Travel Advisors Step In as Cruise Fees Reach Tipping Point
Photo Credit: Cocktail chef Matthew Biancaniello, host of the travel show Good Spirits, has a toasts with guests on board a Carnival Corp. ship. Carnival Corp.
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The base fares advertised by many cruise lines rarely indicate the proliferation of onboard charges that can send the cost of the cruise soaring. Travel advisors are stepping in by counseling clients about the added costs and, in some cases, presenting all-inclusive cruises as a better value.
With the proliferation of automatic tipping and extra charges for everything from spinning classes to cappuccino, it’s little wonder that base cruise fares seldom reveal the actual cost of the voyage.
While most luxury cruise lines still offer all-inclusive pricing, those in the mass-market and premium categories have embraced the concept of onboard charges, said Mike Weingart, president of Air Land and Sea Consultants in Houston.
The practice has negative ramifications for passengers and travel advisors alike, he added.
“I don’t think these cruise lines are happy unless the cost to get off the cruise is more than the cost to get on board,” he said. “And all of these charges are sans commission.”
Taking a more philosophical attitude, Janet Blackwell, owner of Tidewater Cruise and Travel in Bel Air, Maryland, observed that extra charges are enabling lower-end cruise lines to keep base fares at levels that are not much higher than they were 20 or 30 years ago.
