Quotes all over the place!

[NelleS]

I'm pricing a 15-night HAL cruise for April 2010. I've received a quote from one agency (one I've never used, but I found here) that is $890 less than a national brick-and-mortar agency. I can't figure it out.

 

Additionally, some places have told me that they can't quote airfare, yet others do. One place even told me NOT to book the cruise line's air package.

 

All things considered, should money be my only consideration? $890 is a lot of money, especially since we plan on spending some extra time at the departure port prior to sailing.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Ellen

[Nunu]

I would check the cruise lines website to get their fare as a baseline and make sure you're comparing apples to apples (taxes and fees included).

[Aunty Pat]

First compare the two quotes side by side line item by line item – stateroom category, fare, taxes & fees, fuel surcharges & insurance. If all things but the fare are equal chances are the lower cost agency probably has a block of cabins on the cruise that you are looking at.

 

More than a year out group space can easily be that much less than the current fare. They can also quote an air price based upon the contract the cruise line has with the airlines. “Published” air fares are only available 330 days prior to your return date. That’s why only the cruise lines air can be quoted at this time. Since you don’t have to pay for contract air until you make your final deposit, go ahead and have it included in your booking. Then if you can find it for less, you can always have it removed before you make the final payment.

 

 

Aunty Pat

[pms4104]

My primary concern is service rather than price. I may pay a tad more than some, but I can call my T/A with any question, issue, situation and she responds professionally and quickly.

 

Should you decide to go with the agency that is near $900 less than others ... suggest you ask about any cancel and/or change fees and verify that your payments will be processed on behalf of the cruiseline and not the agency.

 

There have been a couple of recent threads mentioning a world of woes when monies were processed payable to the agency rather than to the cruiseline. Further, another person had issue with an agency that insisted on full payment nearly a year before sailing ... and it became a huge problem when the passenger needed to cancel all three cabins for health reasons and then fight for a full refund from the agency.

 

I would be curious to have the agent explain/spin how his prices could be so much lower than anyone else's.

[paul929207]

I check a number of online TA's to find the best price. Then I call my local TA. She always matches or beats the best I found online.

[mlb38401]

We are going on Destiny on Oct 20. Last night I was looking at another website and found a cheaper price. I called them and it was about $80.00 cheaper. Will my pvp from the first company give me obc if I call her and tell her I found it cheaper. We have paid in full. I did not know if it had to be Carnivcal that you booked through or a TA to get the credit.

[greatam]

 

One place even told me NOT to book the cruise line's air package.

 

 

A VERY smart agent.

 

Most likely, this cheaper agency has group space booked. May even be group space with "freebie" cabins.

 

Group space-agency gets a good price from the cruise line for booking XXX cabins.

 

Group space with "freebie cabins". Blocks of at least 10 are booked. Then you get one free cabin. If the cost of the cruise was $2000pp, $4000 divided by 10 = $400 per cabin additional savings.

 

Certainly NOT unheard of.

 

It is my understanding that air on quite a few lines is no longer GUARANTEED in price until you make final payment. So even though the air looks like a good deal on the face, it may be considerably higher at final payment. So an agent can quote you an air price now (heck, just make one up that's close)-but that price may be very different at final payment. You will need air deviation, so a "package" air price may be completely different than air deviation.

[NelleS]

I've check the really low-priced agency six way to Sunday - or least I THINK I did:rolleyes: It looks OK, which is more than I can say about a few other low-priced places.

 

Anyway, I may ask the brick and mortar agency to match, or try to come close, but I'm not sure I'll have much luck.

 

As far as the air portion, I might book with the cruise line, but cancel at a later date.

 

We'll see...

 

Thanks again,

Ellen

[Sandytoes]

If the lower price came from a Cruise Broker - one who buys cabins in bulk, usually have good discount prices.

Be very cautious buying your cruise from them.

They can be very rude, dishonest, unreliable, and have horrible customer service after you purchase your cruise.

Take it from experience.

They will charge you a hefty cancellation fee.

No price adjustments available after booking online.

 

You get what you pay for.

[Jade13]

I'm pricing a 15-night HAL cruise for April 2010. I've received a quote from one agency (one I've never used, but I found here) that is $890 less than a national brick-and-mortar agency. I can't figure it out.

 

Additionally, some places have told me that they can't quote airfare, yet others do. One place even told me NOT to book the cruise line's air package.

 

All things considered, should money be my only consideration? $890 is a lot of money, especially since we plan on spending some extra time at the departure port prior to sailing.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Ellen

 

 

 

Make sure:

1) the agency has a 800 number and at least an office (one that advertises here does not have any phone)

2) Make sure they charge your credit card directly to the cruiseline (vs to themselves and then pay the cruise line)

[Jade13]

 

You get what you pay for.

 

Not always.

 

What do you consider a hefty cancellation fee? I have seen $25.00 - $75.00. But a reputable agency will waive that fee if you book something else with them.

 

Also, I have had an online agency adjust prices, and one cruise line allowed this after final payment. They do advertise that there will be a change fee, but did waive it for us upon request, probably because we had multiple bookings with them.

[NelleS]

The agency I'm looking at has both an 800 number, plus a brick/mortar store, which, unfortunately, is not anywhere near me.

 

They do have a $100 cancellation fee.

 

"Make sure they charge your credit card directly to the cruise line (vs to themselves and then pay the cruise line)" - I don't know how I'd do that BEFORE hand.

 

I have an email to my local TA to see if she can explain why her price is so much higher.

 

The more I think about it, the less likely I am to book the air through the cruise line. DH and I want to spend at least a couple of days in San Diego prior to the cruise.

 

Thanks,

Ellen

[sjcruiser]

Ihate dealing with middle men. It's nothing against TA's, but if I have a problem, I want to deal with the vendor directly, without making a call to someone, who has to call someone else and then get back to me with an answer. TA's for some people are an advantage, but for some they don't work. I get several quotes from local and online agencies when pricing cruise. Normally they dont come in, any better than calling the cruiseline directly.

[lvtotrvl1]

890 is a huge difference. As a TA, I would be leary of the price....we are talking about a cruise in 2010....will this agency be in business at that time. Can you give us the price that you got and agents here can take a look at it....

[fann1sh]

<snip>

 

"Make sure they charge your credit card directly to the cruise line (vs to themselves and then pay the cruise line)" - I don't know how I'd do that BEFORE hand. <snip>

 

/quote]

 

Call and ask them? Often they will tell you...even if they're giving the wrong answer (not the cruise line). If they say money goes direct to cruise line, then ask them if they'll put that in writing.

 

I've been hearing lots of horror stories on these boards about $$ that doesn't get paid to the cruise line by final payment date.

 

I simply wouldn't book with anyone who didn't remit directly to the line.

 

PS - Is your cruise Zaandam round trip Hawaii? Sweet. I'm jealous!

[NelleS]

<snip>

 

/quote]

 

Call and ask them? Often they will tell you...even if they're giving the wrong answer (not the cruise line). If they say money goes direct to cruise line, then ask them if they'll put that in writing.

 

 

Here’s the agency’s response to my email asking about this:

 

“If it is a credit card, we charge it directly to the cruise line. If it is a check or cash you pay it to us and then we pay it to the cruise line.”

 

 

890 is a huge difference. As a TA, I would be leary of the price....we are talking about a cruise in 2010....will this agency be in business at that time. Can you give us the price that you got and agents here can take a look at it....

 

Here are the specifics. DH and I are both over 55, live in FL, but have never cruises HAL before.

 

We are looking at a cat. B cabin on Zaandam’s April 6, 2010 15 night r/t sailing to Hawaii from San Diego.

 

I can’t name the agencies involved, but the internet agency, which has a brick and mortar office in the northeast, has been in business since June 2002. And, according to the BBB site, has been a member of the local BBB since January 2003. There have been no complaints to the BBB in the past 36 months.

 

Using this agency’s website, I got a quote of $3707.99 pp, which included $126 fuel charge, and $78.03 for taxes/fees. That’s $3503.99 pp just for the fare.

 

The local office of the national agency gave me a quote of $4113.03 pp, including all the taxes, port fees, and fuel charges. According to my TA, if you strip those away, the fare is $3649 pp.

 

Thanks for your input!

Ellen

[greatam]

 

Here’s the agency’s response to my email asking about this:

 

“If it is a credit card, we charge it directly to the cruise line. If it is a check or cash you pay it to us and then we pay it to the cruise line.”

 

 

 

 

Here are the specifics. DH and I are both over 55, live in FL, but have never cruises HAL before.

 

We are looking at a cat. B cabin on Zaandam’s April 6, 2010 15 night r/t sailing to Hawaii from San Diego.

 

I can’t name the agencies involved, but the internet agency, which has a brick and mortar office in the northeast, has been in business since June 2002. And, according to the BBB site, has been a member of the local BBB since January 2003. There have been no complaints to the BBB in the past 36 months.

 

Using this agency’s website, I got a quote of $3707.99 pp, which included $126 fuel charge, and $78.03 for taxes/fees. That’s $3503.99 pp just for the fare.

 

The local office of the national agency gave me a quote of $4113.03 pp, including all the taxes, port fees, and fuel charges. According to my TA, if you strip those away, the fare is $3649 pp.

 

Thanks for your input!

Ellen

 

One of the BIG online agencies (FL based) is having a huge HAL sale. I find the same price difference between TWO big online agencies. And I got an even cheaper price.

 

Holland America Line

Zaandam

 

Departing from San Diego, California

On Tuesday, April 6, 2010

 

Cabin: Verandah Suite 6119 (B)

Deck: Verandah Deck

Pricing Summary:

Passenger Fare Taxes/Fees Fuel Sur. Total

#1) $3,369.81 $78.03 $126.00 $3,573.83 USD

#2) $3,369.81 $78.03 $126.00 $3,573.83 USD

Subtotal: $6,739.62 $156.06 $252.00 $7,147.67 USD

Grand Total:

[wwinfl91]

We have used an online TA for almost all our cruises after being overcharged for our first cruise at a brick and mortar TA, AAA. At the time I didn't know any better and just assumed that was what the cruise was supposed to cost and after all the TA sent us a bottle of wine (the $10 a bottle kind).

 

This was in 1997 and as I said was the first time we had cruised. After that I began shopping around for cruises and found that online agencies tended to have much better prices than AAA or other brick and mortar TA's. For one thing, they often buy large blocks of cabins on cruises and get reduced prices from the cruise line that they can pass on to the consumer.

 

It is harder now than it used to be to find a good deal on a cruise since most cruise line's web sites often have prices very close to what the discounters are offering.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[NelleS]

 

One of the BIG online agencies (FL based) is having a huge HAL sale. I find the same price difference between TWO big online agencies. And I got an even cheaper price.

 

Holland America Line

Zaandam

 

Departing from San Diego, California

On Tuesday, April 6, 2010

 

Cabin: Verandah Suite 6119 (B)

Deck: Verandah Deck

Pricing Summary:

Passenger Fare Taxes/Fees Fuel Sur. Total

#1) $3,369.81 $78.03 $126.00 $3,573.83 USD

#2) $3,369.81 $78.03 $126.00 $3,573.83 USD

Subtotal: $6,739.62 $156.06 $252.00 $7,147.67 USD

Grand Total:

 

 

OK, WHO? Please send me an email at wer04231946 at yahoo.com

 

Ellen