Booking With US Sites & US TA's

[rkmw]

i have just received some good news from the biggest TA in the US that they can book us with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara

 

rkmw

[Australian family]

i have just received some good news from the biggest TA in the US that they can book us with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara

 

rkmw

 

Yes I just spoke to that agent about a price on a Radiance of the Seas cruise and he said yes they can book us. and if you book with RCCI that they will reduce the prices if they are reduced by RCCI.

 

He said us Australians and New Zealanders are their biggest customers, and take good holidays and are so pleasant to deal with.

[Big Kev]

i have just received some good news from the biggest TA in the US that they can book us with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara

 

rkmw

 

Good news!!!!:D

 

Yes, I see on their website link for "International Visitors" they have removed those cruise-lines from the list.

 

Although the restrictions had not caused me any problems, I was angry to see one of our options taken away from us.

 

Now, you might see some changes of attitude from the competitors...

.

 

.

[Australian family]

Good news!!!!:D

 

Yes, I see on their website link for "International Visitors" they have removed those cruise-lines from the list.

 

Although the restrictions had not caused me any problems, I was angry to see one of our options taken away from us.

 

Now, you might see some changes of attitude from the competitors...

.

 

.

 

Yes the pressure is mounting on the competitors, I am sure they have lost business because of this policy.

[rkmw]

if you are doing a cruise with RCL out of Sydney check the local prices as the US ones are dearer.....i got a price on the 5th Feb on the Rhapsody and the diffeence was around the $300 depending on cabin... not counting tips or bank charges for your credit card

 

i hope they include princess soon

 

rkmw

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

i have just received some good news from the biggest TA in the US that they can book us with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara

 

rkmw

 

 

 

 

:D.

 

That did include bookings of cruises departing from Australia and New Zealand did it? Not just bookings departing from other countries in the world.

 

Well done rkmw.:D

 

A very happy Jillybean:D

[rkmw]

:D.

 

That did include bookings of cruises departing from Australia and New Zealand did it? Not just bookings departing from other countries in the world.

 

Well done rkmw.:D

 

A very happy Jillybean:D

 

hi jillybean, i got a price on the ROS out of Sydney but i think its too dear booking thru the US....it maybe ok for overseas cruises

 

rkmw

[MMDown Under]

i have just received some good news from the biggest TA in the US that they can book us with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara

 

rkmw

 

That is good news indeed.

 

Just when I've booked a land holiday to Thailand and am trying to tempt my husband with a land holiday to the Hawaiian islands. :)

 

Hopefully the other cruise lines will follow before too long, otherwise next trip may be an atw trip by plane and long distance train.

 

The cruise industry needs to understand that it is not an island unto itself, but just one section of the overseas holiday market.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Well, lets all hope that Princess wakes up and stops banning us from booking overseas. It is really starting to leave a nasty taste in my mouth. Royal Caribbean is starting to look really good right about now. Maybe if we try it we might like it better, who knows. I think maybe the next cruise overseas we will do just that, unless Princess comes to the party.

[cruser]

Hey that is really good news that some of the cruise lines are lifting the restrictions on booking direct with US TAs, lets hope the others all lift the bans now too. With any luck the Ozzie TAs will start getting competitive as well and we can keep the business here.

 

As to having a cruise line based here I would rather they all had more cruises that came this way, SE Asia and Vietnam and China are great places to cruise and maybe we could get a world cruise that went along the China coast past Russia and across to Alaska, that would be one I'd go on.

 

Cheers

 

Joan

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Hey that is really good news that some of the cruise lines are lifting the restrictions on booking direct with US TAs, lets hope the others all lift the bans now too. With any luck the Ozzie TAs will start getting competitive as well and we can keep the business here.

 

As to having a cruise line based here I would rather they all had more cruises that came this way, SE Asia and Vietnam and China are great places to cruise and maybe we could get a world cruise that went along the China coast past Russia and across to Alaska, that would be one I'd go on.

 

Cheers

 

Joan

 

You can do that part now Joan. We are on the Diamond next May visiting China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Alaska and Canada. 23 days.

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Thanks to everyone who sent me their stories about booking cruises through U.S. agents. My piece is now live on Cruise Critic here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3847 Hope you enjoy it.

[Kinkacruiser]

Thanks Erica. ...a highly informative and well-researched article.

Regards,

Anna

[MMDown Under]

Thanks to everyone who sent me their stories about booking cruises through U.S. agents. My piece is now live on Cruise Critic here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3847 Hope you enjoy it.

 

Thank you Erica.

 

I enjoyed your well researched report. You captured how angry Australians are at current discriminatory cruise line policies.

 

The real issue is that Australians want to be able to purchase cruises at competitive prices. When this is denied, they will find other means to do so or make other overseas travel choices.

 

Fortunately, most of us never believed the rumour that we would be denied boarding when we bought our cruises overseas.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Australians can buy Carnival cruises through overseas agents.

 

In addition, Australians can now purchase cruise fares for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara, through overseas agents.

 

I agree that "Australian cruisers are not without some power over the cruise industry."

[cruser]

thank you Erica, I am very impressed that our comments on these boards were read and researched by cruisecritic. Your article was spot on and covered all our issues, giving an explaination as to why this was happening.

 

I will certainly be recommending cruisecritic to any friends who are cruisers, whether new or addicted like me.

 

Cheers

 

Joan

[rugbypopsie]

Good story...."maintain the rage" cruisers...it looks like we are finally getting some traction on our claims for a fair go.

 

 

 

 

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Thank you Erica.

 

A big thank you also for finally answering the question about being refused boarding. I know of a few people that just wouldn't risk it and have booked with local TA's. That makes the rumours just that more heinous knowing that they possibly were started by an Aussie Land Based TA. (It was first reported in a statement in a cruise section of a newspaper by an Aussie Land Based TA.) And, no cruise line denied it, which exacerbated the rumour.

 

If Princess and HAL are reading this - Please reconsider you stance. It will get you a great deal of "brownie points" with your loyal Aussie cruisers to give back our right to book where we wish and withwhom we wish.

 

Most of us will continue to book local cruises anyway. Let us book in the US using US$ for our overseas trips. If the tipping is a worry, please instigate mandatory prepaid tips to Aussie cruisers. No problem for most of us on these boards. We tip above the recommended charge anyway (for good service).

[Whitemarsh]

I am relieved to read that this 'denial of boarding' threat is false. Scaring people like this is pretty gutless and those who perpetuated this rumour should feel ashamed (this includes the cruise line employee who advised me that I could possibly be denied boarding if I purchased a cruise with a U.S travel agent. I still remember her "um - ah" response when I asked "How could someone be denied boarding if they held a valid ticket which they'd paid in full for?")

 

I'm also pleased that (from memory - as this is a massive thread) the vast majority of posters were either sympathetic or provided assurance that people wouldn't be denied boarding (based on their own experience).

 

Thanks to all those people - your comments are appreciated. And thanks to Cruise Critic and Erica for taking the time to research this contentious issue.

 

P.S.... did anyone else find it amusing that none of the Cruise lines mentioned tips (or lack of them) as a reason why Australian's are charged more to cruise.

:D

[kenexx]

B & Cs Mum and Margatebne. That was me quoted in the article by Erica when she talked about the possibility of being denied boarding. My last cruise on Diamond Princess was booked through a US agent and nobody in Bangkok blinked when we checked in. Our next cruise is the same. I'm not worried about it at all.

Maurice

[Sandielle]

Looks like it's all been a 'storm in a teacup'. It was good that Erica did that story, though.

[Kinkacruiser]

I am relieved to read that this 'denial of boarding' threat is false. Scaring people like this is pretty gutless and those who perpetuated this rumour should feel ashamed (this includes the cruise line employee who advised me that I could possibly be denied boarding if I purchased a cruise with a U.S travel agent. I still remember her "um - ah" response when I asked "How could someone be denied boarding if they held a valid ticket which they'd paid in full for?")

 

I'm also pleased that (from memory - as this is a massive thread) the vast majority of posters were either sympathetic or provided assurance that people wouldn't be denied boarding (based on their own experience).

 

Thanks to all those people - your comments are appreciated. And thanks to Cruise Critic and Erica for taking the time to research this contentious issue.

 

P.S.... did anyone else find it amusing that none of the Cruise lines mentioned tips (or lack of them) as a reason why Australian's are charged more to cruise.

:D

Yes, very amusing....so cheeky too. We're talking thousands of dollars price difference not a few hundred.

Cheers,

Anna

[newfarmers]

thanks Erica for the great article.

 

As a couple of posters have highlighted we also have the issue of our local cruises offering shockingly bad value for money - tired old ships and exhorbitant prices.

 

We're treated like fools but then maybe that's what Aussies are. The market is booming and people are paying the crazy prices that the lines are asking. To think my parents originally booked the Pac Sun cruise they are currently on (hope it's all good ma and pa) for virtually the same price we paid for 25 days on HAL Rotterdam (booked with a US agent of course) is astonishing. So glad they ended up getting it for the $1800 odd each that was highlighted on these boards (through their own local agent!).

 

I'm looking forward to that glut like a couple of years ago when there were last minute deals on Millenium for well under $1000. Should have jumped at it at the time but won't miss out this next time.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

P.S.... did anyone else find it amusing that none of the Cruise lines mentioned tips (or lack of them) as a reason why Australian's are charged more to cruise.

:D

 

Yes, I did. Maybe now those "know it alls" that state that the higher prices are due to the tipping customs in Oz will slither back under their rocks. :D:D

[Sandielle]

thanks Erica for the great article.

As a couple of posters have highlighted we also have the issue of our local cruises offering shockingly bad value for money - tired old ships and exhorbitant prices.

We're treated like fools but then maybe that's what Aussies are.

 

I'm not taking this personally, of course ,:) BUT I get a bit fed up with the continual suggestions that "I" may be a fool for choosing to book tired old ships that are sent down for our market (incidentally, the wonderful Rhapsody is, apparently, looking a bit tired at the moment). We, and I presume others, do not have the luxury of time etc to fly all over the world for cruising experiences.

 

We have done the research for our cruises and got very good prices for them. Even though overseas the base price is cheap, there appears to be many add-ons and extras, tipping etc, so I feel that we would still spend as much money if we were to travel on an American ship AND there is no guarantee that I would have a superior cruise or travel experience! Life is a lottery. :rolleyes:

 

I guess we can discuss this subject ad infinitum, but it all boils down to the fact that the Australian market is much smaller than the American market and probably always will be, so, ALL things considered, this 'fool' will continue to cruise from Australia while the experience is enjoyable - and it has been so far.

 

Happy cruising everyone, whatever your choices. :)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I'm looking forward to that glut like a couple of years ago when there were last minute deals on Millenium for well under $1000. Should have jumped at it at the time but won't miss out this next time.

 

You will have to be quick

when , and if , the deals are advertised here.

Last time they advertised them first in North America and they sold out real quick.

Many locals never got a look in:eek: