Has anyone got their summer 2005 quote from DU yet???

[Luv2Dream]

I had not received my quote from DU either. I read this thread and wrote to John and he got right back to me and voila, I have my quote. It was in the DU client services once I logged in.

 

[Itchette]

I also didn't think that I had received my quote from DU. But after reading through the posts today, I went to my Junk Mail and there it was! $700 cheaper than the quote from DCL! So don't give up hope!

 

[Penn42]

I wish I was in the same boat. We emailed this morning to two different people at DU, and are still in the dark. No quote yet, no respose to our emails.

I am not a happy camper at this point.

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

Finally received my quote today. It is not at all what I wanted. But I am going to reserve it in hopes that something will open up from the craziness of the last two days.

 

[mbw12]

I had submitted for a quote yesterday for my in-laws to come on our cruise with us. (not a California cruise....just a 'regular old" Florida cruise!!! LOL)

Anyway, after reading this board, I also checked in my "span" folder and there it was.....even tho the other two quotes I previously requested went to my normal in-box. SO, everyone check your "junk" folders also!!!!!

Bobbi

 

[mbw12]

Originally posted by mbw12
I had submitted for a quote yesterday for my in-laws to come on our cruise with us. (not a California cruise....just a 'regular old" Florida cruise!!! LOL)

Anyway, after reading this board, I also checked in my "span" folder and there it was.....even tho the other two quotes I previously requested went to my normal in-box. SO, everyone check your "junk" folders also!!!!!

Bobbi

OOOPPPPSSSSSS.....meant to say "spam" folder.....not 'span"

 

[IslandHap]

I think people need to point the finger at Disney and not Dreams Unlimited. To raise the prices hourly, or even by the booking is a bad way to do business. Disney should have made the prices a little higher to begin with, and then held them steady for at least the first 24 to 48 hours. This is like the local grocery store raising prices as the hurricane approaches. I feel that Disney is just as guilty of price gouging. It would be extremely ironic if all of these people with multiple rooms on hold wind up canceling most of them, and some of these cruises wind up not sailing full of passengers. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Jazzman]

I'm guessing Disney is just following their policy - the 'early' (i.e., first) rooms go cheaply, and then the price escalates. They have been at this a while now, and have a pretty good idea what to expect. But I think they were caught flat-footed by the demand (albeit some of that demand may really be false with people double-booking). It would be interesting to know what the pricing policy would be if as a result of turnbacks if they dipped back below the early booking threshold.

I'd also guess that this demand might affect the pricing of future repo cruises. If in fact they sell out these cruises quickly, it indicates that they have potentially 'left money on the table', a condition likely to be reconciled in future sailings (despite the usual truth that repo cruises have to be discounted to sell).

I wonder if the rest of the cruise industry are scratching their heads at this...

-Pete

 

[zellda]

I, too, was worried because I hadn't received my quote from DU, but I did as SueEllen suggested, looking in client services, and there it was: a Cat. 7 GTY, but still there. . . and with the early booking savings. So we will be on the 14 day return to FL, yippee! Thanks, SueEllen! and thanks, DU!

 

[markey]

Well this is one person who did put all their eggs in one basket, also a person who will probably not be going on the cruise. I sent in my request and put all my faith in DU. I really don't blame them, I think they were overwhelmed and the way DCL hiked their prices was terrible. I got one quote back, way over the price I wanted to pay and higher then I saw people post, all the cat 6 were gone already. The other quote I never heard from them, and I accidently deleted the wrong form letter with the number on, but by now I'm sure the price is more then I would pay, after seeing someother prices posted. So I guess I learned my lesson, if anything like this happens again I will try to get my own quote from DCL and then turn it over to DU. I checked this morning on DCL and the price was high but I decided to think it over, went back after lunch and the price went up over $1000. So live and learn, but I really should have know better, no one to blame but myself.

 

[Amberle3]

I can't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet that DCL works their cruise pricing the same way that airlines work their pricing. Which is that they have X number of seats (cabins, in this case) at various pricing levels, and when the cheaper ones are sold out then the next price level kicks in. This is not the same as the different categories. And it's not at all unusual for cruise lines to have different prices for the same category. I had clients booked to Alaska last year and friends of their who were debating going. The wouldn't let me put a cabin on hold for them, and every day I checked and the price for the same category was higher than the day before.

What is unusual is for the levels to be gone through so quickly, I'm guessing that has to do with the popularity of the cruise.

 

[moocow35]

I finally got my quote after midnight last night. Unfortunately it is alot higher than most people here were quoted, my reservation must have been one of the last ones that DU requested. But the good news is I AM GOING!

Unfortunately I have to WORK and can not spend hours on the phone on hold to make my own reservation. Taking the day off was not an option. I am still super excited about this cruise, what a once in a lifetime experience. Nothing like a year long adrenaline rush waiting for the sailaway!

Robin:thewave:

 

[mrsg00fy]

I agree with Islandhap. I think it is absolutely unconscionable of Disney to raise the prices as people were trying to make a booking. I waited on hold for 1/2 hour early yesterday afternoon before hanging up ( I was at work) and was bumped out of the website while trying to book the cheap rates twice! By the time I got home and called back, the price for a category 11 (CA to FL repositioning) had gone up by $800 and the price for a category had gone up by $1200. Those prices have escalated more today. The cruise is not possible for us at these prices.

I understand supply and demand, but to raise the prices like this in a few hours??!! At least wait a day.

It will be very interesting to see where the pricing sits after the duplicate ressies drop off the system on the 10th when the deposits are not received. This is, after all, a transitioning cruise and they are supposed to be cheaper. Also, how many folks will actually be able to manage two full weeks away from work?

Oh well, I guess we will have to just go on Princess again!!

I have been reading these boards for some time, but this is my first post. The community atmosphere here is great.

 

[kpros]

Markey

I sent you a PM about a DU quote. Check your messages.

Ken

 

[Amberle3]

It's not a matter of "well, these are selling like hotcakes so lets raise the price".

They have a fixed number of staterooms that they're willing to sell at a given price. When those are gone, then the next price goes into effect. Let's say its 100 staterooms (just to pick a number). Whether those staterooms take a week or an hour to go is beyond Disney's control.

Many people have said that for other sailings the price of their category has gone up since they booked it. It's the same principle. It's just that in this case they're moving through the pricing levels at an extremely quick rate.

Think of it this way - it's like a store advertising a sale with "only 50 available at this price". The remaining stock goes at a different price. Happens all the time. If the store sells out in an hour or 2 days has nothing to do with price gouging, it has to do with the popularity of the item. It's just that in this case cruise lines almost never tell you how many cabins they have available at any given price.

It's a screwy way of doing things, but that's the travel industry! And surprisingly sane compared to airline pricing.

Oh and yes, people who have multiple rooms on hold with different TAs are affecting the pricing. It's the same as someone going in to the aforementioned store and taking 2 or 3 items while they really only want 1. It decreases the number available for everyone else, and hastens the bump to the next pricing level. When the extras are returned to the general stock chances are they will not be re-discounted but sold at whatever the prevailing rate is. Which I'm sure Disney appreciates, it means fewer people paying lower rates.

 

[markmyboy]

So, what do you think the chances are of the prices going back to where they should be when all the double & triple ressies are not paid up on Monday???

 

[Amberle3]

Originally posted by markmyboy
So, what do you think the chances are of the prices going back to where they should be when all the double & triple ressies are not paid up on Monday???

My guess is that the pricing won't go back down. It makes it too difficult for Disney to handle when people see that the cruise they booked a week earlier is now cheaper, then they have to deal with either reducing the cost (for those that complain) or issuing onboard credit. I'm guessing that they won't be too anxious to do either.

And with the number of people that are already waitlisted for particular categories, I don't think they'll have a problem selling the cabins at whatever the current rate is.

 

[cats mom]

Originally posted by Amberle3
It's not a matter of "well, these are selling like hotcakes so lets raise the price".

They have a fixed number of staterooms that they're willing to sell at a given price. When those are gone, then the next price goes into effect. Let's say its 100 staterooms (just to pick a number). Whether those staterooms take a week or an hour to go is beyond Disney's control.

My first reaction was that DCL was just being incredibly greedy and raising prices because they saw how popular it was.

Your explanation makes a lot of sense. The price changes were probably programed into the computers and just kept kicking up as the sailings filled.

I would also guess that prices will not go back down. If they lose too many bookings because of duplications - maybe they'll consider a last minute CA resident rate.