TA or no TA

[punkincc]

Have you already settled on the itinerary and ship you want? In not, this is your first step.

 

Once you know the ship and date, start looking at deck plans. You can do "dummy" bookings on the Princess website to look at cabin categories and check their prices. Go to the "Princess" board here and a get info about cabins if you have questions. Pay attention to what is above and below any cabins being considered.

 

Once you know what you want, call Princess and ask about prices, on board credit, etc. Be careful about booking a "guarantee" and make sure you know what that means. Get as specific info as you can, unobstructed balcony on deck 10 for example, so you can compare apples to apples.

 

Armed with this info, start checking web agencies or "big box store" travel departments if you are a member. They buy group blocks and can underprice the cruise lines. Not sure if this includes Princess. Cruise Critic has a list of recommend web agencies you can search for. Call and compare prices and extras.

 

Prices for Alaska often rise as the cruise date becomes closer. We are cruising in May and I believe mini suites and balconies are already sold out for my ship (not princess), so don't delay.

[dobiemom]

I use a TA, not for the discounts or perks, but for the peace of mind if something goes wrong. The TA would make it right/be my advocate. Yes, she sometimes can give me a discount or OBC or other perks but sometimes not, and that's OK. I know that she will be there if something happens, she will get it fixed. :) (I've used the same TA for a few years.)

[rachelfran]

Excellent reply! Thank you!

 

Rachel

 

Have you already settled on the itinerary and ship you want? In not, this is your first step.

 

Once you know the ship and date, start looking at deck plans. You can do "dummy" bookings on the Princess website to look at cabin categories and check their prices. Go to the "Princess" board here and a get info about cabins if you have questions. Pay attention to what is above and below any cabins being considered.

 

Once you know what you want, call Princess and ask about prices, on board credit, etc. Be careful about booking a "guarantee" and make sure you know what that means. Get as specific info as you can, unobstructed balcony on deck 10 for example, so you can compare apples to apples.

 

Armed with this info, start checking web agencies or "big box store" travel departments if you are a member. They buy group blocks and can underprice the cruise lines. Not sure if this includes Princess. Cruise Critic has a list of recommend web agencies you can search for. Call and compare prices and extras.

 

Prices for Alaska often rise as the cruise date becomes closer. We are cruising in May and I believe mini suites and balconies are already sold out for my ship (not princess), so don't delay.

[thinfool]

What are the pros/cons to having a TA?

Is it easier to get the exact room u want with a TA or can I do that myself by calling princess?

 

Do you save money either way?

 

Just don't know if we really need to use one or not???

 

We are going to Alaska June 2013 so I need to prob book soon....

 

If this is your first cruise then please use a Travel Agent.

 

Who to use? Princess has a directory of Princess-approved TA's on their website. Most if not all of them have to pass a Princess training course to be listed.

 

As for great prices LAST year...yes, it was a great year to go to Alaska. This year there are fewer ships, fewer cabins for booking and, of course, higher prices.

 

The cruise lines seem to be masters of booking algorithms and can tell on any day what to expect for future bookings and how to price accordingly.

[DaisyandSika]

I used a TA to book last year as we had never cruised before. While she was very friendly, she was kind of useless. There was nothing she did that I couldn't have done myself, for free. When I booked, she asked if I wanted to pay a deposit or pay in full. We had the money saved, so I just paid in full. I then joined the CC forums, and discovered I could cancel and rebook if the price dropped prior to the final payment date. But because I had paid in full, I couldn't do that. Had I just paid the deposit, I could have saved $500 and received $50 OBC. I booked on my own direct with Princess this time around.

[fireflymd]

I used a TA to book last year as we had never cruised before. While she was very friendly, she was kind of useless. There was nothing she did that I couldn't have done myself, for free. When I booked, she asked if I wanted to pay a deposit or pay in full. We had the money saved, so I just paid in full. I then joined the CC forums, and discovered I could cancel and rebook if the price dropped prior to the final payment date. But because I had paid in full, I couldn't do that. Had I just paid the deposit, I could have saved $500 and received $50 OBC. I booked on my own direct with Princess this time around.

 

I'm actually glad you posted this, because I thought we were the only ones.

Our TA was not only useless, he cost us money. He told my husband he should pay for the trip in full, (to lock in the airline rate which was included in the bill) which wound up over our credit limit and cost us a fee with our credit card company.

 

I was also unaware that they charge a fee for booking flights! When we had to change the flight our TA booked for us (because he had us arriving at a ridiculous time, based upon his ludicrous misinformation that all flights to Anchorage arrive at that hour), I discovered that his price quote was $400 more than what it cost for me to change the flights myself.

 

Expensive lesson to learn--investigate all pricing and flights yourself before going to a travel agent, if you are going to use one. And they may not know more than you do, with a little online research.

 

When we went to Hawaii, we had to handle getting the wrong type of hotel room ourselves, as well as rebooking our flight between islands when the airline cancelled our flight, all on our own, despite having a TA at that time.

 

I believed the TA would give us the best advice and the best price, but this was clearly not the case. It is truly ironic, because both DH and I felt that we liked the personal touch by using a TA, and we also liked the idea that someone would benefit because we booked through them. Ironic!