Any experience with a Cruising Club?

[ELep]

Happy Easter to everyone here. I have noted a TA offering a Cruising Club for $90 p/a. On some itineraries, I can then see significantly cheaper fares. Payment terms don't seem too different to the usual. conditions. Has anyone here had experience with this one? Any catches that I cannot see? Or is it as good as it seems? TIA for your thoughts.  

[MicCanberra]

Don't know anything about it except for having to pay to be in a club that cruises. CC is free.

[arxcards]

If it is your preferred agent, check what they are offering for your $90. Otherwise, I don't see any point in paying for a subscription that will encourage me to be loyal with a single agency.

 

Be sure that apples are apples with any cheaper fares. The more expensive price can be a more flexible booking with a refundable deposit vs a special club price being offered for a guarantee cabin and/or non-refundable deposit. Not saying that is the case, but you need to do your homework, and it is difficult if you need to pay for a subscription before you can compare T&C's. If all is equal and you are going to save more than $90 on your booking, go for it.

 

Presently I am looked after really well by an agent that we have chosen to use for the last 9 years. I don't need to pay for a subscription to get VIP treatment.

 

PS: I consider this as a T/A club, not a cruising club.

Edited March 30 by arxcards
PS:

[Drumbeat16]

I have a couple of bookings with the cruise specialist that you mention, they keep adding the club fee to my bookings but as there doesn't seem to be any advantage when booking with Cunard I keep declining it.

[cruiser3775]

Same experience as above. It's a good cruise agency with excellent service, but I can't see any advantage in paying the 90 dollars. I just decline it, plus I also get a better deal than they offer on travel insurance by shopping around.

[Elorac123]

I have been using said online TA for several years and the $90 voluntary club membership was brought after Covid when cruising started up again.

There is a live draw each month for excellent cruise prizes also I have been invited to a couple of high teas plus there are several offers through the year for cheaper cruises than the norm.

There is no extra fee put on any of your bookings.

Cheers Carole

[ELep]

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes, I agree that this is a TA club, not a cruising club. Just trying to assist with identification without breaking the rules regarding naming TA's. 

 

[LittleFish1976]

On 3/30/2024 at 11:15 PM, Drumbeat16 said:

I have a couple of bookings with the cruise specialist that you mention, they keep adding the club fee to my bookings but as there doesn't seem to be any advantage when booking with Cunard I keep declining it.

I book Cunard through them and have the membership. Do they still provide additional OBC beyond what Cunard are offering and get you a small discount on the fare without membership? That's what I've been getting. Also, 15% discount with travel insurance.

[Drumbeat16]

10 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

I book Cunard through them and have the membership. Do they still provide additional OBC beyond what Cunard are offering and get you a small discount on the fare without membership? That's what I've been getting. Also, 15% discount with travel insurance.

Before I made my last booking with Cunard I asked if there were any additional benefits for club members and was told there wasn’t so I have not joined. I dislike the fact the membership fee is automatically added to your invoice and I have to ask for it to be removed.

I did get additional OBC on a different booking without membership.

Edited April 2 by Drumbeat16

[cruiser3775]

I get additional OBC without having to pay the club fee. I also dislike that they add both the $90 club fee plus their travel insurance to your quote, and you have to ask to have them removed.

[Sparky74]

I’ve been using this TA for the last few years. In early 2023 they advertised a very good price for a cruise that suited us. One needed to be a club member to get the special price. We paid the $90 membership fee as it was significantly less than the savings. 
I received emails on about a weekly basis, was apparently in a draw for a free cruise each month, and they posted a magazine (substantial advertising brochure) every other month. 
We chose not to renew our membership but would do so if there was another special price on a cruise we wanted to do. 

[buchhalm]

"I won't belong to a club that accepts me as a member " (Oscar Wilde)

[Elorac123]

On 4/3/2024 at 10:14 AM, cruiser3775 said:

I get additional OBC without having to pay the club fee. I also dislike that they add both the $90 club fee plus their travel insurance to your quote, and you have to ask to have them removed.

I think there are two different thing being discussed here ?

 A TA that has a optional $90 per annum club membership that has a lucky draw monthly for a free cruise,     and,,,,

 

A cruise line membership ?

 

Cheers Carole 

[arxcards]

8 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

I think there are two different thing being discussed here ?

 A TA that has a optional $90 per annum club membership that has a lucky draw monthly for a free cruise,     and,,,,

 

A cruise line membership ?

 

Cheers Carole 

I read it that there are some agencies that will give you additional OBC as part of your booking, without having to pay a membership fee for the privilege.

[cruiser3775]

Carole, nobody here is talking about a "cruise line membership".   This is about a particular Australian cruise specialist travel agent, who offers a "cruise club" membership when you price a cruise with them. It costs $90 per year. You get some perks - entry into a raffle of a free cruise, a  large cruising magazine posted out to you, "discounts" on an overpriced travel insurance quote, invitations to some events which seem to be thinly disguised hard sells.  You may also get offers for cruises that are better than those offered to the general public.  I had the membership for a year when I booked my first cruise and did not receive any offers that could not be matched elsewhere.   

Edited April 6 by cruiser3775

[MicCanberra]

Agreed, nothing has been that good to sway me so far.

[Elorac123]

Booked with these agents long before Covid always got decent OBC and still do 

Never had extra added on a quote and I reckon $7.50 a month is not a bad price to pay for a chance to win a cruise.

To each his own.

Cheers Carole

[ELep]

3 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Carole, nobody here is talking about a "cruise line membership".   This is about a particular Australian cruise specialist travel agent, who offers a "cruise club" membership when you price a cruise with them. It costs $90 per year. You get some perks - entry into a raffle of a free cruise, a  large cruising magazine posted out to you, "discounts" on an overpriced travel insurance quote, invitations to some events which seem to be thinly disguised hard sells.  You may also get offers for cruises that are better than those offered to the general public.  I had the membership for a year when I booked my first cruise and did not receive any offers that could not be matched elsewhere.   

It's a TA offering the "club price". $90 p/a. I am noting significantly reduced fares on one line next summer offered to club members. 

[Sparky74]

I’m having a bit of a tidy up this arvo (ie I’m looking for something that’s “lost” in the general mess). I found the October/November 2023 edition of the “magazine”. Also the February 2024 edition which is still sealed in plastic! 

They’re both going into the recycling bin. 

[Jean C]

14 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

I’m having a bit of a tidy up this arvo (ie I’m looking for something that’s “lost” in the general mess). I found the October/November 2023 edition of the “magazine”. Also the February 2024 edition which is still sealed in plastic! 

They’re both going into the recycling bin. 

Minus the plastic ...

[Sparky74]

1 hour ago, Sparky74 said:

…They’re both going into the recycling bin. 

 

56 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Minus the plastic ...

Naturally. ♻️

[cruiser3775]

Following this thread, I found the Feb edition of the magazine (still in its wrapper) and sat down with a cuppa for a brief read.  I was still reading 45 minutes later. It's actually quite an interesting magazine for cruisers. though a bit amateurish. Too many tiny photographs of ship interiors. Also has reports on new ships and destinations, plus trip reports from cruisers. These vary a lot, some being overwhelmed on the adjectives plus lots of cliches, others more professionally written. The Feb edition has a very good article on historical cruising from Australian ports in the 1930s.  Well before my time, but a big contrast to cruising nowadays.

[SinbadThePorter]

On 4/5/2024 at 9:29 PM, buchhalm said:

"I won't belong to a club that accepts me as a member " (Oscar Wilde)

 

Groucho Marx resigning from the Hollywood Friar's Club.

[LittleFish1976]

15 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Groucho Marx resigning from the Hollywood Friar's Club.

I also had it in my mind as a classic Groucho Marx line. Loved their films.

[MicCanberra]

Is he related to Karl?