Travel agents in USA

[SANDAS]

Some time ago I read a thread which mentioned a class of travel agents who specialised in luxury cruises - not a specific agent as I know that that is not allowed - but a sort of 'super cruise agent' class. I have lost the details that I jotted down. Can anyone help me by telling me what this elite class of agents is called?

Thanks

[Nigella]

Hi uksu. I wonder if you mean Virtuoso? We heard a lot about them from US and Australian guests on our SS cruises. When we came back home we investigated and they weren't able to work with UK (or Europe) based clients. This was some time ago, possibly nearly 3 years ago, so things may now have changed.

If you find that they can now work with us on this side of the pond, will you please update the thread to let us know?

[Nigella]

Well the good news is that I've just gone onto their website and can access it in full now. When I tried a couple a years ago it wouldn't allow me to access anything but the home page, so it does look as if they work with those of us in Europe.

 

uksu, let us know how you get on.

[SANDAS]

Thanks. I shall.

[patnlcc]

I've read mixed reviews. Maybe others can comment.

[duct tape]

We have had a Virtuoso agent for many years. He is a jewel and a magician. I highly recommend them. Hope this statement is allowed.

[Herman The Cat]

Virtuoso is a network of travel agents. Agencies of a certain caliber/character with perhaps certain standards can affiliate with a given network. Another is Signature Travel Network.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Herman The Cat

[SANDAS]

Thanks. I have contacted someone from each group and for the benefit of other non US cruisers will let you know the results.

[Nigella]

Thanks. I have contacted someone from each group and for the benefit of other non US cruisers will let you know the results.

 

Thanks uksu, will be interesting to know how you get on.

At the moment we're very happy with our UK TA but it's always good to shop around when costing a cruise and compare prices and benefits offered.

[Seafairer]

A useful benefit to working with an agent who is a member of one of the big travel consortiums (Signature, Virtuoso, etc.) is that these groups have a great deal of clout in the industry, so your agent can provide benefits such as onboard spending credits and nice hotel upgrades that might not be available to you otherwise. Glad you're looking into this!

 

Also, Silversea's website has a section where they list agents who do a lot of business with them, both cruise specialists and experienced generalists. It can be a good place to start. It's always a good idea to speak to several people, give them an idea of your travel history, preferences, budget, and see what they recommend, see who best hears what you're saying. And ask what kinds of 'extras' you might expect. A good travel agent can be enormously helpful, even for experienced travelers, and particularly so when planning a cruise.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Seafairer

[SANDAS]

Thanks Seafairer,

 

Our UK TA is pretty good but I have often noticed that the dollar price for cruises is lower than the UK price especially when the exchange rate is favourable. The problem lies more with the air arrangements which can negate any savings because we can't opt into special packages from the UK and, also, there is a risk of not being covered if the flights are arranged independently. Any way, I am doing a lot of checking out. I contacted an agent from each group a couple of days ago but one has not even acknowledged my enquiry yet and the other is at a Trade Fare! Not a promising start.

[rl787]

Hi Su, I am also in the UK but I have used the same US agent for years. I use what I call a Discount Bucket Shop, but I am lucky that the same representative looks after me very well every time. I find that their discounted prices are very low and I also get some OBC's as a regular customer.

I pay with a commission free UK credit card and I therefore get the US cancellation policy terms. I also feel that Dollar pricing is generally about 15% lower than UK pricing, I have never been able to figure out why. I personally prefer to make all my own air and hotel arrangements as I like to do a couple of days pre and post cruise in the starter and end cities.

We are all different but I actually enjoy doing the research myself and I also had to cancel a cruise due to illness. When I needed help from the agent he assisted me considerably with my insurance claim, this was actually my first booking so he did not know I was a regular cruiser. The point I am making is that not all Discount Agents give Ryanair service.

It may be worth your while getting a quote also from one of the many discounters to see if the savings are worth it to you.

I am interested in your conclusions for future reference myself.