Where to find best cruise deals?

[Crews Virgin]

Hi - new to crusing. Where do I find the best cruise deals? Cruise line web sites? Other internet web sites? Travel agencies?

 

Looking for the last week of December.

 

Thanks. Crews Virgin

[mamasue]

Hi, and welcome.:)

We're not allowed under CC rules to mention specific travel agents or websites, but there are plenty about.... just google.

Price-wise, they're all about the same, one might give you some on-board credit for booking with them.

[Essiesmom]

Go to the websites of each of the cruise lines that interest you and sign up for their email notification of specials. Some of the online cruise/travel websites offer this also. EM

[Nebr.cruiser]

I check both the cruise line web sites (you can get on their mailing lists too) and on-line agencies.

 

I've signed up for email updates on sales from several of these agencies as well. If you find a travel agent you like, they can often find the best deals.

 

The last week in December is often the most expensive time to cruise since so many people want to cruise during Christmas vacation, but you can find sales then too, just not such great deals as some other times.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Let your fingers do some looking.

[marco]

Check various sites and options. The same supplier does not always have the best deals all the time, decide on what sailing you want and "shop".

[6rugrats]

You aren't going to find any deals for the last week of December. As stated, it's going to be one of the busiest and most expensive times of the year to cruise.

[chipmaster]

Research Research Research :D

 

Make sure you factor in taxes, fees, and bonus too!

 

The last week of december is prime vacation time for many cruises, good luck!

 

Hi - new to crusing. Where do I find the best cruise deals? Cruise line web sites? Other internet web sites? Travel agencies?

 

Looking for the last week of December.

 

Thanks. Crews Virgin

[SuiteTraveler]

My advice is to select the cruise you want to take. Then google:

 

Cheap Carnival Cruise

 

or whatever cruiseline you want to use. You will get a huge list of online travel agents. Look for those who offer onboard credit and free insurance and compare these prices to the cruiseline's website. Note: prices can change from day to day, even in the middle of the afternoon, so it is important that you do a lot of checking and rechecking to get the best deal. Once you have found what looks like a good deal to you, then book a cabin that is the lowest acceptable category to you. After that, recheck the site you booked with daily to see if prices go down. If they do, you may be able to upgrade to a better category of cabin, if you want. I've done this and gotten suites for only a few hundred more than I would have paid for the balcony I originally booked. But you have to be tenacious and you cannot delay in upgrading if you see such an offer because others are looking, too and will grab the upgrade if possible.

[geoherb]

There is a website that lets different travel agencies compete for your cruise booking. That's how I found my current travel agent. Since finding him, I still use that website to get an idea about prices. But I keep going back to him because I'd rather stick with someone I trust than to take a risk on getting someone unreliable even when he's a few dollars more. Generally, though, his price quotes have been good--much better than booking directly with the cruise line or through one of the major travel websites.

[barante]

I have a cruise agency site that I always consult. Can't give its cruise name, but it ends with a com, is easy to navigate and gives me a description of cabin sizes in various categories, in addition to price. It's my starting point. To my knowledge I have never booked anything through this particular agency -- even though prices are good -- because I find something better elsewhere.

There is also a site that asks you what you want, when and where in a given ship and then brings you bids from various travel agencies.

Frankly, I constantly spend time researching. And if an opportunity presents itself, I grab the deal. An example. This week I was researching cruises from Valparaiso to North America. I was pretty much sold on HAL's Veendam for April 2013 until someone on this CC board mentioned a bargain-priced Star Princess cruise from Valparaiso to Los Angeles that March.

I wasn't wild about the Princess itinerary (the Veendam's was better but I don't like the ship that much) but the prices were so compelling that I snagged a balcony cabin today for the 16-day cruise. I normally go for insides.

It pays to do research. In general, some of the best prices are among westbound trans-Atlantics from Europe each fall. Tremendous bargains. May make sense if you can locate a cheap flight to Europe.

We are about to take a TA from Venice in a few weeks and have three more cruises booked. That's early because we want good cabin selection and find deals with low deposits. After those cruises to bucket list destinations like NZ, OZ, South Pacific; Indochina and Thailand and South America's Pacific coast, I will definitely begin booking only cruises after their final-payment date when prices often drop considerably, particularly on the trans-Atlantic runs.

We are retired. We can go whenever. And we like to go at times when no one else wants to -- like after Thanksgiving and before Christmas -- when prices plummet.

I have booked through a dozen Internet agencies and had a problem only once, which was resolved quickly to my satisfaction (always, always pay with a credit card). I now have a preferred Internet agency which gives me good deals. They don't do anything on telephone, only on the Internet. You have to know what you want because they are not in the business of hand-holding. Works for me.

[firefly333]

Im doing a lot of discounted group cruises to get better deals, but I have to pick from the list of groups, and their days and whatever cruiselines happen to be on offer.

[Crews Virgin]

Helpful information everyone. Thank you.

 

I am still searching . . . :rolleyes:

 

Crews Virgin.