Booking a cruise.

[fuddhist]

My wife and I want to book our first cruise. Is there a place to book a cruise that is better than anyplace else, such as price, onboard credits, and so on? Trip Advisor, Expedia, or Carnival site or anywhere else.

[TheOldBear]

This site is sponsored by an online travel site, so the rules say you can't discus online travel sites.

 

For a start here

- take a look at the 'find a cruise' and 'deals' buttons on the top of the page.

- scroll down to the 'ports of call' forums for areas you may be interested in visiting

- read reviews on ships you may be interested in sailing on

[OCruisers]

Hi and Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

Please consider finding a good travel agent who specializes in cruising to help you out on what you want and help you make a good choice.

[Steviewonder1]

We also used a Travel Agent (found in the Yellow Pages which are no more unless you look one up on the internet) for our first cruise. After seeing and experiencing the process we did all of our following cruises on the Internet using the various places that have that information. This sometimes includes the Cruise Ship company on the internet. After a little searching it is not hard to find out how to do it without a TA. Our questions are: Where do we want to go? When do we want to go? How long do we want to be gone? Who goes there? And how much do we want to spend to do it. Side items are, if flying we go 1-3 days ahead to the cruise port cause when you fly 8-10 hours to Europe, you want to see more of it since you are there. One day US Ports, up to 3 days for European Ports. The second side item is how long do we want to stay at the end of the cruise before returning home. Then the $$$ questions. What size of cabin do you want? Are you flying First Class or Coach and how many stops before you get to your destination. More stops means more chances to loose luggage.

We are totally spoiled and save for our cruises and burn airline points. We buy Penthouse suites, mostly on the rear of the ship, unless it has Soot issues which a couple of them have,read more here on that. We fly First Class so luggage weight is not an issue and no more than one stop internationally and direct flights in the US/Canada.

That said the next thing to look at is Cruise Excursions. These come in two varieties. Those that the Cruise Line provides and those Private Excursions that can be found under the Cruise Roll Call section of this web site. Go find your Cruise line, the ship you are booked on, then the date of your cruise and check into the Board for your cruise. Do it here and not on the Cruise Company's site. You will find all sorts of things like "The Meet and Greet" party for all of the Cruise Critic folks that checked into the board for your specific cruise. There may also be some Private Excursions listed on the board with openings for additional folks to take advantage of. The difference between the Private vs Cruise Line excursion is the Private one is usually 9-15 people on a small bus or van vs 50 on the Big Bus the Cruise line runs, and at about half the cost. Also, the Private excursions can be changed on the fly such as stopping here for lunch or bypassing a place with a long line to get into see something.

Lots of stuff to read here on Cruise Critic. Me and DW have done more than 12 cruises and hosted and organized 3 Meet and Greets. It's fun, just go for it!

The last thing is turn off the Cellphone and Internet.

You are on Vacation. If something happens back at home, delegate someone to handle it. It will cost you dearly to hop off a cruise and fly back home because grandma broke her leg.

The last thing is to buy Trip and Medical insurance. DW had a gallbladder attack in Alaska that was well into 5 digits (we were medevacuated off the ship in Sitka). We got half the cruise fare back, all medical paid for, First class air fare back to Seattle and a night in the hotel there to rejoin our original flight back home.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Steviewonder1

[Flatbush Flyer]

Use the "best of...." lists at Conde Nast Traveler to find a "cruise specialist" TA.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Flatbush Flyer

[tomko2]

We do all our own bookings directly with the cruise line. First we decide where we want to go, e.g. Caribbean and then when we want to go, next is for how long and finally from which port do we want to leave.

 

Once you have answered those basic questions for yourself you can start narrowing down your choices in terms of what would be available.

 

If you were to post the answer to those questions, I am sure you would get lots of suggestions/ideas.

 

Also you age and interests, e.g. snorkeling, shopping, sight-seeing, zip-lining, would help others provide you suggestions.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and Welcome to Cruising --- warning: both are highly addictive.

[paul929207]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

We use a TA. We sail on Princess and they are one of the few lines that allows a TA to discount the price. So we usually save about 15% off the Princess cost.

 

Call around and ask for a quote. As friends who cruise if they have a TA

[jb456]

Am I mistaken, I thought cruise lines came out with a rule that no travel company or agent can sell packages cheaper then their price?

 

I do understand travel agents can give extra perks sometimes and most likely long standing customers get great things but would a new client get many perks from a travel agent?

 

Seems much easier to research yourself and book directly.

 

Our first cruise (last year) I did all the research thanks to cruise critic and youtube and feel that I got a better deal then many others on the ship. Spoke with many and could not believe some prices people paid...

 

For our first trip I think we got a better deal directly with Princess then any travel agent could have offered for a brand new cruiser. We did a 5 night caribbean on Princess. Did an inside for our first time. 3 people total price came to $854CAD and on top of that we got a $500USD on board credit. Unbelievable I think for very first cruise.

Edited February 15, 2015 by jb456

[paul929207]

Am I mistaken, I thought cruise lines came out with a rule that no travel company or agent can sell packages cheaper then their price?

 

I do understand travel agents can give extra perks sometimes and most likely long standing customers get great things but would a new client get many perks from a travel agent?

 

Seems much easier to research yourself and book directly.

 

Our first cruise (last year) I did all the research thanks to cruise critic and youtube and feel that I got a better deal then many others on the ship. Spoke with many and could not believe some prices people paid...

 

For our first trip I think we got a better deal directly with Princess then any travel agent could have offered for a brand new cruiser. We did a 5 night caribbean on Princess. Did an inside for our first time. 3 people total price came to $854CAD and on top of that we got a $500USD on board credit. Unbelievable I think for very first cruise.

Most cruise lines do not allow a TA to discount. However, Princess does not have that rule. So a TA is free to discount Princess prices. Not all do, but if you check around, you can find some that do. We usually get about 15% off, plus OBC

[jb456]

Most cruise lines do not allow a TA to discount. However, Princess does not have that rule. So a TA is free to discount Princess prices. Not all do, but if you check around, you can find some that do. We usually get about 15% off, plus OBC

 

Interesting, I will have to look into that :) Thank you!

[paul929207]

Interesting, I will have to look into that :) Thank you!

It took some searching, but I finally found a site that allows TAs to compete for your business. You tell them the cruise and cabin category and you get quotes from several TAs

[jb456]

It took some searching, but I finally found a site that allows TAs to compete for your business. You tell them the cruise and cabin category and you get quotes from several TAs

 

Would the name of the site also be a C and C? could you possibly PM me the info?

[paul929207]

Yes, it would be a differnet CC site.

 

There is no PM facility on this CC (Cruise Critic)

[fuddhist]

Thanks everyone for the info. As far as price, I agree that that seems to be about the same wherever I look. Although people I have spoken to in the past have said that depending on when you book ie. Last minute or early you can get better deals. I am more so looking for perks such as on board credit to help with drink purchases and such to keep down the cost of the extras. We don't care where we go, we just want to go on a cruise. We live in Va, so we are leaning towards leaving from Norfolk, Charleston, or Jacksonville so we don't have to fly and have extra expenses due to airfare. Being our first cruise we don't care about cruise line as we know nothing about any of them. Thanks again for everyone's help.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

It took us a while but we finally found a TA that we have now used for over 25 years. We like the idea that we can call her anytime we want to and stop in and see her any time we want to. She knows what we like and takes care of all those tiny details.

[jb456]

Thanks everyone for the info. As far as price, I agree that that seems to be about the same wherever I look. Although people I have spoken to in the past have said that depending on when you book ie. Last minute or early you can get better deals. I am more so looking for perks such as on board credit to help with drink purchases and such to keep down the cost of the extras. We don't care where we go, we just want to go on a cruise. We live in Va, so we are leaning towards leaving from Norfolk, Charleston, or Jacksonville so we don't have to fly and have extra expenses due to airfare. Being our first cruise we don't care about cruise line as we know nothing about any of them. Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

I simply go to each cruise lines website and see what deals they are currently offering.

 

NCL currently offers free drink packages on many cruises if you book an oceanview or higher.. Celebrity also offers drink packages. MSC also does on some sailings.

 

Go directly to their sites, read the deal / terms, then price out the cruises.

Edited February 15, 2015 by jb456

[deerhuntingal]

Just Google "compete for cruise prices" and look through the hits. Compete is the key word.

 

The same prices for the Norwegian web site come up so no savings from just going through the cruise line site at least for Norwegian. One thing to keep in mind...if you book and want to change anything on your cruise, you have to go through your TA to do so. Never pay in full until you have to. You can get in on the discounted pricing but if you have made final payment, you cannot and there were 2 price drops on my cruise so it happens. Have fun is the key!

[Host Walt]

Here's a Cruise Critic article on the subject:

 

Finding a Cruise Travel Agent

 

And for recent price drops, try this:

 

Latest Price Drops

Edited February 15, 2015 by Host Walt

[kimlovesfl]

Most cruise lines do not allow a TA to discount. However, Princess does not have that rule. So a TA is free to discount Princess prices. Not all do, but if you check around, you can find some that do. We usually get about 15% off, plus OBC

 

I booked my first two cruises directly with the cruise line, because I am comfortable researching and booking travel myself (I worked for a tour wholesaler for years). After talking to people on our last cruise, it seems that they were getting little extras, so when I decided to book the next one, I looked at a ton of different online agencies, spoke to some, and went with an agency that is well-known and that I feel comfortable with. The price (on Princess) was about $100 less pp than through the cruise line, and the sailing I chose has a ton of perks, some from the agency, some from the cruise line.

 

I didn't know that most cruise lines don't allow TAs to discount prices. If that isn't allowed, and if you can't get extras like additional credit onboard, why use a TA?

[paul929207]

I booked my first two cruises directly with the cruise line, because I am comfortable researching and booking travel myself (I worked for a tour wholesaler for years). After talking to people on our last cruise, it seems that they were getting little extras, so when I decided to book the next one, I looked at a ton of different online agencies, spoke to some, and went with an agency that is well-known and that I feel comfortable with. The price (on Princess) was about $100 less pp than through the cruise line, and the sailing I chose has a ton of perks, some from the agency, some from the cruise line.

 

I didn't know that most cruise lines don't allow TAs to discount prices. If that isn't allowed, and if you can't get extras like additional credit onboard, why use a TA?

Other cruise lines allow a TA to give perks, but not a lower price. I think they cannot advertise the perks. I sail on Princess, so this is my understanding.

[JimAOk1945]

Do you know where you want to go? Your destination is the focal point of your cruise experience. Since it is your first cruise, you may want to work with a travel agent.

 

I have always booked our cruises. It's fast and easy since I know where I want to go. I look at two or three cruise websites to see what's available. When I see an itinerary with a price I like, I book it.

 

Happy cruising. It's a great way to travel!

Edited February 15, 2015 by JimAOk1945

[Cruisin' Chick]

Hi and Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

Please consider finding a good travel agent who specializes in cruising to help you out on what you want and help you make a good choice.

 

Since it's your first cruise, this is probably the best advice. Ask your friends, co-workers, family members who have been on a cruise to see who they suggest for a first-timer. If they haven't been on a cruise, ask for a recommendation for a travel agent and then go into that place and ask if you can be matched with a TA who knows cruises. That way, if you have questions, before and even after you book, you can ask of someone who's knowledgeable. If you book with an online company, you may end up with a booking agent who has never been on a cruise, much less even seen the ocean.

 

On the plus side, this TA will want you to have a great time so you'll keep using him or her. If you rather do it yourself, why not wait until you've been on a few cruises and know more about this type of vacation.

 

Go in with an idea of where you want to go, when you can go, approximate budget. Hopefully the TA will ask about you (are you active, do you want entertainment, are you a foodie).

[deerhuntingal]

I didn't know that most cruise lines don't allow TAs to discount prices. If that isn't allowed, and if you can't get extras like additional credit on board, why use a TA?

 

My thoughts exactly but it seems some do offer a little more. Mine did not. He was even going to watch for the price drops for me and get me in on them but he missed both of them. I did not and called him to re-book. He apologized but the second time, did not even email much less call me....If you get perks from a TA, stick with them as they can be hard to find! lol!