End of All Inclusive

[slhw]

Hi

I have just been checking on Destiny prices for January next year on the Thomson site and notice that the 'all inclusive' offer has ended. We are already booked but our friends have been waiting for a better deal. Anyone know whether or not the AI will be reintroduced at a later date or is that it? Or will there be a price drop soon? Don't usually book this early so haven't noticed the trends in the past.

Sandie

[smiffy1951]

Hi Sandie

Just had a look at booking for April 2010 on the Destiny for 14 nights and the option to take the AI was on there at a cost of £338 per person.

When I looked last week they were still doing AI free so it seems to change on a weekly basis.

Janet:eek:

[slhw]

Hi Janet

Bit puzzling isn't it? Would have thought that as we got the free AI with 12 months to go then anyone booking for April, which obviously is 14 months away, would have got the same offer. Think that they must be pretty confident with their bookings to have removed the free AI at such an early date. We don't drink all that much but I suppose it is worth at least £125 each to us - although think that I will probably try all those cocktails and virgin cocktails now on a far more regular basis! Bit surprised that the same cabin as us, from Manchester, with AI would now be not far under £4,000 for too - seems a bit much.

Sandie

[kruzseeka]

Hi Sandie and Janet,

Hmmm....... goes back to what we were saying about the possibility of losing loyal customers! It's very early to lose the AI for a year ahead which may mean it could come back for a while if they need to start pushing sales on a particular itinerary - but I wouldn't bet on it. I reckon you'd deserve a Ph.D. if you could understand/predict the variations in pricing policy! And even that wouldn't be enough because external influences like oil prices, currency fluctuations etc., which are all unpredictable, will have an effect.

I think I'd wait now if I were your friends, Sandie - but the trouble is once you have your heart set on doing a particular trip, you want to get it secured (but hopefully at what you consider to be a good/competitive price!). You did well though - didn't you? :D It was just as well you 'jumped' when you did with your voucher - if you'd left it until the end of the month, you'd be kicking yourself now! :eek:

It certainly leaves the door open for competitors now though - I notice a P&O one (14 nt) in the Caribbean in Jan next year being advertised @ £1279 for an outside cabin and another @£1329 with £100 OBC (p.p. or per cabin - not sure) but they don't look bad price-wise do they? (Granted the entertainment and tips are an issue but it's a 'package' and even loyal customers will weigh it all up - perhaps to Thomson's detriment!)

[davecttr]

If you are time rich consider booking very late. The same flight and cruise as me is on the Thomsons site for £359, which is #!"*0*"! less than I payed a year ago. In this case the AI does not matter if you are only going to spend about £150 on drinks.

I heard somewhere that they only offer some AI upgrades to encourage people to book early and each travel agent is allocated a limited number, once that is reached, tough :(

[smiffy1951]

Hi all:confused:

Just had another look (just out of curiousity) and you can still get free AI upgrade for February 2010 on the Island Escape Colourful Coasts itinerary.

My next cruise after March 22nd on Destiny is likely to be June next year (not available to book yet) so whether the AI will be free then I haven't a clue.

Janet:rolleyes:

[flemtagg]

We were looking at the carribean trip for next jan and noticed that the ai freebie had been withdrawn i phoned iglu cruises up and asked them to check to see if they could get me an ai deal , the guy there tried but to no avail, he told me that they usually give an ai deal to around the first 50% of the bookings then withdraw it , so i looked at the tropical transatlantic cruise which also had the ai withdrawn, i noticed in the thomsons brocher they has a free ai offer so i phoned my local shop, they said that the offer had been withdrawn there as well but they could knock 100 ponds each off the price , they then said they would beat the web price, which meant i would get the ai for about 100 pounds instead of 338, so i took the offer,so might be worth trying them. lesson learned if something looks good then go for it.

[slhw]

Hi Kruzseeka

Yes, we're really glad that we booked when we did. I was just looking at flemtagg's post and so can pass that on to our friends - I think it will be really awkward if we are AI and they aren't. It will be interesting to watch what happens with the prices now - I also have seen a number of offers that beat Thomson and they could be very tempting for a change. Find it hard to believe, given the much vaunted credit crunch, that Thomson have half filled the ships for next year already.

Hi flemtagg - nice to meet you. Thanks for the info. re Iglu. We have already booked for next Jan but can pass that on to our friends who want to come with us. What date are you going? We are on the 10th Jan sailing.

Sandie

[capasamari]

It shouldn't be a problem if you are A.I. and your friends aren't, all that happens is that when you order drinks, you present your cruise card, yours will have "AI" on it, you sign the chit and a zero amount is recorded on your on-board account (or the supplement fee for any drinks not included on AI). When your friends order drinks they will present their cruise card, sign the chit and the cost of their drinks is recorded on their on-board account.

You cannot "buy" drinks for anyone not in your cabin using your cruise card anyway. When our group (in three cabins) all ordered drinks, each couple had to sign for their own using their own card and it was recorded on the relevant cabin's account.

I hope this explanation helps.

Carol x

[Cymro1953]

Hi all:confused:

Just had another look (just out of curiousity) and you can still get free AI upgrade for February 2010 on the Island Escape Colourful Coasts itinerary.

My next cruise after March 22nd on Destiny is likely to be June next year (not available to book yet) so whether the AI will be free then I haven't a clue.

Janet:rolleyes:

We've just booked the CC cruise for Dec and got all inclusive like last year on her.
But the Travel Agent did mention in passing that it was being phased out.
So is this because of the takeover by Thomson?

I noticed last night on Thomson TV's cruise sales prog that the presenter said "Book now and you MAY get an all inclusive upgrade" on some of the cruises being sold

[jilljoy]

i think that now thomson have removed the free AI upgrade the prices will now start to fall,as in my opinion they are still overpricing their cruises.
its very cheap to go to carribean in march 09,but very dear to plan ahead for jan - march 10

[smiffy1951]

Hi slhw:)

With regards to your comment regarding you being AI and your friends not. Each person who is AI can buy 2 drinks with their card so you both actually buy 2 drinks each and buy them for your friends?????:rolleyes: Just don't get them altogether with your friends sitting there otherwise they may cotton on.

Janet

[jilljoy]

Hi slhw:)

With regards to your comment regarding you being AI and your friends not. Each person who is AI can buy 2 drinks with their card so you both actually buy 2 drinks each and buy them for your friends?????:rolleyes: Just don't get them altogether with your friends sitting there otherwise they may cotton on.

Janet
thomson stopped that last year,it is now 1 drink 1 card,
i heard about 2 situations last year when 2 couples were removed from the ship for doing what you have said

[smiffy1951]

Hi Jilljoy

They must have stopped it late last year as I was buying mine and my OH drinks all on my card when we were on the Destiny in June and he was doing the same as well/:eek:

We usually travel just the two of us so have not tried buying for other people but I have seen it done by others, that's why I mentioned it.

Janet