Hidden cruise price

[mek]

It's funny to suggest that folks don't know what I'm asking for, because I put it in my original post. It's simply a realistic price that you could actually purchase on the main page.

 

Maybe an example would help... I just went on to Carnival's web site. Clicked on deals. Chose a week. Clicked on the big red best price option of $309 for 7 days. Great deal eh? Add in $111 for port fees and $90 for tips and the cost is now $511 PP (unless you're travelling solo), about 65% more than the original price. From $511 per person doesn't sound as good, but it's the actual price you're going to pay before drinks, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, etc.

 

It's child's play to give users choices at the beginning of the search instead of after they click on a choice. A check box for the 'Full' price instead of the unrealistic cabin price would be a great start. While I'm at it, ask for # of Adults, # of Children, # of +55, minimum cabin type once at the beginning of the search process so I don't have to re-click on them each trip I want to price.

 

FTR: I'm not suggesting that every price or a complete breakdown be shown on the front page. I'm not suggesting that flights or hotel or anything else that the cruise line isn't selling be included.

 

Everyone who has cruised before knows that tips are extra. Newbies don't, because other vacations don't break the tips out into a separate line item.

 

Everyone who has cruised before knows that there are port fees on top of the price. Newbies don't and a 35% fee isn't the same as a 10-15% hotel tax.

 

Is what they are doing legal? Sure. Is it deceptive? I think so.

 

No, I don't think it's deceptive.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

I agree with the OP. The prices should show the entire price for the trip including port fees, taxes, gratuities, and the cost for the cabin. Extra's are things like specialty dining and shore excursions, not things you have to pay for to get on the boat.

 

It wouldn't be hard for the cruise companies to do this. They are already doing it when you do a fake booking. What's the matter with showing the real price up front?

 

Because it takes all of the same things that you enter on the booking engine while calling it a fake booking and claiming that you should be able to get a complete and accurate total cost before you put all the required data in.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

It's funny to suggest that folks don't know what I'm asking for, because I put it in my original post. It's simply a realistic price that you could actually purchase on the main page.

 

Maybe an example would help... I just went on to Carnival's web site. Clicked on deals. Chose a week. Clicked on the big red best price option of $309 for 7 days. Great deal eh? Add in $111 for port fees and $90 for tips and the cost is now $511 PP (unless you're travelling solo), about 65% more than the original price. From $511 per person doesn't sound as good, but it's the actual price you're going to pay before drinks, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, etc.

 

It's child's play to give users choices at the beginning of the search instead of after they click on a choice. A check box for the 'Full' price instead of the unrealistic cabin price would be a great start. While I'm at it, ask for # of Adults, # of Children, # of +55, minimum cabin type once at the beginning of the search process so I don't have to re-click on them each trip I want to price.

 

FTR: I'm not suggesting that every price or a complete breakdown be shown on the front page. I'm not suggesting that flights or hotel or anything else that the cruise line isn't selling be included.

 

Everyone who has cruised before knows that tips are extra. Newbies don't, because other vacations don't break the tips out into a separate line item.

 

Everyone who has cruised before knows that there are port fees on top of the price. Newbies don't and a 35% fee isn't the same as a 10-15% hotel tax.

 

Is what they are doing legal? Sure. Is it deceptive? I think so.

 

And now you say that you should be able to add almost all of the things that the booking engine already gives you the chance to enter to get a complete costing of a cruise. Why would a business owner spend the money to replicate the same thing that is already there to do the very thing that you want a new thing to be able to do?

[CRZR58]

Because it takes all of the same things that you enter on the booking engine while calling it a fake booking and claiming that you should be able to get a complete and accurate total cost before you put all the required data in.

I'm not claiming that you should be able to get a complete and accurate total cost before putting in the required data, but you already know that, don't you?

 

I'm claiming that you shouldn't advertise a 'From Price' that no one can ever book at. Not even the cheapest steerage, interior, that the cruise line picks for you, that no one else wants, comes in at their advertised price. If the 'From Price' doesn't exist, then it's deceptive. Pretty simple concept. I hope you understand it now. ;)

 

And now you say that you should be able to add almost all of the things that the booking engine already gives you the chance to enter to get a complete costing of a cruise. Why would a business owner spend the money to replicate the same thing that is already there to do the very thing that you want a new thing to be able to do?

 

Not saying that either, but as long as you asked...

 

 

The website as organized makes people fill in the same information over and over again when they want to price multiple scenarios. Put all the relevant info at the top of the first screen and users get exactly what they need to correctly price their trips and to compare multiple scenarios. Save the info the first time it's chosen in your account so you never have to type it again unless it changes.

 

 

Making things easier for your customers is good business. Eliminating all the information that your customers don't need like cabins they'd never book anyway based on the info they provide is good business. Providing the all in price quickly and easily is good business. If you have the best price/quality proposition in the industry, then providing the all in price for comparison to other cruise lines is very good business indeed.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

I'm not claiming that you should be able to get a complete and accurate total cost before putting in the required data, but you already know that, don't you?

 

I'm claiming that you shouldn't advertise a 'From Price' that no one can ever book at. Not even the cheapest steerage, interior, that the cruise line picks for you, that no one else wants, comes in at their advertised price. If the 'From Price' doesn't exist, then it's deceptive. Pretty simple concept. I hope you understand it now. ;) d.

 

Yes you can do exactly that as I have explained before. The FROM Price DOES exist and you CAN book it. It is not a deceptive practice. It is the price in that level of cabin that it appears on when you pick the option to have Carnival assign your a cabin rather than you picking it. The minute you choose that option, you are shown the total price for that cruise broken out by category with no other options to choose. Obviously you have never tried it so you do not know that it works that way every single time. The key here is that you do not get to choose your cabin. Carnival assigns it a short time before the cruise. The interesting part is you could get really lucky and get a really nice cabin for that price because of the passenger cabin load on the ship. And this works for every level of cabin using that levels FROM Price.