20% discount on premium on Harmony, really?

[dmv1966]

I know there has been all this talk about discounted drink packages on all other ships but Harmony - that is until today. Finally, in my cruise planner - there it was the 20% discount. As we all know the drink packages are pretty steep in price but with the discount it's an easier pill to swallow. I was all set to buy until I notice the price was only a $1 less per day from the price before the discount. Can this be true? Do they hike the price of the drink package and then apply the discount to basically arrive at the same price or is this wrong and perhaps I should call.

[NECruiser83]

What sailing are you on? I am sailing Nov 12th, I just checked and no discount is showing

[NECruiser83]

Also, 18% gratuity is added, is that part of your calculation?

[dcgrumpy]

Also, 18% gratuity is added, is that part of your calculation?

 

That's what I'm wondering.

[dmv1966]

Sailing on 6/12. The cost is $61 for premium so I am assuming the 18% is included.

[matj2000]

It is done with the cruise fares almost every time there is a sale......

[Tiggercat]

Yes, what a great discount! I just got the drink package on a June 4 sailing on Oasis and the 20% off turned out to be $1 a day off of the regular rate. 20% off...I am no accountant, but I don't think so! (That was with the 18% gratuitiy) I am hoping there is some mistake and I will get some of it back??? I doubt it. My guess is that RCCL is getting ready to raise the package by 20% minus $1.

[dcgrumpy]

I would call. There is another thread where people have posted that it's yet another RCI website glitch and the pricing is coming up wrong.

[gosamburu]

At least yours comes out to a savings. For Mine, (Harmony, 5/22), the 20% off discount is making it MORE expensive than regular price. I've been watching, waiting for a 20% off sale to buy, so i knew the price before the sale. and then this happens.

 

Edited April 27, 2016 by gosamburu

[wineandshine]

This debacle gives new meaning to "don't believe everything you read on the Internet"

[beardedladies]

Yup, for my sailing the premium package used to be £40/night, with this 20% off deal it's now £43. That's what you call a royal WOW!

[steamboats]

No discounts shown for my Harmony cruise. But ... keep in mind that all Harmony cruises out of Barcelona will have the Spanish VAT added to the drink purchases. It should be "only" the reduced VAT of 10% but maybe someone put in the wrong number and put in the regular 21% VAT. In that case even with a 20% discount you pay more than the regular advertised amount. But actually even the "old" price should have included the Spanish VAT.

 

steamboats

[Heni1805]

For our upcoming Harmony cruise (5/26) it is more expensive now, as well. I purchased the PP at 51€/night now with 20% it's 55€.

But all passengers, that didn't check the price before and purchase the package now will think they made a great deal.

A great example how to successfully communicate higher prices! ;)

[Antropos]

On my sailing (29 May) it shows both prices on the same page! So, I actually see two Ultimate Packages:

 

Ultimate Package: 60.30 EUR per day

Ultimate Beverage Package Special Offer: 63.00 EUR per day

 

No matter what calculations you perform on that regular price of 60.30 using 18% (gratuities) and 20% ("discount") you will never get to 63.00.

 

Rogier

[Clarea]

On my sailing (29 May) it shows both prices on the same page! So, I actually see two Ultimate Packages:

 

Ultimate Package: 60.30 EUR per day

Ultimate Beverage Package Special Offer: 63.00 EUR per day

 

No matter what calculations you perform on that regular price of 60.30 using 18% (gratuities) and 20% ("discount") you will never get to 63.00.

 

Rogier

Crazy.

[brabrant10]

Any discounts on the anthem -drink package

[little britain]

Yup, for my sailing the premium package used to be £40/night, with this 20% off deal it's now £43. That's what you call a royal WOW!

 

Yup! Premium drinks package was £39.90pppd yesterday and today it is £42.70pppd which is apparently a 'Limited time offer with 20%' off. :rolleyes::eek:

 

ps: see you boys on board!! xx

Edited April 27, 2016 by little britain

[Brocktoon623]

Any discounts on the anthem -drink package

 

If you already have Anthem booked, check your cruise planner for the drink packages. There are several Anthem cruises that are offering a 20% discount on certain packages.

 

I was able to get the Premium Package on Anthem for $39.20/day (WITHOUT gratuities)

[bostonbucky]

So after an hour plus on the phone tonight with a regular C&A customer service rep, then her supervisor, it was explained to me that the regular package prices $(39 select/49 premium/59 ultimate) are an additional $10 for all Harmony of the Seas sailings just because...(NOWHERE was that noted on the package comparison PDF on their website). Plus 18% gratuity.

In addition, for all of the Mediterranean sailings on Harmony, there is an another 10% VAT tax added to it. So after the explanation of their MY TIME MATH along with their smoke and mirrors, the online prices are 20% less. However, before the 20% discount appeared on my cruise planner, the premium package was 62.72/day all in - so in reality the discount is more like 2%, not 20%. I told her this is a deceptive advertising practice (and there are laws to protect consumers from tactics such as this; I work in advertising), and if it was an IT/website issue/mistake as they claim - it should still be honored if called out on it. The supervisor said she couldn't do anything. Meanwhile, the person I spoke to last night confirmed to me the Premium price would be 46.25/day all in for my June 2016 Harmony sailing when the alleged website glitch was fixed today. That held no water either.

If my day at work isn't too hectic tomorrow, I may call their Miami corporate office and see where I get with them. And perhaps a Twitter rant. It's at the point the time I've put into this is worth more than the actual 20% I would've saved.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Pipo]

I see the advertisement for my June 12th sailing on Harmony. I did a test checkout, and it has the same price for select package that I payed last week. I don't see the discount anywhere. What a bad trick from RCI. #smuggleboozeonyourcruise

[whoops1234]

uI am in the same position here. Sailing on the Harmony on the 29th. Price increase £4.34 on Premium but saying it's a 20% off deal. But no where on the website does it state what the original price was, and if the new price of £42.70 is discounted by 20% it makes the orginal price £51.24, that's more expensive than the ultimate package price, which funnily enough has now been removed(screen shot taken).

 

Also they are advertising Voom as 30% off but once again no onboard price displayed anywhere. And once you add it to you basket, the website over charges you(not 7 days, more like 8.5 days).

 

I got no joy whatsoever from customer service, so went straight to the top and wrote to the CEO, see where that gets me.

 

As someone said earlier. The are treading a very thin line with advertising rights. I have contacted Trading Standards and The Advertising Authority here in the UK, as I believe this is a case of false advertising.

Edited April 28, 2016 by whoops1234

[abo]

So after an hour plus on the phone tonight with a regular C&A customer service rep, then her supervisor, it was explained to me that the regular package prices $(39 select/49 premium/59 ultimate) are an additional $10 for all Harmony of the Seas sailings just because...(NOWHERE was that noted on the package comparison PDF on their website). Plus 18% gratuity.

 

I think they're just making stuff up now. Looking at my cruise planner at the packages for August on Harmony which do not have the "20%" discount the prices are clearly based on the original $(39 select/49 premium/59 ultimate). Taking Select as an example: Base $39, gratuities 18% = $7.02, Spanish VAT 10% = $3.90 (note - no tax on gratuities), total = $49.92, which is exactly the price being charged. Exactly the same for Premium and Ultimate.

 

So nowhere is the extra $10 being charged if the 20% discount hasn't been given.

 

If that's the explanation given this promotion is not just deceptive, it's plain dishonest and does make me question if this is a company I want to do business with in the future.

[Clarea]

I think they're just making stuff up now. Looking at my cruise planner at the packages for August on Harmony which do not have the "20%" discount the prices are clearly based on the original $(39 select/49 premium/59 ultimate). Taking Select as an example: Base $39, gratuities 18% = $7.02, Spanish VAT 10% = $3.90 (note - no tax on gratuities), total = $49.92, which is exactly the price being charged. Exactly the same for Premium and Ultimate.

 

So nowhere is the extra $10 being charged if the 20% discount hasn't been given.

 

If that's the explanation given this promotion is not just deceptive, it's plain dishonest and does make me question if this is a company I want to do business with in the future.

Thanks for the explanation, and I agree about them making stuff up.

[steamboats]

So after an hour plus on the phone tonight with a regular C&A customer service rep, then her supervisor, it was explained to me that the regular package prices $(39 select/49 premium/59 ultimate) are an additional $10 for all Harmony of the Seas sailings just because...(NOWHERE was that noted on the package comparison PDF on their website). Plus 18% gratuity.

In addition, for all of the Mediterranean sailings on Harmony, there is an another 10% VAT tax added to it. So after the explanation of their MY TIME MATH along with their smoke and mirrors, the online prices are 20% less. However, before the 20% discount appeared on my cruise planner, the premium package was 62.72/day all in - so in reality the discount is more like 2%, not 20%. I told her this is a deceptive advertising practice (and there are laws to protect consumers from tactics such as this; I work in advertising), and if it was an IT/website issue/mistake as they claim - it should still be honored if called out on it. The supervisor said she couldn't do anything. Meanwhile, the person I spoke to last night confirmed to me the Premium price would be 46.25/day all in for my June 2016 Harmony sailing when the alleged website glitch was fixed today. That held no water either.

If my day at work isn't too hectic tomorrow, I may call their Miami corporate office and see where I get with them. And perhaps a Twitter rant. It's at the point the time I've put into this is worth more than the actual 20% I would've saved.

 

I´ve checked my Cruise Planner for my Harmony cruise in August. I don´t have a 20% discount being advertised. But doing my maths (and even a little more as my prices are shown in Euro) it´s exactly the price advertised on their website (pdf file - 59/Ultimate, 49/Premium, 39/Select) plus 18% Service Charge plus 10% Spanish VAT (72.52/Ultimate, 62.72/Premium, 49.92/Select). So there´t no 10$ additional for Harmony sailings.

 

steamboats

[Clarea]

I´ve checked my Cruise Planner for my Harmony cruise in August. I don´t have a 20% discount being advertised. But doing my maths (and even a little more as my prices are shown in Euro) it´s exactly the price advertised on their website (pdf file - 59/Ultimate, 49/Premium, 39/Select) plus 18% Service Charge plus 10% Spanish VAT (72.52/Ultimate, 62.72/Premium, 49.92/Select). So there´t no 10$ additional for Harmony sailings.

So far, it seems the extra $10 per day is charged only when they advertise a 20% discount on Harmony.

Edited April 28, 2016 by clarea