Deluxe Drink Package - Variations in pricing?

[sbridgeman]

Hi All

Does the cost of the Deluxe Drink Package vary by sailing? I was looking at our cruise planner and RCCL is currently running a "Buy One, Get One 50% Off" -- but the math isn't working out for me.

 

We're on a 5 night sailing out of Tampa and the cruise planner is saying that the base price, prior to tips is $235/pp with this discount. If I back into the base price it ends up around $62/per person per day -- I thought it was around $59/ pp per day.

 

Is that right? I called RCCL and they're saying that the price can vary per sailing has anyone heard this before?

[Clarea]

Yes, the cost varies by sailing, day of the week, phase of the moon, etc. It's a moving target.

[awestover89]

Like Bob said, it varies wildly. The only price that matters is the bottom line price you're paying. On our Symphony cruise it's varied from $42 to $47 per person per day, on our Harmony cruise it's varied from $47 to $50 per person per day. Other cruises we've seen it as high as $56 per person per day with the pre-cruise discount.

[George C]

Agree it’s a moving target , highest I have seen it was mid 50’s , paid 41 on last cruise. If it’s on sale buy it and keep checking price , rccl will give you new price if you call

[sbridgeman]

Thanks for the info and WOW -- it is crazy to me that they would have variable pricing on something like that.

 

I guess I need to go with the flow here and think bigger picture -- at the end of the day $47 per day/pp is probably a pretty good deal.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the info and WOW -- it is crazy to me that they would have variable pricing on something like that.

 

I guess I need to go with the flow here and think bigger picture -- at the end of the day $47 per day/pp is probably a pretty good deal.

Yep, ignore any of their BS percent off numbers, just look at the bottom line.

[lil93bit]

I too just called RC about the buy one, get one 50%. They said that the system would not allow the 50% so each package was 25% off.

 

I did the math (with them on the phone). The full price for one package would be $346.63 each (gratuity included) for a 5 night sailing on the Brilliance in September. I figured out for 2 people buying one package at full price + one at 50% would cost $519.95. The "sale" that they have with 25% off each package would cost $554.60. The math did not add up. So I asked if I could get a $30 OBC to offset the difference, of course not. The price was take it or leave it.

 

I'm hoping for a better sale (that is truth in advertising).

Edited July 27, 2018 by lil93bit
To add clarification

[ONECRUISER]

Read the small print, "Save 50% off what you would pay purchasing package on board the ship"...

[Iamcruzin]

If this topic doesn't need a sticky I don't know what does. I'm bored bring back the smoking, dress code and tipping threads. Seriously someone at Royal must be reading these threads and all of the snide comments of make believe sales and taking the exact science of math and turning it into a hypothesis.

[awestover89]

I too just called RC about the buy one, get one 50%. They said that the system would not allow the 50% so each package was 25% off.

 

I did the math (with them on the phone). The full price for one package would be $346.63 each (gratuity included) for a 5 night sailing on the Brilliance in September. I figured out for 2 people buying one package at full price + one at 50% would cost $519.95. The "sale" that they have with 25% off each package would cost $554.60. The math did not add up. So I asked if I could get a $30 OBC to offset the difference, of course not. The price was take it or leave it.

 

I'm hoping for a better sale (that is truth in advertising).

 

Not sure how you're doing the math, but 25% off each and 0% off one 50% off the other should be the same exact price.

$346.63*.75*2 (25% off each) = $519.95

$346.63+($346.63*.5) (Full price one, half price second) = $519.95

[lil93bit]

Not sure how you're doing the math, but 25% off each and 0% off one 50% off the other should be the same exact price.

$346.63*.75*2 (25% off each) = $519.95

$346.63+($346.63*.5) (Full price one, half price second) = $519.95

 

I totally agree, but the purchase price for both the packages ring up to be $554.60 not $519.95. Donno

[dswallow]

I too just called RC about the buy one, get one 50%. They said that the system would not allow the 50% so each package was 25% off.

 

I did the math (with them on the phone). The full price for one package would be $346.63 each (gratuity included) for a 5 night sailing on the Brilliance in September. I figured out for 2 people buying one package at full price + one at 50% would cost $519.95. The "sale" that they have with 25% off each package would cost $554.60. The math did not add up. So I asked if I could get a $30 OBC to offset the difference, of course not. The price was take it or leave it.

 

I'm hoping for a better sale (that is truth in advertising).

What makes you think "full price" is $346.63? The only place you will be able to know the full, regular price, is once you board your particular ship on your sailing date. Otherwise the only way to calculate it is using basic math to figure out what they started from when they call the current pricing some % of the full price...

 

Based on what you say you price out online for 2 people right now of $554.60, that works out to be $470.00 before gratuities, which is then $47.00/day/person.

 

The $47.00/day per person is stated as being the average of a full price for the first person and 50% of that full price for the second person, or what basic math would also call 25% off the full for each person.

 

So that would make the "full price" before gratuity come to $62.67 (divide the $47.00 by 0.75, rounded to the penny).

 

If we take that $62.67 for 5 days that is $313.35. And adding 18% gratuity makes it $369.75.

 

$369.75 + $369.75 * 50% comes to $554.63, which is consistent with the price you get on the web site, with rounding differences.

[kbemje]

Last week when I was on line looking at the deluxe drinking package it was $45 pp per day on my 7 Night Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas cruise for 12/18/18. Today I get a marketing email that the second one is 50% off but it was not working on line. I called the 800# twice. Now the base price is $56 pp per day and 25% off of that, What???? They are jacking up the price which basically makes it the same base price before the promotion. I expressed my disappointment with Royal Caribbean false promotion and asked to be Connected to the on line questionnaire. Instead I was switched to two people and given the runaround.

 

I usually cruise Princess so this is a lousy start of my experience with Royal Caroibeean though I had cruise with them in my earlier years.

[dswallow]

Last week when I was on line looking at the deluxe drinking package it was $45 pp per day on my 7 Night Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas cruise for 12/18/18. Today I get a marketing email that the second one is 50% off but it was not working on line. I called the 800# twice. Now the base price is $56 pp per day and 25% off of that, What???? They are jacking up the price which basically makes it the same base price before the promotion. I expressed my disappointment with Royal Caribbean false promotion and asked to be Connected to the on line questionnaire. Instead I was switched to two people and given the runaround.

 

I usually cruise Princess so this is a lousy start of my experience with Royal Caroibeean though I had cruise with them in my earlier years.

The $45 price per day you saw before was most certainly not a "regular price" from which a discount got calculated; it was a discounted price itself.

The confusion comes mainly from how they'll promote a discount saying things like "50% off the second person" yet show a price that's already been discounted 25% per person.

 

Frankly, it's just double occupancy disease. Everything with cruises gets quoted per-person-double-occupancy. After all, that makes it look cheaper at a glance than if they showed the price per cabin. As a single traveler, it's obnoxious. And can you imagine hotel room prices advertised that way? :)

[zteamtwo]

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/show...o#post55709054

 

Just go to this thread and save a lot of money on drinks and pay NO tip.

[1992cruiser]

Drink package prices vary per sailing because of several factors, one of the most important is how long the cruise is. Another is how many port days vs sea days or if they are in their own private ports.

A 3 night booze cruise that goes to CocoCay is not going to show $45per day pricing very often. I have 3 of those booked right now and they are all at $60 per night.

The longer the cruise is, the better price you will get. People drink less as the cruise goes on, Royal knows that. Notice how you never see the drink cards at the beginning of a sailing?

[Big_G]

Like Bob said, don't waste your time with the percentages. The bottom line is the dollar amount and it makes no sense to call Royal and argue. If you book it and the price goes lower just cancel and rebook. There are also C&A discounts for booking on board. I believe D = 20%, D+ = 30%, and Pinnacle = 40%. Someone will correct me if I wrong on the percentages. Whenever we used the D+ discount it was a better price than anything offered in the planner.

[Clarea]

Like Bob said, don't waste your time with the percentages. The bottom line is the dollar amount and it makes no sense to call Royal and argue. If you book it and the price goes lower just cancel and rebook. There are also C&A discounts for booking on board. I believe D = 20%, D+ = 30%, and Pinnacle = 40%. Someone will correct me if I wrong on the percentages. Whenever we used the D+ discount it was a better price than anything offered in the planner.

I believe there is no onboard Diamond discount anymore. However, they still honor the D+ and PC discount.

[Big_G]

I believe there is no onboard Diamond discount anymore. However, they still honor the D+ and PC discount.

Thanks again Bob. We're cruising with my son's family in January. They just made D so I'll tell him not to wait.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[SRF]

If you look at the fine print, it says two things.

 

1) The price you see is already showing the discount.

 

2) The discount is based on the ON BOARD price, not any pre-cruise price. The on board price is over $60 per day.

[Rjh8842]

My upcoming cruises range from 56-65pp per day. What I find interesting is that the cheaper cruise has the more expensive package. I wonder if that is normal.

[Livelikeagypsy]

If this topic doesn't need a sticky I don't know what does. I'm bored bring back the smoking, dress code and tipping threads. Seriously someone at Royal must be reading these threads and all of the snide comments of make believe sales and taking the exact science of math and turning it into a hypothesis.

 

Every single one of your posts is http://reddit.com/r/iamverysmart material. Why do you act like this? If you don't like the topic, move on. Stop being miserable in every post.

 

 

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OP- it's 50% off what on board pricing is. Its weird. The pricing depends on how sales are on board for the sailing, it's why there's variance.

[sbridgeman]

OP- it's 50% off what on board pricing is. Its weird. The pricing depends on how sales are on board for the sailing, it's why there's variance.

 

@Livelikeagypsy Thanks for the info -- totally get it, well sort of, just not used to it :cool: -- the moving target for a price makes me feel like i'm buying a used car.

[Iamcruzin]

@Livelikeagypsy Thanks for the info -- totally get it, well sort of, just not used to it :cool: -- the moving target for a price makes me feel like i'm buying a used car.

Me too. Which is not a good feeling and one that I have never experienced with other cruise lines.