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Marnier of the Seas Upgrade/Refurbishment ?!


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RC uses price to control demand to ensure it's not impossible for everyone to get to the event.  Exhibit A is the escape room on Harmony. Used to be free but started charging for it.  RC explained to me it had to do with the fact reservations were going so quickly most people have zero chance at getting a reservation for it. By charging, even a few dollars, it cuts out a lot of people who refuse to pay for it.

That being said, I agree I prefer the activities be as complimentary as possible. It's too slippery a slope for the argument of "using this as crowd control" to turn into "using this as a profit center".

Of course, lest we all forget RC is a for-profit company at the end of the day.

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3 minutes ago, Matt said:

RC uses price to control demand to ensure it's not impossible for everyone to get to the event.  Exhibit A is the escape room on Harmony. Used to be free but started charging for it.  RC explained to me it had to do with the fact reservations were going so quickly most people have zero chance at getting a reservation for it. By charging, even a few dollars, it cuts out a lot of people who refuse to pay for it.

That being said, I agree I prefer the activities be as complimentary as possible. It's too slippery a slope for the argument of "using this as crowd control" to turn into "using this as a profit center".

Of course, lest we all forget RC is a for-profit company at the end of the day.

Hmm, didn't know that they charged for the Escape Room ... and just like that I am thinking I may release the Harmony reservation and keep the Mariner one instead ;)

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22 minutes ago, Matt said:

Of course, lest we all forget RC is a for-profit company at the end of the day.

That's as long as they make a profit. I fear if they follow what @twangster said then people might book elsewhere that has everything included still. It is a very slippery slope and they must be very careful how they handle it.

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51 minutes ago, twangster said:

Are they going to start charging for them now?  Bumper cars.  Zip line.  Flowriders.  All have lines when they are open.  Time to start charging for them?  Broadway shows.  Ice shows.  Comedy Club.  Time to start charging I guess, they are popular too, except Cats - that can remain free. 

Perfect example is the MSC Seaside right now.  Charge for everything, bowling, F1 Simulator etc.  Or you can buy a "Fun Pass".  Zip line was free for the first 3 sailings but now there is a charge for that too.  Reason?  Crowd control.  Like @WAAAYTOOO said, this all leaves me with a bad feeling....

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1 hour ago, RestingBirds said:

If they start charging for everything I'll just get the drink pkg and sit by the pool for a week and not do anything else...unless I'll have to pay for a pool pass too...

Yeah, before you know it they’re gonna start charging me to play at the casino!

Oh, wait...

 

 

?

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On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2018 at 10:14 AM, Sabrinaklai said:

Perfect example is the MSC Seaside right now.  Charge for everything, bowling, F1 Simulator etc.  Or you can buy a "Fun Pass".  Zip line was free for the first 3 sailings but now there is a charge for that too.  Reason?  Crowd control.  Like @WAAAYTOOO said, this all leaves me with a bad feeling....

Not loving the sound of that but given they charged me less than 2/3 of what RCI does ... I may forgive a little nickle and diming ... we shall see :)

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BS on the crowd control and BS on charging for it!  These so called all inclusive cruise vacations may be a thing of the past.  Oh Yeah, it's all about the profit, what a go to statement now a days. 

I have waited for over 40 minutes maybe more in the flow rider line.,  Do I like it, No but it doesn't stop me waiting in line.  Just think you might start a conversation with the person next to you and not with your smart phone.  I have made many new friends on the flow rider line.  

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The way I think they would be better at making money is something like a fast pass. Think amusement parks, people pay but most people don't bother. It could be the same, I would be okay with something like that. If I saw one line was huge and I absolutely had to do it and I could get say a $15 fast pass for that thing I may be interested but not $15 and still have to wait in line because everything else is being charged for as well. There are many other ways they could do this if they really tried. Even you can reserve a spot for a set time but they have spots that anyone who pays can just go in without waiting long. 

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I know this topic is on another thread but if the cruise lines keep raising the gratuities, I personally will not pay the pre paid and remove the daily ones posted to my account.  I will then go back to the old ways, cash and amount based on the service I am provided.  I currently always go above and beyond the 14.50 per day per person amount when I cruise. FYI, Sorry I hijacked this post for gratuities, it got me in the Grinch mode. 

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4 hours ago, RBRSKI said:

Currently, And I stress Currently the Fast Pass does not cost anything.  If they feel the need to create some type of crowd control for the activities in question, a process like the Fast Pass could be solution.  

True at Disney and maybe Universal (been too long since I've been there, but I want to say they did charge for their Fast Pass equivalent). Not true at places like Six Flags; there, you pay for a Flash Pass if you want priority access to the rides. So there is precedent, albeit with places that aren't exactly known for being top-of-the-line.

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On ‎2‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 8:26 PM, JLMoran said:

True at Disney and maybe Universal (been too long since I've been there, but I want to say they did charge for their Fast Pass equivalent). Not true at places like Six Flags; there, you pay for a Flash Pass if you want priority access to the rides. So there is precedent, albeit with places that aren't exactly known for being top-of-the-line.

Universal charges a ton for their version ($99 per person per day for this upcoming weekend, in fact it was better to pay for a night in their hotel at $250 for the night, which includes free fastpasses for all 3 of us). We did Universal a few years ago and weren't impressed, decided to give it another try this year (Harry Potter fans, been waiting on both sides of Harry Potter world, etc) but based on pricing I think we will enjoy this weekend and then never be back again.

$100+ per person per day to get in and then you basically have to buy the fastpasses at another $100+ per person per day ... holy crap.

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On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 7:42 AM, jticarruthers said:

Universal charges a ton for their version ($99 per person per day for this upcoming weekend, in fact it was better to pay for a night in their hotel at $250 for the night, which includes free fastpasses for all 3 of us). We did Universal a few years ago and weren't impressed, decided to give it another try this year (Harry Potter fans, been waiting on both sides of Harry Potter world, etc) but based on pricing I think we will enjoy this weekend and then never be back again.

$100+ per person per day to get in and then you basically have to buy the fastpasses at another $100+ per person per day ... holy crap.

Off topic but just to close the loop .. had a great time at Universal, having the fastpasses was definitely great from the perspective of getting to do what you wanted but based on the price ($100+ for the ticket (purchased a florida resident combo so not quite as bad as a 1 day ticket) and essentially $100 for the fastpass) ... at $200+ per person per day, I don't see Universal being in our plans again anytime soon. Who would have thought Disney at $120 per day would sound like a deal :) !!

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On 2/12/2018 at 10:18 AM, jticarruthers said:

Off topic but just to close the loop .. had a great time at Universal, having the fastpasses was definitely great from the perspective of getting to do what you wanted but based on the price ($100+ for the ticket (purchased a florida resident combo so not quite as bad as a 1 day ticket) and essentially $100 for the fastpass) ... at $200+ per person per day, I don't see Universal being in our plans again anytime soon. Who would have thought Disney at $120 per day would sound like a deal :) !!

Well, you can get the Limited Express Pass for $70, which works the same except you can only use it on each ride once.  But to be honest, the Single Rider lines are usually shorter and I've never once felt it worthwhile to pay extra.  Even if I want to ride with others, the Express lines were never all that much shorter and we always did fine just using an app to watch the wait times and hit what we wanted once the time dropped to something reasonable.  Standard park strategies apply (go early, go to the back of park and work your way forward, ride lines thin out during lunch and popular shows, etc.)

Disney's fast passes are really just a reservation system.  They don't cost extra, but if you didn't book them weeks in advance, forget about getting a popular ride unless you luck out and somebody cancels.  Also 3 max per day.

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On 2/12/2018 at 9:09 AM, twangster said:

I've booked Mariner in September.  Waiting for the kiddies to go back to school and cruising during the week. 

This is why we like to cruise in October - though, we did notice a lot of kids on our first honeymoon leg on Allure this year. I suspect that could've been due to the overlap with Canadian Thanksgiving. 

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Might have been...Thanksgiving up here is the 2nd Monday in October, but I am not sure how big of a travel holiday it is for us Canadians. It is certainly nowhere near as big as American Thanksgiving.

 

October usually has some good pricing and weather..this will be my 3rd cruise during an October along with a few trips south during that time of year and always been good weatherwise, price wise and few kid wise...lol.

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22 hours ago, KLAconQueso said:

This is why we like to cruise in October - though, we did notice a lot of kids on our first honeymoon leg on Allure this year. I suspect that could've been due to the overlap with Canadian Thanksgiving. 

One of my cruise buddies is a high school teacher.  She often has a fall break in October and we often meet several other people on board from Colorado who also sail because its fall break.  I imagine there are other school districts around the country that do the same. 

October often has good pricing and depending on kid age many parents will take their kids out of school for a week if the price is right.   Save $2,000 but your 7 & 8 yo misses a week of school? No problem!  

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9 minutes ago, twangster said:

October often has good pricing and depending on kid age many parents will take their kids out of school for a week if the price is right.   Save $2,000 but your 7 & 8 yo misses a week of school? No problem!  

Sounds like a quick glimpse in to my future. :4_joy:

I could see the argument for that - particularly if you take the kids on a cultural excursion where they learn something about another country. My mom did that with us once when I was in middle school - we went to Cancun, and on one of the days we took a day trip out to Chichen Itza. I learned a ton, and it's something I will always remember. I even got to climb to the top of the pyramid! 

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1 hour ago, twangster said:

October often has good pricing and depending on kid age many parents will take their kids out of school for a week if the price is right.   Save $2,000 but your 7 & 8 yo misses a week of school? No problem!  

I think it is normally acceptable for all age groups really (as long as not any scheduled exams). Heck even in college I could leave for a week and it would be fine since the teachers just use powerpoint nowadays. All through high school we always would go mid-semester due to price (and parents work schedule) and never had an issue.

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2 hours ago, twangster said:

October often has good pricing and depending on kid age many parents will take their kids out of school for a week if the price is right.   Save $2,000 but your 7 & 8 yo misses a week of school? No problem!  

This has turned into an interesting discussion.  As a teacher and parent I cannot resist in putting my two cents in.

I really think it is case by case, dependent on the nature and age of the child.  As a teacher, I would be 100% against some students missing an entire week of school, whether it is a learning experience or not.  For some kids, missing a week would impact their learning by leaps and bounds and it would be difficult for them to "catch up".  However, for other kids, a week or even two is not going to the impact the child at all.  It also depends on the age and work habits of your child

I'm actually struggling with this myself right now.  This past year, being off, I did not hesitate at all to pull my kids out at the beginning of December to cruise.  When they got back, I re-taught them everything and all was good.  As we are looking into our long range cruise plans, in 2020-2021, we could potentially save a bit by cruising in the off season but by then, my oldest will be in Gr. 9, her first year of high school.  That is where I am stuck.  Do we pull her out and save a few thousand?  Or is it unwise, seeing that Gr. 9 is such a huge adjustment already and even though she has excellent work habits, maybe it's still not a good idea to put her in that position?

 

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3 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

That is where I am stuck.  Do we pull her out and save a few thousand?  Or is it unwise, seeing that Gr. 9 is such a huge adjustment already and even though she has excellent work habits, maybe it's still not a good idea to put her in that position?

Do you have family who can stay with them? :3_grin:

High school is a different matter but as you eluded some kids would be less impacted compared to others.  You might have to wait to see how high school fits them, then consider it for when they are in Gr. 10.   

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21 minutes ago, twangster said:

Do you have family who can stay with them? :3_grin:

High school is a different matter but as you eluded some kids would be less impacted compared to others.  You might have to wait to see how high school fits them, then consider it for when they are in Gr. 10.   

Yes.  We leave them behind once a year for a cruise. It's usually one with them and one without.  But the Gr.10 year doesn't work, cause I will be working that year and can't take the days off.

 

23 minutes ago, twangster said:

You might have to wait to see how high school fits them

And one of these days, we all have to meet lol.  My husband said this exact same thing a few days ago.

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17 minutes ago, Sabrinaklai said:

Anyone know if the Oceanview Panoramic Staterooms (VP) counts as a suite and if you get double cruise points?  This is the bigger one (406 sq ft.).  When I go to do a mock booking, it's under suites, but zero benefits show?

I'm going to make a huge assumption here, and I'm probably incorrect, if a Junior Suite gets double points than the OceanView Panoramic should, but your right it doesn't say.

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4 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

As we are looking into our long range cruise plans, in 2020-2021, we could potentially save a bit by cruising in the off season but by then, my oldest will be in Gr. 9, her first year of high school.  That is where I am stuck.  Do we pull her out and save a few thousand?  Or is it unwise, seeing that Gr. 9 is such a huge adjustment already and even though she has excellent work habits, maybe it's still not a good idea to put her in that position?

It does really depend on the child, how are they currently when you pull them out? Would getting the lesson plan/assignments/homework be an option for during the cruise? I used to travel a lot with my parents as whenever my dad had training or something we would all go since the hotel was paid for. I was always given my assignments before and would catch up while away. 

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1 hour ago, LetsTryThisTech said:

It does really depend on the child, how are they currently when you pull them out? Would getting the lesson plan/assignments/homework be an option for during the cruise? I used to travel a lot with my parents as whenever my dad had training or something we would all go since the hotel was paid for. I was always given my assignments before and would catch up while away. 

Well right now she's fine and I've taught everything from 4-8 so I have no concerns about her catching up. But I feel like high school is a different experience. I guess I will have to hold off on the long range cruise plans. Hubby will be happy.  

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7 hours ago, Sabrinaklai said:

As we are looking into our long range cruise plans, in 2020-2021, we could potentially save a bit by cruising in the off season but by then, my oldest will be in Gr. 9, her first year of high school.  That is where I am stuck.  Do we pull her out and save a few thousand?  Or is it unwise, seeing that Gr. 9 is such a huge adjustment already and even though she has excellent work habits, maybe it's still not a good idea to put her in that position?

As a parent of a high school senior, I can say that 9th grade is the easiest it will be for everyone. The coursework just gets harder and more intense, at least here in the US where it seems everyone is obsessed with taking as many Honors and AP classes as possible, just to make those transcripts as appealing as possible to the colleges and scholarship grantors.

Ater they’re accepted to college, you can take them wherever and whenever. “Senioritis” will have set in and they will have no f***s left to give. ?

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15 hours ago, JLMoran said:

“Senioritis” will have set in and they will have no f***s left to give. ?

Haaaaaa.. this reminds me of my last day of high school (which I realized this morning thanks to Facebook was about 10 years ago now).

All the seniors had to go in for a half day and report to their first bell class for attendance. Which no one did - we were more or less roaming the halls (mind you, this is one of the largest high schools in the state of Ohio, and my graduating class was 745). Once someone finally pulled us together to at least act like we were walking to our first bell, I walked in to the class (I was the only senior in this particular class - I was looking for an easy elective among other AP classes) and said "okay. I'm here. I'm leaving now." and then heard the rest of the juniors bust out laughing when I turned around and walked out. 

Senioritis is the best. 

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