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Michael Bayley reveals new promotion featuring beverage package launching Feb 14 2015

rakes5

By rakes5,
in Royal Caribbean International

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rakes5

rakes5

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On today's Cruise Critic Live! Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley answered a question and revealed a new promotion.

 

Here is a link to the Q/A and the text:

 

Hi Mr. Bayley, I really like the 123Go you introduce on Celebrity, any plans on brining any similar promotions to RCI?

by cruiseboy305 9:38 AM

 

Michael Bayley: To show our love, on Valentine's day we'll be launching a new promotion which will feature a beverage package, shhh don't tell anyone!

9:40 AM

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Big_G

Big_G

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that was my question :D:D:D:D:D

 

 

Nice job. We like the 123Go too. Now if they stop with those stupid slips on RCI, we might consider taking the package. Some ships do and some don't.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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CRUISEBOY305

CRUISEBOY305

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Well this is a huge disappointment. By giving Drink Package as a sale that means us ultra light drinkers now will have to pay more for our base fare. Great

 

Sent from my SGH-T699 using Forums mobile app

 

Celebrity's 123Go Promo offers a choice of Drink package, On board credit and Free Gratuities. If you book a concierge class cabin or above you get all 3

 

Maybe Royal will offer a similar promo ?

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Beardface

Beardface

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Here's the question, though.... If you book now, when the prices inevitably fall after the promotion ends, can you still call up and get the lower rate? Cause if so, who gives a hoot about the temporary increase now.

 

Asking cause I have a couple friends I'm trying to convince to come on a trip with us in 2016, and I don't want to scare them away with these prices.

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JasonV1

JasonV1

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The question is will Royal keep prices similar to what they are now.

 

Celebrity seems very competitively priced even with 123GO added, at least for 7 day routes. Enough so to sway me away from Royal for next years spring break cruise.

 

The biggest question is is this trend towards a more inclusive cruise here to stay (I think so). NCL seems to go a bit farther by including drinks and speciality dining, whereas Celebrity does drinks/OBC/grats (for more expensive cabins anyway).

 

Royal is a bit behind the times in the US at the moment (with regard to promos) so adding the package now isn't anything to revolutionary. Royal is a bit different in that they really don't need to offer any significant promos on Oasis class ships due to how popular they are, but the rest of the fleet may be a different story.

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molly361

molly361

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Here's the question, though.... If you book now, when the prices inevitably fall after the promotion ends, can you still call up and get the lower rate? Cause if so, who gives a hoot about the temporary increase now.

 

Asking cause I have a couple friends I'm trying to convince to come on a trip with us in 2016, and I don't want to scare them away with these prices.

 

If it is not a rate limited to New Bookings only you can get price adjustments up until final payment date. That said you will also be subject to whatever promotion is at that time. You may lose any OBC that you had on the booking.

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Beardface

Beardface

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If it is not a rate limited to New Bookings only you can get price adjustments up until final payment date. That said you will also be subject to whatever promotion is at that time. You may lose any OBC that you had on the booking.

 

Depending on what the net out for OBC and whatever promotion it is, you're probably going to make out better in the end by flipping to whatever low price you see. For example, back in August I booked for 2016 on Freedom and locked in at about $900 a person after all taxes and fees for a balcony. I looked early last week, and I was seeing those same kind of prices. Now, under the BOGOHO sale, the price is $200 more per person than what I am paying. With this promotion, I can't imagine the price wouldn't further increase from there.

 

So what I'm saying is... Don't sweat what the price is when you book... Just book it now, and when you see the price fall (and it WILL fall) before your final payment, give them a call.

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pjlee3333

pjlee3333

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Celebrity's 123Go Promo offers a choice of Drink package, On board credit and Free Gratuities. If you book a concierge class cabin or above you get all 3

 

Maybe Royal will offer a similar promo ?

 

I'd hope so. I drink only water so unless they'd include unlimited water (delivered to the room so I have it in the morning w/o having to go to the bar at midnight to get one), I'd never get any use out of a drink package.

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RocketMan275

RocketMan275

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I'd hope so. I drink only water so unless they'd include unlimited water (delivered to the room so I have it in the morning w/o having to go to the bar at midnight to get one), I'd never get any use out of a drink package.

 

Unlimited water is already delivered to your room at all times, midnight included.

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RSLeesburg

RSLeesburg

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RCI must be seeing an increase in sales at Celebrity due to the drink promotion. NCL offers this as well. If you are cross shopping RC "sales" no longer appears to offer any true value.

 

 

I like the NCL promotion better, as it allows you to opt for free specialty dining the entire cruise. Now, that is a great perk.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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Clipper123

Clipper123

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Wow! Yup RCI has definitely increased the price of the fares to coincide with this "promotion"! I had checked my prices for my FOS sailing in 2016, less than two weeks ago on Jan. 30 and just since that time my balcony cabin has increased $680 and the oceanview has increased by $700 with two people in each room!

Edited by Clipper123
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cruisegirl1

cruisegirl1

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Any idea on when it will take effect? We are cruising 2/22.... I was planning to purchase our drink packages on the ship..

 

2/22 of 2015? Likely it is an announcement of some sort of promotion when booking, not sailing. Doubt you will be able to benefit from any booking promotion if you are sailing in February of 2015.

 

good luck

M

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jules815

jules815

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Wow! Yup RCI has definitely increased the price of the fares to coincide with this "promotion"! I had checked my prices for my FOS sailing in 2016, less than two weeks ago on Jan. 30 and just since that time my balcony cabin has increased $680 and the oceanview has increased by $700 with two people in each room!

 

Just checked mine for September on FOS and it hasn't gone up yet.

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cruisegirl1

cruisegirl1

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Well this is a huge disappointment. By giving Drink Package as a sale that means us ultra light drinkers now will have to pay more for our base fare. Great

 

Sent from my SGH-T699 using Forums mobile app

 

Agree, I can't imagine the prices staying the same with some sort of beverage package. When Celebrity started the promotions, you could select one of 3 ...the beverage package, gratuities or OBC. Those who don't drink could select the gratuities or a small OBC.

 

M

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