whats the tips on not paying full price for a cruise

[ckr31]

I need to know some tips on not paying avertised price for a cruise

[Colo Cruiser]

Go with a good TA either online or other. ;)

 

Do your homework.

[terrierjohn]

I do not believe anyone pays the brochure price everyone looks around to see which TA will offer that extra discount or slightly bigger OBC; and if you are very very lucky you end up with a bargain cruise; but those only come up once in every 10 or 20 cruises, and I'm only just coming up to my tenth cruise.

[ckr31]

thanks for the info

[paul929207]

I check a dozen of so online TA's to find the best price.

[sing2sas]

It can also depend on what time of year you want to cruise. Many bargains are available Sep.-Dec. when you have the uncertainty of hurricanes in the Caribbean. Holiday cruises are usually more expensive and the discounts will not be as great, and neither will summer cruises when the kiddies are out of school, or during spring break or Easter or Presidents week. I have read that Jan. and Feb. prices are lower than previously. I agree with a previous poster that you need to do your homework since there are wide differences in pricing especially with the Carnival products (including Princess, HAL, and others under their brand). Pricing seems to be more consistent across agencies with RCI and Celebrity.

[mikeynla]

Just curious...

 

I'm a very smart traveller, and can get great rates on airfare and hotels, no problem. I've never been on a cruise before, however, and get the idea that booking a cruise really isn't the same game...

 

Are the rates on a cruiseline's website really not the way to go?

 

I've done my homework, researched the cabins, understand the ins and outs... So, that aside, will a TA really be able to get me a better rate than on the line's own site?

 

I'm intersted in booking "mini-suite" level cabins (Princess: AA, HAL: SY, NCL: AF) for Alaska, and have compared prices on official websites, as well as other travel sites. I suppose I could just go see a TA to see what all the hubbub is about! But, I'm just curious...

 

Thanks for any input! :)

[Colo Cruiser]

Just curious...

 

I'm a very smart traveller, and can get great rates on airfare and hotels, no problem. I've never been on a cruise before, however, and get the idea that booking a cruise really isn't the same game...

 

Are the rates on a cruiseline's website really not the way to go?

 

I've done my homework, researched the cabins, understand the ins and outs... So, that aside, will a TA really be able to get me a better rate than on the line's own site?

 

I'm intersted in booking "mini-suite" level cabins (Princess: AA, HAL: SY, NCL: AF) for Alaska, and have compared prices on official websites, as well as other travel sites. I suppose I could just go see a TA to see what all the hubbub is about! But, I'm just curious...

 

Thanks for any input! :)

 

 

Actually cruise lines rates can be beat pretty much always. :)

[Toto2Kansas]

Just curious...

 

Are the rates on a cruiseline's website really not the way to go?

:)

 

Princess still allows discounting by travel agents. So, you can normally find a much better deal through a TA that discounts then you can on the Princess site. Many cruise lines don't allow discounting anymore by TA's, but with Princess, it really pays to shop around. Definitely a lot different then booking hotels or flights! Best of Luck!

[mikeynla]

well, thanks, Colo... not the "help" I was looking for... any insight? I mean, seriously... Not everyone here has been on 40 cruises... Is one of the purposes of this site not to provide info for the newbies???

 

simply telling me that cruise line rates can always be beat doesn't do much for me, or anyone for that matter. :rolleyes:

 

So, in layman terms... as a first-time cruiser, I know it's always advised that one obtain the advice of a TA. Would this be consensus?

 

Thanks!

 

:)

[mikeynla]

Toto, thanks!

 

Good to know...

 

It's so strange to me that the cruise industry has been so slow to convert to "online-only" bookings. I mean, good for the TA industry! :)

 

I have researched TAs for Princess, HAL and NCL, so I suppose I'll be speaking to one or three of them in the near future... Especially the Princess specialist...

 

Thanks again!

 

oh yeah, and just remembered that I'm on a Princess forum... :)

[Essiesmom]

Brochure rates for the cruise line are just the starting point. There are all sorts of special discounts your travel agent can ask about, or you can ask about if you are dealing with the cruise line through their website. Such as: past passenger rates, senior rates, residency rates (usually state), military rates, union member rates, special rates for those in other branches of transportation, police and firefighters, teachers...the list is endless. EM

[Shelly97060]

I would start by getting pricing ideas via online websites. If you are a bit flexible about dates check to see if the week before or the week after has a better online rate. Or if one week or other has better OBC offerings. Once you are armed with your best online price it is time to work with a good TA.

 

What I love about my TA is once we book she still keeps working to find me a better price. As long as it is before final payment I always get whatever the lowest price she can find is. I book well in advance and almost always get at least one price drop before final payment - even if it is only 50 bucks. I think that is one of the benefits of using a traditional TA.

 

hope you find a great deal and have a wonderful cruise. - Shelly

[mikeynla]

Well, I'm glad to know that I'm doing well with at least the first part of this cruise charade! I have pages and pages in my travel book noted with preferred cabins, ships, itineraries, etc. that I've learned online...

 

This site, by they way, has been invaluable, so THANK YOU ALL!!!

 

But I suppose, based on these posts, that I can take my gathered info to a TA and go from there to get the best cruise for us at the best price!

 

Man... I'm doomed...I can feel it now, just based on all of this anticipation - once I've cruised, I'm never going to be the same!!!

 

:cool:

[Shelly97060]

yep it is an addiction... once you start you can't stop.:D

[riteonglor]

Well, I'm glad to know that I'm doing well with at least the first part of this cruise charade! I have pages and pages in my travel book noted with preferred cabins, ships, itineraries, etc. that I've learned online...

 

This site, by they way, has been invaluable, so THANK YOU ALL!!!

 

But I suppose, based on these posts, that I can take my gathered info to a TA and go from there to get the best cruise for us at the best price!

 

Man... I'm doomed...I can feel it now, just based on all of this anticipation - once I've cruised, I'm never going to be the same!!!

 

:cool:

 

Mikey...all TA's are not equal, some give you not a thing and the price is almost the same as buying it directly through Princess. Some TA's go out of their way to help you get the best deal. I booked a suite through a local TA for the princess Panama Canal cruise for 10 days. Only to find out our friends booked the same catagory, same cruise, through a TA online and got it $700 cheaper. When I went to my TA with this info, she tryed to give me this story, "you can't trust those online TA's and couldn't imagine they got that price." You could tell she was embarressed and giving me the spin. They did get their suite for the price I was told because I seen the paperwork. You can't use or give names on this forum but if you wan,t send me a e-mail and I could tell you who this company is that she went through. I think this is allowed.

[footlooseFF]

We just booked our first cruise with Princess and most of the local travel agents we spoke with offered the same price as the Princess website. There are cruise specialist websites you can go to where online travel agencies & others compete for your business by offering the best pricing. Check out the reviews online for those companies that respond to your request and then choose carefully. Cruise Critic does not permit naming travel agents so no one can provide recommendations.

 

Whoever you choose, make sure they are willing to lower their rates if Princess lowers the cruise cost. Most likely you'll need to be the one who catches those lower rates and bring them to the TA's attention. The Roll Call for our cruise was the best source for this type of information, and monitoring Princess website and online TAs. We saved $490 per cabin from the time we booked our cruise until the final payment date.

[cruiserbryce]

key is to shop around. There is typically always going to be a price better than the brochure price. Our cruise next month ended up being almost $200 pp cheaper for an OV cabin than what we originally saw

[jdenn4]

This site IS invaluable for all kinds of information, wish I'd seen this thread befor booking our Princess Cruise for March on the Ruby....

We thought booking through the line itself would really be the way to go...a little worried about online TA's. Well, we wanted to give ourselves a little Christmas gift and decided to book another cruise as well, and went to a TA advertised on cruise critic. We got a 16 day repositioning cruise in a suite we wanted for about the same price as the 7 day Ruby cruise. NCL had the total price at over $8,000.00, and the TA got us a price of just over $5,000.00 with $600.00 worth of OBC, my DH is estatic!

 

As far as becoming addicted....I had to drag my DH (kickiing and screaming) on a cruise last summer for our 40th anniversary....now HE's the one who can't wait to do more.

[Colo Cruiser]

well, thanks, Colo... not the "help" I was looking for... any insight? I mean, seriously... Not everyone here has been on 40 cruises... Is one of the purposes of this site not to provide info for the newbies???

 

simply telling me that cruise line rates can always be beat doesn't do much for me, or anyone for that matter. :rolleyes:

 

So, in layman terms... as a first-time cruiser, I know it's always advised that one obtain the advice of a TA. Would this be consensus?

 

Thanks!

 

:)

 

 

No need to be sarcastic, TA's cannot be mentioned here so get your fingers moving and do a little research. :rolleyes:

[ckr31]

thanks for all the great replys

[TexasJam]

I am a very independant traveler (ok, I'm a control freek :eek:), so I have a preference to booking directly with Princess. Just today, I found the price of my August Alaska cruise had dropped on-line. Called Princess, got a $700 price reduction. This is the 2nd reduction since I have booked. The Princess agents have always been very nice and helpful when I call about a reduction. When I originally booked, found Princess was the same price as on-line travel agents for our cruise.

 

Others prefer to book with a travel agent. It's your choice. Just be sure to check with the travel agent before booking about their policy on reductions and cancelation fees.

 

I check every week or so for a reduction.

 

Good luck and happy sailing. :)

 

Jamie

[kywildcatfanone]

If you are booking an inside cabin, I have found that princess.com is as good a pricing as you get from most TA's, not always, but it's good to check. Our Spring Break cruise is cheaper right now on princess.com than I have found from a online TA.

 

Mike

[Elcruzer]

Mikey...all TA's are not equal, some give you not a thing and the price is almost the same as buying it directly through Princess. Some TA's go out of their way to help you get the best deal. I booked a suite through a local TA for the princess Panama Canal cruise for 10 days. Only to find out our friends booked the same catagory, same cruise, through a TA online and got it $700 cheaper. When I went to my TA with this info, she tryed to give me this story, "you can't trust those online TA's and couldn't imagine they got that price." You could tell she was embarressed and giving me the spin. They did get their suite for the price I was told because I seen the paperwork. You can't use or give names on this forum but if you wan,t send me a e-mail and I could tell you who this company is that she went through. I think this is allowed.

Please email me, elcruzer at aol dot com, with info. Thanks

[ckr31]

thanks for all the great advice