Money-Saving Tips & Tricks the Cruise Lines DON T Want You to Know

Transcription

1 Money-Saving Tips & Tricks the Cruise Lines DON T Want You to Know Sue Bradley, Cruise Specialist Sue@CruiseWithALocal.com Enjoy Every Port Like a Local

2 Welcome From the Author As a travel agent, I ve noticed that there are a lot of common misconceptions about buying cruises. As a result, many cruisers end up paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than they should. The most common misconception is that you ll get the best deal if you book directly with the cruise line (this is NOT true!). That s why I put together Money-Saving Tips & Tricks the Cruise Lines DON T Want You to Know to pass along simple tips that will save you money if you normally book directly with Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity, or Royal Caribbean. If you re planning a cruise, please give me a shout so I can help. I ll help you find the cruise you re looking for at the best possible price, and provide outstanding customer service. It s easy to reach me by (Sue@CruiseWithALocal.com) or on my toll-free number: If you recently booked a cruise directly through one of the cruise lines, it may not be too late to rectify the situation. Give me a call to see if I can transfer your booking to my travel agency (each cruise line has different rules about this). If we are able to transfer your booking, I will give you an extra $50 on-board credit to use on your cruise and I may also be able to get you a better price! I m on YOUR side. I get a lot of satisfaction from helping my clients plan unforgettable cruise vacations that fit within their budgets. Let s get started you ll be amazed at how much money you can save! Sue Bradley Enjoy Every Port Like a Local 2

3 Introduction You WON T find the best deal by booking directly with the cruise line. I know this is hard to believe. These days, you can save a bundle on almost any product or service if you re willing to invest time and effort to cut out the middleman. Cruises are different. The cruise lines WANT you to use a travel agent. (The one big exception is Carnival. Carnival works differently with travel agents, and their prices are already extremely low. If you normally cruise with Carnival, I cannot help you get a better deal. You re best to book directly with them. You could also take a look at a low cost consolidator like VacationsToGo.com but be really careful about any restrictions or fine print associated with their offers). Why do the cruise lines (except Carnival) want you to use a travel agent? It s because cruise lines don t make their money by selling cabins. That s why cruises are relatively inexpensive. When you purchase a cabin on a cruise, this is a loss leader for the cruise line. That s right, they don t make any money from the cruise itself. They make all their money from the things you buy once you re on board. Think about all the money you spent on your last cruise. those drinks, shore excursions, art, jewelry, and photographs really add up! Many cruisers find that their final bill on the last day of the cruise is more than the cost of the cruise itself. Booking cabins is an inconvenience for the cruise lines. They know they re going to get you on board one way or the other, where you ll open your wallet for them. Of course, if you insist on phoning them, they ll happily take your booking. But even if you phone them, they make it clear that they would rather you use a travel agent. The other day I phoned Royal Caribbean to make a change to a client booking. Here s what the recorded message said while I was on hold, waiting to speak with a customer service agent: Royal Caribbean recommends the use of travel agents. (Not convinced? Call them and see for yourself. The phone number is ). To give you an incentive to use a travel agent, the cruise lines have prices and perks that are ONLY available through travel agents. 3

4 Here s a typical example of pricing you can get through a travel agent compared to booking directly through the cruise line: Ship: Oasis of the Seas Itinerary: Western Caribbean (7 nights) Departure: April 11, 2015 Stateroom Category: D1 Passengers: 2 Adults + 2 Kids The retail price for this cruise on Royal Caribbean website was USD $4441 before taxes and port fees. My clients paid just $ They saved $ simply by booking with me rather than through the cruise line. This guide shows you how to save you money and get extra perks that you ll miss out on if you book directly with Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity, or Royal Caribbean. 4

5 Tip #1: Keep Shopping Even After You Pay Your Deposit Here s another common mistake often made by cruisers once they ve found the best possible deal, they book their cruise and then stop shopping around. You should ALWAYS keep looking at cruise fare prices, right up until the sail date. Why? Because the cruise lines constantly raise and lower cruise prices in response to supply and demand, just as airline and hotel rates vary from day to day. The very last thing the cruise line wants is a ship sailing with unsold rooms. If a ship has an unacceptably large number of unsold rooms, the cruise line will lower the fare to attract more customers. If your cruise drops in price after you book it, but before you make your final payment, you are entitled to that lower fare and can have your cruise re-booked or adjusted to the lower rate. You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars! If you re not monitoring your cruise, chances are that you re missing out on significant savings. Here's the catch... It's up to YOU to monitor fares and call the cruise line when the price drops, so they can adjust your booking. Many cruisers are simply not aware of this policy. Even when they know about it, they assume that their travel agent or cruise line is automatically taking care of it (NOT true). As a result, some cruisers end up paying far more than others for exactly the same stateroom. That's not fair! It's time-consuming to do it yourself - you'd have to constantly scan the major travel websites, cruise booking agencies, and even individual cruise line websites for prices changes. Another complication is that the price adjustments apply only to specific cabin categories, which makes the job even more difficult and time-consuming. Also, the price changes are sometimes only available for a few hours for example, the price for a specific cabin category might drop by $50 for 3 hours, then go back up to the original price later that same day. If you were monitoring cruise fares once a day, you would never even know that the lower price had been available. Good travel agents will keep an eye on cruise fares for you, and adjust your fare when prices drop. In fact, that s what can lead to the misconception that all travel agents do this. 5

6 Most travel agents want a good relationship with their clients, and will do what s best for you. They know that if they proactively find you a better deal and lower your fare, then you ll be a very happy customer and happy customers become repeat customers. However, keep in mind that there s no incentive for your travel agent to watch fares for you because their commission drops if you end up paying a lower price for your cruise. Also, keep in mind that travel agents (especially good ones) are extremely busy, and dealing with dozens of travellers. It s not realistic to expect that they can be aware of every price reduction that s available for each one of their clients. In fact, it s not just unrealistic of you to expect it - it s virtually impossible for them to do so. I have a secret weapon that I use to help you! When you book your cruise through me, I track your fare using an automated method. I m notified by as soon as prices drop, and immediately phone the cruise line to get you re-booked at the lower rate. This is definitely not something the cruise line will do for you, and I don t know of another travel agent who does it either. I love delivering news to clients that their price has gone down! You don t have to do a thing, except figure out what you ll do with the money you saved. 6

7 Tip #2: Cruise in a Group (Even If You re Travelling Alone) Group bookings are highly prized by the cruise lines and groups are lavishly rewarded with extra perks. For example, if you book 8 cabins then the 9 th cabin is absolutely free. Everybody in the group will also get additional perks like cabin upgrades, on-board credits, casino vouchers, bottles of wine, and so on. If you re travelling with a large group, make sure to tell me (your travel advisor) so I can arrange all the perks that you re entitled to. Even if you re travelling alone, you can still benefit from group programs. Here s an example of a cruise with great benefits if you book into a group: Ship: Norwegian Dawn Itinerary: Bermuda (7 nights) Departure: May 15, 2015 This is the annual Harvey Robbins Doo Wop Cruise" that s been going out of Boston every year in May for the last 15 years. Passengers enjoy performances by recording greats from the 50's and 60's such as Tony Funches (former lead singer of Herb Reeds Platters), Billy David (lead guitarist for Jackie Wilson), Randy & the Rainbows (top hit "Denise"), and many others. If you book into a group on this cruise through a travel agency, you ll also get (at no additional charge): $50 On-Board Credit Exclusive VIP Seating Private Cocktail Reception Classic 50's & 60's Dance Party Q&A with the Artists Exclusive photos and autograph sessions These are bonuses you wouldn t get if you booked on your own! To benefit from group programs, you MUST work with a travel agent (you cannot book directly with the cruise line). Here s how it works.. Travel agents can combine cabins to form a group, even if the cruisers don t know each other and aren t travelling together. Furthermore, travel agencies work 7

8 together as a consortium, and the group benefits are available to any agent within that consortium. My agency, Mason Horvath Travel, is a member of a huge consortium called Virtuoso ( We book group space on many cruises well ahead of the sail date, and so we re able to lock in fares at a rate that s accessible to me even if prices have since risen. Also, because of Virtuoso s special relationship with the cruise lines, I have access to exclusive perks for many different sailings. These are perks you will NOT be able to get anywhere else. For example, I can get you Specialty Dining for Two (Value $60) if you book a balcony cabin on ANY Royal Caribbean sailing that s 7 days or longer. If you book a mini-suite or higher, you get the Specialty Dining PLUS a Spa Treatment (Total Value $150). Just to be clear, that s in addition to any other perks you are offered, like on-board credits. On many luxury cruises, I can get you exclusive Voyager Club benefits that are not available to everyone on board, only to guests who booked through a Virtuoso agent. These benefits include: A personal host on board to assist you. A welcome cocktail reception A free full-day excursion in one of the ports of call (these are very special excursions that are designed to provide an authentic and memorable experience, and are not available at any cost elsewhere - either on the ship or off the ship. For example, it might include an after-hours visit to a 8

9 famous art gallery where you have dinner and a concert surrounded by beautiful art). The first thing I do when a client enquires about a cruise is to check for Virtuoso amenities on that sailing. In many cases I can get you special pricing and/or extra perks by booking you into a group. 9

10 Tip #3: Protect Yourself WITHOUT Buying Cruise Line Insurance Your cruise vacation is a significant investment, and is often planned months or years ahead of the sailing date. There s no risk when you make the initial booking, because you pay only a small deposit (usually $500 or less) to reserve your cabin. The deposit is fully refundable if you change your mind before the final payment is due (60-75 days before departure). However, once you make the final payment, you re committed. If you get ill, miss the ship due to a travel delay, or aren t able to take the cruise for some other reason, you won t get your payment refunded. Your cruise line will offer you insurance that may cover you in some of these situations. Don t automatically buy this insurance! I agree that you do want to protect your investment. However, you have a much better option to protect yourself, while paying a significantly lower premium. The insurance program I recommend covers you if you have to cancel your trip - you'll get all of your money back. (What the cruise lines won't tell you is that their insurance covers you if you have to cancel your trip BUT in many cases you'll get the money in the form of a future cruise credit NOT cash. Or, you ll get back 75% rather than 100%). It ALSO protects you on the medical side, which is even more important. Most cruisers don t realize that medical services on board the ship are NOT free, and you ll pay a doctor around $100 per hour. If you have to stay overnight in the infirmary it can cost you thousands of dollars. Even worse, if a helicopter has to come to the cruise ship and fly you to a hospital (this happens quite a bit), it can cost $50,000 - $100,000 or even more. A medical emergency can be financially devastating. Insurance give you peace of mind. 10

11 With the insurance program I recommend, each person in your party gets $10,000 for emergency medical or dental expenses, and up to half a million dollars for emergency medical transportation. Everyone pays the same low premium, even if you re elderly or have pre-existing medical conditions. When you book your cruise with me, I ll often recommend this superior insurance package. I want you to know ALL your options. 11

12 Tip #4: Explore Ports on Your Own or Take Independent Shore Excursions As a cruiser, you re excited about the ports of call you ll be visiting. Often this is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit these specific ports, so you want to make the most of every minute. The cruise lines want to help you enjoy the ports, and they make this easy for you by offering multiple shore excursions to choose from. Although they are convenient, there are a number of problems with cruise line shore excursions. When you participate in these tours: You ll see only the most touristy attractions (because this is what appeals to the majority of people) You ll pay more money (they re often over-priced for what you get) You ll be part of a very large group (often 80-passenger tour buses) You ll be following someone else s schedule (so you ll end up waiting for other passengers, and there s no flexibility to spend longer at one place rather than another) You risk last-minute cancellations (these tours are often cancelled when a minimum number of people don t register, so you end up scrambling a the last minute to find another tour that isn t already sold out. You won t find out till the last minute that s why you ll see long lineups at the shore excursions desk on the first day when you board the ship) The cruise lines do a very good job of entertaining large numbers of people. If you are happy to be part of a larger group and see fairly touristy attractions, then this may be a good option for you. However, you don t have to do things that way. Most cruisers aren t even aware that there are other options. They get most of their port information from their cruise line, which has absolutely no incentive to let you know about other options. In fact, quite the opposite the cruise lines have an incentive to keep you in the dark so they can promote their own excursions, and you ll think these are your only choices. In reality, you have two big alternative options for exploring ports of call: 1. Explore on your own (a good option if you don t mind researching the port ahead of time in fact this research actually enhances the cruise experience for many people) 2. Take an independent shore excursion. You can arrange shore excursions directly with the companies who offer them, or through 3 rd party companies who arrange the excursions. 12

13 The cruise lines have done a good job of scaring people into believing that you are at risk if you take an independent tour, and that there s a good likelihood that you could miss your ship. However: Independent tour operators rely on cruise business for their livelihood. They are well aware of the time their passengers need to be back on the ship, and take precautions to ensure this happens. Many independent tour operators have return-to-ship guarantees just like the cruise lines. There are many advantages of taking independent shore excursions: You ll have more interesting options You ll know exactly what to expect The tour will go ahead as planned, even if you re the only one registered You ll escape the crowds with smaller, more personal group sizes. Smaller group size also eliminates the aggravation of waiting for others, which can take away from your own pleasure You ll have more control over the experience You ll create a memory, because you re connected to a true cultural experience More and more cruisers are choosing NOT to book tours with their cruise ship, and to arrange shore excursions on their own instead (or explore independently). One of the independent shore excursion providers that I recommend is Shore Trips ( ShoreTrips tours are as small and private as possible, while being affordable for travellers. In Europe, for example, cruisers have their choice of three tour sizes: Private/Deluxe Tours your own driver and guide for the day Premium Shared Tours maximum 8 passengers Value Shared Tours maximum 12, 16, or 24 passengers Barry and Julie Karp, owners of ShoreTrips, go to great lengths to ensure that you ll have a worry-free day when you choose one of their tours. There is always some leeway in the itinerary to make sure that your return to ship is not compromised. Also, every tour operator selected to work with ShoreTrips must have contacts, communication, back-ups, and redundancy built into their systems. Julie and Barry move more than 300,000 people per year and have NEVER left anybody behind! Shore Excursions Group is another reliable source of independent tours:

14 No matter which company you choose, here are some tips for a successful experience with independent shore excursion providers: Read reviews from other travellers before you book Read the details provided by the tour company, like what to bring, what to wear, what to expect, difficulty level etc. If requested, remember to print out the travel voucher and bring it with you to the tour Print out contact details for the tour company, in case you have difficulty connecting with your tour Bring your cell phone ashore and make sure the tour operator has the number Confirm the tour a week or two before your departure (especially the meeting place and time) 14

15 Planning a Cruise? Let me help! You ll get the price and perks you deserve, and you ll get outstanding customer service. Get in touch today Sue Bradley, Cruise Specialist Sue@CruiseWithALocal.com Enjoy Every Port Like a Local