why does cruising cost more to buy in the UK than USA

I recentely sent an email to a UK cruise agent asking the following:-
Your UK site (have withheld site ) prices up the same cruise as as available on your US site but about £ 500 more. There response was the following.

Princess Cruises UK operates as a separate company from Princess Cruises US. They do not allow UK customers to purchase anywhere except from the UK and US customers to purchase only from the US. This is a UK government agreement when Carnival Corporation purchased Princess. We are a separate website than the US website. So please ignore the US pricing. You might notice we can discount Royal Caribbean and Celebrity and RCCL International does not allow discounting in the US. So it works both ways. Princess US will probably reject your booking with a UK address and passports. We must prove all our bookings have UK passports and addresses.
There second response was On Royal Caribbean, the travel agent must give on board credit to a maximum of 10% of th cruise fare. In the UK, we give 15% of the commission. Princess and Cunard are the only two that are quite rigid. If they discover that you live in the UK and have booked through the US, they have been known to refund and cancel the cruise.
any thoughts ??
 

Beryl

Trivia Specialist
I have heard this complaint many times and I have absolutely no answer to this except to say "They do it because they can". It is my understanding that many of the prices for Princess Cruises in the UK include airfare. It is also my understanding (just from my reading and not from personal experience) that a great many people jump through a whole lot of hoops to avoid buying Princess Cruises in the UK and avoid paying the higher charges.
 
Hi

Thanks for your reply, in this instant the price did not include the aitfare but many UK site I have seen do. This over pricing is of course just not Princess but most of them including the european cruise companies.
 

MisterD21

If you take me serious, it's your problem
Is it at all possible that they have done market research of european travelers and american travelers? Is it possible that market research shows that Americans will only pay so much for a cruise, while those in Europe are willing to pay more? Is it possible that market research shows that while Americans will only pay so much to cruise, BUT.... will spend more on ship amenities, and ALCOHOL(we Americans do love our alcohol nad often will overpay for it) V.S. europeans who while might be willing to pay more for cruising, but might not spend as much on cruise amenities.. ?? ?

I only say this because it is possible that these companies tailor their prices to each demographic it provides service for. SO while the above scenario is purely hypothetical, it serves to show that companies spend millions on market research to show them how to improve their bottom line. If the cruiseline can sell cabins for more money in the UK, they will. If they could sell the same cabin for the same price here believe me they would..

I'm not sure if there is a real difference in price for cruises, as we yanks i'm sure pay more for a european cruise than someone taking the same cruise from europe. the cost of sailing is more the greater distance you have to sail. This is not only in fuel costs, but things as simple as labor, food costs, general ship operations, etc... must certainly cost more the greater distance you sail.

To be honest, I have no experience in transatlantic cruising so i'm definitlely not an expert on the subject...
 

Moiraine

Fitness Director
I read an article that said the British don't like to tip. Perhaps the increased price is how they force people to pay? I have no idea.
 

Mbandy

Staff Captain
The company where I work has a policy that we can not book anyone who does not have a US billing address for their credit card.
 

MisterD21

If you take me serious, it's your problem
The company where I work has a policy that we can not book anyone who does not have a US billing address for their credit card.

I wonder if that is for security reasons, or if it is a company policy due to being in bed with a cruiseline?? Has anyone asked why that policy is in place ??
 

Beryl

Trivia Specialist
Michael...does that mean that I could not book with you? I have a Canada billing address. I can book with US agencies.
 

Mbandy

Staff Captain
Unfortunately Beryl not with me but check your PM's

"D" The only explaination we have ever received is that it is something contractural with the cruise lines. :shrug:
 

Tadpole

New Member
I recentely sent an email to a UK cruise agent asking the following:-
Your UK site (have withheld site ) prices up the same cruise as as available on your US site but about £ 500 more. There response was the following.

Princess Cruises UK operates as a separate company from Princess Cruises US. They do not allow UK customers to purchase anywhere except from the UK and US customers to purchase only from the US. This is a UK government agreement when Carnival Corporation purchased Princess. We are a separate website than the US website. So please ignore the US pricing. You might notice we can discount Royal Caribbean and Celebrity and RCCL International does not allow discounting in the US. So it works both ways. Princess US will probably reject your booking with a UK address and passports. We must prove all our bookings have UK passports and addresses.
There second response was On Royal Caribbean, the travel agent must give on board credit to a maximum of 10% of th cruise fare. In the UK, we give 15% of the commission. Princess and Cunard are the only two that are quite rigid. If they discover that you live in the UK and have booked through the US, they have been known to refund and cancel the cruise.
any thoughts ??

This is quite untrue. Last year we booked a Princess cruise through an American Travel Agency which advertises on the Internet - they even have a freephone number from the UK. We got the advantages of being able to cancel and get our deposit back in a certain time, etc. We booked our flights and transfers separately. We have friends in the US who were prepared to let us use their address (not for credit card purposes, our credit card was perfectly acceptable), but in the event this wasn't asked for. I know of other people who have done similar things.

Princess UK is a different company, and this year we are going through them because the flight and transfer arrangements were quite complicated, but I regret this as when you book a package with them you are tied into their flights, which are often group bookings, (so you can't check-in online, choose your seats, etc.) and you don't have the choice of airline. If you do as we did last year you have far more choice, although it is a bit more of a hassle (but it does work out cheaper!)
 

Beryl

Trivia Specialist
This is quite untrue. Last year we booked a Princess cruise through an American Travel Agency which advertises on the Internet - they even have a freephone number from the UK. We got the advantages of being able to cancel and get our deposit back in a certain time, etc. We booked our flights and transfers separately. We have friends in the US who were prepared to let us use their address (not for credit card purposes, our credit card was perfectly acceptable), but in the event this wasn't asked for. I know of other people who have done similar things.

Princess UK is a different company, and this year we are going through them because the flight and transfer arrangements were quite complicated, but I regret this as when you book a package with them you are tied into their flights, which are often group bookings, (so you can't check-in online, choose your seats, etc.) and you don't have the choice of airline. If you do as we did last year you have far more choice, although it is a bit more of a hassle (but it does work out cheaper!)


As I say....those willing to do a little digging and jumping through hoops......
 

Conniemc

3rd Officer
My English friends tell me it's simply a matter of economics and supply and demand. The Euro is strong, the dollar is weak. As long as that remains the case, and the recession continues, the US prices will be less.

Europeans have more disposible income right now, so they are paying more. Not fair, but as Mister said, they are pricing for their demographic.

Didn't anyone wonder why all the ships were sent to Europe for the last year and for far longer periods? Same reason. Sail where the money is!:spyglass:
 
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