Booking cruise thu NCL vs online site

[carlielyn]

I am a latitude member. We cruised once before on the Dawn in 2006. Are there any perks to booking thru NCL vs online site? I got quotes from both today and they are exactly the same. I booked thru online site 1st time and was very pleased with their service. But I have never given NCL a chance and don't want to miss out on any possible perks or opportunities.

 

Thanks in advance.

C

[sadiecat]

Personal experience has always been better for us to book with at TA rather than NCL directly. I just priced a cruise the other day and it was higher than the TA I don't think NCL gave us the military discount even tho I asked and they said they did and no perks with NCL even when I asked if there were any that is what I was told. Called the TA and there were perks. We used to get a nice discount from our TA before the implementation of the new rules that went into effect August 1, so I don't know if those will exist with the TA any longer. Our upcoming cruise we were given a $500 agency discount plus waived booking fees. My new practice will be from now on tho to get quotes with NCL and my TA for the best price which I had not done before.

[singinglizzie]

The main advantage of booking directly with NCL is that they offer price protection. If you find a lower price for the same category/sailing on THEIR website before your final payment is due, IF you contact them, they will lower the price. I booked once using an online service and they wouldn't price adjust when the rates went down, so lesson learned. However, it does seem that other TA's offer extra on board credits or sometimes even upgrades that NCL doesn't offer. One other thing is that if I cancel, I assume I will get my money back from NCL. I've read where some folks booked through a travel agent, and when the company folded - they lost their money. In all, go with whomever you feel will treat you best.

[sadiecat]

We use a pretty reputable cruise site. In fact, it was listed on the Cruise Critic homepage the other day. I know we can not write these names in, but it was there frankly surprised me.

[Tutone56]

I booked directly with NCL this time. I didn't see a way to get the military or union discount if I booked online so I called them directly. My past 2 cruises I used a TA.

[carlielyn]

I booked today through Internet site. I appreciate your help. Looking forward to our 2nd NCL cruise. We have awhile to wait!! We are cruising out of NYC on the GEM February 2012...

[Brighton Line]

I booked on NCL.com and then called them for the union discount. No problems, the website had an upgrade from CC to BC at a good price so I jumped.

[InTheCruisingYearsOfLife]

Booking directly through NCL also gives you a more direct channel to doing an upsell, if one is offered. If you go through a TA to book, you'll have to get the TA to work with and for you to do the upsell. Since upsells require a fairly immediate decision, involving a TA is likely to cost you the opportunity.

 

Caveat: I state all that from a theoretical perspective; I don't have experience with an upsell of a TA-booked cruise.

[hateswaterloves2cruise]

I've booked thru a brick & mortar TA, an internet TA and NCL direct. Our store front TA was great and did a great job for us, but they closed and moved the closest one over 30 miles away. I currently have 1 cruise booked with an online agency and one with NCL. I have called twice and the price of the NCL booked cruise has dropped $600 (costs were identical with online agency when I booked). The cruise booked with the online TA was cheaper than NCL when I booked it and included an OBC. I'd get prices from both and compare.

[Joe Pflanz]

The primary benefit of a great agency and agent is the price protection. While you can continually check on prices yourself, and then call NCL, a Great Agent will be checking for you, and notifying you. Agents get a lot of Promo deals that offer reduced rates, or upgrades potential, due to rate reductions.

 

If you are the kind of person with time on your hands or that does not trust anyone to do it for you, of course you will end up double checking them anyways.

 

NCL, and most other lines will not automatically call you about rate reductions or promo's once you are booked. Some of their on line agents might, but that is the exception, not the rule.

 

The pricing should always be identical from any agency or direct from NCL, But agency and NCL may offer special reduced deposit sales, obc's at various and different times from each other, so it does pay to shop.

 

If an agency is offering you a lower price, they are simply discounting for services added, or they are discounting their own commissions, which is now supposedly not allowed. Agency commissions are based on their volume with the cruiseline.

 

Hope this helps, and good luck

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I just tried to reserve a cruise online with NCL.com for the 3-day sale and after spending all my time choosing my cabin, entering my CC info, etc., it comes back and says we can't book at this time...please call our 1-800 #.

 

So I go with an online TA and I got the same price, same reduced deposit, onboard credit as well!