Price advice on booking RCCI

[Mrs M]

To be honest Mrs M I really don't care about "Bad Form" if it means saving £500+ on a cruise.

What is "Bad Form" is that a multi-national company can charge UK residents far more money than a US citizen for EXACTLY the same product.

Well if we're going to be honest, I'm not really bothered about your £500+ as far as this forum is concerned. I would be interested to know how many agency affiliated forums allow debate re other travel agencies on their own forum.

Annie has the right idea. She recognises this forum is affiliated to a cruise agency and corresponds by PM.

[Wilba]

Well if we're going to be honest, I'm not really bothered about your £500+ as far as this forum is concerned. I would be interested to know how many agency affiliated forums allow debate re other travel agencies on their own forum.

Annie has the right idea. She recognises this forum is affiliated to a cruise agency and corresponds by PM.

I agree. Giving out names of competitor agents, US or UK is just not fair play on a cruise agent based website.

That said the major US cruise agents are as well known as ASDA and Tesco's are in the UK grocery industry.......Wilba

[ROSEBASKETS, Yorkshire]

Well if we're going to be honest, I'm not really bothered about your £500+ as far as this forum is concerned. I would be interested to know how many agency affiliated forums allow debate re other travel agencies on their own forum.

Annie has the right idea. She recognises this forum is affiliated to a cruise agency and corresponds by PM.

I guess that £500 is neither here or there to you judging by that comment. Unfortunately the majority of us can't be as laissez-faire in regards to our finances as you are and some of us need to get the best value for money that we can.

Cruise.co.uk are big players in the UK cruise industry, they are specialists in their field can can give exceptional advice to those who are new to cruising or unfamiliar with a line or region that they want to cruise.

Those of us who plod round the Med, the Fjords, the Baltic, Europe and the UK and Caribbean on a regular basis don't need specialist advice as we have been there done that and indeed most of us have bought the T shirt. What we want is the best possible price, no one wants to feel ripped off or pay more than they need to (unless you have more money than sense)

My original post was answered by Annie (thanks again Annie, great help, great advice) and she did PM me, which is exactly what I would have expected from a decent, friendly member of this forum.

Most of us don't want to break the forum rules, which neither of us did and I don't expect to be admonished by another forum member for asking a question.

As far as CD is concerned, yes they operate this forum, and are very relaxed about what is written (much to their credit) but don't be misled in to thinking that they do it out of the goodness of their heart, it is merely another marketing tool, a way to collect email addresses, names and addresses and other details about our demographics and choices in order for them to send out emails and leaflets and brochures to our homes. Once they have your details it seems to be difficult to stop the direct marketing (see Tenpins Post)

Out of a sense of fairness (because I use this forum) I always give CD the opportunity to match or beat a quote that I get from a High Street or internet travel agent. Over the last 10 years they have yet to offer me the best price and I have always booked elsewhere. If they match or beat the lowest price I am quoted I will give them my business.

In a free market I do not think it is fair that one nationality should pay more than another for exactly the same product. It seems that we British are being taken advantage of by RCCI by charging US customers less than they are charging British citizens.

CD is one of the biggest players in the UK cruise industry and they should be making this point to RCCI, but I have no doubt that CD would not want to jeopardise it's relationship with RCCI and so the customers on this side of the Atlantic will have to continue paying extra for the same product.

It's no coincidence that RCCI have intentionally stopped UK customers accessing their .com site on the "World Wide" Web and this solely relates to the cheaper prices offered to the Americans.

[Mrs M]

Thank you for your thoughts Rosebasket.

If you look at the 'history' of my comments, you'll see I was addressing specifically a post [#11] which asked for specific agency recommendations.

Note the highlights. THAT is the point I was answering.

You then jumped in with your comment re 'bad form'.

Again, may I thank you, this time for the lifestyle analysis. However, you know very little about me beyond my love for Victoria and the fact I've travelled a fair bit. Not my style to ask/post many personal questions/facts on an internet forum. I prefer the PM/email route.

£500 IS a lot of money. I returned your post couched in similar vein apart from 'To be honest Mrs M I really don't care about "Bad Form"' I changed to 'not bothered' as I thought it 'bad form' [your term, not mine] to say 'I don't really care about your £500...'

because I do care and I am sorry when folk can't find a price to their satisfaction but I'm not bothered 'as far as this forum is concerned'...as I said.

Forum rules? Who said anything about forum rules? I said 'not terribly good form' which in general terms is aobut showing/not showing respect, in this case for that which is being used i.e. a cruise travel agency's forum.

As Wilba said, there are many major players in the US market and I guess many of us know who they are. I certainly do.
The difference between you and at least two members [and me] is we would tell you and discuss with you, but in private i.e. as Annie did, by PM, and not in public on another cruise agency's forum.

...but again, thank you for your discourse and a Happy Easter to you.

Mrs M.

[Lobstertan, West Yorkshire]

I don't see any problem with Rosebaskets demonstrating what other offers are available, other cruise/travel agencies could view this as an opportunity to check out the competition and step up to the offers that are available to the more investigative consumer.
The US cruisers have the offer of a website which monitors the price drops. As the price drops are not honoured by the cruise companies for UK travel agencies (or UK travel agencies are not prepared to fight for the price drops on behalf of the customer) it is obvious more are going to search State side or, as advised by the cruise company - book direct.

[annie, Glasgow]

I don't see any problem with Rosebaskets demonstrating what other offers are available, other cruise/travel agencies could view this as an opportunity to check out the competition and step up to the offers that are available to the more investigative consumer. The US cruisers have the offer of a website which monitors the price drops. As the price drops are not honoured by the cruise companies for UK travel agencies (or UK travel agencies are not prepared to fight for the price drops on behalf of the customer) it is obvious more are going to search State side or, as advised by the cruise company - book direct.

The internet savvy consumer can also access the same price monitoring website as US cruisers.

Annie

[Lobstertan, West Yorkshire]

The internet savvy consumer can also access the same price monitoring website as US cruisers.

Annie

Only worth monitoring if the price drops are going to be honoured

[annie, Glasgow]

Only worth monitoring if the price drops are going to be honoured

Agree.

Also you made a very valid point re UK TAs.

Annie

[Topdeck, London]

For any bookings there are a couple of options, use one of the well known names or a rec from a customer.

Plenty of big bame TAs that work internationaly and the main differences in the US is the amount of OBC, many of the other promotions are cruise line so thye all have them.

To test the water you can use cruisecompete making it clear you are resident in the UK this will filter out those that don't want the business and those that will do UK resident bookins.

Another indepenent site for pricing info is cruisefish.net. that will give links to the cruiselines web site for each cruise US,EU,CA and UK for some lines very handy to bypass the cruiseline redirects if having problems. Also handy for historic prices so you can see when the price drops were.

Now remember that not all cruises are cheaper through the US sometime it will be the UK or even Germany or other EU countries.

You do have to be carefull though we got a deal through an American TA that was fidling the cruiseline, lucky the cruise line(NCL) honoured the deal.


As for the commercial affiliation, If you want a suppresive environment go to cruisecritic so far up the Cruise lines **** they are known to suppress bad comments on cruiselines.


What this forum offers is an open place to discuss all aspects of cruising including how and where to get the best deals suppresion of that freedom would be extreamly bad form. Sending PM is just as bad if you dissaprove.


IMO UK TAs need to compete not just with each other but internationaly, if they can't get the deals from the cruise lines they need to sell the cruises then that is something they need to bring up with the cruiselines.

[Topdeck, London]

here is the cruisefish link for your cruise, links to 4 price regions(if you get session message just hit the link again)

remember uk price includes taxes.

CruiseFish.Net - Royal Caribbean / Brilliance Of The Seas / 12 Night Scandinavia And Russia Cruise / 2014-08-19

[agent crystal]

Hi Annie,
i would be very interested to read your thoughts on the Uk vs Us travel agent debate.
i recently made a Celebrity Cruise from New York to Caribbean and though we had a wonderful time ( we got married on St Thomas)
i was VERY surprised to find that the Mostly US passengers had paid significantly less than we did!
regards
Eileen

[Topdeck, London]

G grade 3 adult 1 child
UK £3722
US £3492 ($5864)

I can see with this cruise if they regional discount it could get cheaper through the UK

[annie, Glasgow]

Hi Annie,
i would be very interested to read your thoughts on the Uk vs Us travel agent debate.
i recently made a Celebrity Cruise from New York to Caribbean and though we had a wonderful time ( we got married on St Thomas)
i was VERY surprised to find that the Mostly US passengers had paid significantly less than we did!
regards
Eileen

Why were you surprised??

Apple phones sell for less in the US than the UK so why should a cruise be any different?? It is a much bigger market and has more competition.

Like Martin Lewis, I am a rate tart and always shop around whether it is electricity, groceries or a cruise.

If you find a UK agent, who maybe has some group fares, UK pricing can be cheaper.

What is the mantra of some on this forum: research, research.

Annie

As my sister says - know the market and know your prices.

[agent crystal]

Price advice

I was surprised because I am obviously an "innocent "where cruising is concerned- but thought that this forum was to "help" those less knowledgable and internet savvy than you .
i was VERY wrong obviously!,,
thanks a lot.
Ps. I also shop around for the best possible deals but would NEVER call myself any sort of tart!.


Why were you surprised??


Apple phones sell for less in the US than the UK so why should a cruise be any different?? It is a much bigger market and has more competition.

Like Martin Lewis, I am a rate tart and always shop around whether it is electricity, groceries or a cruise.

If you find a UK agent, who maybe has some group fares, UK pricing can be cheaper.

What is the mantra of some on this forum: research, research.

Annie

As my sister says - know the market and know your prices.[/QUOTE]

[annie, Glasgow]

I was surprised because I am obviously an "innocent "where cruising is concerned- but thought that this forum was to "help" those less knowledgable and internet savvy than you .
i was VERY wrong obviously!,,
thanks a lot.
Ps. I also shop around for the best possible deals but would NEVER call myself any sort of tart!.


Why were you surprised??


Apple phones sell for less in the US than the UK so why should a cruise be any different?? It is a much bigger market and has more competition.

Like Martin Lewis, I am a rate tart and always shop around whether it is electricity, groceries or a cruise.

If you find a UK agent, who maybe has some group fares, UK pricing can be cheaper.

What is the mantra of some on this forum: research, research.

Annie

As my sister says - know the market and know your prices.

[/QUOTE]

Strange

I used many of the tools that Topdeck listed in his posts when booking my very 1st cruise with a US TA. I was not a member of any cruise forums then - in fact I didn't even though they existed Google is a wonderful tool.

If 'rate tart' is a good enough expression for Martin Lewis, good enough for me

There are many members on this forum who regularly book cruised with US TAs as well.

Annie