Booking Your Cruise

Best Times to Book

While miscellaneous cruise sales can spring up at any time of year, there are three prime times to lock in the best savings, and usually the best inventory, too:

Book Well in Advance:

In addition to having a better choice of desirable staterooms, significantly discounted prices are available to those who place a deposit on a cruise from six months to a year in advance of sailing.

Book at the Last Minute:

Cruise lines don’t want to sail with empty cabins, and will sometimes offer unsold space, usually within 60 days of sailing, at deeply reduced fares.

Book During Wave Season:

The cruise industry calls January through March “Wave Season,” when it books a large number of passengers for the year ahead. Availability is often the best during this period, and some of the year’s choice bargains can be booked during this annual sales push.

Choosing a Travel Agent

Whether it is your first or fiftieth sailing, one of the best advocates you can have for researching and booking a cruise is a knowledgeable, cruise-specialist travel agent. But how do you find a great cruise travel agent that you can trust? First off, look for signs indicating you’re dealing with an agency affiliated with CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association (www.cruising.org). These agents have completed demanding training programs, including touring or sailing on a specific number of ships. They make it their business to know all they can to serve their clients’ needs.

In addition, make sure the travel agency you’ve chosen belongs to a professional trade organization. In North America, membership in ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents (www.asta.org), indicates an agency has pledged to follow the code of ethics set forth by the world’s largest association for travel professionals. In the best-case scenario, your travel agent is affiliated with both ASTA and CLIA.

What to Ask Your Travel Agent

When you’ve found a jewel of an agent, then what? Ask many questions. Whether you do that in person, over the phone, or by email is up to you. However, it’s important that you get to know your agent and that your agent gets to know you. Above all else, be honest about your expectations and budget. Seldom can a travel agent who doesn’t know you well guess what your interests are and how much you can afford to spend. Don’t be shy. If you have champagne taste and a beer budget, say so. Do not hesitate to interview prospective agents, and be wary if they do not interview you right back. Agents can sometimes get you deals you won’t find anywhere else, but the real reason to use a travel agent is for their expertise.

• • Tell your travel agent what you like.
  • Ask questions if anything isn’t clear.
  • Some agents deal only with certain lines.
  • Be honest about your expectations and budget.
  • Don’t let the agent push you into something you don’t want.
  • Ask about group rates.

Recommended Cruise Travel Agents

• AAA
  • This company isn’t just for car travel; AAA can also refer members to local affiliated travel agencies.
  • www.aaa.com
• American Express Travel
  • Offers a searchable database of cruise-specialist travel agents.
  • 800/335–3342
  • www.americanexpressvacations.com
• Avoya Travel
  • In business since the 1960s, Avoya (formerly known as America’s Vacation Center) offers a vast network of professional independent agents worldwide.
  • 888/447–8459
  • www.avoyatravel.com
• Cruise Brothers
  • In business since the mid-1970s, this is one of the largest family-owned, cruises-only agencies in the United States.
  • 800/827–7779 or 401/941–3999
  • www.cruisebrothers.com
• Cruise Connections Canada
  • This is Canada’s leading cruise retailer and one of the largest cruise retailers in North America.
  • 800/661–9283
  • www.cruise-connections.com
• CruiseOne
  • Owned by World Travel Holdings, the world’s largest cruise retailer, CruiseOne offers a best-price satisfaction guarantee. The company has more than 1,000 member agencies nationwide.
  • 800/278–4731
  • www.cruiseone.com
• Cruise Planners
  • The company is the largest home-based travel agent network in the industry.
  • 888/582–2150 or 954/344–8060
  • www.cruiseplanners.com
• Cruises Inc.
  • Another agency owned by World Travel Holdings, it offers a satisfaction guarantee. The company has more than 600 member agencies nationwide.
  • 888/282–1249 or 800/854–0500
  • www.cruisesinc.com
• Ensemble Travel Group
  • This international network of 850 expert travel agencies has members in both the United States and Canada.
  • 212/545–7460
  • http://www.ensembletravel.com/
• Vacation.com
  • The largest travel agent consortium in North America is a network of 25,000 travel agents across the United States and Canada.
  • 800/843–0733
  • www.vacation.com
• Virtuoso
  • The world’s most exclusive association of upscale travel agencies books cruises.
  • 817/870–0300
  • www.virtuoso.com

Booking Your Cruise Online

In addition to local travel agencies, both big-name travel sellers and mom-and-pop agencies alike compete for the attention of clients on the Web, and it never hurts to compare prices from a variety of these sources. If you know precisely what you want and how much you should pay to get a real bargain, by all means make your online reservations when the price is right. Just don’t expect the personal service you could anticipate from an agent that you know. Additionally, most cruise lines allow you to book inventory directly through their websites, if you’ve made your choice and are ready to go straight to the source.

• • Online cruise sites are especially good for comparison shopping.
  • Don’t hesitate to book directly through the cruise line if you know what you want.
  • You may not be able to speak to anyone personally.

Cruise Booking Sites

• Cruise.com
  • One of the largest websites specializing in discounted cruises offers a lowest-price guarantee.
  • 888/333–3116
  • www.cruise.com
• CruiseCompete
  • This company allows you to get competing bids from top travel agencies, who respond to your request for bids with their best rates for your trip.
  • www.cruisecompete.com
• CruiseDirect.com
  • This leading online cruise-travel company offers a price guarantee.
  • 888/407–2784
  • www.cruisedirect.com
• Cruise411
  • This online-only agency offers a huge inventory and low-price guarantee.
  • 800/553–7090
  • www.cruise411.com
• Cruises Only
  • This is billed as America’s largest cruise agency (it’s a World Travel Holdings retailer); it offers a lowest-price guarantee, as well as a money-back satisfaction guarantee. Agents are available to assist clients around the clock.
  • 800/278–4737
  • www.cruisesonly.com
• Expedia
  • This full-service online travel seller books cruises, too.
  • 800/397–3342
  • www.expedia.com
• Orbitz
  • A major online travel agent that also books cruises.
  • 888/656–4546
  • www.orbitz.com
• Travelocity
  • This full-service online travel seller has a 24-hour help desk for service issues.
  • 855/201–7800
  • www.travelocity.com
• VacationsToGo.com
  • The company bills itself as the world’s largest cruise agency, and specializes in great-value last-minute deals.
  • 800/338–4962
  • www.vacationstogo.com