BOGO Nonsense

[moopetguy]

I stumbled upon a "Going going gone" sale last month for our Allure cruise next month where we got a CP balcony for $1 more than an interior, so I was happy with that...

 

Maybe my expectations are out of line, but I find that the Going, Going, Gone prices are often still too high for me :rolleyes: So that's probably where the "luck" factor comes into play once again. I don't think the GGG prices are by any means guaranteed to be good deals.

[moopetguy]

I book when the itineraries are released. It might be as far out as 18 to 20 months out.

 

For the benefit of those reading this thread, there is a separate thread discussing "Deployment 2017/2018" and people are expecting that we should see itineraries released through to April 2018 sometime between mid-February to mid-March. So keep watch everyone and please share the news when this happens :)

[Beachammo]

I book when the itineraries are released. It might be as far out as 18 to 20 months out. The prices increase, not decrease. My theory is that RCL grew tired of adjusting everyone's cruise fares down, so they now start low and continue to increase until right before sail date. Based on inventory per type of cabin, they'll decrease the cabin prices at or near 30 days from cruise date to fill remaining cabins. So far, in my past three cruises, there has never been a price dropped after final due date that was lower than the first price offered on the release date. Zilch. Nada.

 

In between the itinerary release date and final due date is the fodder you discuss. BOGOHO, BOGO, BOGO50, and so on. When one can catch a good BOGO promotion at the same time an itinerary release date is offered then one can score pretty good.

 

AGREE.....

 

We also started booking on the release day and have not seen the price go below what we paid.

They just keep rising....

 

Then Royal does a small price break when it gets closer and everyone jumps on the boards saying " I just saved $xxxx.xx"

You only saved cause you overpaid to begin with.

 

The only real BOGOHO was May 1st 2014 for just a few days.

 

Best selection (Great aft cabins) + Best prices = Day 1

[moopetguy]

Best selection (Great aft cabins) + Best prices = Day 1

 

What's the best way to find out when "Day 1" is? Check the RCI web site or the CC forum threads every day for itineraries to be released?

 

Life gets busy when you work a full-time day job, a part-time teaching job (which could be viewed as how we get our vacation money), and have a lively 4-year-old daughter :)

[John&LaLa]

What's the best way to find out when "Day 1" is? Check the RCI web site or the CC forum threads every day for itineraries to be released?

 

Life gets busy when you work a full-time day job, a part-time teaching job (which could be viewed as how we get our vacation money), and have a lively 4-year-old daughter :)

 

No one said it was easy. When my oldest was 4 we had only taken 2 cruises. Our cruise habit didn't kick in until many years after that. By then we had both time and money. ;)

[tinkertwo]

i'd like to know how to get the going going gone flyer. every once in a while someone posts a link but next time I go to find it, its not there.

is it somewhere on the rcl website?

[Hoopster95]

i'd like to know how to get the going going gone flyer. every once in a while someone posts a link but next time I go to find it, its not there.

is it somewhere on the rcl website?

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

 

(Did I beat Bob on this one???!!! :p:D)

[tinkertwo]

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

 

(Did I beat Bob on this one???!!! :p:D)

 

lol, why yes you did!

 

so can I go to that link each week and it will be a different flier or is it a different link each week.

[Merion_Mom]

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

 

(Did I beat Bob on this one???!!! :p:D)

 

Maybe he's snowed in? ;)

[Merion_Mom]

lol, why yes you did!

 

so can I go to that link each week and it will be a different flier or is it a different link each week.

 

The same link will take you to the sale of that week.

[Clarea]

Maybe he's snowed in? ;)

Or on a cruise.:D

[jstewie23]

We always seem to get the best pricing the further out we book. We paid $3800 for 4 of us in JS on 7 night Freedom this summer. Booked it in March 2015. Current price for JS is over $2K more than what we paid. I check pricing with every "sale" they offer and it hasn't come close to matching what we paid.

 

At the end of the day have a a price in mind that you're willing to pay based on room type and book the cruise when that price hits. Watch for drops and hope for the best.

[shanley]

How long can Royal continue to run these horrible BOGO "sales"?

 

Has there been any other promotions in the past year besides this?

 

Is there any end in sight?

 

I booked under BOGO HOHO in October and then notified RCCL about the price drop during the 30% off sale in November. As a family of 3 the 30% off was a way better deal. But I haven't seen anything different since.

[beshears]

Yes the BOGO offer looks good with just the "price" of the cruise ONLY, UNTIL you start adding on all the "extra" charges to a cruise, especially if you are flying, and need transportion (I know some people rent a car, but that is not us), plus the port charges and taxes, as well as insurance coverage. It does ADD up.:(

 

Well hopefully we will enjoy this one as it is an "expensive" trip for us, and hopefully RCCL will NOT lose our luggage for 4 days again.:(

[nessa14141]

BOGO's have gone wild in lots of places. That "My Pillow" guy has been hawking a BOGO for many weeks. The same product was much cheaper on QVC this week. You have to be cautious everywhere you sea a BOGO.

Rick and Deirdra

 

This made me laugh!

[TSC]

I understand that the "sales" are all relative, but I hate the BOGO scheme because of how it has negatively affected the Visa rewards system.

 

Under the reward system if you get 125,000 points, you are eligible for a 5-7 Caribbean cruise for two with a maximum price of $2500. That is a double point return - otherwise you get a one to one and my 125,000 would be worth $1,250 OBC. I've used this reward before and ended up paying about $500 for the cabin. But, the reward is only able to be applied to the "standard" price (something they don't even seem to know what is!)

 

So, I'm trying to book a cruise using this reward now and they told me they can't do it because of the BOGO!

 

When I'm on a ship, RCCL is great - when not on the ship - it has so many problems I wonder how they run a business.

[hollon]

I understand that the "sales" are all relative, but I hate the BOGO scheme because of how it has negatively affected the Visa rewards system.

 

Under the reward system if you get 125,000 points, you are eligible for a 5-7 Caribbean cruise for two with a maximum price of $2500. That is a double point return - otherwise you get a one to one and my 125,000 would be worth $1,250 OBC. I've used this reward before and ended up paying about $500 for the cabin. But, the reward is only able to be applied to the "standard" price (something they don't even seem to know what is!)

 

So, I'm trying to book a cruise using this reward now and they told me they can't do it because of the BOGO!

 

When I'm on a ship, RCCL is great - when not on the ship - it has so many problems I wonder how they run a business.

 

Call RCCL numerous times until you get a person that can help, if they can't give you the original price of the cruise w/o the bonus/bogo, etc. call again, I wanted to use my points and rccl gave me the original price w/o any problems.

[molly361]

I understand that the "sales" are all relative, but I hate the BOGO scheme because of how it has negatively affected the Visa rewards system.

 

Under the reward system if you get 125,000 points, you are eligible for a 5-7 Caribbean cruise for two with a maximum price of $2500. That is a double point return - otherwise you get a one to one and my 125,000 would be worth $1,250 OBC. I've used this reward before and ended up paying about $500 for the cabin. But, the reward is only able to be applied to the "standard" price (something they don't even seem to know what is!)

 

So, I'm trying to book a cruise using this reward now and they told me they can't do it because of the BOGO!

 

When I'm on a ship, RCCL is great - when not on the ship - it has so many problems I wonder how they run a business.

 

Call the direct number for the B of A rewards Dept 888-305-4626 They should be able todo it for you. Good luck

[greenbbs]

I can't really complain, even if the deal's been around forever. We are taking our first RCL cruise in May to Alaska (we were supposed to go in a few weeks, but we ended up getting pregnant and currently have a baby too young for any voyage right now)......we ended up getting a family OV on Explorer from Seattle for nearly half of what it cost to do any other combo of rooms for us (there are 5 of us).

 

I was full, my wife was half, and the kids were 300$ each. Cheapest on any other line was NCL with 5 in a standard balcony for 1500$ more.

 

Can't beat what we got!

[beshears]

Yes, I think my husband got "caught" in that "MY Pillow" BOGO too, by paying a bigger price.