Travel Agent?

[Q-step]

Last year we did our first cruise, a T/A on QM2. I called Cunard for prices and options. I then checked with American Express, found they were the same price with the same OBC, and booked through them using my reward points. We want to go another crossing this year (we're hooked) but I don't have enough points accumulated yet with AMEX for another free trip.

 

My question: Is there any real advantage to booking either directly through Cunard or booking through an agent? I rarely use an agent for my travel, but a lot of posters on this board swear by them. I only used AMEX travel last time because the T/A was free. I assume I'm missing something as travel agents are big business. Please enlighten me? Thank you.

[pb82]

There is no one-answer-fits-all to your question. I believe those who have told me that good travel agents are worth their weight in OBCs. But we have always booked directly with Cunard since our first "please put us the waiting list" email when we heard that QM2 was being built. We have had three upgrades in our last six bookings (AA to PG once and PG to QG twice). Have no idea why, but maybe booking way early, having a last name that starts with a B instead of a W, and saying nice things on line about Cunard helped.

[juicyjuju]

I didn't know you could use Amex points for Cunard. Great use of points. How many points did it take?

[IveGotThatSinkingFeeling]

I've had good upgrades from both travel agents in the US, the UK and booking direct. The best upgrades I know of (Caronia to Britannia Grill for two cabins for the entire world cruise and on a separate TA Mauretania to Queens Grill) were both through a US agent of repute. Not my upgrades unfortunately.

 

Agents are certainly cheaper than Cunard in the UK. I presume the same hold in the US.

 

I'd always assumed that the inexperienced booked through Cunard simply because it was the obvious way to do it.

[Jimsgirl]

I use a TA . My experience is that that TA's vary as widely as do cruises.

Some TA's offer no OBC, others give such small OBC ($25 ) they are not worth using. However sometimes you can find a TA that can quote you a group booking price (you do not have to belong to any "group") which is several hundred dollars less than Cunard quoted price, the same TA's can often offer you substantial OBC as part of the group booking.

 

My next cruise is an example, TA #1 quoted Cunard price, and offered $50 OBC, TA #2 for same cruise offered a group booking that saved me almost $200 and offered $100 OBC Then to put icing on the cake, I received an upgrade from Cunard from D7 to D3

 

It is true Cunard will not discuss your booking with you if you use a TA, but will tell you to contact the TA, then it becomes a question of does the TA work full time or just a few days a week. You really need a TA that works full time (9-5 five days a week ) One that only works 1-4 three days a week will be hard to deal with if you do have a problem.

[ovccruiser]

I have used the same T/A in the UK for all my cruises. No OBC but a sizeable discount off the cruise price, swings and roundabouts I guess

[Q-step]

I didn't know you could use Amex points for Cunard. Great use of points. How many points did it take?

 

It was about 110 points per dollar. I used 350,000 points for a $3,200 Cunard bill. But they allow partial credit. So if you only have 150,000 reward points you can use them all and pay the difference in cash. It is sometimes hard to find the crossings on the AMEX website. Even though there is a selection for 'transatlantic' it will generally return no Cunard choices. Instead put in 'Cunard' under cruise line, select 'any' destination and choose the month you want to travel. All the crossings for that month will show up using these choices.

[juicyjuju]

It was about 110 points per dollar. I used 350,000 points for a $3,200 Cunard bill. But they allow partial credit. So if you only have 150,000 reward points you can use them all and pay the difference in cash. It is sometimes hard to find the crossings on the AMEX website. Even though there is a selection for 'transatlantic' it will generally return no Cunard choices. Instead put in 'Cunard' under cruise line, select 'any' destination and choose the month you want to travel. All the crossings for that month will show up using these choices.

 

Thanks. I've been using my points by transferring them to Virgin Atlantic because they are one of the few airlines that will let you do one way reward tickets. We got first class seats from London to San Francisco in January of this year and first class was less than quarter full.

[IveGotThatSinkingFeeling]

Thanks. I've been using my points by transferring them to Virgin Atlantic because they are one of the few airlines that will let you do one way reward tickets. We got first class seats from London to San Francisco in January of this year and first class was less than quarter full.

 

Virgin don't do First Class - only their business equivalent "Upper Class" which is not very good at all.