Confused and needing info please.

[coffee39]

We went on an Alaskan cruise a few years ago and because it was our first cruise and a once in a lifetime thing we booked everything through a TA and it cost us a fortune.

 

We now want to repeat the once in a lifetime trip however, I am sure we can do it cheaper than what we did last time.

 

I am of the impression that once you speak to a TA they frown upon you contacting other TA's to compare prices. Also when you call the cruiseline they always ask if you have spoken to a TA prior to calling them.

 

How does a person find the best deal without offending anyone?

[sail7seas]

You should feel free to speak with as many TA's as you wish and compare prices all over the internet and brick and mortars and anywhere else you wish.

 

There is also no problem about speaking directly with the cruise line. Just because you may have discussed a cruise with any number of TA's means nothing until such time as you place a deposit. You are under no obligation to identify to anyone if you have spoken with anyone else about a potential cruise you may take.

 

You are just a 'window shopper' until you place a deposit and like any other product you buy, price comparison is perfectly legitimate.

 

[firefly333]

I would shop around and decide on a cruiseline...unless the TA is giving me perks, I personally would book direct and do my own air. TAs will charge you EXTRA to book your air because they dont get commission on the sale.

 

HAL has some great deals on Alaska .. because they have more ships going there, so prices seem lower.

 

Princess, RCL and Carnival also go there.

 

Im a big fan of booking direct with the cruiseline (not using a TA at all)... Iv had some issues where if there were not internal notes, I would have lose the battle when something went wrong.

 

Some TA sites offer perks on bigger bookings, like OV and higher they might offer to pay your tips... that would be the only reason to not book direct. I want control of my own booking and be able to call the cruiseline if I have issues. If you book with a TA you give up this right, the cruiseline will not discuss your booking with you.

[Underwatr]

There is a certain website where TAs "compete" to sell you a "cruise." (you may want to google those terms). You certainly don't have to book thru any of those TAs but after doing your own research it can give you a sense of the level to which TAs can discount a given cruise, and it might get you the best deal.

[chipmaster]

Sadly the good or bad news is that the industry is so competitive unless you happen upon a crooked TA the differences between TAs and online is small. The fortune would only become a "small" fortune.

 

Where you can save is if the TA steered you to the balcony suite for that once in a lifetime versus the inside cabin if that was all your budget could really afford ( food, service, etc. is the same )

 

Or convinced you to book all cruiseline excursions as here you can if you plan smartly save 10-30%.

 

Shop for the best price but tread carefully and read the finepring about refund, cabin selection, taxes, and insure that you factor in credits.

 

Good luck!

 

We went on an Alaskan cruise a few years ago and because it was our first cruise and a once in a lifetime thing we booked everything through a TA and it cost us a fortune.

 

We now want to repeat the once in a lifetime trip however, I am sure we can do it cheaper than what we did last time.

 

I am of the impression that once you speak to a TA they frown upon you contacting other TA's to compare prices. Also when you call the cruiseline they always ask if you have spoken to a TA prior to calling them.

 

How does a person find the best deal without offending anyone?

[hateswaterloves2cruise]

Don't feel bad about spending the money on a "once in a lifetime trip". We did an Alaska cruisetour in 1998, thru a storefront TA, and spent a fortune too. I'm sure we could repeat it for much less today, BUT, we have those memories and no one can take them away.

As far as comparing prices, use the internet to check with online TA's as well as the cruise lines directly. If you find something you like, take it to your TA and see if they can match it. I have found they usually can, and will sometimes add a OBC or a bottle of wine to sweeten the deal. Good luck.

[blubionda]

Wow - this all sounds so familiar. We, too, did our very first cruise to Alaska (1997) and used a neighborhood TA and paid a fortune! Thinking it was a "special event" we wouldn't necessarily repeat, we splurged on an Aft junior suite at a fairly hefty price (inaugural year for the ship) - uffda!

 

Once I got addicted to ships and wanted to be on them all the time, I became more of a bargain hunter (and I haven't been in a suite of any kind since either)! I still splurge on the balcony because I'd rather go less frequently with balcony than more often in an inside cabin - just a personal preference. Sorry - strayed off topic there. :o

 

These days, I find the TAs rates are similar, if not the same, as the cruiseline itself = I now book directly with the cruiseline and only "transfer" the booking to a TA to take advantage of OBC or other incentives that might be offered. You can register at a lot of internet TA companies to get regular emails from them on "specials" etc., and this won't offend anyone.

 

Another comment on pricing: This year, some of my favorite lines have now also implemented restrictions on price drop credits and booking transfers so I am considering a new strategy of being more flexible both with the cruise and cabin location so as to take advantage of last minute price drops for unsold itineraries (deal notification services are available both with internet TAs and the cruise lines directly). Obviously, this won't apply if you want a really popular cruise that books early or for when you want a specific cabin location. Additionally, the trade off is that you will often pay more for airfare 30-60 days out vs. booking 6+ months in advance so you have to counter the savings on the cruise with the increased price of last minute airfare.

 

Bottom line - as previosly mentioned, until you put a deposit down with a TA (and in some case even after putting a deposit down) you should feel free to shop around as much as you want with whomever you want.

 

Hope this helps!

[fann1sh]

I'm not convinced you can go to Alaska and not spend a "fortune", compared to, say, the Caribbean.

 

Excursions significantly boost the cost of Alaska cruises.

 

This is a U.S. destination, with U.S. wages for guides, and drivers and admissions and so on. It's my experience booking excursions privately is not significantly less expensive. The best tour companies give the cruise lines discounts, so "ship's own" excursions are priced the same, or almost the same as the company's prices. Booking privately, you get smaller groups, better times, a custom itinerary - but not lower prices.

 

I know many people save $$$ by organizing their own overland trip rather than buying a cruise tour. But on the cruise itself, the way to save money is to decide not to "do it all" in every port.

 

There are interesting low cost options in each and every port.

 

However, there is no way to go flightseeing, and bear watching, and helicopter glacier walking, and do it all at budget rates.

 

Travel agents can cut your travel costs, but only locals and destination experts can help you decide what to spend your excursion money on when you get there. For these decisions, I strongly recommend the very active Alaska Ports of Call board here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=100&f=55

 

Perhaps the most experienced traveller on that board is BudgetQueen. One of the locals whose advice I value most is Yukon.

 

Some people do get significant savings with "2 for 1" Alaska travel books, which you purchase (prices are around $100). Those entertainment books are aimed at Alaskan residents, so relatively few apply to tours and excursions. Again, the Alaska board is invaluable for telling you what coupons are "good", and what are "bad".