Sticker Shock at Sea vs Travel Trade

'Sticker Shock at Sea' Author Wants Lexus Features at Kia Prices
By Marilyn Green

(Travel Trade’s cruise editor examines the “sticker shock” Conde Nast Traveler columnist Wendy Perrin described in this month’s issue of the magazine.)

"Conde Nast Traveler columnist Wendy Perrin claims in the magazine’s July edition that the expenses she, her husband and two children incurred on a 10-day Caribbean cruise aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Constellation resulted in a cost 54% higher than the base fare.

There are, however, a number of items among her expenses that few would consider “typical.”

Perrin, in her column “The Wendy Perrin Report,” includes dinner for two at the ship’s alternative gourmet restaurant at $220 including wine and tip. The actual fee for the Ocean Liners gourmet restaurant is $30 per person, far less than a similar meal would cost in any comparable land-based restaurant.

It is intended to cover the intensive service and to limit the number of passengers who choose such a dinner to the number that can actually be handled so guests are not disappointed.

Wine and Tip

How Perrin and her husband managed to spend an extra $160 on wine and tip is a little perplexing — either it was a very special wine or a huge tip, and in either case, it was their choice.

Perrin and her husband spent $6 an hour per child for child care while the ship was in port and she and her husband spent $818 for 10 shore excursions for themselves.

The regular children’s program on Celebrity is free of charge and $6 per hour would not be considered an excessive babysitting fee in any hotels I know. Many parents pay more at home.

Perrin and her husband chose the shore excursions they wanted. Again, it would be hard to find any vacation where side trips are complimentary.

She also bought an unlimited soda package at $5 a day — her choice — which sounds like a very good deal, and she and her husband spent $228 on drinks and wine, apart from the gourmet dinner — their choice, once more.

It is true that fees for satellite Internet are costly, but she could have used the ubiquitous Internet cafes in port for a fraction of the price if she’d chosen, and she elected to have additional soft drinks from the minibar and cappuccinos from the coffee bar, which are extra — ordinary coffee is readily available and free.

Trip insurance, which she seems to feel should have been included to make a fair bargain, is not covered by the base price of any vacation I have ever encountered. For one thing, different people require different features on their insurance, and a good agent goes over these features with each client.

Perrin goes to great lengths about gift shop sales announced by flyers, easy to ignore if you aren’t interested — the stateroom does have a wastebasket — and spa personnel urging clients to buy products.

Not Unique to Cruises

Steiner Leisure runs the spa concession on 126 cruise ships, 53 resort spas and two luxury day spas. It is true that they do push products, but it certainly isn’t a practice unique to Steiner, nor unique to cruise ships.

It should be noted that luxury cruises do include some of the features Perrin wanted, and that, even among contemporary lines, there are differences in what is included in the base price. (NCL’s Jewel-class ships, for instance, have complimentary cappuccino and espresso in the buffet area).

One difference is that with the all-inclusive luxury price you pay for the entire package of extras, while with Celebrity, you choose the extras you want to purchase. This is another area where a good agent can advise the client according to the individual’s tastes and needs.

Perrin lists a number of analogous features a buyer might want on a new car, including a long-term warranty, a sunroof and a CD player — options that are in addition to the base price — as were the extras Perrin’s family chose on their cruise. As in other areas of life, you pays your money and you takes your choice."

Just an interesting article for us to be aware of if any of our clients see it in Conde Nast Traveler. Most clients are unaware of the "extras" that they might pay on a cruise but this article by Wendy Perrin just proves that we need to qualify our clients. She and her husband might have preferred Regent where wine in included- but would there have been babysitting for their child? Yes, European cruises will cost more in excursions than the Caribbean, but the client is free to make those choices. Don't let your clients tell you that cruising is too expensive based on this article.