You all know the feeling, you've just got back from the travel agents with a brochure, you've spent hours pouring over it looking for your perfect cruise. You find the cruise, you check the dates with work and it's all OK to book. You ring your favourite cruise travel agent, (us hopefully), only to be told that price isn't valid anymore.
Well that's not fair, you can see the price printed there in black and white.
Is it all a massive conspiracy to get extra money from you?
Is your travel agent to blame?
The cruise line?
None of the above actually, (well not totally; see below to see why).
Cruise holidays aren't like normal holiday, (well we all know that, that's why we book them), a ship is a limited environment with a set amount of cabins available. When a cruise line, or a travel agent, publishes a brochure, or even an advertising leaflet, the prices are always based on the lowest price available at the time IE the lowest grade cabin. Once those cabins are sold however, (and bear in mind there may only be a handful of cabins available at that price), we, as travel agents, have no choice but to offer the next, cheapest, grade available - Even if that price is different to the brochure price you had seen advertised. It isn't the case of anyone trying to sneakily put the price up, it's just a matter of cabin availability.
However, just to confuse matters slightly a lot of cruise lines operate what is known as fluid pricing. In a nut shell this means that if a cruise is looking like it may sail half empty, the cruise lines will drop the price, but if it's selling really well it's not unknown for them to put the price up, and that can happen at anytime!
As dedicated cruise specialists we do our best not to let this affect your holiday plans but sometimes it's just out of our hands.
My best advice is just to speak to someone before making too many plans and always remember all prices are only valid whilst you're on the phone.
Has this ever happened to any of my readers? Did it massively affect your cruise holiday plans or did you just take it as part and parcel of booking a cruise holiday? Let me know back here.
Happy Cruising
When I book early I accept that the price may change. However we have booked with Oceania and if you want a particular cruise and specific type of cabin you need to book early. It's rare for Oceania to drop their prices late in the day I've noticed. They seem to book up quickly.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just cruise holidays James. Happens all the time with all the travel agents. The prices online change virtually every day. Depends on the demand I was told, the more people that book, the higher the prices go!
We booked a holiday to Rhodes with Thomas Cook in September when there was very little discounts on offer. We book early because we know the flights and rooms at the hotel we want are limited. The holiday is now £150 dearer. You book at the price you are happy with and if it changes well it's the luck of the draw. I don't blame the people I book with.