Cruise Compete This good?
 

For all the people that have used cruise compete, is it this good, or too good to be true? I have been searching and waiting for a particular cruise on Celebrity to come down in price in August 2011. I am going to book soon so why not give this site a try. I got various responses from travel agents ranging in price and incentives. As I was searching over the past several months I found out that celebrity cruise prices stay put regardless if being sold by celebrity or travel agents. The responses I have gotten ranged in same price as celebrity along with onboard credit, while another agent is 1,000 less or so from celebrity price quote or other travel agents. Some of the onboard credit seems too high as well.

are these legit travel agents on cruise compete?

I have used cruisecompete several times and I have been extremely happy with the results. I have found that whatever I was offered from the travel agents has been what I have received.

Several times cruisevacationoutlet has been the lowbidder when I have used cruisecompete and I have been extremely happy with them as well.

Which agency gave you the lowest price? Do some searching to make sure they're legitimate. I've booked 6 cruises with various cruisecompete agencies and have never had a single problem.

It is important to know all the details though. Some agencies charge a booking fee, and some charge change fees. Just be certain to factor in all these costs, if any, before making a decision.

I have gotten 10 or so responses and 3 have struck me as being too good....the total price anywhere I have looked is around 6400 for 2 with all taxes and charges added on.

dvacations gave me a price of 5600 with no hidden booking fees/charges or so they say

cabin clearance store gave me a price of 5700 as part of a 2 day sail with 7.95 per cabin booking fee


cruises -n- more gave me a price of around 6400 but with 750 on board credit....

all the other ones are similar in price but range in onboard credit...I am going to have to call and talk with some of these over the phone

I've used cruises n more, with no issues. I don't have any experience with the other two.

The main thing to do when booking with an unfamiliar agent is to get a confirmation number right away and then check with the cruise line to ensure that the confirmation number is valid and the booking is accurate. Then watch your credit card to make sure the deposit is paid directly to the cruise line. As long as those two things happen, then there's not really much that can go wrong.

Any booking fees should be charged separately and will be credited to the TA.

I've used cruise compete 3 times without any problems. In each case, I clearly specified the cabin category and room type that i was interested in so there wouldn't be any deviation when various agencies supplied quotes.

I use Cruise Compete virtually every time we cruise, and even if I find a great price from another TA I check on CC to make sure the deal can't be better. I find that the same TA's come up with the lowest prices/best incentives pretty consistently, and have used one of them four times. Beware of some TA's that charge a membership or registration fee to use their booking services.

I've used cruisecompete a number of times and have had only one problem. One quote was much better than the others and they seemed reputable. Unfortunately when my documents came in they indicated I had booked a "senior" fare. Being in my 40s I knew that wasn't correct.

It took a few phone calls to the agent and to Celebrity but it all worked out in the end.

Double check what they are offering and go for it! To the best of my knowledge it's always the cruiseline that processes your credit card and in the event of fraud/etc they should be able to refund your money and cancel the cruise (as long as it's within their normal cancellation times).

Cruise Compete
 

I have used Cruise Compete for pricing cruises for about the last five years or so. Most of the time the quotes are within a few dollars of each other. The big difference is in how much the agent is willing to give you in onboard credits. Do be careful because some agents depeding on the cruise line you are booking with will try to charge you an additional fee. Every now and than one agent's price will seem to be way off. I try to call all those who have bid and speak with them to review my arrangements. Some times they will have a better deal.

I know Celebrity does Happy Hour sales on Tuesdays. Most of the sailings are only about a month or so out.

Try this link to see what they are:
http://www.creative.rccl.com/sales/e...s_cel_tues.pdf

I've been looking at a HAL 58 day cruise (Australia/Asia) in Nov /11 & the prices I am being quoted on Cruise Complete are over $1000.00 less than I am getting directly from HAL & from my T/A.
I have 5-7 bids on each segment (28 + 30 day). I am a little nervous paying this way but seems from reading here that all is on the up & up.

Anyone have any bad experiences & are any of the bidders better than others?

Have used CruiseCompete and booked with Cruise Vacation Outlet many times and always been very satisfied with price and service.

Believe it!!
 

I have used TLC on a few cruises on Azamara. They cannot change the price, but they can definitely lower your cost (ask Dave).

You can become very pleased.

[email protected] (that's me if you have questioins).

I have used cruisecompete several times, all successfully. I think the thing it's most useful for is getting the names of various agencies who do offer perks (onboard credits, pre-paid gratuities, etc). It is very important to check out the agencies, particularly their cancellation policies and possible charges, before booking with any of them. Also, their availability is important and their policies regarding matching price drops (and how that will affect the perks offered).

The agency I have used for my last 3 cruises was one I found initially through cruisecompete.

Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Sometimes an agency will bid on a lower cabin category than you requested or without port charges and taxes making it hard to compare and the lowest price not quite that low.

Thanks! Good inf