Things you can do on a cruise that you did not know about

by hotelsetc, posted in cruises

Cruise vacation deals are becoming more and more popular but not just for the price itself. From five star restaurants to incredible entertainment and activities, there is much more to a cruise than meets the eye. Here are two incredible things to do on a cruise that just about anyone would enjoy:

Enjoy Broadway-styled productions on Cruise Lines

Cruise lines are adapting the changing entertainment scenarios which demands high-tech, dynamic productions, and providing the same high quality of entertainment on board for their travelers. These state-of-the-art ships have assorted features and entertainment choices. These include varieties like surf simulators, ropes courses and even snow rooms as well as ice skating rinks! Beyond these fascinating structures, cruise lines are also reinventing the cruising experience and producing Broadway-like shows on board. These have advanced features such as big lighting, elaborate costumes and contemporary choreography. In fact, Disney Wonder of Disney Cruise Line has already started producing theatrical version of its all-time highest earning animated movie “Frozen” during travels. The movie is presented as a musical show on board. This is just one example of how cruise lines are changing the face of entertainment at sea, and giving their travelers experiences of a life-time in special surroundings. After all, watching a musical in theater is ordinary, but watching “Frozen” come alive on a ship, surrounded by splashing waves is something unique.

cruise entertainment

Another Disney cruise liner, Disney Magic has already been presenting “Tangled: The Musical” on board. This hour-long show contains 7 musical numbers.  Alan Menken, an Academy-award winning music composer has composed 3 new songs for this musical. It is breathtaking to see Rapunzel in the cruise settings; with her 200 feet long golden hair adorning the stage.

Not only Disney cruise lines, but Carnival’s latest ship Carnival Vista also has excellent, on board entertainment varieties, including the first ever IMAX theater cruising at sea. The liner also produces special musical shows, featuring classic rock anthems.

How About Taking a Culinary Cruise?

Who says gourmet dining and celebrity chef-led restaurants cannot be experienced at sea?

You too can enjoy the feast-adventure by taking any of the culinary cruises that have become quite popular in last few years. While restaurants on earth are earning stars for their meals, spirit and excellent wines, now the same experience is also being offered on sea by the best cruise lines through their culinary-themed vacation sailings. Here you can have the same high levels of exclusive meals, wines and enjoy gourmet dining episodes that are created by world’s renowned chefs. Instead of booking a simple cruise vacation, now a high number of travelers are booking for trips based on famous chefs’ appearances on selected cruise lines. There are also events of opening trendy cocktail bars or restaurants aboard a ship which have been quite a hit with connoisseurs. Most of cruise lines used to offer a central restaurant along with breakfast, lunch buffets in their all-inclusive packages. But now, renowned chefs are creating exclusive menus for cruise lines inspired by their destinations as well as local cuisine of ports of call. Windstar Cruises offers such culinary cruises on its small luxury yachts. It has a sophisticated fleet that consists of six yachts, each with a capacity of 300 guests. That makes it a perfect cruise for select gatherings going to ports where big ships cannot dock. Such convenience gives travelers a chance to disembark and taste local cuisine too.

food on cruise

You can find cruise discounts for all the best destinations on Hotels Etc.

Are Closed user groups the only way to find travel discounts?

by hotelsetc, posted in vacation

Are you familiar with closed user groups within the travel industry and how they help consumers find the best online discounts possible? These groups originated in the telecom industry and referred to a simple platform which allowed paying subscribers the opportunity to make free calls within the group. Essentially, the very same tactic can still be found within that industry through a service in which telecom operators offer free calls to members on the same network.

Closed User Groups within the Travel Industry

Closed User Groups in the travel industry were the only way to find online travel discounts prior to the internet. Hotels Etc and a number of other travel membership clubs were inundated with applications and requests at the time from consumers who want to pay less for their travel needs. In a similar fashion to the above mentioned telecom companies, Hotels Etc offered their subscribing members the opportunity to avail of huge discounts within a closed user group. Hotels Etc negotiated the discount – their members saved money.

Closed User groups

But why are these travel membership clubs suddenly so important?

Travel clubs have always been important but the arrival of the online world and search booking engines in particular meant it was easy for consumers to find the best travel deals without them. But history does repeat itself in every market and with the introduction of a new law called rate parity, we are now seeing the re-emergence of travel membership clubs.

You see, the law of rate parity now restricts traditional booking engines from offering genuine discounts or value to their customers. Stipulating that every booking engine, whether this is Orbitz, Expedia or anything similar, must display the same cost across all channels of distribution which effectively means they cannot advertise the heavily discounted prices we have seen in the past.

Hotels Etc and the ease of booking

Hugely popular in the early 1990’s, finding discounts with a travel club is really a straight forward process. Having negotiated the best discounts direct with the supplier, travel clubs then offer these heavily discounted vacations or travel services to their members in return for a small subscription. And the best part of this system? Closed user groups are exempt from the laws of rate parity and they are not restricted in any way from passing these discounts on to their customers.

vacation

As mentioned, these travel clubs are re-emerging and in contrast to the very beginning of online booking, they now offer all of the perks (and more) of a traditional booking engine. Fast and straight forward, accessing the best online discounts with a travel club could not be easier.

Morale of the story: For many years, travel booking engines led the charge in terms of finding the best prices for hotels and vacations in particular but recent laws have restricted these traditional booking engines from providing any real value. If you want genuine value, travel club membership is now the only real option to find the best online discounts.

The truth about how to get travel discounts online

by hotelsetc, posted in travel discounts

For two decades there was never really any secret in terms of how to get travel discounts online, for it was once an easy task. Simply log on to Expedia, Orbitz or any of the other most prominent booking engines and take your pick. There was really no catch to any of this process either; you got the best products and services at the best possible price every, single time. Suppliers and operators were more than happy to avail of these extra avenues for filling their vacant hotel rooms, especially at the last minute, and the process itself was so convenient it left potential guests with no good reason not to utilize their services.

travel discounts

How to get travel discounts online

In fact, the presence of travel discounts online continued to increase for many years, as did the actual percentage of these offers. More and more, new travel booking engines found their way into the market and this did nothing other than make it easier for customers to find the best deals.

Old ways and new beginnings

However, it has long been known that history repeats itself within every industry or market, and the online travel industry is no different. Hugely popular and common place prior to the arrival of the internet, Travel Clubs were once the main and only source of travel discounts. In return for a small membership fee, these membership clubs negotiated special rates with suppliers and offered these amazing deals back to their members in what is called a “Closed User Group”. In many ways, these were no different to a traditional booking engine from a few years ago in that they offered large discounts with no catch.

Interestingly, these travel membership clubs were overshadowed by the emergence of the online world and in particular, booking engines. But as mentioned, history does repeat itself and in light of a new law introduced to the market called “Rate parity”, these travel clubs are now re-emerging as the best and only way to find travel discounts.

travel membership

Rate Parity and Travel membership clubs

Rate Parity is a new law which essentially disallows the traditional booking engines from advertising reduced prices across their channels of distribution or in simple English, they no longer offer discounts of any kind. This may sound very significant but that’s because it is and if you check any of these booking engines against each other, you will quickly find the prices are the same across the board.

Naturally this means the consumer is offered no real value from a traditional booking engine other than convenience and for this reason, Travel Membership Clubs are thriving once more. Exempt from the laws of “Rate Parity”, these membership clubs are now offering genuine travel discounts to their members which cannot be found anywhere else online.

Although maybe you need convincing and in such case, you should consider starting a free trial offer with Hotels Etc, the leading Travel Membership Club in North America. With more than 4 million members, 25 years of experience and a five star rating; Hotels Etc is now one of the best and only ways to get travel discounts online.

Are travel discounts a thing of the past?

by hotelsetc, posted in travel discounts

We expect to find the best travel discounts online and along with convenience, this is the reason we use booking engines as opposed to calling or booking direct with a service provider. Except, maybe you have noticed, the cost of hotel rooms and other travel related services seem to be increasingly expensive and there is a specific reason for this being the case.

las vegas discount

Travel discounts and Rate Parity

Introduced recently, a law called “Rate Parity” stipulates travel brands can only advertise one price across all channels of distribution. This effectively means a traditional booking engine simply cannot offer hotel discounts as they have done in the past. Held accountable by this new legislation, the cost of a hotel is the same on a traditional booking engine as they are on a website for the hotel in question.

The truth is out there

Take for example Kayak, one of the largest travel comparison websites in the world. If you perform a quick search for a hotel room on Kayak you will find the cost of a hotel room is the very same across all of the booking engines out there. Why? As mentioned previously, rate parity. This is the same if you check each individual booking engine and compare the price against the website of the actual hotel.

Providing this is the case, you really do need to ask yourself, what is the point of using these booking engines if they offer no genuine value anymore?

travel discounts

Travel membership: The only way to find genuine travel discounts

However, there is thankfully still a way to find the best travel discounts online and this is by searching within a “closed loop program” such as a travel membership club. Rate parity does not apply to membership clubs and for this reason, it is possible to sign up and start finding the travel discounts which were once available on the traditional booking engines.

Simple and effective, travel membership clubs also have a booking engine of their own on which you can search for the best vacation and avail of the best price.

Hotels Etc in North America

Leading the way in North America for more than 25 years, Hotels Etc is a travel membership club with a 5 star reputation and 4 million members. Essentially, this membership program negotiates the best possible rates with service providers in the travel industry and passes them on to their clients. Ranging from 50 – 80%, these are large discounts which far outweigh any decision to sign up for membership and there is also a trial option during which you can verify this value for yourself.

There really is no more to say other than if you want to find the best travel discounts online, you will need to look past the traditional booking engines and start utilizing the incredible advantages of being a member with a travel club such as Hotels Etc.

Still not sure? Come see for yourself, you can sign up for a free trial today.