Learning the words on a trip quote

Land-only, cabin category, shoulder season, supplement, group departure and all-inclusive each change a decision. This page sets out what each word means and when it does.

A cruise ship sailing across open water beside a coastal town with apartment blocks and a bay — A sea cruise ship and a river boat sell cabins under different category names. Compare the category text on the quote, not the photograph, which shows no particular ship.

The words a quote uses, and what they settle

A trip quote is written in trade vocabulary, and the same word can mean different things to two operators. We use each term the way quotes use it, which is not always how a dictionary does. The terms below come in the order a trip usually raises them, so the list runs from the first decision to the last. Each one says when it changes what a reader should decide, and when it does not.

A term is only useful if you can say what it changes.

Three figures to keep in view

3 or 6

hours of change to a departure time that count as significant on a domestic or an international itinerary.

14 CFR 260.2, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2 years

the longest a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation lasts, or until the passport expires if that comes sooner.

GOV.UK, applying for an Electronic Travel Authorisation
4 to 6

weeks before leaving, the lead time the CDC advises for a visit to a health care provider or travel health specialist.

CDC Travelers' Health

A yellow notepad with a neat column of pencil marks, a face-down phone and reading glasses on a wooden table — A notepad with a pencilled list is the right tool here. The picture shows no quote, so every term has to come from the document in hand.

Write the terms down before comparing two quotes

Quotes from different providers are rarely laid out the same way, so comparing them from memory goes wrong quickly. Put each term from one quote beside the same term from the next, and mark where the wording differs. Blank cells are as useful as filled ones, because they show what a quote leaves out. Then ask the question each term answers, since some words change the price and others change what happens when plans move. Keep the sheet with the documents, so the comparison can be checked later.

A quote that is missing a term should be treated as unknown, not as included. Ask for the missing term in writing, and keep the reply with the quote. Where two quotes use different words for the same thing, write both down and ask the provider to confirm they match. A short list of questions answered in writing is worth more than a long list of verbal assurances.

Six terms and the decision each one changes

Land-only

The price covers the ground arrangements only, and flights are left out. It changes the decision when one quote includes air and another does not, so compare the totals rather than the headline price. A reader who wants an all-in figure should ask for the air cost as a separate line. Keep the two lines apart when comparing.

Cabin category

A cabin category is a grade of room, named by a letter or a number, and each operator names its categories differently. Balcony and inside rooms on the same sailing are priced differently, so the category text matters more than the name. Read the words on the quote about what the room includes. Compare categories only where the description matches.

Shoulder season

The months either side of the peak are often cooler and quieter, and sometimes cheaper. The pattern varies by year and place, so check the destination's own season before relying on a general rule. It changes the decision when crowds or heat matter more to the trip than the lowest fare. A reader who is flexible on dates should look at the months either side first.

Supplement

A supplement is an extra charge for a traveller who has no one to share a room with, or for a cabin priced for two. It changes the decision for anyone travelling alone, who should ask for the single price in writing before comparing quotes. A quote that shows no single price is not yet complete. Ask the provider to state the figure before any deposit.

Group departure

A group departure is a trip with a fixed start date and a set of other travellers, run by the operator. It changes the decision because the dates are fixed, so the calendar has to fit the departure rather than the other way round. A reader should check the fixed dates against passport and health lead times. Check the cancellation terms on the same document.

All-inclusive

The term has no single meaning across operators. Some quotes cover meals, drinks and transfers, and others cover much less. It changes the decision because the inclusions list is what separates two quotes with the same name. Read the list line by line before treating two prices as comparable.