RSSC Via Auction?

[Erica@cruisecritic]

Anyone ever use a travel auction site to purchase a Regent cruise? Anyone ever think about it and decide it's not worth it? I'm looking for anecdotes about buying or trying to buy a luxury cruise at auction and I know that Regent partners with at least one travel auction website.

Thanks!
Associate Editor Erica

[Iamboatman]

I have not purchased a cruise by auction, but I have looked at them. One of the "fine print" details that usually triggers my concern is that the cruise is not definite, but rather subject to availability at the time of booking...and limited to specific dates.

Further, on the auction site you are probably referring to, the actual price was thousands of dollars higher then what the cruise could have been purchased for from a travel agent or Regent directly.

If someone is really knowledgeable, and reads the fine print, you might get a good deal, but at the dollars involved, I think it is a pretty risky (and expensive) way to purchase your vacation.

[Travelcat2]

I agree about the risk. Although I haven't puchased a cruise through auction -- I did use an auction site to purchase a 7 night luxury all-inclusive stay on an island in Fiji. It worked out great -- it was interesting, however, that the airfare from the states to Fiji and then to the private island was more than the cost of the 7 nights.

Prices I've seen on luxury cruises (Silversea and Regent) are high -- don't think it's worth the risk.

[cruiseyguy]

If it's the auction site I'm thinking of--there is little risk. But also little reward. These sites are simply another way of selling cruises, packages, etc and are often higher than more traditional sources. A gimmick, in other words.

[HAL2]

Recently we met a couple on a Regent cruise that was given the cruise from their son (nice son). The son used an auction site, however the couple and son were not aware their purchased cruise via an auction did NOT include any taxes, port fees, etc. The couple was hit with a bill of almost $900.00.

Best Regards,

Hal

[Iamboatman]

I don't know why it took me this long to think of it, but Regent does not allow any direct rebating, so a passenger must pay the full price and then rely upon the travel agent to provide some added value. If that is the case, and there are no exceptions to the rule, I cannot see how an auction could actually be a better value.

[wripro]

Could it be that Regent relinquishes to the auction site a certain amount of cabins on cruises that are not selling particularly well, and for those cabins they ease up on those rules of not rebating?

[Iamboatman]

I wouldn't think Regent would undercut its own price protections.

[HAL2]

... I think you are both correct.
The Regent cruise we were on and where an auction took place there were only 552 guests on-board with a capacity of 700. Therefore Regent's motivation may have increased, due to the low amount of intial bookings.

Does this make "cents" ?

Regards,
Hal

[wripro]

They may justify it by saying it's an auction and not sold through travel agents. I bet though that you will never see an auction for a highly popular cruise such as the Baltics.