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Booking Direct or thru a Travel Agent


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What do you think is the best way to get the best deal on a cruise?

Directly through a cruise line or through a travel agent.

Everytime we have booked the TA had a better price than the cruise line, but could i have gotten a better price and a better cabin by booking directly?

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This is discussed here regularly. You just have to do the research. You can price a cruise through a cruise line website, then compare with a TA, and a couple of online TAs. Over time you will get a sense of the "best" ways to go.

 

If service is important to you, a TA will generally get the better service for you. The main purpose of an line TA is to sell you a cruise with as little human effort on their part as possible.

 

There is no secret beyond that. Remember on Cruise Critic, we can't name travel agents, online or brick and mortar.

Edited by CruiserBruce
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I have done both.

 

Personally, I wouldn't use a Travel Agent again. For this year's cruise, I used one due to the large group we have going and I thought it would be easier on that part.

 

Except when I would call to make payments on the cruise fare, I had to call the agent. I couldn't just make them directly on Carnival's page like I have done in the past without one, and it was kind of a pain because the only time I have available to call anyone without interruption or anyone overhearing my giving a credit card number over the phone was peak call times. To have to sit on hold for an agent, then on hold again while they processed my payment (which sometimes was up to 10 minutes, which I didn't understand) was really irksome.

 

We really didn't get any better deal going thru the agent than going directly to the cruise line. I actually priced out the cruise just using my Carnival VIP log in while on the phone with the agent. I just didn't know that it would be such a hassle in the first place.

 

But that is just my experience. You may or may not have a similar one.

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A travel agent won't get you a better deal on the cruise fare, but it also should never cost you anything to book with a travel agent (you should walk away from any agent that wants to charge you for their services). In the cruise industry, travel agents often offer extra perqs for booking through them (like OBC or a shore excursion), but in exchange you give up direct control of your booking -- that doesn't matter to most people, but some people find requesting anything through a TA to be annoying.

 

To me, a cruise is a one time booking arrangement - once I book the tickets, there isn't much I do or change about it, so I don't really ever contact the TA again until it's time for me to get my tickets. I don't lose anything by booking with them, so I might as well take the OBC that they are offering. I book my own flights and land accommodations, which I prefer.

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  • 1 month later...

I find the cruise I want to take then I shop around. Originally, the best rate was if I booked through the cruise ship directly so I made my reservation through them. However, I then called AAA and another travel agent I've used before and asked them if they were offering any promotions etc.. Even though both agencies prices were still higher, travel agents can, "transfer" a booking over to their agency. AAA and the travel agent I use were not able to beat the cruise ship's price but when they transfer the booking, the price remains the same. The benefit to transferring a booking is that some travel agencies offer promotions.... I did decide to transfer my booking to a travel agent this time because they were able to offer me a $100 onboard credit and a free 8 x 12 photo. I didn't score a huge promotion this time but hey, it's $100 and all I had to do was make those 2 phone calls and sign the authorization form agreeing to transfer my booking to the travel agent!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Former TA.... find a great TA! Let them know what your looking for, budget and let them go. You will be surprised on what they can find. Like all professionals, not all TA are the same. At least 50% when I was a TA, I found customers something better than they had expected.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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  • 1 month later...

My wife and I always book an indoor cabin at the lowest Guarantee Price. In the past, I have booked direct with the cruise line in hopes of getting an upgrade -- and got nothing.

 

This year, I booked a last minute cruise through an online travel agent. It was $20 less than the best price on the cruise line's site, they offered us $50 in shipboard credit -- and the best part, we just found out we upgraded fifteen room categories to an unobstructed outside view.

 

I always thought booking with the cruise line directly would work to my advantage, but this year proved me wrong.

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My wife and I always book an indoor cabin at the lowest Guarantee Price. In the past, I have booked direct with the cruise line in hopes of getting an upgrade -- and got nothing.

 

This year, I booked a last minute cruise through an online travel agent. It was $20 less than the best price on the cruise line's site, they offered us $50 in shipboard credit -- and the best part, we just found out we upgraded fifteen room categories to an unobstructed outside view.

 

I always thought booking with the cruise line directly would work to my advantage, but this year proved me wrong.

 

I was wondering about that.. who offers upgrades? The cruise line or the travel agents? And how do you qualify for them?

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If you book the next cruise while on your current cruise, those are usually the best deals, then you can switch the booking over to your TA. If you have a good TA, they will monitor for better deals and price drops, etc, and they have the power to renegotiate your rate/deals.

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Definitely NOT true in our experience, but on board booking policies can vary between the cruise lines.

 

I only have experience with Celebrity - they seem to be very generous with their upgrades, on board booking discounts, on board deposit discounts, cancellation policies, and ability to slide the reservation over to a TA.

 

Case in point....I booked online a few days ago. I already received an email stating that I could have $500 shipboard credit by booking my next cruise on board AND it can be combined with other offers. I will definitely be inquiring about an upgrade to my existing reservation, which will be less than a week old. If they don't, I'll cancel it and book again on board.

Edited by mattersfact2
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It depends upon the cruise line.

 

First, don't try to find lower fares by googling. All the cruise lines prohibit travel agents from advertising fares lower than what the cruise lines publish. However, Princess and Holland allow TA to discount their fares. They cannot advertise lower fares but they can offer them if you call. Typically, discounts of around 10% are common.

 

There is one major big box TA that offers significant OBC, usually around 8.75%. This TA will give this OBC on all cruise lines except Carnival.

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Good luck with your choice. The debate on TA vs. nON- TA will go on forever.

 

For Cruises I book direct with RCL. Sometimes I book the next cruise while onboard.

 

I do tons of research here on Cruise Critic so that helps with planning. I was not crazy about the land tour operators RCL uses so I found a firm that provides tours worlwide suited to the cruise crowd. I booked a full day excursion with them when our cruise ship gets to Mexico.

 

For hotels, I book Marriott direct, they guarantee best prices when you book direct. Bonus points add up quickly. I will make a land vacation in March and stay at a Marriott to and from my destination using points. They merged with Starwood so the brands of hotels they offer is pretty substantial.

 

I book direct with Jet Blue.

 

Hertz direct for cars when I need it.

 

Back in the day I traveled so much on Delta I got the perks to get good deals with them i even sent my family if four overseas , twice, using miles only.

 

I book direct. I think the last time I used a TA was back in the 70's.

 

There are TA's that specialized in types of tours or locations. I keep thinking of a well known TA up here that specializes in Italy. Very helpful if you go somewhere that is not your native tongue as these operators run the show for you.

 

It is your choice, go with it. If it does not work out you can always try the other option.

 

Good luck, safe travels!

Edited by FireStation46
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I agree!!!!

I believe depend what are you looking for

A car: directly with Hertz is perfect

A hotel: directly is perfect or by TA . Different promos . Just check both.

Excursions: By travcel agent is ok but you never know who is coming , by direct local guide you can get a contact before and get the local insider culture with high professionals quality as they are their owners so they take care . Is depend what you are looking for.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I think it almost depends on how a person specially defines the word "deal" and what they are all looking at.

 

I love my TA I found after 2 bad TA experiences with cruises, and happily the company he works for doesn't go by agent directly! I have called or asked to make changes many times when my TA wasn't there. Whoever answers the phone is happy to help immediately if needed, even if it is a difficult and horrible thing I am asking.

 

I haven't booked airfare ever in my life. Even when I was in my 20's for multi-gen vacations, my mom booked the airfare from all the different cities! I called my TA when booking our Med and said I had no clue about these things! Before even booking, he spent 30 mins with me, estimating airfares based on the exact days of the week for 2018 with the days in 2017 around Thanksgiving. In the end, based on his best guesses, the cruise fare that was $200 less expensive, would actually have been about $600 more expensive in airfare!

 

This was also the same TA who found me the best and cheapest way to drive/park for a NYC cruise, and the same thing for leaving out of Baltimore. Because of this, I don't think a TA just has to give you a deal on the cruise itself, but can do and know many things that can save you $$.

 

It also doesn't hurt that the TA I use gives OBC on the full amount of the fare, not just the commission-able part. As a matter of fact, I went called the NCL upgrade line and upgraded for $1000 our last cruise, of which they also gave me OBC for which I didn't expect at all!

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The one thing that I found by working with Carnival directly is that it was really easy to get my fare reduced when a cheaper fare became available. Even though I was booking for a family group that had 6 different stateroom categories, my Carnival vacation planner would check every stateroom to see if there was any price reductions available every time I called with a general question or clarification saving us hundreds. There were no forms I had to fill out. He just gave us the new price or deal available.

Edited by noddoyll
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