What's your favorite cruise booking site?

aerospace · #1 (**permalink**) February 10th, 2012, 09:31 AM

Where do you get the best deals? Who finds their travel agent gets a better deal? Which emailing lists are you signed up for?

I usually check several when I've found one I'm interested in and end up on either the cruiselines own site or cruise.com. For convenience I use vacationstogo to research but since the prices are not updated I've called several times to find the rate listed was no longer available.

Share your best tips!

green_rd · #2 (**permalink**) February 10th, 2012, 01:14 PM

I use The Cruise Lines - Cruise Reviews and Deals to do a lot of of my research. I might book through them or a TA. I haven't found the "good TA" yet though I am still trying.

Lakers Fan · #3 (**permalink**) February 10th, 2012, 09:07 PM

I had a wonderful TA but he retired .Since then I have yet to find a good one .

hockeynut · #4 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2012, 12:05 AM

I used to just book online either directly with the cruise line, or through some site like Expedia, Orbitz, etc...

I found a TA (I think she was mentioned on these forums) and she is awesome. I always get the best deals from her so now I go directly to her. I've told friends about her as well and they have been very pleased with her service.

I had a minor issue on 1 cruise, and 1 call to her and it was resolved instantly. I didn't have to press 1 for this, or 2 for that. Just called her directly and it was taken care of.

ruthlessboss · #5 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2012, 07:29 AM

V to G is the most complete, I don't necessarily book from them, but mostly do. Their listings can be broken down to specific catagories for discounts.

Marc · #6 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2012, 08:46 AM

It is interesting that in this thread we are allowed to mention specific travel agencies such as vacations to go or cruise dot com; has there been a change to site rules?

ruthlessboss · #7 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2012, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc

It is interesting that in this thread we are allowed to mention specific travel agencies such as vacations to go or cruise dot com; has there been a change to site rules?

Not sure on the answer. I think you just don't post a link. I think it's taboo to name a specific travel planner's name.

johnthed0g · #8 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2012, 09:07 AM

Why can't we mention TA's? I asked this on another site & you would have thought I had committed a major crime.

Mike M · #9 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2012, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc

It is interesting that in this thread we are allowed to mention specific travel agencies such as vacations to go or cruise dot com; has there been a change to site rules?

If it is a direct answer to a specific question then it's allowed.

What's not allowed is a new thread in which someone posts something similar to: "I just got the best deal from Joe's Travel and Cruises. He always gives the best prices. Thanks, Joe". If it's unsolicited it's pulled. Any advertising in signatures are also pulled.

If someone asks a specific question and the next response/recommendation is from the same IP address or subnet. Those get pulled. Also, when someone says they are from "Indiana" and the IP address is from Vietnam and they are recommending the tour guide they took "last year". Those get pulled.

It can become a gray area and can be open to interpretation and we leave it to the moderators to decide. Sometimes there is collateral damage and a completely innocent post may be removed but we can't read people's minds or know if they surf using proxies.

Directing readers to or endorsing another cruise board or competing "cruise magazine" site is not allowed.

Take care,
Mike

Trackypup · #10 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2012, 10:58 AM

I use Vacations to go to do research. My TA is the same one that does Cruise Mates Group Cruises. Love Nancy.

Future Cruiser · #11 (**permalink**) February 23rd, 2012, 03:14 PM

I totally understand the logic behind this question: Everybody wants the lowest price for a good cruise. The only problem is you need to book it through a cruise specialist who, unlike cruise lines and travel websites, can help you if any problems occur and get very useful onboard credits. A cruise specialist can answer all of your questions because of vast experience sailing on many cruises. If you don't believe me go to Cruise Line Fans (a website like this one) and click on Forum at the top of the screen. That MB is how I, a first-time cruiser, learned it is never a good idea to book cruises online or through the cruise line directly, even if I have to pay more than I would on a website.