Hey Jim, great share. I recognized your voice and name from the train videos my 6 year old watches! I might be tempted to pick the sailing you're on so he could meet you and talk trains lol. He's in love with the flying Scotsman and mallard right now. Thanks!
Unfortunately, these special deals that my travel agent locked in are for cabins that accommodate only two people. So, the only way that a family could really take advantage of these low rates would be to book two cabins. At these discount rates, I bet booking two cabins is still cheaper than anything you could do on Royal Caribbean's web site for one cabin that can accommodate 3 or 4 people. Caitlin tells me that she does have availability for some cabins that are next to each other, for sail dates of November 2024 and beyond. So, you could book two cabins right next to each other. On the paperwork, you would put mom and a kid in one room, dad and another kid in the room next door. But once you get aboard, you can just make one room the kids room and one room the adults room.
That might take longer than you think! Royal Caribbean lost so much money during the pandemic that they fully intend to use all means available to keep prices as high as possible for as long as possible. My travel agent was really smart to lock in these prices when Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon of the Seas. I don't see prices going back to that level for a long time, not on this ship.
On my recent enchantment of the seas cruise all they were talking about was this new ship Icon. It was nonstop on in cabin tv and displays around the ship.
You have a balcony cabin that is 64% off on Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International cruise line through your travel agent Caitlin Gallagher of Ambren Travel for a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean including Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas, Coco Cay! You booked a cruise on Icon of the Seas on February of next year which is 2024! Your travel agent Caitlin Gallagher is someone who will be stuck on hold with the cruise line so you don't have to, keeping you from making a rookie mistake and to do the dirty work for you!
I'll be dropping RCI from my cruise lines. The pricing for a week is as much as i paid for my Alaskan cruise on NCL, and I stayed in a Mini-Suite. I'll save my pennies and go on MSC or Carnival.
Because my travel agent was smart enough to reserve these cabins a long time ago when prices were much more reasonable. Other travel agents didn't have the foresight to do that.
Honestly, the model train videos will probably be coming a lot less frequently than in the past. It's really difficult to make them, and the older I get the more uncomfortable it is for me to get down on my knees to set up the tracks. Also, RUclips's algorithm just really is not favoring my new model train videos in the way they did in the past... which means I do a lot of work to make them, but they end up getting viewed by only a few thousand people. I used to be able to get millions of views out of a new model train video, and that equated to thousands of dollars in advertising revenue... but now that it's just a few thousand views, it's just a lot of work for very little reward. I'm not saying that I'm not going to make model train videos anymore... I'm just saying that they won't be coming out as frequently as in the past. The travel videos are a pleasure for me to make, regardless of how many people end up watching them, so that's probably what you are going to see on my channel most often in the coming months. Also, I do want to slow down a bit and enjoy my retirement years without the pressure of having to release a new video every week... so, I suspect that over the next twelve months there will be less than 52 new videos released to my channel.
It's sky-high. It would be cheaper to book two cabins at my travel agent's rates than to book one cabin through Royal Caribbean that would fit four people, if there were even any available at this point. The cabins that my travel agent reserved are only configured for two people.
I've answered that previously, so I'm just going to cut & paste my previous explanation: When Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon Of The Seas, the prices were tremendously lower than what they're now asking. At that time, my travel agent reserved a LOT of cabins and locked in those low prices. In the months since then, people have been getting really excited about Icon Of The Seas as they've come to realize how incredible this new ship is going to be. This rise in demand has allowed Royal Caribbean to jack the prices up to sky-high levels. But the cabins that my travel agent reserved were locked in at the lower rates from earlier. So, that's why there's such a huge difference between the prices Royal Caribbean is currently getting and the price you can get from my travel agent. The reason that you can't get these low prices from just any travel agent is that most travel agents didn't want to take the risk of reserving so many cabins, but my travel agent did. But, thanks to the two videos that I've now made about this deal, my travel agent has almost sold all of the cabins that she had reserved. The only two dates where she still has quite a few cabins available are the Christmas cruise and the New Years cruise... and that's because those are the two most expensive dates to cruise during the entire year. She does still have a handful of cabins available on other dates (at much more reasonable prices) but if you wait much longer, those are going to be gone, too.
What is the catch Jim? How does she or anybody in her company get these great deals and nobody else can get them? Since you are going through a 3rd party. Are you protected if something happens? Or are you pretty much out of your money and well be stuck making phone calls for days trying to get your money back or at least credit? Do you lose out on the other deals they offer? Just trying to find the catch. 😊
There's no catch. My travel agent was just smart, and reserved a bunch of cabins when Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon Of The Seas, quite a long time ago. At that point, prices were reasonable. Then when Royal Caribbean started to see how popular Icon Of The Seas was becoming, they started jacking up the prices. And as more and more cabins were booked, and less were available to sell, supply and demand allowed Royal Caribbean to jack up the prices even further. But my travel agent's prices never changed, because she had been smart enough to reserve all these cabins (and lock in the price) so long ago. The reason nobody else is offering this deal is nobody else was as smart as my travel agent... booking all these cabins in advance a long time ago, and locking in the low prices at that time. I've been making cruise ship videos for a long time now, and I think I've developed a bit of a reputation as someone who tells it like it is and offers honest reviews. So, I think a lot of people feel like they know me and can trust what I say. That's why so many people have been booking this deal. This is one of those situations where there's an opportunity for a very short time, and the smart ones will grab it while they can. Because my travel agent only booked a certain limited number of cabins... and once they've all been booked, this deal will no longer be available.
Thank you for getting back to me. I can tell by reading the remarks you have a good reputation and are well like. 😀 I had a very bad experience with a very well known and big travel agency’s a long time ago going to Disney World. I travel a lot for my work. So, I usually only book direct. Just in case something happens. I don’t have to go through 3rd party’s. That mostly because I travel by air. Anyway thank you for you knowledge and kindness in sharing this with us. One quick question. When booking do you pay all at once. Or can you make payments?
You only pay a deposit at the time you book the cruise, and if you're booking it through my travel agent it is a refundable deposit if you change your mind or your plans change before the final payment is due. If you'd prefer to make a series of small payments between the time the deposit is due and the time the final payment is due, that's fine. There's just a certain date a few months before the sailing date where it all has to be fully paid for, and after that point you're fully committed and things are no longer refundable.
Of course. She can book you on to any cruise ship with any line. In most cases, the price is going to be exactly the same as what you see on the cruise line's web site. The special deal for Icon Of The Seas was only possible because she had the foresight to book a bunch of cabins in advance, before Royal Caribbean started jacking up the prices on their newest ship. There are lots of reasons to use my travel agent even though the price is probably going to be the same as what you could get booking it on your own. For example: She's got a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience, which can keep you from making any rookie mistakes. She knows what to look out for... and can prevent you from booking a bad cabin, for example. Also, she can suggest possibilities that you might not be familiar with. Also, she's available to answer any questions. That's fantastic for someone that's new to cruising and wouldn't know what to look out for. For people in the USA, she's extremely easy to speak with, as she speaks with no accent. Ever called up a cruise line or your bank or any other business and ended up on the phone with someone you had trouble understanding? Speaking with Caitlin is so much easier. If you've ever called one of the cruise lines to get a question answered or to make a change on your booking, you know that you can easily end up on hold for a LONG time before you actually speak with an agent. It's so much easier when you book through a travel agent. She can answer your question for you... and if it requires a call to the cruise line, she'll be the one to make it for you, and she'll be the one stuck on hold with the cruise line, not you.
I did explain that in reply to some earlier comments here, but let me mention again that it was actually quite simple. When Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon Of The Seas, the prices were tremendously lower than what they're now asking. At that time, my travel agent reserved a LOT of cabins and locked in those low prices. In the months since then, people have been getting really excited about Icon Of The Seas as they've come to realize how incredible this new ship is going to be. This rise in demand has allowed Royal Caribbean to jack the prices up to sky-high levels. But the cabins that my travel agent reserved were locked in at the lower rates from earlier. So, that's why there's such a huge difference between the prices Royal Caribbean is currently getting and the price you can get from my travel agent. The reason that you can't get these low prices from just any travel agent is that most travel agents didn't want to take the risk of reserving so many cabins, but my travel agent did. But, thanks to the two videos that I've now made about this deal, my travel agent has almost sold all of the cabins that she had reserved. The only two dates where she still has quite a few cabins available are the Christmas cruise and the New Years cruise... and that's because those are the two most expensive dates to cruise during the entire year. She does still have a handful of cabins available on other dates (at much more reasonable prices) but if you wait much longer, those are going to be gone, too.
Today's video focuses on how to book a balcony cabin on a different date of the cruise on Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International cruise line through the website of Jim Zim's travel agent Caitlin Gallagher of Ambren Travel!
You booked a balcony cabin on the April 13th 2024 cruise to the Western Caribbean on Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International cruise line through your travel agent Caitlin Gallagher of Ambren Travel! This is a sequel to the video where you booked a balcony cabin on Icon of the Seas for the February cruise to the Eastern Caribbean including Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas, Coco Cay!
@thomascomeau9271 Or in my case, mistakes happen a LOT! So often, that we had to invent the JYI acronym. ha ha There's no TYI acronym... so, you obviously have a relatively low frequency of mistakes.
Hey Jim, great share. I recognized your voice and name from the train videos my 6 year old watches! I might be tempted to pick the sailing you're on so he could meet you and talk trains lol. He's in love with the flying Scotsman and mallard right now. Thanks!
Unfortunately, these special deals that my travel agent locked in are for cabins that accommodate only two people. So, the only way that a family could really take advantage of these low rates would be to book two cabins.
At these discount rates, I bet booking two cabins is still cheaper than anything you could do on Royal Caribbean's web site for one cabin that can accommodate 3 or 4 people.
Caitlin tells me that she does have availability for some cabins that are next to each other, for sail dates of November 2024 and beyond. So, you could book two cabins right next to each other. On the paperwork, you would put mom and a kid in one room, dad and another kid in the room next door. But once you get aboard, you can just make one room the kids room and one room the adults room.
I think I’ll be changing my travel agent going forward! My current travel agent’s prices are closer to the RCL prices. Thanks for the info, Jim!
I think I'll wait a year or so u til the hype dies down and the prices are more reasonable.
That might take longer than you think! Royal Caribbean lost so much money during the pandemic that they fully intend to use all means available to keep prices as high as possible for as long as possible. My travel agent was really smart to lock in these prices when Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon of the Seas. I don't see prices going back to that level for a long time, not on this ship.
Probably have to wait three to five years for this ship prices to come down. I have absolutely no problem with doing that. 9k for a balcony is insane
Fantastic post! Thank you for sharing and taking the time to walk us through!
Feels to good to be true
Thank you for turning us on to Catlin she's awesome. Already started using her.
Yeah, I really like having her book cruises for me! It's definitely better than doing it myself, and she's really easy to communicate with.
@JimZim Yes she is and she's so knowledgeable too..she saved us money twice on the same cruise!
On my recent enchantment of the seas cruise all they were talking about was this new ship Icon. It was nonstop on in cabin tv and displays around the ship.
Thank you Jim
i cant afford the IOS .....at all!
You have a balcony cabin that is 64% off on Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International cruise line through your travel agent Caitlin Gallagher of Ambren Travel for a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean including Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas, Coco Cay!
You booked a cruise on Icon of the Seas on February of next year which is 2024!
Your travel agent Caitlin Gallagher is someone who will be stuck on hold with the cruise line so you don't have to, keeping you from making a rookie mistake and to do the dirty work for you!
Crazy, thanks Jim!
I'll be dropping RCI from my cruise lines. The pricing for a week is as much as i paid for my Alaskan cruise on NCL, and I stayed in a Mini-Suite. I'll save my pennies and go on MSC or Carnival.
How are these deals only limited to Ambren Travel?
Because my travel agent was smart enough to reserve these cabins a long time ago when prices were much more reasonable. Other travel agents didn't have the foresight to do that.
Has anyone used the travel agent and how was your experience?
Thank you.
Can you do more model train videos?
Honestly, the model train videos will probably be coming a lot less frequently than in the past. It's really difficult to make them, and the older I get the more uncomfortable it is for me to get down on my knees to set up the tracks.
Also, RUclips's algorithm just really is not favoring my new model train videos in the way they did in the past... which means I do a lot of work to make them, but they end up getting viewed by only a few thousand people. I used to be able to get millions of views out of a new model train video, and that equated to thousands of dollars in advertising revenue... but now that it's just a few thousand views, it's just a lot of work for very little reward.
I'm not saying that I'm not going to make model train videos anymore... I'm just saying that they won't be coming out as frequently as in the past.
The travel videos are a pleasure for me to make, regardless of how many people end up watching them, so that's probably what you are going to see on my channel most often in the coming months. Also, I do want to slow down a bit and enjoy my retirement years without the pressure of having to release a new video every week... so, I suspect that over the next twelve months there will be less than 52 new videos released to my channel.
Double it and you have AUD prices ..still too expensive
whats the price for a room for 4?
It's sky-high. It would be cheaper to book two cabins at my travel agent's rates than to book one cabin through Royal Caribbean that would fit four people, if there were even any available at this point. The cabins that my travel agent reserved are only configured for two people.
Is this deal still available?
To check availability and pricing, go to www.ambrentravel.com/icon and scroll down the screen until you see the updated table of dates and prices.
Why is a travel agent able to get such a guge discount? Why would Royal Caribbean want to reduce their earnings?
I've answered that previously, so I'm just going to cut & paste my previous explanation:
When Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon Of The Seas, the prices were tremendously lower than what they're now asking. At that time, my travel agent reserved a LOT of cabins and locked in those low prices.
In the months since then, people have been getting really excited about Icon Of The Seas as they've come to realize how incredible this new ship is going to be. This rise in demand has allowed Royal Caribbean to jack the prices up to sky-high levels. But the cabins that my travel agent reserved were locked in at the lower rates from earlier. So, that's why there's such a huge difference between the prices Royal Caribbean is currently getting and the price you can get from my travel agent.
The reason that you can't get these low prices from just any travel agent is that most travel agents didn't want to take the risk of reserving so many cabins, but my travel agent did. But, thanks to the two videos that I've now made about this deal, my travel agent has almost sold all of the cabins that she had reserved. The only two dates where she still has quite a few cabins available are the Christmas cruise and the New Years cruise... and that's because those are the two most expensive dates to cruise during the entire year. She does still have a handful of cabins available on other dates (at much more reasonable prices) but if you wait much longer, those are going to be gone, too.
What is the catch Jim? How does she or anybody in her company get these great deals and nobody else can get them?
Since you are going through a 3rd party. Are you protected if something happens? Or are you pretty much out of your money and well be stuck making phone calls for days trying to get your money back or at least credit? Do you lose out on the other deals they offer?
Just trying to find the catch. 😊
There's no catch. My travel agent was just smart, and reserved a bunch of cabins when Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon Of The Seas, quite a long time ago. At that point, prices were reasonable. Then when Royal Caribbean started to see how popular Icon Of The Seas was becoming, they started jacking up the prices. And as more and more cabins were booked, and less were available to sell, supply and demand allowed Royal Caribbean to jack up the prices even further. But my travel agent's prices never changed, because she had been smart enough to reserve all these cabins (and lock in the price) so long ago.
The reason nobody else is offering this deal is nobody else was as smart as my travel agent... booking all these cabins in advance a long time ago, and locking in the low prices at that time.
I've been making cruise ship videos for a long time now, and I think I've developed a bit of a reputation as someone who tells it like it is and offers honest reviews. So, I think a lot of people feel like they know me and can trust what I say. That's why so many people have been booking this deal. This is one of those situations where there's an opportunity for a very short time, and the smart ones will grab it while they can. Because my travel agent only booked a certain limited number of cabins... and once they've all been booked, this deal will no longer be available.
Thank you for getting back to me. I can tell by reading the remarks you have a good reputation and are well like. 😀
I had a very bad experience with a very well known and big travel agency’s a long time ago going to Disney World. I travel a lot for my work. So, I usually only book direct. Just in case something happens. I don’t have to go through 3rd party’s. That mostly because I travel by air.
Anyway thank you for you knowledge and kindness in sharing this with us.
One quick question. When booking do you pay all at once. Or can you make payments?
You only pay a deposit at the time you book the cruise, and if you're booking it through my travel agent it is a refundable deposit if you change your mind or your plans change before the final payment is due. If you'd prefer to make a series of small payments between the time the deposit is due and the time the final payment is due, that's fine. There's just a certain date a few months before the sailing date where it all has to be fully paid for, and after that point you're fully committed and things are no longer refundable.
Thank you so much!!!🙏😀😀😀 You are awesome sir!! 😃
The only problem is you can’t pick your cabin so you may end up in a very bad noisy location
Does she do other cruise lines like Carnival?
Of course. She can book you on to any cruise ship with any line. In most cases, the price is going to be exactly the same as what you see on the cruise line's web site. The special deal for Icon Of The Seas was only possible because she had the foresight to book a bunch of cabins in advance, before Royal Caribbean started jacking up the prices on their newest ship.
There are lots of reasons to use my travel agent even though the price is probably going to be the same as what you could get booking it on your own. For example:
She's got a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience, which can keep you from making any rookie mistakes. She knows what to look out for... and can prevent you from booking a bad cabin, for example. Also, she can suggest possibilities that you might not be familiar with. Also, she's available to answer any questions. That's fantastic for someone that's new to cruising and wouldn't know what to look out for.
For people in the USA, she's extremely easy to speak with, as she speaks with no accent. Ever called up a cruise line or your bank or any other business and ended up on the phone with someone you had trouble understanding? Speaking with Caitlin is so much easier. If you've ever called one of the cruise lines to get a question answered or to make a change on your booking, you know that you can easily end up on hold for a LONG time before you actually speak with an agent. It's so much easier when you book through a travel agent. She can answer your question for you... and if it requires a call to the cruise line, she'll be the one to make it for you, and she'll be the one stuck on hold with the cruise line, not you.
Thank you for all of your help. I will give her a call for our next cruise. @@JimZim
I’d love to know how she does it ?
I did explain that in reply to some earlier comments here, but let me mention again that it was actually quite simple.
When Royal Caribbean first started accepting reservations for Icon Of The Seas, the prices were tremendously lower than what they're now asking. At that time, my travel agent reserved a LOT of cabins and locked in those low prices.
In the months since then, people have been getting really excited about Icon Of The Seas as they've come to realize how incredible this new ship is going to be. This rise in demand has allowed Royal Caribbean to jack the prices up to sky-high levels. But the cabins that my travel agent reserved were locked in at the lower rates from earlier. So, that's why there's such a huge difference between the prices Royal Caribbean is currently getting and the price you can get from my travel agent.
The reason that you can't get these low prices from just any travel agent is that most travel agents didn't want to take the risk of reserving so many cabins, but my travel agent did. But, thanks to the two videos that I've now made about this deal, my travel agent has almost sold all of the cabins that she had reserved. The only two dates where she still has quite a few cabins available are the Christmas cruise and the New Years cruise... and that's because those are the two most expensive dates to cruise during the entire year. She does still have a handful of cabins available on other dates (at much more reasonable prices) but if you wait much longer, those are going to be gone, too.
I’m from the Caribbean, can I book through your travel agent? This is such a great price
I'm not sure. Send her an email and ask her. Her email address is caitlin@ambrentravel.com
It’s all sold out😢
Yeah, this deal was so hot that it sold out pretty quickly after I posted this video... which was months ago. Sorry you missed it.
Today's video focuses on how to book a balcony cabin on a different date of the cruise on Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International cruise line through the website of Jim Zim's travel agent Caitlin Gallagher of Ambren Travel!
You booked a balcony cabin on the April 13th 2024 cruise to the Western Caribbean on Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International cruise line through your travel agent Caitlin Gallagher of Ambren Travel!
This is a sequel to the video where you booked a balcony cabin on Icon of the Seas for the February cruise to the Eastern Caribbean including Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas, Coco Cay!
Actually, no... I will not be on the April 13th sailing. I was just publicizing the good deal... but I won't be aboard for that particular week.
@@JimZim Oops, that was my mistake! Mistakes happen from time to time.
@thomascomeau9271 Or in my case, mistakes happen a LOT! So often, that we had to invent the JYI acronym. ha ha
There's no TYI acronym... so, you obviously have a relatively low frequency of mistakes.
Thank you Jim