geminiNZ

35 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Sure but each country is still booking under the terms of the country in which they reside and are covered by the consumer protections in which they reside. Makes no difference where the the cruise is.

 

Because they are booking in their home country, the pricing is impacted by the competitive environment in each country and how that environment will impact sales vs the sales targets for each country.

 

Makes no difference where the cruise is the pricing and term will be set by country. 

Apologies we may have gotten a little off track here. On reflection I should have said in my original post that I wasn't trying to discuss or explain why Kiwis/Aussies may be getting worse deals - it was to inform them that they are.

2 hours ago, ldtr said:

Different countries, different consumer protection laws, different terms.

 

As well as different markets, different competitive environment, results in different pricing terms under dynamic pricing.  Same as airlines.  If I  book flights in Australia or NZ, I will get a different price for each leg then if it is booked out of US.

Ldtr - Please note this cruise is in South East Asia not the US, NZ or Australia

Trintygirl - i can confirm for this cruise Princess Plus does include less for kiwis/aussies, exactly as you mentioned thanks

Diamond Princess Jan 5 2024 cruise

Fare is the same but...

Cancellation

US 100% refund until Oct 7 (3 months before sailing)

AU/NZ 100% refund only until Jul 8 (6 months before sailing!!!)

Current "free OBC" offer

US interior/oceanview $150USD pp, balcony and above $300USD pp

AU/NZ interior/oceanview $33USD ($50AUD) pp, balcony and above $67USD ($100AUD) pp

1 hour ago, PurpleTraveller said:

If you are not in USA be aware that if you cancel and rebook a cruise and you have booked excursions, internet or speciality dining that you may have currency losses on the cancelled items. I cancelled and rebooked a cruise at the end of January and lost AUD125 on the currency exchange on my cancelled excursions and then when I rebooked the excursions for the new booking the prices had increased by USD20 per person for the four excursions.

 

Sorry to hear the currency went in the wrong direction for you!

That actual opens another cancel and rebook opportunity that I hadn't thought of if your currency strengthens against the U.S. dollar

Hi cruisers.
Princess's cancellation policy, from their website, offers 100% refundable or 100% refundable - $100 deposits until close-ish to departure.
Could anybody who's recently cancelled and rebooked to take advantage of fare drops share their experience on how easy (or otherwise) that was please?
And did they refund quickly to your credit card? I don't want OBCs 🙂
Of course I would check that a cabin number we wanted was still available before cancelling
thanks!

Looks like she has 16d between Singapore cruises in Jan, could that be her next dry dock? Curious what might be planned 🙂

5th Jan 14d cruise followed by a 6 Feb cruise

Another U by Uniworld article if you're considering this line: Why U by Uniworld is the River Cruise Line for You

Thanks Chris, that does make it clear :)

I can cast doubt if I choose to. What U was conceived as and what it will likely become are two different things. The fact it’s open to all ages and the current price point suggest it will not be a “party cruise”. Add the fact that most 18-35 year olds don’t think “European river cruise” when they are interested in party time.

I doubt you have even read the itinerary as it has not changed as a result of it being opened to all ages - perhaps you should

Party cruise? Doubtful. At the end of the day it’s still a European river cruise which generally has a very senior demographic. Also it’s still not what you would call cheap. In fact some more inclusive lines might actually be less expensive. Now that all ages are being accepted, I bet you can expect the average age on U to creep up higher and higher. And if by being a party cruise means the boat is not a ghost town by 10pm, I’m all for it!

Please refrain from casting doubt on my comments unless you have you been on a Contiki bus tour and have the knowledge to know that this cruise was conceived as an extension to their bus tours for 18-35 year olds

Thank you for your review. Interesting concept and some good ideas that could be incorporated into other ships.

Wonder why drinks are not included as on other ships (and Egypt in 2019)

This is a party cruise and an open bar would be expensive and potentially dangerous

They emphasize Amsterdam and Frankfurt nightlife and do late starts and brunch rather than breakfast so people can recover from the night before

They targeted the Contiki tours market (Age limited to 18-35) but the article says they ended up with mostly 30s-40s, hence my question about a mismatch between that age groups sightseeing priorities vs the partying until late itinerary

Thanks for letting us know about the review being posted. I just read it, and found it to be balanced and realistic. I don't think I would sail on U, but it does offer a different product that may appeal to certain segments of the traveling population.

 

I'm not sure about the black ship - sort of looks like a small battleship :p - but that's just an opinion on aesthetics.

 

I prefer to travel in Europe in the late fall, one of the downsides being less daylight, so the later shore excursions don't appeal to me. I'd prefer to get up and get going and maximize my day.

 

Roz

Is cruising during the day all except one night the opposite to other Rhine cruises? If so that really will reduce sightseeing time ...

Do people in their 30 and 40s really value partying until late that much? I thought that was a singles 20s thing and people are coupled up by their early 30s

Here's a piece from our editor onboard. We have two staff members sailing. Both are in the "original" millennial demographic, with the writer of the piece in her early 30s and the other staffer in her mid-20s. They are both enjoying it immensely. Ellen Bettridge was onboard and we were able to talk to her; it seems several U innovations will be heading to regular Uniworld ships.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8569

 

We'll have a full review of the ship and other coverage once they are back. I am also looking to sail on The B later this summer (and I am what you'd call a Gen Xer, not a millennial).

Great article - thanks

We're kinda stuck in the middle. We've traveled with both demographics and are now in the middle - not as mature as the typical river cruiser but older than the contiki crowd. Can you provide any info on the mix of singles vs couples?

Thank you Chris.

 

Trying to catch a glimpse of the A as she sails past, I am following her on marinetraffic, she is approaching Bonn and the Seven Mountains range. I am a bit surprised she is sailing this stretch during daytime. Looks to me as if the timing for the itineraries is indeed different from some other lines' ones, i.e. reaching Koblenz in the evening rather than having an afternoon guided tour or similar. Glad to hear the excursions stand out. Hope the food is good and your staff is fed properly. Some nice pubs for a pub crawl in Koblenz. :D Recommend trying a "Koblenzer" beer, avoid the Schnitzel in the beer garden at Deutsches Eck, not so good. But the location is great.

 

notamermaid

The cruisecritic instagram posts are just more marketing...

Have you thought of trying it out for yourself notamermaid?

Given your Rhine knowledge I'd love to also hear your thoughts compared to the competition ...

Having just looked at pricing, there really isn't that much difference, for the difference in what you are/aren't getting......it was $100/person/day more for full service Uniworld.....

 

Robin

Good info thanks!

We're looking at Rhine cruises, which itinerary did you use to compare?

I did find it and was going to post it but from what I can tell they also sell cruises so that would be a violation to post it here. I just did a google search and in 10 seconds I found it. I suggest doing the same. I didn't look at Uniworld but the first one I saw was Carnival.

 

Keith

What did you type into the google search to find it?

I lost my link to a website that had cabin specific comments similar to seatguru

Things like

This room is a 2m squared bigger than normal

or Beware of sewerage smells

Does anyone know of that site?

I'm looking for cabin specific info for a Uniworld River ship

I wish Uniworld the best of luck on this venture.

 

I wish Uniworld would do set asides for some of their regular cruises for “active” seniors. Cruises with Tours with more activities at a higher pace.

 

Along with other reasons, Viking drove us away, with cruisers that refused to do the slow group and brought the regular tours to a snail’s pace. Uniworld has been a bit more proactive in identifying and segregating those travelers, but more could be done . Best yet would be to set aside perhaps one sailing per month, of their various cruises, and make them highly active. See more, do more, and broaden experiences.If I was a 20 or 30 something, I’D probably be ready to strangle some of the cruisers that take 10 minutes to walk a block while I wait and wait!

 

The new U should be great for them and I’d like something similar with a bit more refined elegance for we 45+ - 70. I think those cruises would sell like hot cakes .

I did a bit more research on U by Uniworld and I suspect the bulk of their customers will come via Contiki which is actually age restricted 18-35 rather than up to 45.

It looks like Emerald are offering something akin to that (minus the parties) with their "for active travelers" river cruises but it is $1100pp more for a similar Rhine cruise.

U by Uniworld $1700 for a Rhine cruise is very affordable even if it doesn't include lunches

They made it for me!!!!!! (I "qualify" for 6 more years)

 

If they're able to drop the price by 30-40% and market it is as a package tour but with individual freedom, I think they'll have a good shot at getting the demographic they're looking for. They're only converting their two old, smallest ships, so there won't be a huge inventory available...and there are plenty of millennials that have good jobs and disposable income, since many of us are waiting longer to have kids (if we have kids at all).

 

Things I'd guess we'd see:

-Less luxurious bedding

-Sleek, modern, and therefore cheaper decor

-Fewer hours per day spent with a paid guide

-Very few, if any drinks included

-More high-priced "hipster" cocktails and micro-brews

-Fewer bus trips

 

All of these things would lower the cost of providing the trip. Curious to see how it pans out.

I'm new to river cruising and would be keen to know how to compare what's included on U vs. Viking Rhine cruises.

Are there any experienced river cruisers that can quantify those differences?

I think the big boats would be the last ones we'd see down under Apr-Sep as they can fill them more easily elsewhere at that time of the year

Through US TAs whoi are more than willing to take your booking.,

Thanks! Anyone you can recommend?

Princess is one of the cruise lines that does not allow you to 'book outside' your region (and even then they may not be totally successful as there are some TAs in the US who will book Princess). I can book many other lines through the US or even UK for less than I can here. In a global world we are not limited to buying only through our own region. I can purchase most goods and services from O'S if I so choose. Australians miss out on many of the regional special pricing offers from lines overseas; hence my comment that we are treated as second class - send us the old ships, try and make us book through the local portal and charge higher prices. Yes, it is regional pricing but it is still discriminatory IMO.

You've piqued my interest. If one wanted to book from another region, how might they do that?

Interesting thread. I just booked the Aug 30, 2015 Japan cruise. I am going solo so really wonder how an American, solo, woman will feel. Any thoughts?

This, like every other cruise, is catered to the majority but considerate of the minority.

Sounds like the Japanese majority are very friendly towards Western minority.

Part of the attraction with places like Japan and India is the culture shock right?

Those with a sense of adventure might even try the nude bathing? :)

Thanks Anni

In a previous post you mentioned one hour walking tours by the historical society. You help them out yes? Could you tell me more about this please?

Thanks

Hi,

Warnemünde itself is a fascinating little place. Quaint old back streets, modern sea-front promenade with all the usual tourist facilities, wide sandy beach, fish market right alongside the boats, good restaurants and bars. Be sure to fit in a stroll, especially in the evening, even if you go further afield first.

Rostock is of course the closest city to visit and has a lot of interesting buildings and history, pleasant pedestrian shopping precincts and excellent restaurants. There is a train every 10 mins from Warnemünde to the Rostock Central Station and frequent trams from the station into the city centre.

Lübeck is a very historical and interesting town which was badly bombed during the war. It has a mixture of well restored medieval buildings and modern post-war architecture, some lovely churches and a couple of great museums. The journey from Rostock Central Station takes just under two hours and requires one change of train. There is a train every two hours.

Schwerin was the seat of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and the castle and grounds are open to the public. This was part of East Germany and had hardly any bomb damage so there are very few modern buildings but some beauties from the 17th and 18th century.

Stralsund is a World Heritage listed town. Lots great museums mostly housed in beautifully restored Medieval buildings, some fabulous churches and a huge, very modern, state of the art Oceanarium.

For both Schwerin and Stralsund there is a direct train service from Rostock every two hours and several trains in between for which you pay the standard fare. Travel time is just under one hour.

Another, and many consider the best, alternative is Wismar, also a World Heritage listed town. It is a real Medieval gem. There is an hourly train service from Rostock which goes through Bad Doberan, so the two can be visited in one trip. Travel time just over one hour

These towns are all part of the Mecklenburg day ticket area ie. €20 for one person + €3 for each additional person up to 5 persons travelling together, valid all day starting after 9am on weekdays or anytime on weekends.

 

Last but not least is the town of Güstrow. It is just a small country town which has had very little restoration and therefore gives a real insight into what these towns were like in GDR times before the advent of EU and tourist money. It has, however a beautifully restored castle with Ducal rooms open to the public and a good porcelain collection, two fine churches and a fantastic Museum of Nativity Cribs, 350 of them, from all over the world. The S-Bahn from Warnemümde runs once every hour to Güstrow. Unless you have 5 people travelling it is cheaper to buy a standard single ticket.

I can give more detailed information on Rostock and Güstrow and have posted more detailed information on fares, train times etc on previous threads. The web sites below are also worth browsing.

www.en.stralsundtourismus.de/

www.schwerin.com/english

www.muenster-doberan.de

www.luebeck-tourism.de

www.germanplaces.com/germany/wismar

 

Happy planning,

Anni

So Wismar and BAd Doberan over Schwerin?

Is this on a different line from the train to Schwerin?

Thanks!