HopperFan
"It's a bug-eat-bug world out there, princess."
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2003
I *am* on one of those sailings and I'm livid. I'm cruising with 2 friends, 1 does not drink alcohol at all. 2 of us were planning to buy the package....to the tune of $488 each. Now we won't. We can't. I can't ask my friend who doesn't drink to buy that package so I can drink. It's BS. Royal only screwed themselves out of almost a grand. Maybe more. At this point only 1 of the 3 of us has bought airfare. I'd be out less money paying her for her airfare and ditching the cruise altogether.
Is this going to apply to soda packages, too? I don't drink soda. I'm not spending $70 for my friend to drink soda.
What about the fact that we booked a promo that gave 2 of us a free soda package? What happens with that now?
Back in the day when Royal required everyone in a room to buy the same package I think people skirted it by buying their adult package onboard. There you bought it per person. I wonder if that will be possible again.
Seriously. I'm beyond livid. This is utter crap.
THIS. We spent 6 mos studying all the cruises, at all the FL ports, East & South, dates, ports, ships ..... One couple cruises a couple time a year but others once every couple years so it wasn't easy to make everyone happy. And while we were really leaning to NCL with free drink package for 1 & 2 (in which case paying for DS was more palatable), the group (11 so far in 5 cabins) were kind enough to pay slightly more so we could save on DS package AND RCI is very in tune to disabilities and treat him well. Our last on Oasis, we met several families same as us - all adults, a couple generations, but with a disabled member who didn't have to buy the package.
If they want to test this that is fine BUT it should have began on opening day for booking on the cruises NOT after the ship was basically full. Guarantee you have impacted a high percentage of the ship. How many booked because one member of a couple didn't have to order. If they knew this they could have booked NCL or other cruises that were offering 1 an 2 get it for free.
I was going to not need to bring bottled water because it was included in the package. Now I get to figure out where/how I'll get a couple cases of bottled water bettween the airport and hotel the night before. And, 4 drinks a day is nothing. Except if I have to purchase bottles of water onboard I've eaten into the budget for those 4 drinks. Now I get the fun of counting the pennies and tracking my spending. That sounds like fun. On vacation. I'm so glad I booked a "test" cruise so I can both stress AND pay more. Oh wait! That's right. I *didn't* book a test cruise. I booked a cruise with a budget & a plan. Now the bait & switch has blown that. And I'm not amused. I won't spend more. That's a promise on principle alone. I'm not to the PIF date yet. I *do* have the option to cancel.
AGREE. Disclaimer: I rarely drink at home, usually only on vacation. Last cruise with package .... loved breakfast in the formal dining room, we were leisurely and enjoyed about 3 bloody mary's (so good), during the day a variety of the frozen cocktails - usually didn't finish because they melted, on Labadee - yeah we had a little beach party and enjoyed our share of Labadoozies, dinner came with a drink or two and finished with champagne. Evenings explored the bars so a drink here and there, drinks at shows ... way more than 4 drinks per day. Honestly for me - I book for the ship, the food and the beverage package.
'Money grab'? Well, they ARE a business, and making money is what it's all about.
It's no different than being required to buy a full admission ticket to Disney even if you don't ride one single ride. The rider and non-rider companion have to pay the same amount.
But you know before going that is your experience. These cruises they are testing are basically fully booked and these people had no idea that they might be hit with a huge expense or a less-than experience. It would be like booking at Disney with the Dining Plan with a set cost/budget, you are past the point of getting your money back and then them telling you "Oh by the way we are doubling the price of the dining package, it's a test."
See my post above. If they were losing so much money they'd just raise the package price or make the change fleet wide. They're testing to see if it works out better for them. Read: more money in THEIR pocket.
Yes. They know their numbers. They are testing the waters ... will more buy it and just take the hit to their cost OR will many drop it and income go down overall. We are 11 right now, 10 paying for it ... we aren't gaming the system. Honestly it is way too much work to do that. I guarantee that if we can't buy it they have lost $900 and servers lose our extra tips. DS and I will purchase no drinks, like I said I don't drink much usually - DH will likely spend $200-300 tops .... but I can also see him not ordering much, especially since tip is on the charged drink cost ... not the package cost.
But really think about it, folks will just do what they do with Disney Dining and Deluxe when they add to just one room. They do this making assumption everyone is single cabin parties. We are 5 cabins, if 4 cabins (8 people) have the package ... it will be very easy for them to share with us if we wanted. We want to pay for it!
They make bank on the package, no doubt about that, so how about if there is someone who doesn't want it .... say well at the least they have to order the Refreshment Package. It's a least a chunk in their pocket. I would be okay buying him that in lieu of Soda Package.
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