***Boycott HAL, Princess, MSC *** scam pricing***

[Flying is for Planes]

Australian and New Zealanders - Holland America, MSC, Orion Expedition Cruises, Princess and Star Clippers currently prohibit all U.S. travel agencies from selling cruises to you.

 

HOWEVER, Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Crystal, Cunard, Disney, Hurtigruten, Lindblad Expeditions, Norwegian, Oceania, P&O, Paul Gauguin, Ponant, Pullmantur, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea, Swan Hellenic, Voyages to Antiquity, Voyages of Discovery and Windstar all have no problem selling to people world wide.

 

I recently went to book 2 cruises for 2014. One with Carnival and one with MSC. I used the search functions on this page and was told I am banned from buying a MSC cruise via the USA. More research I found the US price nearly 40% less than the Australian price on the MSC site. Additionally the booking terms on the Australian site are very harsh with penalties for changes/cancellations

 

Hopefully the Australian Government will one day make this illegal. In the meantime let these cruise lines know you will boycott them.

 

Aussies already being ripped off on IT-

http://www.news.com.au/technology/parliamentary-it-pricing-inquiry-recommends-banning-geoblocking-to-slash-prices-for-aussie-consumers/story-e6frfro0-1226687628779

[Pushka]

I've already contacted ACCC about this issue when that IT geo story surfaced a couple of months ago and they were not in the least bit interested.

[MicCanberra]

I've already contacted ACCC about this issue when that IT geo story surfaced a couple of months ago and they were not in the least bit interested.

 

I don't know why but perhaps it is to do with the differing laws/duties etc. and that they can use these to hide behind and hike up their prices.:eek:

[Dizziedi]

This has been the case for a long time. As we generally only cruise Royal Caribbean these days, we have been booking with a US agent for the generous OBC and the honouring of price drops. Unfortunately, the dollar has dropped and we have had to return to our Australian TA who thankfully, happens to be a nice guy and does his best for us:)

 

At least Princess now honour price drops here.

 

Sadly, all the whinging and threats ain't gonna help.

 

Cheers

Di

[MicCanberra]

This has been the case for a long time. As we generally only cruise Royal Caribbean these days, we have been booking with a US agent for the generous OBC and the honouring of price drops. Unfortunately, the dollar has dropped and we have had to return to our Australian TA who thankfully, happens to be a nice guy and does his best for us:)

 

At least Princess now honour price drops here.

 

Sadly, all the whinging and threats ain't gonna help.

 

Cheers

Di

 

Yes, we have used TA's both here and in the US, which ever gives us the best deal for the cruise we want to do. There will nearly always be a chance of buyers remorse, so do your research, buy when you think it is the optimal price and don't look at prices for that cruise anymore. It will only get you upset.:D

[Aus Traveller]

Yes, we have used TA's both here and in the US, which ever gives us the best deal for the cruise we want to do. There will nearly always be a chance of buyers remorse, so do your research, buy when you think it is the optimal price and don't look at prices for that cruise anymore. It will only get you upset.:D

 

Good advice. Although with some cruiselines you can get a price drop if the price for that category is reduced before final payment and you ask for the reduction. In that case it is worth checking prices.:)

[mr walker]

Hopefully the Australian Government will one day make this illegal.

 

Not sure what the Australian government can do about a foreign company applying business practices to their operation? What, ban the ships from coming here? Make it illegal for an Australian citizen to travel with any of those lines?

 

I think your personal boycott is all you can do if you feel so strongly.

 

I see someone raised the ACCC - complete waste of oxygen & taxpayers money. Investigated petrol prices and come up with nought :rolleyes:

[MicCanberra]

Good advice. Although with some cruiselines you can get a price drop if the price for that category is reduced before final payment and you ask for the reduction. In that case it is worth checking prices.:)

That is true, but if you can't get it, do not get upset as you got a price that was acceptable to begin with.:D

[rabbit1971]

Hi all,

I feel very lucky as carnival have had a price reduction on the cruise I am on in october, when I rang my TA she got onto it straight away and carnival are going to reimburse us the difference, this is after we had paid our full fare also, so its not all bad news, i figured I had nothing to loose by asking!:)

[YoHoHo]

Australian and New Zealanders - Holland America, MSC, Orion Expedition Cruises, Princess and Star Clippers currently prohibit all U.S. travel agencies from selling cruises to you.

 

HOWEVER, ... Oceania, ... all have no problem selling to people world wide.

 

Hopefully the Australian Government will one day make this illegal. ...

I can't speak for Australia but Oceania does have different rules in other parts of the world such as the UK. In their case I believe it is to protect their 'local' travel agents.

 

In the case of some of the larger cruise lines you name I believe it IS the government that requires they have an appointed agent that all other agents must use. That is to maintain a local corporate presence to adhere to local laws and conditions. They must have an Australian business entity (becsaue of size) Read about this on CC elsewhere

 

Here in Canada we pay much more for the same product shipped from just across the border despite our $ being almost at par for a couple of years. Re-distribution costs to a smaller market, local regulation compliance, workers compensation, taxes, labour laws, health benefits, etc all are part of that cost. As for cruises we can purchase direct from US agents BUT many prefer to deal with local agents that are required to pay into insurance funds in case of default. That costs money of course so a local Canadian agent *might* not be able to give as generous benefit as a US based high-volume discounter.

 

As you point out, you do have the choice to buy from other cruise lines. I would buy where I believe I get the best value for my money and my vacation time.

[Aus Traveller]

Hi all,

I feel very lucky as carnival have had a price reduction on the cruise I am on in october, when I rang my TA she got onto it straight away and carnival are going to reimburse us the difference, this is after we had paid our full fare also, so its not all bad news, i figured I had nothing to loose by asking!:)

 

Did you pay the balance early? Was this still outside the date for full payment?

[MicCanberra]

Hi all,

I feel very lucky as carnival have had a price reduction on the cruise I am on in october, when I rang my TA she got onto it straight away and carnival are going to reimburse us the difference, this is after we had paid our full fare also, so its not all bad news, i figured I had nothing to loose by asking!:)

If you don't ask, you can not receive.:D

[rabbit1971]

Hi austraveller,

Yes we had paid in full 3 weeks ago, on the prescribed date, so i really wasnt excpecting a cash refund. The most I thought I'd get was on board credit, so was pleasantly suprised when my TA contacted me and said we would have a cash refund. So it was lovely to find a TA and a cruise company happy to pass on those drops without a quibble.:D

[Aus Traveller]

Hi austraveller,

Yes we had paid in full 3 weeks ago, on the prescribed date, so i really wasnt excpecting a cash refund. The most I thought I'd get was on board credit, so was pleasantly suprised when my TA contacted me and said we would have a cash refund. So it was lovely to find a TA and a cruise company happy to pass on those drops without a quibble.:D

 

That is fantastic. :) You must have a good TA. I sometimes wonder if TAs are reluctant to pass on price reductions because it might reduce their commission.

[rabbit1971]

I think I was just exceptionally fortunate. From posts on similar threads it seems I am in the minority here and most don't get reimbursed if there is a price drop. However it would seem carnival are more likely than most to honour the drops. But I'm defintely not complaining:p

[MicCanberra]

I think I was just exceptionally fortunate. From posts on similar threads it seems I am in the minority here and most don't get reimbursed if there is a price drop. However it would seem carnival are more likely than most to honour the drops. But I'm defintely not complaining:p

 

I would like to know the name of the TA you used but what ever you do do not give away the name on CC or you may get in trouble.:eek:

[fishtaco]

A Personal VPN (virtual Private Network) Is fast becoming a necessity when shopping online for anything! whereas a few months ago it was only needed sometimes!

 

Break into the USA price market with a VPN and most US retailers/sellers will gladly sell to Australians and its still way cheaper with international postage added than what we are allowed to buy with ip hijacking and jumped up hijack prices.

 

If you dont want a VPN then "Pale Moon" web browser will bypass ip hijack on a normal PC because its a tablet browser so works too slow for anyone to hijack your ip location;)

[MicCanberra]

A Personal VPN (virtual Private Network) Is fast becoming a necessity when shopping online for anything! whereas a few months ago it was only needed sometimes!

 

Break into the USA price market with a VPN and most US retailers/sellers will gladly sell to Australians and its still way cheaper with international postage added than what we are allowed to buy with ip hijacking and jumped up hijack prices.

 

If you dont want a VPN then "Pale Moon" web browser will bypass ip hijack on a normal PC because its a tablet browser so works too slow for anyone to hijack your ip location;)

 

Interesting, thanks fishtaco.:D

[The_Big_M]

Not sure what the Australian government can do about a foreign company applying business practices to their operation? What, ban the ships from coming here? Make it illegal for an Australian citizen to travel with any of those lines?

 

I think your personal boycott is all you can do if you feel so strongly.

 

I see someone raised the ACCC - complete waste of oxygen & taxpayers money. Investigated petrol prices and come up with nought :rolleyes:

 

Ah, the voice of reason. Careful, it's not popular!

[MicCanberra]

Ah, the voice of reason. Careful, it's not popular!

They are going to look at the Coles/woolies petrol pricing again but being a toothless dog will only gum it for a while before letting them go.:D

[SAVTA2]

I think I was just exceptionally fortunate. From posts on similar threads it seems I am in the minority here and most don't get reimbursed if there is a price drop. However it would seem carnival are more likely than most to honour the drops. But I'm defintely not complaining:p

 

Recently returned from a Carnival cruise - NEVER AGAIN - in 40 years of cruising it was the worst cruise company we had ever been with. They are probably ONLY honouring the drop because with their bad reputation at the moment they are crying out for passengers!!!

[MicCanberra]

Recently returned from a Carnival cruise - NEVER AGAIN - in 40 years of cruising it was the worst cruise company we had ever been with. They are probably ONLY honouring the drop because with their bad reputation at the moment they are crying out for passengers!!!

What was so bad,:confused: can you point out some of the issues please.:D

[SAVTA2]

We were on a 49 day cruise around South America.

 

• First of all we had a 4 hour check-in standing outside in the hot sun - moved 3 times - no apologies and when we finally reached the desks - 6 were unmanned.
  
• No welcome greeting when finally boarding or directions where to go
  
• When complaining at the Customer service desk we were told to put it in writing for their Miami office. No member of staff would accept any responsibility - this attitude continued throughout the cruise
  
• food was below standard
  
• entertainment terrible - always repeated the same shows - Films were dug out of the archives and repeated - on many occasions terminated before the end of the film.
  
• The Cruise Director was a joke - making daily mistakes like announcing port arrivals that were not even on the itinerary. Telling passengers it was a formal night when it wasn't!! When asking for him to speak to us about a complaint at the Customer Service desk - he refused to and would only speak over the telephone. Will not bore you with other issues
  
• There was almost a MUTINY on board when the Captain made an announcement that we would NOT be sailing through the Chilean Fjords that afternoon only during the night - due to 'miscommunication'. (The Port lecturer was just about to tell passengers to go up on deck and get their cameras ready for the scenery!!
  
• Many South American passengers stormed the CR desk and demanded to see the Captain. In the end there there was a hurried meeting in the Theatre with him and Officers - NOT announced over the Tannoy. But word got around and so many passengers attended. There was a lot of shouting (mainly in Spanish) and Carnival was given 24 hours to provide an explanation - before going to the press.
  
• One South American lady was SO angry she Slapped the Captain!! (Was offloaded at the next port........)
  
• Every passenger got a letter the next day with a 'small refund' - but that did not appease the situation.
  
• The view of most passengers was the ship was run by 'kids' - no-one cared or took responsibility - the crew were unhappy and you could sense it in every department.
  
• Disorganised disembarkation/embarkation - usually only ONE gangway available for 3,500 passengers! At the final destination it even took 3 1/2 hours before we could leave the ship
  
• My list is endless -will sum up in two words CARNIVAL SUCKS!!:mad:
  

[MicCanberra]

We were on a 49 day cruise around South America.

 

• First of all we had a 4 hour check-in standing outside in the hot sun - moved 3 times - no apologies and when we finally reached the desks - 6 were unmanned.
  
• No welcome greeting when finally boarding or directions where to go
  
• When complaining at the Customer service desk we were told to put it in writing for their Miami office. No member of staff would accept any responsibility - this attitude continued throughout the cruise
  
• food was below standard
  
• entertainment terrible - always repeated the same shows - Films were dug out of the archives and repeated - on many occasions terminated before the end of the film.
  
• The Cruise Director was a joke - making daily mistakes like announcing port arrivals that were not even on the itinerary. Telling passengers it was a formal night when it wasn't!! When asking for him to speak to us about a complaint at the Customer Service desk - he refused to and would only speak over the telephone. Will not bore you with other issues
  
• There was almost a MUTINY on board when the Captain made an announcement that we would NOT be sailing through the Chilean Fjords that afternoon only during the night - due to 'miscommunication'. (The Port lecturer was just about to tell passengers to go up on deck and get their cameras ready for the scenery!!
  
• Many South American passengers stormed the CR desk and demanded to see the Captain. In the end there there was a hurried meeting in the Theatre with him and Officers - NOT announced over the Tannoy. But word got around and so many passengers attended. There was a lot of shouting (mainly in Spanish) and Carnival was given 24 hours to provide an explanation - before going to the press.
  
• One South American lady was SO angry she Slapped the Captain!! (Was offloaded at the next port........)
  
• Every passenger got a letter the next day with a 'small refund' - but that did not appease the situation.
  
• The view of most passengers was the ship was run by 'kids' - no-one cared or took responsibility - the crew were unhappy and you could sense it in every department.
  
• Disorganised disembarkation/embarkation - usually only ONE gangway available for 3,500 passengers! At the final destination it even took 3 1/2 hours before we could leave the ship
  
• My list is endless -will sum up in two words CARNIVAL SUCKS!!:mad:
  

WOW, thanks for listing some of the issues, I had heard some other things about Carnival but put it down to being a cheaper ( 3-4 star) cruise line catering for party crowds and families. I didn't think Carnival would ever tempt me but now it is confirmed.

I am so sorry your South American cruise was ruined, I think you will need another cruise just to recover.:D

[The_Big_M]

Recently returned from a Carnival cruise - NEVER AGAIN - in 40 years of cruising it was the worst cruise company we had ever been with. They are probably ONLY honouring the drop because with their bad reputation at the moment they are crying out for passengers!!!

 

Different operations (though the same name).