When a sale is not really a sale! (Read the fine print)!

[Gon2hwe]

I'm kinda upset with RC right now! Wanted to book and take our Granddaughter because of the sale rate for 3rd guest. After I asked my granddaughter to go went to book and what do you know in very fine print it says inside rooms only! I'm clausterphobic so can't handle that. Anyway checked prices for balcony. It showed $749 for balcony but when I clicked it was $979. Do they think we won't notice a $700 price difference or is there something I'm not doing. I've booked all our cruises on line and have never had this happen.

[cheers]

That happens all the time. They are showing you the lowest price for that ship, when you select your date the price goes up.

 

the $99 for 3rd and 4th guest is for only a few sailings.

 

it says "FROM" $99. From what I saw when checking it wasn't really a sale.

 

I was looking to make a family trip with the 4 kids, spouses and grandkids...

[SRQfireman]

I'm kinda upset with RC right now! Wanted to book and take our Granddaughter because of the sale rate for 3rd guest. After I asked my granddaughter to go went to book and what do you know in very fine print it says inside rooms only! I'm clausterphobic so can't handle that. Anyway checked prices for balcony. It showed $749 for balcony but when I clicked it was $979. Do they think we won't notice a $700 price difference or is there something I'm not doing. I've booked all our cruises on line and have never had this happen.

 

So let me see if I understand this since it's kinda vague. You were going to book 2 people, but then decided to add 1 more? If that's the case, here's what happens. You tell it 2 people, it will give you the cheapest balcony...a lot of time it might be an "X" (Balcony guarantee) which is for 2 Max......but when you add another person, now the cheapest cabin to hold 3 people might be an assigned cabin like 3-4 categories up......hence more money.....which sometimes is significant (from like an "X" to a "D2" kinda thing)....they usually give ya a good deal on guarantees, but if you want a triple/assigned cabin, you're going to pay more.

So without knowing exactly what you're talking about, this is my guess.

Also I'm not a math wizard, but if I was a betting man, I'd say to go from $749 to $979 is not a $700 difference

Edited April 11, 2013 by SRQfireman

[KarinaGW]

Also I'm not a math wizard, but if I was a betting man, I'd say to go from $749 to $979 is not a $700 difference

 

Suspect that amount is per person and you multiply out the 239pp difference, it is close enough to $700.

[crazypriest]

It showed $749 for balcony but when I clicked it was $979. Do they think we won't notice a $700 price difference or is there something I'm not doing. I've booked all our cruises on line and have never had this happen.

 

Hello... I have "enjoyed" learning all the ins and outs of prices on cruises... One of the factors you might consider is the amount of "port taxes." Depending on what port you depart from and what are the ports of call... there can be a significant difference in the final price..... these prices are only seen at final payment mode.

 

It is amazing to see that a short 3 night cruise out of Miami has a much higher amount of port taxes than a 14 night transatlantic out of Fort Lauderdale.

 

So I am wondering if your base fare is actually the correct fare... but the port tax was what increased your final fare...

 

Ernesto

[Gon2hwe]

I thought at first I'd get the reduced 3rd person so without it it all added up higher.

[Ourusualbeach]

So let me see if I understand this since it's kinda vague. You were going to book 2 people, but then decided to add 1 more? If that's the case, here's what happens. You tell it 2 people, it will give you the cheapest balcony...a lot of time it might be an "X" (Balcony guarantee) which is for 2 Max......but when you add another person, now the cheapest cabin to hold 3 people might be an assigned cabin like 3-4 categories up......hence more money.....which sometimes is significant (from like an "X" to a "D2" kinda thing)....they usually give ya a good deal on guarantees, but if you want a triple/assigned cabin, you're going to pay more.

So without knowing exactly what you're talking about, this is my guess.

Also I'm not a math wizard, but if I was a betting man, I'd say to go from $749 to $979 is not a $700 difference

 

I normally book a stateroom for 4 and this is exactly what happens with the pricing. I even had it happen where there was a great fare on and was quoted a price of $500 per cabin for 2 cabins ($250 each person) and when I went to price out how much one cabin for the 4 of us would be it was $1250. And the cabin they were putting the 4 of us in was the same as the one they were only going to put 2 of us in. It would be soooo much cheaper travelling just the 2 of us and no kids but not near as much fun.

[akcruz]

I've seen the RCI USA website regularly screw up. (Yes I know about taxes and port fees and how that works).

 

For example, currently my upcoming cruise, 1 time 15 Night Suez Canal, shows prices starting at $399. When you click on book and look at all of the stateroom options, including clicking on categories, there are no options for 399, they start at $529. This is all before taxes and fees.

 

Sometimes that $399 price will be for a senior rate, military rate, or resident discount. Since they don't know what you will enter, they show you the lowest possible. I get it, but yes it is frustrating.

[vmom]

A lot of time this happens when booking a room for 3 or 4. The cheapest rate is often a cabin for two. When you put in that 3 people are traveling, then it will list the cheapest cabin available for a cabin for 3.

 

This same thing has happened to us also. One rate is the cheapest but not available for a cabin for 3/4. Then the available cabins for 3/4 are at a different rate level, usually higher.

[sunnysavannah]

I've played around with a few scenarios for our Oct. sailing on Enchantment. Our fam of 4 is currently booked in 2 connecting Large Interiors and some more around the corner. With friends in the next two connecting Large interiors.

IF we put the kids in an inside with us, we could save a $300, but I don't think that's worth it for us. I don't want to move away from our friends.

[Trekker954]

I've seen the RCI USA website regularly screw up. (Yes I know about taxes and port fees and how that works).

 

For example, currently my upcoming cruise, 1 time 15 Night Suez Canal, shows prices starting at $399. When you click on book and look at all of the stateroom options, including clicking on categories, there are no options for 399, they start at $529. This is all before taxes and fees.

 

 

it could also be that the $399 starting at fare, is special pricing for seniors, resident rates, military, police/fire. So this fare wouldn't show up for you had you not selected one of those special fares, but if you did select one of those criteria, the $399 would show up.

[looking4info]

Looks like they changed the front page of the add. No longer says "All Sailings"

 

From a previous post of mine this is what it had said.

 

LIMITED-TIME OFFER ENDS MAY 10, 2013

 

 

Experience the value of sailing with your family and friends. All Bahamas, Bermuda,

Caribbean and Europe sailings departing from September 2013 to December 2013

start at just $99* for third or fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom

 

This would lead you to believe that the $99 was a starting point for 3&4 for all cruises not just a select few.

Edited April 11, 2013 by looking4info

[Mark_K]

Just to see, I checked everything and even put Florida resident, the best price offered was still 499

Maybe Florida isn't one of the states getting the resident special.

[Gon2hwe]

I put in all the discounts we get and put in three for #people. It said $749 then when you click on book it changes to $979. It's just getting so frustrating to find any fares not way overpriced. Since Carnival's mess up, it seems like RC went sky high. Misleading fares and misleading sales are making a lot of people give all the other cruise lines closer looks. I cruised on Disney cheaper than RC's lowest rate on a smaller ship. People are only loyal when they are treated as loyal customers. I love RC but it's getting harder to stay with them.

[Nvtitan89]

I put in all the discounts we get and put in three for #people. It said $749 then when you click on book it changes to $979. It's just getting so frustrating to find any fares not way overpriced. Since Carnival's mess up, it seems like RC went sky high. Misleading fares and misleading sales are making a lot of people give all the other cruise lines closer looks. I cruised on Disney cheaper than RC's lowest rate on a smaller ship. People are only loyal when they are treated as loyal customers. I love RC but it's getting harder to stay with them.

 

You were not misled. You misunderstood, honey!

[Nvtitan89]

That happens all the time. They are showing you the lowest price for that ship, when you select your date the price goes up.

 

the $99 for 3rd and 4th guest is for only a few sailings.

 

it says "FROM" $99. From what I saw when checking it wasn't really a sale.

 

I was looking to make a family trip with the 4 kids, spouses and grandkids...

 

Exactly

[looking4info]

You were not misled. You misunderstood, honey!

 

When the ad said....note the red

 

LIMITED-TIME OFFER ENDS MAY 10, 2013

 

 

Experience the value of sailing with your family and friends. All Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean and Europe sailings departing from September 2013 to December 2013

start at just $99* for third or fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom

 

folks did not misread they were mislead, honey!

[NCMtnBoys]

I think sometimes what might happen is the lead page will say $749 for a particular sailing, but when you click on it and go to select a category, all of the $749 rates may be sold out. OP, were the lowest categories for your desired type of cabin sold out? I think when you select a sailing, you're looking at real-time inventory. It could be that the true lowest price on the lead page hasn't yet been updated to match the actual inventory. I've had your scenario happen to me a few times, and I just figure that the lead page hasn't been updated to reflect that the lowest priced cabins, that WERE available for $749, are now sold out. Inventory can sometimes change quickly, and I understand that they may not be able to make changes to their lead pages instantaneously.

Edited April 11, 2013 by NC Mtn Boys

[tahqa]

When the ad said....note the red

 

LIMITED-TIME OFFER ENDS MAY 10, 2013

 

 

Experience the value of sailing with your family and friends. All Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean and Europe sailings departing from September 2013 to December 2013

start at just $99* for third or fourth guests sailing in the same stateroom

 

folks did not misread they were mislead, honey!

 

And what does the caveat say? It says:

 

*Prices are per person, cruise only, inside category stateroom, based on triple or quad occupancy. Government taxes and fees are additional. Prices are starting from rates which apply to select Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean and Europe sailings departing Sept.-Dec. 2013. Offer valid Apr. 10-May 10, 2013. All prices and offers are subject to availability and change without notice, capacity controlled, open to residents of U.S. and Canada, and may be withdrawn at any time.

 

That pretty much means that there are limited number of cabins available per sailing and once they're gone they're gone. Just because they weren't there when you looked for your sailing doesn't meant that they weren't ever there. :rolleyes:

[PattyG12]

Sometimes that $399 price will be for a senior rate, military rate, or resident discount. Since they don't know what you will enter, they show you the lowest possible. I get it, but yes it is frustrating.

 

It could also be a different sailing date for the same itinerary. I get stuck with that alot!

[looking4info]

And what does the caveat say? It says:

 

*Prices are per person, cruise only, inside category stateroom, based on triple or quad occupancy. Government taxes and fees are additional. Prices are starting from rates which apply to select Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean and Europe sailings departing Sept.-Dec. 2013. Offer valid Apr. 10-May 10, 2013. All prices and offers are subject to availability and change without notice, capacity controlled, open to residents of U.S. and Canada, and may be withdrawn at any time.

 

That pretty much means that there are limited number of cabins available per sailing and once they're gone they're gone. Just because they weren't there when you looked for your sailing doesn't meant that they weren't ever there. :rolleyes:

 

I completely understand the whole * thing and that is not the issue The statement I quoted said that the poster was not mislead but if you read the original statement from the webpage it was misleading. It stated "ALL sailings" when in fact it was not. Not sure how much more misleading it could have been.

Done.

[tahqa]

I completely understand the whole * thing and that is not the issue The statement I quoted said that the poster was not mislead but if you read the original statement from the webpage it was misleading. It stated "ALL sailings" when in fact it was not. Not sure how much more misleading it could have been.

Done.

 

And I understand what you're saying. But what neither of us know is that it was NOT all sailings when the sale started. As the available cabins for that rate are taken then sailings will no longer have that rate available. Even if it was only ALL sailings for a second it was still all sailings at some point in time.

[Ourusualbeach]

Looks like the good folks at RCI have been getting complaints about this as well. They have changed the wording on their website. Gone is the "all".

[tahqa]

Looks like the good folks at RCI have been getting complaints about this as well. They have changed the wording on their website. Gone is the "all".

 

It's certainly clearer now. It also states that the starting from rate of $99 is Bahamas only, the others start at $199.

[Mark_K]

I completely understand the whole * thing and that is not the issue The statement I quoted said that the poster was not mislead but if you read the original statement from the webpage it was misleading. It stated "ALL sailings" when in fact it was not. Not sure how much more misleading it could have been.

Done.

Misleading or not, it's a common way to advertise. I couldn't count the numbers ads Ive seen that say something along the lines of All ..... Up to 50% off. And what it means us that they're all on saie and at least one is 50% off.