I seem to stick with Best Price Cruises to get the cheapest prices. No matter where I check elsewhere they seem to beat the others out by a small margin. Although I've never had problems so I have nothing to complain about. IF I have a problem in the future I'll be posting something for sure. Also - we never have problems since we know exactly what we want- no questions to ask, no special requests, no birthdays - no nothing except to secure a specific cruise ship & room & have the credit card bill charged correctly. I buy my cruise insurance through insuremytrip.com & not through the TA. Same with the airline tickets- direct from the airline or priceline.com. We have used http://www.cruiseshopping.com/ in the past but found that Best Price beats them by a small amount most of the time. On a cruise I booked the other day cruiseshopping did has a cabin credit of $50 p/p but the price was also more that Best Price. There's only so much profit margin to play around with so how much cheaper can one TA be over the other these days? As the others have said - if you're happy with one agency stick with them. If I have a problem I they don't want to stand up for me they'll know they won't get the thee or four cruises per year as they did in the past.
I think you should either find a Travel Agent that is cruise centric or just call the cruise lines yourself. You will get the same prices.
Blanket statements like this are in fact true for some cruises. Some cruises you'll check will be the same through any agency in the world or booking direct. Some lines allow block space to be purchased at significant savings to agencies. The agencies you listed above all have buying power to buy thousands of sailings per year and tens of thousands of cabins per year. They then pass the savings on in lower rates on those sailings and often provide perks like onboard credit, wine, etc.
On a 3-5 night bahama sailing the savings may be as little as $20. per person on block space or perhaps a higher category cabin at the same cost the cruiseline will sell you their lowest category at the same price. On longer sailings there may be hundreds of dollars in savings per person through such an agency. In order to avoid violating any forum rules I won't give specific examples. If you buy into the notion that all pricing in the industry is the same because you shopped a few cruises and there was no difference, you may be spending 1/3 or more higher rate than other folks at your dinner table paid for the same category of cabin on your next cruise. You may also miss out on perks by not shopping.
It is also important to note that block space can be had through a small agency or individual agent too - along with competitive pricing. My agent booked a block of cabins last year for the upcoming Rhapsody cruise. She then moved my individual booking to the group and I got a cheaper rate as a result - as well as a $75 shipboard credit.
Hi Neil, I hear what you saying but I've yet to find that TA who does have the extra buying power you're talking about. All the ones I check (online) seem to be VERY close in price. (and perks) Some do offer the cabin credit from time to time but I've found that if one offers it, the others do also. Normally people don't discuss what they've paid for their cruise, especially at the diner table, but not to say that "I always get the best price" but unless I can find another way of shopping for the bigger discounts you're talking about I'm at a loss to find them. I would be shocked to hear of someone getting a 1/3 cheaper price of any of the cruises I've taken lately.
Thanks Dave, your point is a very good one. There is no telling where you'll find the best value in this diverse industry. It pays to shop a little. With that said, it also pays to have a good agent, as you do. Even if you do find a great rate elsewhere, sometimes your agent can find a way to match or beat the rate for you.
As they say, size isn't everything! My little ol' agent chartered a ship once for a large corporation. I forget which ship but it was RCI. She did tell me it was a bit stressful.
Rich, you may well be shocked one day. There are such values and not just on a handfull of cruises. Again, this is not the place to discuss specifics but always do your due diligence. The 1/3 less is rarer than the $50. to $150. difference that normally occurs but there are some that are that big or more on some sailings. It also depends on the line and what they're offering. Any time you book with HAL, have whoever your agent is check for what are called "SWAT or Flash" promos. They do not advertise these and the rates are not shown on their website or most other sites. They have to be requested by the agent at the time of booking to get them on many sailings. Occasionally they and other lines will have other promos unaffilliated with block space that can be found with some digging by your agent. HAL also offers rates through specific targeted mailings. If asked for the mailing rate when they're available, sometimes they come back with rates nobody has published and they're frequently lower than anything found online, direct or even on the booking engines.
I used HAL as a single example of the ways to get unpublished rates. Each line has different ways of offering promos. You notice that when you call to book they always ask where you live even if you're not interested in air? That's to search for regional promos. Where you live may make a difference. If you have a home in NY and a winter home in Florida, its a good idea to let the agent know. There may be better rates for one state than another. Some Carnival block rates are not allowed by the cruiseline policy to be published. They have a rule that all agencies have to publish the same "Lowest Authorized Rates" they offer themselves. That doesn't mean lower rates aren't there, they just can't be publicized on the website. Some agencies find clever marketing ways to get those rates to you. You may have to "Click here for special rates" or look at the emails we all trash as junk mail from agencies.
All this said, it's not really that difficult to find such rates if they're available on a sailing you're calling to check on. The questions you get from the agent when you call are all an attempt to find you the lowest rate for you to earn your business. Provide as much info as possible. 55+? Military? where you live? Past passenger? All relevent in finding the promo that will get you the best rates.
Paradise Cruiser, also keep in mind that price isn't everything. Our TA has gone to bat a number of times for us and our cruising companions. So, service is another factor we consider important, and it does not come at any extra cost. Industry knowledge is also important to us, even as seasoned cruisers, which is why I always recommend a TA that has CLIA certification.
Rich C - I totally agree it is very tasteless for people to discuss what they paid for their cruise at the dinner table. Or at any time for that matter. I would most likely not believe what someone told me they paid anyway. People have a tendency to embellish things, saying they paid a certain rate, leaving off of course the port fees, government taxes , and fuel surcharge. It's futile to compare prices when there are so many variables involved in the cruise buying process. For instance, to compare two people's cruise rates who bought their cruises nine months apart, is comparing apples and oranges.
It is the height of tackiness to ask what someone paid for their cruise, their air, whatever. As CF notes, you can't believe them anyway since the whole reason for asking you is so they can play "Topper" (reference the character in Dilbert).
Actually I've never been asked what I paid for a cruise. But if I ever am, I plan to say something like "who cares, it is only money and I've got plenty".
Dave is right that individual travel agencies also have the ability to have group rates on many different sailings, either because they booked groups themselves or because they have access to hundreds of group sailings through a consortium or marketing association to which they belong. These group rates also include whatever perks the larger agencies get.
I've been on a lot of cruises, and have never once heard anyone discuss how much they paid for their cruise. I've never heard anyone discuss with their airplane seat mate how much they paid for that airline ticket, or discuss the hotel rate with their next door neighbor.
In the last several years, cruise lines have worked very hard to make available the same pricing structure to all agencies, large or small. Lisa is right that the important thing is working with a compatible, knowledgeable travel professional who knows his or her stuff. Some can offer price breaks and value added amenities that the cruise lines themselves don't offer.
All this info sound OK, so on my next purchase I'll ask them point blank if there are an specials or group rates available at the moment. I give the same local TA lots of business so they shouldn't mind a little legwork. Thanks.
Rich, great plan! Loyalty to your agent is something I commend you for. It's sorely lacking today in so many areas of life. Great service is hard to come by in many industries, have you had to call the so called "Service" centers for your computer, dish or cable service lately? I had a virus on my work computer recently and had to call HP. What a joke! They seem to be hiring people and requiring that as a condition of employment they not be allowed to think or solve problems. They read from a script and then transfer you endlessly if you ask something not on the script. You can never seem to get to an actual human who is allowed to use their brain, common sense or any problem solving skills. When I called one of the dish services I was speaking to someone in Bopal. I hung up and stuck with cable although thier service is apaulling as well (The reason I was calling the dish folks). Thank goodness the travel industry has still got a wealth of good agents and options. I actually don't know of many bad options when it comes to booking a cruise. Even the agents at the cruiselines seem to be steadily improving. I seldom get someone anymore who is incompetent, something I couldn't say not too long ago.
In answer to the original poster, we have used VTG several times and always check their website first. We also used cruise compete which led us to Best Price Cruises who we used once so far. Our exeprience has been positive, but we have not yet encountered a problem that needed to be solved so I can't comment on how issues are dealt with. We have also dealt directly with the cruise line but find their prices more expensive. Our basic problem is that we have only one local TA and she has made some errors, like booking airfare home the day before the cruise ended.
Our basic problem is that we have only one local TA and she has made some errors, like booking airfare home the day before the cruise ended.
Sounds like someone who needs to look into a new line of work.
Using a solo agent doesn't mean they have to be in your town. For instance, my agent is in Texas and I am in Alabama. She does all her business via internet or phone - no storefront.
Originally posted by Jill SC:Our basic problem is that we have only one local TA and she has made some errors, like booking airfare home the day before the cruise ended.
She had to cancel that airfare and book a flight that my partner found via internet search. It actually saved us a bit of money. I don't know if the TA took a hit on the cancellation fee.
My little ol' agent chartered a ship once for a large corporation. I forget which ship but it was RCI. She did tell me it was a bit stressful.
