Brochure price

[derf5585]

Would you like it if the "brochure" price for cruises is the "real" price for the cruise plus the TA's commission?

[Cruising89143]

When I started cruising back in the mid 80's that was the price that you paid or very close to it. Through the years the prices went down but so did the overall onboard experience due to the overbuilding of new ships by the cruise lines. You did not have the constant on board revenue annoucements for inch of gold, bingo, art auctions and such. Also the food and service was much better in the main dining rooms than what we experience today. Of course we did not have very many casual alternative dining options back then that we have today. Also the ships were much smaller back then and were limited on what they could offer their guests.

 

 

If the cruise lines want to raise their prices then they had better plan to raise the overall onboard experience again. I for one will not go back to paying brochure like prices for the type of product that cruise lines are now turning out. Unfortunately there are so many new people cruising today that do not remember what the cruise lines were like before all of this nickle and dime stuff started. This is what the cruise lines are hoping for.

 

I do not expect to be served gourmet food on a ship that holds 2500 passengers and up but I do think that some things could be improved in this arena as far as quality.

 

It is going to be very interesting to see how this new pricing strategy works for the lines and for us the paying passenger. Over the next two years there are very few new ships coming out and very few on order due to the strength of the euro vs the dollar.

[SevenVII]

I have never seen a brochure, so I have no clue what the "brochure price" is on any fun ships. All I know is the price that carnival quotes and the price I get from TA's is somewhat close. Anyone care to clue me in on where I could see what the actual brochure price is on a certain cruise?

[donnajo]

If your TA's price is pretty close to Carnival's then you are not getting a very discounted price. For example: My next Valor cruise in April 2005 was quoted at 930pp for our balcony. The online discount agency I used came in at 855pp . I saved $150 for the two of us.

Our next cruise is in Nov. on the Serenade. I booked this onboard the Grandeur at a price of 805pp for a balcony (the brochure price was even higher) with a $100 shipboard credit

plus I used a RCCL coupon for $75 off the cabin. This brought our total to 720.50pp. (counting in the shipboard credit)

When I returned home, I transferred the booking to my online agency as they quoted me 725pp. They take my coupon for $75 (less 16%) plus I keep my 100 shipboard credit. The total was 641.pp (counting the shipboard credit)

I saved 79.50pp or $159. for the two of us.

I have had much better discounts over the years, but I don't think it's fair to have to pay brochure rates that would add $150 or more to our trip!

Like the above poster, the cruiselines have cut back on the quality of food and now charge extra for alot of the things that were once free. If they want to add these things back in, then I will be glad to pay more money.

 

Donna

[mfs2k]

It seems pricing is based on supply and demand and overall pricing yield...

 

If there is little demand, prices goes down, if there is high demand, the price goes up.... This is why it is much cheaper to cruise in the first 3 weeks of December than it is to cruise in the last week of December.

 

Prices have come down over the years because there are so many more ships now than there were in the 80's. The price decreases have been balanced by more cruisers taking advantage of lower prices....

 

But - and its a big but, As the price goes down, the cruise companies have to find ways to reduce costs and find other revenue sources. (shore excursions, commissions from port stores that are recommended, gold by the inch, photos, drinks, etc...)

 

If we all stopped cruising, then prices would go down, but then again, no one would take advantage of the lower prices because we all stopped cruising....

 

Catch 22.

 

Its a balancing act.......

 

If the economy keeps getting better, and more people want to cruise, you will see the prices start to go up...

 

Just my opinion.... but it seems to me to be economics 101

[Guest nhrich]

As a TA, I'd love it if we got that much commission :D

 

Rich

Carefree Vacations

[BigDoug]

The brochure price is just like the sticker price on a car. Anyone that pays the sticker price is not a good shopper.

[derf5585]

"The brochure price is just like the sticker price on a car."

 

Isn't the Saturn car sold by the sticker price?

[CruiseFever]

.....kinda like buying a Saturn automobile?

 

You bet, all this price manipulation stuff is getting old to me. Sometimes I feel like I'm buying a used car...it's their (TA's) game and we just have to hope for the best

 

If I spent as much time online researching ports as I do researching prices I believe the quality of my cruise experience would be even better.

[BigDoug]

Saturn dealerships are "No Haggle - No Negotiating". That does not mean that you get a good price. You have no way to compare because the Saturn dealerships don't compete on price. This is what the cruise lines want to happen. No way to compare prices therefore no price competition among TA's for your business.

[derf5585]

"That does not mean that you get a good price. You have no way to compare"

 

But you won't have to worry that you paid too much. Or glad you paid too little.

 

Also you dont have to ask all your fellow cruisers what they paid to see if you got the "best" price

[BigDoug]

derf5585

I suppose that you are one of those people that pay the retail price for everything. I guess when you are cruising, you don't negotiate with the merchants in the islands. I always try to get value for my money. When I decide to purchase something, I do my research which includes pricing. If I am looking for a car, I use Edmunds or Kelly Blue Book to determine a fair price. When cruising, I get quotes from the cruiseline and several online agencies. After purchasing, I try not to second guess. However, I would like the market to determine what the fair price is not some cruiseline executive.

[BottledRed]

Why is it suddenly a negative thing to not want to have to comparison shop for everything?

 

I have a limited amount of time, and I cringe at the amount of time spent doing all this comparing. Now, I don't mind doing comparison shopping from time-to-time, but it would be nice to have it optional.

[mfs2k]

Sometimes its worth it to comparison shop... I found an obscure online travel agency online last night offering my cruise next month for $150 less per person. Carnival's website still showed the original price.

 

I spent an hour and a half on the phone with Carnival last night and today, and they finally agreed to give me the credit of $300. I booked with carnival originally. This is why I always cruise with Carnival... Its harder these days to get them to match a price, but its worth it when they do.

 

To me - that hour and a half was worth $300.

[glrounds]

the very NAIVE that walk into a brick & mortar TA's office, announce they want to go on a cruise and whip out their credit card. This individual is the travel agency's LEGAL PREY. :D

 

However, for those of you that have your total cruising experience encompassed within the last 4 or 5 years, you're in for some surprises in the near future as it relates to pricing. :(

 

The general slump in our economy, the terrorist attack on 9/11, and the flood of new ships have all contributed to "bargain basement" pricing over the last few years. I recently cruised SOLO on a new ship for less money than I did with my then wife per person nearly 18 years ago ! This cannot stand ! :confused:

 

As a previous poster put it, its a balancing act. The demand is catching up with the supply. Prices will rise until they reach a match between cabin availability and willing passengers. That's BUSINESS 101. :D

[Codfish]

Why is it suddenly a negative thing to not want to have to comparison shop for everything?

 

I have a limited amount of time, and I cringe at the amount of time spent doing all this comparing. Now, I don't mind doing comparison shopping from time-to-time, but it would be nice to have it optional.

 

Comparison shopping IS optional. It's easy to call or email a Carnival PVP, but many times you'll pay a premium for the convienience.

 

Maybe it's the outdoorsmen in me, but I love hunting for the cruise bargain. the hunt is half the fun. With the economic upturn, changes in pricing policies and even the ban on discussing TAs on these boards, it may be harder to find this ever more elusive species, but they're out there and the hunt is on.

 

As for what others paid for their cruise? I believe in Don't ask, don't tell

[BottledRed]

Anyone that pays the sticker price is not a good shopper.

Actually, my above comment was referring to this statement.

 

Since time comparison shopping is time I'm not billing (making money), it's not always economical for me to spend hours chasing a discount that I could have earned in a fraction of that time, anyway. Just 3 hours of web surfing costs me $60/hour of billable time!

 

Do I ridicule people who enjoy looking for discounts? Not at all! I just take offense when people treat others who value time more as fools.

 

I'm a huge bargain shopper, but I'm okay with paying PVP pricing to save time. Since I consider 'brochure' to be the sticker, I've gotten a great deal at 60% off.

[tdysert]

I was surprised to discover that even Carnival quotes a lower price than their brochure price when you call them. It always pays to shop around.

[atonal1]

the very NAIVE that walk into a brick & mortar TA's office, announce they want to go on a cruise and whip out their credit card. This individual is the travel agency's LEGAL PREY. :D

I have to disagree here. I don't know about your town, but mine has several brick & mortar TA's. So even the brick & mortar agencies have to compete with each other, which will keep their rates somewhat reasonable also.

[Lovebirds]

I was surprised to discover that even Carnival quotes a lower price than their brochure price when you call them. It always pays to shop around.

Think of the brochure price as the sticker price on the car. Think of the price quoted by Carnival or a TA as the price of the car with whatever rebate applies this month. Yes, even Saturn is playing with rebates, so you don't have to pay sticker price there either. The brochure price or sticker price is what they would like to sell for in an ideal, high demand market. The discount offered by the cruise line or rebate by the car manufacturer reflects what the actual market is at any point in time and does change. What the cruise lines are trying to do now is move from the present car dealership model, where the dealer (TA) can negotiate below the factory rebate (cruise line determined discount) to the Saturn model, where the factory (cruise line) determines the discount from sticker (brochure) at any given time and that is the price the dealer (TA) will charge the customer.

 

I do not see it as a move to try to sell the cruises at brochure. That will only happen if the demand is so high that they can get away with it. As long as there are choices in cruise lines and unsold cabins, there WILL be discounting at the corporate level.

[glrounds]

I have to disagree here. I don't know about your town, but mine has several brick & mortar TA's. So even the brick & mortar agencies have to compete with each other, which will keep their rates somewhat reasonable also.

Atonal1,

 

Maybe I should clarify. I live in a very affluent suburb of Los Angeles where there are dozens of brick & mortar agencies (although a lot fewer since the advent of the internet).

 

And you're right, the brick & mortar agencies compete. Its just the level that they compete at, that is a turnoff to me.

 

When the NAIVE (maybe I should say uninformed) walk into an agency they are confronted with the "brochure rate" (the first # the agent quotes). On the GLORY, for example, they will say $1750 per person for a 4A or $3500 for a couple ! (I'm talking brochure rates not SuperSaver rates here). If the "target" doesn't immediately reach for his cc, they then add, "However, your in luck, we have a special on right now that allows us to take $1000 off this price". Now the "target" is at $2500 ! Still no response? They go on, "We also include a $200 per cabin shipboard credit". Now the target is at $2300 ! No response yet? She/He cuts even further, "We'll also include a nice gift in your cabin when you board" (a $7 bottle of Korbel champagne or a fruit basket on a ship in which all the food is FREE ! !). This process goes on and on with the target until he/she eventually folds. This couple would be infuriated if they were to learn that I cruised SOLO on the GLORY in a 4A right next to them for $604 including all port and taxes because I used an online agency ! ! (an agency I've used for the last 3 cruises and they keep sending me $50 off coupons :) )

 

 

Please don't misunderstand me, if I were to cruise in Europe I would most likely NEED my HAND HELD ! :D I would probably use a brick & mortar agency to book a cruise filled with complicated airline schedules, foreign hotels and exchanges, etc.

 

I will concede some mistrust the internet for booking. I receive my e-mail confirmation within minutes. Take it to the pier and get my docs at early check-in. Always get a thank you e-mail, with another $50 or $100 off coupon when I return. Piece of cake ! ;)

 

I get my cruise brochures at a well-known national brick & mortar agency right down the street. A total waste of space. 20 desks with 4 agents on duty operating puters that are slower than mine. Many of the agents have never even been on a cruise. Pathetic. If I'm unable to get in and out of there without one of them jumping me, just a simple mention of the internet and they go out of their way to get rid of me (don't want me "tainting" any clients that may be present).

[donnajo]

glrounds,

 

I have to agree with you on the above post. My first two cruises, years ago, I paid what was an "early booking rate" with a brick and mortar TA and I thought I was getting the deal of a lifetime, they booked my airfare also and I got a cheap bottle of wine as a "thank you" in my cabin.

I have just booked my 14th cruise with my usual online discount agency and when I called Carnival direct to see what their pricing was, they couldn't believe I was quoted such a low price! They told me to book it with the agency, they couldn't touch the price.

Now, I am SURE someone out there is getting an even better price because they have a coupon I don't have (or a voucher of some sort) or maybe an onboard credit from booking while onboard another ship, but as far as I am concerned I know I paid a pretty low price and when compared to some of the prices I have paid previously, I am satisfied I found a fair deal.

Those brick and mortar agencies that prey on the inexperienced are not so busy anymore. Fulltime employees are now part time and when I walk in to grab a brochure, most of them are sitting there filing their finger nails!

I hope the deals continue as I love to cruise and find it a good value for the money.

 

Donna

[bthorn1108]

.....kinda like buying a Saturn automobile?

 

You bet, all this price manipulation stuff is getting old to me. Sometimes I feel like I'm buying a used car...it's their (TA's) game and we just have to hope for the best

 

If I spent as much time online researching ports as I do researching prices I believe the quality of my cruise experience would be even better.

 

Isn't that what this new pricing policy is supposed to bring about? You will pay the same amount for the cruise, regardless of whom you book it through. That will leave the agencies vying for your business by competing with better service. IMHO, the super low, deflated prices we've been enjoying for the past several years couldn't last forever. I've enjoyed the ride while they were available, but if it cost me an additional $50-100 per person to cruise now, I'll still be there and with better service.

[Codfish]

I've always concidered Carnival's website rate as the "Sticker Price" not the brochure rate. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Carnival's new policy only prohibits the advertising of discounted prices. Until it expressly prohibits discounted prices some TA's will discount. Wether it be through cupons, credits, rebates or whatever else they come up with, it's going to happen. It'll just be a little harder for the bargain hunters.

 

I've never seen the lowest price advertised anyway. Sure one site may have been less than another. This has now changed, but I've always had to call or email for the best price from a TA. I suspect this won't

 

Of course as many others have said, lowest price is not always the best deal. If you need more service or don't want to shop around expect to pay a little more. But don't be dissapointed when someone who has shopped around pays less than you for the same cruise. Like I said before, Don't ask, don't tell. :)