Do you tell other passengers what you paid?

[toledo_cruiser]

On our last cruise DW and I met a very nice couple from Virginia. This was their first cruise and they were gushing about what a great deal they had gotten (family reunion) and how they had to scrimp to pull it together. They had paid more for an inside cabin than we did for our balcony.:( They were having such a good time we didn't want to put a damper on their vacation. We didn't think it was proper to tell them they had gotten hosed by their TA.

 

I've no doubt that there are folks who got better deals than we did, folks who know how to work the system to the max. But do you give advice to folks like the Virginia couple? Do you let them know (in a nice way) that they could have saved mucho dinero by doing a little research?

 

I had never had anyone else tell me what they paid before. With all the TAs and discounted rates, PVPs, military rates, etc., probably no two people pay the same thing. I wouldn't think to ask anyone else since it's a personal thing, but the other couple volunteered the information.

 

Jim and Ronda

[RoofingPrincess]

Nope.

Money is like politics -- a subject sure to start a discussion that can quickly turn unpleasant.

[Toyz711]

nver, ever, ever....

always there is someone who paid less and someone who paid more...and i don't care what they paid, they don't need to know what i paid.

plus, most of my trips were free...sales incentives...no one needed to know that either.

(i don't tell my co-workers my salary either)

[Spikesgirl]

If someone volunteers the info, that's fine, but I would never share that sort of info with strangers (or even some of our friends who, already think we cruise a bit too much). It's really a personal thing and what we choose to spend is our business. Sounds like those folks need a new TA though!

[Presentation]

I tell them the same answer I give people when they ask how much money it takes to fuel up our boat. “About a hundred dollar” (reference rain man)

[Bruin Steve]

It's a tough thing to discuss since you'll likely come across looking either stupid and naive...or smug and condescending...or tacky and classless...

 

But, under the right circumstances, I think it can be discussed--if the other side really wants to know--or is looking for advice or pointers...

 

Face it, it's not only the factors you stated, bnut the timing of the booking...cruise fares fluctuate with the market as well...

 

In the circumstances you gave, I would shy away from telling these folks the exact numbers...or from insinuating that they "got hosed"...People really don't want to find out that they paid $1200 pp for an inside cabin while you are in the balcony across the hall from them for $1000 pp...Even though it may be valuable info for them for future cruises, it may just ruin the one they're on...

 

But, if someone wants to talk about booking or cruise deals in general, it's probably fair game to clue them into the notion that there are TAs that offer discounts or incentives...or that they can watch the fares fluctuate and renegotiate the lower rate...or that they might find lower rates for next time by booking early...or that they can get an extra incentive booking while on a cruise...

 

On one of my earliest (maybe second or third) cruises, we had tablemates who made it a point to tell us what they paid--and it was lower than we had paid and it was for a higher category cabin...I stewed about it the rest of the cruise...but, for my next cruise, I went out and found a new and better TA...So, in a way, even though it caused me some anger at that time, I have been much happier on the 20-odd subsequent cruises...

[GottaLuvCruising]

Do you tell other passengers what you paid?

 

No. Guests would have to be pretty "rough around the edges" to bring it up so I'd find a polite way to disengage from the conversation.

[ondeckatsea]

We keep our mouths shut. If we paid more, we feel cheated and if less, then the asker feels gyped. Why spoil things.

[iheartbda]

In all the cruisies we have taken, the subject has never come up with anyone we've met.:)

 

As far as wondering if the OP should have given the Va. couple some advice, I say no. They were happy with what they paid and even if it was just mentioned that maybe they could have gotten a better deal somehow, it could have spoiled some of their joy.

 

Before I knew about CC, I had no idea that we could get an adjustment if the fare went down after we booked. I imagine we could have saved quite a bit of money over the years but we were happy with the booked price. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss.:D

[cb at sea]

Not everyone checks the prices daily! Some folks book because they are happy with the rate, and that's that!

Just like on airplanes, you don't ask the other passengers how much THEY paid. Everyone pays something different! It's possible that they didn't use a TA and had no special discounts avail. to them. Who knows, and really, who cares!

[kornkob]

Like almost every topic it kinda depends on how it comes up and how it is handled.

 

When someone is trying to learn how to shop better for next time it can be very cool to tell them how much you paid and how you negotiated that rate and where they can go to learn more.

 

Gonna play 'one upmanship' with it? That's going to spoil a good time in a hurry.

 

On the other hand, if you are not sure how the whole conversation is going to go there's an easy way out "I dunno-- booked it so long ago I don't really recall what I paid. Now, who needs a drink?".

[WeBeGone]

Nope - that falls in the same category as politics and religion.

[momofmeg]

I did it ONCE and realized it was a BIG mistake. This was on Carnival Inspiration back when it still did 7 day cruises. We had an oceanview cabin on deck 6 and we booked right after a sale about 3 months before the cruise.

 

 

I was talking to a gal in the photo gallery who was bragging that she had done well when she had booked her cruise. She had an inside cabin on deck 5 and she had paid $600 per person. I told her we paid $495 a person for an oceanview on deck 6. Whoah......... was she MAD!

 

"WHEN did you book?" and when I said only 3 months before, she was REALLY mad as she had booked a year in advance. I tired to explain to her that we had booked on a sale, and she kept saying she should have been bumped up and what agency did I use etc. etc.

 

LOL! I said NEVER again. Just because we had looked for a sale and then took advantage on the pricing. Oh well, live and learn. That was 6 or 7 years ago.

[martinchem]

What is DW, Divorced Wife?

[sail7seas]

We never get into conversations about what someone paid or what we paid for our cruise. Never........

 

[sail7seas]

What is DW, Divorced Wife?

 

DW is a common internet abbreviation for dear wife.

DH = Dear Husband

DD = Dear Daughter

etc

 

LOL = Laughing out Loud

ROFLMAO = Rolling on floor laughing me a$$ off

IMO = In my opionion

 

There are many, many such abbreviations.

[iheartbda]

What is DW, Divorced Wife?

 

My DH thinks it's Dear Wench.:p

[toledo_cruiser]

It's a tough thing to discuss since you'll likely come across looking either stupid and naive...or smug and condescending...or tacky and classless...

...

That's what I was afraid of, tacky and classless, and making them feel stupid and naive.

Face it, it's not only the factors you stated, but the timing of the booking...cruise fares fluctuate with the market as well...

In the circumstances you gave, I would shy away from telling these folks the exact numbers...or from insinuating that they "got hosed"...People really don't want to find out that they paid $1200 pp for an inside cabin while you are in the balcony across the hall from them for $1000 pp...Even though it may be valuable info for them for future cruises, it may just ruin the one they're on...

...

That's how we felt. Their TA turned out to be a family member.

But, if someone wants to talk about booking or cruise deals in general, it's probably fair game to clue them into the notion that there are TAs that offer discounts or incentives...or that they can watch the fares fluctuate and renegotiate the lower rate...or that they might find lower rates for next time by booking early...or that they can get an extra incentive booking while on a cruise...

...

We're slowly learning the ropes ourselves. Our sister-in-law booked our first two cruises did us no favors. On our third cruise we went through a TA who "failed" to upgrade us to the OV cabin we paid for. Then promptly went out of business. So much to learn, so little money.

[toledo_cruiser]

In all the cruisies we have taken, the subject has never come up with anyone we've met.:)

 

As far as wondering if the OP should have given the Va. couple some advice, I say no. They were happy with what they paid and even if it was just mentioned that maybe they could have gotten a better deal somehow, it could have spoiled some of their joy.

 

Before I knew about CC, I had no idea that we could get an adjustment if the fare went down after we booked. I imagine we could have saved quite a bit of money over the years but we were happy with the booked price. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss.:D

 

Just learned about the price reduction procedure last month. Funny, my TA never mentioned it. :) I'm spending hours each day on this board! Wish I had discovered it three years ago.

[paul929207]

In sixteen cruises, the subject of what people paid has never come up when talking with other passengers.

 

I do sometimes ask how someone booked & if it is thru an online TA, I ask the name. I do this to get more sites to check for future cruises.

[hancock]

With the OP's original premise, I would have recommended the CruiseCritic website as a source of fantastic cruise information for future use. I wouldn't have told them how much/little I paid for the cruise.

 

Hancock

[AllieInMD]

If asked I would just suggest to them that they come to cruisecritic because there is just sooo much to learn here - no matter how many times you've cruised ;)

 

 

On our last cruise DW and I met a very nice couple from Virginia. This was their first cruise and they were gushing about what a great deal they had gotten (family reunion) and how they had to scrimp to pull it together. They had paid more for an inside cabin than we did for our balcony.:( They were having such a good time we didn't want to put a damper on their vacation. We didn't think it was proper to tell them they had gotten hosed by their TA.

 

I've no doubt that there are folks who got better deals than we did, folks who know how to work the system to the max. But do you give advice to folks like the Virginia couple? Do you let them know (in a nice way) that they could have saved mucho dinero by doing a little research?

 

I had never had anyone else tell me what they paid before. With all the TAs and discounted rates, PVPs, military rates, etc., probably no two people pay the same thing. I wouldn't think to ask anyone else since it's a personal thing, but the other couple volunteered the information.

 

Jim and Ronda

[lvtotrvl1]

There are so many different variables when it comes to pricing....sr rates,mil rates,residence rates, special promos, free upgrades, and the big one....when you booked....If you asked 50 people that had the same category etc, you would probably get 50 different prices.....to compare, you really have to compare apples to apples....

[pbxtech]

Usually not because cruise is already paid for so it is just time to enjoy the cruise

[Treven]

Not everyone checks the prices daily! Some folks book because they are happy with the rate, and that's that!

Just like on airplanes, you don't ask the other passengers how much THEY paid. Everyone pays something different! It's possible that they didn't use a TA and had no special discounts avail. to them. Who knows, and really, who cares!

I've never checked the cost of my cruises, after making my reservation and begun paying it off. It might have gone up, it might have gone down;

oh well... The cruiseline(s) have never asked me to pay more because the cost had gone up since making my reservation.