best cruise prices
 

How do you get the best possible price on a cruise? I've heard that if 5 couples were sitting on a cruise ship no two would have paid the same price. Any tips? also, can the discount cruise sites be trusted?

<BR>Hi Becky, <BR> <BR>You can trust a discounter over the internet .... that is ... until something happens. <BR> <BR>Your best bet is to talk to a travel agent and ask hundreds of questions. If that agent does not answer your questions, no matter how trivial, find another agent. <BR> <BR>Of course if price is your objective you will have to get quotes from all these agents. <BR> <BR>Have fun, <BR> <BR>Paul

don't book with a small agency..go big traditional and play the prices you see on the net against them to see if they will match, or go net-based....just don't book with those self serving type agents who take advantage of consumer ignorance and pass it off as "safety, service and expertise"

Try www.travelco.com you can check prices online and they's adjust their price after you book if you call them <BR>if it falls. Our cruise fell by 50%.

<BR>To Mr. doityourself, or should I say Mr. Knowitall. <BR> <BR>Attempt to receive service if you are stranded in an airport at 10 PM. <BR> <BR>What if you are left with your baggage on the pier when your cruise <BR>line goes bankrupt? <BR> <BR>What if your cruise documents arrive incorrect? Who do you call "documentsarus?" How about airline tickets ...... same senario. <BR> <BR>Who's going to explain to you the best and most reasonable way to see <BR>Alaska or Europe? <BR> <BR>As an example take a survey of those that have gotten burnt by Priceline.com. Save a few bucks ... sure ..... at a cost of hundreds. <BR> <BR>These large companies just wish to hike-up their bottom line so the company looks good to the stockholders. The fact is, they are losing thousands and maybe millions per year. <BR> <BR>Someday, mark my words, you will find out. Then we will not hear from you again. <BR> <BR>Net prices ..... hah! <BR> <BR>I am an excellent travel agent that gives 24 hour service I also give plenty of free advice on these forums and I do not sell over the net. I would never put up with the likes of you. <BR> <BR>I believe you are the type that would steal an apple from a small mom and pop grocery store because you believe they make plenty of money and would never miss it. <BR> <BR>Paul <BR> <BR> <BR>

Oh Paulie, <BR>You hurt my feelings, you are mighty personal in your response with the theivery reference, don't blow a gasket old man, relax,I never singled you out...methinks he doth protest too much, eh? I just pass my experiences along, just like you do. Nothing wrong with that is there? <BR> <BR>Actually, my response is quite well reasoned.... <BR> <BR>1) Lower costs of distribution via the Internet should result in lower costs to the consumer. Not always but it makes sense. <BR>2) Larger agencies deal in larger volume, therefore lower prices. <BR>3) If there is a problem. larger agencies will have more pull with any supplier since they are a larger customer and more valuable to that supplier. <BR>4) Why not comparison shop, especially for a commodity type product? There is no difference in a cruise cabin booked from the travel agent down the street, vs. one booked at AAA, vs. one booked via the internet. They are all the same. <BR>5) Larger agencies may in fact have more pull in getting you an upgrade etc. because of the volume they do with a particular supplier. <BR>6) Of course, as with any trip etc. investigate insurance etc. no matter where you buy it. <BR> <BR>Your anecdote regarding Priceline is inane. I never said use them. They are poorly run and you lose way too much flexibility for arrangements. <BR> <BR>Additionally, any traveler who cannot get himself or herself home in an emergency without the assistance of a travel agent, probably should not even go to the corner grocery store alone. <BR> <BR>Finally, over the years I have booked travel with AAA, several small traditional agencies and large internet based travel/cruise discounters. I am a good customer, spend a lot of money, expect and get good value for what I buy. They all love and compete for my business. Why? Because I buy alot and don't waste their time by not knowing what I want. Nowadays, there are just so many independent resources to do your own unbiased research. <BR>

Paul, <BR>I and many others stay away from this discussion for months on end because of some of your repetitive comments and complaints. Every time I look here again, you are putting down someone else. Now to top it all, you have started annoying people on other boards. Give it some slack. No doubt you are a conscientious TA. There are many other TA's on these boards who give helpful information without being so arrogant. Relax. Go drum of some customers in the real world.

As a rookie computer user my research led me to imandi.com. I stated my needs and received replies from 8 travel agencies (all reputable, I found) They then competed with each other for business.

My husband & I just booked our 5th cruise. This time we booked with expedia.com. We've booked thru them once before and we used cruise.com twice. We used cruisin.com once, but weren't entirely happy. Cruise.com is actually Omega Travel & they're HUGE. <BR>Even if you don't book thru them Cruise.com has an excellent data base of reviews-or go directly to cruiseopinion.com. You may also want to try cruisemates.com for more info. <BR>Oh, and yes I believe it's true- the 5 different couples probably did pay different amounts, but they probably have different category cabins. Happy sailing- web

I've used the same travel agent on several cruises. After checking with on-line companies and private companies I've found that he has the VERY BEST prices. Please e-mail me directly and I will be happy to give you his 800 number so you can compare for yourself. You won't regret it. Marcie

<BR>Hi boys and girls, <BR> <BR>I was not putting down everyone on this forum. If you read my post, I was addressing Mr. doityourself. <BR> <BR>His statement referring to me as one of those ... quote: "self serving type agents who take advantage of consumer ignorance and pass it off as 'safety, service and expertise.'" <BR> <BR>If his second post was his first he would not have heard from me. <BR> <BR>Simply put, what I was trying to say is: Do not buy unless you have researched your agency and are comfortable with their service and replies. Ask many questions and see if they have the patience to deal with you. <BR> <BR>Mr. doityourself has done his homework and is a seasoned shopper but he should not have come down on me. I do not take advantage of anyone and I do not charge by the hour. <BR> <BR>Happy shopping, <BR> <BR>Paul <BR> <BR> <BR>

okey dokey paulie, <BR>you're trolling but I'll bite..... <BR> <BR>look at my original post, did i address it to you? Ehhhh, No! How would i have known you were a travel agent from your post of 10/06/00 @ 2:15 in this thread. You did not identify yourself as one (although I admit to knowing that you are one). However, you chose to take my post personally. Just because my post immediately followed yours, you felt that it was aimed directly at you. Is your ego that big that you think everyone knows you and the forum revolves around you? Sorry buddy, it doesn't. <BR> <BR>But, since you insist and to massage your ego I will now make the statement that you are the "self serving type of agent who takes advantage of consumer ignorance and passes it off as 'safety, service and expertise.'" <BR> <BR>Most of us are here to exchange ideas, not arrogantly preside (addressing the community as "boys and girls") and preach their form of gospel. <BR> <BR>I just think you feel a little guilty, my man. You are a self righteous opinionated old fart (hey, I'm entitled, this man called me a theif) who does nothing but attempt to put down any new way of doing things. You have done it with the internet, e-commerce, and Renaissance cruises. <BR> <BR>Everyone, do you own research....don't blindly trust anyone with a vested interest in anything you decide to buy. Look for true independent confirmation of any and all sales pitches. Why, because that what agents are, sales pitchers. <BR> <BR>I do believe travel is the number one commodity sold online. Accept the inevitable, travel's future and best prices (and perhaps present) are online baby.

Dear doityourself, all I can say is "Here Here" you are soooo right.

I hope Priceline offers cruises soon. I have found them to be a great value. I purchased Chicago to London airline tickets for $325 plus taxes (total $400) <BR>for a high season trip this summer. I bought the tickets 6 months ahead. The cheapest I ever saw them advertised was $749. I have also purchased a dozen very nice hotel stays from them. My last Priceline stay was in Indianapolis downtown in a 4 star Westin for $35.

I used cruise.com for my cruise and got a great price. They beat American Express Travel's quote as well as those of a couple of local TAs (AmEx and the TAs were unwilling to beat cruise.com). Anyway, we got great service and had no problems. Of course, we purchased insurance because you never know. I would definitely use them again.

Becky, <BR>I have used a lady I found off the internet. Addr:www.sailaway-cruises.com. Her prices beat at least twenty others I checked out. If you need more info, email me directly.

I recently booked a cruise through Best Price Cruises. They seemed very helpful and easy to reach via their 800 number. Has anyone else used them?

After a LOT of checking we used a lady that is an independent agent with alarge cruise agency. She got their great prices and could give us a lot of time since she worked on her own. Her e-mail is [email protected] if you want to check with her. Tell her Mark and Cathy sent you.

I have a real problem with travel agents that have so much time on their hands that they surf the Internet attempting to "sell their wares". If you look through many of the cruise sites, Paul is there putting down anything and anyone that uses any type of travel booking that is not through an actual travel agent, or himself. <BR>It gets just a bit irritating. I don't want a ta's review of ships or services, I want a person that has actually been there and can answer my questions from an unbias view, not someome that is there for the sheer profit of my traveling. I have found in the past that the everyday traveler can give you the real scoop on a trip that you are interested in, he is not benefiting from it in any way, so is just sharing his own experiences. <BR>Sam

I've been on and off this forum for some time now but I had to bite on this one, too. I do agree with doityourselfer on most accounts. <BR> <BR>Just a few of my opinions, though, and one of them is if you're shopping for price, you must know the product you're shopping for and the value. If you were in the market to buy a diamond ring but didn't know much about diamonds, how will you have known if you got a good price and if the diamond you bought had any value. Any cruiser and/or traveler who doesn't first research can find themselves buying a dud even if it's a good price. For me, a trip on the Carnival Tropicale for a week free wouldn't even be a good deal. <BR> <BR>With that said and after having been on 8 or so cruises AND having done research whether on the net, travel mags or books, you do become experienced enough on ships, lines and price to know if you're getting a good deal. But, part of that experience comes dealing with someone, such as a TA with a Master Cruise Counselor who educates you in the process. Then you shop. Unfortunately, the bigger agencies with the most volume seem, in MY experience, TO offer the best prices. No different than the neighborhood store trying to compete with WalMart--it's a fact. <BR> <BR>We have consistently dealt with one TA since 1993 who my husband found through the USA Today and has the credentials I mentioned above. No matter when we compares or whom we compare them to, they always have the best price. They've gotten us upgrades and have gotten us dirt cheap fares if we've ever had problems (which were not their fault). Their only downfall is they are sooo busy sometimes you have to be patient in awaiting a response, but the response is always good! <BR> <BR>Unfortunately for the mom & pop TA's, the reality is we are now a society that relies on techonology--with that technology comes information and the ability to come into contact with many other businesses all offering the same thing. As buyers, we'd be foolish not to take advantage of it. As doityourselfer said, it's still the same cabin, so why WOULD you pay $500 more if you didn't have to?