I find it interesting in that almost everyone thinks that they have gotten the best fare - must be human nature. It appears to me that that many industries, especially travel, intentionally keep their costs confusing to make it difficult to compare prices. As far as cruise prices, I have found that there are no short cuts to find a significant difference in the fares. It is my opinion that the cruise line web site is usually the highest - makes no sense to me. To find a "good deal", you need to find a travel agent that is promoting a "group fare", especially for you are looking for a refundable deposit.