A cruise agency that reads the whole catalogue

There are roughly forty thousand cruise sailings on sale at any moment across sixty-odd lines. Most people booking one look at three or four, pick the least wrong, and hope. That is not their fault — comparing them properly is a job.

What we do

We track the sailings, the ships and the fare movements, and when you tell us what you are after we come back with the two or three that actually fit. Along with the honest case against each one, because the useful half of advice is usually what to avoid.

We are not a search box with a call centre attached. If the right answer is a different ship, a different month, or not booking at all this year, that is what you will hear.

How we get paid

Cruise lines pay travel agencies a commission on bookings. That commission is built into the fare whether you book through an agency or direct with the line — so using us costs you nothing and does not raise your price.

We charge no booking fee, no service fee and no consultation fee. If anyone in this industry asks you for one, ask what it buys.

The obvious question about commission is whether it biases what we recommend. Rates vary a little between lines, but not nearly enough to be worth losing a customer over — repeat bookings and referrals are the whole business. If you ever want to know what a particular booking pays us, ask and we will tell you.

What we will not do

• Publish a fare we cannot honour, or show a struck-through “was” price that was never charged.
• Put you into an automated follow-up sequence. You will hear from a person, once, with something useful.
• Sell your details. Your information goes to the cruise line to make the booking and nowhere else.
• Invent reviews or testimonials.

Who we are

BestCruising.com is operated by Oceanic Travel LLC, registered in California and a CLIA-certified cruise agency. CLIA is the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry body whose accreditation is what lets an agency book directly with the major lines.