Which is better... book thru cruise line or use a travel agent?

[stquentin]

I have booked my cruises directly thru the cruise line and travel agent. I just don't know which is best.

[Hlitner]

"Better" is probably not the right word.  There are "options" that have their pros can cons.  IMHO, if money matters to the customer, there are advantages to using a reputable high volume cruise agency.  Some of those agencies routinely offer various perks, such as On Board Credits (OBCs), pre-paid gratuities, etc. that you will not get by booking directly with most cruise lines.  The perks can effectively reduce the price/cost of you cruise by 7-10%.

 

We have long suggested shopping around among multiple high volume reputable agencies, reading their terms, and even calling some of these agencies to speak with their agents about their services.  Since any savings are generally based on a percentage of the cruise price, those booking longer more expensive cruises can save big bucks.  On some of our longer cruises we have saved thousands of dollars by simply choosing the right agency.

 

The rules here on Cruise Critic do not allow us to recommend specific agencies.

 

Hank

 

 

[Host Kat]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

... The rules here on Cruise Critic do not allow us to recommend specific agencies.

 

You are correct. Or even HINT at names or agencies with cryptic posts!

 

In case someone needs to be reminded, from the Guidelines we all agreed to follow when registering for our free Cruise Critic memberships:

Travel Agent Recommendations

 

6 hours ago, stquentin said:

I have booked my cruises directly thru the cruise line and travel agent. I just don't know which is best.

 

Here are some oldie but goody Cruise Critic articles that may be helpful:

Cruise Travel Agent vs. Online Booking

Finding a Cruise Travel Agent

 

Don’t be bashful about signing up for multiple email lists from various travel agents or agencies. You can designate them to filter into a specific folder to avoid inbox clutter until you need them, or even set up a cruise planning specific email address. And don’t forget to check Cruise Critic's Deals and sign up for those in your inbox as well.

[John Bull]

I'd always recommend a cruise specialist T/A for a newbie.

They can provide so much useful info, some of it very important such as this ship is great for kids, that one is a party ship popular with young adults, that one is quieter and more relaxed and has a much older clientele. Pros & cons of cabin choices, meal options, and a thousand other things.

 

JB 🙂

[lenquixote66]

We used a TA who gave out gifts for each cruise booked.The first cruise was a shopping bag .Each cruise booked the gift was better.For the 5th.we got a pair of binoculars.For the 7th a good quality carryon.

[sanger727]

There is no best. Seeing as how you have tried both ways, surely you have figured out which you prefer. TA's may get better pricing and may give you extras like pre-paid gratuities or an extra specialty dinner. And if you have a good TA, that by itself can really help with planning, information, and any cruise changes. However, if you end up with a bad TA you may struggle to get any information or pricing changes since the cruise line will no longer work with you. It really comes down to the quality of TA you are working with.

Edited November 14, 2023 by sanger727

[Mum2Mercury]

People say you can get lower prices by booking with a travel agent.  I've compared, and I haven't found this to be true -- but I don't doubt the many people who say it.  I think I'm not finding savings because I only sail in the fall, which is already the cheapest time of year.  

 

Since I don't seem to be able to save, I prefer to book directly with the cruise line.  I like having control of my reservation /not needing to go through someone else.

[sanger727]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

People say you can get lower prices by booking with a travel agent.  I've compared, and I haven't found this to be true -- but I don't doubt the many people who say it.  I think I'm not finding savings because I only sail in the fall, which is already the cheapest time of year.  

 

Since I don't seem to be able to save, I prefer to book directly with the cruise line.  I like having control of my reservation /not needing to go through someone else.

 

I've found this to be true only one certain cruise lines. I've never seen a TA fare lower than the cruise line fare on Carnival or NCL. I have seen them on Celebrity and Avalon. I think some cruise lines don't allow TA's to advertise lower fares but the TA can always kick back a portion of their commission in OBC or gifts. 

[capriccio]

14 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

I think some cruise lines don't allow TA's to advertise lower fares but the TA can always kick back a portion of their commission in OBC or gifts. 

This is what Princess allows.  My TA has given us 7 to 12% discounts plus OBCs if the agency has group bookings on the cruise.

[MCC retired]

Most cruise lines do not allow TA’s to Advertise their lower rates.

You must actually contact them to get those discounted rates.

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

People say you can get lower prices by booking with a travel agent.  I've compared, and I haven't found this to be true -- but I don't doubt the many people who say it.  I think I'm not finding savings because I only sail in the fall, which is already the cheapest time of year.  

 

Since I don't seem to be able to save, I prefer to book directly with the cruise line.  I like having control of my reservation /not needing to go through someone else.

I think your terminology is flawed.  Most of us do not say we get lower prices (that would generally mean the cruise price) but we do say that we get significant discounts in terms of generous on board credits (often refundable), pre paid gratuities, etc.  I will give you an example in concrete terms.  A couple of months ago we took a month-long cruise on a luxury cruise line.  We booked through one of our two favored cruise agencies and paid the exact same price that anyone would have paid if they had booked through the cruise line.  But because we booked through an agency, we received $1900 back.  We could have had that as an onboard credit or a post cruise rebate..and took the rebate (cash).   On another (Sept) luxury cruise line we got several thousand dollars in on board credits ($1200 was later refunded to bank account as a rebate).  This would not happen when booking directly with the cruise lines.

 

Next month we have a 2 week cruise on a mass market cruise line.  We paid the normal price which is what any of us would have paid if we had booked direct with the cruise line.  The difference is that the cruise agency gave us $450 (about 6% of the cruise price) in refundable on board credit.  On another luxury cruise we booked for 2024, a different cruise agency is giving us over $2000 in refundable on board credits (that means spend it onboard or take the cash).

 

Another issue for us is that we book many different cruise lines.  We can do all that with a single cruise agent/agency (although we prefer to split our business among two).  If we have any issues we simply sent a quick e-mail to our cruise agent and the issue is handled.  

 

One of our favorite cruise agencies actually posts multiple prices for the same cruise/cabin.  One price might include a generous onboard credit and some other perks while another much lower price might include a very small OBC.  There are lots of options out there for those who shop around which is why we like to say that folks can often save 7-10%.  But this does not mean that the cruise "price" will be 7-10% less.

 

That is simply the way things are and have been for many years.  For those booking the lowest cost cabins on the shorter mass market cruises, the savings (from shopping around) will generally not amount to a lot of money.  As one spends more for their cruises (i.e. longer voyages,  more expensive cabins, more expensive luxury lines, etc) the overall savings can be quite dramatic.

 

Hank

 

 

Hank

[simplelife]

If it's a simple cruise - drive to port. just us or another couple with us - I just book though the website, For something more complicated -fly to port, need transfers, larger group.I tend to use a travel agent.

[Mary229]

 It can go both ways.  I have met new cruisers who used a travel agent who simply put them on whatever was being promoted with no consideration as to best fit.  But a good agent will take enough time to listen to your preferences, suggest a suitable sailing and help you avoid pitfalls.

 

 I booked my own business travel for 30 years but for leisure I  always used an agent and continue to use that agent as it is my leisure time and I find the ultimate luxury is not having to think about all of the incidentals and gotchas that exist in cruise contracts 

[FlockStar]

I have you only booked through the cruise website, but say you went through a TA. And drinks, tips, etc wasn’t included or ship shore excursions. Would you end up booking that through the TA or on the website yourself?

[Mary229]

46 minutes ago, FlockStar said:

I have you only booked through the cruise website, but say you went through a TA. And drinks, tips, etc wasn’t included or ship shore excursions. Would you end up booking that through the TA or on the website yourself?

That is not what happens.  With a TA you should never be paying more than the advertised price 

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, FlockStar said:

I have you only booked through the cruise website, but say you went through a TA. And drinks, tips, etc wasn’t included or ship shore excursions. Would you end up booking that through the TA or on the website yourself?

Anything that can be booked on the cruiseline's website, drinks,shore excursions etc, you can book on the website even if you used a TA to book the cruise. You do need to go through the TA for payments, cabin changes and price changes.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Sea42 said:

Anything that can be booked on the cruiseline's website, drinks,shore excursions etc, you can book on the website even if you used a TA to book the cruise. You do need to go through the TA for payments, cabin changes and price changes.

Yes, there is a myth that if you book through a TA, the cruise lines will not talk to you and everything from then on must go through the TA.

[Toofarfromthesea]

17 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Yes, there is a myth that if you book through a TA, the cruise lines will not talk to you and everything from then on must go through the TA.

 

And there is a certain element that insists on booking through the cruise line and then complains about the difficulty of dealing with the cruise line.

[SPacificbound]

"Better" is not a word I would use with the subject, to me it is purely customer choice.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

And there is a certain element that insists on booking through the cruise line and then complains about the difficulty of dealing with the cruise line.

And at the same time, they proudly say they have "retained control of their booking".