new to cruising - booked already

[rogerwaters]

1st time cruiser here.

 

i booked thru the NCL site, and spoke directly with an NCL agent.

by reading some posts here, it makes me believe that it's better, and maybe cheaper, to book thru a travel agent? is that true? we spent $2,100 for a balcony cabin on the Epic. i am thrilled with my cabin location, and fine with the price. i don't want to cancel & rebook just to save $100 or something like that.

 

but can anyone tell me of the advantages/disadvantages of booking with a travel agent as opposed with the cruise line itself?

 

since it is our 1st cruise we wanted to speak with someone affiliated with the cruise line, but for future cruises (if i like this one) which method of booking would you recommend?

 

thanks everyone! been lurking awhile and decided to join!

[printingchick]

I haven't cruised on NCL, but it's generally not cheaper to book through a travel agent unless you're booking a group or a pricey cabin where the agent may offer you an on-board credit to show appreciation for the booking. They don't make a lot of money on the booking of a single cabin, so they can't really afford to kick-back anything. I think you did fine booking directly.

[rogerwaters]

well that's good to know.

 

maybe i was reading some of the posts wrong. but it sounded like people who booked thru a travel agent got all sorts of deals, OBC, stuff like that. we got upgraded from deck 8 to deck 9 (i think it was like a $400 upgrade) and the lady i spoke to on the phone was super nice and i was able to specifically pick the cabin number i wanted, which surprised me.

 

i just felt more comfortable booking directly thru the cruise line. but i also didn't know, after reading posts, if a better deal would be had thru a TA.

 

we did book with another couple, so not sure if booking 2 cabins would have gotten us a better price if we did so thru a travel agent, but again, if it comes down to saving $100 here or there, my thoughts were to stick with the cruise line. it just felt more "secure", if you will.

 

i don't think $2,100 is bad for a cruise. we know we will spend a lot on drinking and excursions, and we are hoping to keep our budget under $4,000 total. we figured $2,100 for the cruise, and another $2,000 for flights, excursions and booze. hoping that works out! we certainly will not skimp on anything just to save a buck, as this is our first cruise and we really want to experience everything!!!!

 

but prices do concern me, as i have heard beer is quite expensive. and since we are sailing on the new Epic, i fear those beer prices may been even higher than other ships. but again, if we can keep our "extra" spending to around $2,000, i'll be happy!!!

[uppitycats]

I think if you've had a long-term commitment with a particular travel agent, then you might get a cheaper cruise. But no guarantee. Sometimes, too, agents have a group price available and are looking to fill up the numbers needed for a group, and can give you a deal -- but those usually go to the long-term clients, not someone very new.

 

I think if you're happy with what you've got, like your cabin, etc., you did just fine, booking as you did. I suspect many more people that frequent this board book directly with the cruise line, than book with an agent.

[rogerwaters]

what do you think about our budget? will be be able to enjoy drinks on board and go on some excursions and spend roughly around $2,000? hoping to hit some of the specialty restaurants on board too. just not sure how far the dollar stretches on board!!!

[UtterCaro]

i don't think $2,100 is bad for a cruise. we know we will spend a lot on drinking and excursions, and we are hoping to keep our budget under $4,000 total. we figured $2,100 for the cruise, and another $2,000 for flights, excursions and booze.

 

You're already way ahead of the game, IMO. Many (if not most) first-timers aren't nearly that cognizant of just how quickly the dollars add up. One good idea: check on your account balance at least a couple of times throughout the cruise -- before the last day, when lines at the desk are long and it's too late to rein in your spending. Sticker shock is not a pretty way to end a fabulous cruise.

 

Caro

[uppitycats]

what do you think about our budget? will be be able to enjoy drinks on board and go on some excursions and spend roughly around $2,000? hoping to hit some of the specialty restaurants on board too. just not sure how far the dollar stretches on board!!!

 

I think you'll be fine. Depending on how much you drink, that's really the big cost you'd encounter (and gambling...but doesn't sound like you'll do much of that, either). Drinks can run anywhere from $6 up, depending on how fancy you want them (basic beer and rail drinks are in the $6- $7 range). Someone else suggested this, and I concur -- check your bill maybe half-way through your cruise, and you'll get a sense of whether you're OK, or have to cut back. And really check out the excursions. Depending on where you're going, you may find them quite a bit cheaper booking independently, or even not doing an excursion at all, but simply heading off the ship and to the beach.

 

There are boards here where folks are talking about every port -- if you look for them, you may find all sorts of good ideas.

[djmutters]

We have always booked our cruises early, normally a year in advance through a UK TA and have always haggled a good price by saying we are shopping around for the best price for the cruise we have in mind and can you beat the price of the last TA we spoke with ?

 

This time we was able to get a hump cabin $300 obc and £400.00 cheaper then anywhere else we tried.

 

Shop around and haggle :)

 

Hope you have a lovely first cruise

 

Nigel & Rob x

[rogerwaters]

thanks everyone! looking forward to the 1st cruise (of many, i hope)!!:D

[Taxguy77]

We first cruised with NCL and booked direct. On board one cruise, I saw a represenative of a "packageing" company in Boston (I think there are two). For our next cruise I compared the two and the packager had a more limited supply of cabins but added 2 nights hotel in Barcelona and a city tour. There was not $$$$ savings, but we had a better time pre-cruise and began the cruise refreshed. This was compared to cruise-air, now I book air independently.

[aroyle]

I would have to disagree, I saved over a thousand dollars by booking my cruise with a travel agent. That is why they wont even talk to you at NCL if yoo have already booked through someone else. I got my room for $400.00 per person and my air for $343.00 from MSP to Miami. This was with a travel agent. They book in large groups that way you get a much larger discount. It is worth it to look into it. We did our research prior to over the phone with NCL, over the internet with them and then with a travel agent and thought that we were missing something but it saved us a lot!

[ilovcruisesm]

i recommend booking with a travel agent. why? because while the price for two people may be the same as if you booked directly through the line, if you have three or four people you will save significantly on 3rd/4th person rates, which travel agents often offer but cruise lines rarely do.

 

the other benefit is that if you talk to someone who works for the cruise line, their objective will be to get you to book with them, and to book the most expensive ship, itinerary, cabin...whereas the travel agent will be able to find the perfect cruise for YOU, not the one where the line will make the biggest profit.

[boulders]

i recommend booking with a travel agent. why? because while the price for two people may be the same as if you booked directly through the line, if you have three or four people you will save significantly on 3rd/4th person rates, which travel agents often offer but cruise lines rarely do.

 

the other benefit is that if you talk to someone who works for the cruise line, their objective will be to get you to book with them, and to book the most expensive ship, itinerary, cabin...whereas the travel agent will be able to find the perfect cruise for YOU, not the one where the line will make the biggest profit.

 

Completely misleading. Third and fourth rates are always available through the cruiselines. TA's like their commissions too. They are not doing their jobs for altruistic purposes.

[rogerwaters]

so, when talking about getting 3rd & 4th person rates, does that mean if we are 2 adult couples, needing 2 separate cabins, if we book as a "group" we may possibly get cheaper rates going thru a travel agent if we book as a "foursome" (not sexually, ya'll know what i mean!) :D

 

so i am getting ready to go on my 1st cruise, but i am "planning ahead";) since so many people say once i experience my 1st cruise, i WILL book again.

 

chances are if/when we book another cruise, we will travel with the same adult couple. so 4 of us, no kids, looking for a cruise with side by side cabins. is that a basic enough request to ultimately say we most likely will find similar rates regardless if we book with a travel agent OR directly thru the cruise line?

 

saving $100 or so is no big deal, but when you are talking about saving several hundred, or even $1,000, i wanna make sure i book thru the right person.......

 

oh, and when i booked directly thru the cruise line, i had 4 cabin numbers (specific cabin locations) that i wanted, and i got my first pick! i thought that was because i booked thru the cruise line,....if i book thru a travel agent will i also be able to choose a specific cabin number, or does the cruise line "hold" some of the better cabin locations?

[uppitycats]

No, the cheaper rates are for 3 or 4 people in the same cabin. And both a TA and the cruise agent can arrange that for you. Just as both a TA and the cruise agent can arrange for you to have cabins side by side. Just as both a TA and the cruise agent can book the exact cabin(s) you want, assuming they're available (sometimes TA's do have blocks of cabins that they've set aside for customers, but they can..and do..go "outside" that block to book other available cabins.)

 

What you usually don't want to do through the cruise line is book your air transportation. You can almost always get it cheaper independently, and the route will usually be more convenient - -you'd be able to get direct flights, the day before, other accommodations, depending on your circumstances. This is something that a TA can help with, and if there is a significant savings, it often is based on the flights you'd be able to get.

 

Sometimes TA's do have cruise specials -- they're looking to fill a "group", and everyone will get some benefit from booking as part of the group: sometimes cheaper cabin prices, sometimes on-board credit, sometimes things like a special reception on board, other things. And these "group bookings" aren't available through the cruise agent, only through the TA. So that might be cheaper..

 

A "group" is usually defined as more than 10 cabins booked..so you and your friends wouldn't qualify as a "group".

[maofthree]

did ncl give you the union discount , they are the only cruiseline that offers this, good savings to us. do you know about the online site that "*************s "for you business, we have used them for the last 5 cruises.:eek:

[nyc1967]

what kind of union discount - my husband works for Verizon and is part of CWA union...wondering would he get a discount?