El Cheapo Cruises Thread

[icat2000]

1 minute ago, drsel said:

I would like to book Carnival and Princess with a $1 deposit.
How do I find out where to get these $1 bookings?

I got an email from one of the TA's a couple of days ago. I deleted it.

[Fletch1]

4 minutes ago, drsel said:

I would like to book Carnival and Princess with a $1 deposit.
How do I find out where to get these $1 bookings?

 

I am not too sure if those cruise lines are offering the $1 deposit. P&O definitely are......have a look on that Guru of a website. 

[drsel]

 
I am not too sure if those cruise lines are offering the $1 deposit. P&O definitely are......have a look on that Guru of a website. 

But the $1 deposits on the PO official website are on Cruises which are fully priced.
while with the US online travel agents, you get a huge discount

[drsel]

I know some online TA's are trying to tempt cruise bookings with $1 deposit. However, read the fine print carefully as it might say full payment made 6 months prior to cruise date.
 
I;m not booking nothing until there is a much clearer picture. At the moment they just trying to raise revenue off you.

I searched on Google and I couldn't find any one offering $1 deposits on Carnival and Princess cruises.
can you help us out please?

[icat2000]

1 minute ago, drsel said:

I searched on Google and I couldn't find any one offering $1 deposits on Carnival and Princess cruises.
can you help us out please?

I got sent an email about it. I don't have that email now. Sorry can't help further.

[drsel]

On another thread, someone said that
During the Great depression of 2008, Princess had offered Cruises at a $0 basic fare.
you only had to pay the port fees and taxes
Is this true?

does anyone remember how low the cruise fares had gone during 9/11 and the global financial crisis of 2008

[drsel]

How long after each crisis or recession, did the cruise fares return back to their normal levels?

[By The Bay]

2 hours ago, drsel said:

On another thread, someone said that
During the Great depression of 2008, Princess had offered Cruises at a $0 basic fare.
you only had to pay the port fees and taxes
Is this true?

does anyone remember how low the cruise fares had gone during 9/11 and the global financial crisis of 2008

I must have been on another planet as I don't remember a Great Depression in 2008.

 

$0 basic fare might have been the case in some markets (USA), but definitely not here in Australia.

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, drsel said:

On another thread, someone said that
During the Great depression of 2008, Princess had offered Cruises at a $0 basic fare.
you only had to pay the port fees and taxes
Is this true?

does anyone remember how low the cruise fares had gone during 9/11 and the global financial crisis of 2008

The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 hit USA much harder than it hit Australia. There could have been deals where the passenger paid only port fees and taxes in USA, but I don't believe these were offered in Aust. When cruising is permitted to re-start, I don't believe fares that low will be on offer. It would be better for the cruiseline to leave their ships in hibernation.

[The_Big_M]

7 hours ago, drsel said:

On another thread, someone said that
During the Great depression of 2008, Princess had offered Cruises at a $0 basic fare.
you only had to pay the port fees and taxes
Is this true?

does anyone remember how low the cruise fares had gone during 9/11 and the global financial crisis of 2008

 

Untrue as a general statement. 

 

There may have been some one-off special offer especially say a month out from sailing to fill remaining spaces, but it wasn't the norm or anything that went on for a while as standard.

[drsel]

that poster clarified that the Princess terms were --

if you paid in full for one Cruise, you would get a free Cruise certificate of the same value for another Cruise

 

This was during the global financial crisis 2008

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, drsel said:

that poster clarified that the Princess terms were --

if you paid in full for one Cruise, you would get a free Cruise certificate of the same value for another Cruise

 

This was during the global financial crisis 2008

I wonder if the deal stipulated that you had to pay brochure price for the cruise, then get a second 'free' cruise. That isn't as good as a lot of deals where the prices are slashed and you don't have your money tied up for a future cruise.

[The_Big_M]

Quite a different thing.

 

Makes sense though, as there were many cancellations. I doubt it was about brochure price as that would be new bookings, but more just to get people to pay at final payment, so at existing pricing.

 

Given the number of cancellations and so reduced prices, I can't imagine a separate deal to pay 2+X that and get another cruise credit would get many takers. And they did have to reduce prices due to cancellations being made.

[drsel]

It wasn't brochure price.
(Who pays brochure price anyway?)

[SinbadThePorter]

For those interested in booking a cruise, today would be a good day.

 

Princess, P&O and Royal Caribbean (and presumably others) are having Black Friday sales.

 

Today only, Princess are offering $99 deposits, 40% off launch fares and free stateroom upgrades on selected fares.

[challis]

I did a online booking through my long time cruise T.A..Ozxxxxg

 

But the people posting online re.

Extended delayed response to refund owing has me asking myself if it's a gamble.

I  like them because I don't get hit with credit card surcharge that the cruise lines charge

 

But if payment made by card would give you charge back in worst case scenarios.

Anyone thinking I'm over cautious?

Have 24 hours to pay

 

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, challis said:

I did a online booking through my long time cruise T.A..Ozxxxxg

But the people posting online re.

Extended delayed response to refund owing has me asking myself if it's a gamble.

I  like them because I don't get hit with credit card surcharge that the cruise lines charge

But if payment made by card would give you charge back in worst case scenarios.

Anyone thinking I'm over cautious?

Have 24 hours to pay

Extended delayed response to refunds vs small credit card charge by cruise lines seems an easy decision to me.  I think you are being smart rethinking your booking, not over cautious.

[Bowm54]

1 hour ago, challis said:

I did a online booking through my long time cruise T.A..Ozxxxxg

 

But the people posting online re.

Extended delayed response to refund owing has me asking myself if it's a gamble.

I  like them because I don't get hit with credit card surcharge that the cruise lines charge

 

But if payment made by card would give you charge back in worst case scenarios.

Anyone thinking I'm over cautious?

Have 24 hours to pay

 

Please go ahead and make the payment.

That Canberra based agent may then have cash enough to fully refund me!

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, challis said:

I did a online booking through my long time cruise T.A..Ozxxxxg

But the people posting online re.

Extended delayed response to refund owing has me asking myself if it's a gamble.

I  like them because I don't get hit with credit card surcharge that the cruise lines charge

But if payment made by card would give you charge back in worst case scenarios.

Anyone thinking I'm over cautious?

Have 24 hours to pay

 

If the cruise is at near the end of 2021 or in 2022, I say "Go for it!" It is likely cruising will re-start by then, but if it does not, the cruise line will refund your deposit. The only risk you have is that they might go broke before then. Maybe they could go into liquidation if cruising doesn't restart for a few years, but I think that scenario is unlikely.

[challis]

sorry to hear the that bowmn54

 

the cruises i have in mind are from july 21 onwards,

 

i have allways been able to cruise at less than 3 months notice,which is when the 

last cabins,GTD status- are put up for sale,at last minute  prices-

 

i am so itching to get back onboard-But dont want the stress of having to double check my booking

on a weekly basis to ensure its still there.

the On line TAs are great,until you need help with bookings,then you seperate the good @ others

 

being 6 months plus out from Hopefull cruise-yes i will wait it out ..thanks for the feedback

 

see you all onboard soon...

[Cruisegroover]

2 hours ago, challis said:

I did a online booking through my long time cruise T.A..Ozxxxxg

 

 

 

The agency is no longer a member of AFTA or CLIA if that makes a difference to you.

[MicCanberra]

Only risk what you are willing to lose or wait fa long time for refunds, with no fixed date of cruise resumption, it is all still gambling.