Cruise Planner Discounts

[HeatherP]

Planning on cruising January 2021.  Anyone know if discounts are available for drink packages and stuff yet?

[JLMoran]

Given the current state of cruising, and how much the lines are all going to have to work just to get passengers on the ship in the first place, I'm personally not expecting to see any discounts on drink packages going forward. Or if they have them, the base prices will be so jacked up that the sale price is still going to be exorbitant. There are a few threads here with folks who are seeing daily prices upwards of $80 or $90 a night for the deluxe package, which is just nuts after years of prices in the $45 to $50 per night range.

On-board spending is how the lines make a lot of their money, and with potentially fewer passengers on board for the foreseeable future (either to maintain social distancing as part of mandates by the CDC, or because people just don't want to book) the lines are surely going to be making up for those losses with higher on-board prices for everything.

[Big Tule]

For my upcoming 12 Day Baltic cruise next year they want .....from* 98.64 AUD Adult per day  for deluxe beverage package ....this is without the added 18 percent gratuities...

[Pima1988]

3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

There are a few threads here with folks who are seeing daily prices upwards of $80 or $90 a night for the deluxe package, which is just nuts after years of prices in the $45 to $50 per night range.

From one Jersey girl to a Jersey guy.  I disagree.

You saw the new sale which is Sept-Dec 2020 drop to 45 pr night.  

•  That price is lower than I paid in 2018 and 2019.  I pd 47 on Anthem in 18.  51 for my Adventure cruise in 19.

My expectation if the sale is any sign of it they will do sales to bring it down around my Adventure cruise.  Maybe 54-57, but not the 84 it currently is at.  @HeatherP is still more than 8 months away.  They are going to leave it high.

•  Alcohol and soda are big profit makers.  I have worked in the Food and Bev industry.  The amount they make is insane. It probably costs than 10 cents for a soda.  That Mondavi Chardonnay they charge $8 a glass, costs them that for the entire bottle which they get 4-5 glasses.    
•  What I think we might see is RCCL cutting their line of hard alcohol included in the DBP.   For example: my husband and I drink Bulleit Bourbon, Makers or Gentlemen Jack.  They have always been in their included list.  They may say that now there is an upcharge for those brands.  
•  They may keep the DBP in the mid 50s and instead of having the daily special at 8, bring it up to 9 and only use "well" instead of "call" alcohol.  "Well"  is what you would get at your local store for cheap.  I don't drink Rum, or Pina Coladas, but I would guess there is a level lower than Ronrico, hence they would be using that.  

@Big Tule I don't know when your Baltic Cruise is sailing, but maybe they are not running any sales due to the fact that it might be cancelled.  Bev pkgs are not limited, like The Key.  The only thing I believe that is a factor is: all pre-cruise sales must be done 72 hrs prior to sail date.  

[JLMoran]

1 hour ago, Pima1988 said:

You saw the new sale which is Sept-Dec 2020 drop to 45 pr night.  

•  That price is lower than I paid in 2018 and 2019.  I pd 47 on Anthem in 18.  51 for my Adventure cruise in 19.

Nope, didn't see that at all. Since I don't have any upcoming sailings on Royal, I'm not paying as close attention to the posts about Cruise Planner sales. Good info!