View Full Version : Island cruise, best prices, and who they are
insidecabin
January 23rd, 2008, 10:06 AM
Not a lot of traffic here so here is some info for those that do make it.
Island cruises is part owned by RCI and First choice, they operate two ships Escape and Star, budget line aimed at the UK market, competition is Thomsons and Ocean Village.
Best place for deals is the UK teletext pages 227,228,262. which is also good for all the cruise line deals that do not allow US booking for UK people.
The low price point with flights is £299pw and the late booking are sold through the cruise lines own agent with the low prices in the week before sailing.
JDBD
March 4th, 2008, 09:35 AM
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post your info,Great.
Stitchman
March 22nd, 2008, 04:00 PM
Not a lot of traffic here so here is some info for those that do make it.
Island cruises is part owned by RCI and First choice, they operate two ships Escape and Star, budget line aimed at the UK market, competition is Thomsons and Ocean Village.
Best place for deals is the UK teletext pages 227,228,262. which is also good for all the cruise line deals that do not allow US booking for UK people.
The low price point with flights is £299pw and the late booking are sold through the cruise lines own agent with the low prices in the week before sailing.
Great info but i think RCI will loose all their street cred now. bummer!
Stitch
Jsipes
March 22nd, 2008, 09:08 PM
Great info, clears it up a little, Thanks.
bazbaz
April 1st, 2008, 11:14 AM
RCI certainly will lose their street cred after our trip with the star
London
April 1st, 2008, 01:11 PM
How so, bazbaz?
lincslass64
June 4th, 2008, 10:19 AM
Not a lot of traffic here so here is some info for those that do make it.
Island cruises is part owned by RCI and First choice, they operate two ships Escape and Star, budget line aimed at the UK market, competition is Thomsons and Ocean Village.
Best place for deals is the UK teletext pages 227,228,262. which is also good for all the cruise line deals that do not allow US booking for UK people.
The low price point with flights is £299pw and the late booking are sold through the cruise lines own agent with the low prices in the week before sailing.
The escape and star belong jointly with RCI and Thompson Tui group since last october
crazyladee
July 16th, 2008, 04:03 PM
The escape and star belong jointly with RCI and Thompson Tui group since last october
It's part of First Choice.
insidecabin
July 24th, 2008, 10:44 AM
Tui merged with First choice in 2007.
lincslass64
July 24th, 2008, 07:01 PM
It's part of First Choice.
As quoted from their website.Island Cruises is a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and TUI Travel Plc.
insidecabin
July 26th, 2008, 11:00 AM
OK more info and the key relationship that matters for low prices.
Island cruises is the trading names of
SUNSHINE CRUISES LIMITED (registered in the UK)
Which was 50:50 owned by RCI and first Choice now part of TUI so Tui probably still have 50%
A subsiduary of the above so also part of Tui is
SUNSHINE CRUISE HOLIDAYS LIMITED(used to be textabroad)
This trades as cruise1st.co.uk which often offers the best prices for Island cruises which is no suprise since they are Island cruises in all but name.
(Based on current 2008 data I have)
jimb98
July 28th, 2008, 03:56 PM
I can confirm your information on Cruise 1st is accurate, they have just quoted me a Med cruise & stay for £163 cheaper than Island.
Jim
Redriva
August 3rd, 2008, 08:27 AM
I can confirm your information on Cruise 1st is accurate, they have just quoted me a Med cruise & stay for £163 cheaper than Island.
Jim
Hope you talked to First choice too before booking ..
island quoted us £3888 for 4 of us for the 20 night transatlantic to Brazil in Nov 09...
but went and asked first choice shop for a quote and they did it for £3492!!!! :eek: no prizes for guessing who we booked with :D
jimb98
August 5th, 2008, 05:53 PM
Did check with First Choice and they were same price as Island, although they did say they would pricematch any quote. Never understood why the customer has to do the shopping around then go back for a pricematch. If they said they would give me a saving I would have went back.
Jim
thehacienda
January 24th, 2009, 04:49 AM
OK more info and the key relationship that matters for low prices.
Island cruises is the trading names of
SUNSHINE CRUISES LIMITED (registered in the UK)
Which was 50:50 owned by RCI and first Choice now part of TUI so Tui probably still have 50%
A subsiduary of the above so also part of Tui is
SUNSHINE CRUISE HOLIDAYS LIMITED(used to be textabroad)
This trades as cruise1st.co.uk which often offers the best prices for Island cruises which is no suprise since they are Island cruises in all but name.
(Based on current 2008 data I have)
Cruise1st have updated thier website to show that it is wholly owned by Royal Caribbean. I dont think a song and dance has been made about this but may be a good place to start for a RCI bargain?
Cymro1953
February 26th, 2009, 03:51 PM
Cruise1st have updated thier website to show that it is wholly owned by Royal Caribbean. I dont think a song and dance has been made about this but may be a good place to start for a RCI bargain?
TUI who own Thomsons and First Choice now wholly own Island Cruises.
As part of the deal Thomsons incorporated the Island escape into their fleet and RCCL had the Star and they sold it to a Spanish cruise line.
We were booked on the Star in April and so lost our cruise, but got afull refund.
That is why we're on the RCCL cruise to the Eastern Med that was the nearest itinerary we could get to it.