Price versus Value

A few days ago, I received a call from a young lady who said she heard there were some cheap cruises around Thanksgiving and wanted to know the price. In order to get her the best answer I am capable of giving, I needed to ask some qualifying questions, like where she wanted to go and if she had cruised before. Her answers were "someplace cheap" and "yes." With another couple of questions, I established that she lived in the Los Angeles area but didn't remember what cruise line she had taken before, although it had been "in the Caribbean on a nice ship." Knowing she was from Southern California, as are about half of my clients, helped qualify the situation further, indicating that a cheap cruise would be one without air from San Diego or Los Angeles. In addition, I knew she might qualify for a special California resident rate, if available. "Then do you want to cruise from San Diego or the LA area?" "I wouldn't want to drive all the way to San Diego. Can you just tell me the price?"
At this point, I realized she was definitely dialing up travel agents at random and rushing through to find the cheapest. She didn't know how to differentiate between price and value. The lowest price would be a three or four nighter from San Diego, but since she didn't want to drive to San Diego, that meant Carnival Paradise from Long Beach.

I asked if the cruise she had been on in the Caribbean had been on Carnival. "Oh no, it definitely wasn't Carnival. I don't remember what it was, but it definitely was a nice ship. I wouldn't want to go on Carnival." Notwithstanding the fact that Carnival has some nice ships, the only short cruise from the LA area would be on Carnival, and I was just trying to determine if she might qualify for a past guest rate. For a seven night cruise from LA, there are more possibilities, like the amazing Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas, freestyle Norwegian Star and lovely Sapphire Princess, so I would need to check all three, holding options under names to lock prices, leading me to the logical questions of who would be going, which would be the bare minimum information necessary to make any kind of quote.

I asked for her name, and she said, "Kelly." I asked her last name, and she said I had her first name and that was all I needed. Note that at this point she still hadn't shared if she planned to go alone, with a family of four or, most likely, a friend or mate. She only wanted to know the price.

"I've seen them as low as $299 plus tax, but if I had to give you a guess off the top of my head right now, I'd say about $500 per person based on double occupancy for a seven night cruise." I was about to explain that I might see something on one of the special sheets I would probably be receiving within the next couple of days, but she was off again. "Can't you tell me something more specific than that?"

If you want the best value for your vacation dollar, I will be happy to help you. In order to do that, however, I need to know about your needs. After all, you wouldn't buy a shirt just because it was the cheapest one you could find. You would want something that at least fits and works for your occasion. To get the best value for your dollar requires a little flexibility and a lot of information sharing.

The best deal for a single person is frequently different than the best for three girls sharing a room. A balcony may cost more, but the vacation enjoyment can frequently eclipse the marginal difference in price. A veteran or teacher might get a special rate on some lines. A past guest promotion might save hundreds of dollars, or a new ship might be markedly better than another priced a few dollars less. If you like getting dressed to the nines, you might not want to be on a ship where casual wear is acceptable even on formal nights, but if your favorite food is pizza by the pool, you might not want the finest dining room experience at sea. A cruise booked months in advance might later qualify for promotional rates that an internet booking engine might not get for you, or you might be interested in an "Early Saver Rate" that is non-cancellable but positively assures you will have the lowest price for that specific cruise. Frequently, there are several promotions going simultaneously advertising different prices on the same cruse.

Does it all sound too confusing? It doesn't have to be. Just call me toll free at 866-554-5553, and I'll help qualify your needs and find you the best vacation value for your dollar. Always remember that time is money, and when you consider how much your vacation days are actually worth, you don't want to squander them on a cheap cruise that you bought before knowing all of your choices. "Better service leads to better trips."