Good Deal Or Not?
 

I have a friend whose trying to get me to join a travel club where you pay what seems to me to be a reasonable membership fee. Anyway, he's showed me a 5 day Carnival cruise that departs from Galveston and goes to Calica, Playa del Carmen & Cozumel for $230.00 per person. Is this a good deal? My wife and I have never been on a cruise before. The website I was given is www.smarttravelbiz.com. Whatever help you can give would be appreciated.<BR>

Doesn't sound like all taxes and non-commissionable charges are included.<BR><BR>Paul

I'd be VERY careful. Carnival, for example, routinely posts prices for what sounds like the same cruise on their web site for about this money. However, thats on an older ship (Jubilee) out of Texas (not easy to get to since you fly in about 60 miles away and have to take a bus to the port), for the lowest priced cabin (inside upper/lower) and ONLY on sailings that are considered last minute (meaning you must sail in the next 2-4 weeks which makes airfare costly).<BR>In this day and age I see little reason to pay membership fees when there are so many places to get similar deals.<BR>Bob

Bruce:<BR><BR>Lots of factors go into low pricing--timing and how full the ship is, for two. Without joining anything, you can get last-minute pricing on icruise.com right now for those same Galveston ships that's even lower--$9 plus port charges for Monday's's sailing, for example (Comes out to around $300 per COUPLE). <BR><BR>Doesn't mean you can drop everything and go.<BR><BR>I'd be very skeptical. Would suggest that you decide what cruise you want to go on, shop around for the best price, then see if the membership plus price through the club is a better deal. I would bet against it.<BR><BR>Good luck!

Actually, Paul, it does include port charges and the price on several of the .com cruise sites is $179 for the bunk beds and $220 for a regular inside.

First of all, do not join the travel club! You can get this same cruise on a discount cruise website for the same price with no fee. I live in Houston and there are deals all the time (this time of year) for like 5 day cruises on the Jubilee for $199-$299 per person. <BR><BR>Do not go on this ship. I had some friends take the Jubilee out of Galveston and were disappointed- not because it was Carnival but because the ship was so rundown. I personally went on the RCCL Rhapsody out of Galveston and had a great time.<BR><BR>Good luck!

I sailed the Jubilee and it was in perfect condition. Unless it got itself run-down in the last year and a half.<BR><BR>Paul

I agree with Jen. It is a nasty ship. Remember...you get what you pay for. If it is your first time cruising, it might just put a bad taste in your mouth. :-(