Money!!!

[jbrewster630]

Does anyone feel uneasy about what they paid for their cruise?

 

Last year when I cruised on NCL, the boards had a very interesting thread regarding $$$ for cruises. It was interesting to find out the "best" way to get a deal, wheather it be through a cruise website or your actual travel agent or the cruises website.

 

How would you guys feel about starting this topic? Would you feel comfortable discussing what you paid or are paying? I wanted to check with everyone before I dove right in and before I stared offending people. Is this tacky?

 

Thanks!

[bbqman]

Does anyone feel uneasy about what they paid for their cruise?

 

Is this tacky?

 

Thanks!

Yes it is. IMHO

[jbrewster630]

Okay, that is why I wanted to ask. So noone gets angry.

[stretch]

I wouldn't call it "tacky", actually it could be of great benefit to our fellow cruisers, especially first timers, who don't know the little things that can save them money. A lot of them get "sticker shock" when they see one price directly from the cruise line and don't know that there are bargains out there is you have the time and savy to find them. Sometimes, even with a good TA, it pays to do your own homework and follow the prices regularly to make sure you aren't paying more than is necessary. Now you've got two different opinions.

Stretch :D

[bbqman]

I wouldn't call it "tacky", actually it could be of great benefit to our fellow cruisers, especially first timers, who don't know the little things that can save them money. A lot of them get "sticker shock" when they see one price directly from the cruise line and don't know that there are bargains out there is you have the time and savy to find them. Sometimes, even with a good TA, it pays to do your own homework and follow the prices regularly to make sure you aren't paying more than is necessary. Now you've got two different opinions.

Stretch :D

I agree it is nice to do your homework looking up cruise prices and CC is a great place to do just this. But I do not believe saying that "I paid XX for this particular cruise" will benefit or is really necessary.

[jbrewster630]

Stretch,

Thanks sweetie! Any other opinions? Maybe a tie breaker? I agree with Stretch, the people that do not want to post won't and the ones that do, will.

Joann

[FrankiRN]

OK, I agree that to talk about money is usually considered "tacky", and I'd never be so rude as to come right out and ask someone what they make a year or whatever, but I think this is different. We are in a cruise forum, and frankly, anyone who doesn't want to answer can do just that and not answer.

[sailor moon]

I agree that it is a good tool to help people figure out that there are many different places to price/buy cruises. I cringe everytime I see that someone booked with RCCL directly and paid more than they needed to (in most cases). I like it when people name where they booked when they perceive they got a good deal. Not the actual person they dealt with but the company (so we don't get yelled at by CC).

[callajl]

This isn't dinner! so I guess I would feel fine discussing what I paid for a particular cruise, excursion, etc. I also feel that this would benefit new cruisers and that is what this board is supposed to be about...isn't it?

[ou812]

Hi

I just wanted to chime in with my 2 cents, for whatever it's worth. We are first time cruisers leaving in a few weeks on the Mariner. I looked online and got prices with about 8 different TAs, and we went to AAA office and got a price from them. Even the lowest price from a TA was the same price that RCCL gave me. We were afraid to go with a TA that we knew nothing about and just found over the net, so we booked with RCCL. Since doing that, I have learned on this site that there are many reputable internet TAs that we could have used, however in our case it wouldn't have saved us any $.

 

Thanks to everyone for all the good advise!

 

Laurie

[rsinj]

I don't think it's tacky at all. It's a fabulous idea.

 

Do you feel any differently if someone posts the price for airfare they were able to get through a particular website or agency? Is it different simply because we're talking about less money than a cruise? If someone is sharing where/how they were able to get a really good price for a cruise, what's the problem? That everyone didn't get the best price and some paid more?

 

I think it's a wonderful idea. Airlines get slapped for price fixing every few years, it's about time consumers banded together and exerted their power to exploit the free market and take advantage of competition among agents.

 

In the case that some do feel strongly against it, they could simply decide not to read or participate in the thread.

 

Have I said that I think it's a wonderful idea?

[sandymc47]

Count me in! We paid $670pp (inside gnt.) for 9 night, Jewel of the Seas, Oct 28. (Going to Aruba, out of Boston). Booked on internet, with Skyscraper Tours, from a E-mail they sent me. I feel it is a GREAT deal!.....We went in Jan. on the Grandeur, 7 days, for$370pp.(booked thru internet). The Caribbean Princess cost us $630pp, in May, but we picked our (inside)rooms. All included taxes and port fees....I think it is great to compare prices.

[abridalmaven]

This is a place we all come for information, so why not bring up this subject. I tel you on my first cruise I found this board only a few weeks before my cruise, and what a help it was. I found out more info than the veteran cruisers new about:D

[cruisinkitten]

I like this idea. On our first cruise I didn't know about this site and I can't remeber exactly what we paid but I think it was too much for a tiny room on the Norway. Second cruise I had found CC and knew about finding deals on the internet. When my b/f got back from the TA and told me the price he was quoted I found it for about $500 less and then got the TA to match it. Didn't know about price drops though so not sure if we could have saved more. If I remember correctly we paid $1049pp for a balcony on the explorer in may. On our last cruise I had the TA match an internet deal and then got a $300 dollar refund check after a price drop. We paid approx $750pp for a balcony on the carnival spirit in january. So each cruise I learn a little bit more and save more money due to these boards. Right now I am pricing cruises for this january. It is between the radiance and the star princess both eastern both balcony. The radiance is $850 pp and the star is $950 pp. Can you tell I am addicted to balconies ;)

Rachel

[bUU]

There are actually several web sites on the Internet devoted to managing a database of bids and results for Priceline and Hotwire. It seems to me that cruise pricing is as variable as those, so it would be a great public service if someone would offer that as a service. While it would be interesting to see anecdotally what people are paying, I believe it would only be of great value if there was more than two data points, for the same itinerary, in the same month of they year, in the same class of cabin. How can you compare $900 in July to $1000 in April???

[98Charlie]

How can you compare $900 in July to $1000 in April???

Good point. Even the same ship back to back and day to day can vary greatly.

 

I frequently use Travelocity as a jumping off point for pricing. It's not uncommon to find b2b weeks showing a couple of hundred dollars difference for inside cabins and more for the ocean views and balconies.

 

Our next cruise (Legend of the Seas / Sept 5) appears nearly sold out. The price on remaining cabins is significantly higher than when we booked several months ago.

 

Anyone reading a thread on price paid needs to include many factors to evaluate their particular choice of cruise. Date of cruise, cabin category, past passenger perks, email deals and more all have an effect on the final price. Knowing what others paid in context can be a great tool for finding your own cruise.

 

I wouldn't consider discussion of actual price paid to be tacky. If that is the topic of the thread you either participate or not. (Or lurk and see if you paid too much :rolleyes: )

[Chicagomom]

I love to see what deals other people got.

 

We're sailing on our first cruise October 30 (orginally booked November 13 but got bumped) on the Enchantment of the Seas 5-night Western Caribbean that goes to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Grand Cayman. We paid $392.25 pp for an inside N category room (M's were $10 more), and $692.25 pp for a "D" balcony. After getting bumped and the TA losing my sister's reservation, she had to pay over $500 for an M.

 

Because of info from this board we booked through a cruise exclusive agent, but were not properly serviced so we're direct with RCI now. Maybe we could have gotten it for less through a reputable agent, but I'm happy with our price. Those were RCI's listed prices at the time we booked.

[lisaland15]

We're paying $394 pp for a 5-day cruise on Rhapsody (usually 7 days, but is going into drydock when we return) for a D1 balcony.

 

We are also going on Carnival's Elation, and paid $397 pp for a 7-day cruise for a category 6D.

[jbrewster630]

Thanks so much to everyone for their opinions! You guys are great and I am glad majority feels the same about it not being tacky or rude. If it would going to be discussed and compared, this would be the place to do it, right?

 

I agree that it is hard to compare dollar for dollar or date for date but we can just get an idea of prices out there and best times to cruise for your dollar. If we get enough responses we may run into a person cruiseing same dates/cruise lines.

 

Last Novemeber we went out of NY with NCL Dawn to Florida and Bahamas. We paid then $550 for a inside cabin. A couple of weeks prior to sailing we got offered an upgrade to a balcony for $75 more pp. So we paid $625 for a balcony on the Dawn in November. THis was our first balcony. LOVED IT! And I thought it was a great deal!

 

We are cruiseing RCL Voyager 9 Night out of Bayonne, NJ this September (10th) . This cruise we paid much more for since it is a 9 night compared to the 7 night with NCL and I heard Royal Caribbean ships are just nicer. So we are paying $989 pp for an (least expensive) inside cabin. We got a little discount because I got my TA to match a price I saw on a cruise-line direct website. Which saved us about $50 pp. My TA told me that usually she would not be able to match it because the website was a "cruise only booking" site and they get better rates that TA can. But she was nice enought to match it anyway.

I hope we get offered an upgrade like we did on NCL but I read somewhere on these threads that RCL isn't too giving when it comes to upgrades. Oh well, we'll just not be able to sip those cocktails on the balcony. :)

 

Thanks again for contributing!

[knothead]

October 17,04 - Rhapsody - Oceanview stateroom - 2 adults - $1105.00 - Taxes & port charges & travel guard ins for both included - purchased thru our own TA! Sweet!!

[Cloudmaster]

Hi

I just wanted to chime in with my 2 cents, for whatever it's worth.

 

 

 

You only paids 2 cents!!!! Wow, what a bargain :) :)

[iroyster]

Explorer 9/5/04

$961.00 pp +tax/fee CAT D-1

[1sttimecruiser91004]

9/10/04 Voyager Of The Seas out of NJ

 

$1049.00 + tax /E2 balcony.

[ss-sunset]

$1880 - port charges and tax included. This is for a D3 Balcony room on the NOS OCT 16th sailing.

[csteinhauser]

$2240 for a family of five...two inside staterooms, Enchantment, Thanksgiving week (5 day).