Danger of discounts on cruise tickets: why experts are concerned
On the eve of the new season, experts in the river cruise sector say that the market should not fall into the same "discount trap" as last year. It is emphasized that "meaningless" deals will harm both lines and agents.
According to Paul Melinis, managing director of APT UK and Europe, the price cuts during the 2023 season were "extreme" and created an "undesirable discount market." At the same time, he warned that "significant volumes" of sales were again driven by large discounts and said it was "too early" for lines to cut prices so much, writes Travel Weekly.
At the same time, Melinis emphasized the danger of constant large discounts, saying that repeatedly cutting prices "means that no one wins." "We cannot fall into this discounting trap again, because it kills everyone," he added.
He explained that in this case, cruise lines don't make money, the agent loses commission, and in most cases, the customers you get at that price never come back.
In turn, Lucia Rowe, Managing Director of A-Rosa in the UK and Ireland, also advises against repeating last year's experience. "We are definitely moving in the right direction compared to 2023, there is no doubt about it," she said.
At the same time, experts warn that although discounts are causing a surge in bookings, customers will not rebook at a higher price. At the same time, the problem is that although they enjoyed the trip, when they want to book again, the price is much higher, so they don't.
"We had a couple in exactly this position last summer who sailed last summer, but when they went to rebook and despite their healthy budget, the cost was three times what they paid and they couldn't understand it, so they switched to ocean travel," industry representatives say.
Thus, experts urge river cruise companies to be careful when discounting. After all, although there are discounts on the market, they are not for peak hours when people are desperate to travel, so this should be treated with caution.
If you dream of going on a cruise ship and having the best vacation, find out which cruise destinations are considered the best. Read the article here from TravelWise.
