Best way to book? Fare reductions?

Hello All,

I have a question for the experts on this board. I have done several ocean cruises but have been dreaming of a river cruise next. The couple we travel with is sold on Viking and want us to book through their travel agent. I'm not convinced (about going thru their agent). I usually book the cruises directly myself. (I like the control; not crazy about going through a middle man). On the ocean cruises I have saved a lot of money by watching the prices closely and applying for fare reductions when the fare goes down. (I have saved $400 on my upcoming Med. cruise so far by applying for fare reductions). They have to go through their agent who stalls until they insist. :mad:

Are there any advantages/disadvantages for booking either way on a river cruise?

Do fare reductions ever happen on river cruises? If so, is it handled the same way? ( i.e. You can apply for a reduction before final payment is due)

Thank you for any your thoughts/opinions !:)

I am sorry, but river cruises are a total different animal. First, the ships only hold between 80 and 150 passengers. Also, there are not 10 to 20 different categories.

I have a personal bias against Viking because their 2 for one pricing is all year. Plus, when you read the small print, air is extra, transfers are extra, and the price is for the lowest cabin.

Tauck and AMA are very nice lines, but for us, the most bang for the buck is with Vantage.

The offer early booking discounts, plus a a 5% rebate on future trips. Their price includes air,transfers, and almost all tours.

Alcohol is extra, but you can bring your own. There is no "naughty room".

We have done 2 river cruises with them and were very happy. We have booked a Rhone River cruise for June, and we will spend 6 nights in Switzerland precruise on our own.

As far as price reductions, they do offer some, but it is hit or miss depending on bookings.

Plus, you directly with Vantage, instead of a TA. They have a very good customer service group, and their air department is very flexible.

I have yet to see a "fare reduction" on a River cruise. That isn't to say that it doesn't happen, but it is rare. And - even if you notice a better sale - I doubt that the company will budge on the price you paid.

I do agree with SJGOCH re: Viking - as do many posters here. The "2-for-1" pricing is a sham - as their reduced price is usually around the regular price of the other lines. But - you aren't paying any more for it, and there are a number of very happy Viking cruisers around. So - look at the "sale" price, and realize it won't get any better.

Vantage is one company that you have to deal directly with. Most of the others can be booked direct - or through a TA. Not sure that dealing direct will get you a better price, but you can ask.

Many will offer quite significant early booking discounts - but you often have to pay in full. Or - a lesser discount for booking early. If you are looking for a specific sailing (itinerary/date) and category cabin - you are often wise to book early. Many sailings sell out completely.

Not all of the "small details" are handled the same within the companies. Some include airport transfers for all cruises, others only if you purchase their air. Some include gratuities - others do not. Some let you pay the gratuities on a credit card - some will only take cash.

If your friend has travelled with Viking before, you can ask for their passenger number, and you will get a $100 discount. Your friend gets a discount as well. But - are they sold on Viking because they have travelled with them before (and therefore know the product) or because they have been seduced by the supposed "great 2 for 1 pricing" that is all over their brochures??

Fran

Of course, everyone has their favorite river cruise lines, and ours happens to be Viking. We're not experts, but we've sure had some good experiences with Viking so we're loyal to them. As for booking through an agent, we did do that on our first Viking cruise. Actually, from what I could tell, the agent did exactly what I had done earlier, which is talk to the Viking agent. There may have been more to it, but I didn't see it. The next time we booked directly with Viking for the same reason you mentioned, it makes me feel more in control and my questions are answered immediately rather than waiting for the agent to return my call. Both were equally satisfactory and the price didn't seem to be affected at all. Have fun!

We booked through an agent. The price wasn't cheaper but they gave us free travel insurance which was significant. We're booked on Viking but since we do not sail until June I can't comment on the experience.

We use an online TA for our bookings. This particular agency we have used to book 7 trips. We get a great discount and our agent has been able to get us discounts from her agency too. We are Avalon Journeys Club members which gave us an additional discount. We watch our emails for additional specials. This year we got our airfare for $399 + taxes. This agency gives great service and I will keep on using then for river cruises and land cruises.

I book through a TA, too. I get an extra discount from him, and he has traveled on most of the river cruise lines and has been to numerous ports, so he can advise if I have any questions.

Gate 1 and am trying AMA for first time in May,,because Regent cruisers say its very similar,,but will see.

But ,,DO book with TA,,as above posters advise...try to get one that gives discounts,onboard,credits,cash rebates,etc...I found on that does all that by lots of research,,googled.Would give website,,but it would be deleted..sorry..but they are out there...

Used to book directly with ship,,but got no 'goodies" to speak of,,and refuse to pay in full on Viking ships at time of booking. So do some more looking for cruises,TA,s etc...Also,,check out getting own airfare and hotels ahead of time,,ususally cheaper and YOU can pick..will get credit back if inc.in trip.

Each ship,itinerary,country,,etc....will determine your experience...hard to say 1 is better than another,,like comparing apples to oranges...For instance,,the Viking experinece might be VERY different in Russia,,as another country..so DO compare all the details ...;)

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply ! You have given me a lot to think about. I can see that booking a river cruise is different from ocean cruises and I need to have the mindset that the price I pay will be it--no later reductions.

I know from reading these boards that everyone has their favorite cruise lines. Wish I had the time and money to try them all.:D

We are very independent travelers so we will be booking air,insurance, pre-post hotels etc. ourselves. Half the fun for me is in the research and planning !

@SJGOCH Love your webpage with all the trip reports! I have bookmarked it to enjoy when I have time.

or because they have been seduced by the supposed "great 2 for 1 pricing" that is all over their brochures??

The "2-for-1" pricing is a sham

Here is our take. We are smart enough to know that the two-for-one deal is a marketing method. I think it is a little much to call it a "sham". It is what it is and one should look at the final cost, compare what is isn't included and make the decision that is best for them. We did a lot of research prior to our first river cruise, chose Viking and liked their product, so have sailed on two more and planning another. I'm not going to knock any of the other river cruise lines, but for the price and product, we'll stick with Viking.

I don't agree with the other posters that you can't get price reductions on a river cruise. I am booked on my 1st river cruise with Avalon in May. We put our deposit down last year, before the 2012 rates / dates / catalog came out. This locked us in to the 2011 prices. Then, for our sailing a discount was offered. Our travel agent compared the discount on the 2012 price to our 2011 price but found out we already had the better deal. Had the newer price been better, we would have gotten it. I continued to monitor the price for our specific cruise. About 5 months ago, it turned out that if I booked the cruise that day, it was less than what we were locked into. Again our TA called Avalon. Their explanation was that there was a decrease in airfare. Since final payment wasn't made yet, and we were using Avalon's air, we got an additional amount off the final price. Maybe we're the exception as 1st time cruisers, and maybe our TA is just good, but I'm not complaining.

A little follow-up. Just talked to Viking. They want a $500 per person deposit when booking. OK, that is normal. They also want PAYMENT IN FULL by May 13,2012 for a August 2013 cruise ! YIKES !!:eek: Is this normal for a river cruise?

They also want PAYMENT IN FULL by May 13,2012 for a August 2013 cruise ! YIKES !!:eek: Is this normal for a river cruise?

They must have the dates wrong :confused:

We booked (not Viking) in Feb 2011 for a June 2012 cruise final payment is due in 2wks

I am a Viking Fan. I've been on 4 cruises with them and enjoyed them all. Sure the 2 for 1 is a not for real but the prices are just as good as the other companies.

I like to book my own trip and have the freedom to make my own decisions. When you get a middle man like a TA things take longer and can get mixed up. Used TA once and was a nightmare getting things done they way I wanted it.

We have gotten a couple of very good discounts on Viking tours when they send out a special promotion. River cruises don't discount like big ships but there can be deals if your lucky

SJGOCH - everybody gives the lowest price cabin. Vantage does the same thing. Vantage gives the price with and without air. Their air fare is not any better then booking it yourself.

Viking gives you the transfers when using there air.

Please don't talk about Viking like you know them if you have not used them. Don't be bias against something you know nothing about.

I have used Vantage and they are a good company but for me Viking is my favorite. Better ships, better staff and just a great overall experience.

A little follow-up. Just talked to Viking. They want a $500 per person deposit when booking. OK, that is normal. They also want PAYMENT IN FULL by May 13,2012 for a August 2013 cruise ! YIKES !!:eek: Is this normal for a river cruise?

Yes - for some reason Viking is the only line that requires payment in full sometimes over 1 year in advance. This is their policy and much has been written on the boards about it. I am booked on Avalon and they do not require final payment until 90 days before sailing date.

Yes - for some reason Viking is the only line that requires payment in full sometimes over 1 year in advance.

WOW :eek:

I do not think I would be giving anyone full payment a year in advance

Anything can happen it that time frame

Glad I booked elsewhere

Uniworld does not require payment in full but does offers substantial additional discounting for paying in full a year in advance ($1000 pp for a 15 day cruise). That amounts to an approx 11% additional discount for allowing them to hold all of your money...hard to get that annual return in a safe investment instrument these days. This offer is not combinable with a smaller discount they offer for early booking so you have to net the two. But when discounts get that large...worth looking at. Their refund policies do apply to protect you from early cancellation (where you choose early booking discount or full payment) and further travel insurance can recoup even the cancellation portion lost to penalty. So you do have protection in several places. it isn' t for everyone but it isn't a bad deal in this case...and is at your option.

While you may have picked up quite quickly that the Viking 2-for-1 is a marketing deal, there are many who take the "book now, sale only on for a limited time" as a true statement.

I just had dinner with friends who are just starting to look at a river cruise - and were telling me about this "great 2-for-1" sales brochure that they were given... and were thinking about booking fairly soon to catch the sale. I suggested they look into other lines, and compare the dates/prices/itineraries before deciding as I was pretty sure that the sale would not be ending anytime soon. I figured out (correctly...) that it was a Viking brochure that they had.

I do know people who have travelled with Viking and have been quite pleased. I did not knock Viking as a product - but do feel that their advertised "limited time 2-for-1" marketing is a sham. The sale never ends - but they insinuate that you will miss out on this great sale if you don't book ASAP. I feel bad for people who believe that this as the best opportunity to get a great sale, and book before realizing they have options.

Most companies have a marketing strategy. Tauck offers an all-inclusive product. Uniworld offers various levels of early-booking savings based on the category of cabin, and whether you put down a deposit or pay in full. Avalon offers discounts for past Globus customers. Viking offers the infamous 2-for-1 discount.

The OP asked about fare reductions after booking - and stated that their friends are sold on Viking --> without giving any further details. I asked if they are sold on Viking because they have travelled with them before --> or because they feel that they will miss out on a "great deal" if they don't book the time limited 2-for-1 sailing. Not an unreasonable question.

I also did point out that if their friends have travelled with Viking before that they can get a $100 discount by quoting the passenger number. Viking is the only company that I know will give a "referral" credit.

I was trying to offer some advice to the OP - as someone who has travelled with 3 different lines - and does +++ research into the various options available.

Fran

It may be an ongoing marketing deal but only in the US.

As Aussies the best we can do is $1000 each off a list price of around $6000 which is far from 2 for 1.

Can`t even compare prices as putting in the address Viking.com it adds au and sends you to the Aussie site. Quite a few travel agencies do this apart from Viking.

Flights are extra although at the moment there is some kind of flight special. $995 for flights for the year 2013 by registering now and booking by July 2012.

I recently booked a Danube river cruise with Avalon and did it with online travel agency and got a 2 for 1 rate. I liked it because they sent me an emailed quote so I knew excatly what was included. The air however was fairly expensive so I booked it myself and got a better price with the flights I wanted.

While you may have picked up quite quickly that the Viking 2-for-1 is a marketing deal, there are many who take the "book now, sale only on for a limited time" as a true statement.

 

I just had dinner with friends who are just starting to look at a river cruise - and were telling me about this "great 2-for-1" sales brochure that they were given... and were thinking about booking fairly soon to catch the sale. I suggested they look into other lines, and compare the dates/prices/itineraries before deciding as I was pretty sure that the sale would not be ending anytime soon. I figured out (correctly...) that it was a Viking brochure that they had.

 

I do know people who have travelled with Viking and have been quite pleased. I did not knock Viking as a product - but do feel that their advertised "limited time 2-for-1" marketing is a sham. The sale never ends - but they insinuate that you will miss out on this great sale if you don't book ASAP. I feel bad for people who believe that this as the best opportunity to get a great sale, and book before realizing they have options.

 

Most companies have a marketing strategy. Tauck offers an all-inclusive product. Uniworld offers various levels of early-booking savings based on the category of cabin, and whether you put down a deposit or pay in full. Avalon offers discounts for past Globus customers. Viking offers the infamous 2-for-1 discount.

 

The OP asked about fare reductions after booking - and stated that their friends are sold on Viking --> without giving any further details. I asked if they are sold on Viking because they have travelled with them before --> or because they feel that they will miss out on a "great deal" if they don't book the time limited 2-for-1 sailing. Not an unreasonable question.

 

I also did point out that if their friends have travelled with Viking before that they can get a $100 discount by quoting the passenger number. Viking is the only company that I know will give a "referral" credit.

 

I was trying to offer some advice to the OP - as someone who has travelled with 3 different lines - and does +++ research into the various options available.

 

Fran

If someone were giving me "advice" and called it a "sham", I wouldn't consider it at all. What I was pointing out was that one should do their homework, look beyond the marketing strategy, and decide what is best based upon what is important to them (dates, destination, what is included/excluded), the price and the product. I also expressed that based upon our experience, we have been happy with the Viking product. If Tauck, Avalon, Vantage or someone else has a better deal that fits the requirements of the traveler, then by all means I'd advise to book it.

We also book with an online agency, on Avalon, and have gotten 20% off.

reading all the posts here about a very interesting topic for many of us I disagree that you do not get discounts on river cruises. We have been on 3 European river cruises and always got a great discount on each of them through our internet TA. We never had to make full payment in order to get the discounts - just deposit and full payment was due 90 days prior to departure. If you want to get a good competitive price for your cruise find cruisecompet on the web and get written quotes. That's how we found our TA.

Glad I read these boards today. We also were looking at a Viking cruise for April 2013 and they wanted full payment by May 2012 - that's ridiculous! Going to check prices again on the other lines.

After having been on over 25 ocean cruises, we, too, decided to book our first river cruise. After having looked at AMA, Avalon, Grand Circle, Scenic, Uniworld, Vantage, Viking, and Tauck -- we found a great deal with Tauck for a July 2012 Budapest to Amsterdam trip. Seems the ship was not yet sold out and Tauck had reduced the cabin price, plus our TA is giving us some perks including an additional discount. To me, that is the benefit of booking with a TA -- they are willing to give you some perks to keep you as a customer. Plus, I believe, if there are any issues with the cruise company, your TA is willing to go to bat for you and could wield more pressure since the TA represents many potential customers for the cruise line.

I agree with the previous posters that finding the right company for you is just that -- what is right for you. It depends on what you are looking for from the trip and the cruise line. I had read from other posters that in the end, after adding in what many companies don't include (ie port charges, gratuities, "optional" excursions, transfers, etc.) the prices come out pretty close to the same for the major companies. In my research, when I added in the "not includeds" for AMA to their pricing, I was within only dollars of what Tauck charged as an all included price. Since I happened upon a bargain with Tauck, I jumped at the chance.

Good luck with your research. Be sure to ask the companies that mention "optional" excursions what they charge for those. I believe Avalon lists them on their website. For AMA and Viking, I called and got the amounts, as well as what is expected for the amounts of gratuities per day for ship staff as well as the guides and drivers. Be sure to ask, "And what else can I expect to pay for?"

Patty