Joni Wiltgen

I'm planning to take a Renaissance cruise of the Mediterranean next summer. My travel agent has told me that Renaissance does not offer discounts through brokers and that I'll have pay fares close to their published prices. <BR> <BR>Is this true? <BR> <BR>Thanks!

Penny

Rennaisance Cruises used to offer discounts to airline employees; we took one of their cruises several years ago and got a good discount. But I inquired about one of their trips a month or so ago and was told that they no longer want the interline(airline) trade's business. So maybe they truly don't offer any deals anymore. They are a good line and we enjoyed our trip with them, but there are several other lines that offer similar itineraries, so if you don't want to pay full price, SHOP AROUND!!! Hope this helps-

Frank

I have been on at least 4 cruises covering the same itinerary as the R. ships. I get advertisements from Amex about them and from my experience the price is good- probably as good as Royal Olympic where the condition of the ships sometimes leaves somethings to be desired. I'm considering an R ship for next year also. My question is about the quality of their ships and the service. I'm hoping someone responds to your query.

Marcie

We were considering a Renaissance cruise to the mediterranean (it was discounted through our American Express card) We opted not to book this cruise line because they had much stricter payment in full/cancellation policies. Instead we went with Orient cruiseline (The Marco Polo). Marco Polo was a wonderful ship and we ended up with a much better value than we would have on Renaissance. I'd highly recommend this ship. The key is to shop around!

carol

Going on Renaissance I got a 2 for 1 seven months ago prepaid. For future reference go to www.Renaissance Cruises.com and write that you would like to receive all trips by e-mail. All deals will be sent to you. By the way, I booked my trip directly through Renaissance Cruises directly.

Jeannette

You can get great deals on Renaissance <BR>if you buy at auction. I bought a my <BR>Mediterranean cruise (departing May 25) <BR>at bid4vacations.com. You can also get <BR>a big selection at egghead.com. The <BR>prices will be better than the Renaissance 2 for 1 specials. Of course, for summer cruises, more people bid and the prices are higher.

rgr

Take Carol's advice and go to Ren.s website. I get emails 2-3 times a week for unbelievable deals. Unfortunately, I haven't yet been able to fit any of them into my schedule. But I will!

Ed

I just returned from a Ren. Tahiti cruise & thought it was a great bargain. I too recommend you go directly to Ren Web page register or call them & magically you will be offered all kinds of discounts. To answer Frank: The R 1thru5 are all new & identical. The service is very good, food is good. The open seating, casual dress & no smoking are outstanding and make the Ren. cruises truly unique. The ships, approx. 30,000tons-600+ passengers, are small by todays standards & we found the stability to be below par. However, we found the R3 size to be a plus - you don't fight crowds or stand in lines. One big negative is Ren's cancellation policy which they clearly advise you of, buy independent insurance & you will have nothing to worry about.

Greg

Good Morning Joni, Carol has a good point, try the vacation auction sites. We cruised Ren in Dec. and paid 1/3rd of Rens web site published fare. We used www.egghead.com's travel auction page. I also agree with Frank. We cruised on the R4 I believe and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. The ship and crew were outstanding, the food good to very good. BE SURE to purchase travel insurance! <BR>Enjoy. Greg <BR>

Ferit

Hello there, <BR>Here is our new web site <BR>www.istanbulshotels.com <BR>Ferit <BR> <BR>Welcome to our selection of the most charming hotels in the center of <BR>Istanbul. Envied locations, calm and cosy atmospheres, elegance, we offer <BR>you the best in quality and service.

Jackie Bernard

Just a note about Renaissance Cruises...all cruises booked after August 15, 2000 will no longer be subject to the old, harsh cancellation penalties and pre-payment rules - it's a NEW Renaissance! Their policies have been changed in order to bring them into line with the rest of the cruise industry. It would be worth your while to check them out. We just returned from Tahiti on the R3 and it was the best trip of my life!