Reasoning:Residency Rates why not all states?

[Jimbo]

Why do they just offer those Residency Rates for some states and not all states? I mean there reasoning for offering them anyway in the first place is to fill the ship right?

 

I just don't get it why they pick certain states and not ALL states?

 

Jimbo:)

[cb at sea]

I'm sure it's some sort of "marketing stratagy"...they don't give senior citizen discounts on every cruise, either....

If they gave every state a "discount", they would (in effect) be lowering their price!!!

[Sue L]

then it would be an across the board price drop not a special promotion. Most people (not on cruise critic) do not realize that you can get the discount if they add something.

 

and this is no different then adding a senior discount, why not all age groups?

 

They want people to feel like they are getting something because they lived to a certain age or had the good sense to move to a certain state. It is marketing 101;)

[Bobal]

At least some of you get them. Here in the UK there are no residency rates and very rarely do we get senior rates - despite the fact that the UK market is very big (and growing). Our forthcoming cruise in the Med had senior rates on every category for US citizens, for UK citizens the only senior discount was on one category of cabin (outside cabin) and then only around £20 :rolleyes:

[Jimbo]

Still seems stupid on RCCL part......I mean most often they only add these Residency Rates toward final payment time or when the sailing is really close and they want to fill the ships. Why not just make those prices for every state?

[Sue L]

Still seems stupid on RCCL part......I mean most often they only add these Residency Rates toward final payment time or when the sailing is really close and they want to fill the ships. Why not just make those prices for every state?

 

 

Again, most people would see the promo and say Oh, that is for Texas and I am from New York, boo hoo I wish that was me and won't call, but if it was a lowering of the price across the board then many would call (human nature) It is a marketing strategy plain and simple. No different then Macy's having a wed sale, why not everyday?

[rolloman]

IT seems to me the residency rates are most often in states the ship sails out of. For instance in Florida its a lot easier to entice someone who can walk to the port versus someone who has to fly. With the rule being only one person has to be from the state with the residency rate it also makes it easier for say someone from Florida to invite family members who have to fly to come join them on a cheap cruise. There is probably other marketing reasons but I can bet this is one of them.

[DrmnOfMaui]

Our cruise had about 1 week of residency rates. I happened to be looking at booking just at that time so it worked perfect for me! I'm in California and I'm sailing out of San Juan. At the time of our residency rate I felt really lucky to be in CA, but I did a random sampling of about 10 states and found that all 10 states that I checked also had rates. I assumed it was most or all of the US. We got a great rate though and it allowed us to bump from a balcony to a GS!:D

[FLACRUISER99]

I believe this marketing technique has something to do with yield management.

[TEXASMUNK]

RCI likes us in those states that get the residency rate. RCI does not like you in those states where they do not offer the residency rate. So simple.

 

Seriously, they DO NOT want to give away the entire ship...as some suggest, at a lower rate. They have a metric, referred to as yield management. Over the years, they can determine where the passenger base comes from, when folks book, who will be most attracted to a cruise due to proximity and price, etc. All of these factors go into setting the sell points.

 

It is far, far more complicated than your average Macy's sales flyer in your Sunday newspaper.

[Clarea]

IT seems to me the residency rates are most often in states the ship sails out of. For instance in Florida its a lot easier to entice someone who can walk to the port versus someone who has to fly. With the rule being only one person has to be from the state with the residency rate it also makes it easier for say someone from Florida to invite family members who have to fly to come join them on a cheap cruise. There is probably other marketing reasons but I can bet this is one of them.

I agree, this seems to be one of the reasons. Many times I see FL residency rates for Monarch. However, I saw just the opposite on our Mariner cruise last May. This was originally a Mexican Riviera cruise out of LA, which was rerouted north due to the swine flu hysteria. A couple of days after the rerouting announcement, Royal offered huge residency discounts to many states, but CA and AZ were excluded. I think sometimes the yield management process looks at how many currently booked guests would get price drops if their states were included, if that is too high, then those states are left out of the residency promo.

[akcruz]

I agree, this seems to be one of the reasons. Many times I see FL residency rates for Monarch. However, I saw just the opposite on our Mariner cruise last May. This was originally a Mexican Riviera cruise out of LA, which was rerouted north due to the swine flu hysteria. A couple of days after the rerouting announcement, Royal offered huge residency discounts to many states, but CA and AZ were excluded. I think sometimes the yield management process looks at how many currently booked guests would get price drops if their states were included, if that is too high, then those states are left out of the residency promo.

 

I agree, for our sailing on the Mariner in a few weeks, there have been a number of resident discounts, but none for those on our roll call from CA. Most have been mid west and east coast states. Trying to lure us over the west coast (cancels out with higher airfare though!).

[Snowbuddy]

I don't know why they do it, but I'll take what I can get. We live in IL, so no matter what, we have to chuck out the extra bucks for airfare, so we very much appreciate the residency rate discounts!

[sbwmail]

I agree, for our sailing on the Mariner in a few weeks, there have been a number of resident discounts, but none for those on our roll call from CA. Most have been mid west and east coast states. Trying to lure us over the west coast (cancels out with higher airfare though!).

 

Akcruz...We did get a CA residency reduction a while back which we were lucky enough to take advantage of for our mutual cruise. I remember being told that CA was one of 12 states during that period of time.

[crusing48/51]

We sail on Majesty in August. Some of the sail dates have reduced NC residency rates, but ours does not. It only has reduced senior rates, so that leaves us out. It isn't consistent at all!

[GeniRich]

Why do they just offer those Residency Rates for some states and not all states? I mean there reasoning for offering them anyway in the first place is to fill the ship right?

 

I just don't get it why they pick certain states and not ALL states?

 

Jimbo:)

 

Not really sure but I think it has something to do with the baseball team.