Island cruise, best prices, and who they are

[insidecabin]

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]

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post your info,Great.

[Stitchman]

Originally Posted by insidecabin

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]

Great info, clears it up a little, Thanks.

[bazbaz]

RCI certainly will lose their street cred after our trip with the star

[London]

How so, bazbaz?

[lincslass64]

Originally Posted by insidecabin

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]

Originally Posted by lincslass64

The escape and star belong jointly with RCI and Thompson Tui group since last october

It's part of First Choice.

[insidecabin]

Tui merged with First choice in 2007.

[lincslass64]

Originally Posted by crazyladee

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]

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]

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]

Originally Posted by jimb98

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!!!! no prizes for guessing who we booked with

[jimb98]

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]

Originally Posted by insidecabin

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]

Originally Posted by thehacienda

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.