Avoid ecruise store !
I've reserved with them a transat QM2 cruise (may 2009).
I gave my AMEX credit card number and authorize them to charge it for a deposit reservation.
One month later I noticed they had charged the full amount.
One month later again, I noticed they had charged the full amount a second time.
They apologized but declared they were unable to pay me back and advise me to dispute the payment.
So did I and I got the refund from AMEX 3 months later only.
I was given "shipboard credit" as a compensation for these inconveniencies.
When I came aboard, Cunard didn' have got any information about this credit...
I thought I was only "unlucky" till I noticed other customers comments showing that it's not at all a matter of chance but something "systemic" to get cash from the customer.
So avoid them
Avoid ecruise store !
I've reserved with them a transat QM2 cruise (may 2009).
I gave my AMEX credit card number and authorize them to charge it for a deposit reservation.
One month later I noticed they had charged the full amount.
One month later again, I noticed they had charged the full amount a second time.
They apologized but declared they were unable to pay me back and advise me to dispute the payment.
So did I and I got the refund from AMEX 3 months later only.
I was given "shipboard credit" as a compensation for these inconveniencies.
When I came aboard, Cunard didn' have got any information about this credit...
I thought I was only "unlucky" till I noticed other customers comments showing that it's not at all a matter of chance but something "systemic" to get cash from the customer.
So avoid them
Don't use this travel agent. Often overcharges/double charges credit cards and holds on to your money without onpaying to supplier. Very difficult to deal with. DO YOUR RESEARCH fodor , tripadvisor, cruisecritic
Pros: cheap to start , may be expensive in the long run
Don't use this travel agent. Often overcharges/double charges credit cards and holds on to your money without onpaying to supplier. Very difficult to deal with. DO YOUR RESEARCH fodor , tripadvisor, cruisecritic
Pros: cheap to start , may be expensive in the long run
Cons: Unethical
The best price upfront doesn't always equate to the final price. A good agent will reprice when promos are available and can often save you money in the long run.
Watch out for the fees as many online agents charge booking, cancellation and change fees.
Final payment is generally due sometime between 60 and 90 days prior to sailing depending on the cruiseline and the sailing you are on. For my agency, I always ask for final payment with at least some padding before it is really due, because I hate leaving everything until the absolute last minute. I also have had clients that I need to remind 5 times before the final payment is actually made. By adding a little padding that's helps smooth things out a bit.
There are some specials that must be paid in full quite a bit before sailing. For example Crytal has had some offers that would save you an extra $1000 if you made final payment 6 months in advance. However, you should know those terms at the time you make the booking.
3 -1/2 months is not out of the question if the sailing demanded final payment 75 - 90 prior to sailing and the agency wanted a couple of weeks padding. That seems very reasonable to me. Of course, not knowing the details of the booking only allows me to speculate.
Sorry I haven't seen this. The reason I had asked was it seemed Pat had made her final payment some seven months prior to her cruise. It seemed a long time to me.
Just last week I was reading an ecruise saga about a woman who booked a HAL cruise more than a year ago and paid in full at the time. In July, which was after the final payment deadline, she received a called from the cruiseline that there was a problem. Apparently the agency charged her credit card, but their agency was paid, and not HAL. So someone in the HAL billing department got involved and the poor woman was going crazy (with worry, and with all the phone calls back and forth between ecruise and HAL trying to get payment to HAL). It sounds like the cruiseline person was putting in a lot of phone calls herself trying to get payment.
Just underscores the importance of using a TA that will put thru the charges the right way (the cruiseline charges the card and that's what's on your statement, and not the TA's name). Check your credit card statement to make sure the cruiseline is listed and make sure the TA sends paperwork on every step.
Used them once thru cruisecompete. Had a problem with billing; called cruisecompete and they helped me clear it up. I should have realized a problem when ecruisestore billed my credit card, instead of the cruise line.
Don't want to get into a discussion of cruisecompete vs your TA, just want to warn others to watch where the money is going and take action early on if needed, no matter who the TA is. I have used cruisecompete about 10 times since and follow these 2 steps.
1. Ask the TA, who will be charging the credit card, TA or cruise line.
2. Check your credit card online a few days after payment, if TA charged the card (has not happened since), dispute it before you get billed and send an email to TA telling them to forget it. Book with another TA.
ecruisestore closed their doors on 10/25 and filed for bankrupcy. I hope none of our folks have anything pending with them.
I can't say that I will miss them. Discounters like them soon realize they aren't making any money and soon disappear. While I am obviously biased, you are better off establishing a long-term relationship with in individual TA that you trust.
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