Finding a Berth on a Sold-Out Cruise Ship

A new service makes finding scarce cabins on popular cruises easier

By Heidi Allison

During this time of year the popularity and ship occupancy rates of cruise travel is at an all-time high, and many people call a cruise lines or travel agents only to be told that accommodations on the cruise they want is "sold out".

So you're dieing to take that specific Carnival ship to the Caribbean next month, and your agent tells you it's "sold out". It may be, and then again, it may NOT be sold out. Check SoldOutShips.com to find out if there is still room for you. 
Photo © capecodtoday.com

 "Just because a cruise line is showing a ship or cabin category as sold out, it doesn't necessarily mean there are no cabins available," said CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein. "The trick, however, is in knowing where to look next."

Bob has just launched a new on line service to help frustrated travelers find cabins on seemingly sold-out sailings.

Travel agencies which specialize in cruises commonly buy blocks of cabins on the most popular excursions, often at a discount.

Don't believe that "SOLD OUT" sign

Even when a ship is listed as sold out, there may still be some agencies that has group cabin space available.  But finding the agency that has the cabin you want on the ship you want, can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. In such situations this new web service, SoldOutShips.com may be a solution.

Consumers simply review the listings, and then request a custom quote on any sailing

At any given time, this on line service lists dozens of cruise sailings that appear to be sold out, giving travelers the opportunity to find cabins no one else has. Consumers simply review the listings, and then request a custom quote on any sailing. The process is free, quick and anonymous.

Then, if there are questions or a person wants to book the cruise, they can speak directly to the agency offering the hard-to-find cabin. More than 100 top cruise aggregators have teamed with CruiseCompete to list scarce cabin inventory on this new Web site.

They booked over a half million cruises last year

Since agencies only pay CruiseCompete based on the cabins they actually book, the site provides a no-risk way for agencies to sell more cruises. "We buy blocks of cabins on hundreds of cruises," said Steven Gelfuso, president of CruiseBrothers.com, one of the nation's leading cruise aggregators, having booked its 500,000 th cruise last year. "Many of this year's most popular sailings are already listed as sold out.

Travelers typically receive three to six quotes from which to select with no obligation to buy

CruiseCompete.com allows consumers to select a specific cruise, and then receive competing offers from any of the more than 100 travel agencies that are CruiseCompete members. Travelers typically receive as many as 3-6 quotes from which to select with no obligation to buy.

"Whether you are a first-timer or an experienced cruise traveler, CruiseCompete.com is an essential planning tool," Levinstein said. "In just a few minutes you can be sure that you're getting the best possible deal on your cruise vacation. Nobody else offers this type of on line service..... we save consumers time and money by enabling them to secure price quotes for cruises from multiple travel agencies without having to contact each one separately."  He added that CruiseCompete, LLC, is an independent company not owned by or affiliated with any travel agency.

Heidi M. Allison-Shane is an international consultant and entrepreneur with a world class client list including accounts like Pepsi Bottling Group, Ford Motor Company, CoreComm, CruiseBrothers.com, CruiseCompete.com, AllisonTaylor.com and CareerBrain.com. Although she is specialist in the Tourism industry, she has managed projects for numerous Fortune 100 companies throughout the world including Africa, Antarctica, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Asia, and South America. Ms. Allison-Shane has strong New England roots both here and in New Hampshire and Maine and has traveled and lectured extensively with Lars-Eric Lindblad, who pioneered expedition travel - or “eco-tourism," including the first expeditions to exotic locations such as Antarctica, Bhutan, China, Easter Island and the Galapagos. Contact: 248.652.2198, or allison@allisontaylor.com. See her previous travel tale here.