seattle sojourner Posted October 15, 2010 #1 Share Posted October 15, 2010 First time cruiser/poster. I've found a cruise I want to take, Royal Caribbean in January out of Galveston. There are lots of places to make reservations: agencies, online, direct with the shipline. Is any one a better choice than the other? Customer Service? Safety of information? Better prices? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjcruiser Posted October 15, 2010 #2 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Either would work, as long as it's a reputable agency. I usually book directly with the cruiseline, but this time around I used on of the online auction/travel websites. They offered more amenities/bonuses for booking that would be used in conjuction/during my cruise, saving me money upfront, which I'll use on my cruise. I always buy each piece of my travel from a separate vendor or company. This is also the first time I purcashed cruise/travel insurance, which is well worth the peace of mind knowing if anything comes up, I'm covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted October 15, 2010 #3 Share Posted October 15, 2010 We always book with the cruiseline, because we like having control of our reservation. However, some TAs will give you "perks", like an onboard credit, or a meal in a specialty restaurant, for booking thru them....call a couple and ask what they offer! The only downside to a TA is you cannont call RCI and ask questions, make changes, etc...once you've booked thru a Ta....you will have to go thru that 3rd party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattle sojourner Posted October 15, 2010 Author #4 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Thank you both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticlady Posted October 15, 2010 #5 Share Posted October 15, 2010 First time cruiser/poster. I've found a cruise I want to take, Royal Caribbean in January out of Galveston. There are lots of places to make reservations: agencies, online, direct with the shipline. Is any one a better choice than the other? Customer Service? Safety of information? Better prices? I had booked orginially through the cruiseline. Then I found a local agent who could give me a better price. Then I went online to a website where agents compete and you receive quotes from them. I am about to switch because one of them can save me $200 and give me $75 obc. If your interested search for websites that compare cruises and you will see this website. Good luck ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiselover57 Posted October 15, 2010 #6 Share Posted October 15, 2010 First time cruiser/poster. I've found a cruise I want to take, Royal Caribbean in January out of Galveston. There are lots of places to make reservations: agencies, online, direct with the shipline. Is any one a better choice than the other? Customer Service? Safety of information? Better prices? Lately, I've been using a TA as well for the same reasons others have mentioned - I seem to get better pricing and an OBC. While others have mentioned you can't call the cruise line to ask questions about your reservation - I don't agree - it really depends what you're asking. I've done that several times with some basic questions when I couldn't get a hold of my TA and depending on who answers the phone, I've always gotten my question answered - when it comes to changes, yes, the TA has to do those for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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