Thread: Cost for cruise

I've noticed that when pricing a cruise on Celebrity Cruise Lines all the quotes from travel agents are exactly what the cruise line offers. Does Celebrity allow discounting on cruises or do you have rely on the on board credit offered by the travel agent.

Celebrity is like alot of cruise lines where they do not allow discounting. The best way to shop for cruises is using an agent though because sometimes they may have some group space and be able to offer amenities such as onboard credit, bottle of wine, etc.

But yes, any reputable agent will charge the same price as the cruise line. However, should you have any questions or need assistance, the cruise line will represent themself whereas an agent will represent you and their services can be invaluable.

They can be especially helpful if you are new to cruising and need assistance, especially if you've not been to a particular port.

Whereas if you call the cruise line or an online site, more than 95% of the time you'll be talking to someone who works in a call center and has never even seen a ship, let alone been on a cruise or to any of the ports. Their job is to sell you a cruise with as little interaction as possible.

A reputable agent will spend as much time as you need and help you through each step of the process.

Since they charge the same and do not charge anything for their services, it makes sense to utilize their expertise for free.

Of course, I'm prejudice on the matter, but knowing what I know now; if I weren't in the business, I would never book a cruise without using an agent. Just too many things can go wrong and they have access to contacts not available to you, which can be worth their weight in gold when trying to solve a problem.

Pete

I heard that Princess is going to stop allowing discounting too.