How can I save on the cost of a trip? Help Please

[maker102]

I know this is unusual but I have to book my trips a long time in advance due to the fact I require a handicapped accessable room. I have taken two other cruises both in the caribbean on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. We recently booked a trip to Alaska and again I am feeling a little "taken" again for not getting in on some of the discounts. Being frugal, OK OK cheap, I would also like getting at least a semi-bargain on my cruises. How do I go about this? I heard something about credit cards giving a rebate and know that Amex does but I can't see spending the annual fees and points fees to save $30.00 on a cruise that goes for 3k. I also heard about RCCL stock. How do you get the discount do they send you coupons? Any help would be greatly appreciated. If perfered you can email me directly at maker@soon.com.

[serene56]

You need 100 shares of a cruise lines stock to get the rebate.

Also- sail on the Roayl will give you rebates depending on how many cruises you have taken. (I think Princess does the same thing)

On Royal book your cruise while onboard your cruise.

I, too book my cruises over a year in advance and by the time we cruise the cruise itself is over 200 more pp then what we paid.

[KKB]

I find dirt cheap deals online.

Have heard TAs will often match the price.

Don't know if that is still possible w/ your room situation.

Book August-Nov. for cheapest rates.

[serene56]

Also- with Royal Caribbean you wont find any deals-- whatever price you see on the web page is what the agencies will be charging. No agency is allowed to discount a Royal cruise.

[mems]

We have a RCCL credit card and charge everything, paying our bill monthly that is. For our next cruise we cashed in points for 4 $50 coupons and now have $200 of onboard credit. Plus we booked our cruise while onboard for another $200 on board credit. Then they changed our sailing date and we were given about 4 different options and one of them was another onboard credit for $200. We went for that option and now have a total of $600 onboard credits before we even leave home. Then I watch for the cruise price to drop, which it did, and plugged into that but instead of going for the same cabin at a lower price we opted for a balcony cabin at the price we paid for an oceanview. Every little bit helps.:)

[maker102]

I should have booked on the cruise. That would have been the smarter move but again hindsight is 20/20. With the stock deal when do you get the coupons are they sent out at specific times of the year? On the different travel agencies I did my homework on line but they were all the same price or within a few dollars of each other. If my memory serves me right it was less than $20.00 when I talked to RCCL they said the price difference was due to taxes. Some were included and others were not hence the small difference. I also am a member of the Crown and Anchor so I can use coupons there, which raises one more question. Is it best to use the coupon right away or wait. If I use it right away I can envision the company saying that I was already getting a $150 break in the price when I talk to them about lower fares. Is this true. Again thanks in advance for your help and ideas.

[mconthehighseas]

If you are a repeat cruiser, make sure you check your loyalty magazines for coupons. Royal Caribbean just sent out their Crown and Anchor Magazine a few weeks ago - it comes out in Feb, May, July and Oct. If you aren't getting your magazine, CALL and get a copy. If you are already booked on a cruise, ask the folks on your roll call if they have received a magazine and if there was a coupon. If so, they can give you the code off the back, and you can call it in.

 

Some TAs will accept a coupon after you are booked and get you shipboard credit if they can't reduce the cruise price.

 

As for a stockholder discount, you can get it on the web. RCL stockholders - 100 shares or more, which is over $4000 right now - can get a discount on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises. Not a big discount, but heck, it's money. But not enough to pay for your stock.

[geoherb]

When looking into booking a Holland America cruise on one of the major websites, I noticed one of the cabins looked a lot bigger than the other cabins in the same category. It turned out to be a handicapped accessible cabin. It's still showing up as available for the Veendam's 12/26 cruise--which is now just 72 days away.

 

So, even though you need an accessible cabin, you may not have to book so far in advance to get one. I suggest contacting the cruise lines directly if you find you have vacation time and want to go on a last-minute cruise. There may be a handicapped accessible cabin available.

[oscarmoraz]

Great post MEMS!