Cabin price-too high? Help!

[cinnamon_swirly]

I first reserved a cruise through RCCI. The cost for an inside cat. K cabin-$629. I then called an agent and asked for the same catergory and told her I needed her lowest deal (I didn't tell her what RCCI offered). She quoted me the same price. The cruise is this Oct and almost full, so she said and that the room is already a special so there is no more discount and she doubts if the price will drop. I just booked today and paid it in full. Should I have not done this and should I use a different agent next time?

Stressed Cruiser

[Kuki]

Afraid to say.. sorry.. the answer is YES. You should have been able to find a better price quite easily!
Almost any TA will discount off of RCI direct booking prices. The fact you found one who would not is unfortunate!

[ErnieMCC]

Kuki is quite right on this. Try a different agent next time. Considering that non-commissionable fare and government fees/taxes were probably close to 1/3 of that fare, the t/a didn't have too much to work with, but you should have gotten something.

[lorilynn]

I've shopped around for prices for RCCL on the Grandeur of the Seas for March 1. The best price I could find was 865.00 and port fees of 155.00. It seemed high to me but unless I went with a company out of town (which I didn't want to do), this was the best.
Its an outside cabin on the Main Deck, middle of ship. Any insight? I booked it!

Which ship and what time of year? Makes a huge difference. Rhapsody out of Galveston is $499 on inside cabins for 8/11 cruise but all other dates are $599 or $699 depending on date and route. The Belize routes tend to be higher right now. They start those in October. These are also lowest inside prices. I don't think (but not sure) that K is the lowest inside. These are also probably guarantee cabins where you can not pick the location. Actually your price sounds about right. Try "Cruise.com" and "cruise411.com" and see what prices they have and that will tell you if you over paid. If you did it probably wasn't much. The cruises out of Miami could be cheaper as they are not the only ship doing 7 day runs out of that port like Galveston. Debbie

[cinnamon_swirly]

On the 8/11/02 sailing, the only $499 fare is an "open" Z Cat. On most sites, there is a waiting list for this price. On Rhapsody, K is the Main deck, 3rd from bottom, same floor as the Champagne Bar. A and B are the 2 lowest.

Thanks for your tips. When I sailed on Enchantment, I used RCCI's website to book and was happy. This time, I did pick my cabin which increases the price some. I knew more about cruises than my TA. I should have know this was a bad sign. I used a AAA agent since I'm a member and I didn't even get a discount for that.

Live and learn.

[robbie]

Yiikes! This here internet thing is the best thing goin so don't be afraid to put it to use to YOUR best advantage! Seriously, register with a few companies and have them e-mail you their "specials." RARELY will "RCI's" web-site be the best price you can get.
Happy cruisin, Robbie

We always check the price on http://bestpricecruises.com/.

Then I call my TA (she knows I use the net alot) and ask her what price she can do on a given cabin. She has always come in under.

Contact a good TA and he/she can have RCI transfer the booking.