Free Berth-Am I getting ripped off???

[esbie11]

We have 9 cabins booked. Three are baclony cabins, the other 6 are interior. The interior cabins were $799 per person before taxes, port fees, etc. Shouldn't the free berth be for the amount of $799?? My TA just told me we would get $529. When I questioned her about it, she said "the amount is determined by the base fare of the cruise" What in the world does that mean???

[slotaddict]

We have 9 cabins booked. Three are baclony cabins, the other 6 are interior. The interior cabins were $799 per person before taxes, port fees, etc. Shouldn't the free berth be for the amount of $799?? My TA just told me we would get $529. When I questioned her about it, she said "the amount is determined by the base fare of the cruise" What in the world does that mean???

 

 

The base fare is usually the fare before the taxes and port fees. Did the fare go down since you booked the cruise??

What ship are you sailing 799 before taxes and port fees seems a little high to me.

[jamscckmc]

I'm not sure but with free you still have to pay taxes.

[esbie11]

Right, we paid $799 BEFORE taxes and port fees. The total was something like $889 per person after that stuff was added. It seems to me that $799 IS the base fare?

[esbie11]

The base fare is usually the fare before the taxes and port fees. Did the fare go down since you booked the cruise??

What ship are you sailing 799 before taxes and port fees seems a little high to me.

We are doing the 9 day on Explorer. The price has only gone WAY up since we booked. We booked when the itinerary first came out 2 years ago, so the price had never been as low since we booked.

[howard6933]

We have 9 cabins booked. Three are baclony cabins, the other 6 are interior. The interior cabins were $799 per person before taxes, port fees, etc. Shouldn't the free berth be for the amount of $799?? My TA just told me we would get $529. When I questioned her about it, she said "the amount is determined by the base fare of the cruise" What in the world does that mean???

 

I think that you may be a little confused when you say that the $799 price is the cost before taxes, port charges, etc. These days, usually the price you get from a TA is the bottom line price + port charges and all taxes. Way back in 1999 I had a group of 12 sailing on Voyager of the Seas. We all booked inside cabins and, believe it or not, we were all upgraded to balcony cabins......but that's another story. Anyway, as group leader, I was eligible for the free cruise. The allowance was the base price and was just about the same as what you are apparently getting. I didn't take the free cruise for myself, but told the TA to split the amount among all the people in my group. Incidentally, if you have ever seen a "swepstakes" where the first prize is a cruise, you will see in the "rules" that the free cruise first prize DOES NOT include port charges and taxes.

[cruisingagentone]

No the $799 included the non commisionable fare which used to be called port charges. Now the cruise line quotes the cruise fare and the NCF then the taxes are extra. So your TA is correct, subtract the NCF and thats the fare that is free.

[esbie11]

No the $799 included the non commisionable fare which used to be called port charges. Now the cruise line quotes the cruise fare and the NCF then the taxes are extra. So your TA is correct, subtract the NCF and thats the fare that is free.

 

ahhh gotcha. thanks!

[bellasteena]

Are they going to reimburse you that amount or was it deducted before your final payment?

[esbie11]

Are they going to reimburse you that amount or was it deducted before your final payment?

 

Reimbursed. My TA mailed the check out today and we leave Friday.

[firefly333]

No the $799 included the non commisionable fare which used to be called port charges. Now the cruise line quotes the cruise fare and the NCF then the taxes are extra. So your TA is correct, subtract the NCF and thats the fare that is free.

 

Right. Seems most people dont realize port charges are now included in the cruise fare.

[Sue L]

ahhh gotcha. thanks!

 

 

and that really low price without the NCF is what your TA's commission is based on.