Established in 1984, Vacations to Go specializes in helping customers find discount and affordably priced vacation venues. LoveToKnow prides itself on offering the information their readers want to know, so for this article, we went undercover to find out what readers really want to know before cruising with Vacations to Go. Do they really offer the best prices and the best service? Even with a last minute cruise? Get the inside scoop!
Show Me the Deals
Browsing Difficulties
Searching for the cruise specials initially proved fruitless - browsing around and even clicking on the "Show Me the Deals," "90 Day Ticker," and "Find a Bargain" links all left us directed to leaving our e-mail address so that the cruise letter chairperson, Alan Fox, could e-mail us with last minute cruise mark-downs that would save us up to 75 percent off. The ad promises you can opt out at any time, but we were unable to locate the company's spam policy, so we opted for making a telephone call instead of leaving an e-mail address.
Helpful Phone Service
The site promises you can get the cruise information by calling 1-800-419-5104 from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday 9 a.m. through midnight (CST).A phone call proved more productive, with a friendly customer service representative assuring that although the best way to view the last minute cruise specials is by registering an e-mail address, allowing access to hundreds of deals, the company is a member of the Better Business Bureau and promises not to sell e-mail addresses or engage in other unethical use of information provided from potential customers.
Information Via Email
Once you've registered your e-mail address and name, you receive access to a list of available cruises that includes the rating (one to six stars), the starting brochure price, and the Vacations to Go starting price, some of which were up to seventy-six percent less than the brochure.
Each of the Vacations to Go last minute cruises was listed with a Fast Deal number that is needed when inquiring about the cruise. Alternately, you can inquire about cruises if you know the embarkation port, destination, and cruise line. After you've found the cruise you want, you need to call to book the cruise.
Call in to Book
Although many vacation sites offer online booking, Vacations to Go does not. That is simply the way the company chooses to do business. It's a travel agency that works with the cruise lines to get low fares, and the cruise specials go quickly. Since these deals offer significant savings, it's recommended to reconfirm the price at the time of booking. The company can give you the last minute deal prices for any cruise line they have listed, except for Disney, whom they need to call directly prior to providing the customer with the price.
Getting the Price
The cruise we called about, a 5 day trip to the Bahamas on the popular Carnival Cruise line (aboard the Celebration) yielded a great price of eight hundred dollars and fifty cents (including taxes) for two adults. If you want a price quote that includes the tax, you need to tell them and they'll calculate it in to give you the quote, otherwise it is strictly the cruise rate.
The same cruise wasn't available direct from Carnival at all for the specified dates. The price was twenty dollars higher at both Cruise.com and Orbitz.com. It was, however, available at Travelocity.com for the same price quoted at Vacations to Go. We were told the Vacations to Go will price match, but not beat, another company's offer.
Although there is emphasis on last minute cruises, you can also make reservations if you want to solidify your travel plans further in advance.
Great Resource for Bargains on Last Minute Bookings
If you're looking for a great bargain, Vacations to Go last minute cruises are a great option. The company offers cruises that may not be available elsewhere at prices that might be much lower than standard pricing. If you don't mind sharing your e-mail address and making a phone call, they may just yield the cruise of your dreams at the price you want.
