vacations to go

Has anyone here used this on line travel site and booked a cruise? If you
did, were you satisfied. They do have the best prices I've seen so far with
the best amenities.

--
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not
giving it.

Calligraphy Invitations And...by Miriam
http://www.calligraphyinvitationsand.com
305-932-7570

We use them all the time. You're correct, they have good prices. You have
to realize they are not a real personalized service - they sell online, in
bulk.


"Miriam Feldstein" wrote in message
news
Has anyone here used this on line travel site and booked a cruise? If you
did, were you satisfied. They do have the best prices I've seen so far
with the best amenities.

--
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not
giving it.

Calligraphy Invitations And...by Miriam
http://www.calligraphyinvitationsand.com
305-932-7570

On 4/5/10 5:14 PM, Miriam Feldstein wrote:
Has anyone here used this on line travel site and booked a cruise? If you
did, were you satisfied. They do have the best prices I've seen so far with
the best amenities.


I'm not a travel agent, so I have no dog in this race... but just about
EVERY cruise line has a requirement that ALL TA's advertise the exact
same price, and some even require that all TA's have the exact same
price. Most cruise lines don't allow discounting vs. the price they
offer to every other agency, other than if there is a group on a
particular sailing. So I don't see how one site can have better prices
than any other TA, or any other site.

--Tom

On 4/5/2010 11:32 PM, Tom K wrote:
On 4/5/10 5:14 PM, Miriam Feldstein wrote:
Has anyone here used this on line travel site and booked a cruise? If you
did, were you satisfied. They do have the best prices I've seen so far
with
the best amenities.


I'm not a travel agent, so I have no dog in this race... but just about
EVERY cruise line has a requirement that ALL TA's advertise the exact
same price, and some even require that all TA's have the exact same
price. Most cruise lines don't allow discounting vs. the price they
offer to every other agency, other than if there is a group on a
particular sailing. So I don't see how one site can have better prices
than any other TA, or any other site.


That's identical to what diana ball claimed in another thread, i.e. that
resale price maintenance is enforced and allowed in the U.S. But this is
what the FTC wrote when it approved the Carnival/Princess "merger":
"Travel agents sell the overwhelming proportion of berths and often do
their own discounting". Diana also claims that with mega-agencies as
Vacationstogo the customer is just a number, that they don't give you
the wonderful service that she says her mom and pop agency gives her (I
have no idea what service you would need other than an e-ticket
available online). Apparently the cruising public doesn't agree with
her, as these mega-agencies have increased their market share
substantially the last few years. Also two mega-agencies won Carnival's
Travel Agencies of the Year Award showing "exceptional professionalism"
and offering "superior service to their clients", according to Carnival.


http://wth.com/PR_20100301.html


--Tom

"Miriam Feldstein" wrote in message
news
Has anyone here used this on line travel site and booked a
cruise? If you did, were you satisfied. They do have the best
prices I've seen so far with the best amenities.


My family has used George Leppla since before the days of the
first GGC. George has always done right by us, given us personal
service, has been a friend and has met or exceeded every
expectation. Why would we want to go to some Wal-travel-mart type
of agency and be just a number, when we can use a very well
respected friend whose "in the business?"

Besides, with your tenth cruise with George, he'll come and paint
your house for you. grin- just kidding of course

--
Nonny
Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member
of Congress.... But then I repeat myself.'

-Mark Twain
..

I've booked many, many cruises with them without problem. I haven't,
however, booked via the web site! I prefer to speak to an agent: I
use Jann Nordquist, for personalized service. What you miss with the
internet, are notifications of specials that might meet your
criteria..but don't appear to you on the screen because of limitations
imposed by your parameters. Using an agent gives you access to this
information. Use their web site as a tool, but call them to make the
actual booking!!!

They offer any amenities that other TA don't. Have you received all that are
offered?

"PARNAMI" wrote in message
...
I've booked many, many cruises with them without problem. I haven't,
however, booked via the web site! I prefer to speak to an agent: I
use Jann Nordquist, for personalized service. What you miss with the
internet, are notifications of specials that might meet your
criteria..but don't appear to you on the screen because of limitations
imposed by your parameters. Using an agent gives you access to this
information. Use their web site as a tool, but call them to make the
actual booking!!!

On Apr 6, 1:30*am, "Miriam Feldstein" wrote:
They offer any amenities that other TA don't. Have you received all that are
offered?


They are pretty much like all the others ... except their
newsletter ... rather than being just a series of "PRICES SLASHED BUY
NOW" listings ... actually has a lot of good info for cruisers ...
Alan Fox the owner ... also writes about vacations he's taking from a
vacationer's point of view ...

On Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:22:57 +0200, peter
wrote:

On 4/5/2010 11:32 PM, Tom K wrote:
On 4/5/10 5:14 PM, Miriam Feldstein wrote:
Has anyone here used this on line travel site and booked a cruise? If you
did, were you satisfied. They do have the best prices I've seen so far
with
the best amenities.

The first couple of cruises I booked through them. The first couple
of cruises were fine. Then I booked a cruise and couldn't get the
agent to answer the phone or call me back so I booked a b2b with
another agent from the same agency. It was royally screwed up. The
agent sent us our information too late, they got my name entered into
the database wrong* and I am STILL four years later fighting with
Holland American about that, and did not ask us if we wanted to be
upgraded (we didn't), so I haven't used them again.

*I just got a piece of mail addressed to my husband and my
granddaughter. My granddaughter is 13 and doesn't live here and has
only been on one cruise. My husband has been on three less cruises
than I have and has about 20 less cruise days than I do. The problem
is that I started cruising before I got married, so they keep putting
my maiden name in the last name slot and so it doesn't come up in the
alphabet correctly.

I'm not a travel agent, so I have no dog in this race... but just about
EVERY cruise line has a requirement that ALL TA's advertise the exact
same price, and some even require that all TA's have the exact same
price. Most cruise lines don't allow discounting vs. the price they
offer to every other agency, other than if there is a group on a
particular sailing. So I don't see how one site can have better prices
than any other TA, or any other site.


That's identical to what diana ball claimed in another thread, i.e. that
resale price maintenance is enforced and allowed in the U.S. But this is
what the FTC wrote when it approved the Carnival/Princess "merger":
"Travel agents sell the overwhelming proportion of berths and often do
their own discounting". Diana also claims that with mega-agencies as
Vacationstogo the customer is just a number, that they don't give you
the wonderful service that she says her mom and pop agency gives her (I
have no idea what service you would need other than an e-ticket
available online). Apparently the cruising public doesn't agree with
her, as these mega-agencies have increased their market share
substantially the last few years. Also two mega-agencies won Carnival's
Travel Agencies of the Year Award showing "exceptional professionalism"
and offering "superior service to their clients", according to Carnival.


http://wth.com/PR_20100301.html


--Tom