Auction site & RCI Crown & Anchor savings certificates

[Pistachio42]

Has anyone ever bid and won an RCI cruise on one of the auction/buy sites such as Priceline or Skyauction? If so, did RCI honor your C&A savings certificate for that cruise?

 

Tom

 

Majesty of the Seas (RCI) - 09/06/2004 (4-night)

Majesty of the Seas (RCI) - 09/10/2004 (3-night)

Queen Mary 2 (Cunard) - E. Carib. - 01/03/2005

 

Voyager of the Seas (RCI) - Eastern Canada - 05/30/04

Fascination (Carnival) - W. Carib. - 05/10/04

Radiance of the Seas (RCI) - W. Carib. - 11/30/03

Brilliance of the Seas (RCI)- NE/Canada - 10/22/02

Paradise (Carnival/Inaugural)- W. Carib. - 12/06/98

Horizon (Celebrity)- Alaska - 05/96

Monarch of the Seas (RCI) - Southern Carib. - 12/31/95

Romanza (Chandris now Celebrity) - Adriatic & Greek Islands - 8/85

 

[jezzdogg]

When on the skyauction website and did not find the cruises any cheaper than some of the on-line agencies, if fact several times more. I would look at some .com cruise companies that are frequently talked about on cc and ask them for a quote on the cruise and cat you want. Also sign up on several for their specials everyweek, some are really good(RCCL and Celebrity have specials every Tuesday and happy hours.

 

norm

[iluvcruzin]

I can not say for sure.. but since the skyauction cruise auctions are handled by a wholesale travel agency, I would think not on the C&A coupons. They buy a big block of rooms at a already discounted price and auction them off.

 

I'm in agreement with Jezzdogg. Once in a while you could get a good deal, most often not. I've tried tracking numerous auctions. I'd start a spreadsheet with prices I've found on the online sites, then watch the auction. Most times the price is cheaper through a TA at the end of the auction.

 

However.. I have seen some pricey Silverseas auctions go for under $2K for a suite which is a pretty good deal.

 

Maureen

 

MS Maasdam 10/30/2004

Princess Sun 2/27/2005

Mariner of the Seas 10/16/2005

 

[gambler]

Talked to a few people on my last 11 night cruise on the Grandeur. (5/31/04) They booked thru Sky Auction for $1500 for two, inside gty for 11 nights. They did not seem to have any problems.

 

Monarch of the Seas 09/92

Majesty of the Seas 11/93,11/95

Sovereign of the Seas 09/94

Grandeur of the Seas 11/99,11/00,06/01,02/02,05/04

Navigator of the Seas 12/02,11/04

Rhapsody of the Seas 06/03

Radiance of the Seas 11/03

 

 

[Pistachio42]

I get some 60 e-mail specials a week from various internet cruise sites and have booked a number of cruises through them. I'll still looking for anyone who "happened" to get a great deal on an auction site and whether they were able to use their C&A coupon directly or indirectly.

 

Helen, thanks for your input. Always nice to see you here. Hope you enjoyed your out-of-Baltimore cruise on 05/31. $1500 for an inside for two sounds like those you spoke with made a good deal .. at least that time.

 

Tom

 

Majesty of the Seas (RCI) - 09/06/2004 (4-night)

Majesty of the Seas (RCI) - 09/10/2004 (3-night)

Queen Mary 2 (Cunard) - E. Carib. - 01/03/2005

 

Voyager of the Seas (RCI) - Eastern Canada - 05/30/04

Fascination (Carnival) - W. Carib. - 05/10/04

Radiance of the Seas (RCI) - W. Carib. - 11/30/03

Brilliance of the Seas (RCI)- NE/Canada - 10/22/02

Paradise (Carnival/Inaugural)- W. Carib. - 12/06/98

Horizon (Celebrity)- Alaska - 05/96

Monarch of the Seas (RCI) - Southern Carib. - 12/31/95

Romanza (Chandris now Celebrity) - Adriatic & Greek Islands - 8/85

 

[Nitra]

You know you dont have to submit your CnA coupon to the TA? You can send it right to RCCL and they will honor it.

 

If you want to know about SkyAuction why not call and ask them if they honor the coupons. If they dont have a number for you to call, I would stay away from them!

 

Voyager of the Seas!

 

 

 

Voyager 10/04

Rhapsody 10/02 03/02 1/02 11/01

Elation 10/99

Grandeur 09/97

[Jimbo]

Nitra, if you send the coupon directly to RCCL does that alter the commission in any way of the agent you are using from an outside agency?

 

Jimbo

 

10/3/04 Legend of the Seas

Panama Canal 14-Nights

 

 

2/13/05 Carnival "Miracle"

 

 

8/28/05 Serenade of the Seas

Alaska Bound

 

 

 

 

[Pistachio42]

Jim: The back of the savings certificate states that it "must be submitted at time of final payment or prior to your sailing. Travel agent commission is based on discounted price."

 

Partae on!

[Guest]

I used a skyauction.com for my April '04 Majesty cruise. They were about $50-$75 cheaper than other net sites for the same cruise. They did not honor C & A coupons and the cabin was in the bowels of the ship #2090. The cruise was wonderful, in fact we are also booked for April '05. This time however, I wanted more control, so I booked while on my previous cruise and will transfer to my own travel agent prior to the cruise.

 

Calling Skyauction.com is almost impossible, however, they did respond to emails within 2 days. They send documents by email two weeks prior to your cruise.

 

All in all, went fine. Would I do it again for $50, no.

[blueberry]

Skyauction can have some really good deals-but you need to know what you're doing. Know the best price for your cruise. If the cruise is very soon- i.e. within the final payment date than a savings of 50-75 per person is worth it. BUT if you are bidding in advance you need to be very careful since once won a cruise is paid for in full through skyauction- meaning they can have all of your money for a long time. It is also not refundable. Of course you also run the risk of having the price drop so your savings evaporate.My ruleis the further out I bid the bigger the savings have to be to be worhwhile.

That said I will say that I have used them twice. Last year I did a last minute bid for a bermuda cruise. We saved several hundred dollars over the cheapest online site. The cabin was inside lowest deck. On a traditional cruise I'd prefer to pick my own cabin but frankly on a Bermuda sailing you are on the ship so little- and the rougher seas make an inside, lower cabin a pretty good place to sail.

This year we decided in April to do a bermuda cruise again in September and so I started checking the auctions. I was pretty flexable about when we could go so I had options. Anyway after about a month I finally achieved my goal-652 per person including all fees, taxes and surcharges for an 8 day Empress cruise- with free bus service from MA. The savings, at the time of booking were $200 per person. The price did drop a little- down to just under $800 a week or two later. By the way that is another rule about Skyauction know that your bid is before taxes, fees and possible surcharges- my actual bid was only $357.

Now I do expect the worst cabin on the ship-but I don't really care- the savings were worth it to me.

[Pistachio42]

Thanks for your comments and experiences. Without the savings certificate applied to the 2 cruises I'm interested in on skyauction, the tiny savings don't warrant using them rather than a more normal online agency.

 

T

 

Majesty of the Seas (RCI) - 09/06/2004 (4-night)

Majesty of the Seas (RCI) - 09/10/2004 (3-night)

Queen Mary 2 (Cunard) - E. Carib. - 01/03/2005

 

Voyager of the Seas (RCI) - Eastern Canada - 05/30/04

Fascination (Carnival) - W. Carib. - 05/10/04

Radiance of the Seas (RCI) - W. Carib. - 11/30/03

Brilliance of the Seas (RCI)- NE/Canada - 10/22/02

Paradise (Carnival/Inaugural)- W. Carib. - 12/06/98

Horizon (Celebrity)- Alaska - 05/96

Monarch of the Seas (RCI) - Southern Carib. - 12/31/95

Romanza (Chandris now Celebrity) - Adriatic & Greek Islands - 8/85