New tool lets cruise agents bid for your business

Given the vast number of travel agents, both online and off, hoping to sell you a cruise, it's hard to know if you're getting a competitive price, especially if you only have time to check a few sources. With the arrival of CruiseCompete in September 2003, consumers have a new way to access a variety of agents all in one place. We've decided to put this site to the test to see if its new approach to cruise booking will actually deliver on its promise of low fares.

At CruiseCompete.com, you choose your desired ship and travel dates, and let the agents come to you with quotes. While this site does not offer much hand-holding for first-time cruisers, our tests show that the quotes you receive are quite competitive. If you're ready to book a cruise, this site allows you to compare the fares on your next sea vacation without too much effort.

How it works

The first step in booking through CruiseCompete is to identify the cruise you want. You must select a specific ship's sailing on a specific date; you cannot be as general as "a seven-night Europe cruise in July." Then, you enter your personal information, such as number of travelers and cabins, cabin types, and any other information that would help a travel agent, including previous quotes you're trying to beat or special preferences. You can have two open requests at a time.

Once you've submitted your request, all of CruiseCompete's affiliated travel agents have access to it and can choose whether they wish to offer you a quote. According to Bob Levinstein, CEO of CruiseCompete, the average customer receives two to six quotes, with the first quotes coming within hours or even minutes after submission, then tapering off after a few days. When you see a quote you like, you contact the agent directly to book your cruise. Each quote includes taxes and fees, so you won't be in for any surprises, and the agent's submissions include who they are, how to contact them, and information on the agency so you know why you can trust them.

This site is best for people, especially past cruisers, who have already selected a sailing and are ready to buy. There is a phone number to call if you wish to speak with an affiliated travel agent, but first-time cruisers and travelers who need help selecting a sailing should do their research before booking with CruiseCompete. Luckily, if you do need to learn more about cruising, the site provides some research tools with links to informational websites such as Cruise Addicts and Cruise Critic.

How you'll save

Not only will CruiseCompete save you time on your cruise shopping process, it can save you money on your cruise price as well. Our two test requests yielded quotes that were about $100 per person cheaper than the prices we found through our own online search. Out of 10 quotes total for two sailings, only three were higher than prices we found ourselves.

The first cruise we requested was a seven-night sailing of Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas, departing for the Caribbean on December 4. We chose this cruise because we expected to find low fares given that we're booking well in advance and the cruise departs during the low season between the holidays. The lowest CruiseCompete quote for an inside stateroom was $1,001 for two people (about $500 each), including all taxes and fees. We then priced the same sailing on Royal Caribbean's website, Orbitz, and icruise, and the lowest price we found was $1,295 (approximately $641 each, plus $14 shipping) on icruise, close to $300 more than the CruiseCompete quote.