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Purchase Cruise Planner Items or Hold Off?


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Our March cruise on Harmony has a very good price for the waterpark.  It's typical "low" price is $105 CAD and today I noticed it's at $86 CAD.  Considering it's March break with lots of kids, that is a very good price.  But now getting less and less optimistic for March, especially out of Florida (plus if passport offices don't open soon, we have another problem).  Not sure whether to put more money into Royal with the uncertainly (although we have 5 cruises booked).

Are others continuing to purchase cruise planner items? Or are you holding off with the current unknown state?

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Thank you both. Sometimes it helps just to hear opinions. ?

Ok...we ended up purchasing it as it is a good price for the waterpark at a busy time.  If the cruise is cancelled and it takes time for a refund, not a huge deal (as long as the refund comes).  I do find that Black Friday can be hit and miss.  Sometimes there are good deals, but not necessarily for the things that you want.  So far we are at 0/4 for getting to the new and improved CoCo Cay.  Hopefully one of these times...lol.

Drink package is on sale too ($70 CAD instead of $90)....so it's tempting...but with kids, I still can't see us drinking enough to make it worthwhile (and that is putting a lot more money out than 4 waterpark passes)

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23 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

As long as you are prepared that it might get tied up, you can't go wrong purchasing now for sure.  Or the other plan could be that as it gets closer to March, if sailings don't look like they will happen, you cancel it first.  Refunds seem to come back faster that way.

Thanks.  Good to know.  We had one cruise that we lifted and sifted (Dec) and cruise planner refunds only took a few weeks.  We cancelled our Mariner Aug cruise and still waiting for those.

If a next time, we'll cancel excursions prior to cancelling the cruise.

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2 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

Our March cruise on Harmony has a very good price for the waterpark.  It's typical "low" price is $105 CAD and today I noticed it's at $86 CAD.  Considering it's March break with lots of kids, that is a very good price.  But now getting less and less optimistic for March, especially out of Florida (plus if passport offices don't open soon, we have another problem).  Not sure whether to put more money into Royal with the uncertainly (although we have 5 cruises booked).

Are others continuing to purchase cruise planner items? Or are you holding off with the current unknown state?

US Passports resumed a few weeks ago. Still no go in Canada? It took me almost 4 months but my renewed passport arrived.

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I'm in the same boat.I had a cruise canceled for August and opted for the 125% option for cruise planner options. Still waiting for them to process it, but went ahead and purchased the water park passes because they were over $26 less then we paid for August. Ours is in April. Worst case is they cancel and give us 125% credit. 

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3 hours ago, sk8erguy1978 said:

if I thought the price would never get that low again and a WOW REALLY.....

 

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

As long as you are prepared that it might get tied up, you can't go wrong purchasing now for sure. 

Agree with both. 

I also did the chill cabana for a February 2021 cruise.  We enjoy it so much (empty nesters) that we would hate to wait and miss out on the high demand item if the cruise doesn't get canceled. 

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3 hours ago, ted52 said:

US Passports resumed a few weeks ago. Still no go in Canada? It took me almost 4 months but my renewed passport arrived.

Not open yet in Canada.  My son's expires in January and the longer they wait to open, the worse the backlog will be.  We do have nexus but I don't think we can travel alone on that.

Glad you were able to get yours renewed.

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3 hours ago, Tiger317 said:

I'm in the same boat.I had a cruise canceled for August and opted for the 125% option for cruise planner options. Still waiting for them to process it, but went ahead and purchased the water park passes because they were over $26 less then we paid for August. Ours is in April. Worst case is they cancel and give us 125% credit. 

Too bad you couldn't somehow use your 125% credit for the new price even though you are still waiting for your email.

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2 hours ago, crisgold52 said:

I've already had four cancelled cruises this year and I've always up till this point kept on throwing money into the cruise planner haha... I'm not doing that anymore as constantly going thru the cycle of Dispersal and purchases each time becomes tedious and at this point I'm betting most sales in there are just placeholders for additional funds...because with no end date to this suspension honestly except the dangling carrot for Oct 1... which many are doubtful about..further compounded by the Wonder of the Seas article where it was mentioned

“We look forward to the arrival of Wonder of the Seas after the epidemic has been brought under control," the company said.

Well first off... in no way is this epidemic under control in the US and theres not even a remote possibility at this point of anything being under control by Oct 1 so in a sense by continuing to throw money into sales in the cruise planner we are continuing our role as RCL unsecured creditors ?

 

there is and always will be sales. This much is certain so it's a personal choice. I for one am not biting the carrot ... four times already so no fifth. If by some sheer chance my sailing for Nov does go ahead I'll possibly do some last minute purchases and maybe even for my back up FEB 2021 but short of cruise taxes I'm opting to no longer throw money into the cruise planner and have to deal with more credit refunds again later. Managing this has literally become a full time job outside of my day job ?

I hear you.  It's very frustrating and as you say, a full time job keeping track of refunds.  I have a spreadsheet where I keep track to note when something has come back.  We've had 2 cruises cancelled this year (2 excursions and drink packages on each) and we lifted and sifted our third one to next year (2 excursions).  I do doubt there will be cruises this year.  First quarter next year?  50/50.  I agree with you that the sales is a way for Royal to get funds.  I do feel bad and hope for all of us, for many different reasons that things recover.  As long as not bankrupt, we can get money back .  It's a horrible situation. Funny thing is I thought like you, and really stopped looking at cruise planner...until this morning...and hadn't seen the waterpark that low aside form then they first started selling them....so we did end up biting.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Resurrecting an older thread.

I checked Cruise Planner prices this morning on all of my cruises (at least, the ones for which CP prices are posted).  Even since yesterday, prices seem to be waaay up.  They were up to "normal" prices yesterday, but took a big jump today - at least the ones that affect me.

Example:  April 11, 2021 Liberty price for DBP+1 Voom S&S - I purchased for $54 PP/PD last week.  Yesterday it was up to its "average price" (can't remember exactly, but up from $54).  Today that combo is going for $71 PP/PD.

The UPD prices don't seem to be as impacted...but the drinks and internet are.  So glad I purchased most of mine already.  The only ones I have not yet purchased are those for which the prices have not yet been published (2022) or for which the drink package has never been reduced (notably, October 3,10 Allure).

It is my hypothesis that once Royal believes sailings will commence, Cruise Planner (and onboard prices) will go up and remain there.  Perhaps there will be a pretend sale for Black Friday/Cyber Monday (although not much materialized this past year) but I don't believe it will be a real savings (based on current/recent prices).  I think we will soon be saying bye-bye to the $40-something and even $50-something drink package prices.  I'm usually wrong...so there's that...

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It was my March 2021 cruise that had very good prices for drink package and "excursions" (if you count the waterpark an excursion).

Drink package is currently $94 CAD (which is very high) and it was at $70 CAD sale.  

Waterpark is currently at $136 CAD (which is very high) and it was at $86 CAD.

We could also purchase the waterpark for Dec for $105, but holding off on that one (even though that one is more likely to sale).

But even since my original post, it keeps yo-yoing between the prices.  I personally don't think March will be a go, and thus, they are having very good sales to get some cash flow.  (We did book the waterpark at $86 anyways just in case).

But I agree with you...I also think prices will be very high once things start running again.

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58 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Resurrecting an older thread.

I checked Cruise Planner prices this morning on all of my cruises (at least, the ones for which CP prices are posted).  Even since yesterday, prices seem to be waaay up.  They were up to "normal" prices yesterday, but took a big jump today - at least the ones that affect me.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I knew I should have purchased my Harmony GC drink package a couple of days ago when I was looking at it (I know better!). It's gone up a bit, but I still snagged it today just in case it gets even worse!

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Our next sailing is 11/29, which I re-booked due to our April cruise cancellation.

 

I'm so desperate to sail again, but now I'm really losing my elan for it.  Most people fully

expect all of November and probably December to be postponed, so I'm just not in a 

hurry to buy any of my cruise planner or non-RC excursions.  I guess I'm just "cruise depressed".

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We are on 11/29 also, had already purchased  and been able to reprice all of the CP items, got great prices, Now just waiting to see a go or no go. Already booked B2B for 10/21. If canceled this will be our first cancellation, so we will feel like most others here. Still wondering HOW, WHEN and WHERE we will be able to get back to what much.we miss so 

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