Price Difference Question

[jobinseattle]

Our first cruise is later this year on an Oasis class ship. I know the price ranges for refreshment packages, deluxe beverage package, specialty dining etc. Are the prices the same on a smaller ship (lets say Mariner OTS for example). considering the ship is smaller and may not offer as much as the bigger ships?

[BND]

Why would they be different?  A drink package is a drink package.  Itineraries can drive costs differences.  The packages you mention don't have anything to do with the other amenities onboard (dining, pools, etc.)

[jobinseattle]

Just now, BND said:

Why would they be different?  A drink package is a drink package.  Itineraries can drive costs differences.  The packages you mention don't have anything to do with the other amenities onboard (dining, pools, etc.)

Since we have never cruised before I was curious. It would make sense to me that specialty dining may be cheaper because they can't offer as much as a bigger ship. I really don't know, Why I asked the question.

[BND]

1 minute ago, jobinseattle said:

Since we have never cruised before I was curious. It would make sense to me that specialty dining may be cheaper because they can't offer as much as a bigger ship. I really don't know, Why I asked the question.

Specialty dining can vary for each cruise.  There are sales sometimes.  Each specialty restaurant has it's own pricing so comparing a large ship to small one only applies to restaurants that are on both.

[firefly333]

Yes as a matter of fact for sure they are less. Unlimited dining was much less. Jamie's for instance was $2 less full price than oasis class. I can show you the difference but there is a difference. Lunch on 40% off 14.99 plus tip on harmony vs 12.99 on mariner. Same sale. Full price as I said is $2 less, so is sale price. 

 

I guess some people dont care about small differences but I cruise enough I  notice. Oasis class has more choices for dinner and costs more. 

[DennysDad]

25 minutes ago, jobinseattle said:

Our first cruise is later this year on an Oasis class ship. I know the price ranges for refreshment packages, deluxe beverage package, specialty dining etc. Are the prices the same on a smaller ship (lets say Mariner OTS for example). considering the ship is smaller and may not offer as much as the bigger ships?

The price for a drinks package on say Mariner Vs an Oasis class ship or Icon. An alcoholic beverage package could be like $5 less a day on an older ship. (Sometimes) It's not a given every time. Specialty dinning can be a little more. Has to do with how many places they have to offer. Also, sail date. Then there is surge pricing. The more interst they get in something, the more they will up the price day by day. Week by week. Month by month. So, yes there can be a difference. I've seen and lived it. For alcoholic beverage package it's just a few bucks at best. Specialty dinning could be $25 to $50 or more, but a lot of factors goes into it. You will never know till you go to purchase. It fluctuates daily, but that's the general trend. IMHO

[jobinseattle]

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Yes as a matter of fact for sure they are less. Unlimited dining was much less. Jamie's for instance was $2 less full price than oasis class. I can show you the difference but there is a difference. Lunch on 40% off 14.99 plus tip on harmony vs 12.99 on mariner. Same sale. Full price as I said is $2 less, so is sale price. 

 

I guess some people dont care about small differences but I cruise enough I  notice. Oasis class has more choices for dinner and costs more. 

 

Thank you, Exactly what I was asking, I was not real sure if that came across clearly.

[firefly333]

39 minutes ago, jobinseattle said:

Our first cruise is later this year on an Oasis class ship. I know the price ranges for refreshment packages, deluxe beverage package, specialty dining etc. Are the prices the same on a smaller ship (lets say Mariner OTS for example). considering the ship is smaller and may not offer as much as the bigger ships?

Here is a screen shot of harmony lunches and mariner lunch. You can see what full price is on both, even though its crossed off with a sale going. Chops lunch full price is $3 more. And even more of a difference with this and other sales. But you can see same exact restaurant is less comparing full prices of lunch. I paid $2 extra for all my oasis class lunches I booked is why I was sure. I see now they raise izumi hibachi so both ships are now the same full priced, though mariner is always offering me the better price.

 

Idk someone would notice $2 if they dont cruise a lot but also the unlimited dining was also lower. 

 

 

[SRF]

52 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Yes as a matter of fact for sure they are less. Unlimited dining was much less. Jamie's for instance was $2 less full price than oasis class. I can show you the difference but there is a difference. Lunch on 40% off 14.99 plus tip on harmony vs 12.99 on mariner. Same sale. Full price as I said is $2 less, so is sale price. 

 

I guess some people dont care about small differences but I cruise enough I  notice. Oasis class has more choices for dinner and costs more. 

 

One exactly the same cruise?

 

If not, you can't compare due to dynamic pricing.

[sgmn]

1 hour ago, jobinseattle said:

Our first cruise is later this year on an Oasis class ship. I know the price ranges for refreshment packages, deluxe beverage package, specialty dining etc. Are the prices the same on a smaller ship (lets say Mariner OTS for example). considering the ship is smaller and may not offer as much as the bigger ships?

Prices vary widely, but more to do with I think how many drink packages they've already sold or how many they think they will sell.  If they think there's high demand then the price is high.

For instance in a sector of the world cruise on Serenade the DP is showing as £52.50 pppd in my planner (including tax as UK prices) for 16 day cruise.  But apparently Anthem ex Southampton is £76 pppd, 14 day cruise. 

My thinking is on the UWC most full world cruisers have drinks included, there will probably be a lot of Diamond and up who get free drinks too so demand for the DP will be low, hence a lower price. 

On the Southampton cruise, a 14 day cruise will be most people's main summer holiday, and us Brits like a drink on holiday,  so I think the demand for the DP will be high.

As far as speciality dinning then my experience, comparing Symphony to Serenade last year, is the bigger the ship and more choice, the more expensive the dinner.  Symphony was £60pp for Chops and Serenade £46

Edited March 15 by sgmn

[firefly333]

11 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

One exactly the same cruise?

 

If not, you can't compare due to dynamic pricing.

I am comparing FULL price of those restaurants. Read again. The FULL price of some restaurants is less as I've noticed for quite a while. I booked bogo and pay full price and I book lunches. I last did Jamie's last dec. 

 

I can also grab a screen shot of adventure and it was also $2 less for jamies vs harmony or oasis class. If you cant see the FULL price as I said it is crossed off but you should be able to see what the full price is of both. I can pull up adventure and I am 100% sure full price will be a couple bucks less for lunch vs a oasis class. I booked for all of 2024 as far out as i can. Thru xmas. 

 

Seems to be a lot of people who either dont purchase pay meals or unobservant. Of course I said look at the crossed out amount in my post to see the FULL price and you come back about how I cant compare dynamic pricing. I wasnt. 

[Tree_skier]

In my experience, smaller ships typically have beverage packages cheaper than larger ships.  Of course that isn't universally true but not a bad "rule of thumb".  Of couse Itinerary can play a role as can date of sailing but if two cruises are similar in length and itinerary you can safely expect the older, smaller ship to have lower DBP and UDP price.