In listening to conversations from existing customers this week, as well as, their referral callers … I can totally understand their confusion and their feeling of being dishearten, by the way Carnival chooses to present promotions (sales) and even their chosen way quoting pricing (whether it’s on their site or verbally).
Two valuable lessons here …
(1) Carnival Sale
(2) Carnival Average Pricing
CARNIVAL 3 DAY SALE.
Yesterday, a referred caller calls me. Says she’s interested in Carnival’s 3 day sale. She reads, that she only has to put down 50% of the deposit and up to $100 onboard credit. Naturally, she’s excited and wants to get her cruise confirmed right away ! With credit card in hand, we even set an appointment for 9pm, once I was to return from my meeting.
We’ll say the scenario is
* She saw pricing of $ 599 pp, so for 5, she’s thinking $ 2995.
* She’s actually planning for 2 rooms.
* Her cruise is not for 6 months out
* It’s 5 night cruise
* 50% deposit, she’s thinking $ 500 instead of $ 1000.
* And she’ll get $ 100 X 2 cabins onboard credit.
WRONG !
Please know, for the most part, viewers are looking at Carnival’s Early Saver Rates (lowest price rates), whether it‘s on Carnival‘s or possibly a travel agents site. These earlier saver rates are NOT combinable with onboard credit nor reduced deposit.
You ask, so how do you qualify for the onboard credit and reduced deposit ? Very good question. You have to pay higher rates. In the above scenario, the pricing was 4 X $ 829 and 1 X $ 659 = $ 3975. And luckily, for her date, yes, she would get $ 100 per cabin onboard credit, but in essence, if I’m doing my math right, she would be paying $ 3775.
This is ultimately $ 780 more. One can easily see, why the math in her mind, is not really adding up.
My question to you.
Can you guess, how many folks, who might actually buy online and never look at the total ?
And how many of these folks think they will get $100 onboard credit, though the promo they bought was Early Saver Rate ? Could be as much as 5 out of 5 (?)
For the Carnival sale this week, I had 5 callers. They naturally had checked out Carnival’s site, or called Carnival, before calling me (I encourage people to do this). Had they moved forward and just bought then (when talking to Carnival or on Carnival's site) … 4 thought, that the Carnival Sale was leading them to the lower rates (Early Saver), never looking at the total to see that it was not (bottom line); and 1, who would opt for the Early Saver rate, naturally assumed, they would get the onboard credit !
WRONG on both counts !
(1) If you opted for the Earlier Saver Rates, and bought, before realizing all the rules, or the condition of the sale, there is no getting out of this cruise; because it’s a 100% non-refundable ! TOO LATE, you can’t learn the rules and then change your mind !
(2) If your cruise amount, was due in full, at time of reserving, and you paid it; then to realize, the totals didn’t match the math in your mind (or your credit card charge), TOO LATE, you’re stuck with it !
Being blunt here …
Had these folks, not opted, to trust in reaching out to me, nor turn to another agent, they would eventually learn, one of life’s (travel industry) valuable lessons, of what can easily happen to you, when you choose to “play travel agent and buy on your own” ! By the way, these were all referrals. My existing clients, told them NOT to buy at Carnival, but to call me and let me tell them the facts ! Thank you existing customers (you saved them and I made new friends) !
Know, for the most part, agents do not charge you anything, yet their purpose, is in being here, to protect who … YOU (whether it’s protection from the industry or it’s protection from you hurting you, unknowingly), the cruises lines pay the agent a commission, but this is 100% NOT coming out of your pocket; the cruise line will NOT lower the rate, just cause you opt to buy from them direct. And on $ 599 above, est commission is $38. How many agents do you think are getting rich from this industry ? In reality, one can only imagine, how are they even paying their bills at this small amount ?
Again being blunt … Not only are you taking a chance at hurting YOU (yourself), if consumers do NOT choose to support the travel/cruise industry agents, they may ultimately start believing, that you don’t need them anymore. And just get out of the industry. Unfortunately, if that’s where the industry leads, you would then be FORCED to “buy your cruise on your own”; Fight your own battles ! Hands tied for me, is like closing me in behind 4 walls and telling me I can’t come out !
Today, Carnival gives pricing as “average per cabin”. So if you have 2 (double) people in room versus 3 (triple) or 4 (quad) or 5 (quint) people in room, the given price is far from being the same. WE at Cruises Inc, were taught, years ago, do NOT do averaging (below will tell why).
You may be thinking, that it "only makes sense" that the pricing would not be the same !
My response, Oh yeah ? And if so, are you aware of issues that can be forth coming, "averaging pricing" ?
Allow me to take this further. Let’s use the figures of $ 699 pp for the 1st 2 in room and $ 499 pp for the 3rd and 4th person in room.
A. If 2 people in room, Carnival will quote the averaging at, $699 pp
B. If 3 people in room, $ 633 pp
C. If 4 people in room, $599 pp
D. If 5 people in room, $ 579 pp
OK, so you see no problem yet, right ?
(1) What if you are buying one room of 2 and one room of 4. If you have been getting a Carnival average quote of $ 599, aren’t you going to naturally assume, that if you are paying for 6, that your cost is 6 X $ 599 = $ 3594 ? Wrong. Your average cost is 2 X $ 699 = $1398 and 4 X $ 599 = 2396; = $ 3794. In reality, your cost will be $ 200 more.
(2) What if you are looking on a travel agents website and you see $ 699 pricing, yet you are planning for 5 in a room. Aren’t you going to naturally assume the travel agent has a higher rate ?
(3) Next, what if you had a room of 5 ladies going or a family with 2 adult children in this room. And before final payment, two ladies decided they can’t go or these 2 adult children decide they can’t get off work to go. Know, that your average is now based on 3 in a room, and the price now goes up to $ 633 pp.
Maybe the family won’t have such a big issue with this pricing, because they are looking at the total bottom line; but what about these ladies ? They now owe $ 54 per person more, to be able to sail. SHOCK-A-RUE !
Sometimes folks call me, and can not believe, the depth of information that I throw at them, cause for them, they just want the bottom line, the cost ! Unfortunately, many times, it’s not that simple; not that cut and dry !
It’s like buying a car. Do you want …
(1) 2 door ?
(2) Air condition ?
(3) Red one ?
(4) The one already on the lot ?
(5) What day are you driving it away ?
(6) You want financing ?
(7) Leather seats ?
(8) Talking radio to wish you happy birthday ?
I simply call these, YOUR RULES. AND … bu then, there’s the CRUISE LINE RULES.
And guess what ? Each cruise line has their own rules ! So just when YOU, as a consumer think you have the rules down pack for that cruise line you’ve been sailing on for years … Change cruise lines, and see how that shocks you or plays havoc on “how you thought it would be”.
Or … Do all your searching on the net and calling the cruise line (we all spend millions of dollars so that you can look at info 24/7) … Then pick up the phone, dial your agent, confirm your reservations immediately, and let them be responsible for YOU and the protection of your cruise/money !
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