Jump to content

How does "Free Gratuities" work?


Recommended Posts

The TA very well might be paying them, one would have to do a faux booking through the cruise line's website to figure it out.

If the TA is paying them, then the TA is using funds from the commission. The cruise line pays the commission using funds paid by you. No free lunches. Ultimately, you pay for all those 'free perks'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the TA is paying them, then the TA is using funds from the commission. The cruise line pays the commission using funds paid by you. No free lunches. Ultimately, you pay for all those 'free perks'.

 

Do I pay more in my fare because of the commission paid to the TA?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do I pay more in my fare because of the commission paid to the TA?

 

Irrelevant.

You pay the fare to the cruise line.

The cruise line uses a portion of the fare you paid to pay the commission.

The TA uses a portion of the commission to pay your gratuities.

Therefore you paid for the 'free' gratuities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Irrelevant.

You pay the fare to the cruise line.

The cruise line uses a portion of the fare you paid to pay the commission.

The TA uses a portion of the commission to pay your gratuities.

Therefore you paid for the 'free' gratuities.

 

Completely relevant. If the cruise line charges me $1000 and the TA charges me $1000 and pays for my gratuities out of the commission they receive from that $1000 then I'm getting free gratuities as a bona fide perk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Completely relevant. If the cruise line charges me $1000 and the TA charges me $1000 and pays for my gratuities out of the commission they receive from that $1000 then I'm getting free gratuities as a bona fide perk.

 

Your TA could just as easily offer a discount of the same value as the 'free' gratuities. Are they still 'free'. Just because some one labels something as free does not make it so.

 

For example, take two cruises. Both on the same cruise line, same itinerary, same cabin. One cabin in nov 2018 does not have Explore Four. One cabin in Nov 2019 has Explore Four. The one without Explore Four is $650PP. The cruise with Explore Four is $1200PP. Explore Four includes a signature beverage package, dinner for two in the Pinnacle Grill, reduced fares for 3/4th passengers, and reduced discounts. Is explore four 'free' or does it cost $550?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your TA could just as easily offer a discount of the same value as the 'free' gratuities. Are they still 'free'. Just because some one labels something as free does not make it so.

 

 

Yes, the TA could offer you a discount in place of the gratuities because the TA is playing with the TA's own money (and the TA could just as easily not offer anything and keep 100% of the commission). However you slice it the promotion is coming out of the TA's pocket and that doesn't affect your fare (unless they are giving you a discount), so whatever the TA gives you is a free perk (unless of course they increase the fare that they charge you and I'm not sure they are allowed to do that). Comparing one cruise to a different cruise means nothing, you need to compare the same cruise to the same cruise and one can do that with the internet quite easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the TA could offer you a discount in place of the gratuities because the TA is playing with the TA's own money (and the TA could just as easily not offer anything and keep 100% of the commission). However you slice it the promotion is coming out of the TA's pocket and that doesn't affect your fare (unless they are giving you a discount), so whatever the TA gives you is a free perk (unless of course they increase the fare that they charge you and I'm not sure they are allowed to do that). Comparing one cruise to a different cruise means nothing, you need to compare the same cruise to the same cruise and one can do that with the internet quite easily.

 

There is one TA that allows you to book with and without explore four. Explore Four adds $300 PP to a balcony cabin on the Nov 2019 cruise. Now, is Explore Four 'free'?

 

The promotion is coming out of your pocket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is one TA that allows you to book with and without explore four. Explore Four adds $300 PP to a balcony cabin on the Nov 2019 cruise. Now, is Explore Four 'free'?

 

The promotion is coming out of your pocket.

 

Haven't a clue what "explore four" is and I don't care. Obviously if it's adding to your fare it's not free. I've been talking about when it doesn't increase your fare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't a clue what "explore four" is and I don't care. Obviously if it's adding to your fare it's not free. I've been talking about when it doesn't increase your fare.
Explore 4 adds $71 per day on Holland America and is not worth it
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't a clue what "explore four" is and I don't care. Obviously if it's adding to your fare it's not free. I've been talking about when it doesn't increase your fare.

Explore Four is a drink package and a dinner package.

 

The cruise lines increase the fares to cover the cost of the 'free' packages. Just like the example of two cruises with different fares. Haven't you noticed that fares increase when 'free' stuff is added? Multiple threads about that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Explore Four is a drink package and a dinner package.

 

The cruise lines increase the fares to cover the cost of the 'free' packages. Just like the example of two cruises with different fares. Haven't you noticed that fares increase when 'free' stuff is added? Multiple threads about that.

 

Yes, I've participated in many of them. Has nothing to do with gratuities being offered by a TA (unless said TA is increasing the fare to cover the included gratuities).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I've participated in many of them. Has nothing to do with gratuities being offered by a TA (unless said TA is increasing the fare to cover the included gratuities).

 

The TA is using money you paid to give you those 'free' gratuities.

 

Giving you 'free' gratuities instead of a discount is the same thing as increasing the fare, ie, you pay more.

 

For example.

The fare charged by the cruise line is $1200PP.

The TA offers a choice:

 

1. You a can pay a fare of $1000 and you pay the cruise line an additional $200 for gratuities.

2. Or, you can pay the TA $1200 but the TA will pay the cruise line $200 for those 'free' gratuities.

 

Financially, these are the same offer. You pay, either way.

 

Before, you say this doesn't happen, I just booked a cruise where my TA charged me the same price as the cruise line but offered me a choice between $XXX OBC or a rebate of the same amount. Would you consider that $XXX OBC to be 'free'?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The TA is using money you paid to give you those 'free' gratuities.

 

Giving you 'free' gratuities instead of a discount is the same thing as increasing the fare, ie, you pay more.

 

For example.

The fare charged by the cruise line is $1200PP.

The TA offers a choice:

 

1. You a can pay a fare of $1000 and you pay the cruise line an additional $200 for gratuities.

2. Or, you can pay the TA $1200 but the TA will pay the cruise line $200 for those 'free' gratuities.

 

Financially, these are the same offer. You pay, either way.

 

Before, you say this doesn't happen, I just booked a cruise where my TA charged me the same price as the cruise line but offered me a choice between $XXX OBC or a rebate of the same amount. Would you consider that $XXX OBC to be 'free'?

 

Since the net to me is the same yes, the offers are the same and I am not paying anything extra, I'm still ahead $200. I would rather take the rebate versus the other offers, but the money is still coming out of the TA's pocket, money they don't have to offer anything at all and it's not being paid by me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the net to me is the same yes, the offers are the same and I am not paying anything extra, I'm still ahead $200. I would rather take the rebate versus the other offers, but the money is still coming out of the TA's pocket, money they don't have to offer anything at all and it's not being paid by me.

 

Question; Where does the money in the TA's pocket come from?

Answer: The cruise line.

 

Question: Where does the cruise line get it's money?

Answer: From You.

 

Question; If the TA uses your money to buy a perk for you, is it a "free" perk?

Answer:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question; Where does the money in the TA's pocket come from?

Answer: The cruise line.

 

Question: Where does the cruise line get it's money?

Answer: From You.

 

Question; If the TA uses your money to buy a perk for you, is it a "free" perk?

Answer:

 

I don't care what the cruise line does with the money I give them, that's up to them and once I give it to them it is no longer my money. If I can book with a TA for the same price that I can book with the cruise line and get a perk that is worth $200 than that's a savings to me and since I'm not spending any more for it that means it's free. The TA's commission belongs to the TA, not me, so if the TA decides to use that commission to give me a perk it's from their money, not mine. If you want to analyze it differently that's your right but I find your reasoning to be flawed (just as you find mine to be).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The TA is using money you paid to give you those 'free' gratuities.

 

Giving you 'free' gratuities instead of a discount is the same thing as increasing the fare, ie, you pay more.

 

For example.

The fare charged by the cruise line is $1200PP.

The TA offers a choice:

 

1. You a can pay a fare of $1000 and you pay the cruise line an additional $200 for gratuities.

2. Or, you can pay the TA $1200 but the TA will pay the cruise line $200 for those 'free' gratuities.

 

Financially, these are the same offer. You pay, either way.

 

Before, you say this doesn't happen, I just booked a cruise where my TA charged me the same price as the cruise line but offered me a choice between $XXX OBC or a rebate of the same amount. Would you consider that $XXX OBC to be 'free'?

I would definitely prefer the TA with the maximum discount, rather than free gratuities, specialty dining, drinks package or OBC

The discount gives me more flexibility to do what I want with the savings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would definitely prefer the TA with the maximum discount, rather than free gratuities, specialty dining, drinks package or OBC

The discount gives me more flexibility to do what I want with the savings.

It really wasn't a difficult choice. It was a Star class booking on Royal that included gratuities, specialties, drink packages, etc. What would I spend the OBC on?

 

It wasn't two TA. Same TA offering a choice of two bookings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you to cb at sea for your response. I do have a confirmation email from WMPH, which is the name of my TA, showing itinerary, payment, names of travelers, etc, and, at the bottom of the email a statement saying

 

Offer Details:

 

 

icon_mouseover_promotion.gif

This cruise includes the following bonus offer:

 

 

 

 

 

Exclusive Offer: Free Gratuities on Balconies & Suites

  • rci_331x331_20101007.gif

I was concerned because Royal Caribbean apparently doesn't know anything about WMPH's offer when I provided them (Royal Caribbean) with my reservation code and asked about the free gratuities. I chose WMPH over other TA's because of this offer!

 

Thanks again.

 

Dan

 

PS. BTW, WMPH is supposed to stand for We Make People "Happy" (emphasis added). They definitely are not making me happy. Next time, I'll ask all questions before paying (to a different TA).

 

Dare I say, do it yourself next time.

You book your cruise first then figure out how many days you want to spend pre-cruise and post-cruise, then book your flights. Then get any medical coverage you require. You will be sent all confirmations via e-mail. No third party involved and you what has been done and what has not been done. And, everything can be budgeted accordingly.

Ron L

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...