skitrips

Thanks Barrycat -

Have now received a W/S invoice for the "postponed" cruise. They have of course assumed we're going to keep our booking. However, the net price to us has gone down $1K. And $200 in OBCs have been added as represented by Mr. Prelog. And apparently, we're going to receive a refund subject only to about $740 in deposits. With the balance due nearly a year from now in September of 2024. With the ability to cancel at that time with no liability other than a $50/person cancellation fee. So now we have a decision to make because we're looking at something far different than a feared. Yes December of 2024 is a long ways off. But if we're only putting up a $740 refundable deposit, why not keep the booking? I checked the proposed itinerary and don't see the loss of two ports. The itinerary appears to be the same as our initial cruise, however, in reverse. And we'll still be able to attend the 2024 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Gran Prix if that be our choice. We can't look at air fares/reward travel because it's too far in advance. But this far out, I'm thinking our odds of booking award travel might be good. And now we can build in a longer stay in Dubai inasmuch as it looks like something more incredible than what we envisioned when we first made our booking. Hopefully you will be offered something similar for the "postponement" of your cruise. But let us know if W/S offers you more.

Thanks to all. Yes Jazzbeau. I live in the U.S. Lake Tahoe specifically.

So without my consent, W/S has re-booked us on their0 cruise for December of 2024. However, departing from Muscat, Oman vs. Dubai, UAE. Where the air fares, connections, layovers, flight times will be worse compared to flying into/out of Dubai. Don't know yet if the award travel costs from the U.S. will be any different. We haven't yet responded because we're evaluating our options. We have examined the W/S passage contract and it does not address "postponement." Since this is the remedy W/S has exercised, IMO there is no contract authority for anything it has done. Or might in the future agree or refuse to agree to.

We booked our air with award miles on United and American. And I am soooooo happy we did. We were able to cancel all air travel and our reward miles have been re-deposited into our frequent flyer accounts. The add'l fees we were charged by the airlines for taxes/other fees, have been refunded to our credit card. And we have not been assessed any re-deposit fees. Had we purchased our tix, at best, we would have nothing more than thousands of dollars in future travel credits with an expiration of one year. And if we had purchased the lowest priced basic economy tickets, we would have nothing as they are non-refundable/non-cancellable/non-creditable towards future travel.

I respectfully disagree with 6rugrats when it comes to booking refundable hotels. My experience is that the difference in cost for non-cancellable versus cancellable lodging reservations up until "x" days prior to occupancy, is typically 20% or more. I guess if you don't mind paying more for your lodging, that's the route to go.

We found a third party source for booking our lodging before/after our cruise. It's called stayforlong.com. First, our cost was lower than any other source. Even lower than the hotels direct even though they advertise that their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest which is not true. Second, our reservations were cancellable up until "x" days prior to occupancy even though their rates were the lowest. Our "x" date was October 23, 2023 so we had time to cancel. Third, part of our lodging cost represented a fee to stayforlong (a whopping $73) should we cancel our reservation. But it was a relatively small fee. So I view the bookings as a hybrid of cancellable versus non-cancellable. Yes I was able to cancel our lodging reservations. And yes I waived the relatively small portion which was taken from me when we first made our lodging reservations because I cancelled.

Other than that, we're good pricewise assuming W/S gives us a full refund. But of course at this stage we don't know what is going to happen. But if they tell us they're not liable for our $73 in lodging cancellation fees because that's what the passage contract says, IMO they're mistaken.

So now you know what we know. We're mulling over whether we want to take the postponed cruise. Will keep you informed.

Thank you for your responses r&rd and jazzbeau.

Three more pieces of information, FWIW. First, our cruise was priced at a starting fare of $3,299/person. The cruise is supposed to end on Dec 3, 2023 in Muscat, Omen. Well it turns out our same ship departs Muscat on Dec 3, 2023, returning to Dubai on Dec 13, 2023. And the itinerary for the Dec 3, 2023 departure is the same itinerary as our itinerary with two exceptions. First, it is in reverse of our itinerary. And second, the starting fare is $1,799/person. In other words, $1,500/person less than the fare we have been charged.

The proposed "postponed" cruise will be the same itinerary as our itinerary, however, in reverse. In other words the Dec 3, 2023 cruise. However unlike the Dec 3, 2023 cruise, there is no mention in Mr. Prelog's e-mail of crediting us back what should be the $1,500/person reduction in price.

Next, take a look at W/S' passage contract. Do a word search for the words "postpone" or "postponement." Nowhere does it provide for remedies where W/S is the cause of a postponement. So does that mean such remedies exist?

Finally. W/S' passage contract includes the following language: "If you are entitled to a refund, Windstar Cruises reserves the right to offer you Future Cruise Credits ('FCCs') as an alternative to a refund." Mr. Prelog's e-mail says nothing of what used to be traditional 125% FCCs.

Mr. Prelog's e-mail ends by stating he "want(s) to assure (us) that...our trust and satisfaction are of utmost importance to" W/S. Well I guess we'll see how important our trust and satisfaction really are. Because at this stage all we've been offered is $200/person in OBCs, however, pre-conditioned upon our agreement to the proposed postponement.

Hello all -

So my wife and I just received notice from W/S that our upcoming inaugural Dubai, UAE - Muscat, Omen cruise (5 weeks away) culminating in the Abu Dhabi 2023 Formula 1 Gran Prix race, has been cancelled. And the reason? "The current environment and...evolving circumstances in the region." In order to attempt to avoid liability, W/S has labeled its cancellation a "postponement." But wait. There's good news! Our cruise has been rescheduled to more than a year from now departing December 4, 2024! And rather than departing from Dubai as originally publicized, our cruise will depart from the more expensive (for travelers from the U.S. to reach) Muscat, Omen Airport. And more good news. Rather than W/S' more expensive "inaugural" Gulf States sailing, our "postponed" cruise will depart 2 weeks after W/S' inaugural 2024 Gulf States cruise. And regardless of our other expenses and inconvenience, in addition to keeping our paid in full money for the next 13+ months, W/S is offering us a generous $200/person OBC.

In the unlikely event we're not thrilled with news of the postponement, W/S states we "are welcome to call (its) Guest Services team to process our cancellation." Wait a minute. We haven't cancelled anything. It's W/S which has cancelled our cruise. So why try to turn this around so that we're the bad guys? Moreover, there's no mention of cruise refunds. Nor excursion refunds. Nor the $1,599/person Formula 1 race refund (which were originally represented as being non-cancellable). Nor refunds for non-cancellable airline fares/taxes, Nor refunds for non-cancellable hotel lodging. Nor the usual and customary 125% in future cruise credits ("FCCs").

Have any of you ever been involved in a similar situation with W/S? If so we'd like to hear your experience(s). Thank you for reading and hopefully responding.

Wow! What a wonderful recommendation. I didn't realize the Intercontinental had $120 rooms. But now that I know, if we go to Tahiti again, this will definitely be a possibility. BTW, how did you handle the hotel transfers from the airport? What was the cost?

milepig is correct about the French restaurant in the strip mall just before Le Meridian Hotel. It's called Chez Remy. Check out the reviews on trip advisor. Glad to hear Borrillje was able to make contact with Jeremie from Raiatea Jet Ski. When you next speak to him, ask what happened to the pictures he took during our excursion this last September? He said he would be e-mailing them, but they never came. Tell him we were the couple that took he and his wife to lunch at the Tahaa Resort Hotel during our excursion. Jeremie was supposed to have taken us to another more secluded motu (can't remember the name) which sounded far more interesting (I'm sure he will remember the name). We had a problem because a tour group was apparently visiting the motu that day. But if you can go there, I think it will be far better. In any event, enjoy your cruise!

Hi salmn. You're supposed to disembark by 8:30 A.M. Didn't attempt to extend our stay on board. Ground transfers are expensive. And remember, you need transfers to the airport late in the evening. So we rented a vehicle with Hertz, the city rather than airport location. Hertz will pick you up at the ship and take you to the Hertz city office for N/C. Then you can drive yourself to the airport and drop off your rental vehicle for no additional charge. Don't rent the vehicle with unlimited mileage. The zero mileage allotment is a whole lot less expensive and although you will pay extra for every km you drive, you're not going to drive a whole lot of kms. We stayed at Le Meridian after our cruise. Yes you have access to a shared day room for no additional charge. Stay there as long as you like prior to departure to the airport. Besides, there is a very nice beach adjacent to the hotel, a nice little strip shopping center adjacent to the hotel with a nice restaurant and French bakery, and a wonderful Tahitian dance show (but don't recall the nights of the show in relation to when the ship returns to Papette). Good luck!

1 hour ago, Borrillje said:

Thanks for all the input. Does anyone recall if there were a lot of options available for those who simply walk off the boat in Raiatea? Are there cabs that will take you to the Marea? Or a pearl farm or vanilla factory? Or would we better off planning something in advance? 

Thanks!

 

There are not a lot of options once you walk off the ship. W/S has a good job of tying up all of the excursion vendors. So if you don't sign up with W/S, you will be lucky to find anyone to provide any type of excursion. I can't say this about a private taxi option, but I can't see getting excited over an over priced taxi ride to wherever. The excursion options offered by W/S will likely be a visit to a pearl farm on Raiatea and a stopover somewhere for some snorkeling. Or possibly an excursion to Taha'a and a vanilla plantation, with a stopover somewhere (probably coral gardens) for some snorkeling. My recommendation is that you search out and book ahead of time with whomever so you don't show up empty handed. And again I recommend Raiatea Jet Ski ("RJS"). Or you can try Taha'a Jet Ski (although I don't know if they will pick you up in Raiatea). We've gone to several pearl factories and I can tell you that the one RJS took us to on Taha'a was heads and shoulders above the rest. As far as Tahitian dance shows are concerned, we've gone to several of those as well. And the absolute best we've been to was the one at Le Meridian Hotel in Papette. It was heads and shoulders above the one you will see on the W/S Bora Bora private motu evening event. The Le Meridian is one of W/S' favorite lodging vendors so if you're able to arrive a couple of days early or stay a couple of days after the cruise to be able to see the dance show, I would heartily recommend it. And that way you can go to that fabulous French bakery in the strip shopping center adjacent to the hotel. Good luck!

There is a beach within short walking distance. However, I don't recall it being very appealing. We walked to it from the ship to get on our jet skis. My recollection is that there's a vendor who will take you to a pearl farm, and on the way back to dock you can get dropped off at a nice motu. Found this tour walking the pier at Raiatea. But again, I strongly recommend the jet ski tour.

Also did jet skiing in Bora Bora with Maitra Jet Ski. Again very enjoyable, and very reasonably priced. This vendor will pick you up at the tourist office and drop you off at Bloody Mary's on the way back if you prefer (although we didn't like it. Very, very over hyped). Maitra offers a combo jet ski and ATV tour as well.

Enjoy your cruise!

8 hours ago, Borrillje said:

Hello All!

    We will be on the 7 night sailing out of Tahiti on January 3rd. I'm trying to plan our activities for each day. The Windstar website is a bit vague regarding some details I'd like to have. I'm reaching out to those who've done this cruise recently for some extra info. 

1. Which is the private island day? Is it the Tahaa day? If so, do you recall if it was possible to book private excursions that day? (I only ask because on one one of the Caribbean routes the Virgin Gorda stop was on the private island, and the only way to actually get to Virgin Gorda was to book a Windstar excursion - otherwise you were limited to the private island.)

2. I've read that there may be something happening on a motu at Bora Bora? Or maybe Raiatea? Something about a show w/ local performers? Is there more than one event? 

Basically I'm just hoping someone elaborate a little more re: the above and what happens at each stop. 

Thanks in advance!
:) Jeanne 

 

1. Which is the private island day?

A) Day four

2. Is it the Tahaa day?

A) Yes

3. Is it possible to book private excursions that day?

A) Yes. But I recommend spending the afternoon on the motu. Shuttles throughout the day.

4. I've read that there may be something happening on a motu at Bora Bora? Or maybe Raiatea?

A) It's Bora Bora. Motu Tapu.

5. Something about a show w/local performers? Is there more than one event? 

A) No. Only one event.

Recommend direct booking jet ski tour the day of your Raiatea stop. Jeremie at Raiatea Jet Ski. Did the day long private tour of Taha'a from Raiatea. Stops at rum distillery, pearl factory tour, coral gardens for snorkeling, stop for lunch on a private motu, vanilla plantation, and then back to Raiatea. And all on a jet ski! Incredible excursion and the cost is only $250 for two (lunch not included in price)!

Enjoy your cruise. We've done it twice (enjoyed it so much the first time). And hope you are able to book your air out of SFO on UAL - Under $700/person, round trip!

To those who may have booked an all inclusive W/S Tahiti cruise, including round trip air from/to LAX/PPT, a massive air fare price reduction aboard Air Tahiti Nui ("ATN") was announced today - $787. This is a "Flash Sale for one week only," and it applies to flights operated by ATN's new Boeing Dreamliner aircraft only (all other flights will be operated on their Airbus 340).

This represents ATN's lowest fares to Tahiti this year. ATN's Dreamliners will begin operation in November, and they will be limited to 3 to 4 flights per week, initially. Travel period is November 20, 2018 - May 31, 2019, and black-out dates apply.

Moreover next month, United Airlines begins round trip air service from/to SFO/PPT, at a fare which is $100 lower than ATN's out of LAX. Again, travel is offered only three days a week.

If you can delete the air portion of your all inclusive W/S package, you might want to give it a try. The savings could be as much as $750/pp! Or if you are originating west or north of California, you might want to re-route your connecting flight(s) through SFO rather than LAX in order to save an additional $100.

Good luck!

Reaffirm what ridethetide posted. We did this in PPT without any hitch whatsoever. In fact, returned with a couple of bottles of wine in a bag which clearly indicated it contained wine and wasn't even questioned about it. Good luck and happy sailing!

Cool Cruiser

Hi Cranmom -

Am giving you an update to my previous response to your post. We just returned from our W/S Tahiti cruise. We can reaffirm my previous lodging recommendations. We arrived in Tahiti (in Fa'a) and went straight to the Sarah Nui Hotel (in downtown PPT). The hotel uses Tahiti Transports (resa.tahititransports@gmail.com) for its complimentary transfers from the airport (again, worth $30 or more). Tahiti Transports was waiting for us when we arrived making this aspect of our itinerary at 11 P.M. reassuring and less costly. After a long trip, all you want is: a clean place with a comfortable bed to sleep, complimentary wi-fi service, complimentary luggage storage the next morning until it's time for your cruise, a very short walk to a Bank of Tahiti ATM so you have some carrying around cash, a very short walk to the center of town [make sure you go to the municipal market (see https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294352-d309581-Reviews-Municipal_Market-Papeete_Tahiti_Society_Islands.html)] so you're not forced to purchase an over priced breakfast, a short walk to the dock next to the ferry building where you will board your cruise aguo (if you check-in at 1 P.M. you will be able to enjoy lunch with the option of leaving the ship for a shopping/other excursion with your luggage well secured), and a very reasonable (by Tahiti standards) price (about $110/night). The Sarah Nui checks all of these boxes. You won't save much money (in fact, you probably will have to pay a bit more) booking the Airport Motel, you will have to hike uphill with your luggage after a long flight or pay for transfers to get to the motel, and if you arrive late at night, you will not want to make the hike in pitch dark, The only other real reasonably priced option you have is the Hotel Tahiti Nui which will cost you about 40% more than the Sarah Nui, and not provide complimentary transfers from the airport. So really, we fell this is the best option!

We stayed at Le Meridien at the end of our cruise and would recommend it as well. If your flight departs after 11 P.M., you want a hotel which offers complimentary luggage storage until it's time for you to leave for the airport. You also want complimentary use of a transit/day room complete with wi-fi/TV access, use of a shower, and full access to the hotel's pool/beach amenities. Here Le Meridien checks all of these options. Moreover, the hotel is located on a beautiful sandy beach, it is adjacent to a shopping mall (within very short walking distance) which includes a wonderful French bakery/boulanger (le Fournil Haufbois) and a reasonably priced French restaurant (Chez Remy), and it is conveniently located about 11 kms from the airport. The only other major named hotel option which is located closer to the airport is the Intercontinental, and I cannot comment on whether it offers complimentary access to a day room. So really for us, this too was the best option!

BTW, we were told that Le Meridien Hotel is about to change management companies to the Sofitel. So we would not be surprised if special "grand opening" promotions are being offered on the Accor web site. We would recommend investigating.

Hope these recommendations help and happy sailing.

Seem to remember reading in a few different places that buying an internet package for FP is not worth it. Heard it recommended that it's best to do your wifi business in port. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Went on this cruise last September. Ended up posting a port-by-port guide as to where to access internet for free (or for no additional charge by purchasing food or beverage from a local business). Do a word search for "internet" on the thread finder and I think you may find it. Quality was good enough for e-mail.

Heard from others who went on this cruise and purchased the optional internet package that it was terrible. Several passengers stated that after complaining, they were able to get their money back from W/S. FWIW.

Heard shortly thereafter that on board internet access was supposed to be included as a cruise amenity on all 2018 cruises. Yet have seen nowhere that this is in fact the case. Going on this same cruise again in about a month and after checking in at the W/S web site, we do not see an "add on" internet package available for purchase. So now I'm questioning.

Maybe someone else knows whether on board internet access is available at no additional charge on this cruise? Notwithstanding, it is likely not to meet your expectations. But what the heck? It's Tahiti!

Other than location, are there any other differences (the cabin sizes are identical)?

W/S seems to charge up to $900/pp more so one would think more than location is included; especially on a small ship such as the Wind Spirit.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

No offence intended Alturia and Surmy555, but your responses are disingenuous. "No one makes the excursion operator sign the contract?" Who created the contract? Who drafted the offensive language? Who required the excursion operator to sign the contract (which I am certain guarantees W/S pricing far lower than your one or two off T/A)? Who is it who intended its passengers be prevented from contracting directly with the excursion operator and thus "compete" with W/S? And you don't see a problem?

Let's say you want to sign up for DirecTV. DirecTV presents you with a contract and you don't like what it says (like a 2 year commitment). Is the answer "they don't make you sign?" Sure you don't have to sign. But then you don't get the service you're willing to pay for. And then you go to another cable or satellite provider to shop for a similar service. But that's not what we have here. W/S has put the excursion operator in the position of either agreeing to this offensive provision, or {foul language removed} and possibly not being a W/S "preferred provider." It feels its hands are tied.

Let's assume W/S attempted to pull this stunt with a major airline so you the client couldn't shop for your own airfare. How far do you think W/S would get? Let's assume W/S attempted to pull this stunt with a major hotel chain so you couldn't shop for your own lodging before/after your cruise? Same result. The only reasons why W/S is able to get away with this unfair business practice is because it happens outside of the U.S., and most mom and pop excursion owners don't have the clout to say no. But that doesn't make it right.

And it doesn't make it right when W/S represents that as returning Yacht Club members we will get a discount on our next W/S cruise, and then we don't. And it doesn't make it right when W/S represents that if we book our cruise by a certain date we will get $X.00 of OC, and then we don't. I'm happy none of you who have responded have ever experienced any of these "wrongs," but we have. And that's why I'm sharing my experience so if/when it occurs to you in the future, you will understand this is is what W/S does.

At the end of the day we have to decide if we still want to go on our cruise with W/S given we're not getting a repeat passenger discount, or promised OC, or a promised cabin upgrade on a space available basis, or we're being required to pay 160% of retail to go on a particular third party shore excursion or go on no excursion at all. If we felt the loss of these incentives exceeded the value of the cruise, we would choose no. But the fact we have responded yes, doesn't make it right what W/S is doing.

And to Strenz, I choose not to share the particulars as to where this has occurred because I fear retaliation on our future W/S cruise. It's my experience that when people in business act as I have described, the word "retaliation" is foremost in their vocabulary. Best to all.

You don't see anything wrong with W/S or any other cruise line making an excursion operator sign a contract which prevents him/her from servicing any of W/S' clients (a tying arrangement) unless they come through W/S? This isn't "business." It's antitrust. You've taken away the ability to "shop around." Now if everyone offered the same excursions so you could shop around, then it wouldn't matter. But when there is only one excursion operator, and he/she is prevented from doing business with you unless you are represented by W/S, IMO it's wrong. Sorry if you still don't see anything wrong.

Thanks minidonuts85:

Never knew of this before. So is it supposed to be excused just like misrepresentations of 50% off or two for the price of one are to be excused because everyone's doing it? Horrible IMO.

And it's really a disservice to the excursion operator because now he/she is going to lose out on several sales he/she otherwise would have benefited from because he/she is forced to honor this onerous provision in its contract with W/S. What should have occurred, IMO, is that W/S should have charged its passengers the retail, commissionable price, and then made the regular commission off the sale. Or maybe W/S should have earned more than the commission by paying the excursion operator less, because arguably it is providing more sales to the operator than your typical agent. This way W/S is charging its passengers more than the retail price because arguably it is providing more sales to the operator. Or W/S could have charged its passengers more than the retail price and then given them the 60% surcharge in OCs.

Which opens up a new question. When you the passenger are paid in OC rather than currency (such as for a "discount"), what is the real value of that OC? Since it can only be used for on board purchases, including excursions such as these, the cost to the cruise line can be and in this instance is considerably less because it is being paid in OC. And since you either use or lose OCs, subliminally, you really end up spending it on what are already over priced excursions.

No we're not fans of your typical cruise lines for a variety of other reasons. But we did take a cruise on Oceania, received OC credit from our agent, did not use all the credit during the cruise, and were surprisingly given a cash "refund" for the amount of unused credit at the end of the cruise. This wouldn't have made up for what has happened here, but since W/S won't give us the OC they represented they would (which might have made up for what has happened here), it really makes no difference.

Let's just say we won't be dining with the captain on our next W/S cruise. And we don't expect to receive our represented complimentary "Yacht Club" member cabin upgrade upon arrival either. Thanks W/S.

For the first night, the Hotel Sarah Nui. Clean and reasonably priced ($115+/-), free wi-fi, in the middle of town within short walking distance of the pier where the cruise departs as does the ferry to Moorea, and if you communicate with the hotel directly when you make your booking, free transfers from the airport (a $30 or greater savings)! Where to stay after the cruise? We stayed at the Manava and didn't particularly care for it. Moreover, it's quite a distance away from the airport so unless you're renting a car, consider the transfer costs. We're doing another Tahiti cruise later in the year and have booked the Tahiti le Meridien. This is the same hotel Windstar uses if you purchase their all inclusive package which includes first night's lodging and a last day's day room. The le Meridien is apparently undergoing a major renovation so its OTW bungalows won't be available for occupancy until the end of the year. One final recommendation. Rent a Hertz automobile. The cost/day is cheap, but you have to pay for mileage (not really a big concern because you're not going to be driving long distances and you need transportation back to the airport for your return). And they have an office right in town and if you arrange ahead of time, they'll pick you up for free at the dock where you depart from your cruise, and take you to their offices. Hope this helps.

Windstar is charging you 160% or more of the retail price you could book the excursion for yourself, and it has entered into a contract with the excursion vendor which precludes the vendor from booking the excursion directly with you at any price once you've identified yourself (where shall we pick you up?) as a Windstar passenger. That's right!

We've booked a Windstar cruise and are making independent arrangements for possible shore excursions. It turns out one of those excursions is being marketed directly by Windstar on its web site through its booked passenger portal. When we contacted the vendor directly, he/she told us he/she can't take our business because Windstar forced him/her to enter into a written contract which prevents him/her from selling the excursion directly to any passenger aboard a Windstar ship. However, if we can show up the day before or after the Windstar ship has arrived/left port, the vendor is happy to take our booking (well of course that doesn't work for us).

And how does the pricing compare? It turns out Windstar's price is nearly 160% of the excursion vendor's retail, otherwise commissionable price. Strike 1!

I am sure few of us object to a travel professional earning a commission on a travel related product or service he/she books on our behalf. But how do we feel about paying a nearly 60% surcharge in addition to the commission? And how do we feel about the "professional" forcing a predator type contract upon the vendor which prevents the vendor from making passenger-direct bookings? How long do we think a business practice like this would be tolerated in the U.S?

But this "incident" raises a more bothersome concern. I always have been a big supporter of Windstar. But now I am forced to take a step back and re-evaluate. And here's why.

In prior posts I have shared that cruise passengers can generally purchase far less restrictive air fare on our own, on the very same airlines Windstar uses, for a lot less than the air fare bundled in the all inclusive cruise price Windstar offers. And when we do, Windstar cannot compel the airlines to NOT make direct bookings with any of its passengers.

In a prior post I have called Windstar's 5% discount on future booked cruises for repeat "Yacht Club" Members a joke because in the real world the repeat passenger only gets the discount if he/she pays an inflated fare which is at least 5% or more greater than what the cruise costs to any passenger. Although I qualified for the discount, it was denied by Windstar (even though I asked). Strike 2!

In a prior post I have criticized Windstar's "so called" promotion whereby if a booking is made prior to a certain date, the passenger gets an extra $X.00 of free on board credits based upon the length of his/her cruise. Although I qualified for the free on board credits, they were denied by Windstar (even though I asked). Strike 3, you're out!

How about "so called" 50% discounted pricing? We all know this is an outright misstatement but it is not unique to Windstar. Nevertheless, this post is talking about ethics.

So when any of you ask this Board for advice insofar as whether you can or should book any element of a Windstar cruise on your own for less, you might want to think back to this post.

I am booked on this same cruise. I ya e never been so can’t officially confirm this information is correct. but after combing these boards for information the following is what I think is true.

 

Oct 25- Arrive on board at 1:30 pm or after. Sail away is 6:00. Some people check in and then go shop or eat in Papeete.

 

Oct 26- Moorea. I don’t think there is a special event as you are asking. Most people do an excursion or swim off the sports platform.

 

Oct 27. Raiatea. The boat is actually docked this day so it is best to have an excursion planned. The sports deck will not be open off the back. This is the evening the locals come aboard for entertainment. And it is the night of the deck BBQ.

 

Oct 28- Tahaa. This is an event on a private motu. Lunch is served on the private motu. A lot of people also do excursions this day and they will have you back in time to enjoy lunch.

 

Oct 29. Bora Bora. A day for excursions or use sports platform. The lagoon is supposed to be gorgeous.

 

Oct 30. Bora Bora. This is usually the day of the signature event with a fire show and buffet on the motu.

 

Nov 1- Huahine- most people book excursions or swim off sports platform.

 

Nov 2- arrive back to Papeete and disembark.

 

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Went on this cruise last September. Turns out we're going on it again this September. Enjoyed it so much and the fact we were able to take advantage of it again because of an incredible air fare to AKL with a free stopover in Papette, makes it even sweeter for us.

Sailing Deanna's description is pretty accurate. The Bora Bora BBQ event takes place the second evening in Bora Bora on a private motu. There is no motu on Moorea. You could do a Jet Ski and/or ATV tour on Moorea but the pricing IMO is too high. There are less expensive options in Bora Bora. We may try the Dr. Poole Eco Tour but quite frankly, I can't imagine it being more impressive than cruising with the humpback whales in Cabo and/or Maui.

If anyone went on this tour and booked it independently from the cruise ship, we would appreciate a referral.

In Raiatea we're going to try and do a jet ski/pearl farm/vanilla plantation/coral reef/rum distillery combo excursion. There are two operators (one from close by Taha'a) that seem to offer similar tours. The ship docks next to a bar where you can access the internet for free (with a purchase).

The next day the ship moors in the ocean between Taha'a and a private motu. Last year we opted for the private motu which was relaxed and quite enjoyable. Included a nice sit down lunch. We will do this again because we already went to the pearl farm/vanilla plantation the day before.

The next day you're in Bora Bora. Last year we did the jet ski/ATV combo tour. Didn't care for the ATV portion but the jet skiing portion was memorable. So we're doing it again. You will circle the entire island and jet close to the several motus where you will see the St. Regis, Four Seasons. Intercontinental, Le Meridien and Sofitel private island close up. Pretty cool. Afterwards you can access the internet for free close to where the tender will drop you off.

The next day you're in Bora Bora again. Maybe some shopping and resting doing nothing.

The next day you're in Huahine. There's a "down played" public beach which we found quite enjoyable. So looking forward again. There's a rum distiller on the island within short walking distance of where the tender will drop you off. That's kind of fun. There's an internet cafe which is no more expensive than the restaurant next to the public beach (Yacht Club?) which unbelievably charges patrons to access the internet notwithstanding you are a paying customer.

And the next day you're back to Papette.

Here's a tip. When you first arrive on the ship you can sign up for dinner on the deck one evening (it's called "Candles"). We booked the first night in Bora Bora. Will do so again.

Here's a second tip. The last night on the ship you will be told of a special sale at the ship's store. 25% off on logo wear, etc. So if you're so inclined...

So that's the program. I know you will enjoy it immensely. We sure did!

As stated in a companion post, this morning my wife and I booked another (we went on the same cruise last year) 8 Day/7 Night "Dreams of Tahiti" cruise at a price of $1,899/person. If you go to the W/S web site you will see that this cruise is advertised at a price of $4,599/person. Yes I understand the $4,599/person includes air from LAX, first night's lodging and a last day's "day room" (because the return flight leaves at or close to midnight). But we already have incredibly priced air transportation (the subject of a previous post), and it didn't cost us anywhere near $2,700/person. So how did we get the $1,899/person W/S fare?

Like many of you, we check with third party sites for "discounted" pricing. One of those sites is our travel agent's site. But never in the past have we seen a difference in pricing when comparing the TA's and W/S web site pricing. Typically, they're identical. That was until Saturday morning.

All of a sudden we saw a myriad of prices that were not being offered on the W/S web site. Now remember, we were only looking at 7 night W/S Tahiti cruises. And we were only looking for the inclusive time period of July - October, 2018 (actually, we were only looking for the cruise departing September 6, 2018, but we wanted to make sure we weren't looking at an anomaly or a "mistake"). But look what we found: July 12 - $1,799; July 19, July 26 as well as August 30 - $1,699; and, September 6, 13 and 20 - $1,899.

So I called my agent to find out if these prices were for real? I was told yes. So I tried to make a booking for our September 6 departure date. Although I was successful, and in the lowest price "B" category to boot, the price came out at $2,675/person. Why the difference? The agent said she would have to call W/S the following Monday (this) morning. Now I know about yield management pricing, but that doesn't explain what we found because we had already reserved a "B" category room.

So this morning we got the W/S agent on the line (a three party conversation) who said that for some reason the price wasn't coming up at $1,899/person which it should have. So after spending about 15 minutes with her manager, the W/S agent came back on the line and offered us the $1,899/person price if we booked and paid that price right then and there. So we did. And when the guest booking invoice came back, it evidenced the following price breakdown: $2,771.15 less $872.15 ("private sale tier 4) = $1,899 plus $101 in taxes = $2,000/person.

You can call the sale fare whatever you like. But at the end of the day it is and was a fare offered to the world through the travel agent's and possibly other web sites. And although some of the cruises I have identified are the subject of today's "flash sale" pricing, you will see that pricing isn't anywhere close to the prices I have shared above. And I never would have learned of this more favorable pricing had I not gone to the travel agent's web site Saturday morning.

So my questions. Have you ever seen differences in pricing such as these insofar as W/S cruises are concerned? What are "private sales?" What is "tier 4" (versus other tier) pricing? And if you have seen these types of sales and/or pricing before, how do you learn of them if you don't happen to go to a web site that for whatever reasons lists lower pricing? I have signed up for weekly e-mails from W/S so I can report that NONE of these prices has appeared on W/S's 7 on 7 and flash sale pricing sent to me for the last six or more weeks. So where do they come from?

And to those of you with the flexibility who are looking for a reduced W/S Tahiti cruise, now you know where and when to look. I have NEVER seen a $1,699/person cruise only price before. I have seen $1,799/person pricing but for whatever reasons, that price is only being offered for July 19, 26 and August 30, 2018 departures. Since my wife and I are locked into a September 6 departure, because we have already purchased our air transportation, we'll settle for the up charge.

In any event, I would like to learn more about "private sales" which are even more private than W/S' 7 on 7 and "flash" sales. And thanks for looking.

Thanks to all. I did note that the "5% savings (applies to)...most cruise fares," should that be nothing more than an "escape" clause when for whatever reasons W/S doesn't want to extend the savings?

Rather than calling back to speak to another W/S sales representative, I sent an e-mail to W/S instead. Let's see what they come back with.

Now our fares were something called "private sale tier 4" which I will write on in another post. But regardless of the label, since they are no different than the fares published on vacations to go, the 5% savings should apply.

Hello all -

So last year my wife and I took the 7 night W/S Dreams of Tahiti cruise. It was our first W/S cruise and as a result, we officially became part of the W/S "family." After the cruise we received regular e-mailings from W/S which touted our "valuable" 5% repeat customer loyalty discount on future W/S cruises.

So this year we're doing the same cruise because one of those special air fares to AKL with a free Tahiti stopover, three nights worth of free lodging in PPT, we enjoyed last year's cruise so much, and now an "unannounced" $1,899 W/S sale fare (more about this fare in another post).

So we booked our W/S cruise with an agent and ask about the 5% repeat loyalty customer discount. At first we're told "of course." But by the time we get down to the real numbers and real particulars, we're told [straight from a W/S agent (we were on a three party phone call)] that the loyalty discount is only available on select "higher priced" cruises and since ours isn't one of them, we get no discount. When we asked for shipboard credit in lieu of our "discount," we were offered none from the W/S sales agent for the same reason (don't feel terribly sorry for us because we did get something from some other source - maybe the subject of another post).

In other words, we're getting the same publicly advertised sale price assuming we had never cruised with W/S before. In other words, the so called loyalty discount is a joke because it's only available if you pay a fare which is at least 5% higher than sales fares offered to the world's tourists.

Now maybe there's something we didn't understand (although I doubt it because I'm pretty thorough). But maybe this is just the way it is; another one of those touted discounts which when you get down in the weeds you learn is really no discount at all.

Since there are so many W/S regulars out there, I thought I would share our experience and learn what we did wrong, if anything. Or expose the truth for all to see. So thanks in advance for the feedback, and if any of you have connections with W/S to get us our loyalty discount, we would appreciate the intervention.

Last October when ATN was charging $1,500/pp for round trip air from/to LAX/PPT, my wife and I flew ATN round trip from/to LAX/AKL with a free stopover in PPT for up to 30 days at a fare of $880/pp. I posted on this Board that if one were patient and flexible, one might be able to replicate this fare in the future and experience so much more than Tahiti (to those of you who've never been to New Zealand, you're missing sooooo much).

Well ATN did it again! Received the e-mail this morning. Except this time there is a variation on the theme which makes the promotion even better! Yes the fare is $200/pp more than last October. But look what you get for the extra $200. 3 nights lodging in PPT, free transfers from/to PPT/Sara Nui Hotel and a round trip ferry ride from/to PPT/Moorea.

Really didn't intend to return to Tahiti so soon, but this fare is too good to ignore. So I haven't.

Travel begins August 24, 2018. August is prime ski season in the Southern Hemisphere. My wife and I are skiers. Given it has been a horrible ski season in Lake Tahoe where we live, we're itching for more. And that means New Zealand (unless you want to spend legions more traveling to Chile/Argentina). And now we can return to Tahiti as part of our ski trip! We're sold. And any skiers/snowboarders out there should be as well.

Last year we stayed at the Sara Nui the first night we arrived in PPT. Not a luxurious hotel by any stretch of imagination. But perfectly acceptable and comfortable and located within short walking distance of the center of PPT and where W/S departs. And the Sara Nui offers free arrival transfers (worth at least $30/pp). But for a $200/pp surcharge, you can upgrade to the Intercontinental and get $40/pp breakfasts thrown in to boot! So I recommend the upgrade.

Unfortunately, there are no 14 day W/S cruises this time of year (which we suspect would be twice as nice as the 7 day cruise and at a lower "cost averaging" fare/day). And since skiing to us is more important than 14 days on the W/S, we'll have to settle for another 7 day "Dreams of Tahiti" cruise (not really that bad an alternative). Enjoyed the cruise so much last time, it won't be boring to do it again.

Anyway, hope this heads up can benefit others out there. And if so, please write back and let us know.