Cruise agent offers deposit-free bookings

Thursday, 08 Feb, 2012 0

One of America’s largest cruise agents is offering customers the chance to book their cruise without paying a deposit.

Florida-based CruiseOne has launched a ‘book now, pay later’ promotion that means customers don’t need to put down a deposit when booking a 2012 sailing.

The offer applies to cruises booked before the end of February and for sailings until February 28 2013.

The promotion comes just weeks after the Costa Concordia tragedy which has led to a slowdown in cruise bookings.

Cruise lines and agents are looking to stimulate demand with offers like free upgrades.

P&O Cruises and Cunard Line are offering a new four-day promotion from February 10 to 13 offering a stateroom with a balcony for the price of an inside cabin.

But a spokesman insisted the deal was not in reaction to any fall in demand.

"It is not unusual for cruise lines to offer various booking incentives throughout the year and especially at the beginning of the year. Sales are where we expect them to be at this time of year," she said.

The deal applies to new bookings for all three of Cunard’s ocean liners – Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, and new bookings on Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura in the P&O Cruises fleet.

The upgrade is available on selected departures sailing from Southampton between April and September 2012.

by Bev Fearis

Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

Princess Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain specialising in holiday and urban hotels located in first class tourist destinations,...

Celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2022, Regent Seven Seas Cruises® offers guests An Unrivaled Experience® with every luxury included. Carrying...

Welcome to Qatar Airways Qatar Airways is proud to be one of the youngest global airlines to serve all...

Discover Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, also known as the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast. This natural wonderland is nestled in the...

Philippine Airlines (PR), also known as PAL, is the Filipino flag carrier. The company started their operations in February 1941,...

AXA Assistance specializes in best-in-class cost containment, health and travel services. Over 60 years of experience combined with a US and...

In 2019, Buffalo Tours and Olympus Tours joined the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) family and formed Discova. With the...

Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a Provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC’s...

Ensuring our guests have an unforgettable experience while sailing with us is paramount; however, your health and safety remains our...

From the beginning, ATI’s philosophy has been “innovation, not duplication.“ Developing specialized technology solutions to connect over 30,000 accommodation, attracti...

Traveltek is the world-leading provider of online solutions for the travel trade, from consumer-facing websites to call centre applications. We...

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising nearly 7,300 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms, in...