Royal Caribbean has been promoting a special one-day sale for National Beverage Day. That, of course, is not a real holiday, but the cruise line has offered promotional pricing for much thinner reasons.
Basically, Royal Caribbean looks for ways to engage passengers before a cruise to buy things they will use on board. That includes everything from drink packages to internet access, shore excursions and specialty dining.
Related: MSC Cruises adds attraction Royal Caribbean, Carnival don't offer
Royal Caribbean (RCL) has been investing heavily in making it easier for passengers to book those things before they get on the ships. That's part of a broader effort to take away friction from the first hours passengers spend on board, according to Chief Executive Jason Liberty.
"We're also seeing very strong booking behavior precruise. And again, making sure that our guests [have] the ability to get their first day of their vacation back by planning their onboard activities and shore excursion activities well in advance," he said during the cruise line's first-quarter-earnings call. "And that's also not only helping our ability to yield manage on the onboard experience, [it's] also improving our customer deposits."
Sales can drive that behavior, but you have to understand how the cruise line prices nearly everything it sells to know whether you are actually saving money.
Image source: Royal Caribbean
Understanding Royal Caribbean's math
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing for nearly everything it sells, including cruise cabins. That means there is no set price for these items, so the only way to know whether you are getting a good price is to understand the range prices usually fall into.
For example, I have a four-night sailing on the soon-to-launch Utopia of the Seas in late July. When I log into the Cruise Planner, the section of the cruise line's website where you book everything from drink and dining packages to internet and shore excursions, I see an ad offering me 35% off a drink package.
My colleague Matt Hochberg reported seeing 45% off on his Royal Caribbean Blog, and I have seen different percentages off offered depending upon the cruise I'm looking at.
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In this case, the price per night for the Deluxe Beverage Package, reflecting the 35% off, is $73.99 plus an 18% gratuity. That's not a bad price, but it's in line with what I have paid for a short sailing in the past. The 35% off means absolutely nothing because it's not a discount on a set price.
Royal Caribbean loves BOGO offers
Royal Caribbean does have one scenario where a buy-one-get-one offer actually saves you money. Diamond+ members of the Crown & Anchor loyalty program get BOGO specialty dining on the first or second night of a cruise.
Specialty dining does have a fixed price per restaurant (although deals can be found by booking before you sail). You can book this offer only on board, which means you'll pay the set price, but getting two for one makes this a very good deal.
The problem is that the BOGO dining offer is a loyalty perk, not something generally sold to passengers. Royal Caribbean does have a common BOGO offer where on the first day of a sailing it offers the Deluxe Beverage Package at buy one, get half off the other.
Since any adults sailing in the same room must both buy the package, this seems like a good deal. In reality, it almost prices out in the low $80s per day, generally a little bit higher than what you might have found before your cruise.
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When looking at any Royal Caribbean price it's the bottom line, not any discounts or percentages off, that matter.
