A cruise agent has hit out at Complete Cruise Solution for failing to protect small agencies from being undercut by their larger competitors.
Cruising Coast2Coast director Tony Robinson said clients are willing to cancel their bookings if they find a cheaper price elsewhere – even if they have to forfeit hundreds of pounds in deposit money.
Robinson lost a long-standing client when she found a lower price on a Queen Mary 2 cruise to New York with a large cruise club. She cancelled her reservation and rebooked, losing her £600 deposit. He asked Complete Cruise Solutionto match the price, but it refused.
He said: “I have regular clients who like to book with me but they are being tempted away by the very cheap deals out there. The operators should not be allowing this to happen.”
Robinson has called for cruiselines to offer special sale rates for new customers only, not those already booked on a cruise.
“All it does is bounce existing business around from agent to agent -that doesn’t benefit anyone,” said Robinson.
He claims Complete Cruise Solution stopped doing special ‘groups’, which gave agents good deals on particular cruises last year but was still doing them for some large agents.
“Operators are making it impossible for smaller agencies to compete,” said Robinson.
“They should be protecting me as a small agent.”
A Complete Cruise Solution spokeswoman said: “The majority of cruise prices are set the same for all travel agents. At times exclusive prices are given to specific agents who have actively sought out promotional opportunities.
“As these agents have invested resources into these unique promotional activities we can not offer the same price to other agents.”
- What do you think? Email chloe.berman@rbi.co.uk