CocoCay Pricing - do prices decrease as departure date gets closer?

[Lane412000]

Just wondering if prices for cabanas decrease if there are a number that have not been rented as the departure date gets closer?

 

TIA

[Ken at the beach]

28 minutes ago, Lane412000 said:

Just wondering if prices for cabanas decrease if there are a number that have not been rented as the departure date gets closer?

 

TIA

sometimes, but sometimes they go up.  Royal will have some sit empty rather than greatly reducing them just to sell them

[Ashland]

Our Icon cruise May18, 2024 our (extended family of 6) Thrill Waterpark cabana had decreased a total of 4 times since I booked it many months before our cruise.  From a high of $1648.90 7/31/2023 to a low of $988.90 5/6/2024. Each time I cancelled and rebooked it. So it's worth keeping a check on pricing.

[Cherful59]

Go ahead and book as you can always cancel and reprice if you find it lower or just cancel period if it never gets to a price you can live with.  Just make sure you cancel several days ahead of your cruise as they lock out changes.  

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Lane412000 said:

Just wondering if prices for cabanas decrease if there are a number that have not been rented as the departure date gets closer?

 

TIA

There are a lot of factors including how many ships are in port. Yesterday, we were at CocoCay on the Utopia of the Seas and the Independence was there with us. Our prices were higher than the Independence for the exact same cabanas on the exact same day. The inventory was split between the two ships, so you saw the available count change from time to time. 

[Toddcan]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out the cabana pricing strategy.  Not so long ago, you could get a south beach, or chill island cabana for under $750 all day long, then they jumped to $1,300 with the occasional price drops to about $900-$950.  Yet, on our last two cruises, there were more empty cabanas than occupied ones.  On the most recent cruise last month, Icon was with us (Adventure) at Coco Cay, and only 4 Chill Island cabanas were rented out.   

 

Maybe they are testing their strategies, and gathering data on what people will pay, but I'll bet if they lowered the prices to $500-$750 range again, they would fill up - and is that not better than sitting empty?

 

Side note:  when you rent a cabana, they put your family name on a small chalk board attached to the cabana.  When they are empty, they put first names of what I would guess are either random names, or people that work there.  They don't want people to see an empty chalk board, even though the cabana is clearly empty. 

[chfenton]

12 hours ago, Ashland said:

Our Icon cruise May18, 2024 our (extended family of 6) Thrill Waterpark cabana had decreased a total of 4 times since I booked it many months before our cruise.  From a high of $1648.90 7/31/2023 to a low of $988.90 5/6/2024. Each time I cancelled and rebooked it. So it's worth keeping a check on pricing.

As another data point, I had same experience for Hideaway Beach hideout cabana for yesterday on Wonder. I started watching it last November I believe it was $2,099.  I cancelled and rebooked 4 times as price dropped to $1,499 about 3 weeks ago.  Curiously price jumped back to the "list" price of $2,099 for the last two weeks before sailing.

 

In my opinion they don't quite have pricing right yet as we were there with Freedom yesterday and about half of the Hideout cabanas were empty. 

[Mum2Mercury]

I have trouble believing people pay over $100.  

[nelblu]

I paid $199 + tax for a day bed at Chill Island at Easter sail.  Looking for similar for this upcoming Easter and the day beds range from $350-$399 + tax.  At those prices can I live with free loungers and umbrellas.😁  

Edited yesterday at 12:54 PM by nelblu

[Ken at the beach]

2 hours ago, Toddcan said:

For the life of me, I cannot figure out the cabana pricing strategy.  Not so long ago, you could get a south beach, or chill island cabana for under $750 all day long, then they jumped to $1,300 with the occasional price drops to about $900-$950.  Yet, on our last two cruises, there were more empty cabanas than occupied ones.  On the most recent cruise last month, Icon was with us (Adventure) at Coco Cay, and only 4 Chill Island cabanas were rented out.   

 

Maybe they are testing their strategies, and gathering data on what people will pay, but I'll bet if they lowered the prices to $500-$750 range again, they would fill up - and is that not better than sitting empty?

 

Side note:  when you rent a cabana, they put your family name on a small chalk board attached to the cabana.  When they are empty, they put first names of what I would guess are either random names, or people that work there.  They don't want people to see an empty chalk board, even though the cabana is clearly empty. 

It is just like years ago when Fain stated that they would stop the last minute deep discounting of the cruises.  He said that people had become accustomed to waiting until after final payment to book and they would put an end to it even if it meant sailing with empty cabins in the short term. 

They have set a minimum price for the cabanas and will stick to that hoping to condition people that they won't get them for bargain basement prices.  

Edited yesterday at 01:04 PM by Ken at the beach

[SUgwoz]

In my experience prices will reduce as it gets closer to sailing, had a cabana back in May for $350 including tax on an Icon Sailing. Paid $45 for waterpark in early December sailing.  I do think they keep some prices up far from sailing not just to maximize revenue, but to prevent some things from selling out.  If they do $300 Cabanas 8 months out, odds are people booking with 6 months out would have slim pickings if anything. 

 

The service/value in the Cabana went way above my expectations, I attest that to the individual that seemed to genuinely enjoyed what he does.

 

[Toddcan]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I have trouble believing people pay over $100.  

Depends on where you see value.  For us, we love the cabana for the constant shade, privacy, outstanding food and drink service, a lockable safe for when we go in the water, included floating mats, included cooler with ice and water bottles, unlimited supply of towels and a charging port for our electronics etc etc.  It really is a spoiled experience.  

[Toddcan]

31 minutes ago, Ken at the beach said:

It is just like years ago when Fain stated that they would stop the last minute deep discounting of the cruises.  He said that people had become accustomed to waiting until after final payment to book and they would put an end to it even if it meant sailing with empty cabins in the short term. 

They have set a minimum price for the cabanas and will stick to that hoping to condition people that they won't get them for bargain basement prices.  

 I agree with the idea of what you are saying, but I am suggesting the starting prices are simply far too high.  I hope they are looking at the data to see what the sweet spot is for the "Standard" price (which always changes too).  

[Toddcan]

2 hours ago, chfenton said:

As another data point, I had same experience for Hideaway Beach hideout cabana for yesterday on Wonder. I started watching it last November I believe it was $2,099.  I cancelled and rebooked 4 times as price dropped to $1,499 about 3 weeks ago.  Curiously price jumped back to the "list" price of $2,099 for the last two weeks before sailing.

 

In my opinion they don't quite have pricing right yet as we were there with Freedom yesterday and about half of the Hideout cabanas were empty. 

 

I noticed the same thing on those cabanas - crazy pricing!  But, we just turned diamond on our last cruise, so when I looked at the pricing of those hideaway cabanas (the ones with their own pool in front), I saw "Loyalty Pricing" or something like that and a $1,049 price - I snatched it up. 

[Ken at the beach]

20 minutes ago, Toddcan said:

 I agree with the idea of what you are saying, but I am suggesting the starting prices are simply far too high.  I hope they are looking at the data to see what the sweet spot is for the "Standard" price (which always changes too).  

They know they can get that elevated price so they will stick to it.  yau cab believe that they have done the pricing analysis and the current model is working.  Just because you and I think the prices are too high others don't...coming from a guy who just spent $900 on the Hideaway with pool cabana an hour ago for the Presidents cruise

[Toddcan]

40 minutes ago, Ken at the beach said:

They know they can get that elevated price so they will stick to it.  yau cab believe that they have done the pricing analysis and the current model is working.  Just because you and I think the prices are too high others don't...coming from a guy who just spent $900 on the Hideaway with pool cabana an hour ago for the Presidents cruise

 The empty cabanas seem to say the current model is not working.  $900 is a fantastic price for those cabanas.  - but the "list" on those are normally over $2k.  I think we are saying he same thing (kinda), so I'm not arguing with you. I'm just observing more empty cabanas than I used to, and the only difference (in my limited experience) is the price has been getting higher and higher. shrug. I only cruise twice a year, so my exposure is limited, but the last 2 times at Coco cay I saw many more empty cabanas that previously, as I mentioned before. 

[PhillyFan33579]

58 minutes ago, Toddcan said:

 The empty cabanas seem to say the current model is not working.  $900 is a fantastic price for those cabanas.  - but the "list" on those are normally over $2k.  I think we are saying he same thing (kinda), so I'm not arguing with you. I'm just observing more empty cabanas than I used to, and the only difference (in my limited experience) is the price has been getting higher and higher. shrug. I only cruise twice a year, so my exposure is limited, but the last 2 times at Coco cay I saw many more empty cabanas that previously, as I mentioned before. 

I am at Coco Cay at least once and usually twice a month. No matter what part of the island I am hanging out at on any given day, I always see empty cabanas. However, I think RCI is happy with this based on what people are paying. This is an oversimplification, but I think RCI would rather sell 5 cabanas for $1,000 each than 10 cabanas for $500 each. Once your customer base gets used to seeing/paying a lower price, it is difficult to go back to the higher price point. On a related subject, this will eventually happen to Icon. Right now people are willing to pay extremely high prices to sail on Icon, especially compared to every other RCI ship (with the exception of Star). So RCI will continue to charge high prices for the forseeable future. But at some point in the future the demand for Icon will drop, which will lead to lower prices, although they will still be high compared other RCI ship classes. 

[Toddcan]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I am at Coco Cay at least once and usually twice a month. No matter what part of the island I am hanging out at on any given day, I always see empty cabanas. However, I think RCI is happy with this based on what people are paying. This is an oversimplification, but I think RCI would rather sell 5 cabanas for $1,000 each than 10 cabanas for $500 each. Once your customer base gets used to seeing/paying a lower price, it is difficult to go back to the higher price point. On a related subject, this will eventually happen to Icon. Right now people are willing to pay extremely high prices to sail on Icon, especially compared to every other RCI ship (with the exception of Star). So RCI will continue to charge high prices for the forseeable future. But at some point in the future the demand for Icon will drop, which will lead to lower prices, although they will still be high compared other RCI ship classes. 

very good point - finding that sweet spot. After all, Cabanas need attendants.  If they fill half the amount for double the price, but only need half the amount of attendants, then that's favourable for RCI

Edited 22 hours ago by Toddcan