Cruise adverts for someone who is new to cruise… Confusing or what….

Just tell me your best price please!

Why can cruise ships not have a standard way of pricing that goes throughout the industry?

The cruise companies realise cruisers are all intelligent people. Doctors, teachers, actors, motor racing drivers, builders, electricians, sales people to name a few of the working ones. Oh and of course the retired people who have all the time in the world to analyse the best deals.

So why make the pricing of a sailing with a bed so complicated? A bed at the forward or aft of the ship is less money than midships. This is because of the way a ship moves and the roughest rides are at the front or back. That part makes sense to me. High deck or low deck? The more you pay the more you sway, you do get a better view in calm weather. But during rough seas I have seen suites guests from deck 12 camped out in the lobby on the lower decks to stop themselves feeling sick.

Two for one? Really? Can that be true? For cruise lines filling the ship is important and empty cabins cost the most money. That is the reason you might find a deal advertised like this. However it is almost never on an interesting sailing going to ports of call that are desirable. It also probably means the cruise was overpriced in the first place, or the pound to the dollar is poor so the American cruise ships now seem much more expensive…

Free drinks? Are they free? Have you paid for them in advance? Was the price put up to cover the cost of what an average cruiser drinks? I think so, when you look at the various offers the prices are all relative to what you get.

Is parking given away for free? Not really, when you look at the cost of the lowest fare compared to having the price with parking included. You could probably book your own parking for less through your travel agent and still save money.

Cabin upgrades for free? Yes, there are offers sometimes, the world of filling a ship involves moving people around slotting them in and pricing accordingly. Cruise lines offer upgrades to entice people to pay less, for more room or a window or a balcony.

Loyalty offers, I know these work. People are proud of their past sailings and what it has earned them! 5% here and savings on beverages or priority embarkation or disembarkation don’t really cost the cruise company much, but show they are doing something for loyal customers.

Why are singles charged so much more? I still cannot figure this one out. People who choose to travel alone are always penalised, but on ships so much more than on land. Single cabins are rare and fill up fast. The number of single cruisers is increasing and yet cruise lines have not really done anything to accommodate them. I really feel for the single cruisers with a limited budget.

If you missed our top 5 best sellers but want the best offers available at the moment come to the cruise experts at cruise.co.uk we can decipher the marketing for you and get the best cruise suited to you. Give me a call on 03333002480 Adrian Partridge and I would be happy to find your next cruise.