs]

Click Bait? Bait & Switch?

Really looks deceiving....

Another version of WOW

[c-leg5]

Third party site I use for price checking shows that as the guarantee price available for booking inside  and ocean view rooms. 
 

Whether it is actually available, and just missing from Royal site, is anyone's guess and would require a phone call to either company to find out.

[Scottee25]

3 hours ago, dodgestang said:

Initial page shows you cheapest possible category in each grouping

Second page shows you cheapest possible AVAILABLE

 

Just a thought 😉

That makes sense tho I have never seen a price difference this large. I want to give Royal the benefit of the doubt that their IT staff are just incompetent rather than believe they are purposefully employing a bait and switch. 

[awestover89]

I'm seeing $545 per person before taxes and fees for the ZI Interior Guarantee room, plus $369.48 per person for taxes and fees. The $1,224 per person is the price for the 3V Interior.

 

I'm not sure why the site is showing the 3V interior pricing, and not the ZI GTY. 3V is the cheapest non-guarantee interior cabin though

[c-leg5]

2 minutes ago, awestover89 said:

I'm seeing $545 per person before taxes and fees for the ZI Interior Guarantee room, plus $369.48 per person for taxes and fees. The $1,224 per person is the price for the 3V Interior.

 

I'm not sure why the site is showing the 3V interior pricing, and not the ZI GTY. 3V is the cheapest non-guarantee interior cabin though

But is that through a third party vendor as I stated above,  or on the Royal site?

[dodgestang]

20 minutes ago, Scottee25 said:

That makes sense tho I have never seen a price difference this large. I want to give Royal the benefit of the doubt that their IT staff are just incompetent rather than believe they are purposefully employing a bait and switch. 

 

I keep sending them resumes....they never call me 😉

[taglovestocruise]

That price is currently active and available on the Vacations -- - - -  website before taxes and fees. FastDeal # 25308...

[awestover89]

14 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

But is that through a third party vendor as I stated above,  or on the Royal site?

 

The Royal Caribbean travel agent website.

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

Click Bait? Bait & Switch?

Really looks deceiving....

Another version of WOW

Nope, prices shown different Cat of Cabins. People forget available cabins and prices can change in seconds when another is on booking remaining cabins that Cat.. and they are filling fast now. while ago I priced a Balcony about half this price, though with my multiple Discounts applied

Edited February 9, 2020 by ONECRUISER

[Iamcruzin]

7 hours ago, Scottee25 said:

I was just poking around at the cruises in the Wow Sale and I came across the 16 Night Suez Canal Cruise on March 23, 2020. The prices looked really good...

 

 

But when I click "Book Now", the prices I get are WAY different (I am selecting 1 stateroom, 2 guests)...

 

 

The prices I see on the above page do not change for Interior and ocean view regardless of whether or not I provide my C&A number. The balcony price is reduced $150 but the $100 OBC is gone when I provide my C&A number. My biggest question is why are the Interior and Ocean View room prices so much higher on this screen than what was advertised on the initial page? I get that Royal's site has its quirks and sometimes the prices do vary, but this is an incredible difference. Anyone have any thoughts why?

That's why it's called a WOW sale.  When you click to further investigate and the page loads you say WOW! Except in my case when I say *****?

[Iamcruzin]

3 hours ago, Scottee25 said:

That makes sense tho I have never seen a price difference this large. I want to give Royal the benefit of the doubt that their IT staff are just incompetent rather than believe they are purposefully employing a bait and switch. 

The IT staff's job is to make sure the page loads. The Advertising/Marketing Department is responsible for entering the information. It's like going to the car dealer and looking for the advertised price of a car that is always sold out when you inquire about it.

[Scottee25]

9 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

The IT staff's job is to make sure the page loads. The Advertising/Marketing Department is responsible for entering the information. It's like going to the car dealer and looking for the advertised price of a car that is always sold out when you inquire about it.

As someone who has been a software developer for 20+ years, I can assure you this is an IT issue. While infrastructure's responsibility is to ensure the hardware remains running, the development team is responsible for ensuring that the data is presented accurately. If page A shows one price but page B shows a different price, it means that they are not using the same query across pages to retrieve results.

[Ourusualbeach]

Different parts of the website also load at different times of the day.  

 

If you call the reps or a travel agent will be able to see those prices.

[Iamcruzin]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

Different parts of the website also load at different times of the day.  

 

If you call the reps or a travel agent will be able to see those prices.

The lower price?

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, Iamcruzin said:

The lower price?

Yes.

 

heres what we see.

[Iamcruzin]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Yes.

 

heres what we see.

I don't always book through a travel agent but I have never booked directly online. I just use the information as point of reference when call either the cruise line or TA. I have never seen this drastic difference. The price difference has always been the difference between things like GTY or refundable  and non refundable deposits.  Celebrity is an entirely different experience. You need a spreadsheet  and an accountant to book a cruise with them.

[Scottee25]

9 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Yes.

 

heres what we see.

Interesting. If I am reading that correctly, there are more than 10 cabins available at the $545 pricepoint

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, Scottee25 said:

Interesting. If I am reading that correctly, there are more than 10 cabins available at the $545 pricepoint

Yes, if they list 10+ it could be 10, 40 or 140

[Scottee25]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

Yes, if they list 10+ it could be 10, 40 or 140

Too bad you have to be an agent to see that screen. One would think that the prices it pulls are from the same database.

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I don't always book through a travel agent but I have never booked directly online. I just use the information as point of reference when call either the cruise line or TA. I have never seen this drastic difference. The price difference has always been the difference between things like GTY or refundable  and non refundable deposits.  Celebrity is an entirely different experience. You need a spreadsheet  and an accountant to book a cruise with them.

The ZI is a guarantee which does explain the huge price difference.  

 

Agree on Celebrity, gets even worse for TA’s holding group space and all the different promotions.  Royal I’ll book on line, Celebrity I always call.