Help from those who book through an agent

[ecmcm]

I do think there are good travel agents out there and it is probably wise to use one. My point was that you should ask a few questions before you hire one. When we first thought of taking a cruise I went into a travel agency at the mall to ask for brochures and the agent plus her customer insisted that I should only consider RCI because they were the absolute best! Their overwhelming enthusiasm certainly prejudiced my decision making and I would have gone to her to make the booking but my husband knew someone who was a travel agent and well we just didn't know any better at the time.

[janice4559]

The subject to use a TA or book directly with the cruise liness will go on for a long time,, I have used a TA for 8 yrs, and am emailed often about special bookings, unfortunately many of them we can't take advantage of, but at least she is letting her customers know. When I book our cruises, the price is broken down by Cruise Price pp, optional insurance and taxes. I will receive a written statement and receipt from her office of all payments, which are done directly by the cruise lines, not her office, she only authorizes the cruise lines to make the charges. What we pay would be no differant then if I called the cruise lines. She rewards us thru our continued business.

 

No perks, she just continues to give you the opportunity to use her services! Sorry, this just cracks me up!!!

[Laid-back]

If you have a TA that has the time to watch for price drops for all of their clients as often as they need to to catch every one, you have a TA with very few clients.

 

Price drops happen anytime and for any length of time from one hour to one month. The only one that I know of that will look that often for price drops on my cruise is me.

 

Totally agree as that definitely has been my experience as well. Very few TAs will actively search for price drops period. What is their incentive to do so? To get a lower commission? When you point them out to a TA you sometimes get them and sometimes not. I am currently handling a cruise through a TA and was attracted by a $200 allowance. I recently found a large (to me) price drop of $800 for two and while the TA got the drop for me I also lost the TA $200 allowance. Ended up with nada from the TA. So what was the point of using the TA? I still came out ahead so I am not complaining, but all I am saying is that it is so easy to do all of this stuff yourself with no middleman. Hey, I fully realize it is different strokes for different folks. I am merely stating my experience and opinion.