[784caroline]

Finding the best cruise price in todays market can be a real challenge. We have always been lead to believe "buy today for the price will go up tomorrow" ...but is that really still the best strategy in todays market. Although things are improving for the cruise line industry in terms of bookings, it is in many ways comparable to what we read about the housing market especially when you read more houses sold this month which leads you to believe we are comming out of this recession BUT what they dont tell you is the houses are selling for much less money. The same is true for Cruise ships...companies need to sail with the cabins full, for a good percentage of their revenue is made once you are on board by selling you tours, drinks bingo games, photographs, the casino etc. As an "Elite" captain club member with Celebrity and one who has cruised other lines a number of times, I will share with you "my" insights on how to get the best "NET" price for your $$.

There are 4 ways or places you can book a cruise. 1)Travel Agents, 2)Cruise Line Web site, 3) a group tour which can be from your college or a local group sponsoriong a tour from TV, and 4) finally while on Board the cruise line itself for a future cruise. In booking a cruise you have to first determine what type of traveller are you....an experienced cruiser who needs little help, or someone who has never cruised or cruised once/twice before and needs help..alot of help along the way.

Most Popular is to use a Travel Agent and cruise lines could not live without them. For the new cruiser or someone who needs or wants assistance every step along the way, a travel agent is essential. For the most part they will put you on the right type of ship to suite your needs (ie a party ship with alot of night activity; a ship that would cater to people your age, a ship that prides itself in food while another may focus on entertainment...each ship has its own character!! DONOT get on the wrong type of ship!!!!

My coments are more focused to the somewhat experienced cruiser but I believe these comments hold true for all. Cardinal rule... not all agents are created equal. Whenever you book a cruise, most if not all Travel agents today offer you the same price that you can get from the Crusie lines website. You need to deal with a reputable agent ...what I mean by that is, they are all your friends at time of booking but will they be there if something goes wrong.For experienced cruisers, if getting a low price is your key determinate if going on a cruise, you need to look at more than simply the price of the cruise, for practically all agents offer the same price. What you need to look for is AT TIME OF BOOKING YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK FOR THE ON-BOARD CREDIT amount per cabin..AND /OR are gratituties prepaid with the price. You are looking for the NET COST of the cruise for On-Board Credits is an amount that is credited to your on-board charge account to be used for tours, drinks, spa treatments or other purchases. These 2 factors as far as Net price is concerned is what distinguishes each TA price from one another! ALSO at time of booking you need to ask up front are there any agency booking fees, processing fee, a change or cancellation fee (unless you are within the cruise lines penalty period) or fees to mail out your documents. YOU SHOULD PAY NONE! Believe me look else where if you see this happening but you should always ask your agent up front. This is especially critical in today cruise market when prices have been dropping dramatically and the cruise line will NOT automatically reduce your rates UNLESS you or your agent brings it to their attention. Sometimes this is a simple process but it can be a real hassle that would require your agent to rebook the entire cruise to get the beter rate and if you are talking about 3,4,5,or more cabins in your group that can be a hassle and take time. Not saying this is good but this is the market we live in today! MORE TO COME!!

I will add another problem when dealing with "Agents". We always booked our cruises through the line itself and not an agent and most were transatlantics.
A couple of cruises ago we decided to use an Agent to see if it would be easier..WRONG..In one case the cruise offered a lower price and when that happens you can get the lower price by asking. We pointed out the lower price to the agent and she first said it was not available, (we knew it was) and then it was too late, (not true) and then she would try. It is critical to know that once you go through an Agent the Cruise Line will not talk to you. You have to go back to the Agent. We had to go to the Owner of the Agency to get them involved and after a ton of calls and work we finally were able to get the credit. Never again..The problem is that you can no longer deal with the cruise line and if the Agent is reluctant to work for the credit, is not dedicated etc. you are at their mercy.

[784caroline]

REH7380
Remember what I said about the cardinal rule..Not all Travel Agents are Created Equal. You had a BAD agent!! You do bring up some good points when booking directly with a cruise line. Booking through the cruise line itself you have all the information in front of you and you can deal/negotiate directly with them. If you use a TA, a cruise line will NOT discuss any aspect of your cruise booking with you directly..you need to use your Travel agent. The biggest negative of booking with a cruise line directly is that you rarely get any any On-Board credits which would lower your net price of the cruise. If you book directly with a cruise line or even on ship for a future cruise, you can always transfer the booking to a travel agent and take advantage of the OBC offered...and remember not all TAs offer the same incentives or OBC...you need to shop around unless you are comfortable from a service perspective with your current TA.
The problem you described about finding a lower price and trying to get your agent to get that new price for you....Assuming you were not in the penalty period (ie 70 days prior to sail or when final payment was due) You simply had a BAD agent and I would not use him/her again. I had a similar situation when last fall, we booked a 14 day cruise in europe. WE booked in May and then the prices dropped $600 per cabin but had a stipulation , "new bookings only". Since we were 3 months from our sail date I called my agent and he initially told me this new rate was for new bookings only.......I simply told him fine CANCEL our 4 cabins (that were valued at close to $16,000 total) and we will rebook with another agent. This agency had a no cancelation fee policy and we were well outside the penalty period as far as the cruise line was concerned..all we had invested to date was $900 per cabin down payment via credit card which was fully refundable from the cruise line. GUESS WHAT...this agent did rebook our cruise but it was even more complicated in fall 2008 because the fuel surcharges increased from our initial booking that had to be taken into consideration as well as a reduced OBC...but we still made out close to a $450 per cabin reduction X4 cabins or $1800.
Also I highly suggest a cruisers sign on to www.cruisecritic.com and go to the Bulletin Boards for both the cruise line you are planning to sail and moreso look for the specific cruise you are planning to take. There will be a wealth of information on this site to assist you in tours, notice of price reductions, and just a chance to get to know people before you board just in case you are travelling only as a couple.

[GTTPF]

Caroline, That is excellent information that you have given. I hope the people appreciate the time and effort that you put into it. We have been cruising 3 to 10 per year since 1990 and everything you said is right on. We also book through the cruise lines (a very good friend of ours soon also to be TVers has a travel agency) just before final payment is due we transfer our bookings to him so that he can get the commission. Because after final payment the price can't be changed anyway. Great job on the info!!

[blueash]

There is a website I've used successfully several times. Cruisecompete.com You need to have done your research and know what you want. Then you post your request with the details you want right down to the cabin category. Then several large agencies will email you with their best offers. You are not obligated to accept any of them, but they have always beaten any deal I have found online or via the cruise line itself. Happy sailing

[784caroline]

GTTPF

Thanks for your comments. I fully support booking a cruise with the cruise line and then transfering the reservation, just before final payment, to a travel agent. That way you are in control of the reservation with the cruise line directly until final payment and then afterwards you take advantage of any OBC offered by the Travel Agent.

The thing that gets me here in The Villages is that people get caught up in cruises sponsored by Local entertainers or other "Affinity Groups" and they reallly dont know what they are getting. Granted they will participate in all the activities put on by that group but have they really looked "at what price" they are paying for that convience!

You can still cruise with this group..even sit with them at dinner and in most cases get a better price by booking these cruises yourself. If the group rate is competitive you would most likely get a better cabin location for most cabins booked with these groups are guarantees (with the mininum cabin noted) when you book it with the actual cabin assignment being made closer to sailing. Also with cabin prices changing daily(ie dropping)..and depending upon where you are cruising (just look at Europe this year...close to 50% drop from Jan/Feb 2011)....in most cases you will not get an equal price adjustment with a group rate.

BLUEASH

I have also used CruiseCompete and in fact the agent I am working with now and have been for the past 4 years came from this site. Like anything else you need to do your homework before booking and look out for extra fees such as cancellation or change fees or document preparation etc. In my request I ask them to tell me all fees there agency charges.... If you see any, I would stay away. There are too many good Travel agents that provide a good service at no additional fee to the traveller.

[jackz]

Originally Posted by 784caroline

REH7380

Also I highly suggest a cruisers sign on to www.cruisecritic.com and go to the Bulletin Boards for both the cruise line you are planning to sail and moreso look for the specific cruise you are planning to take. There will be a wealth of information on this site to assist you in tours, notice of price reductions, and just a chance to get to know people before you board just in case you are travelling only as a couple.

Another vote for cruisecritic.com.

We are taking a 13 night Holyland cruise from Rome to Turkey, Israel, Greek Islands etc; in September and thanks to following the cruise on cruise critic we have booked our shore activities in Israel and Turkey in smaller groups of 6-8 people at approximately half the price charged by the cruise line. Basically a few of the posters did their research and shared the results with all who then formed their tour groups for the shore excursions. Additionally, with cruisecritic you can sign up for mix and mingle and Royal Caribbean arranges a large room with free appetizers and soft drinks for those that signed up via cruise critic. The meeting allows you to meet with those you have communicated with on the cruise critic board about your cruise. We have over 90 people signed up for the meet. Posters on the board also created a "cabin crawl" where people signed up to show their individual type cabins to others after the Meet and Mingle. This allows cruisers to check out all types of cabins and is helpful for future cabin selection. All in all, cruisecritic is an outstanding resource.

784 Caroline, thanks for this thread, I am sure there are plenty of veteran cruisers out there and I look forward to their submissions and learning more about cruising tips.

[cybermuda]

one more vote for CruiseCompete - we have used them on five occasions, and booked through five different companies, but always the lowest price we have found anywhere


and one more "thank you" to 784Caroline