I just got the email to go on a cruise in two weeks but they only pay for one person's cruise. It's still reasonable but this company is known for their nitpicky rejections. Who else might consider this assignment? You need to pay for airfare and your companion's airfare and cruise price, but you get your cruise and parking paid for as well as $575 in fees ($25 per shop x 23 shops). Note: it sounds like the shops are on the islands that the ship stops at, so if there are 4 islands, that's almost six shops per day. If you'd consider it, tell me why.

I'm considering it because I need one more cruise on that line to bump to the next level, and the airfare is not so bad from here. Are you sure that the shopper is on the hook for the second person's fare? The email made it sound like it was 1 person in 1 cabin (single supplement). What concerns me is the number of shops per day. If each shop takes an anticipated 45 minutes and a conservative estimate of 15 minutes taxiing between them, that's 6 hours per port with another 6 hours to write up. What happens if there's an 8-hour port day and some shops run over? What if the ship for some reason does not stop at the planned port? Are they due after the cruise or during it? I need to talk to the scheduler before committing. Too many vague parameters. I would also want something in writing that says basically even if [x]% of the shops are rejected for some reason, the cruise will still be reimbursed.

I would love to do one of these actually. I prefer travelling by myself so just reimbursing one person is great. Retail narratives are MUCH easier to me than service narratives that you would have if this were an actual cruise shop. On top of that I have friends and relatives at 3 different major airlines so airfare would be at most $75 for me. The downside is it's my least favorite company that I will actually do work for. And I'm already way over booked for the timeframe.

I will do that if they offer it here in the west coast. I already own one of those brand watches and wouldn't mind shopping for another...

4/2 seems like it's awfully quick to be just recruiting for this job now. I got the sense that this one was a cancellation and that they're looking for a replacement. Anyone with experience in how these types of shops are usually scheduled have an opinion? I'd need more than two weeks' notice to drop everything and go on a week long cruise, sadly.

I would definitely consider it. I agree it is not my favorite MS. I work a FT job. I would look at it as a business trip. So still working all day, and probably into the night with reports. I like to have a companion, but when mystery shopping my experience has been they can really hold you down. It is so irritating when I explain the scenario and my guest (hubby is the worst offender) will order the wrong thing and I have to say, why don't you try xyz while trying not to raise suspicion. My husband thinks he has to chat everybody up in real life and doesn't know to shut it when I am on a job. I would rather have an assignment I can do alone over one where I have to bring a guest. Maybe I need to raise my guest standards.

I have never done a cruise shop but this doesn't sound like a typical cruise shop whereas you evaluate experience on the ship. So Sea days could offer some down time and not be like a busy hotel stay where you evaluate every area from sun up past sun down, making calls, taking pics, visiting all of the outlets, etc.

since neither the cruise line nor watch brand has been named which msp is this out of curiosity although I think I know.

Intellishop

I got the same email today but one of the requirements is a certain level of income....

With this being 2 weeks away, airfare will not be the best getting down there.....

A bit off topic, but have any of you tried Vacations To Go for last minute cruises. On their site there is something called the 90 Day Ticker and they list cruises on sale. I have seen cruises up to 80% off and have booked with them with no problem. They also offer military and other affinity discounts. The prices are really amazing, particularly if you are considering a cruise two weeks away. So before signing up for a mystery shop for a last minute cruise, I would check this out first. The price may be so low that doing all of the reporting work may not be worth it.

I saw it, swooned, and sadly knew this was not going to happen for me. But hey, its one step closer for me to maybe do one someday!

Frequently, for shops in the Caribbean islands, especially if it is a luxury brand, the MSC will pay airfare+intra-islandairfare+hotel+food+$30-$50 fee per shop+any bonus you agree upon. Also there are a lot of things that can go wrong in these islands. I cann't begin to write my adventures when shopping there, so I always make sure that I allow ample time between each shop. Also, many luxury brands, or other shops, are not open as late, or as early as in the USA, or they may open only for a few hours around the cruise visiting times, and they do not update their websites with current information. During my last trip in Aruba, the shop was located inside a hotel and was closed in the middle of the day because they had a major international event at the hotel casino that night and the shop was going to open only during night hours. No mention anywhere, until I went to the hotel and saw the sign. Thankfully my fight out was for the following day. Another time I flew early in the morning at one of the smaller islands, with a tiny Fauker, planning to return the same evening, only to find out that the shop only opened the days when a cruise ship stopped by. The MSC was nice to pay for airfare changes and hotel for the 2 extra nights. Taxis are not always available to take you from one place to another at some islands, especially with a cruise arriving since other passengers might have booked ahead. Car rentals are even worse. In some islands they do not even recognize pre-paid car reservations made in advance, as they have regular customers and would prefer to bump you. Unless you have visited these specific ports before and have a general knowledge of the life there, I would not risk it, especially with this MSC.

@KateH wrote:

Frequently, for shops in the Caribbean islands, especially if it is a luxury brand, the MSC will pay airfare+intra-islandairfare+hotel+food+$30-$50 fee per shop+any bonus you agree upon. Also there are a lot of things that can go wrong in these islands. I cann't begin to write my adventures when shopping there, so I always make sure that I allow ample time between each shop. Also, many luxury brands, or other shops, are not open as late, or as early as in the USA, or they may open only for a few hours around the cruise visiting times, and they do not update their websites with current information. During my last trip in Aruba, the shop was located inside a hotel and was closed in the middle of the day because they had a major international event at the hotel casino that night and the shop was going to open only during night hours. No mention anywhere, until I went to the hotel and saw the sign. Thankfully my fight out was for the following day. Another time I flew early in the morning at one of the smaller islands, with a tiny Fauker, planning to return the same evening, only to find out that the shop only opened the days when a cruise ship stopped by. The MSC was nice to pay for airfare changes and hotel for the 2 extra nights. Taxis are not always available to take you from one place to another at some islands, especially with a cruise arriving since other passengers might have booked ahead. Car rentals are even worse. In some islands they do not even recognize pre-paid car reservations made in advance, as they have regular customers and would prefer to bump you. Unless you have visited these specific ports before and have a general knowledge of the life there, I would not risk it, especially with this MSC.

That's exactly how I do it too.

I am laughing my ass off thinking that they'll find an adequate person to do these. I am a brand expert for this job. I was the go-to person for years. Seems like they got underbid by one of the Wal-Marts of the MSC's.

I'm wondering how much fun you can actually have if you're doing nothing but shops while at different ports? I personally don't care for the ship time as I don't gamble or bask in the sun. I swore I would never do another cruise unless it was along the Alaskan coast. How much free time do you actually get?

Edited to add...I would never accept a shop of this caliper as long as the MSC is Intellishop. No way, no how. They reject the $7.00 shops for no valid reason. They just gave me my first rejection ever. The scheduler offered to bonus my other shops because the shop shouldn't have been rejected. He took the matter to his supervisor, but it sounds like he still couldn't reverse the rejection. He was able to remove the "rejected" score from my record. If the scheduler is unable to intercede on a low paying shop, this shop is just too risky. If you're really considering I would suggest you read all the current posts regarding this MSC and their editors. I won't say never, but I currently delete every email without opening.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2016 01:29PM by COMystery.

No way, especially with virtually no notice.

I fantasized about this for an hour or so, but knew I could never pull it off. My ego appreciated that they extended an offer to me, though.

Never with that particular MSC. The reports would be a nightmare with multiple follow ups for clarification. I would be worried the whole time that the report would not be accepted and I would have to pay for the "trip" with my own money after doing all the work. Just sounds like a horrible experience all around to me.

I appreciate reading everyone's perspective. That, combined with the fact that the scheduler couldn't be bothered to answer my email, I'm going to pass. When I went through the booking, it seems that there are indeed single rooms on this line as it didn't come up with a charge for a single supplement. Good to know for the future. Cruises are a cheap vacation.

I wonder if someone else picked it up.

I imagine they would have been frantically emailing people by now if not. The cheapest room is now $2700.

Have fun whoever picked it up. Since I am not into the typical cruise experience, this would be a 10-footer for me.

@Sybil2 wrote:

Since I am not into the typical cruise experience

Me either. It's like the complete opposite of what kind of vacation I would pay for myself, but I like new experiences so I would do the shop just for the heck of it if the circumstances were right. I mean I did a golf shop once just for the heck of it and I detest golf. (it was incredibly fun btw and would go again on a shop)

I know of one shopper who picked up the Ft. Lauderdale departure for 10 days to multiple Caribbean islands. She's leaving in a few days. I believe one other FL terminal and P.R. departure locations are not filled.

I've been given free commercial cruises and turned them down. I am just not into them anymore. So why would I want to take a "free" one where I would be working the majority of the time? That is what is great about being an IC; I can pick and choose what jobs I want to do. Since I have a FT job, I can afford to be even pickier and choosier.

Yeah but I've never been on a cruise so it would be new to me.

@bgriffin wrote:

Yeah but I've never been on a cruise so it would be new to me.

Ok, I'm confused. When I said that I am not into the typical cruise experience, you agreed with me. If you have never been on a cruise, how do you know that it is not for you? Many people love the commercial cruises. I highly recommend that you try it at least once. I've been on enough starting when I was a kid and into adulthood to realize that I prefer a more adventurous form of travel. I would say that the majority of people would not be up for my kind of travel. Variety is a wonderful thing.

I'm not sure what there is to be confused about? 99% of my leisure travel is based on events (mostly music, some sports), nature, or history. I am not a fan of the beach or parties or laying in the sun seeing and being seen. I don't think I really have to go on a cruise to know that it's not something I would be interested in spending my money on.

No biggie. Go on a cruise. Don't go on a cruise. There are bigger things to worry about in life.

I'm confused. Who is worrying? You asked a question which I answered.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2016 03:40AM by bgriffin.

@PasswordNotFound wrote:

I appreciate reading everyone's perspective. That, combined with the fact that the scheduler couldn't be bothered to answer my email, I'm going to pass. When I went through the booking, it seems that there are indeed single rooms on this line as it didn't come up with a charge for a single supplement. Good to know for the future. Cruises are a cheap vacation.

Exactly! I had to contact a scheduler (another MSC) when I did a cruise (not Coyle BTW). They were available 24/7 to me, cell phones, texting, whats app, etc.