Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on this issue in my post on RCI discriminating against the Brits on cruise prices (posted 3-April-2015). Great to see almost 2500 people of many nationalities have viewed my post, hopefully there will be many more to come. I encourage those who view but do not normally reply to postings to help raise the issue of cruise pricing by adding their voice to this discussion, even if you are not directly affected. One day you may be!
This is not an issue between people who live in different parts of the world. It is not even between paying guests and Royal Caribbean (although it sometimes feels like it). It is raising the need for greater simplicity and transparency in pricing which is good for business and can be a win-win for both Royal Caribbean and its customers.
For the record the price difference cannot be explained by exchange rates, geographic legal or insurance differences. Equally it is not possible to book in dollars from Europe either directly via RCI or via a US travel agent without a US registered address. It may be possible to set this up but it is not easy. It is also true that some (but not all) RCI cruises booked in the UK include drinks packages and sometimes include gratuities but these are always reflected in the cost of the cruise so they are not free. This is fair enough. In short the only real explanation for differential pricing (as some of you have pointed out) is because they can !
It is clear from your replies that RCI are losing some customers due to their pricing strategy. Not because their prices are necessarily too high but because they are so complex and difficult to understand that they are losing our trust. We all understand how a competitive marketplace works and none of us are trying to change that but it is not in Royal Caribbean's interests for potential customers (particularly loyal customers like Diamond members of C&A society) to decide to book with competitor cruise lines because they feel let down by RCI marketing strategy (the replies confirm this is happening). The result is clear for us all to see. RCI heavily discount late availability cruises and lose money. For example they are offering 19 night package on Quantum OTS from Dubai to Singapore including flights to and from UK for £1149. This is a great deal (£60 per night including 7 hour flight to Dubai and 14 hour flight home from Singapore) but smells of desperation. How many potential customers turned their backs on this cruise when RCI were demanding double the cost only a few months ago. Haven't RCI heard of the tortoise and the Hare. If not I suggest they check it out. Sometimes a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
I have no axe to grind with RCI. I am both a Diamond member of C&A and also a company shareholder so I have both a personal and financial desire for them to succeed and as a viewer of this site you may concur. RCI spend serious money attracting new customers and trying to keep existing ones (e.g. advertising and Crown and Anchor) and it is so counterproductive to operate a pricing policy that undermines this. Just look at the tone of the postings to my original thread to see how sceptical loyal customers have become.
Imagine if RCI were bold enough to set prices in dollars (at a margin which put them in the top quartile in the industry) made available worldwide on a first come first served basis. Imagine customers who believed they were getting a good enough deal that they would book early, and imagine when customer were so satisfied that they wrote glowing posts on cruise critic.
Any product in any market needs to win trust and brand loyalty to succeed and grow. Think about it. If RCI want to fulfill its strategy plan (and pay for all the new ships) then we all need to believe in its product and pricing is a crucial part of gaining that trust.
Maybe RCI will read this post. Maybe enough of you will reply and support the merits of simpler and more transparent pricing and maybe it will influence RCI decision makers so that all of us are ready and willing to book our future cruises with RCI in confidence. In the words of John Lennon. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. Imagine.
best wishes to all of you. Happy Cruising
Lord Nelson