Best Discounts???

[Wyldcat]

Can anyone tell me how to get the best possible price. On any cruiseline. We prefer HAL if it fits into the schedule, but not always possible.

I always hear of the fantastic deals that people are able to procure, I would very much like to know the secret.

 

Thanks,

 

Wyldcat

[lgt]

Not supposed to discuss travel agents, etc. on this board. It will be pulled. If you want a reply , you will need to give out an email address. I was quite suprised at the replies I received and the advice I got from other members. They do truly know it all. Thanks CC members!

[gizmo]

I didn't think the OP asked for a TA, he asked how to find the best price.

 

Research, Research, Research

 

Many people spend a great deal of time cruising the internet looking for deals. There are all kinds of deals out there, early booking discounts, last minute bookings, and special deals from the TA for certain cruises.

 

Cruise lines drop prices on and off but these price drops only last a week or so. They may only be for cruises on certain dates.

 

Sometimes you get real lucky and get an unbelievable price.

 

I always start with the price that the actual cruise line wants for the cruise then check the internet TA's. Since I have some cruises under my belt, I base my decisions on intinerary, time of year,type of cabin and cost pp.

I have a good feel for what the cost is for a partial Panama Canal or Southern Caribbean or a cruise to Mexico. If you check out the same cruise but different times of the year you will see a difference in price in many cases.

 

 

Some cruise lines do not allow TA's to discount. Celebrity is one and maybe RCL. Carnival allows discounting but they can't advertise it. You have to call the TA. They might allow email advertising but I am not 100% sure about this.

 

When researching on line TA's there are a couple of things to be aware of.

 

• Some have a cancellation fee.
  
• Some have a processing fee. This can be called other names like handling fee, mailing fee, etc.
  
• Can you reach the TA by phone or it is strickly email?
  
• When looking at prices, make sure you are looking at the total price. On many sites port/fees and taxes are not included on the original price page. You have to pretend you are booking to get the total cost. Email and news paper advertisement work the same way. Seldom do they included everything.

Good Luck !:)

[Randyk47]

Gizmo's outline for how to approach researching and finding the best prices is very good. That's pretty much the same routine we go through to find a cruise. Also mentioned was that it's not allowed to recommend specific TA's on this board. I think it's allowed and fair to say several of the sponsor's here are among the best Internet providers so they are a good place to start.

[elmorejj]

Excellent info Gizmo, especially for newcomers to cruising. I`m sure a lot of folks will get some help from this......jean:cool:

[geoherb]

The best way I've found is not to be picky and wait until the last minute. We booked our Dec. 17 cruise on the Maasdam on Nov. 15. I received a last-minute email offer from HAL with a special promo code. When I called the TA we used last year, he was able to do even better on the price.

 

Of course if you have your heart set on a particular ship or itinerary, it's better not to wait. There are still deals out there before final payment is due. For instance, we had a Caribe Deck balcony cabin (the highest category of balcony, not including the minisuites and suites) on a Princess cruise for less than $100 per person per day.