Beware of Flash Sales

I just got into it with my Windstar planner when I tried to get a reduction on a booked cruise to take advantage of a lower price published in this week's flash sale. As a thank you to the lines best customers both the regular alumni five percent as well as the Delaney $200 additional alumni February discount are not granted on flash sales. These are the folks they should be cultivating, not irritating. Now if the difference was enough you could cancel, pay the $50 and rebook at the lower price...a hassle. Apparently the message is that these sales are designed to attract new customers, not reward existing ones.After a number of previous Windstar bookings, I'm finding this new administration at the line a bit too tricky with fares, discounts, credits etc.

Another point is I paid less last month for next December 9th's Star Pride cruise than I would pay with the current flash sale. Same choice of perqs.

You may be disappointed, but the terms of the Flash Sale clearly state they are for new bookings only.

Offer is valid on new bookings only for select departures and subject to availability.

I have always found Windstar's pricing confusing, and at times misleading. For example, they may have a promotion for "Two free hotel nights", but if you ask that this be removed, the price of your cruise goes down. So, it never was really free in the first place.

I don't know what "Delaney $200" is.

OK rugrats here is how I see it. Here is the published Windstar price assurance policy....

Guests who purchase a cruise on Windstar will be eligible for reimbursement upon request if the fare published by Windstar for their specific departure and cabin class is reduced after they have made a booking and deposit, and if the request is received by Windstar at least 7 days prior to sailing. The reimbursement will be provided in the form of a shipboard credit, upgrade, fare reduction, or a future cruise credit. Windstar will determine the form of reimbursement, and the amount of reimbursement will be the difference between the fare actually paid by the guest and the published fare

It may just be me but when I see two competing policies such as this, I'm going to pick and fight for the one that benefits me not the company. So far it has worked.

As an alumni member, I received an email from Delaney offering $200 pp on bookings made by February 24. If you are an alumni you should have received the same offer. We have taken advantage of this on five bookings so far.

I still don't know who "Delaney" is.

John Delaney has been president of Windstar since July

I am Alumni and received so such email. In fact, I get very few WS emails despite signing up for them, and having an upcoming cruise booked in the next few weeks.

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You may be disappointed, but the terms of the Flash Sale clearly state they are for new bookings only.

Offer is valid on new bookings only for select departures and subject to availability.

 

I have always found Windstar's pricing confusing, and at times misleading. For example, they may have a promotion for "Two free hotel nights", but if you ask that this be removed, the price of your cruise goes down. So, it never was really free in the first place.

 

I don't know what "Delaney $200" is.

I think their price assurance policy trumps the "only valid on new bookings " clause. I say this because sticking the name Flashsale in front of a price cut is a dishonest way for the company to circumvent their price assurance commitment. They use the same "only valid on new bookings" clause on their Star Perks T&C' s, which I have successfully taken advantage of after having already paid.

Now where it gets tricky,and I echo your assessment about the complexity of their pricing model, is whether or not a previously allowed discount will now be taken away. T&C's say consult your rep for both Star Perks and Flashsale.

Barrycat, head up the management ladder if your not comfortable with what the frontline staff are telling you. I sympathize with their agents, it's complicated over there.

If you are not getting the emails here is a copy of ours. As an alumni it seems you are entitledled to the $200 pp but before 2/24. Call your Windstar rep and work it out

Dear Yacht Club Member,

As some of you may know, I recently joined the Windstar family as President. Based on my experience in the cruise industry, I am pleased to be a part of a company that I've long admired and truly believe to be the best small ship cruise line in the industry. Gracious service, exceptional cuisine, intimate boutique style, delightful ports of call - all are hallmarks of Windstar.

Earlier this year I had the chance to visit three of our ships and meet the Yacht Club Members on board. One thing they shared with me is their interest in new Windstar destinations and itineraries. As such, I am excited to announce 15 new cruises in Asia, Arabia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America. I hope you will be as excited as I am and invite you to come back to Windstar in 2017 with an exclusive opportunity for just our Yacht Club Members.

$200 off cruise fares per guest PLUS your 5% Yacht Club Member discount

Picture yourself cruising through tantalizing Thai islands, staying overnight on Ko Yao Noi with its epic views of Phang Nga Bay. (Views few people will see since the island has no facilities for large cruise ships.) Explore India, Sri Lanka, and Dubai, experiencing new cuisines, fascinating cultures, and the world's most futuristic architecture. Discover Japan during cherry blossom season and the pristine beaches of the Philippines. Add to your list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as we visit Petra, Luxor, the Great Wall of China and more. See nature at its wild best in Sri Lanka, Borneo, and Costa Rica.

And don't forget favorites like our Gaelic Explorers itinerary that takes you to the hills and highlands of Ireland and Scotland, or the Glitter & Glam of the Rivieras itinerary that carries you in style to the world's premier yachting playgrounds along the French and Italian Rivieras.

Watch for emails and brochures for more information about these and other itineraries. Contact your Travel Professional or call 877-978-3061 by February 24, 2017 to learn more and ensure you receive your special Yacht Club Member savings and bonuses.

It's going to be an extraordinary season and I look forward to sharing it with you.

John Delaney

John Delaney

President

Windstar Cruises

P.S. Don't miss out on this tremendous opportunity to visit exciting new destinations with Windstar and enjoy unbeatable savings.

2101 4th Avenue, Suite 210 Seattle, Washington 98121 phone: 206.733.2703 fax: 206.292.0809 WindstarCruises.com

I find these articles amazing about Delaney credits etc. ( been on 5 Windstar's and have not received letter)- I'm on 5/9 Rome-Venice and when I saw they were giving out Perks I called and was told since I paid less than their offering now ( very subjective # as one really never knows what the exact price is ) I could not receive any Perks unless I paid $1150. more which was more than Perks - a lot of BS - been trying to get Delaney's email but customer service refuses to give it out- good luck- caveat emptor !

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I find these articles amazing about Delaney credits etc. ( been on 5 Windstar's and have not received letter)- I'm on 5/9 Rome-Venice and when I saw they were giving out Perks I called and was told since I paid less than their offering now ( very subjective # as one really never knows what the exact price is ) I could not receive any Perks unless I paid $1150. more which was more than Perks - a lot of BS - been trying to get Delaney's email but customer service refuses to give it out- good luck- caveat emptor !

 

 

 

 

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If you originally paid, for arguments sake, $2200 pp with no perks or obc's, and now the star perk fare is $3350, including a perk of course, then you should hang on to your original fare.

I realize I may have misunderstood what you wrote, but I don't see where Windstar have done you wrong. Do you want to keep your "$2200" ticket and receive a perk at no extra charge?

I dont know if this helps, but the Delaney rebate has presumably only been on offer since he took over last July.

Hi Nearpost: thanks for your reply - I assume you might work for Windstar or maybe not ( see Washington STate address)- doesn't really matter- my question is: who is entitled to $200. Delaney credit ? Current paxs or only brand new paxs- thanks

To Orangeman

You don't need to get the Delaney offer from Windstar, I cut and pasted it on a previous post here. Just call your rep and tell them you want the Additional Alumni Discount, but soon, it expires this month.

The Star Perks program is a separate program. If you try to go back and get Perks on an existing booking they are going change your fare to the new published fare, often higher than the Perks are worth.

In my recent experience, there are so many deals, flash sales, Perks, etc going on that the reps don't even readily understand the details. Combined with the recent new billing system, result in the problems outlined in this thread

I thought I would shed some light on this discussion, because I, too, had questioned this whole policy. I had a very enlightening talk with a Windstar rep that kind of cleared everything up for me. So I thought I would share...

In December, My husband and I booked a cruise at a base price of $1944/pp for the lowest guarantee category. We did it under the star perks offering and got the drink package included.

A few weeks later, I noticed the flash sale on the lowest category (not the guarantee) and it was $200 less per person, so I called.

The Windstar agent told me that the sale has to be on the same category of booking, and my particular booking class had gone up $600 so I wasn't eligible.

However, he said, even if it hadn't, I still wouldn't have been eligible for the credit.

I would have to take the total of the two base prices: 1944x2=$3888

And then subtract the value of the perk (in our case $870) = $3,018.

The cost of the 2 flash sale base prices would have been $1744x2=$3,488 which is actually $400 MORE than what I had originally paid.

What I found most helpful is that the agent went on to explain that the Windstar guarantee is really supposed to offer a comfort level to potential travelers to book whenever they want - even if there's not a sale going on - knowing that if the price gets reduced, they will be compensated.

From a business perspective, it's smart. Windstar encourages the early booking and gets the reservation and the cash flow. And the travelers get the cruise and room they want because they're doing it early.

After grasping that, I realized that while I'd love the extra $400 credit on my account (who wouldn't?!), the guarantee wasn't really meant for me because I already got a great deal.

I hope that helps - it helped me understand.

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Hi Nearpost: thanks for your reply - I assume you might work for Windstar or maybe not ( see Washington STate address)- doesn't really matter- my question is: who is entitled to $200. Delaney credit ? Current paxs or only brand new paxs- thanks

The offer is not for brand new customers, you must be a "yacht club member", that means you must have already sailed with Windstar. Below are the T&C's for the $200. Once again they include the phrases "call your Windstar agent" and "valid for new bookings only" to see if the $200 can be combined with your fare.

How they reconcile their "valid for new bookings only" terminology with their widely touted Price assurance guarantee, must be an exhausting process for their team, it certainly is exhausting me. You'll find the "valid for new bookings" language in the T & C's of their Flashsale product, and the StarPerks product

YACHT CLUB MEMBER DISCOUNT OFFER

Terms & Conditions

All fares mentioned are per person, in US dollars, cruise only, based on double occupancy in lowest category, and include non-discountable amounts. Mandatory onboard gratuities are extra. Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses are additional and range from ($40-$700 per person). Windstar’s new President is inviting our Yacht Club Members to come back and cruise with us by offering a special $200 per person saving on select cruises departing between April 13th, 2017 & April 24th, 2018. Destination Discovery Event is applicable to select cruises and will be added at time of booking. Please double check your invoice for its presence. Offer is valid on new bookings only for select departures and subject to availability. Consult your Windstar representative for promotional offer or discount combinability. Bookings are non-transferable; no name changes can be made nor can this offer be applied retroactively. Cancellation penalties may apply, please see website for details. Certain restrictions apply. Fuel surcharges may be imposed or increased over time. Offer is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn or modified at Windstar's discretion at any time. Information contained herein is accurate at time of publication and subject to change without notice. All terms and conditions stated on the Windstar website apply. Cruise is provided subject to the terms and conditions of the Passage Contract. Offer expires on February 24, 2017. Ships' registry: Bahamas.

Thanks again for your extensive article on Delaney $200. Credit per pax. Just got off the phone and even though we're on May 9th cruise - Rome to Venice - booked in Oct. 2016 I was told by Windstar agent ( we are in Yachtsman Club- 5 cruises) that because I booked early and got a good price ( who knows) we were NOT entitled to Delaney credit ! I dealt directly with Windstar when booking and there's no way to get it. Of course they would not provide me with Delaney's email ( must be a big secret). Again thanks again for your articles. Enjoy reading them. Take care.

So people can get additional color on this policy, we managed to take advantage it on our last 2 sailings, the first in November and on our current sailing in February ( currently on Star Legend). We are Yacht Club members and booked our November cruise in September on the Star Pride at a $1,599 price (lowest cabin category) with $100 in OBC's no perks. The price of the lowest cabin subsequently went down to $1,379. We called and they upgraded us by 3 categories ( the price of this category was $1,579). The price of the lowest cabin went down further 2 weeks before the cruise to $979. We called again and our new category price was now $1,379 so they gave us an additional $220 in OBC. In the end we paid $1,599, got a 3 category upgrade and $320 in OBC's each

Our February cruise was booked 6 days before the actual departure date. When we called, although the web site showed the lowest cabin category at $1,079, the only availability they told us was for the highest cabin category balcony suite at $2,379 no perks no OBC. We booked anyway as this is what we wanted to do. I phoned 2 days later and asked what availability they had for the cruise and surprise they had a classic non balcony suite at $1,679. I said that I had phoned 2 days earlier and that we had been told there was no such cabin available. While they could not refund us they downgraded us to this level of cabin and threw in the bev package, free unlimited internet and laundry package, all of this 4 days before the cruise. This also worked well for us although the value of the perks they threw in were worth $1,230, a little bit less than the $1,400 difference in price for the 2 fares. No big deal.

Hope this helps

So people can get additional color on this policy, we managed to take advantage it on our last 2 sailings, the first in November and on our current sailing in February ( currently on Star Legend).  We are Yacht Club members and booked our November cruise in September on the Star Pride at a $1,599 price (lowest cabin category) with $100 in OBC's no perks. The price of the lowest cabin subsequently went down to $1,379. We called and they upgraded us by 3 categories ( the price of this category was $1,579).  The price of the lowest cabin went down further 2 weeks before the cruise to $979.  We called again and our new category price was now $1,379 so they gave us an additional $220 in OBC. In the end we paid $1,599, got a 3 category upgrade and $320 in OBC's each<div><br></div><div>Our February cruise was booked 6 days before the actual departure date.  When we called, although the web site showed the lowest cabin category at $1,079, the only availability they told us was for the highest cabin category balcony suite  at $2,379 no perks no OBC. We booked anyway as this is what w

Sorry for the dual posting. As everybody knows internet not great on the ships so I did not think my first post had been sent. I now know it did

Thanks again for your extensive article on Delaney $200. Credit per pax. Just got off the phone and even though we're on May 9th cruise - Rome to Venice - booked in Oct. 2016 I was told by Windstar agent ( we are in Yachtsman Club- 5 cruises) that because I booked early and got a good price ( who knows) we were NOT entitled to Delaney credit ! I dealt directly with Windstar when booking and there's no way to get it. Of course they would not provide me with Delaney's email ( must be a big secret). Again thanks again for your articles. Enjoy reading them. Take care.

Misty morning has just posted one experience where he/she appears to have been treated fairly, and the second experience where once again Windstar have gone above and beyond (disregarding their own no price drops within seven days of sailing). However you Orangeman, have been fobbed off with "you got a good price". I recommend you go to Windstars website and e mail guest relations. What you want is a scientific explanation for why you cannot get the Delaney discount. Why are you different?

Even if some one better trained at guest relations gives you a logical explanation, instead of "you already got a good price" , you can at least be satisfied that you were treated fairly.

Okay, I see the Delaney credit cannot be applied retroactively. I'd still want to know why this is. If your original fair has clauses attached saying "may not be combined with other discounts" fair enough. As I said a rational explanation will settle your mind, not "you already got a good price" sheesh!

Question...why are you all not using a travel agent? They will do all this "work" for you and also give you an additional discount or OBC on your cruise. I don't get the benefit of dealing with Windstar reps yourself.

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Sun prince- that is a very very good question : I was under the impression that if I dealt with Windstar directly instead of Amex, etc. I could get the " best" price - it seems the cruising industry might be one of the most unregulated industry in the country ! Call 3 times and 3 different prices - amazing !

Sun princeSimple answer. I've dealt with a TA in booking with Windstar and dealt with Windstar directly many times. NO COMPARISON. I gave done so much better in dealing with the company directly, better price, more credits, discounts etc.

I'm happier establishing a relationship with a Windstar Planner rather than paying a third party, a TA, whose interests may or may not be E same as mine.

There may be a reason that the TA profession is a quickly disappearing group.

Regarding Travel Agents, a couple of points to make:

Travel Agent became less common based upon one factor only: When the airlines removed all commission from travel agents, it removed their single largest income streams. Almost all travel agents never charged anything over the actual cost of the travel. That was 20 years ago.

Today (2017) there are actually more travels agent than there were 5 years ago, because many travelers have found the internet booking engines and many direct supplier communications to be more difficult. When things like Expedia, Orbits, Travelocity, and Hotels.com, all became owned by the same holding company (a clear fact); many travel agents started to see their clients return or new young clients call, out of frustration.

I know of no travel agent who cannot get you the same, and sometimes better, price than you get directly from the supplier. Travel agents just don't "threaten" providers in order to grind a few dollars on "the deal". But if you call Windstar every day or 3, about your single cruise booking, you may occasionally find a new deal your travel agent did not see.

If you want to use a travel agent, I would encourage you to always ask; "How often have you worked with Windstar this year? And have you sailed on any of their ships?"

I know of no travel agent who is looking for new clients who always believe they can do better as their own advocate. If it works for you, book direct and I would never argue with your right to do that.

I do know that the reservation rep I call at Windstar always takes my call, even when he needs to ask if he can call me back in ten minutes. And the regional "business development" manager's cell phone number is in my cell phone.

Yes I am a travel agent, but that is not why I am on this thread. I am on this thread because, as a passenger, I love Windstar. I sell cruises on about 5-7 cruise lines on a regular basis. But I only read 3 cruise line threads and generally post only on Windstar topics. For the record, I do not work for Windstar.

Question...why are you all not using a travel agent? They will do all this "work" for you and also give you an additional discount or OBC on your cruise. I don't get the benefit of dealing with Windstar reps yourself.

 

Sunprince - I live in Europe, where Windstar is not widely known. Few in the travel industry seem to have heard of them here. The TA who I use for all my other bookings have said they will act for me (more as a favour) but as already stated on the forum, what is needed is a TA who knows Windstar. Fortunately I have found some good Windstar booking agents who are on the ball, so will stick with them. The Windstar call centre seems to have improved 100% in the past year. For the record - for the same reason I had no problem getting recompense (OBC etc) when the price of my recent cruise went down almost 50% in the recent sale.

 

Does anyone know whether cruise lines give TA's any commission? If not, that might account for the shortage of Windstar Travel-friendly Travel Agents.