Group cruise, price drop, and dealing with TA

[TimInOhio]

I've got a small (15 passengers/8 cabins) group cruise booked for the May 2, 2010 Emerald Princess on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary. I check Princess.com several times a week. I know by heart that the taxes are $76.36 per person. When I saw the "base" rate for every cabin category decrease by $63 per person late last week, I contacted my TA to ask her to check the rate and make sure all 15 of us get the lower rate. Granted $63 isn't much, but it IS $945 - that's a lot of cash to some people. My TA has been telling me for several days now that I am misreading Princess.com and that I'm not accounting for taxes. BUT, the taxes are clearly stated on the main booking page. I can see them as soon as I choose a category! I KNOW that they are $76.36 per person. She steadfastly denies that there is a price drop. To make matters worse, the price has now, as of today, gone back up and is higher than what it was before this all started. Bottom line - I am pretty certain that I know what I am looking at and reading on Princess.com - and it has changed now twice in 6 days. I saw the price drop and she stonewalled me, for an extra $945 in her pocket perhaps?

Besides moving all my bookings to a different TA, any suggestions? She did have the best price, but fat lot of good it does me if she won't honor a price drop!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Tim

 

P.S. Her agency IS one of the ones listed here on CC...

[LadySpoilt]

Tim

I think this is due to dropping the fuel charge on the 2010 cruises, but at the same time increasing the cost of the cruise. Recently there have been a few threads about Carnival (Princess) announcing this change.

Spoilt

[Ken076]

Separate from the taxes issues - if you booked at a group rate you're not eligible for price drops. Also, you won't be able to move your booking to a different TA without your current TA's permission/cooperation. Princess won't take the booking back, as honoring price drops is up to the TA. ken

[Ryjenw]

I think part of the changes to the fuel surcharge stated that the fares would increase when the surcharge came off.

 

I can also tell you that the taxes you see on Princess.com are just the government fees a lot of the other taxes are included in the fare so you may not be seeing the full cost.

 

Trust me when I say your TA will not make the difference in fare as a profit! They are paid on a % of the base fare so a small price reduction will hardly change the her money.

[WeBeGone]

Once you've booked a group, you're locked into a lower group rate already. The website refers to individual bookings.

[cherylandtk]

I agree with you that the TA is incorrect in telling you the difference is in the taxes. (Princess had a press release informing the world that they would remove the $63 fuel supplement from 2010 fares FCOL). BUT, I also agree with Ken that the real problem here is the group rate more than anything else. Looking for price drops is only going to be an exercise in frustration as you will probably not be eligible for them.

 

This is one of the pitfalls of booking a small group, you are usually locked in at the group price, and while you get one free berth to use or rebate among the group you do not get to re-price when the fare drops.

 

Since your cruise is so far off, you might want to consider cancelling the group, and then re-booking as individuals. You could take advantage of this and future price drops, although you would not get the one free berth. Depending on what type cabins your group booked, this may or may not be cost advantageous.

[Toto2Kansas]

I agree with you that the TA is incorrect in telling you the difference is in the taxes. (Princess had a press release informing the world that they would remove the $63 fuel supplement from 2010 fares FCOL). BUT, I also agree with Ken that the real problem here is the group rate more than anything else. Looking for price drops is only going to be an exercise in frustration as you will probably not be eligible for them.

 

This is one of the pitfalls of booking a small group, you are usually locked in at the group price, and while you get one free berth to use or rebate among the group you do not get to re-price when the fare drops.

 

Since your cruise is so far off, you might want to consider cancelling the group, and then re-booking as individuals. You could take advantage of this and future price drops, although you would not get the one free berth. Depending on what type cabins your group booked, this may or may not be cost advantageous.

 

Very good advice. Especially if you are already seeing lower prices for individual bookings compared to the price you paid for the group. ;) Good Luck!

[sbflcruiser]

Yesterday there was a posting about a drop in Princess pricing for the 2009 Alaska season. We have a smal group also (17 cabins), I checked Princess.com and saw the price drop, then called our TA, who contacted Princess to get the reductions applied. Best news was that because we are group the price drop was greater than what was posted on the website. This may not be the norm, but it was my experience just yesterday. She said anytime I think there maybe a lower rate to contact her and would verify. Good Luck to you.

[Ken076]

sbflcruiser - That's interesting, as (similar to your case) the Carnival agent immediately rattled off an even lower rate for my booking than was displayed on the web site at that moment. Also, you might check your Travel Insurance: the fare reduction moved me one "level" less expensive for the Princess Travel Care policy, which the agent voluntarily adjusted saving us another $30pp. ken

[TimInOhio]

Separate from the taxes issues - if you booked at a group rate you're not eligible for price drops. Also, you won't be able to move your booking to a different TA without your current TA's permission/cooperation. Princess won't take the booking back, as honoring price drops is up to the TA. ken

 

Once you've booked a group, you're locked into a lower group rate already. The website refers to individual bookings.

 

I also agree with Ken that the real problem here is the group rate more than anything else. Looking for price drops is only going to be an exercise in frustration as you will probably not be eligible for them.

 

This is one of the pitfalls of booking a small group, you are usually locked in at the group price, and while you get one free berth to use or rebate among the group you do not get to re-price when the fare drops.

 

Thanks to all that responded. In all my reading here (4+ years worth), I never recall reading that group rates were not eligible to be adjusted due to price drops.

 

I think part of the changes to the fuel surcharge stated that the fares would increase when the surcharge came off.

 

I can also tell you that the taxes you see on Princess.com are just the government fees a lot of the other taxes are included in the fare so you may not be seeing the full cost.

 

Trust me when I say your TA will not make the difference in fare as a profit! They are paid on a % of the base fare so a small price reduction will hardly change the her money.

 

Now, it seems to me that reducing a fare by eliminating the "fuel surcharge," only to increase the base fare by the same amount, as mentioned by Ryjenw, is kind of "odd." Why would Princess/Carnival go to that much trouble?

 

As for the TA making more or less profit on our group - if the rate goes down by $945 for the group, and my TA still charges us the original amount, but submits the reduced amount to Princess, she certainly DOES make extra: $945 extra to be exact. I'm not saying that that is what is happening here, but the potential is there.

[Ryjenw]

"As for the TA making more or less profit on our group - if the rate goes down by $945 for the group, and my TA still charges us the original amount, but submits the reduced amount to Princess, she certainly DOES make extra: $945 extra to be exact. I'm not saying that that is what is happening here, but the potential is there"

 

Then your TA is ripping you off!!!! I am a TA and have never and would never do that!

[caribill]

Since you have figured out that the reduction was for removal of the fuel surcharge, why not approach your T/A from that direction?

[Coral]

I have booked cruises within a group and have received price reductions.

 

Hopefully a TA can further explain how this works. I do know TAs who book rates are guaranteed and locked into a cruise price (taxes and fees can change) so that the group price is protected if the price does go up. But I thought prices can be adjusted downwards.

[Colo Cruiser]

Being so far out maybe you need to take your group elsewhere if your getting the run around. ;)

[44summertime]

how many times can a TA reticket for lower fare? I have a group with 13 cabins (27 people) on the Crown 3/09 sailing. We booked well over a year ago at the TA urging to ensure cabins near each other. A month ago the price dropped. After an uncomfortable moment with the TA, who needed to be reminded that she promised to reticket if the price dropped, some of us saved up to 150.00 per person-but she had to cut the OBC. Well, now the price has dropped again. Is it unreasonable to ask her to reticket AGAIN? Final payment is in 9 days. This drop is less, $50-75.00 per person.

 

Am I asking too much??

[Coral]

how many times can a TA reticket for lower fare? I have a group with 13 cabins (27 people) on the Crown 3/09 sailing. We booked well over a year ago at the TA urging to ensure cabins near each other. A month ago the price dropped. After an uncomfortable moment with the TA, who needed to be reminded that she promised to reticket if the price dropped, some of us saved up to 150.00 per person-but she had to cut the OBC. Well, now the price has dropped again. Is it unreasonable to ask her to reticket AGAIN? Final payment is in 9 days. This drop is less, $50-75.00 per person.

 

Am I asking too much??

 

I would ask again and IMO, you are not asking too much. After all, there are 27 people that are in your group!

 

The answer to your question is that it can't be re-priced many times until final payment.

[robgvic]

I doubt the agent is making more money as all charges to cc are made by Princess and anyone who uses cash is crazy. You can always ask to see the princess invoice, I think