UK Govt Regs increasing cruise costs?

[CHOPPERTESTER]

It's been posted that one of the possible reasons that UK cruises seem to cost more than comparative US based cruises is that the consumer protection laws in the UK force RCI to charge more for their cruises.

 

Is this true?

 

Wouldn't you rather have the cost identified as a line item in the cruise cost just like the fuel surcharges airlines use?

 

Would you accept signing a disclaimer to indemnify RCI so that you could get a lower cruise cost?

 

Thoughts UK cruisers please.

[Scotsnomad]

No

 

No

 

Its not due to UK legislation, it is due to EEU legislation and gives us good consumer rights

[dickydonkin]

It's been posted that one of the possible reasons that UK cruises seem to cost more than comparative US based cruises is that the consumer protection laws in the UK force RCI to charge more for their cruises.

 

Is this true?

 

Wouldn't you rather have the cost identified as a line item in the cruise cost just like the fuel surcharges airlines use?

 

Would you accept signing a disclaimer to indemnify RCI so that you could get a lower cruise cost?

 

Thoughts UK cruisers please.

 

Put quite simply - RCI charge UK 'customers' more because they can get away with it!

 

I stand to be corrected but I understand that UK cruisers are charged an 'administration fee' for amending a reservation - something that US cruisers do not have to pay. Again, I stand to be corrected on this.

 

The above should have nothing to do with consumer legislation. Provided there are no additional costs to RCI - any amendments should be free of charge, but they charge anyway.

 

That's just the way it is here!

[CHOPPERTESTER]

No admin fee here if you book directly with RCI or you use a TA that doesn't charge a change fee (some do).

 

So if I buy my Southampton cruise through the RCI.com site and not the RCI.UK.com site do I get the same EEU consumer protection being a non-EEU citizen?

 

I think if there is an attributable cost then it should be listed as a line item in the cruise cost. I do not want to pay for something that does not apply to me.

 

Often credit cards have travel insurance built in for free or you may purchase 3rd party out-of-country insurance. Why pay for it twice.

[bigeck]

No admin fee here if you book directly with RCI or you use a TA that doesn't charge a change fee (some do).

 

So if I buy my Southampton cruise through the RCI.com site and not the RCI.UK.com site do I get the same EEU consumer protection being a non-EEU citizen?

 

I think if there is an attributable cost then it should be listed as a line item in the cruise cost. I do not want to pay for something that does not apply to me.

 

Often credit cards have travel insurance built in for free or you may purchase 3rd party out-of-country insurance. Why pay for it twice.

 

I've looked into that. I can't log onto rci.com. It automatically re-directs to rci.co.uk. The only way is to it is to try and book through an American or Canadian TA. I'm going to the Med this year and Venice next year. I'm going to try that next for the Caribbean.

[kernow]

Its not always true that we pay more in the UK than those in the US for the same cruise. Out of curiosity I often check the US price at the time of booking and several times I have found we are paying about the same or in the case of our Eclipse cruise last summer quite a bit less than the US price. Also don't forget that its very common here to find TAs offering a 10% discount on the RCL price which I believe is not allowed in the US.

 

I think generally people in the EU are happy to have a price which includes protection, quoting an all in price is generally the way things are done over here, we don't have a base price then add extra for taxes and tips etc.

 

I think the reason that European cruises are often more expensive for everyone is pure supply and demand. There are alot more ships that sail out of say Miami every week than Southampton, so lots more empty cabins to fill.

 

There are still bargains to be found in Europe, I was just watching a cruise show on TV that was selling a 2 week hoilday, 7 nights AI in a Majorca hotel and 7 nights on the Grandeur with the new drink package from £899 including flights.

 

Julie

[suekay]

I've looked into that. I can't log onto rci.com. It automatically re-directs to rci.co.uk. The only way is to it is to try and book through an American or Canadian TA. I'm going to the Med this year and Venice next year. I'm going to try that next for the Caribbean.

It's easy to book through a US TA - we do it most of the time. Not allowed to say which one on Cruise Critic though :( But I must admit there are getting to be MANY more bargains than there ever used to be through the UK these days