Priceline or expedia which is better

See all of our Cruise Vacation Site reviews. The 8 Best Cruise Vacation Sites. Continue reading below. Aren't cruises just for old people? While people joke that cruises are only for the "newly-wed and nearly dead" , there are lots of loyal cruisers across all ages. People love the opportunity to see several different destinations during one trip with the convenience of having all of your belongings safely kept in your stateroom, no need to change hotels , to try world-class cuisine, or even to have the kids happily entertained by cruise staff while the adults relax, gamble, or go to performances.

Which cruise line is right for me? Each company has its own personality: some lines pride themselves on being family-friendly, while others actually prohibit guests under the age of 18 or 21! Are you looking for a "party boat" with plenty of drinks and dancing, a more formal atmosphere with tuxedos and ball gowns for dinner, or something in between?

Do some research online and with people you know who have cruised before: you'll get plenty of input to help you choose a cruise you'll love. Are cruises expensive? Yes and no. On the other hand, if you've always dreamed of sailing at Christmas or you're only available during spring break, expect to pay premium prices.

The type of stateroom you select will also affect the price: an interior stateroom will be the most economical, while an ocean view, veranda, or concierge-level stateroom will increase your fare.

Also, many cruise lines give you a discount for the third and fourth guests within a single cabin. Are cruises all-inclusive? Not exactly. Each cruise line varies with respect to what's included and what's not.

For example, one family-favorite cruise line has a complimentary soda station that's open 24 hours, while another line popular among college kids and bargain hunters only offers lemonade, coffee and tea.

You'll never be lacking opportunities to eat, but many cruise ships have premium restaurants that are reservation-only and come with an extra cost. Alcoholic beverages, spa services, and off-ship experiences are almost never included in the cruise fare.

And, don't forget the gratuities! How far in advance should I book my cruise? Most cruise lines only allow reservations about 18 months in advance. If you're able to book that early, that's likely when you'll get the lowest possible fares. However, if you've got some flexibility, you can often find good deals on last-minute cruises too e.

Whether you're booking well in advance or close to your sailing date, it's always wise to get a travel insurance policy because you may not get your money back if you cancel. What are shore excursions? Shore excursions are organized activities you can participate in during your ports of call. These include active adventures like snorkeling or hiking to ancient ruins, food experiences like wine tasting or chocolate tours, and so much more. You can book shore excursions directly through your cruise line or through a third-party company; just make sure that you're guaranteed to be returned to your ship on time if you go with an outside provider!

Will I get seasick? Not necessarily. On the largest cruise ships - the kinds that carry thousands of passengers - you might not even realize that you're moving! If you're prone to motion sickness, however, you may want to bring an over-the-counter motion sickness medication or consider alternative remedies like acupressure bands or ginger capsules.

Are you sure you want to? If you need to stay on top of world events, most ships give you access to cable news networks, The Weather Channel, and several other stations on the TV in your stateroom.

Your cruise line probably has options for internet access as well. And, you can often find free Wifi access in your ports of call; lots of cruisers use their stops to quickly check emails and let people back home know that all is well.

Continued from above Trending Cruise Vacation News. Travel Weekly The cruise comeback is leaving many travel advisors behind In a video message to travel advisors, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain said the surge in bookings is mostly coming from the internet and not from travel agencies.

Sun, 24 Oct MarketWatch on Both companies are growing at about the same rate, but Priceline has a huge competitive advantage in the number of hotel listings on its site. Priceline is cheaper, too. Using those two metrics, it might be better to consider Priceline for a growth-ordinated portfolio. You can unsubscribe at any time. Credit Card is NOT required. Richardson Electronics, Ltd. Zoned Properties Inc: Overlooked U. Applied Materials, Inc. Winner: Draw Forecasted Growth Over the next five years, Expedia is expected to growing earnings at an average annual rate of Winner: Expedia Valuation We also want to determine how cheap the stocks are by comparing its earnings to the price of the stock.

As its price trends away from its week high, this may even present an opportunity for investors to buy. Expedia, by itself, seems be running a good business and expects continued high growth into the next year, but Priceline seems to be doing even better, outperforming in all the above categories. At this point, investors need to know whether both companies can sustain their current growth and also whether Expedia has a place in the OTA industry in the long run.

Though it is difficult to predict something like this, my research leads me to believe that both companies can indeed coexist, and even thrive, in the OTA market, at least for the next decade. Management has made efforts to expand its North American presence, with an offline advertising campaign for Booking. In addition to the listings on its Booking.

Aside from Europe, Priceline is also seeking to expand into the Asian travel market with its Agoda. Kayak has allowed Priceline to diversify its revenue mix to include travel media and advertising and also compete with other travel search sites such as Google and trivago. Priceline is also currently in the process of purchasing OpenTable. Given the close relationship between travel and dining, this makes sense for Priceline, and it also gives Priceline entry into another lucrative market.

However, OpenTable faces stiff competition from immensely popular restaurant-ratings app Yelp YELP , which is planning to offer free reservation services for restaurants, whereas OpenTable requires a commission.

Expedia also has some enticing strategies for growth up its sleeve. In , it acquired German travel meta-search site trivago. Expedia is also seeking expand its European market share by acquiring Italy-based hotel and vacation rentals site Venere. Expedia has also recently formed an eight-year agreement with Travelocity , another full-service travel planning site, in which Expedia provides content, inventory, customer service, and technology for Travelocity while Travelocity provides marketing services.

In addition, Expedia debuted its Expedia Traveler Preference Program in , which allows travelers to pay when checking out of hotels rather than at the outset. This shifts the responsibility of payment collection and credit card processing fees to hotels, which now invoice Expedia rather than Expedia invoicing them, but while this model is more costly for hotels, it also increases their traffic flow.

Priceline and Expedia are both great businesses that each still have significant room to grow, but Priceline is currently better positioned with a larger share of the international OTA market.

Since Priceline is moving in on the North American market and Expedia is aiming to grow internationally, the two businesses will no doubt run into each other, but due to prime positioning and strategic acquisitions, both should see continued growth in the years to come. Ultimately, however, with a stronger performance in all categories, Priceline provides a more enticing package for investors.

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