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Hard-to-believe cruise deals like this show up on Priceline with regularity, which is part of what solidifies it as one of the best cruise websites. The initial interface comes off a bit clunkier than, say, Expedia’s or Kayak’s, but the tradeoff is that you can quickly search by cruise line, both standard and luxury, as well as by cruise length and departure port. It’s possible that if you book one day, the next day the price may go down. The good news is that the price is unlikely to move much (unlike airfare). Above all, remember the age-old rule that if something sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Be wary of any websites advertising cruise deals that are significantly less than the same cruise priced elsewhere.
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American Queen Voyages Dropped By All* Travel Agencies - Live and Let's Fly
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The default search results are ordered by “best value”, unless you specifically click that you’d rather see the results organized by price, cruise length, departure date, or cruise ship. Tripadvisor Cruise, which launched in April 2019, is among the best websites for cruise deals—it lets you nab the lowest price by comparing more than 70,000 ocean and river cruises from some 60 of the best cruise websites. It’s got an attractive, inspiring landing page, and its newest function, “Explore Ship-tinerary pages,” lets you browse full ship profiles, details, photos, and itineraries. Their expertise can help you avoid mistakes, whether you are a first-timer or a repeat cruiser checking out a brand you have not tried before.
Shopping for Great Deals
This DIY approach might not be the best way to find your dream vacation at sea. Many agents become accredited cruise counselors through CLIA's Cruise Academy or take courses through the different cruise lines to become more expert at selling their products. Inquire whether the agent has attended any of these training programs.
Over 750,000 cruises booked
We suggest you stick with the websites mentioned here or other well-known spots. The other disadvantage is that you need to be a member of Costco to book. For more on getting the best deal on a cruise, see our 10 Rules to Getting the Best Deal on a Cruise here. That means you don’t have to run yourself ragged trying to find the best deal.
We pride ourselves in the best service possible, an accomplishment acknowledged by the most authoritative companies in the cruise industry. Cruise.com was named Agency of the Year by Carnival Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. As well as these major industry awards, MSC Cruises named Cruise.com Online Partner of the Year and many other cruise companies have celebrated our years of service to the cruise travel industry. Some travelers prefer doing business with larger agencies that employ dozens or even hundreds of agents.
Exclusive Cruise Offers
So if you want to sail from Miami, you’ll see all the options from the port for every cruise line. That gives you a better chance of finding something that matches your budget and schedule versus just searching one line. One thing to note is that many websites in this space are actually owned by a single company — Expedia.
There’s also a dedicated 800 number that lets you speak to Expedia’s cruise experts and, often but not always, a generous amount of onboard credit thrown in for good measure. On Expedia, it’s common to find bookable cruises for 70 percent off face value, with the ability to sort by price so the best cruise deals come up at the top of the list, saving you the scrolling. A sample search for a mid-June cruise to Alaska, for example, quickly came up with a seven-night itinerary starting at $389 per person—that’s less than $56 per person, per night for a mostly inclusive weeklong vacation. It makes sense that if a cruise cabin is about to sail empty the price would drop to fill it up. In fact, cruise lines consistently have occupancy rates above 100% — meaning that more than two passengers are in some cabins.
Questions to ask a cruise travel agent
To save you the hassle, SmarterTravel investigated the glutted space of cheap cruise sites to determine which are worthy of listing as the best cruise websites; below are a few that come highly recommended. With a focus on cruising, they are able to better serve cruise passengers — including having staff that you can call directly to help you book. In addition to the large cruise aggregators, there are a number of smaller websites focused solely on cruises. That means you’re going to find the same prices across these sites, along with similar search functions. Cruising is big business, and that’s why you have dozens of websites at your disposal, all competing for your travel dollars. Learn all about cruising from the comfort of your own home with our live complimentary Virtual Cruise Lectures.
Agents will have taken courses courtesy of the cruise lines, sailed the ships and received certification from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Some agents specialize in certain cruise lines and might even be a preferred agent for one or more companies. If you're interested in a specific type of cruising (such as river cruising or luxury travel), look for agencies that specialize in the line or type of cruising you prefer. They'll often have more complete knowledge of your choices than a generalist. For example, if you want to cruise one of Europe's rivers in an intimate riverboat, you might not want to book with an agent who specializes in selling holidays on 3,000-person mega-ships.
One of the most important things to know is that agents -- in particular, cruise specialists -- have been onboard the ships and can really give you firsthand advice about different cruise options. They have done a great deal of research through familiarization trips and cruise line seminars, so you don't have to do the work yourself. Even better, agents often have access to special discounts or perks -- or know best where to find them -- and as the cruise lines pay their commissions, you don't pay more for their services and expertise. The cruise travel agent should have questions for you as well, to better understand your dream vacation desires. If you are calling a cruise agency for the first time, the agent should be interviewing you as much as you are interviewing him or her. The agent should be focused on helping you choose the cruise line, ship and cabin that is right for you.
The agent might also have first access to sale prices because the cruise lines notify their agent partners and loyalty club members first before they announce a sale to the public. Find out if the travel agent has preferred status with any cruise lines or whether he or she belongs to travel consortiums that would enable him or her to get you better deals, upgrades, etc. But watch out -- some agents will push a particular line too aggressively for your tastes.
While you'll build a relationship with a particular agent, some like the idea of having the heft of a large and influential player behind them. Other travelers prefer working with smaller, boutique-style agencies and find the level of service meets or exceeds what the larger agencies provide. With everyone attached to their phones, laptops and tablets, many people assume that online is the only way to book travel. But, as booking online can often be confusing, a travel agent might be just what you need. Using the seven-night Alaska example, Priceline brought up an itinerary aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas that starts at just $374 for the full week—roughly $53 per night.
Our policy of guaranteeing some of the lowest price, combined with our commitment to provide the best service in the industry, has made us one of the largest cruise retailers in the country. Our directory offers listings for Celebrity Cruises' offices and representative worldwide. You will likely run into a lot of questions to which you have no ready answer. One of the best ways to find an agent that matches your travel style is to get recommendations from family members, coworkers or friends. If you're a do-it-yourself type, and you have the time and inclination to thoroughly research your own trip using resources like Cruise Critic, then go right ahead. It can be a complicated, time-consuming process that involves dozens of open tabs and maybe a spreadsheet or two.
However, if there is a reason where you need to change your booking or get a refund, then it could be a little more complicated than booking directly through the cruise line. People who are looking for a relaxing and quiet cruise trip can now opt for adult only cruises. No more yelling children in the pool or crying toddlers in the restaurants.
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