Ship Tour in Port

[SilvertoGold]

Just has an email from a local cruise agency with an "invitation" to tour and lunch of a HAL ship in July.

 

Have done these before and really enjoyed them. Those were compilmentary; this one is $50.00 pp, with that amount credited to your next HAL booking, within a year, with that agency.

 

Has anyone heard of this type of event done this way? I am hesitant because I don't book with the same agency all the time, but go with the one offering the best pricing.

 

This must be a regular HAL tour/lunch because the agency mentions they have 50 of the 150 spots available.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have never heard where people had to pay for a ship's tour as a guest when a ship is in any port.

Sounds like the agency is wanting to get you to book with them.

I have read where some people have been invited to tour a ship with lunch included for free -- through travel agencies they knew .

And of course there are always others invited just because they know people in Seattle or officers on the ships.

[sail7seas]

Just has an email from a local cruise agency with an "invitation" to tour and lunch of a HAL ship in July.

 

Have done these before and really enjoyed them. Those were compilmentary; this one is $50.00 pp, with that amount credited to your next HAL booking, within a year, with that agency.

 

Has anyone heard of this type of event done this way? I am hesitant because I don't book with the same agency all the time, but go with the one offering the best pricing.

 

This must be a regular HAL tour/lunch because the agency mentions they have 50 of the 150 spots available.

 

I've heard of it though we have never paid to visit a ship in port.

Only you can decide if you wish to (a) pay and (b) be obliged to book with that agency.

 

They likely make the charge so they don't get a bunch of people who take advantage of the chance to visit the ship and then never make a booking with them. In a way, you really can't blame them. IMO

 

[PathfinderEss]

We have done several ship tours including lunch, for free thru different TA's but never have heard of charging for them, interesting. Don't think I would want to do that.

[rkacruiser]

I think that I would respond: Make it a complimentary lunch and visit and I accept. Otherwise, I will look for a different agency in making my next reservation.

 

I would be interested in knowing for which port this "wonderful" offer has been made?

[Himself]

It doesn't sound like a good deal.

[startwin]

Just has an email from a local cruise agency with an "invitation" to tour and lunch of a HAL ship in July.

 

Have done these before and really enjoyed them. Those were compilmentary; this one is $50.00 pp, with that amount credited to your next HAL booking, within a year, with that agency.

 

Has anyone heard of this type of event done this way? I am hesitant because I don't book with the same agency all the time, but go with the one offering the best pricing.

 

This must be a regular HAL tour/lunch because the agency mentions they have 50 of the 150 spots available.

 

I got that too, this morning. I`m guessing it`s the same travel agency. It`s the first time I`ve heard of this, and I`ve done quite few ship tours - with another agent;) This was on the Amsterdam, in Vancouver, right?

[sail7seas]

I actually think it an 'inventive' marketing scheme.

I would guess there will be more than a few people who will pay and go.

 

[Sir PMP]

Just has an email from a local cruise agency with an "invitation" to tour and lunch of a HAL ship in July.

 

Have done these before and really enjoyed them. Those were compilmentary; this one is $50.00 pp, with that amount credited to your next HAL booking, within a year, with that agency.

 

Has anyone heard of this type of event done this way? I am hesitant because I don't book with the same agency all the time, but go with the one offering the best pricing.

 

This must be a regular HAL tour/lunch because the agency mentions they have 50 of the 150 spots available.

 

 

No, don't go for the gimmick, agency wants to make money out of this, pls change to another one..

[SilvertoGold]

I got that too, this morning. I`m guessing it`s the same travel agency. It`s the first time I`ve heard of this, and I`ve done quite few ship tours - with another agent;) This was on the Amsterdam, in Vancouver, right?

 

Startwin:

 

Bingo!

We've done several tours, complimentary, with 2 other agencies.

I generally do not find the pricing this agency advertises (packages) very competitive.

I wonder if HAL knows this agency is going this. I guess it is simply an agency idea and HAL would not care one way or the other.

 

As Sail notes, an inventive marketing scheme.

[VioletHorse]

Princess has been offering the "Bon Voyage Experience" for the last few years. For $39, you get 4 hours on the ship including a 4 course lunch with wine in the dining room, a guided ship tour, and a souvenir photo. The $39 fee can be applied to a future booking. You are embarked as a group with those passenger having priority embarkation. They restrict it to 50 persons per cruise.

 

I'm just off the Celebrity Summit, and guess what? They offered a Mothers Day Brunch in the dining room for $50 for non-sailing customers, although I don't know if it came with the same features as the Princess program.

 

It seems to be a new trend in marketing cruises.