Lets move on - Enough about discounting

[TWELVEOHONE]

The otrher cruise lines will also have a no discounting no rebating policy like RCCL, Celebrity and Carnival, so live with it.

 

Mark Pestronk, a travel industry attorny saus that the cruise lines have every legal right to do this. They set prices and commission structures to agents. Period so forget legal action.

 

Scott Barry a cruise line analyst with Credit Suisse First Boston said that "discouraging rebating was healthy" So it would appear that the cruise lines are making a good decision.

 

Bottom line its done and like it or not nothing you can do about it, so lets drop the subject and move on.

[NiniB]

this is the umptienth (sp?) thread saying lets move ON....... :p

and....... invariably when you start a thread saying lets move on, towards the middle it ends up discussing the very point you were trying to avoid....:confused: ,,, so lets just PRETEND,,,,,;)

[cruisinfanatic]

The way I see it, if this stays in effect (which I assume it will), I see rates eventually coming down. That's because RCCI will have to fill the cabins and the only way to do that is pricing. I see deals that can be obtained through any TA. Not just the big guys.

[NiniB]

told ya,,, told ya,, told ya sooooo......:D

[TWOFERTWO]

and....... invariably when you start a thread saying lets move on, towards the middle it ends up discussing the very point you were trying to avoid.... ,,, so lets just PRETEND,,,,,

And you ALWAYS put your two cents worth in! At least now, you are using a slightly easier to read color. They must have taken the lime green away from you! :eek:

[Rick R]

Probably the best thing that ever happened to NCL. :D

[wblynch]

 

Bottom line its done and like it or not nothing you can do about it, so lets drop the subject and move on.

 

 

We can vote with our pocketbooks. What would RCCL's reaction be if bookings dropped 15% or 20% right after they institute this policy?

 

Nothing can be done? Harumph!! Indeed!!

[Sailfish]

I just got two bids on a cruise over Thanksgiving 2005 - one from the cruise line, one from an internet only agency. The internet only ageny had a lower rate by a few bucks. I didn't think they were allowed to do this anymore! Go figure.

[NiniB]

i'm warm and fuzy all over.... :rolleyes: as for NCL ,,, :eek: ,,, WHO ARE THEY??

uh, do I know them?? ha .... :p i LEFT them for better CRUISING.. :D

[bUU]

What would RCCL's reaction be if bookings dropped 15% or 20% right after they institute this policy?

And what would they do if that didn't happen?

[wblynch]

And what would they do if that didn't happen?

 

Do you live your life following people around and posting cantankerous replies to their messages?

[NiniB]

ROTFLMAO.......:p

[jsargent34]

I like the cantankerous replies myself, especially on dead issue topics...

 

We can all gripe as long as we want about this mysterious/magical new pricing mandate, but at the end of the day....

 

 

IT WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING....IT'S HERE TO STAY!

[wblynch]

...

but at the end of the day....

 

IT WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING....IT'S HERE TO STAY!

 

 

Anyone with any common sense must realize that in life...

 

EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY !!!

 

The only thing that is "Here To Stay" is the Internet.

 

If people believe that nothing can be changed and everything is here to stay, they might as well give up trying whatever it is they're doing and crawl into a hole and pull the dirt right over themselves.

 

I'm sure people in Berlin were told, "It's Here To Stay".

 

In this case I'm sure we won't have to wait 40 years to find out.

[bUU]

Do you live your life following people around and posting cantankerous replies to their messages?

No more so than you live your life following people around and posting portents of doom-and-gloom.

[jsargent34]

I too used to be an idealist... there are a great many things in life that the idealism of our democracy and our free will still apply to. If 5 million people immediately stood up and protested this effort to RCI, you clearly musn't believe it would have any bearing? I reference you to the ever-growing list of add-on/a la carte pricing that the cruising industry, specifically RCI has adopted as commonplace these days. The outrage expressed by posters on this board and cruisers everywhere, has not been parlayed into a monumental expression of democracy whereby the will of the people has won over the minds of RCI executives. In other words, with letters sent to CEO's and complaints voiced on these boards in the thousands, RCI has not "re-thought" their up-charging on-board one bit - as a matter of fact the practice has increased and expanded to a point where many joke about such things as being charged for towels, deck chairs, etc...

 

Your reference to Berlin, and likely Communism and freedom is well taken, but clearly an apple to an orange. The Federal Trade Commission has already essentially ruled that this is not "price fixing," thus no breach of Sherman or any other Anti-trust statutes. The product, being cruises has been in decline for years, or at least that's what a vast majority believe... Nonetheless, it is still the best value of any vacation that I know of. With profits, profitability, and Wall Street performance the indicators that they are in our society, the guests or passengers in this case - come in AT BEST a distant fourth on RCI's list of priorities. This is where my reference to idealism comes in...

 

Should it be this way? ABSOLUTELY NOT

 

Will it ever change? ABSOLUTELY NOT

 

So, it does indeed stink that my TA will not be able to sell me cruises on average 100 dollars or so less than RCI's and most competitor's pricing...but it doesn't mean I won't cruise. It also means I won't take up the idealistic cause of fighting this unwinnable fight....Corporate greed is now, and likely forever will be in the future much more important than my thoughts, feelings, and emotions...

[bUU]

People voting with their wallets count more than people voting with their postage stamps.