Once you book your cabin on a Royal Caribbean cruise, it becomes time to start tracking the price of the various extras you hope to book. Because the cruise line uses dynamic pricing for all onboard extras, it's not a simple question of buying what you want at the first possible opportunity.
Some items, like individual specialty restaurant bookings, don't vary that much although they may be put on sale. In most cases, however, prices can change quite a bit for products like the Deluxe Beverage Package (DPB), Voom Internet, and the Unlimited Dining Plan (UDP).
Related: Royal Caribbean shares key news on its plans to go small
The same can be true for shore excursions and add-ons at the cruise line's Perfect Day at CocoCay private island. To further complicate the decision of when to book, shore excursions and certain CocoCay extras like the various classes of cabanas, can sell out.
If you wait for a better price on those items, you run the risk of losing out on something you may have really wanted to do.
Many Royal Caribbean passengers wait for sales, which are usually offered on most major holidays, but even that tactic is not foolproof. That's because many people do not understand a key aspect of what many Royal Caribbean fans often refer to as "Royal Math."
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Royal Caribbean uses demand-based pricing
Royal Caribbean (RCL) does not have set prices for any of its onboard extras. The cruise line uses demand-based pricing that can make it hard to know when the best time to book anything is.
The DBP, for example, can be everywhere from around $60 a day (plus an 18% gratuity) to over $100 per day. People on the same sailing who book the package at different times can end up paying very different prices.
There's also a key mistake people make when they book onboard extras on Royal Carribbean. That was illustrated by a recent post on Reddit.
"I'm heading out on Wonder of the Seas in November and interested in treating ourselves to the Unlimited Dining Package. I noticed it was listed at 40% off last week and now go to book and it changes to just 20% off. Do you expect the price to go back down? If it does can I get credit for the lower price?" Prudent Flamingo posted on Reddit.
The problem — and it's a big one — is that since Royal Caribbean does not have a set "list" price, the percentage off does not matter. Getting 40% off a higher price might actually cost more than getting 20% off a lower one.
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Passengers speak out on Royal Caribbean math
This assumes the full price doesn’t change, which is not true. Stop looking at the percentage off and start looking at the actual dollar price.
"RC changes the 'full price' to make discounts seem bigger. If full price is $500 and it’s 40% off, then $300 seems like a big deal! The following week, you see the discount is 30% and think 'I got a steal!' but you don’t see the full price is now $400, which makes the discounted price $280," wrote Mgahs.
Lumpofcole shared how you get the best price on any Royal Caribbean extra or added-fee item.
"Sales happen all the time, especially around holidays. There might be a Labor Day sale that gets 40% off. Or some made up holiday like International Food Overload Day or something, it’s really constant. Just literally check every 2-3 days and eventually a sale returns," they shared.
ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
Getting the best price means being willing to cancel and have money tied up on your credit card until a refund is made.
"Since you can cancel and refund an extra you buy to get it for a better price up to 7 days or so before a sailing, the rule of thumb (especially because some items can sell out) is to get it if you want it and keep checking for a better price. If you find it for a better price, you can cancel it and then reorder it," they added.
Related: Get the best cruise tips, deals, and news on the ships from our expert cruiser
