Crystal Cruises Offers 2 for 1 Fares and More for all 2009/2010 Sailings!

While cruise fares are beginning to rebound, and as my clients can certainly attest, certain itineraries are getting hard to book, the luxury lines are extending out their unprecedented offers and lower fares for 2009 and 2010 sailings. Crystal is the most recent line to announce a significant savings program.

The main component of the savings is 2 for 1 pricing on all categories for all sailings in 2010! That's huge, but it's not all. In addition, they are offering:

• Up to $2,000 per couple in “All-Inclusive. As You Wish.” Spending Credits Receive up to $1,000 per person to spend any way you wish. Click here for details
• Free Air Fly free in Business or Economy Class on most 2010 voyages. Click here for details
• Price Guarantee Book early and pay the lowest applicable cruise fare - guaranteed! Click here for details

There are also other special offers which can often be combined with the above. These are:

• Birthday Bonus - Sail on your birthday and save 50% off a future cruise. Click here for details
• 20th Anniversary Celebrations – Enjoy onboard celebrations, commemorative merchandise and more on our special reunion cruises
• 20th Anniversary Commemorative Cruises – Celebrate 20 years of the World's Best with special events on our anniversary, July 20th, aboard voyages 0216 and 0317.
• Crystal Society 20th Anniversary Reunion Cruises – Enjoy special guests, events and receptions exclusively for Crystal Society members. Voyages 0210 and 0226.
• President’s Cruise 20th Anniversary Celebration – Join Crystal Cruises' President Gregg L. Michel aboard voyage 0210 for special guests, events and receptions.
• Up to $10,000 World Cruise “As You Wish” CruiseBank Spending Credits – Receive up to $5,000 per person to spend any way you wish. Click here for details
• Share the Experience – Earn $100 shipboard credit for each new-to-Crystal guest you sail with. Click here for details
• Crystal Family Memories – Sail with six or more family and friends and enjoy free third berths (17 years and under), pre-paid gratuities, shipboard spending credits and more. Sail with ten or more and receive a free berth! Click here for details
• Crystal Society Benefits Program – Shipboard credits, upgrades, free cruises and more for past guests. Click here for details

Crystal is a true luxury line, perfect for those who like the traditional style of cruising pared with exceptional service and amenities. While even with these offers it may be slightly more initial investment than a mainstream cruise line, the benefits are extensive, and the bottom line price, of the fare and onboard costs combined, is often very similar to what you'd experience on a premium line.

Is it time you started looking at luxury lines? Take advantage of the extraordinary savings you can experience now on Crystal or other lines and see what you may have been missing! Luxury cruising IS worth it and an amazing value, especially now. Call or email me to explore your options.

Royal Caribbean Announces New Price Protection Policy - Is It a Good Thing?

Royal Caribbean today rolled out their new "Price Guarantee" program, allowing for price protection on almost every fare up to 72 hours prior to sailing, excluding "new bookings only" fares such as Happy Hours. On its face, it's a good thing, but is it really?

Experienced travel agents and savvy cruisers have long known that RCCL (and sister companies Celebrity and Azamara) offered fare protection all the way to sailing date. Should the fare go down, with those same "new booking" exceptions, even after final payment, Royal Caribbean would either lower the fare prior to final payment, or issue a refund back to the passenger's credit card if the reduction occurred after final payment.

In the very small print of the new offer, there's a change to this program. If the fare reduction occurs after final payment, your refund will come in the form of an onboard credit.

I'll admit, for most fare reductions, that will be welcome by cruisers, as it will essentially cover the expenses they'd have paid onboard anyway, such as gratuities, alcohol, soda, excursions, casino expenses, etc. However, I have experienced last-minute reductions for clients which were of such a significant dollar expense as to make the onboard credit amount difficult to spend during the cruise. Especially if the passengers don't drink alcohol or take cruise line excursions. While the amounts are refundable if not used onboard, it still puts the responsibility on the client to obtain that refund.

The terms and conditions also give a clue that this may be an effort on RCCL's part to later discontinue the program, as the wording states that the "Price Protection Program may be discontinued or modified at any time without prior notice". I hope that's not the case, and it's just a case of the lawyers getting in their $.02, but it does concern me.

I also expect there will be confusion with regard to whether or not group bookings can be adjusted after final payment, as the terms and conditions and FAQs seem to contradict one another, but I do believe that as long as the group booking is made in full, the fare protection will be honored. The terms & conditions just seek to ensure that group bookings not paid in full (and which have different conditions than individual bookings) aren't refunded improperly.

Azamara and Celebrity announced their versions of this program a few weeks ago. Terms are virtually identical.

Obviously, onboard credits cost Royal Caribbean less than refunds do, as what they sell onboard results in a profit to them. It's also easier to administer than credit card refunds. I don't begrudge RCCL this at all, and in many situations it's perfectly appropriate and welcome by cruisers.

So while I definitely still applaud RCCL and its sister companies for having a policy of allowing for fare reductions, even after final payment, and think it gives them a huge competitive advantage over some of their competitors who consider final payment the final time they have to worry about their fare, I actually think this is a step back in the actual policy. It's going to get a LOT of attention, on cruise boards, the media, and in buzz, but for the wrong reasons. It's mostly a marketing ploy, not a new program worthy of note. And I certainly hope it's not the beginning of the end of fare price protection by RCCL, Celebrity and Azamara.

I want the fare protection policies to continue, as they definitely help both me in securing bookings, and also benefits my clients in knowing they can be confident in booking these brands any time they want. Don't disappoint us RCCL!