Holy WOW sale??????

[TheInnocentAge]

We have been very fortunate getting the pricing we did. I'm convinced that the best booking strategies for suites is to book very early, as soon as itineraries are released, for the best pricing. Booking other categories may require different strategies.

 

We're really looking forward to these cruises. Oasis will be our fourth cruise and our first suite on Royal. Our very first cruise was an aft balcony on Freedom. In fact, all our previous cruises have been aft balconies or suites. We booked the OS as an experiment to see if we like 'not aft' cabins.

 

I think that's good strategy with any cabin type, since you can always rebook if the price drops (up until final payment date, of course).

 

Yes, we like the aft-corner cabins as well, and have Oasis 11330 booked next April. The Owners Suite on that Halloween cruise will be a first for us. In fact, my GF thinks we have a D2 cabin booked, so I'm hoping to keep it a surprise right up until we board, and hopefully up until we get to the cabin. Good thing she doesn't read Cruise Critic...

[RocketMan275]

I think that's good strategy with any cabin type, since you can always rebook if the price drops (up until final payment date, of course).

 

Yes, we like the aft-corner cabins as well, and have Oasis 11330 booked next April. The Owners Suite on that Halloween cruise will be a first for us. In fact, my GF thinks we have a D2 cabin booked, so I'm hoping to keep it a surprise right up until we board, and hopefully up until we get to the cabin. Good thing she doesn't read Cruise Critic...

 

Do you have a strategy to get your GF through the check in process without her learning about the suite? She might get a clue if you go to expedited check in.

 

Wish you well. We sprung for a honeymoon cruise for my SIL last Feb. The only option we could book was carnival. We told them we were booking them a window but really booked them a suite. I wanted to let them find out when the got to the room but wife couldn't wait and spilled the beans before they left their room for embarkation.

[TheInnocentAge]

Do you have a strategy to get your GF through the check in process without her learning about the suite? She might get a clue if you go to expedited check in.

 

Wish you well. We sprung for a honeymoon cruise for my SIL last Feb. The only option we could book was carnival. We told them we were booking them a window but really booked them a suite. I wanted to let them find out when the got to the room but wife couldn't wait and spilled the beans before they left their room for embarkation.

 

I think I've got the check-in part covered. Even without a suite, we always have Priority Check-In as a perk through my TA, and though that's a separate line from the suites check-in line, she won't realize the difference.

 

I had thought the luggage tags might give it away, but they don't say "suite" anywhere on them. The cabin number is there, but she's not familiar enough with the deck plans to know it's not a D2 cabin. I'll have the Set Sail / cruise docs with me, so she won't see those. I figure that the secret will be out when she gets her gold SeaPass card at the counter, but I'm hoping that I can just get both cards from the agent before she notices the color.

 

In a perfect scenario, she won't realize it until we actually get to the cabin, but I'm sure she'll figure it out at some point before that.

[mcatmcat]

Booking is like applying for medical school, apply or in this case book early lol

[SnappyNappi]

A Spa Junior Suite on Anthem New Year's Eve cruise is up OVER $5300 per person!!!! An actual JS is even more! That is just absolutely crazy! There is nothing about any junior suite (and I do love them) that can possibly make it worth almost $11,000 with taxes and fees for 2 of us. Am I losing it or is that just nuts?

 

....and BTW, that is the WOW Sale price!!! WOW!!!

Edited September 25, 2015 by SnappyNappi

[marci22]

A Spa Junior Suite on Anthem New Year's Eve cruise is up OVER $5300 per person!!!! An actual JS is even more! That is just absolutely crazy! There is nothing about any junior suite (and I do love them) that can possibly make it worth almost $11,000 with taxes and fees for 2 of us. Am I losing it or is that just nuts?

 

yeah nuts.

[champagne123]

I wonder if RCCL reads this forum, and if so, do they care???:(

[John&LaLa]

A Spa Junior Suite on Anthem New Year's Eve cruise is up OVER $5300 per person!!!! An actual JS is even more! That is just absolutely crazy! There is nothing about any junior suite (and I do love them) that can possibly make it worth almost $11,000 with taxes and fees for 2 of us. Am I losing it or is that just nuts?

 

....and BTW, that is the WOW Sale price!!! WOW!!!

 

Here's a thought. Choose 2 studio balcony guarantees at $2200 per person solo rate

[jewopaho]

I wonder if RCCL reads this forum, and if so, do they care???:(

Yes, and yes ... to a degree. But I doubt whether any of our comments here will have an effect on RCI's marketing strategy. The target demographic is largely those folks who've never so much as seen a cruise ship, let alone have the knowledge to select a specific stateroom or location.

 

They've pretty much got those of us who regularly post on CC, especially customers who've achieved at least Diamond status ... the perks are tough to ignore, so we'll keep coming back. Lest there be any misunderstanding, we still like the product, and have not experienced anything that would cause us to look elsewhere ... yet (never say never).

 

Since the BOGOHO campaigns have obviously worked (otherwise they wouldn't keep launching them) don't expect any major changes in RCI's advertising campaign. We've pretty much figured out what a cruise should cost at any given time of year ... and if it falls within that range, we book it. My TA keeps an eye on price drops, so we wind up taking advantage of whatever promotions come along. At any given time, we have at least three cruises booked, so we leave the "market watch" to the pros.

 

Al

Edited September 25, 2015 by jewopaho

[SnappyNappi]

Here's a thought. Choose 2 studio balcony guarantees at $2200 per person solo rate

 

We are 5 people booked in connecting D8 & D3 on that cruise... I always look to see if suite pricing goes down, to see if there is a possibility of upgrading (not really expecting such a windfall since this is a holiday cruise timeframe). However, with the WOW Sale currently running, I was just checking and stumbled on the huge increase in the Spa JS and JS suites... the Grand Suite on the same cruise is over $6000 per person.

[jeditden]

Hmm, the cruise I'm planning for this December stayed the same price and now I get an extra $50 OBC. Works for me. More of a Yay, than a Wow.

[John&LaLa]

We are 5 people booked in connecting D8 & D3 on that cruise... I always look to see if suite pricing goes down, to see if there is a possibility of upgrading (not really expecting such a windfall since this is a holiday cruise timeframe). However, with the WOW Sale currently running, I was just checking and stumbled on the huge increase in the Spa JS and JS suites... the Grand Suite on the same cruise is over $6000 per person.

 

Luckily there are a lot of New Yorkers with lots of disposable income to snap these up.