How do you get the best deal?

[IslandDreaming]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. Our extended family is planning a cruise next August, probably to the Mexican Riviera. There will probably be a total of 7-10 cabins booked.

 

How (and where) do you all find the best deal on the cruises you take? Feel free to send me a PM if you have website names that can't be posted on the board.

 

Thanks so much,

 

Jennie

[alcpa1]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

The best advice that I can offer is find a local travel agent you can sit down with and discuss your options. On line TA's are good too but be sure that you find someone you can reach easily as the inevitable questions and family issues will crop up. They can take a great deal of pressure off you.

 

The TA can help you book the cabins that best suit your family, arrange air, and work with the cruise line for your group booking if you have the required number of cabins (usually 8.)

You can also book directly with the cruise line's group department if you meet their requirements.

 

Since I do not know what your cruise experiences have been I can only offer some general advice. I am not a TA but I have arranged three or four group cruises with a variety of requirements.

1. Set a date for the cruise that meets the needs of the group.

2. Select a ship that has the itinerary you all agree on.

3. Present the group with cabin options. Specific cabin assignments are best. Guarantee rates will have your group scattered all over the ship.

4. Encourage each party member to book travel insurance. Insuremytrip.com is a great place to start. If any member has a preexisting medical condition insurance generally needs to be booked within two weeks of the booking. Do not forget to have them include air and an optional precruise night hotel stay in your port of embarkation.

5. Savvy cruisers arrive at their port at least a day prior to the cruise to avoid travel delays and late luggage issues.

6. Air arrangements should not be booked through the cruise line. They book like the consolidators and your options diminish accordingly.

7. For new cruisers make certain that they understand that TSA and Homeland Security have established a time for the passengers to be checked in and onboard the ship. For most lines that is 1 1/2 to 2 hours before sailing. This is subject to change if the security level is raised.

8. Also make sure that your party understands that all ports on a given itinerary may not be reached. Weather or other issues, like dockworker strikes in Europe, can prevent a ship from docking and it is the cruise that is the destination not necessarily the ports.

9. When you book with a TA you must use that TA for all communications between your group and the cruise line.

10. For cruising newcomers please let them know that the time a ship is scheduled to dock has very little to do with the actual time of disembarkation. When the cruise lines recommend flights after noon they know that anything can happen and they certainly do not want their customers blaming them for missed flights.

 

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do not permit TA's to lower their fares. All other lines have variable rates with big sellers getting the best rates. There are many on line cruise agencies that offer perks. We are not permitted to name specific TA's on the boards.

 

Please ask any other questions you might have. I hope I have helped.

[spongerob]

You have to shop around, and like everything else, know what you are buying. Start with the cruise lines' web sites and look at itineraries and dates that will work. Get an idea of how the cabins are arranged and how they code the different categories, and the prices. Then do some comparison shopping at on-line web sites and even local travel agents. It might even be worthwhile to visit a local TA just to pick up some brochures because they usually include deck plans and cabin descriptions.

 

Usually the cruise line has the highest prices. Also take a look at the taxes and fees because you'll pay that no matter what. On-line sites can be tricky because they might or might not include taxes and fees in their pricing. They might have their own cancellation fees. And, make sure they don't add non-refundable insurance at an early date, in case you do have to cancel.

 

It's not as hard as it sounds. You just have to remind yourself that the devil is in the details. And if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

[julieanne]

Online sites have to include taxes and fees in their quotes, this is law. They do use creative accounting methods to re-arrange those fees so that some prices "appear" to be slightly lower. Shopping around is your best bet as well as keeping an eye on the price. Since you are going to have a large group, you may enjoy some great perks as well. I would sit down with a cruise specialist and get some prices, then I would make the comparison online. Almost all of the mid range lines (NCL, RCCL, Celebrity, Princess) do not allow online TA's to discount and there is only one site that I am aware of that does have lower prices as they are a volume discounter. Of course we can't mention it here ;).

[spongerob]

Almost all of the mid range lines (NCL, RCCL, Celebrity, Princess) do not allow online TA's to discount

Princess (and all of the other Carnival-owned lines) does not have this restriction. I routinely pay much less than Princess-direct pricing. I'm not sure about NCL. RC (and Celebrity) are the only lines I'm aware of that prevent TA's doing their own discounting.