Just another complaining Brit.

[terrierjohn]

Can someone please explain why we in the UK always seem to draw the short straw when it comes to cruise pricing.

When the exotics brochure was released in the US in April I noted from the Princess website that the price for a balcony cabin on cruise T718 (2007) had reduced by $100pp from the 2006 price, and at that time the exchange rate was USD 1.75/£. However the same cruise in the new UK exotics brochure has increased by £86pp, and Sterling is now 13% higher at USD 1.89/£. In addition the head start internal flight from Manchester to Heathrow has increased from £50pp to £99pp, the funny thing is I would probably pay double if Princess were to offer direct intercontinental flights from Manchester, in fact anything to avoid being routed through Heathrow especially on the return leg.

Ah well maybe my extortionate price is helping to reduce my American cousins' cost, and there was I assuming we Brits had stopped subsidising our American colonials back in 1776!!!!

[erntrish]

and there was I assuming we Brits had stopped subsidising our American colonials back in 1776!!!!

 

Is that what it was? Subsidizing? All those extra taxes were a great subsidy...and who can knock all those opportunities triangular trade presented? ;)

 

Ah, well, I guess we're over it now. All we have left is to squeeze every possible pound out of our former benefactors!

 

Cheers!

[Wittonian]

Is that what it was? Subsidizing? All those extra taxes were a great subsidy...and who can knock all those opportunities triangular trade presented? ;)

 

Ah, well, I guess we're over it now. All we have left is to squeeze every possible pound out of our former benefactors!

 

Cheers!

 

Subsidizing ??? what language is that please.

[bjboothman]

Subsidizing ??? what language is that please.

 

 

Huh?

 

 

1 result for: Subsidizing

 

1. To assist or support with a subsidy.
   
2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy.

[A Sixth?]

Subsidizing ??? what language is that please.

 

It is called English and it is spelled "subsidising", "colour" and "realised", y'all know that eh? :rolleyes:

[Wittonian]

Sorry - subsidizing is not English.

[Another ship trip]

Sorry - subsidizing is not English.

 

Kindly, what language is it then? Google it. This is such a common word used by government entities every day, and is such a common word dealing with "bankrolling" or putting up stakes (regarding money), that I have to ask, "are you kidding?"

[Another ship trip]

Sorry - subsidizing is not English.

 

Are you kidding? It is a word used by the government all the time meaning to "bankroll" or to put up stakes (money) for something. Google it please and you can tell us from which language it originates.

[Another ship trip]

Sorry - subsidizing is not English.

 

duplicate

[erntrish]

Just to make sure it's legal, I used a PRINT copy of the dictionary (The New Webster's Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language; 1991 edition, American International Press):

 

subsidize:

(pres. part. subsidizing) v.t, to pay a subsidy to || to aid with public money.

 

I have many faults...poor written English is not one of them. (Though some Brits may argue about my spelling choices now and again...)

 

Care to explain the reasoning behind your declaration?

[terrierjohn]

Is that what it was? Subsidizing? All those extra taxes were a great subsidy...and who can knock all those opportunities triangular trade presented? ;)

 

Ah, well, I guess we're over it now. All we have left is to squeeze every possible pound out of our former benefactors!

 

Cheers!

Not a bad reply, and yes I do feel as though I'm being squeezed!

[mr green]

Princess had an answer to a similar query a few weeks ago. It was that

'Everything costs more in the U.K.', or words to that effect. Unfortunately we have the a problem in Canada, it might be called the 'Sinking U.S. Dollar' to which we do not get the correct exchange. No wish to offend, just telling it how it is. john

[calikak]

I was going to suggest that you might be able to find a decent-priced flight direct through Air Tahiti Nui if you wait until about 4 months before the cruise (they tend to run sales, they advertise them on their website) but since your sailing starts in Honolulu and you'd need to fly open-jaws, you probably won't do better than Princess's price. At least, that's what we found when we did that sailing this year.

 

I think the Brits on this thread were saying that in the UK, it's spelled subsidising. In the US, we spell it subsidizing. It's the little differences that make life interesting. :)

[broberts]

Does VAT affect the pricing?

[VaBeachCruisers897]

I dont see a problem as long as the price continues to go down in the US.

[Stevesan]

I dont see a problem as long as the price continues to go down in the US.

 

Bingo. Someone finally got it right!:p

[Wittonian]

Are you kidding? It is a word used by the government all the time meaning to "bankroll" or to put up stakes (money) for something. Google it please and you can tell us from which language it originates.

 

Whilslt "subsidizing" might originate from the Englsih language the actual spelling is "subsidising" in England.

 

I am tempted to say that it emanates from the American language but there isn't one. :)

[MV21]

Bingo. Someone finally got it right!:p

 

As a Brit I could say the same about the sinking US Dollar....but that would seem a tad insensitive:p

[erntrish]

Whilslt "subsidizing" might originate from the Englsih language the actual spelling is "subsidising" in England.

 

I am tempted to say that it emanates from the American language but there isn't one. :)

 

English usage is different all over the world...what you hear/see in the Isles is different from that found in America, Canada, Australia, etc. That doesn't make it wrong...it just evolved differently- just like English did from other, earlier languages.

 

 

 

subsidy c.1380, from Anglo-Fr. subsidie, from O.Fr. subside "help, aid, contribution," from L. subsidium "help, aid, assistance, (military) reinforcements," from sub "behind, near" + sedere "to sit" (see sedentary). Subsidize is from 1795. Originally of nations, "to buy neutrality or alliance." Meaning "to support by grants of money" is from 1828.

[terrierjohn]

For those sympathetic to the extra drain on UK wallets, and not whether a Zee or Ess is correct in subsidis(z)e, what about this sting.

If a UK passenger wants an extra pre-cruise hotel night, it costs him £209pp for a 2 day pre-cruise stay at the Royal Hawaiian, and he forfeits the normal pre-cruise night which forms part of the standard package. So he ends up paying the £209 for 1 night. On the Princess website the lucky, susidiz(s)ed (please note I'm being fair as to which spelling should predominate) US passenger pays $199pp for the first night and $139pp for each extra night, total $238pp which equates to £125 or £62.50 per night.

It's just unbelievable, and to think Princess started life as a UK subsidiary.

John.

[OhioDogLover]

It is unfortunate that there is this discrepancy. It does not make any sense to me, either. It makes me wonder if there is some British tax that is imposed. That is the only logical explanation, particularly given the changes in the exchange rate.:confused:

[JPRLHR]

Terrierjohn... You're right we do get ripped off when it comes to the pricing on cruises and the hotels etc. The main reason given by the operators would be that they reserve their allocation of rooms at least twelve months in advance. The rates are then set not only according to the Dollar-Pound rate at the time but also with a further safeguard in there should the rate fall. That's why the difference seems so huge at the moment as they could have reserved at the rate of $1-60 to the pound and allowed for $1-50 whereas we're now getting almost $1-85.

 

As somebody mentioned earlier, the best way is to book with a US based agent. I did exactly that for my cruise in three weeks time and I've saved over £700- on a PS + Flights & Hotel for 3 x nights in NYC beforehand. I booked my own flights direct with the airline but the US agent booked the hotel.

[Brian Raine]

Hear hear We have travelled on most cruise lines , we are Captains Circle ( Platinum) Club members with Princess and have tried to book cruises in the US. However Carnival will not allow US TAs to sell cruises forPrincess/Cunard/HAL/P&O etc to UK travellers, but they can sell CARNIVAL cruises. I was advised by a US TA that if I went ahead and booked with them Princess would/could levy a charge at the point of embarkation equivelent to the UK price. Another excuse used by Princess is the UK arm is ABTA/ATAOL bonded and these costs make UK cruises more expensive.

The overall high pricing of cruising from the UK is such that ,I believe, is one of the reasons RCCL/CARNIVAL/Celebrity are now increasing their sailings from the UK,they can make more money from we poor whingeing BRITS.

We do spell it "subsidiSing". like schedule not SKEDULE

[tomcruiser1234]

I think we need another "Boston tea party", but this time it will take place with the "Brit's" in rebellion.

 

After all they did catch the plane bombers.

 

Good for them, they are owed it.

[JPRLHR]

Brian.. They can sell to UK clients as I've just explained. I used a Californian based franchise of a very large US cruise specialist TA. The franchise is owned and operated by a British couple so they know what's what, and no such threat of possible surcharges at the point of embarkation. Better still, no mis-understandings either. My tickets have arrived and all documentation from Princess is duly addressed to me in the UK etc..etc..