How to save money on Alaska booking for a Princess newbie?

[CRB#33]

I picked up brochures from a chain agent yesterday. (I'm not going until 2006, but I want to start research early).

 

Anyway, I called Princess direct to get a starting point on an 11 night cruisetour for next summer. It was a five digit number and I just about fainted. I went with a mini-suite, but even a lower catagory balcony will be nuts. Pretty much figured a cruisetour would be out of the question for the three of us, but I do want a balcony even if it's a regular.

 

Problem is, I don't know where to turn now to find out where I can get a lower number for just a 7 day Voyage of the Glaciers. I'm sure Princess is giving me the brochure rates and I know that there must be ways to save. Is a big chain travel agency good? I'm guessing they may not be the best way to go.

 

I'm also concerned about the online agencies because they are so anonymous and seem to be a dime a dozen. Is there a way to find out if they are reputable?

 

HELP!!!!:eek:

 

Thanks for listening to this long post and for your help. :)

 

edited to get rid of travel agent name.

[meyerhaus]

Even though this thread will probably be pulled because a TA was mentioned by name, I would reccomend that you call your city's Better Business Bureau and get the top-3 rated travel agents in your city. Then, have them give you a quote, and go from there. Check how the big online companies measure up, and pick the one you are most comfortable with.

 

Oh, and by the way, your price will come down. Just wait about 9 months. But, as Steve (srphnx) always says, "No one cares about your cruise as much as you do," so keep an eye on the prices and call your TA with ANY change to make sure that you are getting the best deal.

 

ENJOY,

[CRB#33]

I don't want it pulled! I've edited the name out. Sorry.

[sue d. miller]

Good, we got that fixed. Good work!!! :) This is how I would start, after doing what Jon above stated. You will get prices from the above. Then, go to online agencies, and find the cruise you are interested in. The advertised agencies here on CC is a good place to start. I believe the prices you get online will be different from your local comanies. Once you find the differences, you will be more comfortable, one way or the other. When you find one you are happy with, then you can book. Some companies offer cabin credits, maybe a bottle of wine, all incentives to book with them. It takes work, but worth the effort. :)

[LindaKE]

If you live in a small town and don't have many agencies to choose from, it might be helpful to try the BBB in a larger city. The prices I get here in Mobile are higher than what I can get elsewhere. If you belong to any groups that give discounts, you might want to try that.

[spongerob]

Try several on-line sites for quotes. That should give you an idea where the prices are today. To save money, book in May or early June, or later in August or September to avoid the high season. You did say there were 3 of you, so you might not have as much flexibility in avoiding the high season when the kids are out of school, but it is worth a shot depending on your local schedules. Also, when quoting mini-suite prices, be aware that the Sun and Dawn have much larger mini-suites that are very nearly equivalent to full suites. Those tend to be much higher-priced than the smaller minis on the Diamond/Sapphire.

 

Make your booking with a cruise specialist. Sometimes brick-and-mortar TA's aren't necessarily well versed with booking cruises, and will quote you brochure rates which are always very high. Prices will come down, but if you book at an inflated fare you will have to shell out more for the deposit.

 

You can always transfer bookings if you find a TA that can give you the same service and cabin at a lower cost, as long as you do it before final payments are made. It is very easy to do that.

[srphnx]

My own solution is to use an online TA with a phone number I can call to speak to my particular agent. Your chances of finding a decent one are pretty good, there are at least 12 really good, really big ones and the price difference will be noticable between them and the local one. Once you have found one of the biggies, all the price differences from there are pretty minor truth be told.

On the whole you can help yourself a lot by not being to set on sailing at peak demand, early and late Alaska are up to 30% lower. We like Sept. but also sail May. Don't worry we will walk you through this, and it is true no one cares about your cruise as much as you do but we come in a close second.

[Crowsie]

Alaskan cruisetours ARE expensive.

 

My best advice..and you've already done this..is to plan way in advance.

 

Ask for TA referrals from friends and family that travel alot. Frequent travelers swear by their TA's..and they'll not steer you wrong.

 

Don't NOT take the trip because of the $$$..just know what it's going to cost you and save!

 

Once you've booked, keep checking for price drops or cabin upgrades.

 

Check the shore excursions link on the Princess website and see what this years excursions are costing so you'll know what to budget for those.

Alaskan shore excursions can also be spendy.

 

Every month we put money into our "travel account" so that when final payment is due, the money is there. We've been doing this for over a year.

 

We also have a separate account that we throw our nickles and dimes into for a future Alaskan cruisetour. We want to take our kids on that one..and we know that it'll likely be more expensive than our 19 days in Asia!

[Baxter]

Maybe think about waiting another year to go. I understand that the Alaska experience isn't cheap...and there are some exciting excursions offered that are quite expensive as well. Personally, I would rather go and do it right, rather than worry about the cost. If a mini-suite is what you want, be patient.

[meyerhaus]

They're already waiting over 18 months!

[CruisinChris]

Pick up a copy of Cruise Travel magazine. Most of the biggest agencies advertise there, and many of them have websites. Shop around, ask questions. Any of those agencies should be reputable and have good to decent rates. Also, there no disadvantage to working with an out-of-town agent or agency. That doesn't really matter so long as they are reachable by phone. So, don't let that deter you from working with an agent in another state for example.

[SharB]

You might want to try posting an ad with approx dates and give as many specifics (eg the Voyage of the Glaciers). I've used that option several times and gotten real good deals. You will get responses from TAs. I know Cruisemates has a bargan section where you can post.

[CRB#33]

Thanks so much to everybody!!!! You guys are awesome! All your ideas and tips will definitely be looked into! I'm a compulsive planner, LOL.

 

John-actually we have TWO YEARS :eek: . I should be an expert by them!

 

srphnx-thank you! I know I'll be here a lot!

 

Unfortunately, I know that a cruisetour with my children just isn't possible. Hopefully someday when the kids are out of college and on their own, my husband and I will be able to do these nicer things.

 

So until then, our kids will be 17, 16 and 15 in two years, we will do a 7 day Voyage of the Glaciers with a possible pre-tour in Anchorage. This will leave us some money for a "nice" excursion or two. Basically, we'll only miss Denali, but someday we'll get there :)

[SharB]

Why don't you just rent a car and stay at different lodgings? You might want to check out the prices. It's possible that you could come 5 days early to Anchorage and have a wonderful time in Denali, etc. We've done this twice and plan on it again in Sept 05.

 

Shar

[CRB#33]

I'll definitely look into that. Thanks for the idea. :)

[mscloyd]

Yes, planning your own pre or post cruise tour is easy and you get to do exactly what you want. I think a cool thing to do would be to rent an RV for a few days (DH disagrees, so we won't be doing this). Even though not cheap, for five people it would be a lot cheaper than a cruisetour. Also, lots more balconies and mini-suites on the Coral and Island Princess, hence a little smaller and less $$. Much less (probably half) than on the bigger ships with only a handful of mini's. Try Kim's Kruises and see what she can come up with for you. She is a cruise specialist and can give you a good rate, plus extras. Plus, if the rate drops after booking (YOU have to keep checking) she does reduce the rate. Book early and watch rates gives you the best of both worlds.

[Budget Queen]

I too would encourage you to forget a cruisetour with kids. First off, generally none or few kids on these land tours and number too- they are way TOO costly for what you get. You need to consider at least a 7 day add on. Looking over these boards- you will see over and over how "hectic" and always on the move they are. Totally true and not a good way to travel there. AND Denali Park is a BIG deal to miss and easy to arrange if you just consider other options. You need an arrival after June 1 however. Educate yourself on Alaska touring- get to your library and take out Alaska travel books, Frommers and Fodors Alaska are expecially good and concise. Also pick up a copy of THE MILEPOST. Keep track of these boards too. Plenty of first hand info available. You never see independent Alaska interior travelers EVER say they wished they took a tour. :) An RV rental can be an excellent choice- very easy driving Alaska- well maintained "normal" paved roads. Nice campgrounds and the convenience of food and bathroom. Consider it!!

[terrierjohn]

“You can always transfer bookings if you find a TA that can give you the same service and cabin at a lower cost, as long as you do it before final payments are made. It is very easy to do that.”

 

 

Spongerob,

 

 

 

Interested in your comment above, can you do this in the US without incurring any penalty? In the UK we would have to cancel the original booking and lose the 10% deposit, so the new deal would need to be a really good one to make it worthwhile.

 

 

 

CRB#33.

 

 

 

Be thankful you’re booking with a US TA, the best Alaska deals in the UK will be approx. 45% discount from Princess on the cruise element only, plus about 11% off the balance from the TA, and if you do both pre-cruise and post cruise tours Princess will add an additional premium. I’m still waiting for their justification for this. We get very few special deals on Alaska cruises, and only on early or late dates. Even so it is one of the ‘must do’ cruises.

[TWA4Ever]

Pretty much figured a cruisetour would be out of the question for the three of us, but I do want a balcony even if it's a regular.

 

Problem is, I don't know where to turn now to find out where I can get a lower number for just a 7 day Voyage of the Glaciers. I'm sure Princess is giving me the brochure rates and I know that there must be ways to save. Is a big chain travel agency good? I'm guessing they may not be the best way to go.

 

Wow, I hate to do this, CRB, but I have just a couple of questions. Above you state "... for the three of us ...;" however, on the Alaska PoC board last night you stated "We would like to fly into Anchorage before the cruise. There will be five of us (2 adults, 3 teens) probably with close to two pieces of luggage a person."

 

Are there three people travelling or five? Did you lose some of them?

 

Also from the RCCL board of July 20: "I've cruised Disney a few times and loved it, but am looking to cruise Alaska in 2006 or 2007."

What did you pay for the three (?) Disney cruises you have already taken? Did you pay brochure rate? Or you you find a TA which gave you a better deal? You say "there must be ways to save." How did you save on the Disney cruises you have already taken? Did you use a chain agent, an internet agency, or just call Disney on the phone and book it?

 

Just wondering as you appear in these postings to have no experience at all. But, if you have three (or more) Disney cruises under your belt, you definitely have the experience!

[CRB#33]

Sorry for the confusion!

 

I have two children and my husband has two children. (Only one of whom will travel with us). For personal reasons I won't go into, our family travel expenses are seperate from our household expenses. It's up to me to provide for my two children and the better part of myself.

 

I have only two Disney cruises under my belt, as you put it. I used an online agency who specializes in Disney only and sponsers a HUGE message board where I learned enormous amounts of information. I was there for many, many months before I decided to book with them and had gotten to know the agent I would use through the message board. Ask me any quesion about Disney cruising to the Caribbean and I probably can answer it or point you in the right direction.

 

Ask me anything about any other cruise line, destination or travel agent and I could not even begin (well up until a few days ago) to answer. I was clueless. Up until this summer, I never desired to do anything but Disney.

 

Sorry again for what seemed to you to be conflicting statements. If you wish to grill me further, I'll be here :rolleyes: Until then, I hope I've cleared up your interest in my posts.

 

Oh and to add, not being able to be given names of travel agents made me ask even more questions.

[dosi]

many of the most reputable on line TA's actually advertise here on cruise critic. Click on their links to get an idea of who charges how much. Also if you go to Frommers.com and do a search on cruises they list several good discounters. Good luck :) .

[CRB#33]

TWA4Ever....you actually did a search on me???

 

I wish I was that fascinating IRL! :D

 

BTW, my screen name on the other message board I was speaking of is the same as here. I've been there since 2000, the first few years under another screen name. My computer was hacked into when I had it out to be fixed, so I decided to go with the screen name above. Also the reason you won't find much info on me in my profile. As soon as I'm more comfy here, I'll post more.

 

I've been fixated on Disney, Disney World and Cruise, since 1998. That's why this is all so new to me.

[kendon]

Whatever you do, don't get an inside cabin to save money on an Alaskan cruise. Some of our best sightings of ocean wildlife was while we were in our room getting dressed or just relaxing. We do inside cabins for most of our Carribean cruises, but most of us do Alaska only once so do it right. Have fun, it's a different and refreshing trip.