Blondie511 Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 So I am looking at a certain room on the Anthem of the Seas for my party of four. On Royalcaribbean.com the final price is $3,720. I priced out the exact same cabin on CheapCaribbean.com for $2,720 after all fees and taxes. That is one thousand less for the exact same room! I have only gone on two cruises before, and both times I booked direct through Royal Caribbean, so I am a little nervous about booking on a third party site. What would you do? Also, I hear great things about the travel agents that support this forum, would they price match the cheaper price???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXcruzer Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 I always book with a travel agent, I feel I normally get a better deal. $1000 difference however seems a bit unusual. Be sure to check all the fine print, something may be a little “off” Heymarco and ChessE4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanS Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 If you booked your cruise and have not paid the final cruise amount you may be able to rebook. You might lose your deposit though... you can technically move the booking to a travel agent and they may be able to book you again at a cheaper rate. They can also check the fine print like TXcruzer said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 That price difference sounds fishy. Heymarco and NC State 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blondie511 Posted May 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 I have not booked anything yet. And I took both websites out to the final payment page, after all taxes, fees, and port charges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 It might be valid, if they have a group rate that was set when the sailings first came out. My TA explained their group rates are set and locked in at the time the cruises are first announced, so it can become a significant savings if Royal jacks up the prices on their site. But she also said big savings, like the size that you’re seeing, aren’t very common. Sharla and Heymarco 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heymarco Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 I did a quick scam analysis on the website and everything seems legit. It has been up for 21 years, has high traffic, and is not blacklisted anywhere. Sounds like a great deal on a block of rooms they are trying sell. One time I booked a top balcony room for a cruise on the Royal Carribean Germany site for cheaper than an interior room was going for on the Royal Carribean US site. ChessE4 and Baked Alaska 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 Go to another consolidator like vacations to go, Costco, delta skymiles cruises. Find and price the cruise you're getting this deal on. Group rates will be pretty consistent among legit consolidators. This will give you a sense of the prevailing discount on group rates. You also have to be careful on not just taxes and fees but also on cabin class. Everything has to match up when price shopping. Have a look here by clicking "here's some stuff....."too: ChessE4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 Websites that list prices for cruises can run the gamut of possibilities. There could be a few explanations for the price difference: Group rates Not including taxes, port fees, insurance in advertised price Certain cabin category, which may or may not be the one you want The other larger issue is the service they provide. A thousand dollars is indeed a lot of money to save, but what happens when your cruise is cancelled? Or you want to change people on the reservation? How responsive and helpful they are can be a major factor that some websites struggle with providing in anecdotal evidence. If you have a travel agent you've been using, you could certainly show them the price difference and see if they can figure it out. A lot of times travel agents can look up group booking space available to their consortium that may not show up on a web search. Baked Alaska and Sharla 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda R Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 I personally do not trust 3rd party cruise companies. Plus I lost money in about 1990. Booked a cruise, plus flights thru a huge cruise co. that had been in business over 25 years. One day they just closed, no explanation. Employees came to work and the doors were locked. From then on I have used a travel agent. But I do know friends who do use the 3rd parties to book their cruises and are somewhat satisfied. Some issues happened last year using them because of pandemic and they have lost money or still trying to collect it. You have little control when using a 3rd party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda R Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 7 minutes ago, Linda R said: I personally do not trust 3rd party cruise companies. Plus I lost money in about 1990. Booked a cruise, plus flights thru a huge cruise co. that had been in business over 25 years. One day they just closed, no explanation. Employees came to work and the doors were locked. From then on I have used a travel agent. But I do know friends who do use the 3rd parties to book their cruises and are somewhat satisfied. Some issues happened last year using them because of pandemic and they have lost money or still trying to collect it. You have little control when using a 3rd party. P.S. I did lose all my money with that cruise. I do not like to worry about my trips. 7 minutes ago, Linda R said: I personally do not trust 3rd party cruise companies. Plus I lost money in about 1990. Booked a cruise, plus flights thru a huge cruise co. that had been in business over 25 years. One day they just closed, no explanation. Employees came to work and the doors were locked. From then on I have used a travel agent. But I do know friends who do use the 3rd parties to book their cruises and are somewhat satisfied. Some issues happened last year using them because of pandemic and they have lost money or still trying to collect it. You have little control when using a 3rd party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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