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Black Friday Deals Questions


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Ok, so really curious about this and how it works. Very interested in getting beverage package (Non alcoholic) and excursions at the best price possible for next May. How does it work A to Z??? Where do I look? What do I do? Etc. Also past price stories to maybe help me on what to expect. All help welcome. (I know it's only Aug, but gotta plan) lol.

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I personally have gotten the best prices on Black Friday.  I know if can be different for each cruise and such but last year the refreshment package was $18.99 and soda was $5.99. Also excursions on CoCo cay were really good too. Jet ski tour was $80 and balloon was $35. Again all this was pre inflation out of controlness. LOL. Hope that helps a little. 

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I have gotten great drink and internet package deals on Black Friday, but it is important to book early and reprice often for things like excursions and dining packages. They never sell out of internet and drink packages......but if you want the unlimited dining package of Beach Club passes, book now at a price you are comfortable with. Those can sell out, especially on a popular sailing. 

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And again it’s not fuzzy math.  It is EXACTLY what it says it is.  WE don’t like the price, we don’t like the way they word the sale, we don’t like that it bounces up and down and up and down.  But the math always agrees with what they advertise.  20% off $98 is $78.  BOGO 50% at $98 is $73 each.  

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10 minutes ago, Pooch said:

And again it’s not fuzzy math.  It is EXACTLY what it says it is.  WE don’t like the price, we don’t like the way they word the sale, we don’t like that it bounces up and down and up and down.  But the math always agrees with what they advertise.  20% off $98 is $78.  BOGO 50% at $98 is $73 each.  

It is exactly Royals Fuzzy Math when it claims to be a 30% sale but it's the same price it has been for the last 4 months.

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20 minutes ago, Psycho and Barb said:

It is exactly Royals Fuzzy Math when it claims to be a 30% sale but it's the same price it has been for the last 4 months.

Not fuzzy math, convoluted math. Fuzzy math won't add up, convoluted math takes a minute to understand.

I doubt we have different CPs so there is a sale, regardless of if that "sale" price stays the same for 20 years. Royal is not the only person that does this: jewelry, furniture and wholesale stores do this all the time.  

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When the percentage changes but the price does not, they are increasing the on board price to compensate.  I get that none of us like it but it is not fuzzy.  And Filenes got in trouble with the CT Dept of Consumer Protection for the never ending towel sale.  It can’t be on sale if it never goes off sale.  Became the store joke.  Don’t buy towels on Tuesday because that’s the non-sale day.  Was it silly? Yes but it followed the letter of the law.  Stores like Marshalls have a “compare at” on their tags.  Compare where? When?  Was the item ever actually offered at that price?

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As Matt frequently says, book what you want now. Check prices frequently,  especially near holidays like labor day and black Friday. Then cancel and rebook if you find it cheaper. 

I've saved hundreds doing this.

One other piece of hard won advice. If your travel agent scored an OBC, don't use it in the cruise planner.  Save it for your gratuities instead.  I once used mine on a shore excursion and got a great price. However, when we repriced the cruise, the OBC went away and the shore excursion automatically cancelled.  It hasn't appeared at the same price since.

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32 minutes ago, steverk said:

As Matt frequently says, book what you want now. Check prices frequently,  especially near holidays like labor day and black Friday. Then cancel and rebook if you find it cheaper. 

I've saved hundreds doing this.

One other piece of hard won advice. If your travel agent scored an OBC, don't use it in the cruise planner.  Save it for your gratuities instead.  I once used mine on a shore excursion and got a great price. However, when we repriced the cruise, the OBC went away and the shore excursion automatically cancelled.  It hasn't appeared at the same price since.

I had a similar experience and lost the OBC, too.

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Ok, first thanks. I'm totally confused on fuzzy math. If a soda package is say $12.99 a day and it goes on black Friday for $5.99 how and where are you being tricked? (Just so I know what pit falls to look out for). Also, I can just do all this in the app right? Just downloaded it a few days ago and trying to understand how it works. Trip not till May but just paid in full to get it over with. Also hoping to know my GTY early by being paid in full. I know no guaranty on that. But no chance price will drop as I got inside GTY for half off to begin with.

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1 hour ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Ok, first thanks. I'm totally confused on fuzzy math. If a soda package is say $12.99 a day and it goes on black Friday for $5.99 how and where are you being tricked? (Just so I know what pit falls to look out for). Also, I can just do all this in the app right? Just downloaded it a few days ago and trying to understand how it works. Trip not till May but just paid in full to get it over with. Also hoping to know my GTY early by being paid in full. I know no guaranty on that. But no chance price will drop as I got inside GTY for half off to begin with.

In my experience the fuzzy math is that the sale will say "save up 50% on drink packages." Sounds great, but when you look the $12.99 soda package will be $8.99. It's not a bad deal, but no cheaper than normal and definitely not 50% off.

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1 hour ago, steverk said:

In my experience the fuzzy math is that the sale will say "save up 50% on drink packages." Sounds great, but when you look the $12.99 soda package will be $8.99. It's not a bad deal, but no cheaper than normal and definitely not 50% off.

Because it’s not on ALL drink packages.  That’s why it’s “up to”.  Really I’m not a RC sale cheerleader.  I just don’t agree that the sales are fuzzy, smoke & mirrors, deceptive.    They are what they are!

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1 hour ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Anything off the soda package with a black Friday sale will be better then nothing. 50% off would be great, but I would take 30% off if it was best offered. Again, I'll be able to do all this on the app in Nov for next May? 

The Cruise planner is NOT available on the app. It is mainly through the actual website. Being able to book excursions just came on the app recently.

Also, as a point you should always book at a price you are comfortable with and not wait. $8.99 for a soda package is better than $12.99. It may be $9.99 for Balck Friday as not everything will be on sale or at a price you like. With rampant inflation and supply chain issues, who knows what the prices will be in month from now.

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5 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Also hoping to know my GTY early by being paid in full. I know no guaranty on that. But no chance price will drop as I got inside GTY for half off to begin with.

GTY assignment reveals aren't based on that.  There's really no trick to getting an earlier assignment.  Once you're within 45 days if you still don't have an assignment sometimes when you scan the SetSail pass barcode with a barcode reader it will give it away.  

2 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Anything off the soda package with a black Friday sale will be better then nothing. 50% off would be great, but I would take 30% off if it was best offered. Again, I'll be able to do all this on the app in Nov for next May? 

That's the thing with Royal...50% off may be $12.99 while 30% off is $8.99.   You've got to ignore the % off always and just look at the bottom line for pricing.

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5 hours ago, ZMANATL said:

Currently my cruise has a 30% off Deluxe package.. priced at 67.99..  that's the lowest I've seen.. course I booked cruise after Black Friday and will sail before this coming Black Friday..  30% seems to be max off outside the biggest sales. Am I correct? 

That’s a pretty good price. I’d buy it at that price. 

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Ok, so right now my soda package is listed as $13.50 with a line thru it and says 30% off $8.99. So if I buy this for 2 people now with gratuity it's about $148 total. Just so I'm clear.....If there is a better Black Friday price I can cancel, get refunded the $148 I'm paying today, and repurchase all in one shot on Black Friday? They will refund me this money I'm spending now?

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15 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Ok, so right now my soda package is listed as $13.50 with a line thru it and says 30% off $8.99. So if I buy this for 2 people now with gratuity it's about $148 total. Just so I'm clear.....If there is a better Black Friday price I can cancel, get refunded the $148 I'm paying today, and repurchase all in one shot on Black Friday? They will refund me this money I'm spending now?

Correct

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56 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

Correct

Ok, Thank You All !!!!!!!!!!!

I did soda package for 2 at $8.99. (Will look Black Friday to maybe get down to $5.99) Who knows. Will see. As long as I can get this price refunded to my card, why not try right. Also got a 12pk of water for $11.99. Hey a buck a bottle and I don't have to carry it on. Lol. 

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8 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Ok, Thank You All !!!!!!!!!!!

I did soda package for 2 at $8.99. (Will look Black Friday to maybe get down to $5.99) Who knows. Will see. As long as I can get this price refunded to my card, why not try right. Also got a 12pk of water for $11.99. Hey a buck a bottle and I don't have to carry it on. Lol. 

The best price I've ever seen for the soda package was $6.49. It was a black Friday sale and only on some of my sailings.

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Any chance we see the DBP in the mid-$50s range that everyone says they got at one time?  I know it is all speculation, but just wonder what folks thought.

Also, far too many get confused by the pricing and it just should not be so. But for them to say "for me it is confusing" is their truth. I am a newbie to sailing on RCCL and to these boards, but since I have been online, it seems like every few days someone is asking for pricing clarification and that should say something about the way RCCL prices their add-ons. It may seem very clear to some and at the same time very confusing to others. I myself am not confused with the pricing, but you have to admit, there is some pricing gamesmanship played out by the RCCL marketing department.

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22 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

Anything off the soda package with a black Friday sale will be better then nothing. 50% off would be great, but I would take 30% off if it was best offered. Again, I'll be able to do all this on the app in Nov for next May? 

 

When in doubt, add the package (drink, dinner, alcohol, etc) to your shopping cart, go to check out and it will show the price.  If youre happy with it continue with the check out.  If you dont like the price then remove the item or just cancel the checkout. 

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1 hour ago, FSUFAN said:

Any chance we see the DBP in the mid-$50s range that everyone says they got at one time?  I know it is all speculation, but just wonder what folks thought.

Also, far too many get confused by the pricing and it just should not be so. But for them to say "for me it is confusing" is their truth. I am a newbie to sailing on RCCL and to these boards, but since I have been online, it seems like every few days someone is asking for pricing clarification and that should say something about the way RCCL prices their add-ons. It may seem very clear to some and at the same time very confusing to others. I myself am not confused with the pricing, but you have to admit, there is some pricing gamesmanship played out by the RCCL marketing department.

I would say no as my honest guess. Everything cost more. I think the $5.99/6.49 soda package, the $16.99/18.99 refreshment and $47/55 DX packages are a thing of the past. Not only because of inflation but because people are willing to pay. 

The DX will cost less on longer sailings, and I think a low $60s unless it is a TA which might be in the $50s, but those sailings are 10-15 days, so it works out similar.  But on regular sailings for 4-7N it will be in the low $60s.

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Last Black Friday the only things that really went on sale were for Coco Cay. And they really went on sale. Almost everything was a true 50% off. The drink packages did go on sale, but we had found them for a better price a few months before. Same with the UDP and The Key. Like everyone says, if you want it, but it. Watch for price drops and cancel and repurchase.

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35 minutes ago, San Diego Garrett said:

Last Black Friday the only things that really went on sale were for Coco Cay. And they really went on sale. Almost everything was a true 50% off. The drink packages did go on sale, but we had found them for a better price a few months before. Same with the UDP and The Key. Like everyone says, if you want it, but it. Watch for price drops and cancel and repurchase.

I've had that experience where the month/weeks leading to Black Friday had some better pricing than Black Friday itself-for some items and for the Black Friday sale other items had better pricing.

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Am I missing something? I thought I heard somewhere that drink package prices for Royal is different for different sailings. Maybe that's only for the Deluxe package. Meaning a "good" price is hard to compare unless it's for that particular sailing. Same ship and sailing date only. Fuzzy pricing. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

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10 hours ago, mistertomatohead said:

Am I missing something? I thought I heard somewhere that drink package prices for Royal is different for different sailings. Maybe that's only for the Deluxe package. Meaning a "good" price is hard to compare unless it's for that particular sailing. Same ship and sailing date only. Fuzzy pricing. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

It is, not everyone will have the same price due to itinerary, ports, length of cruise, etc. 

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12 hours ago, mistertomatohead said:

Am I missing something? I thought I heard somewhere that drink package prices for Royal is different for different sailings. Maybe that's only for the Deluxe package. Meaning a "good" price is hard to compare unless it's for that particular sailing. Same ship and sailing date only. Fuzzy pricing. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

The only drink package I'm reliably seeing as the same price across N. American sailings is the Classic Soda at $8.99/day. Deluxe and Refreshment seem to be higher or lower depending on the sailing and ship.

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