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Coco Cay genie?


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10 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

Have you heard if there are any plans in the future for Suite only access in, maybe, the area under construction or repurpose some other area(s)?

I'm not aware of Royal making any announcements or intentions regarding suite only areas on CocoCay.  

Royal is working on an adult only area but suites can include children so I wouldn't expect suite guests to be offered anything in the new adult only areas otherwise they alienate suite guests with children.

It is odd that Royal continues to embrace a suites/pinnacle beach at Labadee but nothing on CocoCay.  Just one of those inconsistencies we love about Royal.  

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14 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

Have you heard if there are any plans in the future for Suite only access in, maybe, the area under construction or repurpose some other area(s)?

Nope. The new under construction area will be an adults-only area, but no mention at all about an area or benefit for suite guests.

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13 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

Have you heard if there are any plans in the future for Suite only access in, maybe, the area under construction or repurpose some other area(s)?

It seems that Royal probably has maximized their ability to pull revenue from Coco Cay.  If adding anything special for the suites could decrease revenue, and I suspect it would, then I expect no changes specific to that group.

Not having a suites specific area likely increases the demand for cabanas and beach beds.  Royal likely has the data and I bet it shows that the suite guests occupy those at a greater ratio than the non-suite staterooms.  That extra demand probably helps keep prices higher for the cabanas since they use dynamic pricing.  

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15 minutes ago, twangster said:

Discovered this morning that the Labadee cabanas at the suite/pinnacle "Barefoot Beach" are now open for everyone to book including non-suite.  Barefoot Beach may be not suites/pinnacle forever.  Instead of adding suite areas to CocoCay maybe they are removing them from Labadee.  

Well, that's their right to do so.  But, it doesn't mean I have to like it.  If they show a trend of taking away exclusive suite benefits, I'm out!  I really enjoyed the two times I was on "Barefoot Beach".  Less crowded, faster drink service, no line at the BBQ, etc etc.  This, in itself, isn't enough to drive me away.  But, it wouldn't take much more.

BTW, why would they do that?  Back when we used to go to Labadee, there was a waiting list to get a cabana, I don't see a reason for it.  Are they just creating a longer waiting list with which you become a name on a list behind people that aren't suite class?  That's not meant to sound uppity.  It's just that suite class guest pay a premium for certain things, Labadee cabanas being one, even though their not free or included.  For example, if I pay a premium to cruise a ship in a suite that goes to Labadee's exclusive Barefoot Beach and want to reserve a cabana but can't because someone not in a suite got one, I'd be pissed.  Why did I pay the premium?  It might be an easier pill to swallow if a nonsuite person could put their name on a waiting list and if ALL the cabanas weren't sold/rented to suite class , they have the ability to purchase/rent a cabana at the last moment, at the entrance gate to Barefoot Beach.  

If true, this ain't right.

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17 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

Have you heard if there are any plans in the future for Suite only access in, maybe, the area under construction or repurpose some other area(s)?

I remember a while back hear a rumor about some development plans at coco cay. NCL's private island has beach houses for that cruisers could purchase for their time on the island. I remember hearing from some where that there were plans for royal to do the same at coco cay. I personally could see how a royal genie could be indispensable here as a service to ensure the beach house is stocked with food and drinks and also to set up anything guests in star class would want. 

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43 minutes ago, Moby Dick said:

Well, that's their right to do so.  But, it doesn't mean I have to like it.  If they show a trend of taking away exclusive suite benefits, I'm out!  I really enjoyed the two times I was on "Barefoot Beach".  Less crowded, faster drink service, no line at the BBQ, etc etc.  This, in itself, isn't enough to drive me away.  But, it wouldn't take much more.

BTW, why would they do that?  Back when we used to go to Labadee, there was a waiting list to get a cabana, I don't see a reason for it.  Are they just creating a longer waiting list with which you become a name on a list behind people that aren't suite class?  That's not meant to sound uppity.  It's just that suite class guest pay a premium for certain things, Labadee cabanas being one, even though their not free or included.  For example, if I pay a premium to cruise a ship in a suite that goes to Labadee's exclusive Barefoot Beach and want to reserve a cabana but can't because someone not in a suite got one, I'd be pissed.  Why did I pay the premium?  It might be an easier pill to swallow if a nonsuite person could put their name on a waiting list and if ALL the cabanas weren't sold/rented to suite class , they have the ability to purchase/rent a cabana at the last moment, at the entrance gate to Barefoot Beach.  

If true, this ain't right.

I don't know if that is their intention but it is a possibility.

Using PDCC as a model they sell suites on many cruises that include a stop at PDCC.  Suites guests still book the suites despite not gaining any suite perks at PDCC.

I'm not sure I see Barefoot Beach attributable as a source of revenue that would disappear if Barefoot Beach was opened beyond suite guests.  Not that I'd like that as I am sure other returning guests might not like it, but I don't see people not booking a suite on a ship because at one port of call they don't have access to a suite only beach.  

My first Royal cruise was in a loft suite.  That cruise included a stop at Labadee.  Barefoot Beach was icing on the suite cake but had zero influence on me booking the suite.

On a typical cruise around 50% of all guests are new to Royal.  Like me there are new to Royal guests booking suites.  If Barefoot Beach wasn't offered these new guests wouldn't know any better.  

I think an accountant would have a really hard time pouring over the data and coming up with a dollar amount that Barefoot Beach generates in revenue because it is a suite only beach.  On the other hand expanding access to a much larger potential consumer group is easier to quantify in terms of new revenue that doesn't exist today.  Some Barefoot Beach cabanas go unsold on some cruises to Labadee while Nellie's cabanas tend to sell out every time.  Expanding access will generate new revenue and potentially at higher prices with more demand from a larger population.  

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11 minutes ago, twangster said:

I don't know if that is their intention but it is a possibility.

Using PDCC as a model they sell suites on many cruises that include a stop at PDCC.  Suites guests still book the suites despite not gaining any suite perks at PDCC.

I'm not sure I see Barefoot Beach attributable as a source of revenue that would disappear if Barefoot Beach was opened beyond suite guests.  Not that I'd like that as I am sure other returning guests might not like it, but I don't see people not booking a suite on a ship because at one port of call they don't have access to a suite only beach.  

My first Royal cruise was in a loft suite.  That cruise included a stop at Labadee.  Barefoot Beach was icing on the suite cake but had zero influence on me booking the suite.

On a typical cruise around 50% of all guests are new to Royal.  Like me there are new to Royal guests booking suites.  If Barefoot Beach wasn't offered these new guests wouldn't know any better.  

I think an accountant would have a really hard time pouring over the data and coming up with a dollar amount that Barefoot Beach generates in revenue because it is a suite only beach.  On the other hand expanding access to a much larger potential consumer group is easier to quantify in terms of new revenue that doesn't exist today.  Some Barefoot Beach cabanas go unsold on some cruises to Labadee while Nellie's cabanas tend to sell out every time.  Expanding access will generate new revenue.  

Yep, I understand/see your point.  But, sometimes you (a business) has to forfeit some revenue to make some revenue.  Again, I've only been to Barefoot Beach twice.  But, neither time did I see an open cabana.  And again, I think to satisfy the desire for more revenue and keep suite guests happy, take the easier pill to swallow option, sell available suites to anyone only after they are obviously not going to be sold/rented out, a win win.

Yep, the first time I went to Labadee, it was a complete surprise that there was such a place like Barefoot Beach.  But, my toe has dipped in that water and I liked it.

Again, I'll not abandon Royal over this one issue.  I would over principal though, if benefits seem to be eroding away without in kind price reductions.  Which we all know, that ain't gonna happen.  

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PDCC has been a smashing success without any suite perks.  I think the results exceed even the most optimistic estimates they modelled to build the business case for it.

Taking my personal feelings out of the equation and looking at this with business eyes there has to be a lot of temptation to duplicate that success at other private destinations and right now that means Labadee.  The question is how do they get from where we are to where they want to be?  We may be seeing signs of that transition now.

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3 hours ago, twangster said:

PDCC has been a smashing success without any suite perks.  I think the results exceed even the most optimistic estimates they modelled to build the business case for it.

Taking my personal feelings out of the equation and looking at this with business eyes there has to be a lot of temptation to duplicate that success at other private destinations and right now that means Labadee.  The question is how do they get from where we are to where they want to be?  We may be seeing signs of that transition now.

Again, I understand.  However, keep in mind that probably thousands of suite class folks have experienced (put their toe in the waters) the exclusivity of Barefoot Beach and liked it.  There has never been that level of exclusivity at PBCC.  But, I think we have beat this dead horse enough.  LOL

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