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CruiseCompete: Since Our Inception in 2003, We’ve Been Receiving Accolades From Some of the World’s Most Influential Publications
Travel + Leisure Magazine
CruiseCompete Takes Top Honors in Travel + Leisure Magazine's “Top 60 Best Apps and Websites for Travelers”
September 2012
Honorable Mention
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/best-apps-and-websites-for-travelers/9
Travel + Leisure
Most Important Travel Trends of 2012
August 2012
“’An explosion of capacity in the luxury cruise market is helping to drive never-before-seen early-bookings,’ says Bob Levinstein, CEO of deal site CruiseCompete, citing Azamara Club Cruises’ and Seabourn’s growing fleets.”
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/most-important-travel-trends-of-2012/5
The Wall Street Journal
The Best in… Travel: Cruise Deals
November 2009
“As with virtually every part of the travel industry, cruise lines are offering some sizable discounts to fill their ships. CruiseCompete is a great place to begin looking for bargains. Based in Des Moines, Iowa (with nary a cruise ship in sight), the service asks you first to pick a cruise ship and the dates you wish to sail. It then shares that information with more than 300 travel agencies, which email prices back to you. You pick the lowest bid and book with that agent. The service is free. Clicking on "View all Cruise Specials" on the Web site's home page allows you to search cruises by various categories: region, cruise line, length of cruise and type of traveler. To learn more, visit CruiseCompete.com.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704746304574505881588371464.html
Gayot- The Guide to the Good life
Top 10 Cruise Lines for Specialty Dining- Unique Fine Dining Experiences at Sea
“With the help of Cruise Compete, we have compiled a list of the best cruise lines for specialty dining, all of which offer a wide range of options, from upscale steakhouses to casual Coney Island-style boardwalk stands to haute French and Italian venues curated by top restaurateurs and celebrity chefs.”
http://www.gayot.com/travel/cruises/top10cruises-specialty-dining/main.html
AARP
Great Ways to Save – 16 Ways to Travel Cheap – Number 6
June 2012
“Smooth sailing. Cruises — especially shorter and less-expensive sailings, but luxury trips as well — will be bargains by midsummer and fall. Check out cruisecompete.com.”
http://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-06-2012/16-ways-to-travel-cheap.html
Successful Meetings
CruiseCompete Previews Fall, Winter Cruise Trends
August 2011
“Before they book a fall or winter cruise event, meeting planners and incentive specialists should consider the latest cruise trends, published … by cruise booking website CruiseCompete…”
http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Conference-News/Research-White-Papers/Articles/CruiseCompete-Previews-Fall,-Winter-Cruise-Trends/Fox News
Zagat
5 Great Websites to Search for Amazing Cruise Offers
March 2013
CruiseCompete.com- “This free clearing house lets you choose your cruise and get competing bids from agents. Hundreds of agents have access to your request and respond with their best offers via the site.”
http://blog.zagat.com/2013/03/five-great-websites-to-search-for.html
Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
Clark Howard: Sail away with a deal on cruising
March 2013
“To check out deals on cruises, I have several websites for you to check out:
CruiseCompete.com, DealNews.com and VacationsToGo.com.”
http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/atlanta-bargain-hunter/2013/mar/07/clark-howard-sail-away-deal-cruising/
FoxNews.com
Secrets to the 10 most popular cruise ports
February 2012
“According to CruiseCompete.com's annual report, nine of the ten most popular cruise ports in the world are in the Caribbean (or close enough to count). The website's list, which is compiled from cruise quotes requested by potential customers, shows that Alaska is also a perennial favorite for cruisers. Several Inside Passage ports made the cut, with Juneau coming out as the most requested cruise stop in the 50 states.”
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/02/27/secrets-to-10-most-popular-cruise-ports/#ixzz24Bw1jppz
USA Today- Weekend
Smooth sailing- Summer sales make cruises even more tempting
August 2012
“Save on travel agents. Make sure in writing that if your fare drops, your travel agent will refund the difference without a fee or penalty, and make sure you can get your deposit back if you cancel by the final payment date. Travel agents will bid for your business oncruisecompete.com by lowering prices or throwing in free extras.”
http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20120817/LIVING01/308170012/Smooth-sailing
Kiplinger
23 Best Travel Sites to Save You Money…Find the best deals online……….
September 2012
“At CruiseCompete.com, more than 300 travel agents vie to give you the lowest prices for dates, ports and ships you specify, whether you're booking well in advance or at the eleventh hour. You provide an e-mail address and they send you their best offers. Plus, the site has live agents available to guide you through the process through a live chat or by phone.”
http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/best-travel-sites-to-save-you-money3.html?kipad_id=33
The New York Times
For Cruise Deals, the Time Is Now
February 2012
“You can hunt and peck for such online deals on your own by plugging in your state of residence, or you can work with an agent who specializes in cruises to figure out how much you’ll actually save on a particular sailing. One place you can find an agent is CruiseCompete.com ….”
http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/travel/after-a-shipwreck-cruise-lines-try-to-win-passengers-back-with-discounts.html?_r=0
Bloomberg Business Week
2012
“CruiseCompete LLC operates a cruise pricing Web site that enables cruisers to find and compare deals on cruise vacations.”
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=44516488
Kiplinger
Best Travel Sites
March 2011
“At CruiseCompete.com, more than 300 travel agents vie to give you the lowest prices for dates, ports and ships you specify -- whether you're booking well in advance or at the eleventh hour. You provide an e-mail address and they send you their best offers. Plus, the site even staffs live agents that guide you through the process via live chat or by phone.”
http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2004/06/travelsites.html
Kiplinger
Secrets to Save on Travel
March 2011
“Visit CruiseCompete.com, where you submit your cruise preferences and more than 300 travel agents compete for your business.”
http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/09/21-travel-secrets.html
Travel + Leisure
Ask T+L: San Francisco Dining, Affordable Cruises, Spain Tour
February 2009
“Search…forums like…cruisecompete.com, which submits your desired ship, sail date, and cabin type to dozens of travel agents, who get back to you with competing offers in just hours..” http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/ask-tl-february-2009
Travel + Leisure
The Best Sites for Deals and Up-to-Date Travel Information
June 2006
As shown in sidebar: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/sail-away/sidebar/1
Travel + Leisure
12 Tips for Avoiding Storms at Sea
February 2005
“If you're price-conscious and you already know which line and ship you want, it's worth shopping around on … cruise-specific on-line agencies, such as …Cruisecompete.com.”
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/smooth-sailing
Travel + Leisure
Seek Deals
June 2007
“With large groups and advance planning come bargains, especially from cruise lines (see cruisecompete.com).”
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/all-together-now/sidebar/1\
The Street.com
Best of the Best -- Cruises are Afloat Despite Caribbean Fatigue
November 2011
Read The Street’s interview of CruiseCompete’ s Chief Executive Bob Levinstein
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11313741/1/cruises-are-afloat-despite-caribbean-fatigue.html
The Street.com
Score Luxury Cruises at Bargain Prices
June 2010
“The best way to get a good deal is to put it out to bid. CruiseCompete.com enables travelers to plug in details -- destination, season, bargain or luxe line, length of trip and so on -- submit a cruise request, and review competitive bids from travel agents.”
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10788621/1/score-luxury-cruises-at-bargain-prices.html
Frommer’s
Arthur Frommer Interview of CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein
“As Bob (CEO CruiseCompete) put it, "Things that are posted out for everyone to see are not always the best price…”
--Arthur Frommer
October 2007
“If you're an avid cruiser, you'll want to know about CruiseCompete. Let's say you've been attracted by a particular cruise -- a specific ship sailing on a specific date -- but you want to make sure you're buying it at the lowest possible price. That's a task for CruiseCompete. (Error! Hyperlink reference not valid..”
http://www.frommers.com/community/forum.cfm/arthur-frommers-blog/arthur-frommers-blog/avid-cruiser-youll-want-cruisecompete#ixzz1fgORdyI9
--Pauline Frommer
March 2012
“What’s Right and What’s Wrong in Travel” (5 Things Pauline Frommer Liked) “Cruise Prices Drop -The reason for the prices drops is that when the world economy was rolling, cruise lines ordered mega ships with a ton of rooms. Now they have to fill those cabins in a global recession. How do you do that? You drop the price until people start showing up at the docks ready to hit the open seas. Never book from the cruise lines directly. Use a cruise specialist travel agent or a site like CruiseCompete.com”
http://nodebtworldtravel.com/2010/03/couldnt-be-there-new-york-times-travel.html
--Pauline Frommer on MSNBC
2004
"A revolutionary new web site is going to change how you shop for cruises."
The Washington Post
What a Site: 36 Web Addresses You Should Know (CruiseCompete- Hidden-Provider Cruises)
2007
“Plug in cruise particulars and site peddles your request to nearly 90 travel agencies who then send you bids. Service is free, and prices are often lower than those on traditional cruise-booking sites.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48067-2004Sep24.html
SmartMoney.com
6 Costly Mistakes Cruise Goers Make
May 2008
“To find the best deal on any given cruise, compare prices on CruiseCompete.com, recommends Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com. The site allows users to solicit multiple price quotes from agents around the country for the exact sailing dates you request.”
http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals/6-costly-mistakes-cruise-goers-make-23190/
Budget Travel
105 Supersmart Strategies
June 2007
“Let cruise brokers fight over you. CruiseCompete.com is a website where you post info on the cruise you want to take, and then agents bid against each other to get your business. You're under no obligation to buy anything if you don't like what you see.”
http://budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2007/05/06/AR2007050600458.html
Budget Travel -- MSNBC / Overhead Bin
July 2011
“Now's the perfect time to book a fall repositioning cruise. When cruise ships change locations, like many will in the coming months, passengers going along for the ride often score remarkable deals. CruiseCompete makes it easy to browse all sorts of repositioning cruise specials in one spot …”
http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/27/7178525-nows-the-perfect-time-to-book-a-fall-repositioning-cruise
Los Angeles Times
A travel agent can help you find the best cruise and the best deal
July 2008
"You also can book through an on-line third-party agency or go to a site that will compete for your business, such as CruiseCompete.com. If I set sail again, I'll use an agent, whether it's clicks or bricks because, frankly, he or she (or it) will offer to help. And when was the last time anybody else in the travel industry bothered to do that?”
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-spot13-2008jul13,0,1439331.story
About.com
Family Deals
“CruiseCompete.com -- Handy! This site organizes bargains by categories, and has a page for Family Cruise Specials: a good way to find cheaper cruises, on a variety of lines.” http://travelwithkids.about.com/od/familycruises/a/cheap_cruises.htm
LovetoKnow.com
Top 10 Cruise Web Sites
(CruiseCompete is No. 5)
http://www.lovetoknow.com/top10/cruises.html
The New York Times
The Cruise Issue: Practical Traveler -- How to Find Cruise Line Deals
February 2011
“… CruiseCompete.com, allows you to select the cruise you want to take, and independent travel agents compete to offer you the best deal. You compare the offers in your account, and then contact the agent with the best rates directly by phone or e-mail to book.”
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/travel/13pracdeals.html
USA Today
Comparison-shopping tools lure travelers
October 2003
“Would-be passengers register an e-mail address and fill out a form indicating which ship, cabin type and date they're interested in, and they are notified by CruiseCompete.com whenever one of 20 participating cruise agencies provides a rate quote. The service is free to consumers but not to the agencies, which pay a commission for any resulting sales.”
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/road/bly.htm
Money (in magazine only, not online)
Best Deals on Everything >> Part 1
“The real fun of most cruises is exploring when the ship docks. Cruise lines typically mark up guided shore excursions 100%. Book one of those jaunts with a local company on your own instead, and you may save about $200 for a family of four”, says Bob Levinstein, CEO of online marketplace CruiseCompete.com.”
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