Did drink prices just go up

[SNJCruisers]

17 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Then don't buy it.  That's the only way prices will come down.  On the other hand if loads of people are buying it then they must not have alligator arms.  SMH

You enjoy your Loyal Royal status. Your assumption that Royal can do no wrong is the one thing I can always count on when I come to this board because of my once in a while Royal cruise.   Happy cruising and hopefully take the blinders off some day.

[SNJCruisers]

12 minutes ago, mkmaj said:

at $79/pp... It's now at $169 for the same trip in 2022..but it's annoying having to check all the time. I like to be able to purchase and forget it. 

This is the problem with Dynamic Pricing.  It gouges the customer at times, and wastes your time checking for sales.

[dswallow]

2 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

This is the problem with Dynamic Pricing.  It gouges the customer at times, and wastes your time checking for sales.

 

For limited resources, I get the concept and it probably works well. For things that are basically unlimited, it's much more annoying. Limited resources at least may eventually be sold out and thus no longer even repriceable so there's motivation to buy early based on considering the price acceptable at the time.

[twangster]

11 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

You enjoy your Loyal Royal status. Your assumption that Royal can do no wrong is the one thing I can always count on when I come to this board because of my once in a while Royal cruise.   Happy cruising and hopefully take the blinders off some day.

 

You clearly haven't seen all my posts but continue with your assumptions.  

[SNJCruisers]

8 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

You clearly haven't seen all my posts but continue with your assumptions.  

Your last 15 posts were all on the Royal boards, that's all I could see.  If your cruise history was in your signature, then I could see your diversity when it comes to sailing on different lines.   With your staunch defending of the dynamic pricing  strategy of Royal, my assumption should be correct.

[Ken at the beach]

7 hours ago, dswallow said:

or trying to redeem some through the casino

It’s really easy taking it out at the casino on the Oasis class ships.  Not sure if other ships are set up the same way but you just go to a slot machine and insert your seapass card.  From there you can add money to the slot machine that is charged to your seapass account (that will offset the OBC.  Once it’s on the slot machine you just select cash out and take the slip to the redemption machine to get your cash. 

[Seville2Cabo]

34 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

This is the problem with Dynamic Pricing.  It gouges the customer at times, and wastes your time checking for sales.

The only reason to raise prices (from my business background) is BECAUSE YOU CAN!!!!  And RCL can or they lower prices to get sales (supply and demand)  NCL charges $99 per day every day.  Would you rather pay that.  You keep saying customers are being gouged, but maybe some customer are getting a good deal and most are paying a good price.  Personally I never waste my time.  If I consider the price OK, I buy the package or cruise.  I don’t check every day to see if it went down $5.  Not worth my time..  

[SNJCruisers]

29 minutes ago, Seville2Cabo said:

The only reason to raise prices (from my business background) is BECAUSE YOU CAN!!!!  And RCL can or they lower prices to get sales (supply and demand)  NCL charges $99 per day every day.  Would you rather pay that.  You keep saying customers are being gouged, but maybe some customer are getting a good deal and most are paying a good price.  Personally I never waste my time.  If I consider the price OK, I buy the package or cruise.  I don’t check every day to see if it went down $5.  Not worth my time..  

Nobody pays the 99 on NCL, they get the perks package.  It is gouging the customer regarding the price fluctuation with the CocoCay Beach Club.  59-179+ for the same thing takes advantage of the cruiser big time.

[Ken at the beach]

4 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Nobody pays the 99 on NCL, they get the perks package.  It is gouging the customer regarding the price fluctuation with the CocoCay Beach Club.  59-179+ for the same thing takes advantage of the cruiser big time.

So by that standard all the cruise lines and airlines as well our gouging us because the person in the cabin or seat beside me most likely paid a different price than I did. 
 

 

[SNJCruisers]

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

So by that standard all the cruise lines and airlines as well our gouging us because the person in the cabin or seat beside me most likely paid a different price than I did. 
 

 

Comparing the price of a plane ticket would be similar to the price of a cruise.  

I don't  care what any Loyal Royal says about defending the Dynamic Pricing policy that they have.  I don't  know if you check on the cruise planner pricing for your clients, but if you do that has got to be a major headache.   If the Dynamic Pricing policy of Royal is so fantastic, then explain to me why no other cruise lines have the same policy?  The 120.00+ price difference for the CocoCay Beach Club depending upon which ship you arrive on or the time of year is price gouging, plain and simple.  No Loyal Royal or travel agent will change my mind. 

[Seville2Cabo]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Nobody pays the 99 on NCL, they get the perks package.  It is gouging the customer regarding the price fluctuation with the CocoCay Beach Club.  59-179+ for the same thing takes advantage of the cruiser big time.

It’s not gouging.  No one is forcing anyone to buy a cruise or any package.  Gouging is selling necessities (food, water,etc) for high prices.  Not vacations.  

[Ken at the beach]

3 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Comparing the price of a plane ticket would be similar to the price of a cruise.  

I don't  care what any Loyal Royal says about defending the Dynamic Pricing policy that they have.  I don't  know if you check on the cruise planner pricing for your clients, but if you do that has got to be a major headache.   If the Dynamic Pricing policy of Royal is so fantastic, then explain to me why no other cruise lines have the same policy?  The 120.00+ price difference for the CocoCay Beach Club depending upon which ship you arrive on or the time of year is price gouging, plain and simple.  No Loyal Royal or travel agent will change my mind. 

I’m not saying I like it but how is the dynamic pricing in the cruise planner different than how they price the cruises or airline tickets.

 

FYI, TA’s can no longer access the cruise planner on behalf of their clients. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by Ourusualbeach

[SNJCruisers]

6 minutes ago, Seville2Cabo said:

It’s not gouging.  No one is forcing anyone to buy a cruise or any package.  Gouging is selling necessities (food, water,etc) for high prices.  Not vacations.  

You have your opinion and I have mine.  The Beach Club should be 69 bucks, not a sliding scale from 59-179+. Once again I am not talking about cruise costs.  It's solely cruise planner prices.

[SNJCruisers]

7 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I’m not saying I like it but how is the dynamic pricing in the cruise planner different than how they price the cruises or airline tickets.

 

FYI, TA’s can no longer access the cruise planner on behalf of their clients. 

Thanks for the TA clarification.  No cruise can fluctuate as much as close to tripling the price of the beach club depending on time of year and ship arrival.   Plus,  all cruise lines have price fluctuations with the cruise prices, only Royal does it with their cruise planner items.  No other line does it that way.

[Seville2Cabo]

12 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

You have your opinion and I have mine.  The Beach Club should be 69 bucks, not a sliding scale from 59-179+. Once again I am not talking about cruise costs.  It's solely cruise planner prices.

How did you determine it should be $69?  

[Ken at the beach]

14 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Thanks for the TA clarification.  No cruise can fluctuate as much as close to tripling the price of the beach club depending on time of year and ship arrival.   Plus,  all cruise lines have price fluctuations with the cruise prices, only Royal does it with their cruise planner items.  No other line does it that way.

Just because Royal is doing it doesn’t make it wrong...only different.

 

It is up to the consumer to not buy the product and that will show Royal that their strategy is not working.  
 

 

[Iamcruzin]

16 hours ago, twangster said:

Companies will always test to see what people are willing to pay.  If enough people still buy something at a higher price, they learn what the market will bear.  If acquisition rates stall they learn what price can't be sustained.

Which is why I hate when people advise to buy now and if the price drops cancel and repurchase. Don't they understand that if everyone does that the price won't drop. The cabanas are limited supply so they can bear the higher price. The drink packages aren't limited.

[dswallow]

3 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Which is why I hate when people advise to buy now and if the price drops cancel and repurchase. Don't they understand that if everyone does that the price won't drop. The cabanas are limited supply so they can bear the higher price. The drink packages aren't limited.

 

Generally the advice is to buy at the price you feel comfortable buying at, and if it drops after that, cancel it and buy it again at the lower price. A small, but important distinction. 🙂

[twangster]

3 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Which is why I hate when people advise to buy now and if the price drops cancel and repurchase. Don't they understand that if everyone does that the price won't drop. The cabanas are limited supply so they can bear the higher price. The drink packages aren't limited.

 

Actually the advice is to buy at a price you are good with then watch for price drops.  I don't think anyone says buy at any cost and hope for a price drop.  

 

If people want to spend $1,700 on an overwater cabana so be it.  I never will.  But if Royal can sell them out at that price good for them.   

[SNJCruisers]

46 minutes ago, Seville2Cabo said:

How did you determine it should be $69?  

That is a reasonable price for what you get.  We have it right now the week before Labor Day for 65.  Since I doubt the cruise will actually sail, the 125% FCC for our new cruise would give me a credit of 81.25, which hopefully will be enough to cover the cost on our new cruise which would be next June.

[Biker19]

On 4/6/2021 at 8:00 AM, SNJCruisers said:

That is a reasonable price for what you get. 

That is in the eye of the beholder.

[SNJCruisers]

9 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That is in the eye of the beholder.

True, but 69 is not gouging the customer like 169+ is for just coming on a newer ship at a certain time of year.

[Biker19]

26 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

True, but 69 is not gouging the customer like 169+ is for just coming on a newer ship at a certain time of year.

Switch roles with RCI for a moment, if customers are willing to pay 169, why would you charge only 69?

[dswallow]

6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Switch roles with RCI for a moment, if customers are willing to pay 169, why would you charge only 69?

 

It's a balance between the pricing on a drink package and what they may earn from a la carte drink purchases from those who won't buy the drink package. You generally want to find the sweet spot where you've got a lot of people willing to buy it for convenience who end up not actually purchasing items that would individually add up even to that. 

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, dswallow said:

It's a balance between the pricing on a drink package and what they may earn from a la carte drink purchases from those who won't buy the drink package.

As usual, the discussion went off on a Beach Club tangent some time a go, we are no longer talking about drink package pricing.