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Fact Sheet
"One of 36 Web Addresses You Should Know"
---Washington Post, October 2006
Ranked one of "25 Best Value Travel Sites"
---Kiplinger's Personal Finance, May 2006, Sean O'Neill
"A revolutionary new web site is going to change how you shop for cruises"
--Pauline Frommer, MSNBC
CruiseCompete.com is the world's only competitive cruise pricing Web site, serving both experienced and first-time cruise vacationers, plus group requests. It is the only site that allows consumers and groups ranging from corporate meetings and incentives to weddings to family reunions and other group gatherings to submit a single cruise request and receive multiple independent offers.
Pricing is not the Web site's only focus. It also offers an array of services to its customers, including some of the most sophisticated cruise search tools anywhere on the Internet. For example, a user can type in a desired port or country and then see all of the cruise sailings that visit that location. Once a particular sailing is selected, consumers can quickly and easily submit a quote request on the cruise to multiple travel agencies. It also offers "Specials" postings in various categories to help users identify sailings that are right for them.
How it works:
Once a cruise sailing is chosen, users provide brief information, including the number of passengers and the types of cabins they are interested in, and then submit a quote request.
Each request is immediately accessible to more than 200 CruiseCompete member-travel agencies. Live agents view the consumer requests and respond with quotes in the system. Users are notified via e-mail each time a new quote is submitted and provided with a link to their account to view the responses.
All responses are displayed on the same screen and are shown with all taxes, charges, and included bonus extras - making comparisons easy. Most requests receive 4-6 responses from agents, along with agent contact information, agency background and consumer ratings of agency performance. Consumers remain anonymous until they choose to contact a specific agency via phone or e-mail to ask questions or to book their vacations. Most bookings are made via telephone with a live travel agent.
Consumers can have up to three requests being processed at one time, enabling them to compare various cruise lines and itineraries as well.
Success:
CruiseCompete.com has been very well received by consumers. Since its launch in 2003, more than 300,000 registered users have used CruiseCompete.com to request cruise quotes from 300+ member travel agencies who have submitted more than 4 million quotes.
Member Agents:
Nationally known cruise vacation aggregators that regularly submit best-price quotes to CruiseCompete.com visitors include: CruiseAdventureTravel, Cruise Vacation Outlet, Cruise Value Center, Cruises-N-More, VCA Travel, Skyscraper Tours and many more.
Media Accolades:
Travel experts and media have praised the innovative CruiseCompete.com website, including mentions in Travel + Leisure, Money Magazine, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Frommer's Budget Travel, the Los Angeles Times, Smart Money, the Washington Post, SmarterLiving.com, the Chicago Tribune, MSNBC.com, USA Today and the Associated Press, as well as many regional newspapers.
In addition, CruiseCompete.com is recommended by a number of cruise guidebooks, most recently the 2006 editions of Econoguide Cruises, The Unofficial Guide to Cruises and Fodor's Caribbean Cruises.
Cruise Market:
An estimated 12 million people enjoyed cruise vacations worldwide in 2006. Bookings on 2007 cruises are on pace to set all-time records. With 17,000 travel agents nationwide, the challenge for consumers is to find the best deal possible on selected cruise sailings. Offers can vary dramatically from one agent to the next in this highly competitive business.
Objectivity:
CruiseCompete LLC, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, is an independent company,
not owned by or affiliated with any travel agency.
Management:
R. Levinstein, CEO
Contact:
Heidi Allison
248.628.3505
Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
For more information, please contact us.
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