Why do you prefer to book your cruises through a travel agent?

[Bridge Maven]

Why do you prefer to book your cruises through a travel agent? Check all that apply.

[Bridge Maven]

It appears that one of the main reasons people use a travel agent is to receive an on board credit.

[cruiserbryce]

we really usually end up booking directly with the line

[kelmac]

I use two online travel agents. The first gives me the best deals on RCI products (ie--Celebrity, Azamara...,), the second has the best rates with CCL products (ie--HAL, Cunard, Princess...,).

 

I don't need information, hand holding, hotels, airline tickets from a Travel Agent; I just want control, accuracy, and speed from a dependable honest agency.

Besides, I get a kick out of planning all my own travel!!:)

[Onessa]

Last year we booked an RCCI cruise out of Barcelona with our TA. She kept track of the booking and scored us a price reduction -- might I have noticed it? Maybe, but then I'd have been the one spending my time looking for it. Although we had done our air transport arrangements ourselves, when our flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona was cancelled, a call to our TA got us booked on the next available flight (business class! for no extra charge). We avoided the 2+ hour line at the rebooking area - priceless!

 

This year she booked our cruise, our airfare, our transfers and hotels. It saved me hours of time.

[Bridge Maven]

Last year we booked an RCCI cruise out of Barcelona with our TA. She kept track of the booking and scored us a price reduction -- might I have noticed it? Maybe, but then I'd have been the one spending my time looking for it. Although we had done our air transport arrangements ourselves, when our flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona was cancelled, a call to our TA got us booked on the next available flight (business class! for no extra charge). We avoided the 2+ hour line at the rebooking area - priceless!

 

This year she booked our cruise, our airfare, our transfers and hotels. It saved me hours of time.

 

We had a similar problem when our flight from JFK to Barcelona for our Mediterranean Cruise on Brilliance of the Seas was canceled after a 3 hour boarding delay and being on the tarmac at JFK for an additional 4 hours. Fortunately, we had planned to arrive in Barcelona a day before our cruise so if we could get on the same flight the following night we would be ok. Even though we were instructed to get on line at JFK to rebook our flight I called the airlines 800 number instead and was able to get on the same flight for the following night. However, there were a number of people on that canceled flight who went on line instead and the flight we had re-booked was full by the time they get there. One thing I learned from that experience was to call the 800 number ASAP instead of waiting on line to rebook a canceled flight when you have a cruise. This experience also confirmed how important it is to fly to the port city at least one day before the cruise. If we hadn't planned it that way we would have literally missed the boat.

[Bridge Maven]

I have a feeling that a few years ago a much higher percentage of votes would have gone to the cruise planning option.

[jackdiamond]

I do all the work; and, the only real advantage is a $200, or $300, rebate we receive from our travel agent. Most importantly, our travel agent provdes service 24/7; hence, when we discover a price reduction it is immediately attended too.

[Cruisenouvelle]

We get Delta SkyMiles when we use their online agency.

[Onessa]

We had a similar problem when our flight from JFK to Barcelona for our Mediterranean Cruise on Brilliance of the Seas was canceled after a 3 hour boarding delay and being on the tarmac at JFK for an additional 4 hours. Fortunately, we had planned to arrive in Barcelona a day before our cruise so if we could get on the same flight the following night we would be ok. Even though we were instructed to get on line at JFK to rebook our flight I called the airlines 800 number instead and was able to get on the same flight for the following night. However, there were a number of people on that canceled flight who went on line instead and the flight we had re-booked was full by the time they get there. One thing I learned from that experience was to call the 800 number ASAP instead of waiting on line to rebook a canceled flight when you have a cruise. This experience also confirmed how important it is to fly to the port city at least one day before the cruise. If we hadn't planned it that way we would have literally missed the boat.

 

The 800 number was swamped and not very helpful (it was a Northwest/KLM code share on a third airline). Plus international "roaming" rates on my cell phone where ridiculous -- a quick call to the TA circumvented many minutes on-hold and working through call trees.

[BlueCat1105]

I wish I could find a TA who would give me something - even a morsel. The two that I know of occasionally send me emails saying they want my business, but when I approach them to ask if there is any incentive to book with them, they don't come up with a darned thing. No discount, no OBC, no nothing. After I said I had found the itinerary I wanted for this price, she said that if she only looked for airfare for me there would be a $40 additional charge for her services.

[flagger]

Besides OBC, it would seem in this unscientific poll, people are still using a TA because

I feel better if I encounter a problem with my booking

[Bridge Maven]

Flagger: Besides OBC, it would seem in this unscientific poll, people are still using a TA because "I feel better if I encounter a problem with my booking"

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Bridge Maven: At this point in time, that appears to be the case.