Best way to book next cruise.

[tdk1938]

We booked our next cruise through local TA. I'm wondering how should I book for future cruises. Should I try on-line places like Cruise Value Center, Vacations to go, Priceline, Travelocity etc.
Seems like they charge about the same price, depends on who can offer better service.

[NYGirl1002]

I booked mine through priceline. After getting the price I checked all of the online booking agencies and even HAL itself and found priceline to be the cheapest.

However I did not check a TA. Next time I'm going to research online and then call a local TA and see if it's cheaper.

I even ended up booking my hotel in Seattle and plane fare through priceline because they were cheaper on that too.

[1cruiselvr]

There is a website that TAs price compete for your cruise business. You fill out their online form with all details, then the TAs respond back. Usually their pricing is comparable, sometimes there is one that stands out, most offer some kind of perk to book with them. Only hiccup is that you need to find out if the TA has a cancellation fee in addition to the cruiseline fee when considering their offer. Some can charge up to $75. I can't give out the website name but here's a hint -- it's a combo of the 2 key subject words of this posting. I use them every time to get a price base to work from for the cruise I want to book. I have booked with a TA offer from this site, but not always. Happy Sailing!

[Tonklily]

Cool Cruiser, would like to know more about the website. I must be stupid, because I wasn't able to locate the website. Thanks in advance. :)

[HGK]

I just booked my HAL cruise through the website that I think (?) you are referring to and got a good deal. I found the insurance to be much cheaper than if you book thru HAL

[nodumblond]

I just booked my HAL cruise through the website that I think (?) you are referring to and got a good deal. I found the insurance to be much cheaper than if you book thru HAL

I concur -- to have agents compete for cruise business gets you a much better deal!
:D

[1cruiselvr]

It's a cool cruise price research place and I use it every time I want to book a cruise and looking for the cheapest deal (like everyone else). Since HAL controls how much TAs can discount, pricing will usually be comparable from all the responses, but the perks vary and good deals can be found on cruise compete dot com. I've had shore excursions, ship board credits, etc offered which always comes in handy. But like I said, be sure to verify their cancellation policy independent of the cruiseline, so you can be prepared should the need arise. Happy Sailing!

[JimVrhovac]

We always use a TA. They really are not important until you have a problem and then the are worth their weight in gold.

We give ours a month, area, and what want to do. She prices everyhting out, makes recommendations and then books what we want. She follows the prices and reduces them when promotions come up.

She has been worth her weight in gold over the years

Ruth & Jim

[1cruiselvr]

Lucky you! TAs like that are getting harder to find. Most of us are stuck booking online with cold, impersonal websites that only offer click on this or that. happy Sailing!

[Charliesmom]

One thing nobody has mentioned is that if you are on a HAL cruise, you should book your next cruise while on board. The deposit is less and you get an onboard credit which is dependent on which category you book and how long the cruise is. You don't have to have a date - they will book a phantom cruise for you and your deposit is good for four years.

What I do is book it directly with HAL, then when I am home, I check prices with various agents and transfer the booking to the agent with the best combo of price and service.

My brother has used the compete website very effectively.

Roberta

[JimVrhovac]

Drop me an email and I will give you her information.

Ruth & Jim

[1cruiselvr]

Thank you but we have booked and made final payment on our cruise for this year (Noordam, first time on a Vista class ship). When I'm pricing my 2009 cruise, I will definitely take you up on your kind offer. Happy Sailing!

[m steve]

but always compare to keep them honest. I buy the future cruise deposit on board and tell them who my travel agent is. I check several on line agencies for my preferred balcony cabin (most list only guaranteed on their site) and make sure all fees and charges are included then call my preferred agent to see what they will do. Usually their price is a bit less and then they knock off $100 or more depending on the cost of the trip.
They want to keep my business.

[JimVrhovac]

We always stop and chat with the cruise consultants on the ship. We purchased the $100.00 things from them (10 last year).

If we see somthing we like we book it and have it transferred to our TA. She still gets full credit and can modify the pricing if she finds better prices so everyone wins all around.

Ruth & Jim

[Stevesan]

We always stop and chat with the cruise consultants on the ship. We purchased the $100.00 things from them (10 last year).

If we see somthing we like we book it and have it transferred to our TA. She still gets full credit and can modify the pricing if she finds better prices so everyone wins all around.

Ruth & Jim

And we have a winner. :)

Booking directly allows you to make selections for dining, cabins and special services without going thru the TA filter.
You also get the Booking and Deposit confirmation forms. Most travel agencies will only provide their customers with the agency's invoice, not the original booking forms.

The cruise reps I've dealt with are always knowledgeable and anxious to help. Their knowledge base is limited, but it's usually much greater than a TA. I've received some valuable advise from cruise reps.

Dealing directly is so much easier that I keep the original booking if shopping it around doesn't garner a decent discount.