Confusing Prices

Can anyone explain how on the same website prices can differ so dramatically?

I'm looking at the Queen Elizabeth 32 nights Southampton to San Francisco in January 2017 with 3 nights stay in SF, a wine tour and flight home for just under £2,600 pp. Yet the same site is offering the 29 nights to San Francisco and home for just under £3,500 pp!!

I'm sure I've seen similar offers on other sites so it can't be a mistake. Should add the prices are for inside cabins.

So how can this be right or am I missing something?

The real pity is that we are just not in a position to take up this offer and by the time we hopefully can do something I suspect it will be sold out :(:(:(

It's frequently the case that the packages with stays are cheaper than the packages without. We see it all the time with the main cruise travel agents in the UK. It's certainly nothing to be concerned or suspicious about. We've booked such packages on several occasions and it's been absolutely fine.

Whilst it seems odd it's simply a matter of the travel agent playing with the dates to get the cheapest possible flight and hotel package. Often it involves a midweek flight which are always cheaper than one at the end of the week or weekend, plus a bulk rate at a hotel. It might also be that the higher price without the stay is the agent's price for booking directly with the cruise line instead of their own package. It's possible that the flights for the higher price might be direct and the cheaper package price indirect, or with a different airline etc.

We went on a Cunard cruise in January that was almost 40% cheaper if we stayed in Sydney 4 nights instead of flying home at the end of the cruise, so the figures you quote are perfectly reasonable.

U.K. based TAs get special rates from Cunard (others too maybe) when organising a package (flights accommodation & cruise)

Our TA on QM2 in December was cheaper with 4 nights NYC hotel & return flight than the voyage/flight price.

But SHOP AROUND.

Thanks for the prompt replies. I was never worried about the deals being 'suspicious', I was more curious as to how the pricing worked.

We have, in fact, booked these sort of offers before, albeit not with Cunard, and they can work out very well indeed :D A cruise round Australia to New Zealand and back to Oz with 3 nights stay before and after comes to mind.

We've never truly 'shopped around' but will definitely consider it.

Since the topic is Confusing Prices I hope it is ok if I ask about Port Charges.

I know absolutely nothing about how these charges are calculated, so I would appreciate being educated by those with knowledge of the subject.

One specific question I have is this: if the ship doesn't dock, but uses tenders, are Port Charges applied?

Thanks very much for your help.

Regards from a confused

Salacia

Edited to add: I did 'Ask Cunard', but found nothing regarding Port Charges. https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/search?nlpq=port+charges

I suppose this is rather delayed reaction on my part as I have been paying Port Charges for years, and only asking now what it's all about.

Many years as a TA as a Cruise Specialist , and never could figure out how Port Charges are broken down .

Nothing to do with whether docking or tendering.

Seems best I could find out was that the Port Charge is a $$$ which covers actual fees that the port charges as well as costs that the cruise ship recovers for the effort of the port visit (that is the big $$$ fudge factor) .

Seemed to me that the more the cruise line can separate non comm. port charges from the cruise fare , the less comm. they have to pay TA's.

Many years as a TA as a Cruise Specialist , and never could figure out how Port Charges are broken down .

Nothing to do with whether docking or tendering.

Seems best I could find out was that the Port Charge is a $$$ which covers actual fees that the port charges as well as costs that the cruise ship recovers for the effort of the port visit (that is the big $$$ fudge factor) .

Seemed to me that the more the cruise line can separate non comm. port charges from the cruise fare , the less comm. they have to pay TA's.

Thanks for your response, MCC. While I haven't paid much attention to port charges in the past, my attention was drawn to the issue based on the following regarding M628 - QM2 r/t NY to the Caribbean, Nov. 2016:

When I look at the fares on Cunard.com, I see "Taxes, fees and port expenses of $191.95 are additional"...since I'm booking for myself and my husband, I multiply that by two.

But my on-line travel agent bills for the same items as follows:

2. Cruise Port Charges $420.00 2 $840.00

3. Cruise Government Fees $191.95 2 $383.90

If I'm understanding correctly (and I'm not at all certain that I am), Cunard is charging $383.90 for two passengers taxes, fees and port charges, while my travel agent is charging $1223.90. That's a difference of $840.

That just doesn't sound right. What am I missing, and what has been your experience?

Thanks for taking the time to respond to a perplexed past passenger. :)

Salacia

Thanks for your response, MCC. While I haven't paid much attention to port charges in the past, my attention was drawn to the issue based on the following regarding M628 - QM2 r/t NY to the Caribbean, Nov. 2016:

 

When I look at the fares on Cunard.com, I see "Taxes, fees and port expenses of $191.95 are additional"...since I'm booking for myself and my husband, I multiply that by two.

 

But my on-line travel agent bills for the same items as follows:

2. Cruise Port Charges $420.00 2 $840.00

3. Cruise Government Fees $191.95 2 $383.90

 

If I'm understanding correctly (and I'm not at all certain that I am), Cunard is charging $383.90 for two passengers taxes, fees and port charges, while my travel agent is charging $1223.90. That's a difference of $840.

 

That just doesn't sound right. What am I missing, and what has been your experience?

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond to a perplexed past passenger. :)

 

 

 

Salacia

The TA is merely breaking away the non comm. port charges and the govt. tax's from the total cruise price .

Cruise lines , (by US law anyway) must include the port charges in quoted prices , then they add the gov't tax separate.

The TA is just showing the breakdown . Cruise Fare + Port Charge + Gov't Tax's.

In the end , TA total price should never exceed Cunard total price , and in many cases , TA should always be lower due to Permitted Discounting, OBC or Group rate .