How Did You Find A Good Travel Agent?

[Coral]

On 6/5/2023 at 2:42 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

In my experience there is a trade-off between two types of great agents:  those who are available 24/7 (or close to it) in emergencies and who give good advice but no discounts; and those who have ok responsiveness but give up to 10% rebates.  If only I knew in advance which trips would have problems, I could steer my bookings between the two!

I actually found one that does both!! I have used her for 27 years and she is getting up there in years. I can't see her willingly retiring (as she would be bored!!) but I realize she won't be doing this forever. I don't know what I will do when she does step down.

 

She is well versed in both river and ocean but my preferences are definitely different than hers. I prefer small and she likes big. Though she at least understands my preferences and helps that way as opposed to pushing her likes on me.

[Coral]

On 6/7/2023 at 11:06 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

I am also a thorough planner, so the most I get from my TA in that line is confirmation about new cruise lines.  But, when something goes wrong during the cruise, your TA is sitting at her desk with a phone and a computer and can bird-dog the issue for you while you continue with those best-laid plans.  [And even after the cruise, like the time I stupidly left my camera on a tour bus and it took months before all the necessary parties could get together on its return – my TA was working with the cruise line and the insurance company as an advocate, and her involvement produced a superior outcome.]  That's why I always use a TA, even if I start the booking with the cruise line directly.

I completely agree! I will always book with an agent. I even start with them unless they are away.

[1of4]

This topic is very interesting to me. Being based in Canada, the big US based agencies offer wonderful incentives but the exchange rate is a killer. I used to book ocean cruises with one person who came highly recommended by other cruisers and she would book in US or Canadian dollars but her follow up service was astonishing (read that as blistering emails to us because it was a Sunday and she deserved her day off but we were on a cruise and other fellow cruisers told me to reach out as we were getting off in less than 48 hours).

 

As a result I booked our first river cruise. But then booked our second with a national bricks and mortar agency…then covid. Now our booking has been transferred to an online agent, the bricks and mortar agency is now a wings restaurant, and my original agent is nowhere to be found. The virtual agent only responds to booking requests, no questions. I have to reach out to her to do anything, like booking flights or hotels. I’m not happy and would go back to doing it myself as convincing someone that I have a real question that needs attention is causing me too much stress.

[island lady]

14 hours ago, 1of4 said:

This topic is very interesting to me. Being based in Canada, the big US based agencies offer wonderful incentives but the exchange rate is a killer. I used to book ocean cruises with one person who came highly recommended by other cruisers and she would book in US or Canadian dollars but her follow up service was astonishing (read that as blistering emails to us because it was a Sunday and she deserved her day off but we were on a cruise and other fellow cruisers told me to reach out as we were getting off in less than 48 hours).

 

As a result I booked our first river cruise. But then booked our second with a national bricks and mortar agency…then covid. Now our booking has been transferred to an online agent, the bricks and mortar agency is now a wings restaurant, and my original agent is nowhere to be found. The virtual agent only responds to booking requests, no questions. I have to reach out to her to do anything, like booking flights or hotels. I’m not happy and would go back to doing it myself as convincing someone that I have a real question that needs attention is causing me too much stress.

 

Exactly the type of things I went through (and in my case worse) that I suffered due to the lack of service I went through with two different agents.  Sure I might miss out of some OBC or minor perks...but being my own agent puts me in direct control.  Worth it.  🙂 

[Daisi]

Like others, I am a planner. Long before I met my TA, I knew what line, cruise, excursions (both pre, post & during) I would go for. I sat down across from her on our first meeting and told her I was going to be the client from H**l. 🙂 She laughed, and once she knew how much I had looked into the trip, she let me go and just gave advice on what I had planned. Like Jazz, we don't go to the "normal" things when visiting towns, unless it's something we really wish to see. We look for a lot of out of the way things to do. I also usually have about 6 back up plans to do if something comes up and we can't do what we wished. I had questions on everything though, as we had several firsts. We hadn't taken a plane in over 20 years, had never taken a train, used public transit, or even done a river cruise. Through she was great for helping there, and a 2nd set of eyes when airline reservations came in with 2 letters in our name reversed. I missed it, but she caught it and it was an easy fix. When Covid hit, an easy e-mail to her office to rebook our cruise (not once but 3x) was all it took. She could do it when she had time, and could spend the time on the phone for her more urgent clients that were travelling sooner.

 

How did I find her? Avalon has a section on their website with recommend TA's. I chose the one closest to me in case I had to get to her quickly. Worked great and very happy with her.

[Roz]

I have 2 TAs - 1 for ocean cruises and 1 for river cruises.  My river cruise TA is with a full service agency, and she has put together some nice precruise packages for me in places like Budapest and Amsterdam.  

[LibertyBella]

How do I find a good travel agent?  

 

I don't--I find a decent agency that provides me with the extra benefits that are a nice bonus, but I depend on them for the minimum, and expect them to be available to do the dirty work like holding on the phone for hours with a cruise line if needed. 

 

I have spoken to many nice individuals working at cruise lines, but since I have been cruising for fifty years, many agents have come and gone, or sadly, passed away.

 

I think I expect/need less from a travel agent because a long time ago I WAS a travel agent--and I worked with so many terrific agents who trained me so well that the skills have served me for decades. (Yes, I was trained on the TWA flight computers back in the dark ages, then moved to AA SABRE)

 

It seems to me that since the Internet appeared and people moved to the do-it-yourself mode, travel agents lost prestige and professionalism, and many became simple hourly paid employees. (The same for the cruise agents.) There is a LOT to learn about the travel industry, and it can take years to fully understand all the areas and components, even for full-time agents.

 

There are so many cruisers on this website complaining all the time about issues that are frequently their own fault, because they do not understand all the intricacies and constant monitoring required to ensure a wonderful trip. There are many people who really need skilled travel agents, but they do not even know it!

 

I would say if you are serious about creating a long-term relationship with someone highly qualified, conduct an interview of an agency/agent--find out their experiences, their expertise, the agency specialties and services, etc., etc.. The most highly respected travel agents have certifications after their names, such as CTC.  See if there is a match with your personality and if you feel comfortable. You could even ask them if they have client references that they could share.

 

Cruises are usually a great money stream for most agencies, and they should be happy to work with you more or less free of charge.  

[Daisi]

8 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

 

 

It seems to me that since the Internet appeared and people moved to the do-it-yourself mode, travel agents lost prestige and professionalism, and many became simple hourly paid employees. (The same for the cruise agents.) There is a LOT to learn about the travel industry, and it can take years to fully understand all the areas and components, even for full-time agents.

 

There are so many cruisers on this website complaining all the time about issues that are frequently their own fault, because they do not understand all the intricacies and constant monitoring required to ensure a wonderful trip. There are many people who really need skilled travel agents, but they do not even know it!

 

I would say if you are serious about creating a long-term relationship with someone highly qualified, conduct an interview of an agency/agent--find out their experiences, their expertise, the agency specialties and services, etc., etc.. The most highly respected travel agents have certifications after their names, such as CTC.  See if there is a match with your personality and if you feel comfortable. You could even ask them if they have client references that they could share.

 

Cruises are usually a great money stream for most agencies, and they should be happy to work with you more or less free of charge.  

 

 

Great words. I had a friend who did their own, missed out on a simple error (Mr. instead of Mrs.) on a ticket and almost missed a flight for their sister's wedding. I know my agent caught a reversal of letters in one of our flight tickets booked through our cruise line, and had already taken care of it before I even noticed. I also value her experience as someone who flies frequently so she knows what airports aren't good for me (I have crowd issues) and also whether or not the transfer time is cutting it short. We deal well together, I'm a planner to the 9th degree - I'll have 6 back up plans on the go just in case - and she is more than happy to be there for me to toss ideas off of. We have been to places in our travels that are not normally visited, so she always asks me to report back so she knows if she should recommend other travelers to. As you say, the time I didn't have to sit on hold for however long while Covid hit and everyone was scrambling to re-organise made me realise just how valuable it is to go through a TA. A simple e-mail early in the morning so it's there for when she starts working, and she can get back to me when she can...and no panicking on my side because I'm not getting through.

 

 

[Low Country Sandlapper]

I am so glad I stumbled across this thread!  

I thought I was just unlucky.  I have been on 7 cruises in the past 10 years and have tried several different agents with different types of agencies. None has been great. (But luckily, none has been horrible, either.) None has provided the wonderful service that I see described from time to time in various posts on Cruise Critic.  It is nice to know that I am not alone in my experience.  

[Coral]

On 6/13/2023 at 9:20 AM, Roz said:

I have 2 TAs - 1 for ocean cruises and 1 for river cruises.  My river cruise TA is with a full service agency, and she has put together some nice precruise packages for me in places like Budapest and Amsterdam.  

I use the same agent for both. She specializes in cruises. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just a friendly reminder that Cruise Critic rules prohibit naming (or hinting at) travel agents and agencies.

[IMNiles]

As host Jazzbeau has said, this is a tricky question to answer without running afoul of the rules!  Nevertheless, I’ll give it a go.  As many others have said, nothing beats a referral, but absent that, here are a few criteria you might consider, assuming you’re not looking for a rebate/discount :

 

* Do you always deal with the same agent, and do they either answer or return calls/emails in a reasonable timeframe?

* If your “regular” agent isn’t available (agents are real people too who need to sleep and take vacations), is there someone else “minding the store” ?

*Is the agent associated with some larger organization (like one of the several large consortia) that can either provide some benefit leverage or a minimal expectation of competence?

 

And really the most important -

* Does the agent actually travel?  In my experience, the best agents are those that love to travel and have been to many of the places they sell.  As a corollary, does the agent like/do the particular _kind_ of travel you are considering? (River, ocean, land…).  Ask the agent what their favorite thing was about a line or destination - do they have an answer and does it resonate with you, or did you read the same thing on google?  Do you sense a passion for travel, or do you feel like they’re trying to close and move on?  

 

[Canal archive]

Walk out as soon as a potential TA says something like ‘oh I don’t think you can do that’ or ‘oh I didn’t know you could do that’ or when you realise that you’ve actually traveled more than your potential TA. It really is a case of finding someone you’re happy to work with as they’re potentially helping you spend a large wack of your hard earned cash! Good luck!