Advertised price vs price quoted query

[aussielozzie18]

First time cruiser question:

I booked a cruise a Royal Carribbean Cruise through a TA. This cruise was advertised in the Sunday papers as Interior Twin from $1299pp (Australian dollars). We are 3 people sharing an inside cabin on Deck 2 (so I am guessing we are in the cheapest cabin on the ship). The price the travel agent has quoted works out to be $1440.00pp. A difference of $141.00 pp. Just wondering what the extra $141.00 covers. Is it TA charges? gratuities (9 night cruise)?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

It could be anything...

*port charges...although they should have been quoted

*a different category....as the one advertised had sold out....again you should have been told.

!. Check the price RCCL are quoting on their website, that will give an idea of the category

2. Go back and ask the agent for a breakdown of the price.

The third person in a cabin should help to bring the price down not up

 

 

[The_Big_M]

2. Go back and ask the agent for a breakdown of the price.

The third person in a cabin should help to bring the price down not up

 

 

The problem there is that only certain, limited cabins have space for a third person.

 

On RCL the cheapest cabins are only twin share. Sometimes with specials as well, they discount the 'lead-in' cabins as they are known, while the remainder of the grade keeps the old price. I expect this is the case here. The other situation that is fairly common is the lead-in price is a guarantee. Again with RCL, guarantees are only on a twin share basis. They are not available to triples and quads. Again for the specific cabin the price will be right, but higher than the advertised lead-in price.

 

If only 3 people are going, it will still be cheaper to get a triple, than 2 cabins, but dearer than the regular price as "triples and quads are discriminated against." :D

 

Also, the discount for 3/4 person is often negligible now. It's not uncommon to be cheaper to buy two twin share cabins, than pay for a single quad share cabin - in the same grade! :eek: I'm sure some people get caught out by this.

[The_Big_M]

The price the travel agent has quoted works out to be $1440.00pp. A difference of $141.00 pp. Just wondering what the extra $141.00 covers. Is it TA charges? gratuities (9 night cruise)?

 

As said by Kiwi Kruzer, you can ask for a breakdown if not sure.

 

I would expect that the reason for the extra is one of two things:

1) the advertised price is guarantee, so your extra is effectively paying for being able to select a specific cabin, or

2) the advertised price is for a lower inside grade, than has space for a triple booking. The extra is for a slightly higher interior grade, which has space for three to book. Note that there isn't a major difference in size between the grades though, say 2 square metres depending on ship/grade.

[Royalty X]

If it's RCI, it's more than likely prepaid gratuities. It's very rare that you will ever find a fare at the advertised fare. They are usually a "from" price and based on twin share (for RCI). If you do follow the suggestion to check the price on RCI's website and call your agent if it's different, please make sure you go through to the very last page for your final price (after choosing a cabin in the same category), because this price is normally very different to the prices on the first couple of pages.

[Pushka]

The price you saw in the ad was for an Interior twin, but you have added an extra person which means extra bedding and food. Then this is usually spread across all of the passengers fares.

[Aus Traveller]

The price you saw in the ad was for an Interior twin, but you have added an extra person which means extra bedding and food. Then this is usually spread across all of the passengers fares.

 

The price for a third person is usually much lower than the original two in a twin, so when the prices are evened out, they are all much lower than for a twin.

 

Either they have had to go to a higher-priced category to get a cabin to accommodate three, or the price includes gratuities. I suggest that the OP ask the travel agent.

[Royalty X]

The price for a third person is usually much lower than the original two in a twin, so when the prices are evened out, they are all much lower than for a twin.

 

Either they have had to go to a higher-priced category to get a cabin to accommodate three, or the price includes gratuities. I suggest that the OP ask the travel agent.

Or, potentially both of those. There is only a certain number of cabins which can/will accommodate three. Plus, you would need to add gratuities for all three people on top.

[The_Big_M]

If it's RCI, it's more than likely prepaid gratuities. It's very rare that you will ever find a fare at the advertised fare. They are usually a "from" price and based on twin share (for RCI). If you do follow the suggestion to check the price on RCI's website and call your agent if it's different, please make sure you go through to the very last page for your final price (after choosing a cabin in the same category), because this price is normally very different to the prices on the first couple of pages.

 

It's not prepaid gratuities.

 

For a 9 night cruise in an inside cabin for 3 people, the gratuity charge is US$310.50.

 

This is substantially more than the $141 extra being charged, which is actually an even greater difference when the charge is converted to AU.

 

It's not about gratuities, which are probably still not included.

[bazzaw]

I have recently been doing some searching around the RCI website -- it seems to me that they quote a price based on "gratuities included" and there is no way to get around that. When I finally did book through an agent ( because the RCI website was giving me incongruous results - one minute they said they had cabins - and when I went to actually book them, it said they didn't have cabins), the agent asked me if I wanted to include automatically deducted gratuities.

 

Barry

[Pushka]

The difference between the eventual price we receive and the one advertised is always a bit of a thing with me too. They're rarely the same.

 

Currently I'm in discussion with a TA who advertised a package using Cathay Pacific (flight time of about 9 hours direct flight) but after the deposit was paid had booked me with Malaysian Airlines, 17 hour flight and five hours transit in KL. Consumer and Business Affairs here have "encouraged me" to take it further. The TA has admitted the mistake but has brushed it of with comments like "MAS is direct into Adelaide". Yeah sure, like 9 hours after a separate flight and five hours in transit.

[bazzaw]

The difference between the eventual price we receive and the one advertised is always a bit of a thing with me too. They're rarely the same.

 

Currently I'm in discussion with a TA who advertised a package using Cathay Pacific (flight time of about 9 hours direct flight) but after the deposit was paid had booked me with Malaysian Airlines, 17 hour flight and five hours transit in KL. Consumer and Business Affairs here have "encouraged me" to take it further. The TA has admitted the mistake but has brushed it of with comments like "MAS is direct into Adelaide". Yeah sure, like 9 hours after a separate flight and five hours in transit.

 

Pushka

 

It WAS normal for me to ASSUME that an advertised "package" deal would be less cost than the sum of the individual components. Last year,when the "3 Queens" cruise was advertised, we JUMPED at it and booked over the phone without much consideration. By the time we received the written quote and request for deposit - we had done some research. Overall, the package was $1000 each more expensive than the sum of the individual components -- plus the flights were with Emirates ( NO! NO! I am never ever flying in an Emirates 777 again) . We called the TA again - said we still wanted to do the package but it was $1000 too expensive and we wanted to fly with Singapore Airlines. They quickly accommodated us. I believe that the Cunard fares dropped after the package was put together - and it failed to recognise that. So it was no conspiracy to defraud :) -- just a timing thing. But the point to remember is to never assume that a package is cheaper than what you could book yourself -- and IF it is, there is possibly a good (but bad!) reason for this.

 

BTW -- don't ever pay the deposit before you have the details/itinerary of the journey as part of a written quote.

 

Barry

[Pushka]

Pushka

 

It WAS normal for me to ASSUME that an advertised "package" deal would be less cost than the sum of the individual components. Last year,when the "3 Queens" cruise was advertised, we JUMPED at it and booked over the phone without much consideration. By the time we received the written quote and request for deposit - we had done some research. Overall, the package was $1000 each more expensive than the sum of the individual components -- plus the flights were with Emirates ( NO! NO! I am never ever flying in an Emirates 777 again) . We called the TA again - said we still wanted to do the package but it was $1000 too expensive and we wanted to fly with Singapore Airlines. They quickly accommodated us. I believe that the Cunard fares dropped after the package was put together - and it failed to recognise that. So it was no conspiracy to defraud :) -- just a timing thing. But the point to remember is to never assume that a package is cheaper than what you could book yourself -- and IF it is, there is possibly a good (but bad!) reason for this.

 

BTW -- don't ever pay the deposit before you have the details/itinerary of the journey as part of a written quote.

 

Barry

 

Yeah. I know. But I was still hearing Cathay Pacific on the radio after I paid the deposit. And they know that I heard it as I had sent them an email querying it. They just said it was a mistake. No apology, nada. And their associate cruise site is showing Qantas as the airline so they still haven't fixed it up.

[The_Big_M]

The difference between the eventual price we receive and the one advertised is always a bit of a thing with me too. They're rarely the same.

 

Currently I'm in discussion with a TA who advertised a package using Cathay Pacific (flight time of about 9 hours direct flight) but after the deposit was paid had booked me with Malaysian Airlines, 17 hour flight and five hours transit in KL. Consumer and Business Affairs here have "encouraged me" to take it further. The TA has admitted the mistake but has brushed it of with comments like "MAS is direct into Adelaide". Yeah sure, like 9 hours after a separate flight and five hours in transit.

 

I agree you have a case. It's likely because travel bookings are so fluid that it's best if it can be resolved directly rather than the delays through a third party.

 

Keep pushing em :-)