Caller asks Vivian, How do I know if a cruise coupon or discounted cruise package is legit ? Please, Help me get the message out to YOUR friends !

This caller, I had just met, two days prior, when she called me, asking me if I could give a free cruise away for her organization. Unfortunately, we pay the same price as you pay for the vacation and the cruise lines do not give away cruises. They do offer packages for non-profit organizations, to give-away, but that’s a story for another day.

Anyway, today she called me back, and asked me, “How do I know if a cruise coupon or discounted cruise package is legit ?”


I said, #1, If you can not buy this same package from any travel agent, or through a large cruise-only agency, such as Cruises Inc, then it’s not real. Everything, related to a cruise, can be bought through every agency out there, and if it’s a lower rate than at your local travel agency, then you need to be sure you’re with a legit Large Cruise-only agency, cause these are the only agencies that the cruise lines legally give lower rates to offer their clients.

#2, Are they telling you that you can use the package anytime within a year or 18 months ?
She said, yes.
I said, that is your “normal #1 red-flag to the consumer” … Don‘t buy !
The name of the game, is that you’re not going to buy right away. You will wait, and by the time you are ready to go, they are long gone !
I didn’t go into more details like, when you’re ready, the date you want is not available; or in reality, you will never use this, and it’s just money in their pocket !

#3, I said, did they offer, that you will go on Majestic Cruise Lines or Discovery Cruises, or something of this sort … and off brand ?

She said, she didn’t go that far to see the information.
I said, normally what they are offering. Please note, this is not a cruise. This is like a “ferry service” over to Freeport. A true-legit cruise, you spend the night on !
I said, besides, what they usually do, is after you buy, you are contacted, asking if you want to go on a Carnival cruise, or a cruise line of this nature. Then when they give you the price, it’s the same price, had you gone direct to a travel agent and bought it, without every paying down the money on the original offer.

I said, all in all, there is no, lets cut corners and it be real, when it comes to cruises (travel).

I said to her, Thank you for calling me. I started “tuning-up” and my eyes filling with tears.
I said, this is why I got in this business. This is why I am here. I am here to protect you.
I said, I just wish I could reach more people.

She sincerely said, Thank you so much, for taking this time out with me. You have helped me so much !


I got off the phone and just boo-hood.
If this woman had not chosen to trust me and called me back for advice, her organization or the winner, would have had this package in their hands.

I never got in this business to make money !
(And it's truly a good thing I didn't start this business thinking I was going to make any personal income ! First of all, the cruise line pays me nothing, if that caller doesn't buy; and very minimal if they do; I don't get paid by the hour; So, I figure I donate $10 an hour of my past saved money, back to the industry ...heheh. Yeah, that's real !) …

I got in this business to protect LYH folk … And with all the out-of-state referrals, my client base is now about 40% out of the state of Virginia.
So though I am very unhappy that I am not reaching more LYH folk, I’m so glad that my out-of-town customers are reminding their family and friends, that I’m here.

What I get out of this ... Knowing YOU are protected (and I see all the cruise discounts, so I know when to buy for myself; I do not get my cruises free).
This was not some fluke, that I got in with Cruises Inc. I choose Cruises Inc 26+ years ago, after intense study, to be sure this was the right agency in protecing my clients (I sent out 250 letters; and while they interviewed me, I intervied them). Cruises Inc's state of the art technology, which no other agency has, checks your cruise at least 4 times before each client sails, to be sure the cruise line has not messed up your booking (consumers don't realize, that every time they call the cruise line or Cruises Inc, to ask a question, thier booking is opened up by a cruise line reservation, who can easily punch the wrong button and your cruise is gone, without you knowing till time to sail). And when I first book you, we have staff who are paid to find mistakes, so they want to find mistakes; No other agency does this. And we have a customer services team, for answering my customer's generic questions, when I'm on the phone. Yeah, I made the right decision ! Cruises Inc knows this industry and how to deal with these cruise lines ... Whether it be in negotiating our clients added savings/amenities, but in dealing with the "unknown" that can come up on your reservation !


KNOW … I have only been about to reach out and help all these folks because of YOU.
(Sorry, advertising dollars, and me reaching out on my own, is too limited !)
So EVERYDAY, by YOU reminding family and friends, I am here, I can help one more person that YOU know ! YOUR continued support is needed EVERYDAY, if I am going to reach more.

THANK YOU.

Customer asks Vivian today, with Carnival Early Saver Rates, is it really good to book early ?

Click title to get Carnival Early Saver "rules".


First of all, Carnival Early Saver rates are only offered, on 7 night cruises and longer, up till 6 months prior to sailing. So if you think buying your cruise, 3 months before sailing, I’m here to tell you, that’s "too" last minute. These cruise lines want these ships full 6 months from sailing. So in essence, Carnival is punishing those, who buy later than this, with paying a higher rate. Sure, they have offers like senior rates, military rates, or past guest rates, but that’s never a guarantee. It is a mis-conception, that these cruise lines always offer senior, military, and past guest rates. You have to be standing in the right place at the right time, or shall I say, “holding your head right”.

So my answer is YES. When Carnival rates first come out, for the next season, this is the best time to buy, cause this is the lowest rates they are offering at this time. And with Carnival Early Saver Rates, Carnival claims, the rate will not get lower. But if you “see” that it does, up till 2 days prior to sailing, they will give you onboard credit, to spend as you choose onboard, for the difference in the lower rate.

So …
1) If you buy the lowest rate ever, by buying when rates first come out, then you know you have lowest rate.
2) And, if you see that rates have gone down, up till 2 days prior to sailing, you get that savings.

How, can you go wrong by buying the Carnival Early Saver rates “early”, the moment rates come out for the next season ? You can’t.

Know:
1) Just cause Carnival advertises Early Saver Rates, does “not” mean these rates won’t go up.
2) As more people buy, it drives rates “up”. The more you let everyone else buy before you, you are letting them drive “our rate up”? Why let anyone else control your savings ?

And Know … Rates from May 2013 to April 2014 should come out between 1st of April and end of April. From this above info, my question to you, when is it time to buy Carnival Early Saver rates for cruise that sail May 2013 to 2014 ?


Matter of fact, most the cruise lines will come out with their next season rate in April 2012. Note, to get the best prices, buy your next cruise, for your next season, as soon as they come out. Most often, up till final payment, if you see the cruise line offering lower rates, you can get this (except Princess and Holland America flash promos, but they usually come after final payment). It’s the onboard credit and amenity offers that you can’t have, later on, when they run a sale. But what you don’t know, your rate might have been much better than this new offer with the higher rate ! And most often, we can work on getting you into one of our group spaces for amenities, right off the bat (unless you buy Carnival Early Saver rates) !

Now is the season for Japan

I received this article today, from New York Times -

Travel. Click title to view.

Six years ago, I went to Japan, on a 19 night cruise on Princess Cruises, from Osaka, Japan, crossing the date line, then over to Seattle, Washington. It was a great adventure.

My journey began with two days in Osaka. The cab was to be $200 to my hotel, so I found that the airport had transportation, that I could purchase, for @ $16 one way. I then had to exchange American money for Japanese money. It takes a lot of money here, so I had to do this about 3 times during my stay. Once in the city of Osaka, to exchange money, you had to go into a bank. It was like going through a "loan" process, so very time consuming.

Our hotel was a Holiday Inn. The room was tiny. The bed was up against, the wall, on one side of the room. And there was a window over the bed, that when you opened it, there was a walkway outside at window level. The bathroom was a bathroom kit. We had to step at least 6 inches up, to get the ground floor of the bathroom. You had to climb into the tub/shower. Amazing. We stayed two days. Our first day, we did a lot of walking, and my feet had blisters. The next day, we took a city tour, and everyone spoke Japanese, and it included a sit on the floor lunch. I had no idea what the food was, so all I ate were two soups. I think there was two kinds of raw fish, but I wasn't about to eat it. So I was fairly starving, by the time dinner came. We walked to an Outback Restaurant. We ordered the most expensive thing, ribs, $ 10.00US. There was no salad and no potato. And by the time I was getting close to the end of my meal, I began imagining what this food "might be", and had to stop eating ! Breakfast in the hotel included hard boiled egg, sushi, etc.

The next day, we took a train ride to Kyoto (see article). You won't believe it, on the same track, same day, a train jumped rail. I had not bothered to tell my family my hotel name, or much else, so had anything happened to us, no one would have known till after our cruise would to be over.

The ship was only about 10 miles away, however, we were told it would take us at least an hour, and the cost was $ 50 US. Sure enough, that was all for real. But it felt like we went round and round in circles to take up that hour ! When we got there, there was the Worlds Fair Ferris Wheel right by the ship. Beautiful. I was surely glad to get onboard, cause of the cost to be in Osaka !

My cruise adventures included two more stops in Japan, one being Nagasaki, a stop in South Korea, and another in Russia, before getting to the US. While near North Korea, another event took place. Apparently a nuclear (?) something was set off in the water (?). I didn't learn about this till I got home, and a GF told me. She said, wow, all kinds of things happened around you while you were gone. She said, she hadn't heard so much about Japan and the area I was in, till we were gone.

Shopping was great. In Korea, I bought amethyst, and which I had bought a whole lot more, but we had about 15 minutes to shop. I did buy some Japanese shoes and two types of chop sticks.

We saw some wonderful sites. I will never forget this adventure. But like my first time to Asia, on a Royal Caribbean cruise, my idea of visiting these countries is ony by cruise ship.

Have you been to Japan. What was your experience ?

Customers ask, If I do not like dressing up, why is it that you suggest cruisers take a dress-up outfit with them anyway ?

If you don't take the dress-up outfit, you limited your choices, once there. Here's five, very reasonable and conservative reasons, for choosing to take at least one dress-up outfit on your cruise:

1) Who's to say, you may get there and just naturally, on your own, change your mind. It's something about a cruise, that often changes how you "normally do things". Here's example, but not related to dressing-up: Years ago, Carnival use to have a male night gown contest. Every time I would have a honeymoon client book, I would tell them this. I would ask the guys, if they think they would do this, and every one of them told me, no. Well, I would make it a point to call them when returning, only to find out, each and every one of those honeymoon males, did the contest.

2) You might make new friends, who love to go to dress-up night and are really hoping you will be there too. This happens all the time ... Meeting new people. And, next thing you know, you want to do everything they want to do. Or more importantly, you may decide, you don't want them leaving you out of anything or doing something you don't get to do.

3) You find out, that the meal you love most, is being served on dress-up night. All of a sudden, you don't hate dressing-up so much any more. I was once on a cruise, with a group, who thought they could get by with not dressing-up on dress-up night, and marching right into the dining room. Well, the maitre'd didn't let them in ! But they wanted that meal, so they ran to the room, and changed, very quickly and returned to the dining room, enjoying a fabulous meal and forgetting they were all dressed-up !

4) You get there and decide you want to do the dress-up thing for your spouse. Why not ! It's something about a cruise that brings a lot of romance ... You may as well not miss out on the opportunity of making your spouse feel special too !

5) Dress-up night is as great night to take long lasting memory pictures. They make great Christmas presents. You'll find that lots and lots and lots of people take pictures on dress-up night !

If I've yet to convince you, consider taking the outfit anyway ! For woman, it's just no shorts, cause a pants suite or pants and top are just fine. For men, it only means taking a coat and tie; Just plan to take it off as soon as you get inside.

10 Stunning Travel Destinations by Forbes

Click title to view article.
You'll find a great picture for each of the 10 destinations.
Only destination I have been to is Patagonia, Chile. There are a couple on his list, that are on my wish list. Several can be done by cruise ship.
How about you, which have you been to ?
Do you have any of these destinations that you dream for ?

Customers Ask, Do you watch the rates of your personal cruise, after you buy ?

Of course I do !
Though I'm terrible about "finally" finding time to get my own vacation booked, once it's booked, I watch that cruise constantly, up till I make final payment !

Who has more time to watch your cruise than you do !? Don't depend on anyone else to do this. Agents can barely find any non-phone time, to eat lunch/run to the restroom. And, it's often about, being at the right place at the right time ! Cruises can be on sale for an hour, with no advertisement ! So yes, you need to watch your cruise rate. If you don't know how to do it, ask your agent to show you how.

Then do as I tell my clients to do ... You call your agent, and you tell your agent the rate you saw. Then they can check it out, and call you back, once they have the new rate confirmed. It's as simple as that.

There are some offers, that you can not have, cause they're for new bookings only. Royal Caribbean is the worst for saying this, because, they will look to see if you cancelled and re-booked, and then you do not get the new offer. But rates, yes, you most often always get lower rates you see, just not any amenities, if it's for new bookings only. You can't have Princess/Holland America flash programs, if you already have a cruise booked, but these are often not offered till after final payment ... And, they are usually "run of ship", which most people don't want (so just cause you saw an offer, doesn't mean you would have bought it).

Just remember, if you buy last minute, and pay in full, you may as well STOP watching the rate. Cause for the most part, once you make final payment, the cruise line is not going to lower the rate, if it drops. And the reason, is because, if rates go down after final payment, it's about selling those cabins that no one wanted ! It's only fair, if we have the better cabins, that we don't get the lower rate. So STOP watching rates, once you make final payment. You don't need to know.

And don't listen to people when you get on your cruise, who try to tell you that they paid $2. Hear me ... People never remember they paid their deposit ... and they never remember that they paid all those taxes. So what they remember, is the cruise only rate minus the deposit. Example, I'm going on 7N cruise to Alaska in May. I was talking to my roommate other day, and I said, yep, we really got a deal, only $300+. She said, what ? I said, I mean, that was the cost with out any taxes. She said, oh yeah, you're right. See, even I quote the cruise only rate and no taxes. Everyone does this. It's all about what a person wants to remember in their subconscious as to what they paid. Try it. Remember just the cruise price minus the deposit and see if your rate doesn't sound like a steal, when you tell YOUR STORY !