Booking getting too hard!

[DaveOKC]

Looking at a booking for later this year and its a bit hard to keep up with the promotions and restrictions:

 

Have It All or non-refundable or refundable fares and perks with each

Casino discount on above fares

Black Friday Crew Appreciation fee waived

Casino offer from last cruise good for free play 

Thank you for Sailing with Us promotion (OBC)

Early booking Bonus from Mariner Society

Stockholder OBC credit

Future Cruise deposit and OBC

 

Some of these good only on certain sailings within my timeframe.   

I needed to do a spreadsheet to keep up with it all!

Edited November 19, 2022 by DaveOKC

[Hlitner]

The simple solution is that a decent cruise agent/agency that not only gets you the best deal but will also enhance it with additional On Board Credits (which can be thousands of dollars).

 

Hank

[ontheweb]

Call TA. Tell him (or her) what you are looking for. Get a quote. If it is satisfactory, say book it.  Does not sound so complicated.

[Banditswife]

We have a specific cruise in mind and will be on NS next Saturday (26th.)  Would it be best to book while on board or try to figure it out on our own before we go?  Specific sailing is due to my son & wife will be on it.

[oakridger]

If you book on board you should get some OBC added. You can transfer it to your travel agent if you wish after booking within HALs timeframe. I forgot how long that is. They can tell you.   Have fun!   ~Nancy 

[mcrcruiser]

45 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The simple solution is that a decent cruise agent/agency that not only gets you the best deal but will also enhance it with additional On Board Credits (which can be thousands of dollars).

 

Hank

Hank over many years of sales negotiations i have found that mist  travel agents work  to line their pockets more than their clients  . We have however found one  that we book with exclusively  & I keep even them in my sights by getting competitive bids   .It takes a long time to zero in on a really great TA agency  . Usually ,it  boils down to a test of time  to make a wise selection 

[Hlitner]

Just now, mcrcruiser said:

Hank over many years of sales negotiations i have found that mist  travel agents work  to line their pockets more than their clients  . We have however found one  that we book with exclusively  & I keep even them in my sights by getting competitive bids   .It takes a long time to zero in on a really great TA agency  . Usually ,it  boils down to a test of time  to make a wise selection 

No question cruise/travel agencies are in business to make money.  From my perspective a good agency/agent is a win-win for me and the agency :).  The agencies that we routinely use (at the moment there are two) have made a lot of money, from our business, and show their appreciation by treating us well.  From my perspective, we have saved 10s of thousands of dollars because of all the on board credits and other amenities we have received from cruise agencies.  There have also been times when our favored agencies have been able to use their clout, with cruise lines, to resolve some issues.  When a lone cruiser calls or e-mails a cruise line for help the are just one customer out of thousands.  When a high volume agency (that handles hundreds or even thousands of bookings a year) deals with a cruise line, the cruise line tends to listen.  

 

Hank

[Banditswife]

I checked for the specific sailing I am wanting.  Web page quoted me $496 for an inside or $949 with HIA to include crew appreciation.  Difference being $453 for the HIA, doesn't seem like that great of a deal to me.  We bought HIA w/o crew appreciation for $350 pp on our upcoming 7 day.

[mcrcruiser]

4 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

No question cruise/travel agencies are in business to make money.  From my perspective a good agency/agent is a win-win for me and the agency :).  The agencies that we routinely use (at the moment there are two) have made a lot of money, from our business, and show their appreciation by treating us well.  From my perspective, we have saved 10s of thousands of dollars because of all the on board credits and other amenities we have received from cruise agencies.  There have also been times when our favored agencies have been able to use their clout, with cruise lines, to resolve some issues.  When a lone cruiser calls or e-mails a cruise line for help the are just one customer out of thousands.  When a high volume agency (that handles hundreds or even thousands of bookings a year) deals with a cruise line, the cruise line tends to listen.  

 

Hank

Hank  you are absolutely correct . We have  had the same good fortune ;but ,it takes work to find the good ones  .One day we are  going to book a high end ocean cruise line to gain  the experience that  you enjoyed  . We have done it on river cruises & imo nothing beats river cruises for food quality , all included tours ,service on board & the crew entertaining us & or specialist the line brings on board

 Cliff

[DaveOKC]

25 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

I checked for the specific sailing I am wanting.  Web page quoted me $496 for an inside or $949 with HIA to include crew appreciation.  Difference being $453 for the HIA, doesn't seem like that great of a deal to me.  We bought HIA w/o crew appreciation for $350 pp on our upcoming 7 day.

The cruise I am looking at is only $500 more for HIA and its for 11 days!  With the $200 in Shore excursion credit, the specialty dining and free wifi that get my cost down to less than $20 per day for the free drinks.  Could not pass that up.

[oakridger]

Sweet deal Dave!!    It’s a matter of doing the math. When I got my HIA cruises this fall it worked out to me paying extra about $50/day. That included crew appreciation, beverage package, WiFi, one specialty restaurant per week(approximately -3on a 24 day cruise) and $300 excursion credit!  The beverage package alone is ~$50 per day!  If you don’t want any of that then it’s not a good deal but I want the beverage package, crew appreciations and WiFi for sure. Dinners were good. Didn’t end up doing any excursions but that was for a non related reason. ~Nancy 

Edited November 19, 2022 by oakridger

[cbr663]

I agree Dave.  The online booking is simply too hard.  I mentioned on another site that when we try and book (we are in Canada, if that matters) the final total is always higher than the price of the cruise and taxes and fees.  Sometimes hundreds of dollars higher and the reason isn't apparent from the booking.

 

 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

No question cruise/travel agencies are in business to make money.  From my perspective a good agency/agent is a win-win for me and the agency :).  The agencies that we routinely use (at the moment there are two) have made a lot of money, from our business, and show their appreciation by treating us well.  From my perspective, we have saved 10s of thousands of dollars because of all the on board credits and other amenities we have received from cruise agencies.  There have also been times when our favored agencies have been able to use their clout, with cruise lines, to resolve some issues.  When a lone cruiser calls or e-mails a cruise line for help the are just one customer out of thousands.  When a high volume agency (that handles hundreds or even thousands of bookings a year) deals with a cruise line, the cruise line tends to listen.  

 

Hank

But when one of those high volume cruise agencies intercede for you aren't you worried that you "lost control of your booking"? 🤣🤣🤣

[SweetsugarNL]

In my country we never have refundable options. A booking is a booking and you stitck with that price. So al these offers are nice..

[oaktreerb]

5 hours ago, Banditswife said:

We have a specific cruise in mind and will be on NS next Saturday (26th.)  Would it be best to book while on board or try to figure it out on our own before we go?  Specific sailing is due to my son & wife will be on it.

Book Onboard.  You will get OBC and can still transfer to a TA within a specific time frame (ask the onboard rep for timeframe).

[Florida_gal_50]

Sorry not feeling sorry for you.  I see no good deals.  For the first time in years and years I will have nothing booked.  Even had cruises booked in the height of the pandemic.  Hal has lost its shine for me and I’m ready to try another line again.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[mcrcruiser]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Sorry not feeling sorry for you.  I see no good deals.  For the first time in years and years I will have nothing booked.  Even had cruises booked in the height of the pandemic.  Hal has lost its shine for me and I’m ready to try another line again.

From reading many posts on several   lines   we are confident  with  Celebrity .we are  E;lite Plus .RCL er are  diamond level .Primcess  Ruby bit there preboarding is far too complicated with Ocean Ready on a smart phone because there are so many glitches . I threw away a $934  FCC because after trying over 6 hours  No one could help at Princess  .I will not sail Princess because of their  on a cell phone   for   giving the pre boarding  information  .Far too hard imo 

 

 We have B2B on Celebrity ,B2B on RCL on 2023 . B2B on KDam  Dec 2-22 & a 18 night  Hawaii on K Dam   Jan 31 ,2024  . 

 

 Before the pandemic our last cruise was on the old  Rotterdam ,April 2019  from Tampa western Caribbean  which was number 87  .We also have several Carnival cruises behind us probably 6 or 7 

 

From  vast past experiences in   the pursuit  of cruise lines to sail over all ,, I would stay with HAL for over all service & price point ,next would be Celebrity but in general their prices are much higher  & RCL is some where in between in pricing &  service quality  ,They are more into  rock climbing walls  & shows  ie   .We will not sail Princess because of the technical glitches & bad on land service   .We truly do not know a cruise line until we get into sailing with them a while ,c This is always the case   .We feel the most important  area of good cruising e=results is to  have a great relationship with a top cruise TA firm for  things we may not know which can impact our cruise experience one way or the other

 

 If not HAK hope you  find your hearts desire  but some where in my mind I think toy will be back with HAL  .Why loose your seniority level & perks ?

 

 

Edited November 20, 2022 by mcrcruiser

[rodndonna]

16 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Looking at a booking for later this year and its a bit hard to keep up with the promotions and restrictions:

 

Have It All or non-refundable or refundable fares and perks with each

Casino discount on above fares

Black Friday Crew Appreciation fee waived

Casino offer from last cruise good for free play 

Thank you for Sailing with Us promotion (OBC)

Early booking Bonus from Mariner Society

Stockholder OBC credit

Future Cruise deposit and OBC

 

Some of these good only on certain sailings within my timeframe.   

I needed to do a spreadsheet to keep up with it all!

 

Have you ever sailed or booked Carnival on-line. I LOVE their web booking. When you select a a cruise it then shows you on one page ALL the code booking options available to you  (usually about 6 different options) with prices and perks neatly summarized.  

 

Not suggesting to go book Carnival, just saying of all the cruise lines, I think they have the best website for reviewing options.

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

From reading many posts on several   lines   we are confident  with  Celebrity .we are  E;lite Plus .RCL er are  diamond level .Primcess  Ruby bit there preboarding is far too complicated with Ocean Ready on a smart phone because there are so many glitches . I threw away a $934  FCC because after trying over 6 hours  No one could help at Princess  .I will not sail Princess because of their  on a cell phone   for   giving the pre boarding  information  .Far too hard imo 

 

 We have B2B on Celebrity ,B2B on RCL on 2023 . B2B on KDam  Dec 2-22 & a 18 night  Hawaii on K Dam   Jan 31 ,2024  . 

 

 Before the pandemic our last cruise was on the old  Rotterdam ,April 2019  from Tampa western Caribbean  which was number 87  .We also have several Carnival cruises behind us probably 6 or 7 

 

From  vast past experiences in   the pursuit  of cruise lines to sail over all ,, I would stay with HAL for over all service & price point ,next would be Celebrity but in general their prices are much higher  & RCL is some where in between in pricing &  service quality  ,They are more into  rock climbing walls  & shows  ie   .We will not sail Princess because of the technical glitches & bad on land service   .We truly do not know a cruise line until we get into sailing with them a while ,c This is always the case   .We feel the most important  area of good cruising e=results is to  have a great relationship with a top cruise TA firm for  things we may not know which can impact our cruise experience one way or the other

 

 If not HAK hope you  find your hearts desire  but some where in my mind I think toy will be back with HAL  .Why loose your seniority level & perks ?

 

 

I will likely sail with celebrity next even though I haven’t been thrilled with them in the past. It’s been a while though. Many of the employees on the koningsdam are great but I’m just so tired of their guest services. So many lies. When you walk through the ship rarely do I hear hello unless it’s someone I’ve already met. That’s a first on a hall ship for me.  It’s a totally different vibe from March.  Food has been excellent on the ship so that hasn’t changed.  One of my friends just completed his first celebrity cruise so I’m looking forward to his take on it as I value his opinion.  Maybe the grass isn’t greener?

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, rodndonna said:

 

Have you ever sailed or booked Carnival on-line. I LOVE their web booking. When you select a a cruise it then shows you on one page ALL the code booking options available to you  (usually about 6 different options) with prices and perks neatly summarized.  

 

Not suggesting to go book Carnival, just saying of all the cruise lines, I think they have the best website for reviewing options.

That would be wonderful.  I think hal is about 20 years from now giving them the benefit of the doubt.

[cruisemom42]

 

I think one of the issues people forget is that cruise lines -- like airlines and hotels -- can vary year on year depending on management practices, new offerings and issues beyond their control (Covid, oil prices), all of which can impact the onboard experience. 

 

This is one reason I've sailed with a number of different lines through the years. Sometimes a line will just hit a "sweet spot" for a while, but others will eventually catch up or surpass them, or offer something new that is more appealing. 

 

IMO it's far better to take off the blinkers of "loyalty" and try different lines to see what is a good fit today vs. what was a good fit 10 years ago.  Of course, that means having a certain mental flexibility and understanding that a line that doesn't do everything EXACTLY like HAL isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

Regarding pricing, I suspect that cruise lines are happy to have less transparency in pricing. Going forward, I doubt we will see the same level of clarity and flexibility (with regard to rebooking fares) that were once common -- why would we?  It is to the benefit of the lines to make it more difficult for you to get those lower fares...

 

[LocoLoco1]

I ignore early ‘Promotions’. At the last possible Drop Dead Moment mix of HAL, Airlines and our health etc (about 60/days out+-) we look at $Price$, Casino offers and destination. Then it’s a Go/No Go. RARELY have I seen better deals pricewise. Flying in on the day-of in Coach and no Insurance often save us $Thousands$ After 20+ cruises, that adds up. Never missed a cruise…That would not work for many cruisers, but 40+/yrs. cruising have taught me a few things. 

[FlorenceItaly]

On 11/19/2022 at 11:11 PM, Florida_gal_50 said:

Sorry not feeling sorry for you.  I see no good deals.  For the first time in years and years I will have nothing booked.  Even had cruises booked in the height of the pandemic.  Hal has lost its shine for me and I’m ready to try another line again.

Give Celebrity a try.  You will not be disappointed.

[daisy-mae]

When it comes to online booking (or shopping for that matter), what is most frustrating is the inability to determine the exact price without going through the entire process. What matters to me is basically the bottom line, or what I will have to pay once the dust settles.

 

For the past few days we have been trying to book a flight south to visit friends. The airline website provides a "teaser" price for the dates that we input, then offers a variety of tiers that do not resemble the original fare. Then come the various add-ons, taxes, fees, etc., and four or five screens later, a final tally that is way beyond our (admittedly naïve) expectations. It would be so much easier if we could simply be given a ball-park figure at the outset.

 

I believe that online merchandise retailers collect statistics on "abandoned shopping carts" , or transactions that are not completed. It would be interesting to know if the travel industry is taking notice of similar trends.

 

 

 

 

[rodndonna]

21 minutes ago, daisy-mae said:

 

 

For the past few days we have been trying to book a flight south to visit friends. The airline website provides a "teaser" price for the dates that we input, then offers a variety of tiers that do not resemble the original fare. Then come the various add-ons, taxes, fees, etc., and four or five screens later, a final tally that is way beyond our (admittedly naïve) expectations. It would be so much easier if we could simply be given a ball-park figure at the outset.

 

 

Have you  tried using google flight? . It's not a booking tool - but great for  reviewing options and  air fare.

https://www.google.com/travel/flights