When Is A Cruise Deal Really A Cruise Deal
Open the travel section of your local newspaper, or skim through any magazine or website and lo and behold, there they are: the inevitable minefields of cruise deals and specials. They are like rows of cereal packets at the supermarket. Wall to wall numbers and colours.
So how do you know what is real or not? What is a good deal or a total sham?
It’s mind boggling isn’t it.
It seems like everyone is flogging you “too-good-to-be-true” deals for a pittance of the cost. Good for the bank account, right?
Not necessarily.
In our experience, not every “cruise cloud” has a silver lining.
Ultimately the “buyer beware” tag springs to mind. Like anything in life, the value is placed upon you and how much are you prepared to pay for something. But in our books this is a double-loaded question.
How much are you prepared to pay when things goes wrong?
How Do You Spot A Good Cruise Deal
If we had a dollar for every time someone said, “But I found a better deal,” we’d all be millionaires in the travel business. This is largely because of the smoking mirror advertising campaigns by discount companies that offer you one thing with their left hand and then swipe it away with their right one. This malaise is not just confined to the cruise world. It is endemic throughout all travel sectors including airline tickets and hotel bookings.
The devil is in the detail or the fine print: read it!
And if you don’t understand it, call an expert that does. That’s why travel agents exist.
Not every deal or sale is cased in misleading data and this is where the benefits of working with Travel Agents far outweigh the pitfalls of booking online.
It is called “credit” for a reason because you have to use it “on board” the ship.
Like Monopoly money, you can’t waltz into a bank and cash it in for cold, hard dollars. On Board Credit (or OBC) is exactly what it is: credit. And it works on a “use it or lose it” basis.
Again, read the fine print as there can be hidden clauses attached to the terms and conditions of your “free” credit. Pay particular attention to the fact that these are normally attached to your cabin and NOT per person.
In general, there is nothing hidden or devious about OBC deals. They do add value to your cruise.
I hate to be the purveyor of bad news but there is no such thing as a “free lunch”. Somewhere, somehow, some day, you are going to pay for it! This is especially true of the purported airfare and hotel deals that are offering you something for nothing, particularly at the luxury end of the market.