Topic: Cruise bible says lines are sinners reports Travel Trade Gazzette

This is a copy of an article from our weekly Travel Agents magazine which I thought that you may all finding interesting. We have been giving away the Berlitz Guide to Cruising for 3 years to anyone writes a review and also you can read it for free on cruise.co.uk.

Looks like TTG have had an early copy of the new Berlitz Guide. How true are the findings of Douglas Ward or are they just another persons opinion?

Cruise bible’ says lines are sinners
Friday, September 10, 2010
Cruise lines have defended claims from a self-proclaimed “cruise bible” that passengers are being “ripped off” as operators seek to boost
revenue during the downturn.

The Berlitz Guide to Cruising 2011, out in October, warns readers of schemes that it claims cruise lines use to extract extra revenue from customers.

Author Douglas Ward lists “six of the best cruise line rip-offs” and claims Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and NCL are known for charging extra.

Alleged “rip-offs” are “extra gratuities” charged by lines including Celebrity Cruises, which is said to charge $4.50 plus an extra 15% for a bottle of water. Other lines are said to have added gratuities to items such as spa treatments and bar charges, despite a 15% gratuity having already been added.

The cost of airport transfer buses in ports such as Athens, Barcelona and Rome is labelled as “unacceptably high”, and Royal Caribbean’s
Independence of the Seas is featured for charging up to $6 one way for a shuttle bus.

Access to bridge tours run by lines such as Princess Cruises was attacked for having “sky high” costs, according to Ward, who also
criticised the cost of bingo cards offered by lines including NCL for “rising dramatically”.

In response, all the lines said their charges were reasonable and in line with industry practice (see below).

However, Ward said: “I get 3,000 letters and emails a year from passengers, and a lot of them are unhappy about being ripped off.

“Cruise lines are facing economic challenges, and are always looking for extra ways of making money, but hopefully if they can see a trend in the complaints, they will modify things.”

He added that currency conversion was used by lines to boost revenue, with the bill for the onboard account sometimes recalculated by the cruise lines into a price that is higher than the rate quoted by banks or credit card companies.

Princess Cruises on ship tours

Princess Cruises was criticised for charging $150 to enter a raffle for an “Ultimate Ship Tour” taking in the bridge and “backstage” areas. Princess said that passenger demand showed a willingness to pay that amount for the three-hour tour. “We feel the cost reflects the length, exclusivity and extent of the tour,” the line added.

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity on shuttle/drinks

Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas was featured for charging up to $6 one way for the shuttle bus in some ports on its ex-UK western Mediterranean cruises. Celebrity Cruises took flak for charging $4.50 plus 15% gratuity on its mineral bottle water for shore excursions.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity said: “We review our pricing regularly and are confident it is in line with land-based and cruise businesses operating within our same market conditions.”

NCL on bingo cards

NLC was criticised for charging $40 for a block of four cards in a game of Bingo. The line insisted $40 was the standard price for bingo cards and that it was in line with other cruise lines.

Any other "rip-offs" or are they only a rip off if you want them to be - what alternatives can you find?

If cursing was a compete ‘rip-off’ we would not all keep going, would we?;) However I think most of us agree that the fact that cruise lines have a captive audience, allows them to charge inflated prices for some services.

The over-priced excursions springs immediately to my mind. Somme ports can be quite isolated and older passengers may lack the information and confidence to ‘do their own thing’ so are obliged to take an over-priced tour or stay onboard.

I recall a few years ago, Fred Olsen used to employ an elderly gentleman who used to do regular pre-port talks onboard Olsen ships. He told you about the excursions but also told you how to avoid them and do your own thing. Can you imagine that happening on a US ship – they would keel-haul him on day one.

Onboard US ships, a ‘port talk’ is just an excursion sales talk. They even tell you where to shop with their 'shopping talks. What's the betting they own the shops or at least get a commission on all sales?

I'm still laughing at the fact that some people are willing to PAY $4.50 + 15% gratuity for a bottle of water when they go ashore. I usually shout out 'They do sell bottles of water in these countries, you know' as people queue up to buy bottles in such third world ports as Barcelona, Piraeus, Naples and so on. Prices ashore are often as high as 50c a bottle!

QUOTE:

If cursing was a compete ‘rip-off’ we would not all keep going, would we?;) However I think most of us agree that the fact that cruise lines have a captive audience, allows them to charge inflated prices for some services.

The over-priced excursions springs immediately to my mind. Somme ports can be quite isolated and older passengers may lack the information and confidence to ‘do their own thing’ so are obliged to take an over-priced tour or stay onboard.

I recall a few years ago, Fred Olsen used to employ an elderly gentleman who used to do regular pre-port talks onboard Olsen ships. He told you about the excursions but also told you how to avoid them and do your own thing. Can you imagine that happening on a US ship – they would keel-haul him on day one.

Onboard US ships, a ‘port talk’ is just an excursion sales talk. They even tell you where to shop with their 'shopping talks. What's the betting they own the shops or at least get a commission on all sales?

That same old gentleman on Fred. Olsen's "Black Prince" didn't like being asked about the best beaches in ports of call. He used to say that cruising was for sight-seeing not lying on the beach. I know a few who wouldn't like that too.

Wouldn't it be much better to charge 'proper' prices for the actual cruise thus negating the need for exorbitant charges for all the 'extras' which used to be 'included'?

H

QUOTE:

If cursing was a compete ‘rip-off’ we would not all keep going, would we?;)?

What the blankety blank are you ********ing well talking about Malcolm?:D:D, ....Neil

.
It surprises me that people will pay that amount of money for bottled water, we just take two bottles on board and keep refilling the bottles in the buffet. alternately boil a kettle if you are fortunate enough to have one in your cabin, and let it go cold and bottle that.

What would our parents think if they knew we were buying water in bottles anyway.

Shore excusions have always been a rip off in my opinion the same as photograph'.

I don't see that the article really brought much to the attention of cruisers that we didn't really, in our heart of hearts, already know.

In fact, I would say that many people here are already aware, and have our ways of working round them.

I suppose it does highlight some practices to a wider audience though, and if some cruisers manage to avoid them then all the better. I do agree that I woudl sooner pay a little more for a cruise and not have to work round hidden extras...


Oh,. and Neil

QUOTE:

What the blankety blank are you ********ing well talking about Malcolm?:D:D, ....Neil

I missed that one - excellent :D

QUOTE:

I missed that one - excellent :D

Me too! ;-) Now I see it.

We have not done any cruises this year,done four last year but got fed up of being continually ripped off, cruise lines are going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg as folks just wont keep or cant keep on paying and paying more for the same average service in these harsh financial times.
Mr Ward has it spot on with the cruise lines he has named and I say that from experience.
This year we have quite enjoyed our land holidays knowing that we were not going to get a whopping credit card bill at the end of it. We have just done the Elvis experience ( 9 days in America inc flights ) for less than the cost of a decent 7 day cruise.
I wonder just how long it will be before the first cruise lines announce they are in trading difficulties.