finding the best prices

[the col.]

Help--please-- I have promised my super wife of 41 years a cruise to alaska in late may 2010 on holland american--please help me locate where to go to find best prices--thanks in advace for your assistance---

[NYGirl1002]

I am planning to go somewhere next year and prefer HAL. This is what I am doing:

 

First going to HAL's website and choose what I want and write down the price.

 

Next I am looking at the online sites seeing if there's a difference in price

 

Last I will be going to a brick and mortar travel agency and see what they can do with my choices as they sometimes have groups going on the cruise and you almost always get some OBC.

[CowPrincess]

OP -- we are not allowed to mention specific travel agencies or agents on CC. I agree with NYGirl1002 -- check HAL, check the online travel agencies, and (if you have a good TA in your town/city) check them too. And keep watching and checking -- sometimes prices will drop.

[IkeEsq]

I use an online site that allows you to enter information about the cruise in which you are interested and travel agents provide their prices. These tend to be Internet-based cruise-only travel agents, which I have found to have the best prices.

 

The other big question is when to book. If last year is any guide, Alaska did not sell very well, and prices were quite low 60-30 days out, you just have to be careful that the cruise doesn't close out before you buy.

 

- Ike

[the col.]

Thanks for the answers--is it allowed to mention the web sites that you use?

[CowPrincess]

Thanks for the answers--is it allowed to mention the web sites that you use?

 

No, sorry!

[ziggypup]

I personally wouldn't be concerned over price alone. 10 years ago I found a Travel Agent that specializes in only cruises. I've had no problems and I can call her anytime if I have any questions or concerns. So price is one thing, but finding someone with knowledge is a bit more important in my opinion. I rather deal with one individual then a online sales person. The one on one relationship is a better value to me over time.

[Tarrytown Lad]

Help--please-- I have promised my super wife of 41 years a cruise to alaska in late may 2010 on holland american--please help me locate where to go to find best prices--thanks in advace for your assistance

 

Col-

 

We're new to cruise critic but very experienced as cruisers. Over the years, we have learned how to play the cruise price game and the short story is this:A cruiseisthe one type of travel that should ALWAYS be booked through an agent. The agent will get a cut of the cruise price that you pay, you see, but if you book direct, the cruise line eats that cut, rather than discounting the price to you.

 

The trick is to find an agent that will do something nice for you (think a bottle of wine or a credit for a massage) in return for getting his share of your cruise price.

[NYGirl1002]

I agree with the others. In the end I am going to book through a travel agent but I will be armed with what I learned online so I will know I'm getting a bargain.

 

I booked my first cruise with an online agency and my second with a travel agent in my town. I liked the TA much better as she kept checking for price drops and credited me for them.

 

If using an online agency you must read older posts on this board and other boards on cruise critic about people who were burned by them closing their doors or not sending their money to the cruise line on time.

[BILLP1]

The day you pay the cruise line through an agent ,you can check with the cruise line to see that the agent applied the charge. Pay with a credit card .

[RMLincoln]

Our first cruise we booked through a local discount cruise-only TA. As we learned more, I think we paid too much that time. And now they've gone out of business, so I guess that others learned also.

 

Since then we have used an agency based in TX that has an extensive website to browse prices and discounts. But one books through a person by phone, not online. "Our guy" has been very good to us, getting us deep discounts and sometimes on board credits and wine, but the deep discounts trump those other amenities. They have given us excellent service, hours are practically round-the-clock, phone call returns are prompt and they have emergency re-booking, for airline delays for example, or weather related itinerary changes.

 

I think this type of arrangement is different than booking online and suits us best. They also book non-cruise vacations, resorts, river cruises, escorted land tours and others.

 

The message they put out there for the best discounts is 60-90 days out but we have gotten excellent prices at various times out from departure. I think the best prices depend also on when you travel, such as early or late in the Alaska season is cheaper than mid-season; the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is also a high discount season for many itineraries.

 

There are discounts for many groups of folks, such as +55, Military, Police, Firefighter, EMT, Teacher, regional discounts by state, travel industry employees, etc etc.

 

Personnally I have no experience with booking directly with HAL. The prices I see on their website seem almost like "rack rate" but I've heard that people get discounts off those rates from their Personal Cruise Consultant. Others can tell you more.

 

Remember that if you book through a TA, any TA, your payment should be posted directly to the cruise line, NOT the TA. Check your credit card statement on line as soon as possible and/or check with the cruise line directly immediatelyto be assured that they have been paid.

 

Hope you find a great cruise at a great price.

[StartrainDD]

Help--please-- I have promised my super wife of 41 years a cruise to alaska in late may 2010 on holland american--please help me locate where to go to find best prices--thanks in advace for your assistance---

 

I'm not an expert but from what I've heard from others we've done well on our last two cruises, price-wise. If you're sure you want HAL (and I would support that!:)) sign up NOW for their specials by e-mail.

 

Just last week (when we were on their cruise) they had a three day sale. Some cruise lines and/or agencies may offer specials on the upcoming "Black Friday." Watch for a deal and book when you are ready. I agree with all the others have said.

 

My last two bookings were with a local agency and I may try someone else next time as we've not been getting any extra benefits from the local.

 

Good luck. We loved Alaska - it is awesome!

[WeLuvCruzn]

We have been on ~10 cruises. We always look for the best rates combined with agency/agent reputation. Sometimes the "cheap becomes expensive," so paying a few extra dollars for a reputable agency is definitely worth it.

 

The funny story... we used to have a great agent at an online agency, but he has since left the company with no forwarding. He didn't tell us he was leaving, but about 2 weeks after we last spoke with him two boxes of "stuff" arrived... T-shirts, soft-sided coolers, pens, mouse pads, etc. -- all from different cruiselines -- some we had never sailed. We thought it was strange **but fun :p** and called to thank him. We spoke briefly and told him we'd be in touch to schedule our next cruise. By the time we called again, *poof* he was gone. He must have cleaned out his desk by shipping his goodies to us! :D

 

We're still looking for his replacement. A friend from my home town worked as an agent for a very short time and booked my last cruise (also on the Noordam), but she has since left the industry. She entered later in life and left within a year... I'm told that the internet is killing brick-n-mortar operations.

 

Anyway, we will be on the Noordam in December and this time booked directly with Holland. Sure, we could have saved a few dollars booking with an online agency *but* the real bonus is being able to discuss your booking directly with the cruiseline. If you want any specific answers, or want to make any deviations (for instance, we switched ships after final payment -- paying a penalty of course), it is much easier dealing with Holland direct.

 

When I booked the cruise I would have thought it was going to be just like the previous 9 -- book and board. This time, it wasn't, and having Holland Reps. deal with me directly was worth the few extra dollars. Just something to keep in mind.

 

Enjoy Alaska! It is beautiful.

[NMLady]

Google Discount Cruises (there will be LOTS of sites!!), find a HAL Alaska cruise, find a low price you're interested in and ask a Travel Agent if they can match or better that offer. Most of the time they can and will.

Be sure you look at the 14-day HAL Alaska cruise since that one might give you what you want.

[fann1sh]

While I love CruiseCritic, there is no prohibition about mentioning specific travel agencies for discounts on sister website TripAdvisor. Their cruise board is here:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i10703-Cruises.html

[0verboard]

We're still looking for his replacement. A friend from my home town worked as an agent for a very short time and booked my last cruise (also on the Noordam), but she has since left the industry. She entered later in life and left within a year... I'm told that the internet is killing brick-n-mortar operations.

I can see why. With an online travel agency, I can quickly look and see how much a particular cruise is going to cost, with absolutely no obligation, and with an extreme minimum of hassle.

 

No need to provide my name, billing info, build a personal relationship, make someone else invest their time, get bogged down in a conversation, etc. I can stop exploring their particular offerings at any second (and pick it back up again if I so choose) without wasting my time and without offending anyone.

 

I can easily look through a very large number of travel agencies at the same time it takes me to do a single brick and mortar. Further, I can even compare between several at the same time. (Imagine that with B&M. "Hi. Can you hang on just a second while I call your competitor here and see if they'll make me a better deal?")

 

I'm certainly willing to keep an open mind about a Brick and Mortar travel agency, but the best selling point I've heard is that if you build a relationship with them, they might get you some perks if they happen to like you (in a professional sense, or a personal sense).

[innlady1]

This is the first time we've used a HAL PCC. And I've been very pleased. The woman I've dealt with has been very professional, very nice. We were waitlisted for fixed dining, I asked her if there was anything she could do, and voila, she got us early fixed (which is what we wanted) and the same two top we had on our last Noordam cruise!

 

I guess we paid a little more, but that's OK. In this economy, I feel more secure going through the cruise line...read too many horror stories about some of the on-line agencies here and elsewhere on-line.

 

So, my word of advice would be to choose carefully.

[ziggypup]

I guess we paid a little more, but that's OK. In this economy, I feel more secure going through the cruise line...read too many horror stories about some of the on-line agencies here and elsewhere on-line.

 

So, my word of advice would be to choose carefully.

 

It is just like anything else. You always hear about the horror stories, but very rarely do you hear about all the good stuff.

 

Here is a example of some good stuff. This past June we went on a Med cruise on board the Voyager. About 6 weeks before sailing my travel agent was able to secure a $1600 price drop on our suite. But it had to be done that day. So anyway, after I got my price drop I sent out emails to the 3 other couples that I met Cruise Critic. We had a bunch of shore excursions already planned together. They all jumped on the information that day. Each couple had similar price drops to mine. Everybody involved was extremely happy and grateful for the information that I shared with them.

 

So I guess my point is that you need a good relationship with your agent. Most bulk sales agencies wouldn't have passed on the savings. They would have secured the lower price and pocketed the savings without the cruisers ever knowing.

 

That is why I can't stress enough about how important having a agent that you can trust. I've dealt with my agent for 10 years now without issue.

[jagoodbar]

Help--please-- I have promised my super wife of 41 years a cruise to alaska in late may 2010 on holland american--please help me locate where to go to find best prices--thanks in advace for your assistance---

 

Send me an e-mail. You can locate my e-mail address by clicking on my name. We former military need to stick together.

 

Jon

[HWY 101]

'But one books through a person by phone, not online.'

 

I don't mean to take your statements out of context, but now you can do both...

 

And no, as mentioned, we can not mentioned them.:)

[HWY 101]

mention:eek: