Overview:Cruise411.com, chaired and founded by Lee
Rosenbluth of Rosenbluth Vacations, enables consumers to comparison
shop and book cruises on line or by telephone.
Features:
Cruise Finder: A search engine of inventory from 31 cruise
lines, said to be uninfluenced by advertising. 'Compare Cruises'
presents the offerings of up to four cruises side by side.BookIt Now!: A reservations system, developed with Sabre and
Breakaway Solutions, that books cruises from Carnival Cruise Lines,
Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line,
Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Windstar
Cruises.Ship Info: Decks, facilities and cabin photos.My Cruises: Reservations can be held with no money down.
Modifications can be made prior to payment.Stated mission: The site "was created to
provide cruisers (repeat and first-timers) with the most
comprehensive content and the most enjoyable booking service
worldwide."
How it measures up: I admit I started this
review with preconceived notions. Cruise411.com was cited by Forbes
as its Best of the Web among cruise sites. So, I thought the site
would be another example of consumer empowerment and travel-agent
bypass.
But, after trying unsuccessfully one day to use BookIt Now! to
book five cruises on line, I followed the on-screen instructions
for a May 5 Celebrity sailing to the Caribbean and called the
Cruise411.com 800-number. A reservations agent answered within one
minute. An inside cabin was available on the Century for $797.95
per person.
In one of my on-line booking attempts for a Royal Caribbean
sailing, I gave up after 25 minutes of viewing a screen that
thanked me for my patience while dolphins splashed about. In
another, I was prompted to call an agent because availability could
not be determined. A Cruise411.com spokeswoman said occasional
breaks between Sabre and the lines require phone bookings.
To be fair, I tried BookIt Now! the next day and reserved an
Alaska cruise -- complete with a dining seating and table size --
in about 15 minutes.
Regardless of booking glitches, Cruise411.com has really cool
features.
The site's ability to aggregate 31 lines, even if all but seven
require telephone bookings, and the capacity to book air and pre-
and post-cruise hotel reservations, are competitive pluses.
Comparing up to four cruises side by side, a feature that the
CRSs have implemented with various twists in their Web-based cruise
booking systems, is a powerful tool.
The cruise reviews under Ship Info, from former AOL cruise
critic Anne Campbell, have an independent slant. About Radisson
Seven Seas Cruises, she writes the ships "score high marks with
affluent cruisers..." but, "Song of Flower is an older [vessel]
lacking a large number of balconies typically found aboard luxury
ships today."
Cabin photos are available from the seven lines bookable on
line, but images from many of the others are bare bones.
In short, Cruise411.com has a lot going for it and much
potential. But, as agents know, booking a cruise is far different
from booking air and, today, the telephone is still very much a
part of the process.
Address:
18 Campus Blvd., Suite 220
Newtown Square, Pa. 19073
Contact:
(800) 553-7090
-- Dennis Schaal