Shopping around? Things to keep in mind!

We sometimes get phone calls or email requests wanting price quotes, which we are more than happy to provide.  On occation, we get the response "wow I checked (insert travel site here) and it was much lower!"  or "I want a (insert cabin catagory here) for me an my spouse because it is cheaper on that site".   Do it yourself travel sites are fine for alot of things, but cruises are not like booking airfare or hotels... there is alot that goes into both the price, and the cabin selection.

Online sites will always give you your cruise only price, not including tax, port, and their own personal fees.  What you will find is that the price will appear much lower on the surface, but right before you go to put in your credit card number, you see the price leap as everything is piled on.  This is often AFTER you have entered all of your personal information and taken the time to register on the site.  Travel sites also charge a fee to book with them, sometimes as much as $50.  So when shopping around for price, make sure you are comparing apples to apples.  It pays to call a travel agent to help.

Online booking engines are not people, they are robots.  If you ask for the lowest price cabin they will give you what you ask for no questions asked... but is that rock bottom cabin really a good deal?  Not all cabins are created equal.  For instance, some of the lowest price cabins are twin bunk beds.  If you are looking for a room where you will be able to sleep comfortably with your partner, you just made a mistake that will land you in the dog house :)  The online site won't point this out to you, so bargin shoping can be a dangerous thing if you are not super careful.  When you arrive at your cheap oceanview room and find you have a view of the side of a life raft, you will understand that booking engines are not people.  Remember, all the seats on an airplane are pretty much the same... cabins on a luxury cruise liner are not!  It pays to call a travel agent to help.

I have worked at big companies doing stessfull work, and I know what the 9-5 grind is like.  You work all year long, and wonder if you will even find the time in your schedule to actually use the vacation time that work gives you.  You really do owe it to yourself to do everything you can to make sure that the leisure time you actually do have goes smoothly and is everything you want it to be. Life is precious, and so is time, use it wisely.

Cruise Planners does not charge a fee for what we do, ever.  When you call us, we will help you find the perfect cabin to suit your needs at a price you can afford, and our quotes will include all the charges up front.  Go to the main page and click on "our promise to you" on the left to read more.  You really can't get any better than Cruise Planners.