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But the savings on a typical cruise booking for two will usually cover that annual fee. Meanwhile, discounts on more expensive cruises or multiple cabins can amount to hundreds of dollars. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
What travel can you book through Costco Travel?
Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. All told, Kroger would sell an additional 166 stores nationally to C&S, including the 77 in Arizona, and receive $2.9 billion in cash. All told, C&S now would take 579 stores nationally, up from 413 announced previously.
Deals on non-points hotel stays and all-inclusive resorts
And the answer might be a resounding yes, depending on what you plan to use your membership for. After booking our fantastic stay at TRS Coral just north of Cancun through Costco, I looked at booking through Costco again in 2023 when planning our annual beach vacation. If you're on the hunt for a long weekend getaway, you may not be able to take advantage of some Costco Travel deals. "We had already decided on where we were going, but we were flexible on the travel date and ship," said Ostrander. But the FTC contends that C&S, with just 23 supermarkets and one pharmacy currently, could be overwhelmed by adding so many more stores to its lineup.
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The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters. Many people think of Costco as a place to buy milk, eggs, meat, and toilet paper in bulk. For me, the $60 annual membership fee to Costco has been more than worth it to utilize Costco Travel. It's worth digging a little deeper on the Costco Travel website for even better deals.
I personally love perusing the limited-time deals when I know I want to plan a getaway but don't have a specific destination in mind. If you're curious about how to use Costco Travel to find deals, here's everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money on travel. However, comparing the prices and benefits at a few of the resorts proved my initial reaction wrong. When we checked, a Costco "savor and spa" cruise aboard Anthem of the Seas offered similar value.
Would the package strengthen or weaken C&S?
The Best Costco Travel Packages - Reader's Digest
The Best Costco Travel Packages.
Posted: Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
My favorite thing about booking trips through Costco Travel is the Digital Costco Shop Card I get after booking. The card's value varies from trip to trip (generally depending on how expensive the package you book), but you can get hundreds of dollars back to use at Costco. When planning our annual beach trip back in 2022, my best friend found a few options for Mexican all-inclusive resorts on Costco Travel and shared the links with me. I promptly told her we'd probably be better off booking directly and brushed off the idea of booking through Costco — neither of us even had a membership at the time. If you're new to cruising or unsure of what you want, Costco might not be the best travel agency for you. "I think a first time cruiser would be better off using an agency that walks them through everything," says NoVa Mimi, who books all her cruises exclusively through Costco.
In February, the agency said the proposal at that time would amount to a "hodgepodge of unconnected stores, banners, brands and other assets." The change responds to concerns raised by federal and state antitrust regulators regarding the original agreement. The new package includes more stores to be transferred in Arizona and other states to enable C&S to compete more effectively following the merger. Once you log in to Costco Travel, you can search for specific dates or destinations or browse through available deals and featured destinations.
But more often than not, when shipboard credits and other incentives were tallied, Costco Travel came out as low as, or lower than, other options. A basic membership at Costco costs $60 a year, while an Executive membership costs $120 but gives you 2% cash back on your purchases. Whichever membership you choose, it can be more than worth the money when you consider the savings you might reap by being able to purchase groceries and household items in bulk.
There's no hard sell (phone reps are not on commission), cruise cancellations are handled efficiently and without hassle, and the invoicing is clear and easy to read. McMullen also vowed the merger will result in lower prices and more choices for supermarket customers and secure the long-term future of unionized grocery jobs. All told, including divested supermarket stores announced previously, Washington state would have the most Albertsons and Kroger stores, 124, going to C&S, with Arizona next at 101, followed by Colorado at 91, California at 63 and Oregon at 62. The new proposed changes would affect Arizona more than any other state, with an additional 77 Albertsons and Safeway stores now going to C&S, under the tentative agreement. Kroger earlier said it intended to sell 24 Albertsons or Safeway stores in Arizona, fewer than one-fifth of the roughly 130 locations here that Albertsons Cos. But under a new announcement on April 22, a total of 101 Albertsons and Safeway stores in Arizona would be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers.
I've personally had a lot of success booking friends getaways to popular destinations like Mexico through Costco. Using the service has helped me save on other expenses with the Digital Costco Shop Card I've gotten with my bookings. I admittedly don't use Costco for groceries often (buying in bulk doesn't make a lot of sense for someone who lives alone), but I have used shop cards to help pay for Christmas presents and future Costco Travel trips. I've actually been looking into using my most recent Digital Costco Shop Card on a new pair of AirPods and a new TV mount for my living room. Here's another example — this time for a Universal Orlando theme park trip from June 4-6 for one adult and two children from Houston.
Even when you do find availability, you should always price-check what you can find by booking directly or through your credit card travel portal and hotel programs. And since Hotel Wailea isn't a member of any major hotel loyalty program, booking through Costco Travel wouldn't mean missing out on elite night credits or other loyalty program benefits. Zeger explains that Kirkland Signature deals need to represent a value at least 20% better than offers you'd find elsewhere in the market; this applies to travel or anything you'd buy in the warehouse. " Typically these required values are achieved by negotiating exclusive amenities with the cruise lines such as specialty dining, spa treatments, private events, etc.," she says. Like the warehouses, to access Costco's cruise discounts, you'll need to pony up for membership -- $60 per household at the basic level.
For instance, sailings marked "Buyer's Choice" or "Kirkland Signature" come with extra perks and amenities, exclusive to Costco members. Your membership purchase must be redeemed by June 16, 2024 to qualify for this promotion. Kroger hasn't identified which Albertsons or Safeway supermarkets in Arizona could be sold to C&S, and details on rewards programs and many other issues haven't been announced.
However, one thing to note is that you can't book stand-alone flights via Costco Travel. There is an option to book flights through some vacation packages, but if you're only looking for airfare, you'll want to head to Google Flights to check out your options and book. "They aren't active travel agents, they don't proactively check for price drops," noted kleptn. However, Costco does have pre- and post-travel support departments, as well as an after-hours phone number for travel emergencies, to assist travelers once they've booked their cruise. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay.
Even without including the additional benefits, you're already saving more than $400 via the Costco deal. Add in the value you get from the card, daily breakfast and resort credit (which is more than $1,000 in value if you maximize all benefits), and you're looking at $1,442.45 in savings by booking through Costco Travel versus directly. Trips booked through Costco Travel are often discounted and/or include perks and benefits you may not get by booking directly or through other booking portals. Usually, a trip booked through Costco Travel will also include a Digital Costco Shop Card (essentially a type of Costco gift card) of varying value. First-time cruisers who need a little more handholding to understand cabin and dining options might benefit by working with a traditional travel agent.
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