Boy oh Boy - the amount of mis-information and trolling in this
newsgroup makes it practically unusable for the novice looking for
accurate information. To avoid the noise one encounters when asking
cruise questions, I suggest you go to CruiseMates.com, where people
answer questions and all the unnecessary noise gets moderated.
Simple question, should I call my AAA or Carnival directly? Answer,
neither. First of all, these days Carnival has a "flat-pricing" policy
which means wherever you go (including the Carnival web site) you are
going to get the same price on the cruise, or higher (at some
agencies). You can go to Carnival.com and all the discount cruise
sellers you want and they will all give you the same price on a
Carnival cruise.
The exception is when a particular agency has group space blocked out
on a specific Carnival ship. Then that agent is allowed to sell it at a
lower price. The problem? They are not allowed to "advertise" it -
even on their own web sites. They are allowed to, however, convey the
lower price to you by telephone or by personal email - according to
Carnival policy.
Personal email includes email newsletters as offered by most of the
discount agencies. Therefore, one of the best ways to find a discount
anywhere is to subscribe to the various "hot bargains" email
newsletters. These newsletters are where you will find group space on
Carnival, and other lines with similar policies, that they are not
allowed to advertise as public display advertising.
Granted, if you know exactly what ship and saildate you want, you could
call around for quotes from various agencies hoping to hit one with
group space, or you can go a website (like cruisecompete or
CruiseMates) that offers quotes from numerous agencies in one stop.
However, for the best bargains flexibility is the key. Why have your
heart set on any one ship/saildate when a given agency could have the
same itinerary on a the same, or similar or even better ship, within a
week or two of your desired travel time, at a much lower price?
What I recommend is seeing what bargains are being offered BEFORE you
choose a cruise. By subscribing to the newsletters you see the BEST
each agency has to offer, and you get ideas for cruises at amazing
prices that you may have never even considered before.
How about these offers being offered on the market right now in email
newsletters:
$399 Inside on Costa Magica: 7-day r/t FLL to Bermuda (2 days) &
Nassau; Bonus: Cruise Insurance only $15
$599 Inside on MSC Lirica: 17-day trans-Atlantic Ft Lauderdale to
Portugal, Malaga, Barcelona, Genoa
$1199 Oceanview on Regal Princess: 10-day RT San Francisco to Alaska
with $100 onboard credit!
$1479 Inside on Celebrity Mercury: 15-day San Diego to Ft Lauderdale
Panama Canal - Includes Air one way!
$599 Inside on Carnival Legend: 8-day E. Carib; RT New York to San
Juan, St Thomas, Tortola. $200 shipboard credit!
and many more . . .
And yes, if you want to see the best being offered by several agencies
all in one newsletter, I think you can guess which newsletter I
personally recommend.
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