Vacation Outlet Review: Cruise Vacation Sites

Vacation Outlet is a subsidiary of World Travel Holdings, along with several other cruise vacation outlets in our review. In its own right, Vacation Outlet has been around since the late 80s. At the time of our visit, they offered just shy of 11,000 individual sailings.

Website is old-fashioned, but gets the job done

Vacation Outlet's website hasn't changed much over the last decade - we checked with the Wayback Machine. But if it ain't broke, why fix it? They might not be the most stylish cruise booking site available, but finding what you're looking for is simple. You can filter your results by destination, cruise length, departure date, cruise line, ship, departure port, and even sailings that offer senior discounts. One thing we appreciated about this website is that listings come with filterable customer reviews of the cruise line.

The best price, guaranteed

Vacation Outlet has a 110% Best Price Guarantee. So if you book through their website and then discover that a competitor offers the same cruise to the general public for cheaper, they will refund you the difference (note: not the whole cost) plus 10% on top as a thank you for choosing Vacation Outlet. Just be aware you only have 48 hours from the time of booking to request this via the online form.

Travel insurance available

When you book your cruise vacation with Vacation Outlet, you have the option to add LeisureCare travel insurance with reimbursement up to the total trip cost for cancellation and interruption. There are also reimbursements for missed connections, illnesses, accidents, emergency evacuation, personal belongings, and bag delay. The cost of your policy will vary depending on your personal circumstances and the cruise you book.

Their agents are vigilant, proactive, and responsive

Vacation Outlet says their travel agents will stay in touch with you throughout the entire process - from booking, to setting sail, to arriving home. They keep up with global events, and if their agents learn of anything that could disrupt your vacation, they'll email or call you immediately. When you get home, they'll reach out for any feedback you might like to share about Vacation Outlet or the cruise line. If you need support at any point, there is someone around to help 24/7, 365 days a year.

Loyalty club earns you vouchers for activities and onboard spending

Just like their sibling cruise vacation websites under World Travel Holdings' umbrella, Vacation Outlet has a loyalty club with Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers. As you ascend the tiers, you'll unlock vouchers for shore excursions, resorts, and onboard spending in amounts of $25 to $100 each. Several cruise booking websites advertise a Double Bonus Offer (where you receive $50 to $3,000 depending on the cost of your cruise in onboard credits or prepaid Visa cards) and Vacation Outlet is no exception.

Booking and cancellation fees

Vacation Outlet is one of a few cruise booking websites in our review that charge both a processing fee ($24.99) and a cancellation fee ($100). The latter can be waived if you book a different cruise over the phone instead of canceling. If they require any advance notice for cancellations, they don't mention it in their policy.

Prices are comparable to buying direct

We compared the price of a 3-night cruise aboard the Disney Wonder from San Diego with a stop in Baja, Mexico. Disney priced a standard inside stateroom at $1,726…while Vacation Outlet priced it at $1,727. Something to keep in mind when you're hunting for deals is that cruise booking sites often display the stateroom cost as split between two adults, while cruise lines may show the total price. This can create the illusion of a better deal. In this case, Vacation Outlet initially appeared cheaper than Disney, listing the price as $973 per person - based loosely on two adults sharing the cost equally.

No customer feedback to be found

World Travel Holdings, Vacation Outlet's parent company, has an "A+" from the Better Business Bureau. We found no complaints for Vacation Outlet here, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. There is no Trustpilot or Sitejabber listing for Vacation Outlet, so unfortunately, there's not much to be said about customer experiences with this cruise booking site.

Doesn't stand out from its sibling companies

When comparing Vacation Outlet to its sibling companies under World Travel Holdings (Cruises, Cruises Only, and Cheap Cruises), they all share remarkably similar features and drawbacks. All four companies offer around 11,000 sailings, LeisureCare insurance options, and loyalty programs with similar rewards ($25 to $100 vouchers). They each advertise bonuses of $50 to $3,000 in onboard credits, charge booking fees of $24.99, and implement $100 cancellation fees. Their prices generally match or come very close to direct booking rates with cruise lines. The main difference appears in customer feedback - Vacation Outlet lacks any substantial customer reviews to differentiate its service quality from its siblings.

Not highly recommended

While Vacation Outlet makes plenty of appealing promises, the lack of customer feedback makes it difficult to verify their reliability. Though you can probably assume their service matches that of their sibling companies under World Travel Holdings, we wouldn't be comfortable with that kind of uncertainty. When you compare their offerings to our top pick - which provides verified excellent service, no booking fees, and extensive perks - Vacation Outlet falls short. With prices matching direct bookings in some cases and only modest onboard credits as incentives, you're better off either booking through our top-rated provider or directly with the cruise line. The potential savings don't justify the added uncertainty in your vacation planning.

Learn More  ➜

On the Vacation Outlet website