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CRUISECOMPETE.COM INTRODUCES NEW TRAVEL SERVICE: SOLDOUTSHIPS.COM

Innovative service makes finding scarce cabins on popular cruises easier.

Des Moines, Iowa, February 16, 2005 - With the popularity of cruise travel and ship occupancy rates at an all-time high, CruiseCompete.com today announced a new online service to help frustrated travelers find cabins on seemingly sold-out sailings - SoldOutShips.com.

"Just because a cruise line is showing a ship or cabin category as sold out, it doesn't necessarily mean there are no cabins available," said CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein. "The trick, however, is in knowing where to look next."

Cruise travel agencies commonly buy blocks of cabins on the most popular cruises, often at a discount. Even when a ship is listed as sold out, there may still be an agency that has group cabin space available. Finding the agency that has the cabin you want, however, can be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

In such situations, SoldOutShips.com is very helpful. At any given time, this online service lists dozens of cruise sailings that appear to be sold out, giving travelers the opportunity to find cabins no one else has. Consumers simply review the listings, and then request a custom quote on any sailing. The process is free, quick and anonymous. Then, if there are questions or someone wants to book the cruise, they can speak directly to the agency offering the hard-to-find cabin.

More than 100 top cruise aggregators have teamed with CruiseCompete to list scarce cabin inventory on this new Web site. Since agencies only pay CruiseCompete based on the cabins they actually book, the site provides a no-risk way for agencies to sell more cruises.

"We buy blocks of cabins on hundreds of cruises," said Steven Gelfuso, president of CruiseBrothers.com, one of the nation's leading cruise aggregators, having booked its 500,000th cruise last year. "Many of this year's most popular sailings are already listed as sold out. Rather than give up, consumers should check SoldOutShips.com to see if there may still be cabins available. We regularly list cruises on this Web site to sell our last remaining cabins."

SoldOutShips.com is part of the CruiseCompete Web site, launched in 2003. CruiseCompete.com allows consumers to select a specific cruise, and then receive competing offers from any of the more than 100 travel agencies that are CruiseCompete members. Travelers typically receive as many as 3-6 quotes to select from with no obligation to buy. "Whether you are a first-timer or an experienced cruise traveler, CruiseCompete.com is an essential planning tool," Levinstein said. "In just a few minutes you can be sure that you're getting the best possible deal on your cruise vacation. Nobody else offers these type of online service."

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CruiseCompete.com is operated by CruiseCompete, LLC, an independent company with offices in Des Moines, IA and Farmington, MI. CruiseCompete is not owned by or affiliated with any travel agency.

For more information or visit www.cruisecompete.com