World Cruise booking

[Cakemeister]

Matt's article on Royal opening up smaller segments of the world cruise:

Royal Caribbean adds new shorter World Cruise segments to book | Royal Caribbean Blog

There's only eight months until it sails, does Royal expect people to have not booked their cruise(s) already?

 

 

 

[Pattycruise]

I think they shoiuld put it as a casino offer!

 

[smokeybandit]

I think it's more of a "anyone booking an extended leg would have done so by now" so they're opening up the shorter itineraries.

[Cakemeister]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

I think it's more of a "anyone booking an extended leg would have done so by now" so they're opening up the shorter itineraries.

Maybe there won't be another one if they couldn't sell out this one. 

[osok]

They have upset a lot of the World Cruisers because the rates are now much cheaper by booking all 17 cruises that they now offer as the world cruise.  Many have cancelled World cruise and rebooked all 17 cruises.  Cancelling required losing $8,000 per person non-refundable deposit that was required to book World cruise.  Even with that loss people are still saving thousands of dollars.  People with kids paid thousands over and above the $8,000 deposit and now new bookings kids sail free.  Shareholders receive $2350 more than World cruisers by booking as 17 sailings.  Another hugh savings by booking the 17 is not required to purchase Wifi and Drink packages that equals tens of thousands of dollars.  Understand this cruise is 274 days (9 months), so that is reason people can now book and save tens of thousands of dollars by not being required to purchase packages that many already receive as part of CA benefits.  We as Diamond members and only one of us drinks receive 8 drink vouchers per day but had to pay for Drink package that was part of cruise fare.  For us at $60 day X2 equals $32,880 for entire cruise.  Wifi is only needed by us 1 day a week but was priced into our fare, many thousands of dollars to be saved by not being required to purchase daily for thousands of dollars.  The more I type this the more depressed I get.  RC has really upset a lot of long time loyal cruisers and have a real mess.

[SpeedNoodles]

19 minutes ago, osok said:

They have upset a lot of the World Cruisers because the rates are now much cheaper by booking all 17 cruises that they now offer as the world cruise.  Many have cancelled World cruise and rebooked all 17 cruises.  Cancelling required losing $8,000 per person non-refundable deposit that was required to book World cruise.  Even with that loss people are still saving thousands of dollars.  People with kids paid thousands over and above the $8,000 deposit and now new bookings kids sail free.  Shareholders receive $2350 more than World cruisers by booking as 17 sailings.  Another hugh savings by booking the 17 is not required to purchase Wifi and Drink packages that equals tens of thousands of dollars.  Understand this cruise is 274 days (9 months), so that is reason people can now book and save tens of thousands of dollars by not being required to purchase packages that many already receive as part of CA benefits.  We as Diamond members and only one of us drinks receive 8 drink vouchers per day but had to pay for Drink package that was part of cruise fare.  For us at $60 day X2 equals $32,880 for entire cruise.  Wifi is only needed by us 1 day a week but was priced into our fare, many thousands of dollars to be saved by not being required to purchase daily for thousands of dollars.  The more I type this the more depressed I get.  RC has really upset a lot of long time loyal cruisers and have a real mess.

They won't reprice them like they do every other cruise? Or is it already after final payment?

[WAAAYTOOO]

From what I understand, there are now only random ocean view and interior cabins left. [I can’t imagine being confined to an interior room for 274 days !]. So those that paid full price got their choice of rooms and will have the same cabin for the entire cruise; those getting the lower price are relegated the left-overs.  Left-overs = lower price.

[Cakemeister]

For a Pinnacle who is a light drinker and staying in an interior cabin, yes the split cruise is a better value.

But if you add up all the value you get:

Cruise fare, Gratuities, Laundry, DBP, Voom, Transportation,

(EDIT) Several free excursions

The world cruise comes out ahead. 

Plus, what W2 said.

Edited April 27, 2023 by Cakemeister
added excursions

[osok]

Rebooking has been available for month or more and yes now there are only interior or oceanview remaining.  Those who acted fast were able to stay in levels they first booked.  In some cases those were interior or oceanview.   

Yes you can get a lot of amenities as World cruiser and when it was a World cruise everyone paid for those needed or not.  But it is no longer a World cruise, it is 17 cruises and now you do not have to pay increased fare price for amenities you do not need and save thousands.  Those emenities were never free they were priced in fare paid.  Passengers for past 1 -1/2 years had one booking number for World but that has now gone away and everyone now is booked on 17 cruises and each cruise with a separate booking number.  Problem is due to World only selling about half of cabins and the other half now get to sail al a carte as normal.

[ZBrady]

15 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

From what I understand, there are now only random ocean view and interior cabins left. [I can’t imagine being confined to an interior room for 274 days !]. So those that paid full price got their choice of rooms and will have the same cabin for the entire cruise; those getting the lower price are relegated the left-overs.  Left-overs = lower price.

If you already had the WC booked and cancel, you could presumably immediately rebook that same room in segments. Not sure if that would work in practice, though.

[KristiZ]

2 hours ago, osok said:

Rebooking has been available for month or more and yes now there are only interior or oceanview remaining.  Those who acted fast were able to stay in levels they first booked.  In some cases those were interior or oceanview.   

Yes you can get a lot of amenities as World cruiser and when it was a World cruise everyone paid for those needed or not.  But it is no longer a World cruise, it is 17 cruises and now you do not have to pay increased fare price for amenities you do not need and save thousands.  Those emenities were never free they were priced in fare paid.  Passengers for past 1 -1/2 years had one booking number for World but that has now gone away and everyone now is booked on 17 cruises and each cruise with a separate booking number.  Problem is due to World only selling about half of cabins and the other half now get to sail al a carte as normal.

Don't forget the shore excursions that are included for the World cruisers. None are included for the segment purchasers.

[osok]

Yes everything is thought of and calculations done.  For some it can be a hugh savings and others just very nice savings.  For us we are staying with orginal booking but it is a little depressing to see how much different it could have been.  With half ship booked for all 17, I will be surprised if RC will attempt another so called World cruise.

Our vision for the cruise it's a once in lifetime experience and we are fortunate so far be healthy enough to take this type of trip.  We will have 26 months of planning by embarkation.  Completed a b4b for 38 nights just to better understand what and how much to pack, manage diet without gaining weight, living in such a small space, proper amount of excerise needed, etc.  On b4b one of us lost 1 lb. and the other 5 lbs., we are ready to go.