Would you sail on or continue to sail Royal if they went inclusive?

[Plum Happy]

 

If Royal changed their way like Celebrity just did, would you still sail?

 

Celebrity has it covered with new pricing plan

By Johanna Jainchill Nov 10, 2020

 

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Celebrity-opts-for-simplicity-with-new-pricing-plan

 

Celebrity Cruises will include all drinks, WiFi and gratuities on all bookings starting Nov. 17, under its new Always Included pricing plan.

 

Under the plan, Always Included will become the standard rate for Celebrity sailings, and passengers can upgrade to one of two higher-level pricing packages that add inclusions such as shore excursions, onboard credit and streaming WiFi.

Celebrity said the pricing plans put an end "to confusing promotions, complicated add-ons and limited-time offers."

 

"Today, nothing is more luxurious than when things are extra simple and extra special," Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, CEO of Celebrity, said in a statement. "We wanted to bring that big, wonderful feeling of 'everything is taken care of' to life for our guests."

 

Starting Nov. 17, Celebrity's standard Always Included fares include:

 

• Unlimited drinks: Classic cocktails, wine by the glass, beer, soda, specialty coffees and teas, juices and bottled water.
• Unlimited WiFi for social media, email and web surfing.
• Daily gratuities for the crew.

 

The two enhanced packages include everything in the standard fare and:

 

• Elevate: Unlimited premium drinks and shore excursions up to $200 per person.
• Indulge: Everything in Elevate plus unlimited WiFi streaming and up to $400 per person in onboard credit to spend almost any way a guest desires.

 

All guests in the Retreat, Celebrity's all-suite accommodations, will receive the same amenities as the Indulge package at no additional charge.

 

"After this challenging year, ease and peace of mind have become even more invaluable commodities," said Peter Giorgi, Celebrity's chief marketing officer. "People want to spend more time being inspired, not getting lost in a myriad of booking options."

[DaniDanielle]

I kind of like it😷

[Plum Happy]

3 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

I kind of like it😷

Me too.

[yogimax]

Unless there's more to this, it seems to devalue status.  We don't need unlimited drinks because we have access to the Diamond Lounge.  We already receive a reduced price for WiFi.

 

How is Celebrity responding to these issues?

[happy cruiser1234]

Love it!  Kinda makes me want to try Celebrity.....I would love if Royal did this!

 

[ReneeFLL]

I might not. We don't buy the drink package so why would I want one included in the price? It just makes the price that much higher. Being diamond or elite and up will have very little benefits if any at all. 😡

[Ashland]

Are these for those cruises booked after November 17th? I'm booked for July 2021 but my category included 4 perks.

 

[karl_nj]

I don't really want to be forced to pay for an alcohol drink package for my two children, at least while they are under drinking age.

 

If RCL did go in this direction, it might make Disney Cruise Line seem reasonably priced in comparison.

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by karl_nj

[Ourusualbeach]

Celebrity was basically like this before the announcement always offering at least 2 perks, sometimes 4.  This just made 3 perks the standard..

 

There is no reason whatsoever to think that Royal will head in this direction.  Entirely different demographic that they are catering to.  

Edited November 10, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[Jeff13]

Yes.

[shipgeeks]

No.  We have no interest in drinks nor in having wi-fi.

[Sunshine3601]

34 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

I might not. We don't buy the drink package so why would I want one included in the price? It just makes the price that much higher. Being diamond or elite and up will have very little benefits if any at all. 😡

Same here.    We hardly ever buy the drink package.    We usually get the majority of our drinks at the DL or SL and the freebies in the casino.       Based on that, I don't like it.     

As RCL seems to be catering more towards families than Celebrity I don't think RCL will go this route.

[ReneeFLL]

22 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Same here.    We hardly ever buy the drink package.    We usually get the majority of our drinks at the DL or SL and the freebies in the casino.       Based on that, I don't like it.     

As RCL seems to be catering more towards families than Celebrity I don't think RCL will go this route.

I sure hope not.

[sgmn]

I'm happy with the free included drinks during the day and a couple of diamond drinks during happy hour. Only drinks I pay for is a drambuie or cointreau during  the late show or the odd glass of wine, therefore I don't need or want an included drink package which has to be paid for in the cruise price. WiFi I'm happy to do without or just catch up on shore. So no, I would rather pay as I go and not upfront on something I may not want 

[watson50]

just another way to 'justify" their price increases, What about people that don't drink? will their fare be reduced? 

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, watson50 said:

What about people that don't drink? will their fare be reduced? 

Just in case that wasn’t a rhetorical question.....no the fares will not be reduced. 

[dani negreanu]

10 minutes ago, watson50 said:

 What about people that don't drink? will their fare be reduced? 

 

8 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Just in case that wasn’t a rhetorical question.....no the fares will not be reduced. 

 

Well, that's annoying. We don't drink, and at happy hour we took mineral and soda water....😟

[Ashland]

We're also happy with our D+ status DL/CL/SL. We also never buy the drink package but we've also been happy with the 4 perks we've received when we sail with Celebrity. If RCI decides to follow (which I doubt) it certainly wouldn't matter to us.

[Baron Barracuda]

They are also "re-inventing" Captains Club.  No details yet.

[Domino D]

14 minutes ago, watson50 said:

just another way to 'justify" their price increases, What about people that don't drink? will their fare be reduced? 

 

12 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Just in case that wasn’t a rhetorical question.....no the fares will not be reduced. 

 

2 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

Well, that's annoying. We don't drink, and at happy hour we took mineral and soda water....😟

 

I have a Celebrity booked for next November.  When I booked they said "You get a drink package included.  I told the woman, "I don't drink, can I get a OBC instead, or some other perk?"  She said no unfortunately not.  The fare I paid was well within the range I was looking, so no loss to me.  She did tell me I could get specialty coffee, bottled water, and juices.  So I'll likely be getting off the cruise with a case of water to take home.

[Ashland]

2 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

They are also "re-inventing" Captains Club.  No details yet.

I will always hope that when I sail with X I'll get the points added to RCI ...That would be a great re-invent.

[dani negreanu]

3 minutes ago, Domino D said:

I have a Celebrity booked for next November.  When I booked they said "You get a drink package included.  I told the woman, "I don't drink, can I get a OBC instead, or some other perk?"  She said no unfortunately not. 

 

That's our case too.

 

Were booked on Apex for the pre-inaugural (April 1st, 2020), moved to May 2021 thinking by then Covid will be a distant and not so pleasant memory, realized in July that I was overly optimistic and moved again to September 2021. My TA advised that I can chose 3 perks out of 4, so obviously we went with OBC, free grats and free WiFi. She knows that we don't drink.... She called back to say that we can't have the free WiFi, we HAVE to take the "classic BP"...

 

We can LIVE with it, if it includes specialty coffee and fresh squeezed OJ for me (which I'm not sure if it's included in "juices").

 

Since now I'm not sure that even the September 2021 will be a "go", we shall wait and see, until June 15th, when we have to make the additional/final payment on top of the 2500$ we moved when cancelling the original cruise...

 

[Domino D]

1 minute ago, dani negreanu said:

 

That's our case too.

 

Were booked on Apex for the pre-inaugural (April 1st, 2020), moved to May 2021 thinking by then Covid will be a distant and not so pleasant memory, realized in July that I was overly optimistic and moved again to September 2021. My TA advised that I can chose 3 perks out of 4, so obviously we went with OBC, free grats and free WiFi. She knows that we don't drink.... She called back to say that we can't have the free WiFi, we HAVE to take the "classic BP"...

 

We can LIVE with it, if it includes specialty coffee and fresh squeezed OJ for me (which I'm not sure if it's included in "juices").

 

Since now I'm not sure that even the September 2021 will be a "go", we shall wait and see, until June 15th, when we have to make the additional/final payment on top of the 2500$ we moved when cancelling the original cruise...

 

We will be on Apex in November (Thanksgiving week).  They told me that it did include fresh squeezed juice, but not smoothies in the Spa Cafe.   I usually by a fresh juice and 1 or 2 good cups of coffee a day anyway.  

[mek]

delete - duplicate post

Edited November 10, 2020 by mek

[mek]

Just now, mek said:

No, I'm not interested in all inclusive and if I'm forced to pay for things I don't want - like the unlimited drinks, then that will be the end of cruising for me.