divepix:
I looked at your web site, and thought your trip was quire expensive. For 1K more, I'm set to go to PNG as well but the cost includes the Star Dancer,two nights at Walindi, one night at Loloata, two nights in Australia, three nights in Oahu, and all flights. The stays on the liveaboard, and Walindi and Loloata include food. Hmmm, are you researching this?
The price on our website is the Mike Ball 10 night Milne Bay 2006 advertised price. We have not marked it up. You may have seen an AUD price on our site that has since been corrected to US pricing. Our price is $3,500 for a 10 night cruise. The price for Hughes Star Dancer for the same dates for 10 nights is $3,132. So you have a great deal IF you have purchased 8 nights, airfare and food for $370 total. But I doubt it.
In addition, the Ball boat is nicer and Hughes does not go to Milne Bay so the trips are different.
I have been booking liveaboards for groups for over 10 years and you may like Hughes' operation, but I can assure you, dive retailers in general think they are a pain to deal with, so I won't do business with them.
Thank you for your response, but please before you criticize me and my pricing in a forum, do more research and compare apples and apples. We have hosted hundreds of people per year for several years in the Caribbean and overseas and have an almost 100% satisfaction rate as evidenced by our repeat travelers.[/QUOTE]
You may have had 100% satisfaction, but the fact remains that I too have 10 nights, although 3 are on land in PNG and then in addition 2 in Australia and 3 are on in Oahu, but my cost includes the FLIGHTS (Continental & Air Nugini).......does yours? Your right about apples to apples. But then maybe your customers have found their airfare to be only $1000, (actually my price is 47K compared to your 35K) then your trip would be closer to what I'm paying...then again I'm coming from GR Mi. which is probably farther than your trip. I'm sorry if you think you have a really good deal, I just think it can be done for allot less than what your web site says. I'm not trying to make you out to be a bad guy, but just state a fact. Maybe your customers would be happier paying less for more :11:
Peter Hughes has quoted prices in the past as more expensive if you are American or Japanese, I think this is very discriminatory and I have passed up on them in the past because of their business practice.