Cruise Planner sale question

[Al Miller]

Are these just getting worse and worse over the last 6 months? They send me a big email touting a new sale starting today and I swear almost nothing is actually any different than it was before the sale. UDP went down less than $10 and Voom went down about $3 per day and that is about it. Are some sailings actually getting these huge deals they advertise but that I never seem to be able to get on my sailings?

[Pooch]

Nope

[dodgestang]

$3/Day x 7 = $21 savings..... and if you have 4 people who all want access....that over $80 in savings.  Just saying...even small margin changes can add up.

[Al Miller]

Still not the "50%" that the email touts. I know it says "Up to 50%" but I've never seen anything even close to that. And they say it every sale.

I am just saying 6 months ago "Sale" seemed to mean a little more than it seems to mean these days. I guess that's the price we pay for the fares continuing to be pretty low. It just irks me that these "Sales" almost seem like a scam anymore.

[HeWhoWaits]

The percentage off is a percentage off whatever the current onboard "full" price may be. If the "full "price goes up, 50% off the higher price may indeed be more than 30% off the previous "full" price.

[Al Miller]

13 minutes ago, HeWhoWaits said:

The percentage off is a percentage off whatever the current onboard "full" price may be. If the "full "price goes up, 50% off the higher price may indeed be more than 30% off the previous "full" price.

Then make that clear in the cruise planner. The emails I get come across like an attempt to fool the me into thinking I am getting a better deal than I actually am. Which I suppose is expected in this day and age. Which is a sad commentary but I guess its where we are.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner sales are smoke and mirrors. They raise the price just before something goes on sale and then reduce it back down to where it was to start with....or perhaps a bit higher.  That's the way it always goes.  Ignore the percentages off.  They mean nothing.  All that matters is the bottom line price...and be sure that you are comparing apples to apples and that if there is a gratuity (food packages come to mind) that you are comparing a new price that has charged grats the same way as the old price.  IOW, if your dining package was purchased under the "old" Cruise Planner system, it already includes gratuities but if it is now using the "new" My Royal Cruise system, the grats are not included in the price that they quote but are added at checkout.  Just be sure you know what you're comparing....

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

Cruise planner prices were definitely cheaper for most things in the preCovid days.  But then again just about everything on earth was cheaper a few years ago!  Inflation has hit us hard.

My sale prices are better today than they were the last few sales.  This is for the Adventure sailing in August.  My Allure sailing in September does not have the same pricing but luckily I purchased my “needs” way back when I booked that cruise and they were quite “alluring prices” at the time so I am happy with that.

[ChessE4]

3 hours ago, Al Miller said:

Are these just getting worse and worse over the last 6 months? They send me a big email touting a new sale starting today and I swear almost nothing is actually any different than it was before the sale. UDP went down less than $10 and Voom went down about $3 per day and that is about it. Are some sailings actually getting these huge deals they advertise but that I never seem to be able to get on my sailings?

Today, the Voom package dropped in price about $4 per day.  This is after a fake sale a couple of weeks ago when it didn't drop at all - the listed price had a surcharge that made the total only pennies apart from the original price.  I did see excursion prices that were 10-15% less than what I paid a few months ago.  So the bottom line is investigate the sale, you might save some $$.  With multipole purchases the savings can add up, as was previously mentioned.  Wishing you a great cruise!

[memebag]

I was hoping the big sale would make the Deluxe Beverage Package a good deal for me, but for my cruise, it went from $80 per person per day to $75. That's a $50 savings for two people for five days, but I'm still not going to drink enough booze on the boat to make it a better deal than paying for each alcoholic drink.

The Refreshment Package, on the other hand, dropped from $177 to $136. I can definitely drink $27 worth of cappuccinos and milkshakes each day.

[FireFishII]

22 minutes ago, memebag said:

The Refreshment Package, on the other hand, dropped from $177 to $136. I can definitely drink $27 worth of cappuccinos and milkshakes each day.

I thought the same but I did not even come close.  After the first day,  I kind of forgotten about the mocktails. I did dribble that freshly squeeze OJ every morning. 

[Jolly Ogre]

heh...3 day dining is $12 more per person now...refreshment pkg is $6.55 more per day and Coco Cay Beach Club is $79.27 more per person now.

No savings for me this year. Will have to wait and see how it goes for 2023.

[FSUFAN]

3 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner sales are smoke and mirrors. They raise the price just before something goes on sale and then reduce it back down to where it was to start with....or perhaps a bit higher.  That's the way it always goes.  Ignore the percentages off.  They mean nothing.  All that matters is the bottom line price...and be sure that you are comparing apples to apples and that if there is a gratuity (food packages come to mind) that you are comparing a new price that has charged grats the same way as the old price.  IOW, if your dining package was purchased under the "old" Cruise Planner system, it already includes gratuities but if it is now using the "new" My Royal Cruise system, the grats are not included in the price that they quote but are added at checkout.  Just be sure you know what you're comparing....

I'm new to RCCL, but this is like a game of "Three Card Monty" with the sales.  Nothing is straight about it.  30% off for 2 guests. 50% off for 1 - but you have to buy 2. "UP to 40% off" - (if you are willing to do the event at 7:00 am). 

Just tell me, this thing costs $200 and it is now on sale for $150 - Done, simple. Don't hide the gratuity and add it in after the fact. Give us the actual, total cost.

[memebag]

1 hour ago, FireFishII said:

I thought the same but I did not even come close.  After the first day,  I kind of forgotten about the mocktails. I did dribble that freshly squeeze OJ every morning. 

I will make it my mission to drink $27 of milkshakes each day. This is a thing I know I can do.

[dodgestang]

10 minutes ago, memebag said:

I will make it my mission to drink $27 of milkshakes each day. This is a thing I know I can do.

The gauntlet has been thrown

[Atlantix2000]

5 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

The percentage off is a percentage off whatever the current onboard "full" price may be. If the "full "price goes up, 50% off the higher price may indeed be more than 30% off the previous "full" price.

5 hours ago, Al Miller said:

Then make that clear in the cruise planner. The emails I get come across like an attempt to fool the me into thinking I am getting a better deal than I actually am. Which I suppose is expected in this day and age. Which is a sad commentary but I guess its where we are.

I'm pretty sure all cruise planner sales and emails use the phrase "X% off on board prices".  The part that isn't clear is that those on board prices can and do change constantly until you are ... on board.  They also don't publish the on board prices until you are ... on board.  The only real information you have is the current price.  Everything else is marketing.

It's not really different than any other business.  I was just shopping for a couch.  One store might have a sign saying "Our Price $4399!  Compare at $5599!"  What does that actually mean?  They are suggesting a competitor is selling the same thing for a lot more but there's no proof.  Which store? When? Is it still valid? Is it exactly the same product?  Did they just make up a number?  I don't know.  Maybe there's a store out there that lists that as their regular price but I bet they've got it on sale too and probably for the same amount.

All you can do is decide if you are willing to pay the current price.

[FSUFAN]

16 hours ago, memebag said:

I will make it my mission to drink $27 of milkshakes each day. This is a thing I know I can do.

What's the old saying "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should".  LOL 

Oh well, I guess - "Go BIG or go home" on a cruise should be "Go Big and go home big".