TA's brought this on

[thomasale]

I have used local agencies, internet agencies, and booked direct with the cruise lines. To be honest I have not noticed a difference in any experience. I like my local agency, I get cheapest price on the internet, and great convenience booking direct with the cruise line. I am sure that there are some agents that really do provide value added service but I have not experienced one so I don't really care...for the record it will be nice to know that almost everyone is paying the same amount for the cruise. I always feel a little like a sucker when I overhear conversations about what someone else paid for the same cruise. JMHO.

[Kathleen P.]

I happen to agree with you. There are many business that are now going the same way...everyone pays the same....think Saturn cars. They turned the car buying industry on it's ear. Everyone gets the same exact price from dealer to dealer in every single store. There are no give me's, no cash backs, just equal treatment for all. There are now more and more car retailers that do not involve haggling, also with your computer, you can check invoice prices so if you over pay shame on you!!. Some marques do not like discounting as it devalues their product. Maybe cruise lines will follow, hopefully, and everyone will pay the same price. It's only fair. IMHO, the "rewards" should be given by the cruise lines, just as FF miles work. The more you cruise with a cruise line, the more rewards you get. Let the rewards be determined by the cruise line, not the TA's. Once everyone pays the same price for their category, the rewards given by the cruise line should be clear cut and give you more incentive to cruise with them agein. This will also make the cruise lines work harder for our business, not the TA. The cruise lines however would have to revamp what they will actually reward you, as of now, it is really minimal. Some good ideas would be free upgrades, ship board credits, and maybe a free cruise after a certain amount of cruises (to be determined by the cruise line). These should be given by the cruiselines. This way you do not hear that Joe Schmo paid less than you did for a better cabin and you are earning something too. This way everyone is happy - well with the exception of the TA's.

[TWOFERTWO]

[QUOTE]for the record it will be nice to know that almost everyone is paying the same amount for the cruise. I always feel a little like a sucker when I overhear conversations about what someone else paid for the same cruise. JMHO.[/QUOTE] While I can certainly empathize with your fellings, after finding out you paid more for a cruise than someone else, but to say we should all pay the same is total NON SENSE! I want to continue to pay less! :mad:

[awatt]

Especially when we will all be paying the same higher price.

No thank you.

[joannie]

Kathleen:

So you believe that Celebrity and any other Company should have the right to set whatever price they deem correct and every consumer then will pay that price?

You must be kidding?

Is your thinking of fixed prices only for Celebrity? You mean to say you would pay whatever price any company sets for their product without the ability to shop around in your local area or Internet?

In your world all cars would be sold at sticket prices. That way none of the Joe Schmo's you mention could talk about the great deal they received on their car purchase.

You can go on in your desire to pay everyone the full retail of everything you purchase. I prefer price competiton where a consumer has a choice.

Joannie

[Kathleen P.]

[quote name='TWOFERTWO']While I can certainly empathize with your fellings, after finding out you paid more for a cruise than someone else, but to say we should all pay the same is total NON SENSE! I want to continue to pay less! :mad:[/QUOTE]


Not necessarily so...actually if the cruise lines give you an incentive to book your own cruise (much like Jet blue does on their website) and the cruise lines are not paying TA's commissions..the savings gets passed along to you and the cruise lines are making the same the always have. The cruise lines are in control of specials, benefits and what ever else. It's just cutting out the middleman (the TA). You actually may be surprised. The cruise lines WANT your business. With the new no discount policy thru TA's it looks like it may be the direction they are heading. I mean lets be realistic...the cruise lines cannot charge MORE money, they would loose lots of business. If they charge FAIR and give you MORE, you get a better value for your cruise dollar. The best price is not always the best value.

And how do you know you are paying less...less than what or whom, you really do not know. If anyone ever asked me how much I paid, I would tell them to mind their own business. Since I am a TA, I pay less than anyone, so I have no reason to complain for myself...I just do not think it's fair to many people. You may only think you have paid the lowest price...but what about the couple sitting next to you --- they may have paid less than you and have some added goodies thrown in. It's a guessing game based on who knows what.

[ljones]

Those who are willing to do the work and search for the best deal should benefit from it. If you are willing and able financially to do nothing and pay the going rate then you should be satisfied with it. Don't penalize others because they are willing to work for their savings. When everyone pays the same & are willing to do so, the price setting by the seller is a cinch!

[Kathleen P.]

[quote name='joannie']Kathleen:

So you believe that Celebrity and any other Company should have the right to set whatever price they deem correct and every consumer then will pay that price?

You must be kidding?

Is your thinking of fixed prices only for Celebrity? You mean to say you would pay whatever price any company sets for their product without the ability to shop around in your local area or Internet?

In your world all cars would be sold at sticket prices. That way none of the Joe Schmo's you mention could talk about the great deal they received on their car purchase.

You can go on in your desire to pay everyone the full retail of everything you purchase. I prefer price competiton where a consumer has a choice.

Joannie[/QUOTE]

You may think you get a great price...but there is a thing called holdback. you are a car salesman's dream.....I used to sell cars, I know exactly what goes on. Do you really think you are that sharp to think you are getting away with a bargain and the dealer is making next to nothing? There is more to a car than haggling over sticker price. They may lower the sticker price for you but there are lots of ways they get your money that you have no idea of. So that "bargain" you got by shaving a few dollars off you sticker may actually have COST you much more than you think. The only way you can get a bargain on a car is to buy it cash and wave it under the managers nose...you will then most likely pay $500 to $1000 over invoice. Invoice is NOT the same as STICKER.

If you ever walk into a Saturn dealership...you will find you do pay the sticker price, but the sticker price is fair and honest, no haggling.

Yes I do think all cruises should work this way. Fair prices (not necessarily higher prices)..this way people like you don't wind up paying more than you should have.

[joannie]

Kathleen:

Where does it say that "the savings" will be passed back to the consumers from the cruise lines or any other company?

One can eliminate the middle man as you state and control all pricing. What prevents them then from raising prices?

Look at the cable TV industry. All the independents where bought up on the premise that larger company's then would have economy's of scale. And that happened. However along the way prices for cable TV have increased every year.

Do you believe credit card companys issue cards to large volume company users and allow them better payment options than the Joe Schmo you mention, issue cards at discounts based on the number of users within a company and provide other benefits that are not given to the Joe Schmo who has just one card from your company?

Under your logic. That hypotheical credit card company should stop their practices and have one policy for all who carry their card. Whether a company charges $50.0 million or $30 dollars they should have the same credit terms? I don't think so. They are giving preference to larger users which is against everything you write here.

For one I would agree with that hypotheical card company. Competition is good and in the long run it lowers prices.

Are you really willing to say that you would be agreeable to pay whatever sticker price, list price or posted price for every item your purchase with no option whatsoever to shop for a lower price?

Joannie

[SEPyle]

[quote name='Kathleen P.']I happen to agree with you. There are many business that are now going the same way...everyone pays the same....think Saturn cars. They turned the car buying industry on it's ear. Everyone gets the same exact price from dealer to dealer in every single store. There are no give me's, no cash backs, just equal treatment for all. There are now more and more car retailers that do not involve haggling, also with your computer, you can check invoice prices so if you over pay shame on you!!. Some marques do not like discounting as it devalues their product. Maybe cruise lines will follow, hopefully, and everyone will pay the same price. [/QUOTE]
In my opinion, you can't compare Saturn Cars with pricing for a cruise. A Saturn car doesn't set sail on a specific date with or without a full car. It is a commody. Cruise rates are based on supply and demand. Let's say the cruise line sets a rate for a cruise. Everybody pays the same. Let's say they set the price too high. The ship is not filling up. What is the cruise line going to do, sail with a less than full ship. No they are going to lower the rate. What happended to your logic that everybody pays the same? It goes out the window! That's why there will ALWAYS be different rates paid by people for the same category on a ship. They simply bought the cruise on a different day. A price of a car is far different than a cruise vacation. It's like comparing apples to oranges.

Sharon

[joannie]

Kathleen:

You said "You may think you get a great price...but there is a thing called holdback. you are a car salesman's dream.....I used to sell cars, "

Guess your sales strategy of selling cars at "Suggested Sticker Prices" did not work out to well. Perhaps other dealers had similiar or the same cars, but beat you out on price as well as service.

That's my point competition is a wonderful thing for consumers.

Joannie

[FreesiaE]

I think that this new policy gets a big boo. Some of us (myself included) cannot afford the full sticker price of the Celebrity cruises and look for(ward) to discounts. There are very few things in America priced like this. My newspaper today was jammed full of sale flyer for everything from backpacks, sofas, and cheesburgers! Very few places sell the same items for the exact same price.

[Kathleen P.]

What makes you think you ARE getting the best price? Based on What? You can "shop" different cruise lines much as you shop for a car or a cable TV provider, or credit card. My cable company charges a lot of money, I have an option of paying less for a satellite dish, but I will not get the same quality, so therein is the VALUE. I do know when I get my cable bill, that is the same as my neighbor with the same service is paying. The prices are standardized in each company. I know my neighbor with 5 tv's hooked up to cable is not paying less than I am with 3 tv's. It is about setting and standardizing prices. When you go to the hairdresser, do you haggle? Does everyone pay the same for a haircut? If you cannot afford what company A has to offer than maybe company B is better suited for your budget. It is the same with cars too...what about the leftovers? Since the sticker price of a 2004 is lower than a 2005, you have the option of buying the one you can afford.

The point that I am trying to get across is what makes a great "deal" on a cruise for you guys. I read about the great deals but nobody ever lists what they paid for it....Why? Maybe you are afraid you did not get the best price after all. As a Ta, I scour the internet and honestly, I do not see any great deals out there, so unless there is a secret society of great cruise deals out there, I just don't see it. So I honestly do not know what "deals" you are speaking of.

You are also not giving the cruise lines any credit. They know their market, what sailings are most popular, the age range of their customers, which sailings are empty the spending trends of their customers. Just think out of the box for a moment. What if the cruise lines set a FAIR price based on time of year, popular sailings, and the time you book. It is done already for travel agents...I can call the travel agent desk of any cruise line and get a standardized rate.

Maybe there should be a new post.."what's your rate and what did you get?" Then you will see what bargains are really out there.

[theawesome1]

As far as Saturn dealerships go, you can play their game also. Visit a few get rates & trade in for my vehicle telling them you do not need a new car with what I have. What the prices drop as the trade is value rises........... then find out the SW2 I bought had a problem that wasn't recalled til after I paid $800 to install a new engine with their collant mixing with the oil, 4 days after they changed the oil. Sure enough, after the dealership fixed my auto, telling me to wait til they get word from Saturn's Corp office on the findings & sure enough the car was recalled for the problem. Then I see on the Saturn ng that others repaired theirs & got no rebate money.......

Now I am Hyundai Sante Fe!

[Kathleen P.]

[quote name='joannie']Kathleen:

You said "You may think you get a great price...but there is a thing called holdback. you are a car salesman's dream.....I used to sell cars, "

Guess your sales strategy of selling cars at "Suggested Sticker Prices" did not work out to well. Perhaps other dealers had similiar or the same cars, but beat you out on price as well as service.

That's my point competition is a wonderful thing for consumers.

Joannie[/QUOTE]


No actually I made enough money in the car business to retire at 38. I am now 40. My husband and I both worked in car sales for years and we are both "retired" for 2 years, he is now 43. We made enough money to pay off our house and have our future secured. We have our own business, which was at first a hobby for my husband and turned into a full time business which is now a corporation. It is internet based and we work out of our home (it is not in the travel industry). It allows us to make money and have freedom to do whatever we want. We vacation often and can run everything via wireless laptop. We actually make more money with our business than we did selling cars, but selling cars was very good to us--so I would have to say, yes it did work out, and very well thank you. We are very greatful.
I have always loved to travel, so after I "retired" my TA invited me to her office to teach me how to be a travel agent. After learning what I learned, I have my own Travel agency. It is not our main business, actually it does not generate any money for us, but it is more of my hobby. It is fun for me and keeps me out of "trouble". I do enjoy booking trips for my friends and family, and mostly us.

[Kathleen P.]

[quote name='theawesome1']As far as Saturn dealerships go, you can play their game also. Visit a few get rates & trade in for my vehicle telling them you do not need a new car with what I have. What the prices drop as the trade is value rises........... then find out the SW2 I bought had a problem that wasn't recalled til after I paid $800 to install a new engine with their collant mixing with the oil, 4 days after they changed the oil. Sure enough, after the dealership fixed my auto, telling me to wait til they get word from Saturn's Corp office on the findings & sure enough the car was recalled for the problem. Then I see on the Saturn ng that others repaired theirs & got no rebate money.......

Now I am Hyundai Sante Fe![/QUOTE]


I do not understand your wording, but I think you are talking about is "overallowing". It is done everywhere and belive me, you pay for that too.

[Sky Sweet]

[b]I would like to see Celebrity do what hotels have done for years....The earlier you book a cruise the more likely you are to get the same cabin for less. For example, they could have a specified number of cabins available at special rates for AAA members, AARP members, etc. In addition, they should offer free upgrades to Captain Club members who book suites or concierge class, not just people who book inside and outside cabins.[/b]

[thomasale]

My point here was that I don't think the TA does anything to enhance the buying experience...for those of you shoppers and deal buyers I hate to open this can of worms but it seems you guys are the ones always trying to get more than the next guy...first in buffet line, sneaking on booze cuz the price of drinks are so high, hogging the chairs by the pool, maybe our cruise experience will be improved by weeding you out....yeah....thats why the cruise industry is doing this. They are solving all their problems with one action. Oh and they found that you are the one's that stiff your wait staff and housekeeping... :)

[joramrose]

By the way, next time you board a plane enroute to your cruise embarkation point, check out what every other passenger is paying for his flight.

You'd be surprised at the many many variations.

I booked round trip to London two-three years ago very early and was assured if there was price break, I would be reimbursed. There was, and they sent me a voucher for the difference.

The only problem. I had to have extensive surgery shortly after I got back and could not go anywhere for a while. Then when I attempted to use my voucher, "so sorry, no long valid."

Made a believer out of me. I don't book that early any more. I just watch for deals. And I lost my loyalty to that airline.

We consumers DO have a choice!

love
joan

[bob278]

There are some interesting views here and I want to add mine. I don't really care if I have the [b]"best"[/b] price on the ship. What Joe Schmoe paid for his cabin just like mine has nothing at all to do with me. If he paid less, good for him

I do enough research to determine what seems like a good price to me and then that's my target. If I don't get it, I probably don't go. If I beat it, wonderful. Because my wife and I like cabins that are both in short supply and popular, if we aren't on the internet or phone to the cruise lines within hours of that cruise going public, we are out of luck. Our TA knows well in advance what our parameters for a particular "season" are. We'll tell her that we want a particular ship and a range of dates (or sometimes only one) and she knows shortly before they go public and gets us what we want. Within reason, that ranks ahead of price, and she has not been that much higher than the lowest we see to make it an issue for us ( and is frequently at or below all but the most unusual offers). Kathleen is correct that the lowest price is not always the best price in a given situation. So, while we do a lot of the research, our TA does add value. The combination works well for us.

My concern with this new policy is, with the cruise line setting the only price that is out there, I'll have no way to determine if it is, indeed, fair. That's where I part ways with Kathleen. I don't necessarily trust the companies to pass the savings to the consumer and have no way under the new rules to know if I am being treated fairly. Being treated like everyone else and getting scr**ed over is not really "fair". I'd rather make the fairness determination myself.

I am looking forward with interest to see how this plays out. In the meantime, I am glad that we have 3 of the next four cruises we want to take already booked with prices that are "fair" by MY definition, not someone else's.

Just one more opinion of many that are out there.

Bob

[TWOFERTWO]

[B]Kathleen P.[/B][QUOTE]And how do you know you are paying less...less than what or whom, you really do not know.[/QUOTE] I know I have been paying less than what Celebrity charges to book through them! :eek:

The new policy takes that away from me. I'm not looking for the lowest price! I have found an on-line TA that gives us a price we are happy to pay!

Why has this thread gotten off the topic? Bringing in 'the kitchen sink',(Saturan cars, etc.) as an comparison, is not of help to me.

[Kathleen P.]

[quote name='TWOFERTWO'][B]Kathleen P.[/B] I know I have been paying less than what Celebrity charges to book through them! :eek:[/QUOTE]
For what category and how much are you saving?? I am not asking how much you paid, that is not my business, but how much did you keep in your pocket?

Maybe you are a senior and you get a discount that way, which is below rack rate.

[kkorman]

[quote name='Kathleen P.']What makes you think you ARE getting the best price? Based on What? You can "shop" different cruise lines much as you shop for a car or a cable TV provider, or credit card.
[/QUOTE]

This is the problem with cruise industry. THere realy is not a ton of competition. If RCI and Carnival both adopt this system... which seems to be the case and the suggested price fixing inded raises prices to people who search for them, there is only NCL and the luxury lines left to choose from. When 85% of the cruise industry is owned by 2 companies, nothing good can come about. I truly hope the arrogance the cruise lines have had in their statement (let someone try and stop this, etc.) comes back to bite them in the a**.

I for one have e-mailed the FTC with a complaint, and just finished writing a letter to RCI (and sent copies to Carnival and NCL) saying that I will choose cruise lines that do not adopt this new price fixing scam. Having 9 cruises taken or planned in 2004 alone, I hope that they realize they will be losing a valued customer.

[FreesiaE]

Just because we some of us want to pay less than retail does not make us bad people. I wait at the buffet line, I overtip the staff, I am last out of a tender boat, I always say "please and thank you". Money does not equal class. My husband and I work very hard to go on our very few vacations. However we own a home, cars, and choose not to live in debt. Some of us scrimp and save for our vacations and would rather not be forced into lessening our vacations. If the time came that I could not pay for my cruise vacation when I booked it, I would not go.

[marienbad]

let's say that the cruiseline sets a fixed price, and 59 days before sailing the ship is 50% full. What do you think will happen to the price? Will those who booked at the higher price get a rebate?