Most of us are deluged by e-mail and internet banners touting one deal after another on cruises and other vacations. In this morning's batch of e-mails, for example, from Carnival alone I received exciting news of the first ever onboard credit offer of its kind being in its last days, senior rates, special rates for residents of different states, "Pack-and-Go" rates, 2 days left on Mediterranean special rates, and group specials. Later I'll have some for past guests, "Early Saver," military and who knows what all. The only thing for sure is that they will all have headlines about saving hundreds of dollars here and pocketing hundreds of onboard credit to be used later. To coupon clippers, it probably looks like they will be paid to go on cruises.
Make no mistake, they are good deals, but to some extent they are also intentionally misleading. Maybe it has to do with a specific sail date, or perhaps the category of room in order to get the full onboard credit. Often, you can't choose the exact rooms you want, which can be a problem for a family traveling with small children who must have closely situated if not adjoining rooms. In most cases, the different promotions aren't compatible. Most frustrating of all, they are frequently flash fares that are available one minute and not available the next. By the time you book your air, the deal could be gone, if you didn't deposit the cruise.
When you call me, I'll ask you a series of qualifying questions to get to know you and your specific desires, because I'm not trying to hook you into something that isn't right for your needs. I want to help you find the perfect vacation for you.
Sometimes, callers are so busy chasing bait that they don't have time to do anything but ask "How much?" To each his own. In an age when cruise lines have strict rules on advertised pricing and offers, those fish darting between agencies asking the same question and expecting different results may eventually stop and buy, especially if one agency comes in $3 less. Then again, finding one at $3 less will probably spur them on to find one that costs even less. Some will swallow anything, and others will never find one good enough, and more often than they'd care to admit, the $3 savings gets covered by a $15 membership fee or some other nonsense.
I look at it differently. I invite my clients to be the fishermen instead of the fish. After learning what my clients need, I cast a wide net into the ocean of cruise possibilities. I throw back a lot without even discussing them, eventually coming down to a handful of great choices. If none will work, there's usually one that is best, and based on that information, I turn the search in that direction. In most instances, even if we search for more we eventually migrate back to one of those original choices.
When we find the right cruise for my clients, which after all is by far superior to finding the cheapest one if it doesn't meet their needs, then I'll verify that there isn't some better promotion that works for them, either at the time of booking or up until the final payment.
Put another way, would you rather eat the cheapest food you can find on a sign at 7-11 or have a personal shopper searching all the markets in your area to come up with your dinner? Surprisingly, it doesn't cost any more, because the cruise lines never charge less than my prices, but I will search all the specials at that cruise line plus all the other cruise lines to find the best VALUE for you
"Better service leads to better trips!"
No comments:
Post a Comment