Why does DCL withhold the pricing?

[Expatriat]

I'll never understand why DCL does not publish the pricing prior to opening up the bookings for Platinum & Gold. Wouldn't it decrease hold times because people could check out the pricing, decide if they can afford it, then call to book what they choose? Certainly DCL must be aware that pricing is posted publicly as soon as callers get the info, so it isn't like they are keeping it secret. Why cause more work on their part and waste everyone's time?

I did not bother to call today because I expected prices to be insane, but I hate to think of all the people on hold for so long with anticipation, only to be disappointed. Even for those who did book, wouldn't it have helped to know the pricing and details before calling? I must be a bit dense, but I can not see any logic in DCL's method . . . unless each CM on the phone makes up prices as they go!

 

[KashasMom]

I would think it's because the prices increase as rooms are sold. So they don't want the poor general public to realize how much more they are paying than the Platinum/Gold people. Or....just because they can. Maybe the enjoy the feeding frenzy they cause.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'll never understand why DCL does not publish the pricing prior to opening up the bookings for Platinum & Gold. Wouldn't it decrease hold times because people could check out the pricing, decide if they can afford it, then call to book what they choose? Certainly DCL must be aware that pricing is posted publicly as soon as callers get the info, so it isn't like they are keeping it secret. Why cause more work on their part and waste everyone's time?

I did not bother to call today because I expected prices to be insane, but I hate to think of all the people on hold for so long with anticipation, only to be disappointed. Even for those who did book, wouldn't it have helped to know the pricing and details before calling? I must be a bit dense, but I can not see any logic in DCL's method . . . unless each CM on the phone makes up prices as they go!

Probably has to do with exactly that. If people see the price before they call and make the decision that it's too much, they won't call.

Once DCL has someone on the line, and talking to a reservation person, they are more likely to make the choice to book, even if the price is higher than they'd like.

 

[GooniesAndy]

They can't publish prices, because the prices are so fluid. Within an hour the prices could have already gone up significantly and then you'd have furious people freaking out.

 

[lorimay]

DCL should not be raising prices of any cruises till all "hold" reservations have deposits placed on them. Just Sayin'.

 

[jahber]

DCL should not be raising prices of any cruises till all "hold" reservations have deposits placed on them. Just Sayin'.

Exactly. I had my TA put a hold on rooms for the Panama Canal this morning when I wasn't available to ok the price to book or not, but turns out we won't be taking them. Way more than I want to pay for inside rooms on a long cruise. But I couldn't have known that before because THEY DON'T PUBLISH PRICES! Ok, maybe I don't need to yell , but what a waste of time and money to make people call to price out a cruise.
Oh, and we couldn't even get connecting rooms because they were all already booked. So, now that tier is no doubt already much more expensive, even though we won't be taking the rooms. I wish there were a way to release them and have DCL drop the price back. Poor silver cruisers. It's not fair.

 

[Expatriat]

Exactly. I had my TA put a hold on rooms for the Panama Canal this morning when I wasn't available to ok the price to book or not, but turns out we won't be taking them. Way more than I want to pay for inside rooms on a long cruise. But I couldn't have known that before because THEY DON'T PUBLISH PRICES! Ok, maybe I don't need to yell , but what a waste of time and money to make people call to price out a cruise.
Oh, and we couldn't even get connecting rooms because they were all already booked. So, now that tier is no doubt already much more expensive, even though we won't be taking the rooms. I wish there were a way to release them and have DCL drop the price back. Poor silver cruisers. It's not fair.

Agreed! What I highlighted in red is EXACTLY my point. Maybe I can understand some price fluctuation, but I feel it would be to everyone's benefit, DCL and those seeking to book, to have a starting point of prices released at least the day before booking opens. Sure, they may get people on the line who will book despite the sticker shock, but a huge number of those drop out of the cruise before the PIF date because they didn't have time before booking to thoroughly weigh their decision. Total waste of time for the potential cruisers and the CMs on the line, imo.

 

[Expatriat]

They can't publish prices, because the prices are so fluid. Within an hour the prices could have already gone up significantly and then you'd have furious people freaking out.

Anyone who would notice the price fluctuations would probably be a follower of price threads on boards like here on the Dis and others. No one agrees to non-disclosure when they call for pricing - lol. From the moment booking opens to anyone, their price secrets are blown anyway. So yes, a lot of people DO freak out over not only the pricing but the price discrepancies. That would happen whether or not they published any starting prices a day ahead, but publishing them would save a lot of time and effort.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

They can't publish prices, because the prices are so fluid. Within an hour the prices could have already gone up significantly and then you'd have furious people freaking out.

I think this is the reason. Given how quickly some prices escalate, I feel it would just create more grief for the CMs booking reservations.

 

[GooniesAndy]

Anyone who would notice the price fluctuations would probably be a follower of price threads on boards like here on the Dis and others. No one agrees to non-disclosure when they call for pricing - lol. From the moment booking opens to anyone, their price secrets are blown anyway. So yes, a lot of people DO freak out over not only the pricing but the price discrepancies. That would happen whether or not they published any starting prices a day ahead, but publishing them would save a lot of time and effort.

There would be a lot of fine print to explain that the published prices are not going to be based in reality by the time you get through on the phone. Last year we did a Mexican Riviera cruise out of San Diego. Those cruises filled up incredibly fast and the prices increased like crazy. If someone has a brochure in their hand, published by Disney, that says it's $2000PP, but when they get through an hour after the cruise goes on sale and it's now $3000PP, you will have people demanding the rate that Disney published. If someone posts on a message board that they got the cruise for $2000, another person might be upset when they hear that it is going to cost them $3000, but Disney never told them anything different. By tomorrow, when the majority of people are able to book, the pricing will all be out there online on DCL's website for anyone to see.

 

[Expatriat]

There would be a lot of fine print to explain that the published prices are not going to be based in reality by the time you get through on the phone. Last year we did a Mexican Riviera cruise out of San Diego. Those cruises filled up incredibly fast and the prices increased like crazy. If someone has a brochure in their hand, published by Disney, that says it's $2000PP, but when they get through an hour after the cruise goes on sale and it's now $3000PP, you will have people demanding the rate that Disney published. If someone posts on a message board that they got the cruise for $2000, another person might be upset when they hear that it is going to cost them $3000, but Disney never told them anything different. By tomorrow, when the majority of people are able to book, the pricing will all be out there online on DCL's website for anyone to see.

If DCL had a good, reliable website, they would be capable of letting Platinum and Gold CC members access "starting prices" the day before in order to decide if it was anywhere near doable for them, then take it down when booking opens for call-in. I'd bet it would eliminate several thousand of those who would otherwise make the call. Again, it is no secret that the prices can and do vary moment to moment, but I think time is too valuable for most people to spend an excess of on hold for something that has not even fully been revealed to them. Just my opinion, and I know nothing will change unless their "system" gets even worse, unfortunately. Having sailed with DCL from the start, I am aware of their ever-evolving pricing policy, but it really makes them look unethical. WWWD if he saw them playing the game like the airlines do? :-O

 

[MamaBear58]

If DCL had a good, reliable website, they would be capable of letting Platinum and Gold CC members access "starting prices" the day before in order to decide if it was anywhere near doable for them, then take it down when booking opens for call-in. I'd bet it would eliminate several thousand of those who would otherwise make the call. Again, it is no secret that the prices can and do vary moment to moment, but I think time is too valuable for most people to spend an excess of on hold for something that has not even fully been revealed to them. Just my opinion, and I know nothing will change unless their "system" gets even worse, unfortunately. Having sailed with DCL from the start, I am aware of their ever-evolving pricing policy, but it really makes them look unethical. WWWD if he saw them playing the game like the airlines do? :-O

lack of a reliable website is the issue here. There is no reason why pricing can't be available but you need to enter your Castaway Club member to view and/or book. And there's no reason they can't update the pricing in real time. Well, yes, the reason is that they aren't willing invest in the IT.

 

[Hundredacre]

Maybe they should stop hiring novices on H1B visas to run their websites. Disney websites are so not logical. You really feel like people who do not really know what they are doing are putting them together. So frustrating. Right now I am having problems with the "my disney experience" (should be my disney crappy experience). I do not know what they did but for the last couple of weeks my entry page has changed and I also do not see the fastpass option. Just haven't had the time to mess around with it and try to figure it out again. It's ridiculous enough that I have to schedule the minute details of my vacation months in advance but I also have to do it through their lousy website.

 

[Ofinn]

I have a feeling a lot of people will not be putting down deposits. There's really no pressure to buy anything when you call since you can put a hold and let it expire.

 

[jahber]

It's laughable that DCL has convinced people that you can't list starting prices because they might change. Haven't you ever received a brochure for a cruise line in the mail and then gone to the site to see all those "starting at" fares have gone up? Or tried to buy the cheapest listed concert tickets or plane tickets or hotel rooms, etc.? It's the nature of the beast. We ALL understand that. And if anyone doesn't, they'll learn fast. Just because a few people will be upset because they don't understand demand pricing, the rest of us have to waste hours (HOURS!) on the phone if we want to utilize the "perk" we receive as loyal customers.