Why do some online cruise agencies charge $279.00 pp for a 10 day Emerald cruise while others and Princess only charge $140.00 for the exact same cruise? Why such a large difference?
Originally posted by moonbliss7:
Why do some online cruise agencies charge $279.00 pp for a 10 day Emerald cruise while others and Princess only charge $140.00 for the exact same cruise? Why such a large difference?
Sounds like fleecing to me! Perhaps they assume that you will not compare, (bad buisness for them.) Very smart of you!
Yes, I think I would also enjoy hearing about the difference in charges.
I wonder if they're passing on documentation fees or maybe adding some kind of tips in? Also, could be they dock in more expensive slips. It would seem to me it should be pretty standard across the board. Let us know what you find out.
OK I called Princess to ask them and they told me all the fees amount to the same but different agencies break them down differently. Some add the port fees to the cruise fare,then do govt taxes seperate, and some show just cruise fare then add port fees to govt taxes.
Makes sense as long as the bottom line is the same.
But Princess lists port fees and taxes separately so $140.00 would be the actual cost. If an agency is knocking $139.00 of the cruise fare just to add it back in to the fees, this is misleading and deceitful.
It's not the agency doing it. Every cruise line quotes differently. Carnival will give you a rate of $499 which includes the port fees (they call them noncomiss items), then they will tell you the Govt taxes are $40.58. Royal Caribbean might quote that same rate as $370 cruise, $129 port, and $40.58 Govt taxes. Bottom line is what's important.
True, different lines use different formulas, (formulae?)
but if I'm understanding moonbliss7 correctly, we are talking about different prices for the same cruise.
Princess lists taxes and port fees separately, in this case $140.00; if an agency is charging $279.00 then there is some funny business going on with the numbers.
Of course the bottom line is what's important, but Princess would be the final word on what the port charges and taxes would be on any given cruise, no matter how the agency sliced it up.
There are also differences depending on who you book the cruise with. Some booking agencies include the port charges in their posted price and just add the govt. tax
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