What is this crap? Is this for real? I've been on RCCL three times and I
always
felt that I got a reasonable deal from my T/A. Is this a thing of the past?

Robert


"FUNCRUISES" wrote in message
...
Just because travel agents are no longer allowed to rebate their
commissions on
Royal Caribbean, it doesn't mean the cruise deals are over. The rebating
may
be gone, but not the deals.

Royal Caribbean will continue to offer Senior Rates, Top Producer Rates,
Past
Passenger Discounts, Resident Rates, Military Rates, Interline promtions,
reduced air promotions, third and fourth passenger discounts, inside,
outside,
and balcony guarantees, group rates with amenity discounts, Platinum Card
discounts etc etc on sailing in which they need help selling cabins. They
do
not need to offer discounts on sailings where the demand exceeds the
supply -
as was and is the case with the Voyager this summer and next summer.

Royal Caribbean has somewhat of an unfair advantage in the marketplace
with
their Voyager Class ships. Folks will pay dearly for it. Once they've had
Royal
Caribbean, they stay Royal Caribbean and so will the friends they tell
about
it. Throw in their fabulous "get out there marketing" and you've got full
ships so you won't find many deals on it.

Other deals on other Royal Caribbean ships (like the types of promotions
above)
are availabe but they are not advertised on Royal Caribbean's website and
Royal
Caribbean's own direct selling agents hardly ever offer these promotions
up
front to a consumer.

A good cruise agent should have access to all the the specials and
promotions
with all cruise lines. So if you don't want to pay $1,499 for a balcony
on
Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody, they may recommend a comparable cruise on the
Grand
Princess for $999? A direct Royal Caribbean agent would not know about or
recommend promotions with a competing cruise line. The last time I saw a
company recommend a competitor was Cole's Santa Claus in the modern
"Miracle on
34th Street."

Don't fret about the rebating. It will be here for a while on everyone but
Royal Caribbean, but rest assured there are and always will be great
cruise
deals. Today, they are available on NCL, Holland America, Carnival,
Princess
and Royal Caribbean (just not Voyager class) for Fall departures.

For those of you who want to find these deals the hard way, call each
cruise
line directly. (speaking spanish will be helpful). For those who want to
do it
the easy way, call your local travel agent.


Uf Tukel
WMPH Vacations
Home of CruiseCheap.com
http:/www.cruisecheap.com