Here is what you will see when you go to the Help Center at Priceline.com
Welcome to Our Help Center
We pride ourselves on two things — getting you the best deal for the things you need and providing excellent service.
This is my first dealing with Priceline.com, and I was excited to try them out. I had tried previous companies in the past, like Hotwire, and been completely happy. This time I was choosing Priceline because they had a little better price. When it's about getting the best price, you shop clear to the bottom dollar.
I had used a service (ie Travelzoo.com) that sent me to Priceline.com. At Travelzoo.com you choose your dates, city, number of people in your party, the whole works.
When I completed my reservation I realized after 2 phone calls that I had booked a room that the Hotel does not even list or advertise. The reservation office didn't even know they had these rooms because there are so few of them. Wow, I got suckered in.
I tried to call Priceline.com, but guess what? There is no way to talk to anyone. I tried with 2 different numbers. I finally started emailing them. They basically said sorry, there is nothing we can do, just call the hotel and they will fix it. The hotel said you have to deal with Priceline.com we can't help you with this matter.
Wow, now that is great customer service. You book it, we take your money, end of story. Had I booked it straight through the hotel I would have gotten it taken care of in an instant.
Here is what you need to know about Priceline.com
1. Customer service will not help you cancel a reservation. As a matter of fact they will tell you over and over that it cannot be canceled even though you can see that it can be. Keep looking and digging.
2. They do not allow you to select how many people will be staying in a hotel room. That's right, check it out yourself. If the hotel includes breakfast there is no way to guarantee you will get the correct number of vouchers. Let alone getting the right number of beds.
3. Priceline.com has contracted with other companies like Travelzoo, ebates, kayak and so on, that allow you to choose how many people in your party. What they don't do is guarantee that request be met. Although you don't know that at the time of booking.
4. You will never get to talk to anyone to discuss what happened or how it happened. I have emailed them several times and each time I get a response from a different person sending out a canned message.
5. They are only the middle man and they really don't care about customer service. They don't operate the hotel, or rental cars or any of that. You book and that's it. There is no customer service that they can offer. I am not angry about this, just pointing out that you need to take care of yourself, please refer to #1.
Oh wait! Make that 6 things:
6. It's NOT cheaper. That's right, I thought I was saving a ton of money and it turns out cutting out the middle man and going straight to the Hotel would have been cheaper. I know this is not always the case, but it was this time. Why I didn't call ahead of time, I don't know. BIG FAIL on my part.
So did they pride themselves in those two things?
Getting me the best deal – NOPE
Providing Excellent Customer Service – The canned emails, although similar and repetitive, were nicely written, but offered no solution only much confusion.
Here are 2 different emails I received from them. They don't even know how to resolve it, because they are the middle man and they don't offer resolve.
Your confirmed hotel may be able to switch your bed type, based on availability. If you would like a
specific bed type, you may contact the hotel directly.
Any changes will be based on availability and are granted at the hotel'sdiscretion.
Followed by the next email that said this:
Please do not contact the hotel directly, as they cannot make
changes or cancellations to pre-paid reservations under any circumstances; it
must be completed online.We apologize for any inconvenience; however, we are unable to
change your reservation in our system.
Needless to say we won't be using Priceline ever again. We will be using Hotwire for sure, especially since I found the little trick to know what Hotel you are booking.
Filed under Hotel Discounts, Vacation Tips by 
Cruises are deceiving. You pay a big price, but it's anything but all inclusive. We love them and we have done quite a few, but you need to be ready to know what you are getting in to or they will nickel and dime you right out of your budget.
1. Drink what's Free – They do offer pop/soda cards, but they are expensive and the only way to get your moneys worth is to drink a lot and then it just becomes unhealthy.
2. Don't eat a the restaurants that charge – There are more than enough "free of charge" restaurants to choose from why would you even consider paying for a meal? If you do want to pay for a meal do it while in port and try some of the local flavor instead. That's why you are on vacation right??
This was a bean dip fondue in Honduras
3. Choose the Free activities – There are plenty of things to do on the boat. Plenty of shows to see and game shows to watch, don't pay for your entertainment. Walk past the casino, you can do that anywhere.
4. Don't feel like you need to have an excursion at every port – Big, big money maker here. We met up with a couple a few years back and they had booked something at all but one port. By the time they were at the last one they were happy they could do their own thing and not have another excursion. They almost felt like they had missed out on a few ports because they were whisked away to an activity instead of enjoying the culture.
A private island I found online before we went. We walked over to the boat ferry. We did not book it ahead of time.
5. If you do want to do an excursion try and book it through the company instead of the ship. You can save up to $10-$20 a person just booking it yourself.
6. Grab your drinks while in port – Ships charge lots of money for alcoholic drinks and they charge a 15% (although it could be higher now) tip right on there, and give you an additional tip line. Really?? We like to stop at a local place and try one of the local beers or drinks. Tons cheaper and you get to do something more authentic.
Drinking a local beer in Roatan
7. If you want drinks on the ship try and bring some of your own. It's risky, sometimes they go through and sometimes they don't. But if you can get your own on the boat it will save you tons.
8. Once off the ship, walk a little ways – If you get a block or 2 away from port the taxis start to get significantly cheaper. Acapulco was a huge price difference. We went to see the cliff divers. We paid $2 and the couple next to us grabbed a taxi right at port and paid $17.
9. Buy local – You are cruising so you can see different cities in different countries or areas. Don't buy the silver on the boat, instead walk the city streets and pick up something from the locals. It will be a fraction of the price.
Some of the Many Shops in Cozumel
10. Don't tell your kids the card is attached to an account – They make it so easy to spend money on a cruise. Your room key will also get you drinks. As a matter of fact our last cruise didn't accept cash or credit cards, room keys only. Either don't tell your kids or make sure they know they are responsible for anything charged.
There are so many more ways to save, but this is just some of the basics. For us it becomes a game. You want my money and I try and see how little I give you. We don't have regrets about things we haven't purchased, instead we love the new things we tried and the adventures we have found, at a fraction of the price.
Filed under Cruises, Good Eats, Vacation Tips by
I was surfing around the web as usual and came across this bit of information that I thought I would pass along.
Apparently, in past years Disney World raises the prices of their tickets in August. If you are planning a trip anytime later this year or next it's a good time to buy to get the better deal. For all the information please head over to Thrifty and Thriving as she has all in the inside information and great places to buy these tickets.
Thanks for the tips Christy!!
Filed under Money Savers, Theme Parks, Vacation Tips by
I love Entertainment Books, especially when it comes to traveling. That little card can score you some good hotel or car rental deals, plus the gas coupons, not to mention all the food coupons that it's known for.
What are you waiting for?? Get yours today.
Filed under Hotel Discounts, Money Savers, Tips for Rental Cars by
I am an avid couponer and I make my way to Coupons.com often. Just today I noticed that you can click and print a $7 off coupon to Cedar Point.
All you will need to do is install a coupon printer on your computer. This will do nothing to harm your computer. Trust me, my husband is an IT guy and he has even allowed me to put it on his so I can print more coupons. I am not sure how many people can use the coupon. Just know that if you need more you can print 2 coupons per computer.
Enjoy the ride!!
Filed under Money Savers, Roller Coaster Parks, Vacation Tips by
Loved this place and would go back in a heart beat, but read on for how to make it work best for you. This place is busy, so be prepared.
Read my previous posts to find out what all we did at the park and other ways to "discover" Magic Mountain.
First off I went directly to the site and looked for a room with breakfast included for the 4 of us. With taxes and anything else added it came to $313 for 2 nights. I did so much better than that. Check out the whole thing HERE. I did call and have her offer me something a little better, but I did best with package deal.
Since this Hotel is near the park(actually it's the closest) I figured it would be run down and marginal. I was so surprised to see that it was not only very nice looking, but it was very clean. I was very, very surprised. It makes going back to your hotel to rest a whole lot more fun.
Our breakfast was a cook to order, so I wasn't really sure what to expect there. BIG TIP: When we were there the place was busy, but not off the charts busy. I am sure during the busy season this place is a zoo and you really, really need to plan accordingly.
This is a sit down breakfast. There is a pastry/cereal/toast bar plus a fruit bar. From there you wait for someone to come take your order for hot food which is eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, pancakes and waffles to name a few. The kitchen cranks it out as fast as they can, but they do get behind. The servers are running like crazy. DO NOT think you will eat in 15 minutes or less plan accordingly. It will take some time especially if you have to wait for a table.
I really, really appreciated the shuttle service. I am sure that since they were not super busy that they accommodated us well. You have to schedule what time you want to be taken to the park and what time you want picked up. Spots fill up quickly, so book at departures to the park as soon as you arrive.
We had scheduled a pick up, but some other people waiting had not. Had we not scheduled it, those people would have never gotten picked up. The nice thing is since the Hotel is so close they can turn around and come back for the next group within 5 minutes.
I am not sure in the busy season how many trips they become willing to take. They claim one trip every 1/2 hour, but they were doing more. At $15 a day for parking this was a great benefit to our hotel. No other hotels in the area do this. Not only do you save the $15, but you don't have to walk all the way from the parking lot or back to your car at the end of the day. Drop off and Pick up are right there by the entrance.
Filed under Hotel Discounts, Hotel Reviews, Roller Coaster Parks, Theme Parks, Vacation Tips by
The first day we went was really hot, like 92 degrees. At times we felt like we were melting. We went into each restaurant along the way and asked for water and sure enough we got FREE glasses of ice water. I knew some parks did that, but I did not know Six Flags Magic Mountain did that.
We spent a total of 3 days at the park. Well, our half day the day we arrived, full day on Tuesday, then a half day on Wednesday before we had to catch our flight. Because we went for 3 days we purchased the season passes. This also allowed us discounts at stores plus coupons for so much more. We could have gotten into Hurricane Harbor for FREE, but we never did go.
If you are going and you want to get the most out of your day, make sure you go first thing in the morning. We hit 6 rides in an hour and half. The day before we had gotten there at 12pm, because of our flight, and we stayed until 6 and we rode 6 rides. The lines were longer later in the day. For even more tips about getting in quicker than everyone else make sure you check out yesterdays post.
Let' s back up and remind you of my first secret. That was checking school calendar. I realized that California was still in school June 14-16, so therefore the park was not super full.
Everyone runs right for Tatsu and X-2. If you are going more than one day, pick one day to go the other way first, because very, very few people go that way.
We were on the very first ride of the day on Goliath. By the time we made our way around to Scream, we sat and rode it 3 times in a row.
If you are a wooden roller coaster fan don't miss The Terminator. It's one of the best wooden roller coasters. It is super fast and the seats are ultra cushy making the ride much more enjoyable. Don't pass this one by.
Because we did run a lot in the morning and hit the opposite side that most people go to, we were able to get in 14 rides on the 2nd day. We would even take breaks. Remember that we always pack our snacks, so they are healthy and much more affordable, but we mostly do it because it's just healthier. We had trail mix and jerky packed in our cargo shorts. Also, like I said before, we would stop and get our FREE glass of water to have with our snack.
I do also need to mention that we did something we don't often do. This was do to that fact, that even though I was running through park and riding coasters, I did have back surgery scheduled for the day after we got home. We did need to take breaks on this trip. We ended up hitting the park hard in the morning, then we left for a few hours of napping, eating and swimming, only to return to the park right before closing and hitting more rides. Had we stayed that extra 4 hours we would have had nearly 20 rides that day.
So I guess to answer my question, do you really need a flash pass for Magic Mountain, I would have to say, if you timed it right, there is no reason. If you HAVE to go in the middle of summer and have the money to spend I would probably get one just so you can really enjoy the park. Read for restrictions before purchasing though.
Tomorrow I am going to post about the Hotel we stayed at and places we ate.
This is linked to Works for Me Wednesday
Filed under About Us, Roller Coaster Parks, Theme Parks, Vacation Tips by
We have "discovered" some great tips while visiting Six Flags Magic Mountain, sorry it has taken me so long to get all the details out to you. We have saved some money and time and found ways, that had we know, we could have saved even more money and time. I missed out, but I am sharing with you, so yo don't miss out.
We like to get to the park just before it opens and stand at the gate and run in. I know we are crazy, but that's what works for our family.
BEST TIP OF THE YEAR:
We noticed that they have a line for Discover Card Holders. Yep, that's right. It pretty much looked like an express lane. Masses of people to your right and to your left about 5 people in line. We have a Discover card, but we did not bring, because we didn't know. Bring your Discover card!
Also as you go around the park you get an instant 5% off of most things that you purchase, plus the discount for being a season pass holder. These signs were in all the windows of the gift shops and some of the eateries. I think we also get 1% cash back on most purchases using our Discover card, so this really does start to add it. Slowly, but every little bit helps.
All that to say, I guess it really does pay to "Discover" at all Six Flags nationwide.
Check back tomorrow as I share some more great money saving and time saving ideas.
Filed under Roller Coaster Parks, Theme Parks, Vacation Tips by
I have easily passed through Hood River 100 times. I kid you not, I have driven back and forth to Eastern Oregon and Portland for nearly 18 years now. We did discover the quaint downtown and for a while our stop included the Taco del Mar. I know, why would a foodie stop there?? It was easy and the place was so quaint, it was a fun stop, and always guaranteed fast. Every time we drove in and back out, I would look around and just want to take my time. But with 6 hours still ahead or 6 hours behind you, stopping to look was not an option.
Finally last summer I met up with a friend and we stopped in Hood River. We had the the most amazing meal and I decided the next time we came through we would stop as a family and enjoy. And we did!! That was the stop that made me want to come back for a weekend.
So here we are 3 months later enjoying Hood River. Before we even entered the town we enjoyed hours of hiking and sightseeing and photography. Not that I am good at photography, but I just wanted to remember it all. The day was beautiful and we managed all 3 meals outside in the sun.
The weather the second day was bad and we sat inside Doppio Coffee shop, reading and relaxing. I had found this place online, before we even got here. When we went out the first day I forgot to take my list of coffee shops to try and that didn't seem to matter, we ended up here anyways.
The bed and breakfast was good. I am not a bed and breakfast person, but no complaints. I was hoping for a little protein for breakfast, but the homemade scones did not disappoint. The room, although small, suited it's purpose on that sunny day.
It seems that there is always something to do in Hood River. This day was no exception. As we began to walk around we noticed that the roads were blocked off. After asking around we realized that there would be a Crit bike race. This sounded intriguing, so we began to look for a place to sit and watch. We knew the race was going to start right around lunch time, so we started walking the 1k course to find a place to sit. We stumbled upon Double Mountain Brewery, which was also on my lists of places to try. We walked in and the owner/manager (not sure which) told us to go into the other room, where a garage door was wide open and tables were pushed up to the edge.
Double Mountain Brewery is great. The pizzas were amazing, and the beer was even better. The thing I really love about beer and breweries is you can sample until you find one you like, then they pour you a big glass knowing you are happy. This place was no different. I sampled 3 kinds. She told me I HAD to try all 3, so I did. And just like they hoped, I was completely happy and ready for more!!
As the rain began to come down, we sat there, fully covered, yet outside, with the best view of the race. How do we know it was the best view? The whole time people walked by the said "wow, you have the best seats here." We smiled, sipped our beer and hoped they would keep moving, as to not block our great view.
Between the hiking, the breweries, and the bike race we just got a taste of what Hood River has to offer the outdoorsy person. It is after all the windsurfing capital of the world. Along with all kinds of other water sports, the close mountain for ski or boarding, and mountain biking there is never a dull moment in Hood River.
Filed under Good Eats, Hiking, Hotel Reviews, Vacation Tips by
Hood River is the Windsurfing Capital of the World, but it's also very romantic. If you want to get away there a few things that must not be missed. To start you MUST stay at the Villas of Columbia Hotel Gorge. HERE is how we got great pricing and upgrades. The view was amazing, relaxing and beyond romantic.
The grounds at the Columbia Gorge Hotel are beyond romantic, as they are the settings to many weddings. From the pictures you can see why. What I never knew is hidden on the hillside is this beautiful waterfall. The bridge gives you a view from above. Worth the stop to just look if you have time.
One of our gifts from the Hotel was a wine tour. They had 6 places that we could to a tasting. We didn't make it to all of them, but the drive was so pretty and the grounds of the Wineries we did stop at were beautiful and surreal. Definitely a place I could hang out at and drink a glass of wine.
We ended our romantic day with an incredible find. The Stonehedge Garden Restaurant. I found this online with high recommendations. (go to the website and click on events and you can print a coupon for 10% off) What we experienced far out exceeded our expectations. The road that leads up is a gravel road, with plenty of potholes, and it's next to a rock quarry. You kind of think you are not heading anywhere even remotely romantic. You follow this road to the top where a beautiful home and gardens await.
Walking around before you dine is a must. The only disappointment in this stop was that it was not warm enough to sit outside, but our waitress took care of us and sat us at the window overlooking the gardens. Wow!!
The food was amazing. They offered 4 specials on top of the well rounded menu. We noticed that there was a signature dessert that needed to be ordered ahead. We asked and were told it was a must. Bread pudding without raisins topped with Creme Brulee, topped with a rum sauce that is then lit on fire, brought to your table them topped with a caramel sauce. Spectacular!!
The day could not have been any better. It was a leisurely day taking in all Hood River had to offer for the Romantics.
Filed under Good Eats, Hotel Discounts, Hotel Reviews, Vacation Tips by
