Industry marketing

[Royal Blue]

Away from the ocean for quite a while , I had to think hard about my login deets for RCB but did remember finally. Was thinking about something another year out or so. So we'll see how fast the google algorithm will work and I start seeing cruise ads. I see the result of how the cruise industry has to compete amoung   themselves to gets the lowest - *as low as price* - onto the pricing structure and marketing.  First change I noticed was room selection upcharge and the corresponding deposit refund policy attached. Like airline pricing so not a big stretch that its here now. Like vehicle pricing, get them in the door at $ and make them leave at $$$. What will the lines do strip more off to get that number even lower,...will the buffet still be "free" in 5-10 years? Consumers still have the ultimate power but is funny to see the cat and mouse game from a distance. That's why I stayed with this forum to get knowledge from the cruising class.

[Matt]

As much as we all relish opportunities to cruise again and again with Royal Caribbean, you always have to remember that this is a business and the cruise line's primary goal is to return a profit to its investors.  Like all businesses, making money is why they do what they do.

In regards to the pricing models you're seeing, clearly you're taking a "glass is half empty" view of things, which is fine.  I disagree with the notion that there is a "room selection upcharge".  It's actually the opposite, with the option to have RC select your room for a discount (guarantee rooms). 

I think the bottom line is as consumers, it's up to you to determine what constitutes value and what you're willing to pay.  I still believe cruising in general offers a ton of value compared to a land vacation and competition among the cruise lines has never been more fierce.  Competition between Carnival, NCL, MSC and others works to our benefit as consumers and we see lower prices and better options.  Look at the price of WiFi onboard today versus 5-10 years ago.  Major drop in price and major increase in performance.

[twangster]

As a business traveler who often spends weeks on the road, I can tell that travel expenses adds up fast and a week on the road even at a modest hotel with a corporate limiting meal plan, the cost to be in a hotel and eat 3 meals a day is way up there.  I'm not talking lavish take clients to dinner so eat great for free business trips, I'm talking places that are 'meh' but you have to go anyways. Companies today don't tolerate that 'anything goes' travel plan anymore.  

With that always in my mind I find great value in cruising.  Is it what it was 10 or 20 years ago?  No, but neither is airline travel when I could lie down in a empty row of seats on plane and sleep.  That just doesn't happen anymore.  

While you may see it a room 'up-charge' I work the system to find great deals on rooms to cruise even cheaper.  I still enjoy the same amenities and outside of the room no one knows I am in a 4D balcony compared to the big shots who paid more for a 6D balcony.  

Yes, times have changed but once you get back into the flow I think you'll find it's still a great vacation experience.  Choose to pay more for certain items like drink packages or photo packages or just cruise like you used 10 years ago before they existed.  

[Orange Crush]

On 10/8/2018 at 11:00 PM, Royal pain said:

I see the result of how the cruise industry has to compete amoung   themselves to gets the lowest - *as low as price* - onto the pricing structure and marketing. 

I hate the marketing games companies play with the prices they're allowed to advertise, but the cruise industry is far from the only culprit there.

You just can't take advertised prices at face value, ever.  And that's true of cruises, hotels, airfare, cable companies, you name it.  Best you can do is find out what the extra charges are, decide which of the optional ones you want, and then add it up to see what you'll really pay to make an informed decision.