Cruises - CruiseCompete - Online Travel Agents

Hi there.. I used Cruisecompete to get a quote on a cruise, and have got two acceptable quotes, one from bestpricecruises.com and another from cruisevacationoutlet.com

Has anyone had any experience with either of these two companies?

Are there any other online TA's or other web sites I should check out?

I'm a bit nervous booking a cruise online (have always done it through local TAs), but the prices online can't be beat.

Thanks.

I have used bestpricecruises and had a perfectly unremarkable experience with them. Read their terms and conditions though, and if you plan to use any dollars-off certificates pay particular attention to the rules. Everything worked fine with our trip.

CVO is a pretty big operator and is probably okay to use too.

I've used Cruise Compete for my past 2 cruises and had good results and prices with each trip. Most recently, my trip was bid on by 5 travel agents. Be patient - some agents took 5 days to submit a bid.

I eventually ended up going with Cruises-n-More, an American Express affiliated travel agent. After they bid on my cruise, I was provided a link to their web site and the actual booking and payment was done online - including cabin selection. The experience was similar to booking on Orbitz but the price was lower. I never needed to speak with an agent (which made my experience all the better).

You can also look at www.vacationstogo.com they can get some good prices

Don't discount looking directly at the cruise line site. Depending on the line, the prices may not be that much more expensive and you will know exactly what type rate you are booking. For example, Carnival has an early saver rate. This can be a great rate since they will honor any published rate drops. The only catch is that if you book through a TA, the TA is the one that must put in for the price match. Some TA's can be unresponsive and you could miss a price reduction or free cabin upgrade. If you book directly, you're the one that puts in for the rate drop as soon as you see it.

While I'm all for saving money and that, I couldn't possibly see myself handing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to somebody I know nothing about other then they responded to a e-mail of me requesting a cruise fee.

I'm spoiled though, I have an agency I've been using for 16 years now, and every time I go to book I always compare prices, and they are usually pretty close to anything else I find, certainly not significant enough of a difference for me to switch.

I may be in the minority, but to me, it's just too big of a purchase for me to do thorugh somebody I know absolutly nothing about.

I would suggest you also look at going directly with the cruise lines, or seeing is you could get recomendations on a local cruise specalist and seeing how they compare.

While I'm all for saving money and that, I couldn't possibly see myself handing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to somebody I know nothing about other then they responded to a e-mail of me requesting a cruise fee.

Then it's a good thing that all charges go directly through the cruise line. ;)

If a travel agent collects your fee instead of passing you right to the cruise line, that's a big red flag.

I used cruise compete several years ago and got a low price two weeks before an Easter vacation cruise. The person I dealt with suggested I not preselect my room (I asked for an ocean view room). When I got to the ship I was upgraded to the back balcony where I had two lounge chairs, two regular chairs a table and privacy. I thought the deal with a steal for that room with how little I paid and the tickets were delivered promptly.

I used cruise compete several years ago and got a low price two weeks before an Easter vacation cruise. The person I dealt with suggested I not preselect my room (I asked for an ocean view room). When I got to the ship I was upgraded to the back balcony where I had two lounge chairs, two regular chairs a table and privacy. I thought the deal with a steal for that room with how little I paid and the tickets were delivered promptly.

A cabin guarantee, in other words.

I'm with cordelli in that it still somehwat surprises me folks will fairly blindly give money and sensitive personal info to a complete stranger online, which this forum has witnessed not going well in some cases.

I've booked twice with Cruisecompete and both times bestpricecruises.com had the low price. I've never had to contact them because when I book I already know what I want form researching on other sites.

In the end you are just picking someone to communicate your information to the cruise line - so it works out just fine. All the cruise related terms and conditions should basically be the same as what you would get from the cruise line I would think.

I guess the main difference is that with your local travel agent you might put a deposit down and wait to pay, I think with those quotes you might have to pay 100% on booking.

Using an online TA saved about $1500 on the two cabins I booked for my familoy of five. I didn't find that I had to provide any information that I would consider "sensitive".

I didn't find that I had to provide any information that I would consider "sensitive".

You didn't provide full names, addresses or credit card numbers? That's sensitive enough information to me, but that's MHO.

Here is my post from another thread:

I have used www.vacationstogo.com twice in the past year and had excellent service from them - very good prices too! They quote and bill in USD $ and there were no problems using a Euro-based CC account or splitting the bill between 2 card accounts. Our agent was Robin Fogo.

In the end you are just picking someone to communicate your information to the cruise line - so it works out just fine. All the cruise related terms and conditions should basically be the same as what you would get from the cruise line I would think.

Actually, not always true. Many of these discounters have a business practice that puts your booking at risk.

In order to discount lines such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, they have to pay the cruise by check to the cruise line, only paying the net amount. The agency charges your credit card directly, taking their commission out of the difference (gross - net - discount amount).

While that is a legitimate option, there is a risk in that kind of practice. As we've seen in the last 16 months, several large agencies which operated this way have gone out of business, leaving their customers in the lurch. They had collected final payment, but had not transmitted the net amount to the cruise line, meaning a cruise which had been paid by the passenger was not shown as paid by the cruise line.

The best, safest method to ensure your payment is received by the cruise line is to ensure that the agency has the cruise line process your payment. You won't know if that's the case unless you ask the agency at the time of payment, or wait until it shows up on your credit card statement, at which time it may be too late.

While there are legitimate reasons for an agency to charge the payment themselves, ASK WHY, and make sure that you are comfortable with it. Size of the agency and time in business isn't necessarily a guarantee. Two of the largest discounters went out of business right after the financial crisis began because their margins were too small (they discounted too much) and they couldn't survive on the lowered cruise fares. It's a risky business model in difficult times.

Also, if you choose to go that route, be sure to ask for the cruise line's passenger copy of the invoice showing paid in full. Not the agency's invoice, the one which each cruise line can provide to the travel agent which is marked "passenger copy."

To be protected, you need to do a bit of work yourself and complete all your due diligence.

I used CruiseCompete a few weeks ago to book a cruise. Went through each of the bids, picked a winner, called them up and had the cruise booked - all very painless and the agent offered a $200 OBC as well. Charges on my credit card cam directly from the cruiseline. Of course it helps to know exactly what you want in advance of calling (right down to the cabin number).

I, personally, would never book directly through a cruiseline. The savings /on board credits that some travel agents can offer are significant.

Also, I would avoid the Amex agency, Cruises-n-More. They have hidden booking & cancellation charges and not a very good reputation for customer service.

A cabin guarantee, in other words.

I'm with cordelli in that it still somehwat surprises me folks will fairly blindly give money and sensitive personal info to a complete stranger online, which this forum has witnessed not going well in some cases.

I was under the impression that higher priced cabins were pre-purchased by cruisecompete. When the air portion was no longer available from the NY area (a big market for Easter cruises) I got an excellent deal (and of course got a good airfare I booked myself too!) I'd sure do it again!

Just because someone books through an Internet Travel Agency doesn't mean they can't first gather some data and information on the agency. When I had some doubts about a particular on line agency, I googled them, went to TripAdvisor, etc, and was able to confirm my suspicions.

Also, many people believe if you book your cruise with an on line agency (you physically book your own cabin, etc, through via their website) that you cannot contact someone directly with the agency if/when you need to. Booking your cruise on line does not mean you cannot get assistance via phone from your agency! There is only one agency that I know of that works entirely via email, however they make that known up front before you ever begin the process.

Now, after all that hot air (!), to answer the OP's question, I have booked in the past with both Best Price Cruises and Cruise Vacation Outlet. From my personal experience, I would give the edge to Cruise Vacation Outlet because they do not charge a cancel penalty whereas Best Price Cruises does. Also, the agent I booked through at Cruise Vacation Outlet went way beyond the call of duty to rectify a scenario to my complete satisfaction.

Just because an agency has a website and/or on-line booking capability, does not mean it's impossible to still get personal service. The service I got from the agent at Cruise Vacation Outlet was just as superior as I get from an agency I'm currently working with who runs a brick-and-mortar type "store".

Good points, Beav, but I don't think anyone was saying you CAN'T get good, personal service from a discount on-line agency. It's just that there's a risk that you WON'T.

I'm in the camp that wouldn't risk something as important as my rather expensive vacation with my family by going through a middleman I don't know. It's worth it to me to pay a couple hundred dollars more or to give up a little OBC to have the peace of mind I get from not having to worry whether or not my discounter is applying my payment correctly or if they'll be responsive if I run into a snag.

To people who don't have such worries, who save money by using CruiseCompete, and who get great personal service when they need it--good for you!

Good points, Beav, but I don't think anyone was saying you CAN'T get good, personal service from a discount on-line agency. It's just that there's a risk that you WON'T.

I guess my point should have been asked as a question.

"What defines an Internet Agency"?

For example, I know personally one TA who gives quotes via CruiseCompete who operates her own brick-and-mortar agency in the small town where she resides. She has a website, just like most businesses do today, however you can't "book" a cruise on her site. But because she participates in CruiseCompete, does that label her an Internet agency?

I'm in the camp that wouldn't risk something as important as my rather expensive vacation with my family by going through a middleman I don't know. It's worth it to me to pay a couple hundred dollars more or to give up a little OBC to have the peace of mind I get from not having to worry whether or not my discounter is applying my payment correctly or if they'll be responsive if I run into a snag.



Does this mean you deal directly with the cruise lines? Just curious!

I was under the impression that higher priced cabins were pre-purchased by cruisecompete. When the air portion was no longer available from the NY area (a big market for Easter cruises) I got an excellent deal (and of course got a good airfare I booked myself too!) I'd sure do it again!

Highly unlikely for a couple reasons. First is that CruiseCompete isn't an agency itself - it's a matching service.

While one of the agencies who purchased your lead may have taken out group space, that's just a hold giving them the ability to sell the cabins at a set price up to a certain date, called a recall. If the sailing is selling well, that recall date can be moved up by the cruise line. At the recall date, all unsold space is released back to the cruise line.

The group space does have the benefit that it locks in a rate early in the booking cycle, often giving a price advantage.

It is extremely rare that an agency actually pre-purchases cabins for resell. That is most common in a charter situation.

Have used both bestpricecruises.com and crusevacationoutlet.com several times each and have good experiences with them. Would not hesitate to use either again.

I was under the impression that higher priced cabins were pre-purchased by cruisecompete.

A mistaken impression unfortunately. The potential downsides of going 'at risk' and prepaying some cabins keeps online agencies who live on razor thin margins earned largely on volume from gambling and possibly being stuck with an unsold cabin and eating the cost entirely or facing a deep discount to move the product in a slow market. No, the assumption is much the same as I've heard spoken aloud here about airline consolidators buying blocks of airline seats and 99% of the time it simply isn't true in either case. As other posters have mentioned there may be some groups these volume online agencies are taking advantage of but that's a very different thing than your impression.

There are two ways to book a cabin; cabin guarantee and cabin assigment. The former is great for those who are ready to trade cabin location for a possible cabin upgrade and it works on occasion as you experienced while the latter is booking a specific cabin prior to sailing but in doing so you give up the possibility of a cabin upgrade. Cabin guarantees allow the cruise line to sell more of one category than another and adjust who is staying where closer to sailing, giving some a complimentary upgrade in the process.

I had used cruisecompete several times before. Did not end up using bestprice of CVO, but did get quotes from them before. As such had checked them out and seems like many people had used them no problem.

Many cruiselines these days do not allow others to publishe a lower rate than them. With some TAs, you can call and they can they offer a lower rate. Someone mentioned vacationstogo. That is a TA, but I had NEVER found them to give better rates than cruiselines themselves.

There are some people who would never deal with a TA, especially "internet TA", just like some people would feel more comfortable buying airline tickets directly with airline, not realizing TAs can sell them just as well. When it comes to international flights, especially flights to Asia, some people feel more comfortable paying hundreds dollars more directly to the airlines, rather than getting discount rates from TAs. To each their own.

A mistaken impression unfortunately. The potential downsides of going 'at risk' and prepaying some cabins keeps online agencies who live on razor thin margins earned largely on volume from gambling and possibly being stuck with an unsold cabin and eating the cost entirely or facing a deep discount to move the product in a slow market. No, the assumption is much the same as I've heard spoken aloud here about airline consolidators buying blocks of airline seats and 99% of the time it simply isn't true in either case. As other posters have mentioned there may be some groups these volume online agencies are taking advantage of but that's a very different thing than your impression.



Several years ago when I was looking for some highly sought-after cabins (aft facing cabins w/huge verandas) the cruise line directed me to a small independent agency who was holding several of them. No, it was not a group block, but rather the agency had placed actual deposits on several of them. The owner, knowing how popular these cabins were, put down his own money (deposit) when the sailing first opened. Come final payment time, if he had any remaining cabins unsold, he simply cancelled them and got his deposit back. Absolutely no risk to the agency.

Several years ago when I was looking for some highly sought-after cabins (aft facing cabins w/huge verandas) the cruise line directed me to a small independent agency who was holding several of them. No, it was not a group block, but rather the agency had placed actual deposits on several of them. The owner, knowing how popular these cabins were, put down his own money (deposit) when the sailing first opened. Come final payment time, if he had any remaining cabins unsold, he simply cancelled them and got his deposit back. Absolutely no risk to the agency.

Yes its done fairly much as outlined but sorry it's still considered a group and something that is capacity controlled by the cruise line. However groups are done well in advance and going at risk on unsold cabins after after final payment is something few agencies could risk and was what I was meaning with my comments to previous poster.

Thanks everyone for their advice.

At the end of the day, I have decided to go with the quote from Cruise Vacation Outlet. The agent there was very responsive to my questions, and I felt comfortable making the booking there, even though their quote wasn't the absolute lowest.

In reviewing some message boards relating to cruising, it seems one of the most important things when booking a cruise online is to make sure that payment is made via credit card, and you confirm that payment will be processed by the cruise line, and show up as a charge by the cruise line on the credit card statement, and that you make sure to check this. After the charge goes through, you should get a confirmation number of the booking, and you can check this directly with the cruise line that the deposit was properly applied.

The other thing I found, in reviewing the various different quotes on cruisecompete is some agencies charge additional fees, so make sure you read the fine print, and ask those questions about extra fees, so that you are comparing apples to apples.

I know some people aren't comfortable booking online, but the savings are substantial. I will be saving approximately $700 per person ($1400 total) over the best price any local TA could offer on this particular cruise.

In reviewing some message boards relating to cruising, it seems one of the most important things when booking a cruise online is to make sure that payment is made via credit card, and you confirm that payment will be processed by the cruise line, and show up as a charge by the cruise line on the credit card statement, and that you make sure to check this. After the charge goes through, you should get a confirmation number of the booking, and you can check this directly with the cruise line that the deposit was properly applied.

You are absolutely correct. Cruise lines should process your credit card payment and not the TA. In that scenario, should the TA go out of business, the cruise line doesn't have your payment. That has happened to a lot of cruisers, most recently those customers of eCruisestore.com.


I know some people aren't comfortable booking online, but the savings are substantial. I will be saving approximately $700 per person ($1400 total) over the best price any local TA could offer on this particular cruise.

I know I harp on this subject a lot (!), however, in my opinion, you didn't book your cruise "online". If you booked and dealt directly with a TA over the phone, then it is no different than doing the same thing with a local TA in the area you reside. I'm just of the opinion that there are a lot of good agencies out there that suffer the stigma of being labled an Internet TA.

Bottom line here is that you've done your homework on the agency and feel comfortable dealing with your agent. Do enjoy your cruise!

it seems one of the most important things when booking a cruise online is to make sure that payment is made via credit card

Is there a way to book travel online without using a CC?

I know some people aren't comfortable booking online, but the savings are substantial. I will be saving approximately $700 per person ($1400 total) over the best price any local TA could offer on this particular cruise.

Best undiscounted price, you mean. Did you ask any local TA's whether they would match a discounted online price when you were obtainging quotes?

MHO, and it is naturally biased being a TA, is that finding a good local agent with lots of experience can add another dimension and level of knowledge and expertise to what even a veteran cruiser brings to the process and to me this is worth a small premium.

Is there a way to book travel online without using a CC?


You could use a debit card, you could send them a money order or check, they could do a bank transfer from your account, you could use a gift card.

So yes, there are a few ways to book an online cruise without a credit card.

Is there a way to book travel online without using a CC?

You can generally send a check. It's not the best way to go, though.

You could use a debit card, you could send them a money order or check, they could do a bank transfer from your account, you could use a gift card.

So yes, there are a few ways to book an online cruise without a credit card.

...and I thought divulging my CC online was sensitive enough information but giving my bank account information to a complete online stranger? I must be horribly old-fashioned.

Many websites offer the ability to do a direct widthdrawal from your bank account, it's usually built into the merchant software. I would guess that many sites that do not offer it have had to turn that feature off.

They get charged way less usually then credit cards, so they tend to push it.

I agree though, I would never do it, but they are really hoping more and more people do. From Amazon for example:

Amazon.com benefits as well when customers pay using their checking accounts. When compared to credit cards, our costs are lower when customers pay directly from their checking accounts. As more customers pay directly from their checking accounts, we'll be able to pass along the savings to customers in the form of lower prices.

MHO, and it is naturally biased being a TA, is that finding a good local agent with lots of experience can add another dimension and level of knowledge and expertise to what even a veteran cruiser brings to the process and to me this is worth a small premium.

Another biased TA here ;), but I'd add that a "local" TA may not be just local to you. With the internet, a "local" TA may have a national and international presence. Many are affiliated with large national companies so you can check reputation and stability. You can deal with an individual, experienced, true TA online and by phone, even if you're not local. You're not restricted to just call center agencies when you're looking for booking assistance and price competition.

Best undiscounted price, you mean. Did you ask any local TA's whether they would match a discounted online price when you were obtainging quotes?



Yes.. I called around to 5 different local TA's. A couple would not match online prices at all. A few asked me what my lowest online price was, and lowered their quote, but still could not come close to matching it. The lowest local TA quote was still $1400 more than the quote I went with.

Yes.. I called around to 5 different local TA's. A couple would not match online prices at all. A few asked me what my lowest online price was, and lowered their quote, but still could not come close to matching it. The lowest local TA quote was still $1400 more than the quote I went with.
If a local TA has a brick & Motar store to maintain, that costs. Many online TAs don't have that. They don't have a storefront, to deal with walk ins, displays of brochures, etc. They can have agents working from home, or their offices in a rural warehouse.

Yes.. I called around to 5 different local TA's. A couple would not match online prices at all. A few asked me what my lowest online price was, and lowered their quote, but still could not come close to matching it. The lowest local TA quote was still $1400 more than the quote I went with.

Thanks for the input, though gotta say that number makes me curious because unless you're booking a penthouse suite on a 150 day Cunard world cruise no TA commission would even approach that amount so it must be some combination of a lower, possibly group, price plus a rebating of the commission to get to that amount. 95% of the time as a TA I can match the online guys and if it means getting something rather than nothing will usually do it.

At any rate I hope from here on it it is smooth sailing for you. :)

As a former TA that worked in a storefront agency at the corner of 1st & Main in Anywhere, USA, I can and do understand your justified bias probably better than you think!

I think the bottom line of this discussion is that you'll find good and not-so-good agents on both side of the fence ("Internet" vs brick and mortar).

As to the brick & mortar vs Internet debate, I personally know of two different TAs who have switched from storefront to "at home" operations. There was a time when their client base was predominately local customers, however that eventually changed to become a base that stretches all over the US and Canada. It no longer made sense to pay rent for storefront property, especially when 95% of their customer contact was now being done via phone, email & fax. So by their switch from storefront to home operation, should they rightfully have to bear the stigma that goes along with being labeled an Internet agency?

Yes.. I called around to 5 different local TA's. A couple would not match online prices at all. A few asked me what my lowest online price was, and lowered their quote, but still could not come close to matching it. The lowest local TA quote was still $1400 more than the quote I went with.

Thanks for the input, though gotta say that number makes me curious because unless you're booking a penthouse suite on a 150 day Cunard world cruise no TA commission would even approach that amount so it must be some combination of a lower, possibly group, price plus a rebating of the commission to get to that amount. 95% of the time as a TA I can match the online guys and if it means getting something rather than nothing will usually do it.

At any rate I hope from here on it it is smooth sailing for you. :)

Some friends of mine last week used CruiseCompete for the first time to obtain quotes. They were looking at a 19 day sailing on Crystal in a non-suite category. The quotes they received varied by as much as $1,000 between the lowest & highest. (As a side note, the lowest quote was from an agent who still maintains a storefront agency in addition to networking via CruiseCompete.)

So OfficeGlenn's $1400 savings doesn't seem to me to be too far out of line. $1400 savings could also be easily obtainable if someone was buying more than just one stateroom, like for a family cruise or something along those lines...

CruiseCompete saved us $500 each off the normal price of our Panama Canal cruise for 2011. I just noticed it's gone up by $100 for new bookings. Best Price Cruises had the best price and a B+ rating on the BBB so I figured they were safe enough.

$1400 savings could also be easily obtainable if someone was buying more than just one stateroom, like for a family cruise or something along those lines...

Nope, OP only travelling with one other person: (my bold)

I will be saving approximately $700 per person ($1400 total)

Nope, OP only travelling with one other person: (my bold)

Just so there's no misunderstanding, I wasn't insinuating that OfficeGlenn had in fact purchased more than one cabin to obtain a $1400 savings. But rather anyone could easily obtain that savings even if they were on something as short as a 7 day cruise booking multiple staterooms.

I am basically trying to refute what I believe to be an exaggeration that a $1400 savings can only be obtained by booking something extravagant like a World cruise in a suite. (see below)

Thanks for the input, though gotta say that number ($1400) makes me curious because unless you're booking a penthouse suite on a 150 day Cunard world cruise no TA commission would even approach that amount so it must be some combination of a lower, possibly group, price plus a rebating of the commission to get to that amount.

Just so there's no misunderstanding, I wasn't insinuating that OfficeGlenn had in fact purchased more than one cabin to obtain a $1400 savings. But rather anyone could easily obtain that savings even if they were on something as short as a 7 day cruise booking multiple staterooms.

I am basically trying to refute what I believe to be an exaggeration that a $1400 savings can only be obtained by booking something extravagant like a World cruise in a suite. (see below)

Just did some research on a 10 day Mediterranean Holland America cruise for my parents and the potential savings was pushing $700/person - so I would agree that you don't have to book something extravagant to get these savings.

Then I guess I'm here to refute the impression I feel that's being given that the savings expressed represent online discounters rebating their commission because $700 per person is well more than any TA AFAIK would make on a 10day HAL in a regular non-suite category stateroom. There has to be some group or consortia rate plus a commission rebate that's being added together to get that amount. Any TA can take advantage of similiar if not identical group or consortia rates so to me the only real difference comes down to willingness to rebate a portion of the comission, which obviously and unfortunately in OP's case none were.

Lets just put an end to the speculation. Just list out dates, destination, and category so people can do their own clicking. Is a $700 savings possible? On a three day cruise on a major line, probably not. On a two week in the president's suite, maybe, but without something to go on they are just random numbers.

I used the websites listed to compare my brick and mortar cruise agency prices for an upcoming cruise. The price was actually higher over what I was paying, and I know the rates have dropped a bit since I reserved, so the links mentioned will be even more money.

Yes you can save money on cruising, but you really need to compare apples to apples to see if you are saving money, or getting taken by a quote that is way higher then you should be paying.

Lets just put an end to the speculation. Just list out dates, destination, and category so people can do their own clicking. Is a $700 savings possible?

Noordam, Holland America
October 8th, 2010
10-DAY MEDITERRANEAN ENCHANTMENT
2 people

Per Cruise Compete (Crown Cruise Vacations) - $2,882.14 + $100 OBC USD (Category K) or about $3,000 CDN net.

Per Holland America - $4,031.40 CDN (Category K) (Excls. $427.20 in transfers so we are comparing apples to apples)

That works out to a difference of $1,000.

I guess when doing my comparisons earlier, I must have included the transfers in the Holland America pricing. A 25% discount is still pretty good.

Noordam, Holland America
October 8th, 2010
10-DAY MEDITERRANEAN ENCHANTMENT
2 people

Per Cruise Compete (Crown Cruise Vacations) - $2,882.14 + $100 OBC USD (Category K) or about $3,000 CDN net.

Per Holland America - $4,031.40 CDN (Category K) (Excls. $427.20 in transfers so we are comparing apples to apples)

That works out to a difference of $1,000.

I guess when doing my comparisons earlier, I must have included the transfers in the Holland America pricing. A 25% discount is still pretty good.

I don't normally do this on FT, but what the heck. :D

There is a little bit of rebating/discounting in that quote.

The rates I show (we have group space on that sailing) for the Category K is USD $1499 plus $90.75 in taxes for a total of $1589.75 per person. There is OBC offered at $75 per person.

So yes, rates vary wildly. :)

So yes, rates vary wildly. :)

I appreciate you sharing, ak333 ^, and it goes to show what I was saying earlier; group and consortia space can change the pricing more than mere commission rebating can.

I didn't see this mentioned but FTR agents give CruiseCompete 2% finder's fee for bringing you to them.

Can some one shed some light on something for me?

I was about to pull the trigger on an NCL cruise for June in the Med direct with NCL and the price was about $4200 for a balcony.

Utlising one of the agencies that bid for another cruise for me through cruisecompete, they had the exact same cruise for $2200!

Thats about half price. Every other agency i went to were all selling it at the NCL price of $4200.

I have paid a deposit and its all registered with NCL so its correct. Just wondering how they can discount so much?

Can some one shed some light on something for me?

I was about to pull the trigger on an NCL cruise for June in the Med direct with NCL and the price was about $4200 for a balcony.

Utlising one of the agencies that bid for another cruise for me through cruisecompete, they had the exact same cruise for $2200!

Thats about half price. Every other agency i went to were all selling it at the NCL price of $4200.

I have paid a deposit and its all registered with NCL so its correct. Just wondering how they can discount so much?

It's likely that company took out group space when the sailing first opened, and are selling into that space at a lower price than is being currently offered for new bookings. Perfectly legit, and is a smart business tool many agencies utilize.

It's likely that company took out group space when the sailing first opened, and are selling into that space at a lower price than is being currently offered for new bookings. Perfectly legit, and is a smart business tool many agencies utilize.


...and great for the consumer!

My family is debating a cruise for NCL Hawaii and I put in a bid for cruisecompete. I've had a big variance in price from the bids, also. The price is one thousand dollars cheaper than I got through NCL. I have been scared to make the jump, because normally if it seems to good to be true, it is! I am so happy I found this thread. Two agencies, best cruise and vacation outlet both have great prices. I'm happy to see that others have used these without problem. THANK YOU!!!!

Hi there.. I used Cruisecompete to get a quote on a cruise, and have got two acceptable quotes, one from bestpricecruises.com and another from cruisevacationoutlet.com

Has anyone had any experience with either of these two companies?

Are there any other online TA's or other web sites I should check out?

I'm a bit nervous booking a cruise online (have always done it through local TAs), but the prices online can't be beat.

Thanks.

I have had experience with cruisevacationoutlet.com & am completely satisfied. They operate out of Orlando Fl. If you call 800-797-4635 ask for MJ. He will beat your best quote every time. Very reputable & is an actual cruise professional.

Although I've used and appreciate the service Cruise Compete offers, allow me to vent about two things I've discovered (one just today);

1. I've received quotes from several agencies that advertise a shipboard credit, however they don't give you the amount of the credit being offered. How can you compare quotes one agency vs. another when they don't disclose the amount of the credit? If you can quote an exact dollar amount for my sailing and category desired, so also can you disclose the amount of shipboard credit you're offering. No need to be vague here, because you can bet I'm not going to inquire any further with you or your agency.

2. Today I received a quote from an agent who didn't provide a quote for the sailing I'm looking at. The agent acknowledged this right off the bat, but rather wanted to steer me to a completely different sailing his/her agency had a block of group space on. If you're going to provide a quote for a sailing I'm not interested in, at the very least give me two quotes -- one for the trip you're hawking, and the other for the sailing I actually requested pricing information on.

Thanks for listening - I feel better now!

That would be annoying-- does a follow up email requesting the exact onboard credit yield results?

What I do is contact each agent that bids and have them detail EXACTLY what their offer is. If there is any vagueness in the responses at that point I move along.

That would be annoying-- does a follow up email requesting the exact onboard credit yield results?

I don't even go that far. To me, if they can't specify the amount of shipboard credit they're offering from the get-go, then I'm not looking to do business with them. "Generous shipboard credit" goes nowhere with me. Don't play games, just give me the specifics from the start.....

Hi there.. I used Cruisecompete to get a quote on a cruise, and have got two acceptable quotes, one from bestpricecruises.com and another from cruisevacationoutlet.com

Has anyone had any experience with either of these two companies?

Are there any other online TA's or other web sites I should check out?

I'm a bit nervous booking a cruise online (have always done it through local TAs), but the prices online can't be beat.

Thanks.

Deceitful Practices - Cruise Vacation Outlet.

Deceitful Practices - Cruise Vacation Outlet.

Hope you can substantiate. Libel can be expensive.

Deceitful Practices - Cruise Vacation Outlet.

Too bad you found FT after dealing with this online TA.

Great advice in this thread! Thanks all.

Abagail

I am a big fan of both. I have used cruisecompete several times and ended up accepting the bid from Cruise Vacation Outlet. They had excellent customer service and I have no reservations about telling my friends about them.

I used cruisecompete for a specific Carnival cruise, but all the quotes ended up being exactly the same. With Carnival mandating that no TA can undercut published fares, doesn't that make cruisecompete obsolete for Carnival cruises? Am I missing something?

With Carnival mandating that no TA can undercut published fares, doesn't that make cruisecompete obsolete for Carnival cruises? Am I missing something?
I believe the TAs can still offer "extras".

I believe the TAs can still offer "extras".

They can, but they're of minimal value. Cruisecompete is now useless for me. It may be of value for someone else.

Carnival has won, and I'll just book direct from now on. :)

Carnival has won, and I'll just book direct from now on. :)

May I ask why you'd book direct rather than with a travel agent? The commission is there direct or through a TA, and by supporting a TA, you're benefitting 3 entities - the TA, who most often is a small business owner, Carnival (through lowered servicing costs) and yourself (many TAs still provide bon voyage gifts and you have an advocate if need be).

May I ask why you'd book direct rather than with a travel agent? The commission is there direct or through a TA, and by supporting a TA, you're benefitting 3 entities - the TA, who most often is a small business owner, Carnival (through lowered servicing costs) and yourself (many TAs still provide bon voyage gifts and you have an advocate if need be).

A TA just adds another level of bureaucracy to get anything done with my booking. I don't need help picking a cruise line, a ship, an itinerary, or my cabins. I plan my own excursions. I make all my own travel arrangements. I honestly don't see anything that a TA can do to add value for me.

It wouldn't matter much, except that with Carnival's "Early Saver" program it's an extra step to get price reductions via a TA. It was worth it to book with a TA when I could save hundreds of dollars on a booking, but not any more. Basically at the level that I spend for a cruise I'm limited to about $100 worth of perks per cabin. $100 just isn't enough to deal with the hassle of the extra steps involved.

The TAs claim that they wanted Carnival to make this move, but I think ultimately they'll get burned by it.

I have cruise compete many times. I must say, I had trouble with the fist two TA outlets I used. I then used Cruise Vacation Outlet. I have never had a problem with them, even when I have wanted to change cabins or cabin categories. Todd is very up front with with price, extra perks, etc. I use a credit card for payments and the cruise line actually processes the payments. First TA I used via cruise compete charged my cc and did not send the money in until about three weeks before the cruise. I won't go into the trouble that caused. I highly recommend Todd at Cruise Vacation Outlet.

The TAs claim that they wanted Carnival to make this move, but I think ultimately they'll get burned by it.

I can understand your position regarding a layer between you and the cruise line, and you are certainly not alone in that position. However, I can definitely say that the majority of the agencies who wanted Carnival to move to a no discounting rule aren't the ones who will be ultimately hurt by the move. It's the deep discounters who offered nothing but price who will find it difficult to survive. Those who provide true service and value will continue to be profitable.

Now there are other moves by Carnival which were neither asked for nor desired which are an entirely different matter...

I have cruise compete many times. I must say, I had trouble with the fist two TA outlets I used. I then used Cruise Vacation Outlet. I have never had a problem with them, even when I have wanted to change cabins or cabin categories. Todd is very up front with with price, extra perks, etc. I use a credit card for payments and the cruise line actually processes the payments. First TA I used via cruise compete charged my cc and did not send the money in until about three weeks before the cruise. I won't go into the trouble that caused. I highly recommend Todd at Cruise Vacation Outlet.

I have a much lower offer on my 58 day cruise from 5-7 different agencies through Cruise Complete.
I am nervous about dealing with an on-line T/A but it seems from this thread that I shouldn't be.
My cruise is with HAL & they require a deposit, with final payment 75 days pre-cruise. Is this possible with these people, or is it full payment up front?

I am looking for comments (good & bad) about these different on line bidding agencies.

I have a much lower offer on my 58 day cruise from 5-7 different agencies through Cruise Complete.
I am nervous about dealing with an on-line T/A but it seems from this thread that I shouldn't be.
My cruise is with HAL & they require a deposit, with final payment 75 days pre-cruise. Is this possible with these people, or is it full payment up front?

I am looking for comments (good & bad) about these different on line bidding agencies.
If the agency you are looking at is "on the level", then the final payment will always be the same as required by the cruise line, generally 70 or 75 days before sailing. If they are requiring total payment far in advance OR by check or cash, look for another agency. People have been "badly burned" by this procedure in the past.