Cruises w/out "Always Included" Program

[fergorama]

Has anyone else noticed several cruises posted on a cruise site that are being sold without the "Always Included" package?  It appears that several Japan voyages and an Antarctic voyage in January are discounted with the extra's included.

[fergorama]

"extra's included." Sorry, should read excluded.

 

[4774Papa]

I would love to see the OPTION of buy just the cruise, without any perks.  For moderate drinkers and moderate internet users, we would save.   In fact, the comparisons that I have found with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean (that doesn't force bundled pricing), it appears that we may never do another X cruise.

[patty1955]

I would love to see the real price when I'm searching for a cruise. I can't tell you how many times I've shopped for a cruise only to back out when I see how much it REALY cost (cruise, port fees, taxes and gratuities). 

[LGW59]

4 hours ago, patty1955 said:

I would love to see the real price when I'm searching for a cruise. I can't tell you how many times I've shopped for a cruise only to back out when I see how much it REALY cost (cruise, port fees, taxes and gratuities). 

the price you see is the real cost

[miched]

I love the AI.  It is the only way I could get the drink package without my wife telling I don’t need it and it isn’t worth $70/day and I do agree with her, but when it is included you have the choice of paying the price or don’t cruise.  Cruising isn’t a right.

 

it is like the resort fee that some hotels and most casinos charge if you use the facilities or not.  It is a method to generate. more revenue. 
 

I think the cruise lines are doing this to get some money from those that frequently cruise and don’t spend a dime extra while on board.  

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Nashna]

You could be right, Miched.  We once shared a table with a couple who purchased the cheapest stateroom they could find on a RCCL 7-day Caribbean sailing to cruise from mid-January to mid-March.  They were proud of the fact that they did not spend one extra cent onboard during those three months.  They never left the ship.  They had been sailing on the same ship for three years.  To make matters even stranger, they got amazing service, wine and dinner with the officers because of the hundreds of days that they had sailed.  We asked the maitre de to change our table and he begged us to stay as the other six tablemates had already bailed.  The obnoxious man demanded that his food be served all at once and was in and out of the dining room in 45 minutes.  The maitre de kept us happy with excellent wine and amazing service.  It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't tip.  

[Denny01]

On 4/26/2021 at 6:32 AM, 4774Papa said:

I would love to see the OPTION of buy just the cruise, without any perks.  For moderate drinkers and moderate internet users, we would save.   In fact, the comparisons that I have found with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean (that doesn't force bundled pricing), it appears that we may never do another X cruise.

I’ll disagree a bit with the ‘moderate drinkers/internet users’ dont need the AI and would save. Since its very hard to compare (I know, someone will find some cruise that is $K’s less in the past) what the actual markup for AI is, I think with the gratuities and standard WifI and a few drinks a day, probably at least breaks even if not AI being better. Not sure how ‘moderate WiFi’ would matter. You either paid for the standard WiFi and watched your time, or upgraded even more, but AI saves you from watching your time like a hawk.

 

I have a few specialty coffees each day, a drink in the afternoon and at glass of wine at dinner……and maybe a cocktail afterwards. And that with the other benefits should be sufficient to do better than not having AI.

 

I understand the issue for those that don’t drink wine/beer/cocktails/special coffees/soft drinks, don’t ever use WiFi an only see the gratuities as an added benefit. But most of us aren’t there. 

 

Den

Edited April 28, 2021 by Denny01

[4774Papa]

47 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I’ll disagree a bit with the ‘moderate drinkers/internet users’ dont need the AI and would save. Since its very hard to compare (I know, someone will find some cruise that is $K’s less in the past) what the actual markup for AI is, I think with the gratuities and standard WifI and a few drinks a day, probably at least breaks even if not AI being better. Not sure how ‘moderate WiFi’ would matter. You either paid for the standard WiFi and watched your time, or upgraded even more, but AI saves you from watching your time like a hawk.

 

I have a few specialty coffees each day, a drink in the afternoon and at glass of wine at dinner……and maybe a cocktail afterwards. And that with the other benefits should be sufficient to do better than not having AI.

 

I understand the issue for those that don’t drink wine/beer/cocktails/special coffees/soft drinks, don’t ever use WiFi an only see the gratuities as an added benefit. But most of us aren’t there. 

 

Den

Den,

Certainly, it is an individual decision.  Every cruise that we have been on, I have checked what we spent on alcohol and prior to being elite, we spent about $500 total for both of us on alcohol for a two week cruise. After becoming elite and enjoying the happy hour, it dropped to around $300.  We don't drink specialty coffees, soda etc.  Also, me drink primarily wine, no umbrella drinks.

Still, we are finding the increase in X fares to be significant.

Royal Caribbean has not all inclusive and there fares for a Rome to Florida TA cruise (fall 2022) is about $1000 pp, while X's TA cruises from Rome run $2400 to $3000 pp.  Ridiculous.

[Denny01]

52 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

Den,

Certainly, it is an individual decision.  Every cruise that we have been on, I have checked what we spent on alcohol and prior to being elite, we spent about $500 total for both of us on alcohol for a two week cruise. After becoming elite and enjoying the happy hour, it dropped to around $300.  We don't drink specialty coffees, soda etc.  Also, me drink primarily wine, no umbrella drinks.

Still, we are finding the increase in X fares to be significant.

Royal Caribbean has not all inclusive and there fares for a Rome to Florida TA cruise (fall 2022) is about $1000 pp, while X's TA cruises from Rome run $2400 to $3000 pp.  Ridiculous.

I hate getting into the pricing posts because it gets into the back and forth of ‘I found this SR at $400 and this Line is charging $10,000!!’. But I’ll respond here. I looked at RCL and X 2022 TA’s out of Roma and not sure what SRs are being quoted, but since ~$2,400 and above was quoted for X, that is close to the Veranda SRs. But the $1,000 on RCL isn’t that cost for a Veranda, it was ~$1600, a difference of $800. Add the gratuities for 15 days, for about $180pp, then drinks. Use your $150 you say you spend, I spend about double that at ~$300pp which breaks out to 2 extra drinks a day. I forget what WiFI costs, but lets says $150-$200 for 2 week cruise. That’s about $600 being pretty conservative really. So the difference in X and RCL is ~$200.

 

Now, I know someone will come up with very different pricings but I think this isn’t a ridiculous difference. And in fact, I’ll bet what I’d pay on RCL would exceed the SR differences…..and I’ll stick with the Line I enjoy much more. 

 

All very biased and personal.

 

Den

[Orator]

If Celebrity had exclusions from the "Always Included" program, wouldn't a more accurate title be "Sometimes Included, sometimes not"?

[4774Papa]

2 hours ago, Denny01 said:

I hate getting into the pricing posts because it gets into the back and forth of ‘I found this SR at $400 and this Line is charging $10,000!!’. But I’ll respond here. I looked at RCL and X 2022 TA’s out of Roma and not sure what SRs are being quoted, but since ~$2,400 and above was quoted for X, that is close to the Veranda SRs. But the $1,000 on RCL isn’t that cost for a Veranda, it was ~$1600, a difference of $800. Add the gratuities for 15 days, for about $180pp, then drinks. Use your $150 you say you spend, I spend about double that at ~$300pp which breaks out to 2 extra drinks a day. I forget what WiFI costs, but lets says $150-$200 for 2 week cruise. That’s about $600 being pretty conservative really. So the difference in X and RCL is ~$200.

 

Now, I know someone will come up with very different pricings but I think this isn’t a ridiculous difference. And in fact, I’ll bet what I’d pay on RCL would exceed the SR differences…..and I’ll stick with the Line I enjoy much more. 

 

All very biased and personal.

 

Den

Den,

I just pulled up the RCL cruise that I referred to and it was a 15 night cruise for a veranda  

$ 1,099 

per person

There was another RCL cruise for 13 nights that was a bit  higher.

Yes, add gratuities, but not much for drinks, since we are Diamond and on BOTH our RCL cruises we have NEVER paid for an alcoholic drink.   Diamond Happy Hour runs from 5pm-8:30pm and you can order wine with your meals.   We hardly use wifi at all.   So for us, the difference is at close to $900 or almost double what we would pay on Royal.

We do like Celebrity a bit more, don't like the huge Royal ships as much, but find the entertainment much better on Royal, and MDR is not far from on par with Celebrity.