Using our services doesn't cost you a thing!
If you didn't know it by now our services don't cost you a dime. If your a bargain shopper or price shopper, you've spent allot of time looking around for a great deal only to find out latter that these big national travel companies advertise a very low price, but later on you often find there are hidden cost they neglected to tell you about. And it only gets worse after that because once you book with them they're pretty much done with you.
We're Experts:
What makes us experts?
- We travel the ships as often as we can.
- We regularly attend cruise industry meetings with the department heads of the cruise lines.
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We go on-board and inspect as many ships prior to recommending them to you. We inspect each category of stateroom, the Spa, Children's facility, Dining Room and the food, buffets, the bedding and more!
What's the Big Deal Anyway?
After one cruise we were in line going through customs when the couple in front of us began talking about their ability to find bargain prices on their cruises. They pointed to another ship in the harbor which they had just sailed. We asked them "How did yo like the bedding?" Their responded that it wasn't good at all. We knew that before asking since we had inspected the ship months earlier and knew the cruise line wasn't going to upgrade the bedding for another 6 months. This kind of mistake can be avoided with an active cruise travel expert like The Cruise Princess.
On another occasion we found a couple who had book a very nice suite, on a longed planned vacation, only to find that their travel agency had given them a "obstructed view" suite. Their travel agency didn't even check the ship's deck plan to see the problem. We informed them about it and got it changed for them.
How Do I Find Out About Cruising!
If you're interested in cruising then you should find out as much good advice as possible from people who are knowledgeable in cruise travel. Often people who went on one cruise aren't very good at giving good advice based on their brief personal experience. The best way to find out the truth is from a good travel agents who are in the best position to provide further help.
What About On-line Booking Services?
Online booking services are interested in only one thing and that is getting your money as fast as they can. Once you've booked with the likes of Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz or others they are pretty much done with you. What if you have questions about your room, gratuity, port entry process, parking, passports, kid and teen programs, and more? The online booking mills won't be there to help you. We see this allot with their clients calling us for help with their cruise. However, if your are experienced in travel and have time to shop and compare apples to oranges the go for it. But beware of the room category, location on the ship and of course charges which are included in their initial advertised price.
Why Are We Experts?
We are a member of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) and are continually training our cruise representatives in cruise knowledge to give you the best assistance. We attend cruise line training and familiarization events, inspect as many ships as we can throughout the year and work with the cruise lines business development managers.
We Do the Comparison Shopping for You!
We will do comparison-shopping for you among different lines and ships and decks and dates and work to get you the best deal on the best dates. The best price isn't always the best deal. Often we see people who believe they got a great deal only to find out later that the low price was hidden with additional add on charges after they booked with the on-line booking services.
What Hidden Charges?
Most cruise agencies will be direct with you and we take great pride in that. However, there are many prices in the newspapers, magazines, on-line websites which advertise a great price but when you book you find out they didn't tell you about port fees ($100+), Govt. Tax $30-50, $10 per person per day gratuity, which adds up to approximately $250.00 more added on. It just makes it hard to price compare because they aren't straight forward.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact us so we can walk you through each step of the way!
Jae Nelson
The Cruise Princess!