jimp1266

Thank you so much for the live review. We board Prima in two weeks and do your exact itinerary. So looking forward to the trip and this thread is adding to the anticipation.

When I dive my mind is quiet and I am completely immersed in what I am doing in the moment. I've not found anything else that provides such an escape.

Generally, If you wish to service the reservation directly (by calling the cruise line) they will refer you back to the TA you are working with. Which means attempting to contact your TA and waiting for a reply. They add a "middle man" that must first understand your request then relay that request to the cruise line. Some don't participate in the upgrade bidding process and some charge change fees not related to the line you are sailing. Some have great TAs that are responsive and actively monitor for price drops and such but I have found that I must make them aware of pricing changes. I'm also jaded. Way back when internet based cruise travel agents were a new thing one of the largest abruptly went out of business. As I recall, the son of the business creator took over and mismanaged customer deposits. They collected payment but did not forward them to the cruise lines. I got very lucky when Princess alerted us to the lack of payment and were able to resolve it, many others simply lost their payment and cruise.

I'm struggling to understand the value of using a PCC. It seems like they are internal "travel agents" that offer no additional discount or perks while creating a barrier between you and your reservation. Am I missing something? I generally book directly so that I am in control of my reservation (not waiting for a response from a travel agent or playing the phone game). I have, on occasion, used a travel agent when the discount or perks were too good to pass up but have felt frustrated when I wanted to service my own reservation.