Cruising.....with fees...

The days of all-inclusive cruises including the cost of all of your meals seems to be vanishing.
For a few years now, cruise ships have been offering "premium" dining at a higher price. ("Want a steak dinner? Splash out for a night at a higher price.") But in 2011, a mania for up-charging for meals may be kicking into gear.
Case in point: Royal Caribbean International has bumped up its fees for a couple of its so-called "premium" restaurants: Rita's Cantina and the Seafood Shack on Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.
Passengers used to pay $8 for meals at Rita's Cantina, for instance. They'll now pay a fee of $3 to dine at the restaurant and then pay a price for each item ordered a la carte, too. The 15 percent gratuity isn't included either. (A tip of the hat to Cruise Critic for breaking this story.)
The first absurdity here, I think, is that cruise company RCI considers Rita's Cantina and Seafood Shack to be "premium restaurants."
Rita's Cantina and Seafood Shack serve the type of food that ought to be included in the "all-inclusive" price in the first place. The menu at Rita's Cantina includes such glamorous items as chicken tacos ($2) and taco salad ($3), while Seafood Shack goes all fancy with a basket of grilled jumbo shrimp ($7). Cruise Critic says that these changes amount to a price hike, noting that a meal with guacamole, a quesadilla and grilled chicken that cost $8 in the winter now costs $11.25.
But, of course, that's because there's now ultra-premium restaurants, like Chops Grille. I'll agree that Chops Grille, with its selection of prime rib and lobster dishes, counts as a premium restaurant. I also agree that it's nice to have the option of splashing out on a fancy meal during a cruise. I'm willing to pay an extra cost for the meal, which is now $30 per person (a fee hiked by $5 this year).
Yet the danger here is that all cruise lines will begin to serve sub-standard food in their main dining rooms. After all, by making the dining hall experience less attractive, a company can make more money by upselling customers on fee-based meals elsewhere on-board.
I don't mean to pick on RCL, which offers an outstanding cruise experience overall. That corporation just happens to have been the latest one to do this.
Another example from this summer:
Norwegian Cruise Lines has put into place a $4 fee for late night room service. Room service used to be free. Royal Caribbean instituted this fee about two years ago.
In another twist, if you order a pizza to your room on Norwegian, you'll pay $5 at any time of day.
Thank you to MSNBC for this article. Click here for full article.

Airlines want you to pay for the privilege of purchasing a ticket

DON'T WE DO THAT ALREADY?

I read a lot of articles in the travel industry, and rarely do the airline 'rules' make any sense in the real world. How is it logical that once you've paid for an airline ticket, you cannot do a name change. In the real world, if you buy a shirt but your friend wears it, the retailer doesn't charge you a fee for this change...... Airlines are goofy. Really goofy!

Here is an article posted by Charlie Leocha with consumertraveler.com, and once again it really makes sense!!!!

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/airlines-want-you-to-pay-for-the-privilege-of-buying-tickets-dont-we-do-this-already/

United Airlines charging travel agents?!!!!!?!!!!!?!!!!!?

Seriously.........
What is this world coming to, when the airline won't allow travel agents to issue a ticket to the client credit card?
I'm not sure if you have read the many many many many many articles on this recent issue, but PLEASE write to your state senator, and make the airlines understand that ultimately it's the CONSUMER that suffers when changes like this are made.

The consumer always loses, when airlines get greedy!

As quoted in USA Today: "Credit card processing costs are escalating at a high rate," says United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski, noting that United's distribution costs, which include credit card fees, totaled $710 million last year. "We're continuing to explore ways in the current economic environment to reduce our costs and run an efficient airline."

Unbelievable.

Please contact your congressman to REJECT this new policy, and make sure that the other airlines won't follow suit.....
Click here to find your United States Senator; click here to find your U.S. Representative.

To read more click on any of these website articles below:

USA Today article

Eye For Travel article

Breaking News 24/7 article

Another USA Today article