Website Bait and Switch

I just searched through here on Cruise Critic and can't believe nobody is commenting on this. Trying to research to book a cruise on RCI's website. I go to the ship listing, and they show cabin classes with what they say is the range of prices for each category: inside, balcony, suite, etc. So far, so good, - reasonable prices. HOWEVER, when you go to the specific class of stateroom to look for available cabins, the prices are suddenly WAY above the highest price shown in the supposed "range". Classic bait and switch! Haven't seen that on any of the other cruise lines we have sailed. NOT good, RCL!

It has been 5 years since we have sailed on RCL, but I don't remember this.

Anybody else get suckered in on this?

It's all to do with the buy one get one half off. Of you select a cabin then look at the total price, subtract the taxes you get the lower price that was advertised. Was a lot worse before they fixed it.

I just searched through here on Cruise Critic and can't believe nobody is commenting on this. Trying to research to book a cruise on RCI's website. I go to the ship listing, and they show cabin classes with what they say is the range of prices for each category: inside, balcony, suite, etc. So far, so good, - reasonable prices. HOWEVER, when you go to the specific class of stateroom to look for available cabins, the prices are suddenly WAY above the highest price shown in the supposed "range". Classic bait and switch! Haven't seen that on any of the other cruise lines we have sailed. NOT good, RCL!

 

It has been 5 years since we have sailed on RCL, but I don't remember this.

 

Anybody else get suckered in on this?

Price is probably an average of guest 1 and 2. If you start a booking you can see the summary of charges.

I just searched through here on Cruise Critic and can't believe nobody is commenting on this. Trying to research to book a cruise on RCI's website. I go to the ship listing, and they show cabin classes with what they say is the range of prices for each category: inside, balcony, suite, etc. So far, so good, - reasonable prices. HOWEVER, when you go to the specific class of stateroom to look for available cabins, the prices are suddenly WAY above the highest price shown in the supposed "range". Classic bait and switch! Haven't seen that on any of the other cruise lines we have sailed. NOT good, RCL!

 

It has been 5 years since we have sailed on RCL, but I don't remember this.

 

Anybody else get suckered in on this?

Would you give us just one cruise date example? I can't duplicate what you are experiencing.

I also can't find anywhere, except for cabin selection, where is shows a range of prices? It always shows the lowest price for that cabin on a specific itinerary ,but I have never seen a range.

Price is probably an average of guest 1 and 2. If you start a booking you can see the summary of charges.

The jacked up price is when you click on "show options". It specifically says "per person". Uh, no, it does not drop back down when I click on "book a stateroom". Just tried it.

The jacked up price is when you click on "show options". It specifically says "per person". Uh, no, it does not drop back down when I click on "book a stateroom". Just tried it.

You need to go to the next step

The jacked up price is when you click on "show options". It specifically says "per person". Uh, no, it does not drop back down when I click on "book a stateroom". Just tried it.

I understand what your saying (with the range of catagory pricing) but if you click on "View Summary of Charges" it will give you exactly what the taxes are & port charges. Sorry you feel this is a bait-n-switch but it's really not.

It's poor UI but not bait and switch. The price shown in the search is the average price of pax 1 an 2. With the BOGOHO sale, if pax 1 price is X, pax 2 price is 0.5X, so the average price is 0.75X.

In addition, they also show the lowest price in the super category, whether the specific category applies to your actual passenger count or not. For example, if the lowest priced category in a supercategory can only take 4 pax but not 2, the price will show in the search, but not when selecting categories for the reservation because you don't set the pax count until you start the reservation process.

Uh, no, they show a range. Example: on a specific Eastern Caribbean cruise, the Ocean View rate is shown as $937.5 - $1,093.5 PP. Click on show options, and the lowest cost for an ocean view is over $2,000 PP. I don't recall taxes and port fees being over $900 PP on any of the many cruises we have taken.

Out TA booked the upcoming Oasis cruise for us, (we didn't use the website) and I don't remember the fees being that much, even for our balcony.

I'm trying to set up a cruise for a group of older folk, but I don't think they are going to go for over 2 grand for a 7 day cruise inside. We'll just have to go to another cruise line.

Uh, no, they show a range. Example: on a specific Eastern Caribbean cruise, the Ocean View rate is shown as $937.5 - $1,093.5 PP. Click on show options, and the lowest cost for an ocean view is over $2,000 PP. I don't recall taxes and port fees being over $900 PP on any of the many cruises we have taken.

 

Out TA booked the upcoming cruise for us, (we didn't use the website) and I don't remember the fees being that much, even for our balcony.

 

I'm trying to set up a cruise for a group of older folk, but I don't think they are going to go for over 2 grand for a 7 day cruise inside. We'll just have to go to another cruise line.

When you do that it changes to a quote for two people. Please give us a date and ship.

Sorry, not bait and switch.

Slanderous post maybe, but not bait and switch.

Uh, no, they show a range. Example: on a specific Eastern Caribbean cruise, the Ocean View rate is shown as $937.5 - $1,093.5 PP. Click on show options, and the lowest cost for an ocean view is over $2,000 PP. I don't recall taxes and port fees being over $900 PP on any of the many cruises we have taken.

 

Out TA booked the upcoming Oasis cruise for us, (we didn't use the website) and I don't remember the fees being that much, even for our balcony.

 

I'm trying to set up a cruise for a group of older folk, but I don't think they are going to go for over 2 grand for a 7 day cruise inside. We'll just have to go to another cruise line.

As someone else said....please tell us what ship and sail date so we can try to duplicate what you are seeing. I don't recall having issues with that.

Uh, no, they show a range. Example: on a specific Eastern Caribbean cruise, the Ocean View rate is shown as $937.5 - $1,093.5 PP. Click on show options, and the lowest cost for an ocean view is over $2,000 PP. I don't recall taxes and port fees being over $900 PP on any of the many cruises we have taken.

 

Out TA booked the upcoming Oasis cruise for us, (we didn't use the website) and I don't remember the fees being that much, even for our balcony.

 

I'm trying to set up a cruise for a group of older folk, but I don't think they are going to go for over 2 grand for a 7 day cruise inside. We'll just have to go to another cruise line.

That $2k isn't per person. It's the total price for that category. The per person price is in smaller print just above that price.

That $2k isn't per person. It's the total price for that category. The per person price is in smaller print just above that price.

Right, for example, I just pulled up a random AK cruise for next year. On the search page it says:

• OUTSIDE
  
• $1,091.5 - $1,463 USD
  

This is the price per person. Then, when you select Outside, you see all the options, including:

• Per Person Price
  
• Guests 1-2: $1,091.5 - $1,148
  

$2,183 - $2,296

 

USD

This emphasizes total price. Then I select that room and see:

Total:

$ 2,538.82 USD

 

This is total price for 2 people including taxes and fees. No bait and switch, it just switches from per person to total.

I just searched through here on Cruise Critic and can't believe nobody is commenting on this. Trying to research to book a cruise on RCI's website. I go to the ship listing, and they show cabin classes with what they say is the range of prices for each category: inside, balcony, suite, etc. So far, so good, - reasonable prices. HOWEVER, when you go to the specific class of stateroom to look for available cabins, the prices are suddenly WAY above the highest price shown in the supposed "range". Classic bait and switch! Haven't seen that on any of the other cruise lines we have sailed. NOT good, RCL!

 

It has been 5 years since we have sailed on RCL, but I don't remember this.

 

Anybody else get suckered in on this?

Prices shown are before taxes and port fees. Click on Summary of charges to see breakdown of cost. The prices vary as per classes inside each category - can choose interior but there are levels within that category hence the range of prices. Choose the cheaper level if you wish . The higher the deck the higher the cost for each level eg interior, OV, balcony. It is not bait and switch and the cruise line isn't out to get you. Have a TA help you choose.

I had a similar problem when booking my Baltic cruise. The website said the price should be around $1700 pp but when I proceeded with booking it was higher by a few hundred. So I called and I was given the higher quote by the person on the phone as well. After asking more questions it turned out that the website was pulling up a higher category oceanview room that was more expensive. The lady on the phone was able to get me into one of the oceanview rooms that matched the $1700 quote. So perhaps the room category is the problem for you, as well.

The light bulb must have finally turned on. :D

The light bulb must have finally turned on. :D

I guess so lol

I just searched through here on Cruise Critic and can't believe nobody is commenting on this. Trying to research to book a cruise on RCI's website. I go to the ship listing, and they show cabin classes with what they say is the range of prices for each category: inside, balcony, suite, etc. So far, so good, - reasonable prices. HOWEVER, when you go to the specific class of stateroom to look for available cabins, the prices are suddenly WAY above the highest price shown in the supposed "range". Classic bait and switch! Haven't seen that on any of the other cruise lines we have sailed. NOT good, RCL!

 

It has been 5 years since we have sailed on RCL, but I don't remember this.

 

Anybody else get suckered in on this?

I'm not sure what you searched on CC, but this topic has been covered extensively ever since RCL introduced the one-half off promo last May.

I just searched through here on Cruise Critic and can't believe nobody is commenting on this. Trying to research to book a cruise on RCI's website. I go to the ship listing, and they show cabin classes with what they say is the range of prices for each category: inside, balcony, suite, etc. So far, so good, - reasonable prices. HOWEVER, when you go to the specific class of stateroom to look for available cabins, the prices are suddenly WAY above the highest price shown in the supposed "range". Classic bait and switch! Haven't seen that on any of the other cruise lines we have sailed. NOT good, RCL!

 

It has been 5 years since we have sailed on RCL, but I don't remember this.

 

Anybody else get suckered in on this?

for example??

I'm not sure what you searched on CC, but this topic has been covered extensively ever since RCL introduced the one-half off promo last May.

This has nothing to do with any "half off promo". This is normal listing on the website. No promo. As I stated, my group will go on another cruise line, where the price you see is the price you get. OR I'll let my travel agent handle it, and avoid the website completely.

This has nothing to do with any "half off promo". This is normal listing on the website. No promo. As I stated, my group will go on another cruise line, where the price you see is the price you get. OR I'll let my travel agent handle it, and avoid the website completely.

When you or your travel agent do a dummy booking on any itinerary on the RCI site, select a cabin and then click on "Summary of Charges", it does give you your cost per person plus taxes, fees & port expenses.......and that is what you pay.

This has nothing to do with any "half off promo". This is normal listing on the website. No promo. As I stated, my group will go on another cruise line, where the price you see is the price you get. OR I'll let my travel agent handle it, and avoid the website completely.

Can you please give us a line and date that you are seeing this for? Nobody else has been able to duplicate what you are seeing, for every cruise I have ever looked at on RCI's site, the pricing is very clear from the beginning, listed as price per person then going to total price for your reservation. Every online reservation system I have ever used has followed this same process.

If you go on Amazon and order a $20 movie, and set the quantity to 2, it changes to $40 in your cart, then when you add your address it adds the taxes. Same thing here, price is given per person. You select a specific room and it calculates price based on your party size. You go to the next step and it adds taxes and fees.

If this is not what you are seeing, then please show us the date and cruise you are trying to look at.

This has nothing to do with any "half off promo". This is normal listing on the website. No promo. As I stated, my group will go on another cruise line, where the price you see is the price you get. OR I'll let my travel agent handle it, and avoid the website completely.

Unless you did a mock booking for the Quantum or Anthem, all other ships have the half-off pricing.

If you want to see your exact price before moving on to selecting the cabin just click on the Deckplan Code. You will see the prices change for each code (if they are different) and the total cost section will update from $0.00 to the total amount due which will be higher because includes other fees which you can see in the Summary of Charges link.

If this price is still not right in your mind, just call. No reason to spend all day trying to figure it out when a phone call (or two) will most likely clear it up for you.