Agent or not?

[snowhite1019]

I have always booked my own cruises (a grand total of 2 so I'm by no means an expert). However, a couple of people have told me that I might want to try a travel agent as you can get upgrades, on board credits, etc. I am not sure if there is value in it or not. Can anyone just give me thoughts about the pros and cons of using an agent. Not asking for names, just your thoughts on whether I'm better of booking myself or using an agent.

 

Thanks.

 

Barbara

[luvscruising2007]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

You will get opposing responses to your question.

I use a local brick & mortar agency. They provide good service and generally send a bottle of wine to our stateroom. This was a pleasant, unexpected surprise on our first cruise and they have followed up on our other cruises.

If they ever close, we will book direct with the cruise line.

 

When you book with a TA you lose control of your reservation as they own it. Many of the perks that a TA provide are specialty dining, paid tips, wine or on board credit. All of these are very nice. They cannot discount the cruise price for RC cruises.

 

I think use of a TA is a personal decision and only you can decide what is best for you. Reading others' opinions will help you with that decision.

[SPacificbound]

I have booked all our cruises directly with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. I'm not interested in giving control to a travel agent for a few $$$. Just me. :D

[Not-My-Real-Name]

I book most of our cruises with an online TA that we have used many times. I have booked one or two directly with the cruise line. If, with incentives, the online TA can not offer me a better price than the cruise line, then I book directly with the cruise line.

 

For our next cruise, the TA offered more than $400 of incentives over what the cruise line was offering, so we booked with the online TA.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Not-My-Real-Name

[sailnsee]

Same here...almost $400 incentives for a 14 ta plus I uses d+ discount but the zinger was the group fare of $1079 ba. Compared to $2900

[Not-My-Real-Name]

Also, if you do decide to use an online TA, you should price your trip with several agencies. For our upcoming cruise, just to satisfy my curiosity, I compared what our favorite online TA was offering compared to about 10 other online TA's. Some offered some of the same incentives, but not all. My point being, just because it is an online TA, it does not mean that you are getting the best deal.

[Folk Singer]

I have always booked my own cruises (a grand total of 2 so I'm by no means an expert). However, a couple of people have told me that I might want to try a travel agent as you can get upgrades, on board credits, etc. I am not sure if there is value in it or not. Can anyone just give me thoughts about the pros and cons of using an agent. Not asking for names, just your thoughts on whether I'm better of booking myself or using an agent.

 

Thanks.

 

Barbara

 

we have done both. first with a TA now we are trying it through the RCCL as we had a few issues on our last cruise. Agree with the other CC's look out for the deals; regardless how you get there in the end, go and enjoy.

[dealer9296]

I book with RCCL.....TA: if you have a problem you are screwed. RCCL can clean it up quickly. I really had a problem with Visa awards last time I booked with TA.

[bouhunter]

Personally we have no desire to involve a third party in any cruise or airline reservation unless the perk is BIG. Which it usually isn't for a typical 7 night cruise. I'll take the ability to deal with RCCL direct over 100.00 OBC any day. If any problems or complications arise I want to deal directly with the airline or cruise line. An OBC or bottle of wine doesn't interest us if it means we can't speak directly with our travel provider.

Edited December 14, 2013 by bouhunter

[KeywestK]

Who you decide to book with is a personal choice. After being badly burned by a brick-and-mortar TA, I only book directly with the cruise line. I would be very hard pressed to give up control of my booking, regardless of the few perks they might offer me.

 

If you decide to book with a TA, my advice would be to talk to your friends/family who have cruised and get recommendations from them. Be sure to ask the TA about their cancellation policy, as some do charge cancellation fees. Also keep in mind that TA's are not allow to discount the price of the cruise, but they will likely throw in some perks, such a pre-paid gratuities or OBC. And be sure you understand that by booking with a TA, they essentially own your booking, and you lose control of it.

 

And welcome to Cruise Critic:)

[JasonV1]

I used to book myself but now use a Internet TA due to perks (OBC averaging 8-12% of total fare).

 

If you will need to make changes after hours or on weekends be sure to ask about availability so you know what to expect. I use a site to get immediate notice of price drops, many of which are temporary and need applied quickly (or upgraded to better room if past final payment).

 

The OBC makes that final bill much easier to swallow.

[Folk Singer]

We made a few changes with RCCL this morning and had great service through the Crown and Anchor section of RCCL. no problems and easy to deal with.

[grandgeezer]

I'm amazed at all the people who think that they have to have instant control over their reservation. I have booked 29 cruises, all with online TAs and have never had any problems changing my reservation. Price drop, change cabin, or whatever, I just e-mail them and it's handled. I recently booked a transatlantic , preceded by a 13 day Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity. I called Celebrity and got their best deal. I called my online TA and got exactly the same offer as X PLUS $300 obc and dinner for two in a speciality resteraunt for the Med, and $250 obc and dinner for two in a speciality restaraunt for the transatlantic.

That's about $670 in my pocket for exactly the same cruises and staterooms. But again, I can't call the cruiseline in the middle of the night to make changes. For that kind of money, I think I can live with it.

[roysmith99]

We have tried local TAs (in the UK), USA based TAs and Royals online system and call centres. By far the best service is (was) Royal's own call centre - but they are closing it on 31 Dec this year.

 

Local TAs are hopeless. For us in the UK, in my opinion the US travel agent w very good until we had issues which they could not resolve. I sorted it myself by contacting Richard Fain directly - should not be necessary.

 

So far the service from the UK call centre has been exceptional, even though we don't get sown of the freebies offered by the US agent (we have always been treated as 2nd rate cruisers in the UK).

 

I am now undertaking Spanish lessons so that from 1st January I am able to have a reasonable conversation with the 'outsourced call centre' in Guatamala.

[OCruisers]

I'm amazed at all the people who think that they have to have instant control over their reservation.

 

Gosh, I'm always amazed by that too.

I don't lose control over my reservations by using my long time TA. Any changes I want are made promptly by either her or one of her associates ... this includes weekends and evenings. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[SSVacation]

We always book direct with Royal, mostly while we are on board. I guess it's a personal choice, seems to work out either way.

[matj2000]

Never understood why someone needs to be "In control of their booking".

You basically book it and that's it.

You can check it every so often for a price drop but what else?

I guess people have "control issues" with almost everything.

I would rather have the pre-paid gratuities and OBC, wine, ect but then again I am not a "control freak"....

[14Terry]

I book my cruises direct. Whichever way a person chooses to book a cruise, it is their choice. As long as we're all cruising, life is good!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[OCruisers]

Much depends on having a GOOD travel agent! :)

 

LuLu

~~~~~

[Retired LEO]

I'm amazed at all the people who think that they have to have instant control over their reservation. I have booked 29 cruises, all with online TAs and have never had any problems changing my reservation. Price drop, change cabin, or whatever, I just e-mail them and it's handled. I recently booked a transatlantic , preceded by a 13 day Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity. I called Celebrity and got their best deal. I called my online TA and got exactly the same offer as X PLUS $300 obc and dinner for two in a speciality resteraunt for the Med, and $250 obc and dinner for two in a speciality restaraunt for the transatlantic.

That's about $670 in my pocket for exactly the same cruises and staterooms. But again, I can't call the cruiseline in the middle of the night to make changes. For that kind of money, I think I can live with it.

 

You can call RCI 24/7

[grandgeezer]

I meant my online travel agent. I can't imagine having to contact them anytime but regular business hours. I only need them to execute the paperwork, I do all the other stuff myself.

I know what I want and how to do it. The money I've saved over the 29 cruises makes it well worth while.

[matj2000]

I meant my online travel agent. I can't imagine having to contact them anytime but regular business hours. I only need them to execute the paperwork, I do all the other stuff myself.

I know what I want and how to do it. The money I've saved over the 29 cruises makes it well worth while.

 

 

I totally agree with you but wanted to add that the online TA stays open pretty late.

I can call them at 11PM and still talk to a live person.

 

The only problem is that if I wake up at 330AM with the burning desire to change cabins I am totally screwed..

[Folk Singer]

I book my cruises direct. Whichever way a person chooses to book a cruise, it is their choice. As long as we're all cruising, life is good!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

So true. Wish I was cursing right now and not shovelling snow.:(

[starfish216]

I always book our cruises with the "big box store" travel agent. It is well worth it since our OBC ranges anywhere from $190 to $475 per cabin per cruise. For our family I usually book anywhere from 3 to 6 cabins per cruise. So it all adds up.

 

I have cancelled cruises, changed dates, changed cabins, changed dinning times and just on our last cruise upgraded to a JS on the Oasis when I noticed the price dropped a couple weeks after my final payment. I just call the travel agent, they call RC and all my request are handled. They also look for the best prices for us using either Past Guest, 55+, Resident Rate or Military discount for my dad. I pick our cabins and receive confirmation with the cabin numbers and OBC listed. I never had the urge to change anything in the middle of the night.

 

But I recently booked our Alaska Cruise Tour directly with RC since my travel agent who is on the west coast was not open yet, I am on the east coast. I am up very early and had some questions, didn't want to wait so I called RC and while on the phone three aft cabins showed up so I grabbed them using RC rep and then later transferred the reservation to the "big box store" travel agent.

 

I never used one of those other on line travel agents.

[Retired LEO]

So true. Wish I was cursing right now and not shovelling snow.:(

 

Are you cursing at the snow? :D