Agents key to cheap vacations

Just because the economy is down doesn't mean you have to let your guard down in choosing a vacation.

There are a number of deals to be had. And by doing a bit of homework, you can get better deals. Just like any homework assignment, it's best to ask for help. A variety of Web sites can hunt for the the cheapest options — Orbitz.com, for example, has a price assurance guarantee, automatically sending a refund if another customer books the same flight for less.

But such sites aren't all knowing.

"Use a travel agent, especially for the first time visiting an area," Donna Douglas of North Brunswick said at the Association of Central Jersey Travel Professionals' last month in Freehold.

Douglas is the business development manager, specializing in travel agencies, for the Bermuda Department of Tourism. She was one of more than 50 vendors who exchanged information with association member-agents May 4.

"Agents are more familiar. They know everything from hotels to sightseeing," Douglas said.

But don't take Douglas' word. Princess Cruises, in its 2009-10 Americas cruises book, is offering an eight-day Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean sailing this October, leaving New York and arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the time the cruise offering was published, the starting price was $599 for an interior stateroom, $699 for oceanview. The guidebook doesn't differentiate between oceanview and oceanview obstructed, and all prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include government fees or taxes.

If you book it through the cruise company's Web site, the price drops to $549 for either an interior or oceanview obstructed, while an oceanview is still $699. But a balcony at Princess' Web site is $799 compared with $839 published, and a mini-suite is $999, compared with a published rate of $1,049.

That's good. But there are ways to do better.

At CruiseCheap.com, which requires users to go through that site's travel agent, that same room was $549 for an interior or oceanview obstructed. But for a limited time, that Web site was offering each customer a chance to pay a lower deposit of $200 per cabin. The site also offers an onboard credit of $75 per cabin and a $325 value coupon book, good for various items and activities on the cruise.

But even without the added offers, an oceanview started at $674, a balcony at $784, and a mini-suite at $994. While it may not seem like much, every dollar saved means more money for ship and shore purchases.

In addition, a good travel agent should notify you if the price drops or any other changes happens in the ship's plans.

"Take the swine-flu incident. What do you do without an agent?" said Donna Carlin of Brick, Association of Central Jersey Travel Professionals' president as well as the owner of Stepping Out Travel Services, also based in Brick.

With cruise ships skipping Mexican ports and vacationers worried about a stay in the country, "I was up for hours trying to find the best available solution to their concerns on short notice," Carlin added. "Who do you turn to in that instance?"

NCL Epic - Bookings Begin!

Norwegian Cruise Line saw demand for its largest ever Freestyle Cruising vessel Norwegian Epic skyrocket in the first week that the ship’s itineraries went on sale to the public, beginning Thursday, May 21, 2009. Norwegian Epic’s first week of bookings far exceeded opening week sales for the company’s last two new ships: Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem. All categories of staterooms were in demand, from the groundbreaking new Studios for the value-conscious traveler to the ultra luxurious villas, penthouses and deluxe owner’s suites. Prices start from $699 per person; however, based on high demand, prices increases are taking effect on some of the more popular sailings.



Norwegian Epic is scheduled to enter service in late May 2010, and will take part in inaugural events before beginning her Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings from her year-round homeport in Miami. The first Eastern Caribbean sailing from Miami is scheduled for July 17, 2010 and the ship’s alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries are available through April 2011.