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Des Moines, Iowa (November 30, 2004)

2005 CRUISES FILLING FAST, CRUISERS FIND BEST PRICES AT CRUISECOMPETE.COM

DES MOINES, Iowa, November 30, 2004 - Travelers dreaming of a winter or summer cruise during 2005 should book their trips now or run the risk of missing the boat, according to CruiseCompete.com, the world's exclusive cruise vacation competitive pricing Web site.

CLIA, Cruise Lines International Association recently projected a record 10.6 million people will enjoy cruise vacations by the end of this year, with strong demand for cruise vacations during 2005 on track to reach an even higher mark. What is driving this trend? The economy is strengthening and more people are recognizing the value of a cruise versus land travel explains CruiseCompete.com CEO Bob Levinstein. There also are fewer new ships entering the market, limiting capacity. Consequently, many sailings for winter and summer 2005 have already sold out, particularly those traveling to the Caribbean & Europe.

"We work with the largest cruise travel agencies in the country and they are booking sailings for next year at an unprecedented rate," Levinstein said. "It is our understanding many of the most popular sailings for 2005 are already heavily booked and many are sold out. Our agents are holding group space, thus you may find sailings at CruiseCompete that you may not find elsewhere. There's still room for cruise vacationers on many ships, but they better move quickly.

With demand at an all-time high, competitive pricing for many sailings may be hard to find. In addition, cruise lines are trying to strengthen overall pricing, so many of them, including Carnival, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, have mandated all travel agents discontinue advertising cruises below retail prices on the Internet and newspapers.

Prices for cruises can still vary significantly in this market, however, because the country's largest travel agencies receive discounts and bundled pricing from the cruise lines which can be passed on to consumers at the discretion of the agent. One of the best ways to assure you are paying the best price for a cruise vacation is to visit CruiseCompete.com.

CruiseCompete.com offers a free service that allows people to simultaneously contact more than 100 of the largest travel agencies in the country to request quotes for a specific cruise. All that is required is the name of the cruise line and ship, date of departure and destination. The agencies provide their best pricing. Travelers typically receive 5-6 quotes to select from, with no obligation to buy.

"Whether you are a first-timer or experienced cruise traveler, there's no better way to start the cruise planning process than by visiting CruiseCompete.com, especially when time is short and you want to make sure you are getting the best deal out there," Levinstein said. "We help consumers save hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on their cruise vacations."

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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