Australian online Travel agents.

[coastiedee]

Hi , I have always booked my cruises through my local travel agent. I have been looking online on Australian sites and there are some great Fly/ cruise deals going around ,some with included pre and post cruise hotel stays. Has anybody booked this way before ? If so has everything gone to plan, and was there any post booking customer service offered ? Thanks Dee.

[Oxymoron]

The group I used were great.

I changed rooms twice too, and that was all done quick and easy. Even got some free lanyards out of them :)

[coastiedee]

Thank You for your quick replies Gaye & Brad. Gosh there are so many to choose from its mind boggeling .

Cheers Dee :D

[floatie]

The two cruises we have done have both been booked through online agencies in Aust and both have been perfect.

 

Don't assume that this is always the case as there is always an exception.

 

I have heard horror stories about both online and shopfront agents so some time checking around is a good thing.

[johndon]

Hi Coastidee

 

Have you tried overseas and especially US based T/As? Five of us have booked with a US based TA for Dawn Princess out of Sydney on 1st October to the Pacific and have saved about $1,200 on the brochure price on each fare here in Australia. I tried one TA who is Australia Wide and well known but they came up with the same deal but for about $500 dearer.

There has been a lot of comment on Cruise Critic sites about the possiblity of being denied boarding if Australians book with a US based on line TA but not one instance of where anyone has been denied boarding has come to light. I think the UK citizens also get a saving by booking online with a US based TA but the UK people pay a lot less than Australians are charged by going through a local Australian TA. We are sent the oldest ships and pay the world's highest cruise prices just for living in Australia. Another point is that if there is a reduction in the cruise price before sailing then most, nearly all of the US T/As give that reduction back to you by way of OBC or a refund. Also if for some reason you have to cancel after paying a deposit you will get your deposit back from a US T/A. Very rare for this to happen if you book with an Australian T/A. It seems the Government regulations for TAs in USA are far more stringent than what the regs are in Australia. Some of the Cruise companies unashamedly take advantage of the different regs.

 

Johndon

[cazz0069]

Hi , I have always booked my cruises through my local travel agent. I have been looking online on Australian sites and there are some great Fly/ cruise deals going around ,some with included pre and post cruise hotel stays. Has anybody booked this way before ? If so has everything gone to plan, and was there any post booking customer service offered ? Thanks Dee.

 

I have had dealings with 2 online Aussie TA`s and have nothing but praise for them. Always really helpful and and very prompt in returning calls and emails. Thats the only way i would book now

[The_Big_M]

We are sent the oldest ships and pay the world's highest cruise prices just for living in Australia.

 

There's a lot of 'old' ships all over the place - some like them. Only a few places get the newest ships - basically those with the largest markets worldwide, which is the same in other things too.

 

As for highest prices, we've also had some of the world's lowest. It's purely demand and supply. A shortage of ships and high demand means prices rise, which is what happened the past few months. Look back over a year ago and the situation was reversed. Go out another year and it probably will again.

 

It seems the Government regulations for TAs in USA are far more stringent than what the regs are in Australia.

Johndon

 

Actually the opposite. Regulations are more stringent on TAs here... which is the same reason some anti-government/libertarian types were incorrectly blaming for the recent price increases here.

[dougo in oz]

Hi , I have always booked my cruises through my local travel agent. I have been looking online on Australian sites and there are some great Fly/ cruise deals going around ,some with included pre and post cruise hotel stays. Has anybody booked this way before ? If so has everything gone to plan, and was there any post booking customer service offered ? Thanks Dee.

 

As someone else has mentioned, take the cruise deal along to your local TA and see if he / she can match it. That's what I've done a few times and sometimes, all those extras, such flights, pre-post cruise accommodation, may be a bit of a take, especially if you don't mind booking some of the things yourself. Eg, don't forget that the price is PER PERSON and often you can get the hotel yourself for a ROOM price, not a Per person price which gives you a saving straight away.

 

As another example, for our up coming cruise to Tahiti on 3rd May, I saw it advertised with an on-line agency and it included airfares and pre-cruise accom. I went to my TA with it and she rang P&O. P&O were only doing a deal for the cruise and airfare - they gave us a price which was near the cost of the on-line agency. So then I asked for the price of the cabin alone. There was a $700 difference. Guess who booked the cabin and nothing else? FF points "paid" for our flight over minus the tax and I had some hotel credits so I used those and got an upgrade suite for nothing.

 

It pays to look on line but then shop around.

[Topaz_M]

You can always sign up for the email specials with the online sites too.

 

Some sites include over 55s or Single at Sea deals as well as the fly/cruise stay ones. They will also let you know when the booking weeks with free extras like OBC are coming up.

 

If you ring for the special deal and find out it's already gone "but we have this one" but for more $$$, then you might find out who the unscrupulous ones are!

 

And if you don't like their emails, it's possible to unsubscribe!