Thank to everyone for your emails regarding which ships - another quick question - which is the best way to book a cruise and who offers the best deals. I visited an Australian travel agent and got a brochure - too expensive and no deals. Looked at a few web sites and they all seem to offer cheaper cruises than the travel agents - any suggestions as to which ones to us and which ones to avoid. Does anyone know any web sites where I can book a flight/cruise combo - possibly from LA or Dallas

Thanks

Karen

You can try cruisecompete.com I have had some luck with them. I also have used crucon.com.

Karen, before you use the internet to book your cruise, a word of warning. You should decide first which cruise, what date, and exactly which cabin category you prefer. That is the only way to compare apples to apples. I once requested "ocean view with window no porthole" and went with the lowest price (3 cabins). I got two great cabins and the third was a porthole in the very front of the ship - the anchor chain was between the porthole and the wall of my cabin! But it was my fault, because I did not specify the Category. Best thing IMO is to go on Travelocity where they show cabin numbers, then request your quote using an exact cabin number, or range of cabin numbers.

If you are unsure what you want, then you should talk to a live travel agent who has experience with the cruiseline you are considering.

Also, in my experience, you should book your air, your insurance, and your cruise separately. The cruise lines air-inclusive fare is usually way overpriced (the exception is if you arrive and depart from different cities, but even that can be beat via Orbitz etc). For insurance, go to insuremytrip.com right after booking, and compare policies and prices.

If this is your first cruise, you may be better off booking with agent. They will give you a lot of information. It doesn't have to be a face-to-face agent and not even necessary in your country (are you in Australia?). You may check with my agent Alex at [email protected]. He's quick to respond and will spare no time searching for the best cruise for you.

Karen,
I concur with finding a travel agent. If you have never booked a cruise before, a travel agent is the way to go. They will find the deals for you and book your air at the same time. They also should ask you your seating preference for meals (early or late seating) and what kind of cabin accomodates your needs. My hubby and I have been on almost 20 cruises and we still use our travel agent.
Cheers and happy cruising!

I agree that using an agent for cruises is very advantageous. Find an agent that specializes in the Cruiseline you decide on. They usually know the specifics of the ships and often have the best deals. You mention Dallas, and in fact, ours is located there even though we're in DC. Our agent concentrates on Regent, Silversea, Oceania, Seabourn, and some land trips. Does not deal with air except for air provided by Cruiseline.

Any of the on line establishments have personal travel agents you speak with. I have always used them for the phone numbers are right on the page. You can just retrieve your info via email.

This may sound crazy, but I have booked both Carnival cruises through Sam's Club. If you have access to Sam's, and have a membership, I would highly recommend them. I researched for a long time, found the lowest price and then called Sam's. They came in several hundred lower! No agent fees, and they can offer great deals. A membership is only $30/yr.

Costco also has very competitive deals on cruises. They may not be as knowledgable as a TA that books a lot of cruises, but if you have a specific cruise and date, they are very helpful.

You'll likely be better off buying cruise and flights separately. I second the vote for http://www.CruiseCompete.com to get you the lowest rate.

Good luck!

It's very true. CruiseCompete is one of the best ways to go. You have a half dozen or so travel/cruise agencies vying for your business. You must input your specific cruise, ship, date and type of accomodations you want and within hours you will get numerous price quotes. Good luck.

I agree with the travel agent for a first time cruise. don't go with expedia..they charge a full price for the cruise plus a service fee, so in that case you would be better off booking with the cruiseline direct than going with them. Agents are not supposed to advertise lower prices than the cruiseline (although a lot do), BUT if you find the right agent you just may get it cheaper.

Just like to add my two cents into this mix about TA . Make sure your TA has been on a Cruise or two .Whats the point selling something you never been on .Make sure your TA is an avid traveler.
P.S. Been on over 30+cruises and land Vacations I now am getting into the travel field ,so I'll be glad to answer any questions in helping new cruisers
Phil

Hi Karen,
if you are in Australia, Best Cruises have good deals. We have booked both of our overseas cruises with them. Try their web site to check specials.
I think it is bestcruises.com ( also with best flights )
I think many Australian travel agents are unaware of what deals are out there.
If you have a copy of Cruise Passenger, you can see all the travel agents who are certified and experienced with crusing.
Donna

Actually, US agents often do better for Australian passengers.

Chilipepper: Actually its not silly at all. Its less money. For me Sams competitor, Costco, has always given me the best prices. For our last cruise they beat Sams too. Cheers, Larry

I have a question. When I book through a website, I can see the available cabins, and pick the one I like.

When making reservations with the help of an on-line agent, how can I make sure I'll get a cabin of my choice?

Umm...try asking the agent, Faina. Just because an agency generates business through the web, doesn't mean they won't talk to you. (Unless the agent is CruiseQuick, of course, which only communicates through e-mail...)

If you're a first time cruiser, I would try to find a travel agent that has cruise experience. They know things that you don't even know to ask. If they are an agent that handles alot of cruises, they can sometimes get you better pricing than many of the websites - AND they are there to answer your questions. I also recommend you go to cruisecritic.com and look at all the information on cruises/cruise lines, etc. The one time we booked through the web (directly with Princess and we had cruised before), we didn't get our dining choice, and we missed some opportunities.... This cruise, we have a TA, and she has confirmed everything we wanted - AND she was able to answer all our questions about "which class cabin should we pick" in easy terms. She also responded to every request I made within 1 day. I love that!