Checking Prices

[hopeless holiday booker]

A certain website that tracks prices gives an excellent price for a category that you want. How can you find out where this price is being offered. Do you have to pay the money to the website to get that information or just look until you find it.

[cruisingsince94]

Everything has a catch it seems. Best to do your own research rather than pay for info that turns out to be not what you expected. That great price you see on an unknown ship could be for an obstructed view, a guarantee cabin that you have no say in where or on what deck, etc.

[kathynorth]

A certain website that tracks prices gives an excellent price for a category that you want. How can you find out where this price is being offered. Do you have to pay the money to the website to get that information or just look until you find it.

 

I would suggest the first place to check is the cruiseline's website. Usually the base price is the same and it gives you a starting point. Then check some of the larger online TA sites. The only time I've seen differences is when a large TA has booked a block of rooms at a group rate. I've figured out where "special rates" were offered by plugging in the ship name + price rate and sometimes the various websites for online TAs pop up with that rate.

 

Also, since most agencies have the same cruise price as the cruiseline, but may have various offers, we like to figure the actual cruise price by adding in port charges/taxes, then minus any OBC or agency paid gratuities to figure out the actual cost for the cruise. We then use these actual rates to compare rates from other agencies to make our choice. We're looking at a cruise right now and have seen the same exact quoted cost of this cruise on all 3 websites. However, when considering the OBC and gratuities perks being offered the actual cost cruise rates are $3,511, $3,226, and $3,111 for the same cabin.

Edited June 7, 2014 by kathynorth

[hopeless holiday booker]

I hear what you're saying. I've booked a few cruises and have always looked around and compared deals but I saw this specific price and can't find it anywhere but I have found it about $100 extra so still pretty good. I was just interested to see if there was another way. The cruise line site was quite a bit more. Thanks for answering - it's quite interesting how the same product on a certain day can have such a range.

[travlnblueberries]

I would suggest the first place to check is the cruiseline's website. Usually the base price is the same and it gives you a starting point. Then check some of the larger online TA sites. The only time I've seen differences is when a large TA has booked a block of rooms at a group rate. I've figured out where "special rates" were offered by plugging in the ship name + price rate and sometimes the various websites for online TAs pop up with that rate.

 

Also, since most agencies have the same cruise price as the cruiseline, but may have various offers, we like to figure the actual cruise price by adding in port charges/taxes, then minus any OBC or agency paid gratuities to figure out the actual cost for the cruise. We then use these actual rates to compare rates from other agencies to make our choice. We're looking at a cruise right now and have seen the same exact quoted cost of this cruise on all 3 websites. However, when considering the OBC and gratuities perks being offered the actual cost cruise rates are $3,511, $3,226, and $3,111 for the same cabin.

I do the exact same thing of figuring perks with the price. We are sailing on NCL next week. We booked and the were offering a free cruise if you bought the cruise. The free one was just to the Bahamas, and I think it was just 5 days. Our TA asked if we would rather on board credit instead, and that's what we did. We wouldn't do anything under 7 days. But even this cruise, certain places were offering specialty dinners, wine, gratuities paid, etc. You just have to do the math to see which is the best deal for you.

[Bonnie J.]

Carnival & RCCL do not allow ANY TAs to book their cruise for less than their price. I think they may limit the amount given as OBCs too.

However my husband gets up at 5am - I don't!- and he has seen prices at 5am go up as the day progresses- often 3 times. They never go down just up until maybe the next day if ship isn't full.

We now usually book all our cruises through the ship on line.

[kathynorth]

Carnival & RCCL do not allow ANY TAs to book their cruise for less than their price. I think they may limit the amount given as OBCs too.

However my husband gets up at 5am - I don't!- and he has seen prices at 5am go up as the day progresses- often 3 times. They never go down just up until maybe the next day if ship isn't full.

We now usually book all our cruises through the ship on line.

 

I believe most cruiselines have similar policies. However, some large TAs buy up blocks of rooms when the rates are low and sell them off over time. This gives the appearance of offering lower prices and/or incentives. This is also why cabins become available right before final payment. The TAs cancel the bookings for any unsold rooms.

[leaveitallbehind]

A certain website that tracks prices gives an excellent price for a category that you want. How can you find out where this price is being offered. Do you have to pay the money to the website to get that information or just look until you find it.

 

There is a certain website that tracks each cruise line and ship and when a selected category has a price decrease it shows that by itinerary date. That information is free. For a small fee they will send you and email alert regarding your selected itinerary.

[hopeless holiday booker]

That is the website I was talking about but it is finding the price that they quote which is hard.

[leaveitallbehind]

That is the website I was talking about but it is finding the price that they quote which is hard.

 

In our experience it is taken from the cruise line's website. We have had more than one decrease indicated by them that matched the current pricing from the cruise line directly which we were then able to take advantage of.

 

I think if you see a price indicated on that price tracker you just need to check the cruise line's web pricing, call them directly, or contact your TA to initiate the decrease on your booking (assuming no restrictions on obtaining that price) -or- to create a booking based on it.

Edited June 8, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[hopeless holiday booker]

Thank you.