CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 16, 2013 #1 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I booked it today :) TA phoned up first to find out which cabins were available. I have booked 668 on deck 2. Last time on the Spirit we had 667 which is in the brochure as a double but it is actually a 4 berth! He assured me 668 is a double, so we shall see :rolleyes: I tried two that were recommended on Sailaway's spreadsheet, but they were both booked, so obviously the Cabin Reviews are proving useful :D They said they would match the web price plus £20 for admin :rolleyes: I asked if they could waive that and the other TA said she would reduce it to £10, which I stupidly agreed to (Sorry Jim!) I was on my own, so gave in :o I felt I couldn't get up and walk out after all the effort they had put in. I must be more persistant in future :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geomagot Posted September 16, 2013 #2 Share Posted September 16, 2013 yay!......fab-u-lous! linda:cool::cool: I've been hankering after this particular cruise myself.....but ms beloved (otherwise known as the 'sun worshipper') needs a bit more convincing (buttering up);) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campolady Posted September 16, 2013 #3 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Well done Linda - really something to look forward to. 50% reduction of the admin charge is better than nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kruzseeka Posted September 16, 2013 #4 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Good for you! Sounds a fantastic itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy v Posted September 16, 2013 #5 Share Posted September 16, 2013 What took you so long??:rolleyes:;):D No, seriously you will love it. I think it's my favourite destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappers Posted September 16, 2013 #6 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I'm sssooo jealous! I want to do Norway next year. Been to Iceland..loved it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 16, 2013 Author #7 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Yes and the plumber has just phoned (at last :rolleyes:) and he is coming tomorrow afternoon :) What's the betting the boiler will need a part for it ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 16, 2013 Author #8 Share Posted September 16, 2013 yay!......fab-u-lous! linda:cool::cool: I've been hankering after this particular cruise myself.....but ms beloved (otherwise known as the 'sun worshipper') needs a bit more convincing (buttering up);) Well I broke DH in gradually, by going to the fjords first and hoping for good weather, which we got :D then moving on to Iceland :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julessmiles Posted September 16, 2013 #9 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Well done Linda - it makes me mad that these TA charge you an admin fee though - what is that all about? They should be grateful you are giving them the business. When we booked our Dream cruise for next summer after reading lots of comments on here, I phoned around 3 agents to get a price including CD who are owned by Thomson. CD would only match web price & no more but in the end we got web price AND what I think quite a substantial discount with another agent.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 16, 2013 Author #10 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I've got free parking (according to Kruzseeka, worth over £100 ) and £100 OBC :):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julessmiles Posted September 16, 2013 #11 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I've got free parking (according to Kruzseeka, worth over £100 ) and £100 OBC :):) But everyone gets that - that's from Thomson - it's not the agent giving you that - I just think these agents are so cheeky charging customers an admin fee!?!??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 16, 2013 Author #12 Share Posted September 16, 2013 But everyone gets that - that's from Thomson - it's not the agent giving you that - I just think these agents are so cheeky charging customers an admin fee!?!??? I know, I should have been more firm with them :o:o In the end they will lose out as they will be out of a job, when everyone books online. I would have booked online, but wanted to check what cabins were available. Do you know if it is possible to phone and ask that before you book on line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JARRA23 Posted September 16, 2013 #13 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Not all Thomson TA's charge an admin fee to match web price, I called a TA that a friend recomended to ask about the Baltic Discovery Cruise and was told that they would match the web price, decided to book the next day but thought i would call Cruise Deals just to check the price and this was just over a £100 cheaper so called the TA and they agreed to match that price also (no admin fee) Sail tomorrow on Spirit from Harwich weather permiting CRUISIN LINDA I did Fire and Ice this year (first Cruise) got me hooked Norway and Iceland were great (weather was exceptional) pity they are not doing Torshavn next year, but you will love Fire and Ice anyway.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillhalfpint Posted September 16, 2013 #14 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Well done Linda. I avoided my local TA who charged £20 to match internet and went to town as they did my May Majesty trip without the £20. When I asked about Fire and Ice they were adding the £20 to match so I said if they were doing that I may as well use my local one, so they let me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geomagot Posted September 17, 2013 #15 Share Posted September 17, 2013 In the end they will lose out as they will be out of a job, when everyone books online. I think you have a good point here linda....use it or lose it there are some advantages to having a ta doing all the sorting out....especially if something doesnt quite go to plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julessmiles Posted September 17, 2013 #16 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I used to be a TA & got out of the industry as it was getting so 'cut throat' and competitive and that was over 20 years ago; it has got so much worse since then. I was talking to another more recent ex TA last night about this - our very own Dreamgirl from here - she said that the tour operators have cut the TA's commission so much that to match the web price they have nothing or very little commission left so have to charge to make something & sometimes they won't take the booking or it would make a loss. You have actually got to feel sorry for the Travel Agents that it has come to this. I used to spend hours with people finding them a holiday & they woud walk down the road & book elsewhere for an extra £10 off - this was in the days prior to Internet booking. You have to blame it on the Tour Ops for squeezing the agents. It does show that it is worth booking early though; the Tour Ops must offer better incentives to the agents to pull in the business when the brochures first go on sale. I kid you not, just by making 3 phone calls, we got over £300 off the cost of the web price when we booked our cruise the first day it went on sale. We booked with a high street agent (Thomson actually) so they got our business. I don't feel bad about shopping around as I have been booking our holidays with the same agent for years & never got a penny more than the web price discounted only because I had never asked before & I assumed they would only match the web price but this year they were happy to match another agent. Wouldn't it just be better all round for everyone if all this discounting stopped & prices were fair for everyone though as it is all so confusing?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nell Posted September 17, 2013 #17 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Excellent, Linda. Something to look forward to after your special holiday :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geomagot Posted September 17, 2013 #18 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Wouldn't it just be better all round for everyone if all this discounting stopped & prices were fair for everyone though as it is all so confusing?! I so agree jules it does appear that the selling system over the years has changed?...imperceptibly....but the whole booking system seems completely different today? in the old days (maybe about 5/6 years ago:rolleyes:) my booking plan would be: i would call an agent, negotiate best price, then call another, they would nearly always ask 'what is your budget?' each time i would undercut the previous quote and they would often match it eventually you arrive at what was near the wholesale price where they could no longer match and make a profit armed with this information I would then choose my ta (usually the one that would throw in some extras...thomas cook used to be good for that...even if it was just a bottle of wine in cabin) doesn't happen like this anymore its getting like trying to choose an electricity tarif??........its so complicated? p&o and some others (cunard) make it virtually mind boggling? with their vantage/getaway, fly/no fly fares, and thoms with their 'dark art' free ai/reduced ai/no ai/obc/no obc/ linked to availability on aircraft.... fares....i'm guessing that this is what is squeezing the ta's too then there is the fuel supplement....what's that about exactly?...is there ever a fuel un-supplement/refund when fuel prices go down?? why cant it just be a fair fare....1 grade...on 1 sailing...1 price...i'm happy...ta's are happy...operators are happy....everyone is making a living and we are getting what we pay for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarey Mary Posted September 17, 2013 #19 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I know, I should have been more firm with them :o:o In the end they will lose out as they will be out of a job, when everyone books online. I would have booked online, but wanted to check what cabins were available. Do you know if it is possible to phone and ask that before you book on line? Hi Linda Yes you can phone and find out which cabins are available before you book. I always do this then search round for best prices. I must have been lucky as I always get my TA to price match and I have never been charged an admin fee. Really fancy Fire and Ice and was going to book it for next year but then spotted the Arctic Affair so we went for that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 17, 2013 Author #20 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Hi Linda Yes you can phone and find out which cabins are available before you book. I always do this then search round for best prices. I must have been lucky as I always get my TA to price match and I have never been charged an admin fee. Really fancy Fire and Ice and was going to book it for next year but then spotted the Arctic Affair so we went for that one. Thanks Mary, info stored away for future reference ;) Arctic Affair looks good too, but it was hard enough to persuade DH that Harwich was not too far away :rolleyes: let alone going up to Newcastle :eek::eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camNaud Posted September 19, 2013 #21 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thanks Mary, info stored away for future reference ;) Arctic Affair looks good too, but it was hard enough to persuade DH that Harwich was not too far away :rolleyes: let alone going up to Newcastle :eek::eek: It was heads or tails for us when it came to choosing between these two excellent cruises. We have opted for The Arctic Affair as well - Newcastle is a shorter drive from our home - plus I have always wanted to visit Spitzbergen since I was young. Hopefully Thomson's are still doing the Fire & Ice cruise in 2015 so we can do that one too. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 19, 2013 Author #22 Share Posted September 19, 2013 It was heads or tails for us when it came to choosing between these two excellent cruises. We have opted for The Arctic Affair as well - Newcastle is a shorter drive from our home - plus I have always wanted to visit Spitzbergen since I was young. Hopefully Thomson's are still doing the Fire & Ice cruise in 2015 so we can do that one too. :) Thomson did Fire and Ice from Newcastle this year, so perhaps they will swap it again in 2015 - If they still have the Spirit :eek::eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camNaud Posted September 19, 2013 #23 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thomson did Fire and Ice from Newcastle this year, so perhaps they will swap it again in 2015 - If they still have the Spirit :eek::eek: Yes I hear the lease is up on The Spirit end of next year. We have sailed on her previously in Med 2007 and although she is an older style ship compaired with some of the more modern bigger ships we have been on - we really enjoyed our time aboard. Can't wait to sail on her again next July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeholiday2 Posted September 19, 2013 #24 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Great stuff, Linda. You have got something to look forward to. You should have got used to the new camera by then as well ;), so we can expect some cracking pictures. Mrs Joe is a sun worshipper too, so I doubt I would get her on this one, shame, as it looks really good. Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUISIN LINDA Posted September 19, 2013 Author #25 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hi Joe, mmm the camera is a bit more complicated than my old one. How do you take movies? I put it on the movie camera icon and it just took stills :eek::eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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