Engineroom Snipe

Not "everyone", refer to post #17 of this thread.

My point is that it does not cost RCI $1650 to provide the free drinks. They provide it at a much lower cost and write it off to marketing. They are still making money and the customers are happy.

Agreed.

Agreed.

Will do.

You scored big time! They wanted me to buy a subscription before I could even post. 🙃

Typical 1.75 Liter bottle of Bacardi around $20. 1.75 L equals roughly 56 ounces. Assuming 1.5 ounces per shot served at $8 onboard per shot 37 drinks totaling $292 out of a 1.75 L at $20 By my math that is a 1480% markup. Even if you add in handling, storage, and labor to dispense it, that is one huge mark-up. My guess is when you add soda or sugary syrups instead of alcohol to mixed drinks and then sell the drinks for $13+, the markup could approach 2000% because they are substantially cheaper than pure alcohol shots. 30 pack of Coors Lite Beer about $28 (I am sure with the quantity ordering the cruise line gets it for less). 30 beers at $7 = $210 Which comes to a 750% mark up and this requires very little staff labor with opening the can and pouring it into a cup. Believe me, since I started cruising in 1988, there are rarely times when staff were not walking around trying to offer drinks to the passengers: drinks= $$$$ which drives profitability. The $1650 drink voucher cost them maybe $165 dollars or less in raw materials, and it makes a great advertising gimmick. The fare paying cruiser feels that he is getting a great deal or can subtract that savings from cruise purchases to justify spending more. The cruise line spreads that expense over 10 days, and they are paying $16.50 in raw materials per day, and you think the cruise is just about free at that point. This is called salesmanship. Getting the customer to buy a product and have the customer thinking they are getting a great deal. The cruise lines will go out of business if they do not make a profit. RCI is still in business.

First, before a letter comes from my keyboard, ...crap....crap...crap. I have been there and done that. , I never insured my trips until something like this happened to me. I had to eat a hard lesson about vacations in general: hard to predict the future. I insure every trip now but with different amounts and coverage depending on where I cruise and return, combined with who I am cruising with and the complexity of the trip (to be included with the insurance package}. I do not want to turn this into an insurance thread for there is a special part of CC just for that. I wish I could create a solution to your problem or say something positive except that you are not the only one this has happened to. You are not alone and we all learn hard lessons. Sorry.

Very interesting observation as I was contemplating the same thing in interacting with gratuity associated services. What I think you are saying is let the price reflect the true cost of product, services, and profit necessary to continue business without placing an expectation on the customer to pay more beyond the advertised price? This could apply to so many more products than cruises. 🙂

You add up all of the above and ask yourself, "Is the experience worth the expense?" If you decide it is not, no go. If it is worth it, you pay.

There are many cruisers, like me, who do include these costs when looking at the big picture, not just "cabin prices". I include the cabin, port charges, taxes, gratuities, and parking (or airfare) and divide it over the nights of the cruise for a per-night-cost. I know that Bermuda can be an additional $40 per person higher port charge for 5 nights compared to a 7-night Bahama cruise. You will often see the cabin price slightly lower for the Bermuda cruise, but it is more than offset by the higher port fee. I would not say I am outraged by any of it, but I would say I am a savvy consumer. That total price per night is what I need to keep reasonable for the cabin I desire if possible.

Do not fret about the fireproof suits, the rabid crowd will be sure to include sharpened pitchforks to puncture them first. 😉

The United States Navy never gave us a choice to be anything but an inside cabin when we went on "world cruises". 🤣 I guess it would not bother me. By the way, if anyone sells you a submarine cabin with a view, you better check your insurance policy. 😁

According to my experience and most postings about GTY rooms, you are absolutely correct. I do think that once you get the lifeboat location, the room is finalized but according to the policy, they do have the option to change your room, even at the last minute under a GTY. Buyer beware, always be prepared for the worst and you will never be disappointed.

I had previously posted the evening of embarkation. I had to correct the comment because the official policy is actual embarkation. This can mean you moved into your original cabin at say 1:30pm and your phone has a message on it that you have received an upgrade at 3pm before a 4pm embarkation. As a side note, the sailing capacities are quickly approaching pre-pandemic if not more due to testing and vaccination policies being severely reduced on a majority of cruises. Inside GTY are low cabins on the totem pole and easily manipulated by the loading staff to create more profit. Push-come-to-shove, by contract, you eventually take the cabin assigned, pay more for a change (there are exceptions which are discussed in almost every thread concerning GTY rooms), or possibly lose your money if you refuse to occupy the cabin assigned at the last minute. For instance, I might have purchased an inside GTY for two for $1000 twelve months before the cruise. The cruise line might have temporarily assigned me to a possible block of rooms on say deck 10 with the option of moving me if someone wants to get a paid assignment on deck ten for $1400 three weeks before the cruise. That keeps occurring constantly with all GTY type of rooms until that final embarkation. It is like a financial jigsaw puzzle making all the rooms occupied at the greatest price point.

Ok, Mister, do I have to throw down the wine flag penalty on this one?

I check daily on many sites to include RCI. Sometimes there are just a few days when you find something lower and I contact my TA immediately. My TA appreciates this because their time is limited and they know I do not waste their time. In most cases, I get an immediate response that it is a better deal and they book it or explain to me why I should not proceed. Take control of your money and vacation and treat your TA as an advocate instead of an advisor. I always let them know that when they save me money, it will come back to them with another cruise booking. I went from two bookings to three due to the savings they helped me with.

I was able to do an identical cruise on September 11th, this year for the exact price you quoted. I was not able to duplicate it for 2023. Good job in ferreting-out the awesome deal. 😊

A very descriptive update that states the facts, only the facts. 😉 Credit to Dragnet TV show in the 60's starring Jack Webb and Harry Morgan.

I cut and pasted the info for you here: The time of the tour is stated to be two hours so I am figuring they spend 30 traveling out, one hour on the wreck, and thirty minutes back. Not absolutely positive about the time but it is a typical vacation tour dive example. Overview Snorkel around one of the most famous shipwrecks in the Caribbean, the S.S. Sapona, and then sip a rum punch on the boat ride back. Highlights Boat out to your destination as you learn about the history of the S.S. Sapona, a cargo steamer that ran aground during a 1926 hurricane, along the way. Gear up and dip into the water to snorkel around and inside the remnants of the shipwreck, which sits 20 feet below the water’s surface. See coral heads, sea fans, and plenty of tropical fish living inside the ship. After exploring the protected artificial reef, climb back onboard and relax with a delicious rum punch as you enjoy the sounds of island music and entertainment from your Bahamian crew.

I once asked my TA," Should I contact him if I see a price that seemed significantly better than what we acquired?" He said absolutely because it is easier for him to change the price if the price is currently available. He admitted that he could not keep track of all of the deals for each customer on a daily basis and the request for price comparison would only take a few minutes. I tend to not bother with the $0 to $50 increments but once it approached $75 or more, I notify him. In some cases, he explains that the decrease comes with the caveat that my $200 next cruise deposit needs to be increased to $500. In some cases, he explains that in getting the lower price, I could lose the negotiated OBC that was not associate with next cruise. Many small disclaimers which limit the application of the decreased price to my specific cruise. I have hit the jackpot and saved over $400 per cabin on some cruises by checking them every day. Some of the decreases only occurred for three days or less and it is best to do it immediately. The prices then went even higher than my original price one week later. He stated it is hard to try and negotiate if it is not current. Like @Biker19noted, most of the time, they try to get the discount for you. It seems like your contact was more interested in not giving you any breaks which might cost the cruise line goodwill. Your comments suggest they left a bad taste in your mouth, and this is not good sales.

The Resorts World Beach Club is specifically mentioned in a few of the RCI Tour Excursions for the cruise I mentioned in another post.

I am booked on Enchantment of the Seas for April 20, 2023, out of Baltimore that stops at Bimini for one day. The tours on the planner are Reef Fishing, Sapona Snorkeling Adventure, Eco Conch Tour, Kayak Adventure Tour, and Stingray Tour. The other five activities include resort hotel and beach access which include various levels of beach, food, drink, or cabana access. I hope this helps.

I have had interior non-adjoining cabins and adjoining cabins. The noise is directly dependent on how considerate your neighboring cabins are and the cruise in general. One of my noisiest cruises had nothing to do with my neighborhood and everything to do with energetic youths running around and playing hide-n-seek during the early morning hours. Hard to predict and even harder to ensure that you have the perfect cabin.

Please go to : https://www.usa.gov/passport This is the only official answer that is valid.