Agressive price policy - ripped off!

It's our first cruise with Azamara. We are on board the Azamara Journey, en route to watch the firewoks show, Dec 31st, off Copacabana Beach.

So far, we have been very well impressed with the organization, the food and the overall kindness of the crew. We live in Rio de Janeiro, so it is a "back home cruise".

We booked that cruise back in May 2014 and it was somehow pricey. Anyway, it seemed a good opportunity to watch the New Year's fireworks show at Copacabana Beach from a very privileged point of view, without having to be pushed back and forth by a 2Mi people crowd. Considering all the pros, US$ 6,500 per guest seemed to be the price to be paid for a deck 7 balcony stateroom, for such a cruise. Everything was running fine, until the day we met some brazilian people from the state of Paraná. They were very happy, because they had paid only US$ 1,500 per guest, for a deck 8 balcony stateroom....

What? We had to ask them to repeat that, and they confirmed: they had paid only US$ 1,500 per guest, for a similar stateroom, one deck above ours, only a few months after we booked our cruise! And they were not the only ones - many other people from Curitiba, Paraná, had the same deal! Moreover, these people are not travel agents, nor tourism-related professionals - they are just ordinary people, like us.

Well, in Brazil we cannot buy a cruise directly with the cruise company. We have to do it through a representative, and Royal Caribbean (Azamara's owner) has one sole sales representative, for the whole country. One can use his or her preferred travel agent to book a cruise, but all sales are made by this representative. So, we were presented to a very unfair situation - one Company, through its representative, sold the same product, within a few months of interval, to different costumers, with a price difference of 300%, in round numbers - they sold our cruise for US$ 13,000 a couple, and sold the same cruise, with similar or better staterooms, to tens of countrymates from Paraná, for US$ 3,000 a couple! We feel like we have been ripped off by US$ 10,000 - and it's hard to accept this as a "last minute bargain"! We don't care which price is the correct one - there should have been only one price, with a small variation from one deck to another.

So far, all we did was to explain this situation to the onboard Future Cruises Sales Representative. She found it "not nice", in her own words, but she said that, as it was above her limits, she would forward the case to her boss, and that we should wait for an answer.

It has been two days after that. There's only two more days left, before we disembark. So far, we had no answer, no explanation - if there's a reasonable one - from anybody. We are, now, considering to invoke the Consumers Defense Act (a Brazilian Law) against Royal Caribbean. Maybe, then, we can have an explanation.

NB.: We wrote this post while we were still aboard the Journey. We intended to upload it during the cruise, but we decided to give Azamara a few more days. Whorthless. They simply ignored us. So, please, be carefull if you live in Brazil.

Prices in the UK change frequently, both for cruises and for any other type of holiday. A late booking price can be half the price charged earlier. Alternatively, for a popular trip, it could increase significantly as the departure date gets closer. In the UK, tour operators change the prices of their hotel holidays almost daily. Wait for a lower price and you may miss the boat (literally) or miss out on the holiday because the price has increased too much. It's a huge lottery and a guessing game. We try not to talk to anyone else about what they have paid in case we too get upset.

Rule 1. Never ask anyone what they paid for their cruise

Rule 2. Never believe what anyone tells you they paid for their cruise

And yes, it's like airfares, hotel rooms etc etc, some weeks there are very special "Black Friday" prices

Don't believe everything others tell you.

With that said, prices vary and cruise lines will sell the staterooms for the most they can get.

Did you clarify if the others paid after the standard final payment date and very close to when the cruise departed? I would guess they bought the cruise within a few months before departure.

I've read that price policies vary from country to country. As you say, in UK things happen that way. But not here. There's not such a thing like "tour operators" selling cruises - they're just a link between the guest and the (one only) sales representative, only because we can't buy directly from the Cruise Company.

We followed this cruise's price, at Azamara's official website, until the very last moment, and they remained the same we paid. So, there really is something going behind the scenes, down here.

Anyway, thanks for your input. Living and learning. Loved the "rules".:)

Jade13, we do believe our mates - some of them even showed us the messages they received from TA, with the confirmation. And they paid, just like we did, close to the standard date.

Jade13, we do believe our mates - some of them even showed us the messages they received from TA, with the confirmation. And they paid, just like we did, close to the standard date.

I understand you bought your cruise before the standard final payment date. But, I am unclear if your mates bought their cruise after the final payment date. One day makes a big difference.

With that said, we purchase our cruises early. We want more unusual itineraries usually, are not retired, and the ones we book typically sell out.

Sorry you feel ripped off, but as others have said, you can drive yourself crazy worrying about what other people paid. If you felt what you paid at the time of booking was a fair price, then enjoy your trip and move on. I have worked in the hotel industry for years, and we might sell a room for $600....but if someone shows up to the hotel last minute, we would sell the room for $300 just to show the hotel as 100% instead of having an empty room. Same thing for airlines selling tickets. It's very common.

I don't know all the logistics of the Brazilian cruise market, obviously, but I have seen people pay less than half of what I've paid before for a cruise. But I was okay paying the initial fare, so I chose not to worry about how cheaply others got the room.

Don't drag shipboard employees into this and just enjoy your trip....I was on the cruise prior to yours and very jealous you got to be on for the New Year's trip :D

Michael

There's an article in today's Wall Street Journal about airfare pricing, showing that the same roundtrip often varies dramatically depending on which city you start. Generally flights originating in the US cost more. One person quoted used points to get to Israel so that his regular round trips can now originate there, with huge savings. AFAIK there is no "right" to uniform pricing. Everybody charges what they can to maximize revenue.

My guess is that Azamara thought this cruise would be very popular because of the New Year's fireworks and priced it accordingly, but not enough cabins were selling so they decided to dump them and hope for big spenders. BWDIK?

There's an article in today's Wall Street Journal about airfare pricing, showing that the same roundtrip often varies dramatically depending on which city you start. Generally flights originating in the US cost more. One person quoted used points to get to Israel so that his regular round trips can now originate there, with huge savings. AFAIK there is no "right" to uniform pricing. Everybody charges what they can to maximize revenue.

 

My guess is that Azamara thought this cruise would be very popular because of the New Year's fireworks and priced it accordingly, but not enough cabins were selling so they decided to dump them and hope for big spenders. BWDIK?

It's called screwing the customer. The airlines are pros at this. Looks like the cruise lines are not far behind.

It's called screwing the customer. The airlines are pros at this. Looks like the cruise lines are not far behind.

Most businesses are run for profit not to give customers a super cheap deal. If one were feel to that strongly about the airlines and cruise lines making more profit off one than they're comfortable with - there is a very simple solution. Don't patronize them.:D

/agree with others, never ask what anyone else paid for airfare/cruise and don't necessarily believe them either

Most businesses are run for profit not to give customers a super cheap deal. If one were feel to that strongly about the airlines and cruise lines making more profit off one than they're comfortable with - there is a very simple solution. Don't patronize them.:D

 

/agree with others, never ask what anyone else paid for airfare/cruise and don't necessarily believe them either

Exactly! Very well said :D

Michael

When you discuss price, somebody will feel good and the other will feel bad. Never ask anyone what they paid. Your fare was high. However, when you booked, you decided to pay the fare. Nobody forced you to book. It was your decision. I have paid top dollar for a specific cruise booked way in advance. I have also paid dearly for specific location and type of cabin. I have also waited and picked up a left over last minute cabin at a substantial discount. Gty cabins can also be a good deal. Each time I cruise, I decide whether the price is okay. You paid what you paid. Do not ask or tell proces. Just relax and enjoy your cruise. When there are unbooked cabins, the cruise line may offer them to specific markets at a discount. Often they try to book people who can get to the ship without air. If it bothers you, next time wait until you find a deal. It can happen. It can also sail without you if all the cabins sell. Have a good time.

Although I agree that prices can be different in the same country depending on when the trip was booked, the case you are describing seems to be a little extreme. A difference of almost US 10000 for a cruise booked almost at the same time? And this being sold by the same representative? What kind of offer was that?

Rule 1. Never ask anyone what they paid for their cruise

Rule 2. Never believe what anyone tells you they paid for their cruise

 

Totally agree UKtog. It's outstanding advice, and I often share this with our members.