Anyone Can Buy ‘Group’ Discounts for Cruises : Marketing: Travelers need not belong to any group to use the block discounts offered to travel agencies.

Travelers looking for a break on cruise prices can save money by booking trips through group discount programs offered by many travel agents and cruise consolidators.

Typically, cruise lines make these group programs available to selected travel agencies and consolidators, who are allowed to sell specific sailings at discounted rates to a limited number of passengers. In reality, however, travelers buying into one of these group cruises may not know or ever meet the other members of the group. The so-called “group” aspect only applies to the passenger allotment given to the travel agency or consolidator by the cruise line.

Discounts through such group allocations range from 10% to 25% off regular prices. The number of cabins or passengers varies, but it’s often from 5 to 10 staterooms, accommodating 10-20 people.

In addition, cruise lines may permit selected travel agencies that consistently produce substantial bookings to sell an even more limited number of cabins--on a space-available basis--to individuals at an even more discounted group rate. This discount could be up to 50% off brochure prices, though, as with many discounted airline seats, very few of these heavily discounted cabins may be available.

To get such discounts, it may not be necessary to buy a cruise from one of the agencies/consolidators who have entered into the agreement with the cruise line. Other travel agents often can book sailings for their customers through the agencies that hold these special allocations.

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The group discounts offered by cruise lines could be on cruises to any part of the world and during any part of the year. The special deals offered to selected agencies or consolidators are usually dispensed six to eight months ahead of departures.

“In fact, very few passengers sail at brochure rates,” said John Severini, vice president of sales for San Francisco-based Royal Cruise Line. “Most sail through ‘early bird’ bookings or group allocations.

“About 75% of our passengers come through group allocations.”

While the price of cruises sold in this manner can be enticing, there are other aspects of buying tickets this way that consumers should consider.

Overbooking by cruise lines can be a minor risk for passengers who book under a group policy. Companies generally reserve the right to withdraw cabins sold under their group policies, in case there is a last-minute demand in a higher price category. Some cruise lines may also withdraw their group allocation if the designated travel agency or consolidator fails to sell a minimum number of cabins. Cabins sold at the lowest rate, and those that come under the group allotments, are usually the most overbooked staterooms.

Cruise lines are not regulated on the issue of overbooking, as are airlines, which are required by law to compensate passengers bumped from flights under some circumstances.

“Cruise lines overbook as well as airlines, some more than others,” said Art Sbarsky, senior vice president of marketing for Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises. “We may need some cabins in a certain price range, and passengers do cancel.”

“I’ve had several clients scheduled to sail on a ship that was overbooked and a cruise line went down the list of passengers and offered incentives to move to another sailing,” said Martha Scott, co-owner of Glendale Travel. “Sometimes my clients have accepted and sometimes they have said ‘no,’ in which case the cruise line hangs up and moves on to the next person on the list.

“In the 15 years I’ve been selling cruises, I’ve never had a client bumped, though I know cruise lines overbook all the time.”

Even so, problems rarely seem to arise when cruise lines overbook, according to industry officials. For starters, the process of sorting out cabin assignments usually begins about 60 days in advance of cruise departures, instead of the few minutes in advance for airline seats. Thus, passengers are usually given ample time--and options--to help solve any booking problems.

Any recall of unsold space by cruise lines generally starts 60 days before departure, though this cutoff point can vary.

“All of our passengers sail in the cabin category of their choice or better,” said Tom Roegge, owner of Cruise Holidays of San Diego, a 5-year-old cruise-only agency. “We’ve never lost a passenger’s booking. On the rare occasion that an overbooking problem arises, the cruise line asks us to ask our clients if they would consider sailing at a later date or they offer some other compensation such as a discount or upgrade on a future sailing, cash, shipboard credits for purchase of shore excursions and other products aboard the liner, or some combination of these items.

“However, if the passenger still wants to sail,” said Roegge, “they don’t have to accept the line’s offer. The cruise line will just keep going down the list of passengers until they find someone who will accept the offer, and they always do.”

Severini said that with Royal, there were no extra risks for passengers who booked under a group policy.

“We guarantee bookings under group allocations,” he said. “There’s no more liability than in paying at a higher rate and booking individually. And passengers who book early are the first to get any upgrades if cabins in their category are needed.”

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Travel agencies also may offer the possibility of upgrades as an additional incentive to book with them.

When passengers buy cruise space under a group allocation, they may not get a specific cabin assignment until the sailing has closed, which is usually 60 days before departure.

“Consumers should realize that while they’re likely to get the cabin category of their choice, cruise lines want to keep their options open under group allocations,” Sbarsky said.

“We either provide a specific cabin number at the time of booking or provide a guarantee of the cabin category and assign a stateroom at a future date, which varies but could be three to five weeks before departure,” Severini said.

The best bet for travelers interested in booking a cruise through a group allocation is to shop around for the best rates.