Choosing Wisely....

[mom2mnem]

Hi! We were thinking of cruising this year--finally. Based on our needs, friends trip reviews etc... We have decided to look into RC Allure for next summer. I did go to cruise compete as a start. What I was wondering is........prices vary widely and I have learned to weed out what isn't good ( ie 50o% deposit required) from what looks good. My dilemma is this... One quote I have is a good price and is the type of cabin I would like. I did a live chat, asked a few questions ( based on other quotes I received) and all seemed good. The other quote i have is a bit higher, but it was the only agent who actually took time to get to know me. The others all assigned me a cabin and quoted a price. This agent wouldn't give me a quote based on my request ( balcony) , instead she asked me what type of balcony and even emailed me the link to the ship so I could look at my options and see what I might prefer. She also took the time to explain the use of onboard credits and coupon books. I did email her again ( she responds relatively quickly) to see if there were better pricing options based on my other quotes ( different decks, cabins next to each other rather than connecting, etc...). I am currently waiting to hear back from her. So what would you do---go with the lowest price ( customer service not bad at all) or go with a price that may be a bit higher , but has above and beyond customer service?

 

Thanks,

 

Lisa

[cb at sea]

Are all of the reps with RCI? Or are you talking to actual travel agents? If they are all thru RCI, it really doesn't matter...they are interchangable! The prices for the same cabin should be the same...so make sure they are quoting you on the exact cabin type and location you want!

 

Have the deck plans IN FRONT of you when you book...you should KNOW immediately what you paid for!!!

[stooth]

I am a TA and I pride myself on trying to make your experience the BEST it can be! And make sure you are comparing apples to apples...if you are looking at a balcony room, in a certain category, the prices SHOULD be the same. Only exception is if there is some deal that company has on that sailing. ALL TA's should be quoting the same rate for the same rooms(even the people directly with the cruiselines)! I personally like to have someone go the extra mile to make sure that my vacation will be the best it can and if she is quick to respond...if anything happens, she will also be quick to help with any problems!

[dinek1]

Price is important, of course. Some reservation companies also include free insurance and some other perks for booking with them. Most are very reputable. I've been using one since my second cruise. I always get insurance if I'm booking a cruise, especially if it's far into the future.