NO MORE DISCOUNTING!!! What are your feelings???

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pbk917

Guest
msteimel:

I read/heard the same thing you are talking about. What had happened was that the TA booked a discounted rate for a senior citizen (some lines offer discounts) who was not really a senior citizen. In another instance the TA booked a rate for the the passenger who resided in a different state than claimed when they booked (I always get asked my state of residence when I book).
 
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littlebit

Guest
I have seen some other ways they are "compensating" for this. Example - Gift certificates for stores on land & internet (Amazon, Barnes & noble, Home Depot) I don't see much difference in prices. I am a BIG shopper when it comes to pricing cruises. So far there hasn't been much change in the prices. There is nothing we can do about it - so why bother complaining.
 
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ROSS

Guest
HI LITTLEBIT!!!

There is always something you can do about it...DON'T BOOK UNTIL THE PRICE COMES DOWN!!!

They can forget about the free cameras and citchotskies...I want the cash discount.

The agencies who are offering cash discounts can be shut off by RCI/Carnivore under the new policy.

I just got my documents for my October cruise and the docs said that the TA is strictly an agent for the consumer. This seems legally at odds with the new policy. I do not think that we have heard the last of this. It will be interesting to watch.
 
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BSeabob

Guest
yes
but only for discounts given/taken wrongly. eg. Seniors Discount given by TA and taken by Pax who are not Seniors. You pay the difference or you don't sail. You should know how old you are right?? or a Special rate offered to residents of a certain area and you can not prove residence. Know where you live?? Prove it.
 
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ptsong

Guest
Stop buying!

Sure the Cruise line wants more profit. Moneytary discount cuts into their profit while on board credit won't. Onboard credit guaranteed that you spend those monies on their over price tax free shop and overpriced land excursions. This news is not good for the customers and the only way to counter act is not to buy another cruise ticket until they drop this idea of no more direct cash discount. If everyone do that they have to yield.
 
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ROSS

Guest
HI PTSONG,

I agree that if everyone resists and also spreads the word to hold off booking a particular cruise until the price drops...then the cruise lines will get the message. The lines are banking on a lot of new business with pax who don't know any better. (There is a sucker born every minute...mentality.) If a segment of the cruise market resists booking until price reductions occur then things will change.

ROSS
 
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Brad1185

Guest
We have held off booking as well. I fact we have taken or booked 4 cruises on other lines since the end of the discounting. We would have booked those cruises on Celebrity or RCCL. I check prices daily and they have raised prices up by thousands on many of the cruises, especially to the Med and the Baltic.

Without discounts they will not get our business.

Princess was great. The elimination of discounts was a blessing, since we would never have gone. We also have HAL comming up.
 
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stevel45

Guest
Celebrity is not only disallowing travel agents from further discounting, but the price of their cruises
are going way up.
I booked a Cat FV on the Summit for Feb 2005 last Feb for $1700.00 each now the cheapest inside
cabin is $2100.00.
Celebrity is also moving the Summit, my favorite ship to Hawaii in 2006.
I have 2 cruises booked with Princess and will stay with them until Celebrity comes to their senses.
 
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daysatsea

Guest
Celebrity was way underpriced the last few years - and even though prices have gone up, they are still less percentage-wise of our income than they were when we first cruised in the early 90's.
I don't mind the prices going up - as long as they restore Celebrity to the excellence we came to expect. As the prices went lower, the quality went down - not in obvious ways but in all the incidentals that had become a signature.
 
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GregR

Guest
No edict from the cruise lines can repeal the laws of supply and demand. Just ask the airlines how well that works. Unless the cruise lines want to sail with empty cabins we will continue to see discounting. Remember that letting some cabins go at dirt cheep prices augments labor costs (with tips) and the probabilities of additional revenues (Alcohol, Bingo, Gambling, Art Sales,Duty Free Stores, Shore Excursions, etc.).
 
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ROSS

Guest
HI DAYSATSEA,

The trend is to fatten the bottom line and keep the stock going up...most of us want to shop and pay a discounted price. Incedently...since the policy went into effect...the direct bookings have risen from 18% to almost 30%. Since direct bookings offer no discount this will definitely increase the bottom line.

HI GREGR,

I agree...if they go empty the price will stabilize, however, there has been a significant increase in bookings over the past 3 months and that trend looks as though it will continue. I think this is what the lines have waited for...rising demand and rising prices.

ROSS
 
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