Vacation season is just around the corner! While chilly winds whip past us and snow piles up at our doors, we're too busy dreaming about sunny islands and warm sand under our feet.
The most complicated process of booking a vacation is usually the actual 'booking' part, but luckily, technology has given way to an almost instant process. With so many sites, companies, and deals to sort through, one stands out above the rest: Costco Travel.
Since so many people already have Costco memberships, it just makes sense to take advantage of the deals they already offer their members.
The only question we have is this: Is it actually worth it? When compared with longtime travel companies, Costco seems to hold its own with the occasional better offer. Alternately, there are also some things that make us a bit hesitant about hitting that 'book' button.
20 Worth It: Their Travel Agents Are Genuinely Helpful
Not every travel agent is friendly when it comes to playing 21 questions about booking, especially when it comes to cruise lines. Additionally, travelers may find that it's nearly impossible to get a human being on the phone. Costco Travel has both friendly, helpful agents, as well as real-life people rather than androids.
19 Not Worth It: Travel Costs Plus The Cost Of A Costco Membership
While Costco memberships cost as low as sixty bucks per year (that's only five dollars a month), as opposed to going with an outside agency, customers are paying the Costco membership as well. Executive members receive additional, worthy travel perks, meaning that $120/year is in addition to the cost of a travel package.
18 Worth It: Location Options Are Fairly Decent
Costco has made it their goal to offer competitive locations as far as cruise travel goes, and they do offer some unique packages that might pique the interest of those seeking something different. However, they also offer traditional cruise options for families and groups.
17 Not Worth It: Travel Insurance Is Pretty Pricey
In comparison with travel insurance outside of Costco, the company's prices are pretty steep. They also won't necessarily cover travelers outside of a certain mile range, complicating things further. Of course, you could skip travel insurance, but most companies don't recommend it.
16 Worth It: Only One Traveler Needs To Have A Costco Membership To Enjoy Travel Perks
A pleasant surprise is that when traveling with a group, only one person is required to have an active Costco membership in order to reap the rewards. That might make Costco worth it despite the cons - it's an easy, simple, and convenient way to book a trip without going through a third party.
15 Not Worth It: Included Extras Are Only For Executive Members
Executive members pay $60 more a year and as such, do have access to additional perks that aren't available to Gold and Business members. This can be a steep price to pay simply to reap rewards for one trip; it might be worth it if you travel often but if not, this is definitely a downside.
14 Worth It: Costco Offers Cash Cards As Part Of Their Commission Returned To Customers
Costco has a neat program where they return 'cash cards' to customers as a perk of booking with them. These cash cards do vary, but many of the time they're just over $100 or more. They're procured with the commission that Costco makes from your booking, and it's a neat perk available to all members.
13 Not Worth It: Their Excursion Options Are Very Limited
When booking with an outside party or sometimes, directly through the cruise line, travelers usually have a decent number of excursions to choose from. These can be redeemed at each stop along the cruise and are generally varied, but Costco doesn't offer too many options in this category.
12 Worth It: Activities Can Be Chosen With Credits Included In The Package
Just as with their other travel packages, Costco offers travel credits for cruises, too. These credits can be applied on-board to various activities and entertainment, and really come in handy as an added perk. It's also something you're not likely to see from another travel agency.
11 Not Worth It: Credits On-Board Can't Always Be Cashed Out After The Trip
More often than not, travelers will have the option to cash out any credits that go unused. However, that's not always the case. Credits are based on each individual package and depend on how a customer chooses to build it, therefore, the issue may arise that you're stuck with cruise credits after you've off-boarded.
10 Worth It: 'Hot Buys' Are Often Great Deals
'Hot Buys' are Costco's version of budget-friendly and special deal packages. These are definitely worth it mainly because they do come at such competitive prices. Since Costco offers last-minute vacation options as well, these are a great thing to check out regardless of your vacation time frame.
9 Not Worth It: Certain Promotions Only Come With Certain Room Selections
When booking a cruise, it's required that travelers choose which room type they'd like to stay in. For solo passengers or those on a budget, this could be an issue when it comes to extra perks. Some are only associated with certain rooms, and it's all dependent on cruise lines and availability.
8 Worth It: Package Options Are Varied And Unique
One thing Costco prides itself on as far as cruises are the options they offer to those looking to book something exciting. They offer plenty for everyone and there's really no limit to where you can go and which ship size you choose. Working with many different cruise lines helps them to achieve and awesome options list.
7 Not Worth It: Promotions vs. Overall Price When Compared To Other Companies
One thing to note is that Costco may not offer as competitive pricing options as some others depending on the time of year and availability. Their options may be limited as far as promotions go, so this is one reason to do some heavy research and shop around before dropping an extra $300 for no reason.
6 Worth It: Costco Packages Offers Options For 11 Cruise Lines
Everyone loves options, right? With Costco Travel, those seeking a cruise will be ecstatic to find that they can choose from 11 different cruise lines. Of those 11, included are: Azamara, Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, Disney, Holland, Norwegian, Princess, Regent, and Royal Caribbean. All you need to do is choose and click!
5 Not Worth It: Gold Star Members Have Fewer Perks Than Executive Members
Those with Executive Costco memberships do pay an extra $60 a year to get those perks, but it is unfortunate that Costco Gold Members don't have the same perks. While Costco Travel does offer competitive pricing and respectable options, all of those options depend on your actual Costco membership.
4 Worth It: Costco Is Usually Worth It For All-Inclusion Travel Options
A great perk of Costco Travel is its all-inclusive travel options. Not all of us live near a cruise ship port, therefore airfare is required, right? We've got good news. Costco does offer airfare options for those who don't want to hassle of booking everything separately - they also offer limited car rentals.
3 Not Worth It: Airfare Can Be Included But Isn't Always Worth It
The downside of booking airlines through Costco is that their airfare might not be saving us much money. It's a decision of convenience over money-saving, which is more of a personal choice. If you don't mind paying a bit extra, then it might be worth it to just book everything together without searching elsewhere.
2 Worth It: Costco Honors Bookings Done Directly Through Cruise Lines
If customers book a cruise directly through one of the affiliated cruise lines, Costco will usually honor the booking and provide the same price. This is an amazing benefit of booking with Costco, as they can make the transition as seamless as possible.
1 Not Worth It: Costco Does Not Honor External Flight Bookings
However, this is limited to cruise lines only - airfare is not included in the list of things Costco will honor as a travel package. There are many options when booking with them, but it all depends on how and what you're looking to spend - and the ease of your travel planning.