Step 1   Know the Cruise Line Policies, it Can Save You Money
Major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, and Norwegian Cruise lines do not allow discounted prices to appear in advertising or public forums like the internet. What that means is you can sometimes get better deals on your cruise when you actually call an agent versus book online. Here is a way of saving money within the system by cruise line:

a. Royal Caribbean - Their policy does not permit any discounting of their in advertising or by phone. However, Royal Caribbean does permit agencies to offer extra value added amenities. This can be anything from an upgrade, to shipboard credit, a bottle of wine, etc. The trick to maximizing your purchase on Royal Caribbean is to know what the extra’s true value may be. Not all agencies are willing to subsidize this. In Cruise.com’s case we subsidize free gratuities on most sailings of Royal Caribbean. Those of you whom have sailed probably already know that Gratuities run on average $10.50pp per day. On a 7 day cruise for two people its worth approximately $147.

b. Celebrity Cruises - Policy mirrors Royal Caribbean’s policy.

c. Norwegian Cruise Lines - NCL does not permit discounting in advertising, however, agencies are allowed to offer discounts when dealing directly over the phone with the customer. The trick here is to call to book for best savings.

d. Princess Cruises - Princess has allows agencies to discount on line. Cruise.com’s online pricing reflects those discounts and shows you the value of booking with us.

e. Holland America - Holland America allows agencies to discount on line. Cruise.com’s online pricing reflects those discounts and shows you the value of booking with us.

Step 2   Comparing Prices
It is important to always make sure you are comparing Apples to Apples when shopping for a cruise. All sailing dates and cabin accommodations are not created equal. When comparing prices make sure you are including the full cost of the same ship, sailing date, cabin accommodation, and pricing program (IE senior rates, resident rates, regular programs, etc) you are looking at. In addition, cruise lines reserve the right to fluctuate their pricing at anytime before deposit is made on your booking. If you are checking rates today with one company and checking rates next week the prices could have changed. The best way to really get the best deal is do your shopping all at once.

Step 3   Hidden Charges
A number of travel agencies and online sellers include fees for services. In many cases these fees are not disclosed until the last stage of your booking process. The additional cost to you can be anywhere from $20 to $100 more than you anticipated. That’s why it’s important to really compare the gross total of your vacation while you are shopping before booking. Cruise.com does not charge any service fees for your online buys.

Step 4   Service When You Book
You always want to make sure that the company you are working with offers customer service support after you booked. There are agencies that will charge you extra for service support on your reservation if you have to call in. Plus, there are a number of small, medium and large agencies that make it very difficult to find their phone numbers because they don’t want the call. Some agencies are only opened 9-5 Mon-Fri. Most cruise lines are not opened 24/7. Cruise.com is one of the only cruise agencies opened 24/7. Plus, our phone numbers are prominently displayed to the top of every page. Cruise.com employ’s over 200 people throughout North America with employees in over 20 states.

Step 5   Don’t Leave it to a Rookie
You work hard and deserve a good vacation. Don’t risk booking your vacation through inexperienced agents. Cruise.com only hires experienced cruise professionals that have a minimum of 3 or more years working within the travel industry. Most of our staff are accredited CLIA agents and have been in the industry an average of 10-15 years. In addition, all of our management worked for many years with various cruise lines.

Step 6   Sign Up for Email Newsletters
Many cruise lines offer special deals and those deals are often sent out in weekly newsletters. To sign up for Cruise.com’s EDeals click here.