How booked is a cruise?

[G&TQ]

Is there any way to tell how booked a cruise is or a list of all cabins still avialble? Thanks!

[BDSou812]

You can call the cruise line, look at most travel sites, and if the prices are going up, they are getting booked.

[silentbob007]

You can act like you are going to book your cruise on any online travel site and see what the prices and room availablitly are ... but, just expect your ship to be full.

[Trekker954]

i'm surprized that reference to check travel sites. Isn't it like airlines, that many travel sites, are actually "travel agents" who book/block so many seats/cabins for their own "sale" and that is why there is such a vary in prices?

 

I just now had this explained to me by an insider United sales employee. I was trying to book a flight from DC to san Juan for specific flights. United had it at $600; travelocity, orbitz and expedia had it for more or less $400, and I was able to get it through American Express for $269.

 

It was explained that those companies basically book those seats however, do not pay united until you pay thru their sites. Of course, this United employee told me I should book thru united b/c if something goes wrong with the flight, I need to go back to the company who booked me rather than have united deal with you. Whatever, for a $300+ savings, I'm going to take my chances.

[eandj]

I have found the only way to get a more "accurate" idea of what's available is talking to my agent. There will generally be other staterooms they can"open" to sell that aren't on the cruiseline site. Some that might have been held and now available, some large agencies hold for an organized group estimate etc.