CruiseCompete is the sister company to this publication, All Things
Cruise. All Points Cruise is a journey information site where I write.
it makes sense to employ their program when booking my boat trips.
For those unaware, CruiseCompete is a network of affiliated travel
agents. After setting up your personal account, you enter the details of
the specific cruise you intend to take and the types of cabins you are
considering. The network of cruise themed travel agents is notified and
over the next couple of days, a few of them come back with quotes. They
are bidding for your business.
In years past, I assumed cruise lines did not discount beyond the price
you saw quoted on their website. Regardless of whether you booked
through your favorite travel agent or directly through the cruise
line’s website, the price was about the same. The benefit was in the
On Board Credit (OBC) offered by the travel agent as part of their bid.
If the cruise line offered an OBC, this additional OBC could provide a
tidy sum to spend on shore excursions or drinks packages.
How I Saved Money on the Cruise
On my most recent experience, I saw a very attractive rate posted on the
cruise line’s website. We all have a favorite consolidator with a
scan/sort function, so I checked it out there too. The price was the
same. I got my group of bids through CruiseCompete. Several added an OBC
or other benefits associated with payment by specific credit cards.
One offering really surprised me. offering pricing about 19% below the
rates quoted elsewhere online. There was no OBC, but the savings were
upfront because I was paying less. The entire arrangement was done
online. I accessed their site, booked our tickets, received confirmation
and later that day, received an e-mail instructing me how to pay by the
end of the day. It went smoothly, although I never connected via phone
with humans at the member travel agency.
How I Saved Money on the Airfare
The challenge of not sailing from a nearby homeport is you need to get
to the ship. We have another cruise booked in March, transatlantic in
the opposite direction. We needed a London to JFK flight. On my favorite
airline, the one-way fare is $1,656. Suddenly the cruise fare didn’t
seem as attractive!
That is when I started looking for an earlier transatlantic cruise in
the opposite direction and found this one in January 2025. We would fly
JFK to London in January, then fly home, London to JFK in March. That
round trip fare, on the same airline was $585! Both fares are quoted in
coach! This was a deal we could not pass up!
As an experienced traveler, I am always confident I can find the best
deals without any help. In this case, I would not have found this great
fare if I had not used CruiseCompete. It worked for me!
Cruise Information Portal– All Points Cruise &, CruiseCompete
Editor’s Notes: If you’d like to find a quote and book a cruise view Browse Cruise Ships and Cruise Lines
On over 50 cruise lines and over 500 cruise ships sailinǥ all over ƫhe world, CruiseCompete and įts member go σfficials offer a wide rangȩ of customized bσat aȵd land offers, offerȿ, and ameȵities.
Also notice Shore Excursions – Ports, Day &, Weekend Trips
Dennis Co𝑥 is ƫhe official photographer and autⱨor of All Items Cruise.