Fares--If It Looks Too Good To Be True

[logan1_2000]

I was trying to find a good price for the same cruise I have booked for Oct. 14, 2006 for a friend who has expressed interest in DCL. We booked on board two weeks ago. Shopped around the usual suspects, my local travel agent, The-Cruise-Authority, AAA, DU, Dana at Micdan (who is really hard to get in touch with and she refuses to send an email with the requested information and then her phone line is busy, which is why I prefer email to the phone), Allseastravel, cruisequick, and vacationstogo.com. My lack of interest in sitting on hold on the phone knocks Costco out of the running. For the category that I requested, Cat. 8, two adults and a child, everyone was $3,220.33 except Allseastravel's posted grid showed $3,120. Then vacationsto go sends me $2,580.22. Uh huh, sure. That covered the adults, yet it was listed as being for all three guests. So I call up, and he insists, oh, no, sir, that is for all three. Okay, I'll take that price right now, sign me up as well as them...uh, gosh, he responds, you know what (yes, i do know) turns out that was just for the two adults, for all three it would be $3,220, but I can assure you our prices....(It didn't really matter what he said after that, did it?) I thanked him and moved on. I must confess that I do not know what Dana's quote is-- I know she has a devoted following, and I have read that she always saves hundreds off other quotes, but I just do not see that happening in this instance. Oh, DU does have a rebate applicable of $100, so that would equal Allseas. I used DU for my last cruise and had terrific service, prompt docs, everything as requested and even a little surprise "memory box" gift waiting for us in the stateroom when we got there.

So when someone is quoting you a price that is significantly lower than the pack, put that quote to the test and make sure it is real. It might be, but my guess is more often it will be a situation like mine. I do think the vacationsto go snafu was an honest mistake, I don't think it was an intentional bait and switch. But given how efficient the market is, and how available the information is to others, mostly the name of the game ought to be service and your comfort level with the TA's manner of communications and responding to you (or DCL's, if going w/o a TA).

Wishing great service and magical value for whatever fare you pay, enjoy your DCL cruises w/o aggravation!

 

[carleesmom]

You may have already tried them, but I used www.cruisecompete.com. I got an offer for a cat 6 which was cheaper than the other TA's quoted me for a cat 10 (the TA that was the lowest through cruisecompete.com was The Magic for Less however their quote not going through cruisecompete.com was comparable to all the others). Hope that helps

 

[Mommy Poppins]

I just checked cruisecompete for a cruise we're trying to book for next year. One agent came up with a price that is half of what I've been quoted elsewhere! Anyone ever heard of Travel Detailing, Inc?

UPDATE - never mind it was for a 4 day and not 7 day cruise!

 

[wdwstar]

if you use DU or any other TA do you have to pay for the whole trip right away or can you make payments like DCL?

 

[logan1_2000]

I made periodic payments to DU over many months (I would transfer over my Disney Rewards Dollars as they became available), and interim payments should be welcomed by most TA's.

Update, and admission that I was surprised and apparently wrong: Dana just called back, and in the interest of full disclosure there was a message from last evening as well that she had missed me but would try back today. And instead of $3220 or $3120, she came in at $2999. And $221 or even $121 is a decent amount of photos in Shutters, or an excursion, or many frozen daquiris, or a wine package...so it all adds up. Now to see if I can convince a colleague to go along w/ us, now that I have shopped around and gotten a terrific price. So thumbs up to Dana.

 

[alexandrew]

call my guy, you wont be disappointed...., answers the phone personally, answers email promptly....and gets you pricing IMMEDIATELY....we've used him for every one of our cruises, and consistently beats all the usual suspects in price......

Duane at Cruiseone 877-280-8796

 

[logan1_2000]

I'm already booked on the cruise. At this point just doing some advance price shopping for a co-worker who is considering booking the same cruise. I appreciate the input, and even clicked over to CruiseOne to see what I could see. Strike One, The Featured Ship right on the Home Page is the Norwegian Dawn. Uh, no. Strike Two, when you try to click anywhere else it pushes you to a listing/map of all the states and you have to click on a particular agent. There is no use in my talking to a fiftieth agent when all I am doing is shopping for price. And I do not want to be on the phone any more than I have to, I am usually on the phone with my own clients and can do these travel shenanigans on line at the same time. So that company's business model and my preferred way of doing business do not intersect. Oh well. Thats why there is a variety of distribution channels available.

 

[marycaym]

Try cruise.com, I have used their agent, Sharon Smith, for all of our cruises, disney & non-disney and she has been able to beat every price I have found on other sites. Have always gotten a live person when calling and immediate response to emails.

Good luck, sometimes this travel agents, AAA, costco, etc. business is overwhelming and alot of work!

 

[mommasita]

Glad you are all booked Logan. I was glad that I could just stop pricing around after..Was too afraid to find something majorly cheaper!!!!!!!!!!!