Cruise Agent

How to Book a Bargain Vacation Through a Cruise Agent

There are travel companies that have found a niche in being cruise agents and thus specialize in getting the best deals on cruises. These are the agencies you want to contact when you’re booking a cruise. They know how the cruise industry works and how to land special discounts and upgrades.

Since cruise agents are general book about 90 percent of a ship’s rooms, the cruise lines often work with them to reduce rates. The cruise agent often gets better deals for their clients than the cruise line itself may offer. Another trick agents know is that as with airlines booking early gets you the best price, and for the most part that’s true; on a cruise ship, however, booking closer to the sailing date through a cruise agent is often the better way to reduce the costs.

Ships Don’t Want To Sail with Empty Rooms

In the airline industry they may offer a free upgrade to paid passengers, but they usually won’t let someone fly for next to nothing since they have little to gain from that. But think of a cruise ship as a Las Vegas hotel. They are willing to greatly discount a room to provide more customers for their shops, restaurants, and casinos, which is where their profit is made.

A cruise ship sailing with empty rooms is basically losing money. They would prefer to virtually give rooms away at drastically reduced rates and often work with cruise agents to find people to fill them. Also, after booking if you see lower fares don’t be embarrassed to contact your cruise agent to see about a refund of the difference.

A cruise agent also has special clout and may be able to get a room upgrade for next to nothing, as they will have the knowledge of how many rooms are still open. However, don’t book an extremely cheap room early and expect this to happen. If all the upgraded rooms have been taken you’re going to spend the cruise in the room you booked.

Your best option is still to book through a cruise agent and get the most room you can afford that will be comfortable for you. Then, closer to departure if the cruise agent is able to get you upgraded it’s a plus and not an unrealized expectation. If not, you still have a comfortable room in which to spend your cruise.