Bad experience with Cruisesonly.com

[Ashley24]

I got my confirmation letter today from Cruisesonly.com for a cruise I booked through them for Christmas 2003. The price listed was 400.00 more than the price quoted to me on the phone! So of course I call them and they said that their computer shows the same amount that was told to me earlier and that they would send out a new confirmation invoice. Well, this lady was very rude to me and I didn't like it one bit! Also, she said that they automatically include insurance and you can just decide to not pay it at the time the last payment is due. I don't care for that rule! Anyway, I was really irritated with this lady and felt like canceling right then. After discussing the matter with DH, I did call back to cancel and they tried to charge me 35.00 per person for a processing fee! Of course I started arguing that I should be able to cancel at any time up to the 60 day mark without any fees! She asked if I wanted to talk to a supervisor, put me on hold and then came back on to say that the supervisor had waived the fees but wanted me to put my cancellation in writing. So I just faxed them with the cancellation info! Has anyone ever had such problems cancelling before? Oh, they did say that if I rebooked with their company, the 35.00 per person could have been used as a credit toward the new cruise. No thank you!
Anyway, I have booked with Cruise.com before and the nicest lady there named Meryl just gave me the same price as Cruisesonly.com but without the hassles. She even went out of her way to return my call by calling me from her home! She's really great and I would highly recommend her to anyone! If you have a great quote from another company, call Meryl and she can probably match or beat the price! She beat Costco's price which was the lowest that I had found. Just tell her the best quote you have so far and she'll make a call to Disney and tell you the price she can get for you. Hope this information helps someone avoid the mistake that I made and maybe help someone find a great price with great service!
Ann

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Thanks for the info Ann. I'm sorry you went through so much frustration, but I'm glad you won in the end! I was prefering not to get a Costco membership again, just for booking a future (I hope) cruise, so I will definatelly remember the quote comparison with cruise.com . Thanks, Have a great Christmas cruise!

 

[albiats]

I think the $35 cancellation fee is pretty much standard in the industry, with the exception that it is 'per reservation number' and not 'per person'.

I had to cancel a cruise on another cruise line last year and I had booked through the local AAA office. They explained the $35 cancellation fee when I was making the booking so I was aware of it. Since we have booked several other cruises with them and never cancelled before, they waived the fee for that one occasion.

Considering their work, I do feel that they are entitled to collect a small fee for cancellation, but I don't agree with a per person fee.
Of course, it is just my opinion here.

I would also disagree with the 'mandatory insurance clause'. If you decline the insurance and just pay the cruise price, I would be apprehensive that they might not forward the full amount to the cruise line, meaning you would end up not paid in full. They do sound like they are not quite as above board as what I would prefer.

 

[4nana]

Sorry to hear your problem w/Cruisesonly aka MyTravelCo.com.
I think you will be happy w/Cruise.com. We have used them and were very satisfied.

 

[bennett]

I had NO Problem with Cruises Only-they met my price and some less and yes they did include air fare and insurance in my price initially but I had it all written down on what was what and at the time of my final payment they let me know what my final price would be without the "add ons"--I personally didn't see that it was a problem having that included with the quote-I only paid $200. deposit so having the extras in there wasn't a big deal-I always tell people to make sure they know what their quote includes so you can actually compare apples to apples. Sorry you had a problem with them but I loved them and the service I received.

 

[bennett]

I had NO Problem with Cruises Only-they met my price and some less and yes they did include air fare and insurance in my price initially but I had it all written down on what was what and at the time of my final payment they let me know what my final price would be without the "add ons"--I personally didn't see that it was a problem having that included with the quote-I would prefer to have them in the original quote while I decide if I want to take it or not-that way if it goes up I am not charged extra and if it goes down they would have credited my amount due-at time of final payment-I only paid $200. deposit so having the extras in there wasn't a big deal-I always tell people to make sure they know what their quote includes so you can actually compare apples to apples. Sorry you had a problem with them but I loved them and the service I received. And would definately use them again-

 

[jillsatravelin]

I too had no problems with CruisesOnly.com and just paid my final payment minus the insurance. At the bottom of my invoice it had a price to pay if you want the insurance or a price to pay if you don't. My agent there has been very friendly and they beat Cruise.com's price. I will have to say the the people at Cruise.com were nice too but I felt just as good about Cruisesonly and they were lower on our cruise. Ü Jill

 

[Ashley24]

The reason why I was upset to begin with was that the original price that I was quoted on the phone was listed no where on the invoice I received even if the insurance was added. It even said on the invoice that insurance was declined. The amount was 400.00 more than we discussed with no explanation of why. Then when I tried to get some answers, the lady on the phone was not professional or polite at all. She was talking in a very disrespectful tone of voice and interrupted me several times. I was not trying to fight with her, I started out very calm but I wanted some answers. The longer I was the phone, the angrier I became. If she had simply answered my questions politely, everything would have been fine although I still don't understand the difference in price listed on the invoice. Anyway, when I decided that I didn't like the service and the price mistakes, I decided to ask at Cruise.com for the same price which I got. I didn't like that I was told about the 35.00 fee (per person) only when I decided to cancel. I was not told about this when booking and it did not say anything about it on the invoice. If this is their policy, it should be either stated verbally or in writing. They insist that my words should be writing regarding canceling, well so should their policies!
Anyway, I am pleased with the outcome anyway. I guess you just need to be aware of each company's service and how they conduct business and decide if it's a good match for you. By the way, when do you think I should be able to contact DCL to make sure everything was cancelled and my money refunded?
Ann

 

[strawberryblonde]

Thanks for the heads up on this, the last thing I need when booking my vacation is extra hassle.

 

[mmouse37]

We had good experiences and bad experiences with CruisesOnly. Their prices were much lower than anyone, but their service did leave much to be desired. I could put up with alot to get a much cheaper rate...unfortunately they probably know that. I am sure service is not their #1 priority.

The $35 fee is quite standard. I know of a TA that charges $50 PER PERSON to cancel any reservation which I think is ridiculous. It should be per RESERVATION, not PER PERSON.

 

[kamgen]

I have used Cruisesonly twice and LOVED my service.

I have used the same rep, Billy Grigg in SC, and he has always been very nice and helpful.

I usually call and ask tons of questions and he was always right on top of things.

I am sorry you had such a bad experience.

Kamy

 

[mmouse37]

Our main problem with service was that everytime we called with a question we would be told that the agent that helped us before was no longer with them. This happened several times, so each new agent had to become familiar with our reservation and certain requests. I think they have a high turnover rate.

MJ

 

[Bev J]

We have used cruisesonly for our last 9 cruises, some for a large group some for just our family. We have never had any problem they could not handle. We have used the same agent for most of them and just request the same one every time.(Charli) She has always treated us with superior service. As far as the insurance it has always been on our invoice and can choose to decline or accept when we make our final payment. We feel as comfortable with our agent as we would with a local TA.
It is too bad you got someone haveing a bad attitude day. Hope you enjoy your cruise no matter who you book through.

 

[CathyCanada]

Just FYI, while I am not aware of what other companies do, Dreams Unlimited Travel charges NO cancellation fees other than those charged by Disney (i.e. after the final balance has been paid within 60 days of travelling).
It's a good idea to get the cancellation policy up front when booking.
CC