Advice: Cunard Direct vs TA

[tlc1972]

Seeking advice on whether to book directly with Cunard or use a TA more familiar with the line. 

I'm looking at a sailing this summer with two friends, so we would need three staterooms (one couple, two sailing solo) and ideally close to one another. I can only select guaranteed staterooms online, so thinking either a TA or Cunard direct might be able to assist. 

And are there TAs out there that specialize in Cunard? Have only found one TA in my online research that claims to be a specialist, but feels like there should be more. 

Any and all advice is appreciated. And thank you in advance. 

PS: Did search forums, so apologies if this topic is buried somewhere I wasn't able to find it here. 

[shippmates]

I would check with several local travel agents to see what specials they have.  They may have some group spaces on hold.  They will be able to find you 3 cabins in the same vicinity and would be able to cross reference your booking numbers so you would have the same dining time at the same table.  You will enjoy your sailings on Cunard.

[Victoria2]

Speaking as a UK resident, I wouldn’t dream of booking direct and having been lucky enough to find one of the best cruise agents in the country, we always book with him.

 

There are loads of agents who will be able to book cruises and will do so with no problem and might even offer an extra slight discount, but I have often said, it’s when the chips are down that a great agent shows his/ her stripes.

[Zeg]

We’ve done both, Direct and TA.

I’m still trying to work out what benefit there is of using a TA (apart from maybe a nominal, like £5/10 difference in price. 
 

So what does a TA add to the experience? In my limited experience, very little - because the main drawback is that everything has to be conducted through them - the second party. 

 

Contact the cruise line direct and you’re often met with the response “ask your TA, we can’t deal with you direct”. Everything has to be done through them.

 

Another big drawback is shareholder perks. Because a TA gets a different rate, I’ve been met with the response that discounted (discounted? Yea right!) means you don’t qualify. 
 

I can appreciate many are nervous and feel that it’s important to have someone hold their hand.  Maybe I’ll reach that point where that becomes important. Who knows?
 

Look forward to seeing some REAL benefits of using a TA from other cruisers. 
 

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, Zeg said:

We’ve done both, Direct and TA.

I’m still trying to work out what benefit there is of using a TA (apart from maybe a nominal, like £5/10 difference in price. 
 

So what does a TA add to the experience? In my limited experience, very little - because the main drawback is that everything has to be conducted through them - the second party. 

 

Contact the cruise line direct and you’re often met with the response “ask your TA, we can’t deal with you direct”. Everything has to be done through them.

 

Another big drawback is shareholder perks. Because a TA gets a different rate, I’ve been met with the response that discounted (discounted? Yea right!) means you don’t qualify. 
 

I can appreciate many are nervous and feel that it’s important to have someone hold their hand.  Maybe I’ll reach that point where that becomes important. Who knows?
 

Look forward to seeing some REAL benefits of using a TA from other cruisers. 
 

Wait till something goes wrong, and you have to spend your time on the phone getting it sorted. If you have a TA, they deal with the tediousness and fight your corner, while you do more interesting things. But there is no need to be patronising to those who do want that service.

[foodsvcmgr]

I prefer direct booking, be it online, onboard ship, or last resort by phone.

Am willing to forgo any extra OBC from US agents to control my own affairs start to finish.

Admittedly I’ve been cruising and traveling worldwide for the past 45 years so I realize I may have a comfort level making reservations that others don’t.

If you choose to use an agent, find one that is a cruise specialist in general and has a relationship with Cunard in particular.

 

[NE John]

I’ve used both and so far had a great experience calling Cunard directly with deals via my email. I used a TA on my first Cunard voyage in 2008 and on this past summer (to help with UK hotels) but other times booked directly. 
The first TA was very helpful in picking a great cabin location and prepping me for Cunard (higher dress code back then). 
However, unless a TA has travelled on Cunard and has first hand experience onboard Cunard, I wouldn’t bother with a TA.  Don’t be afraid to ask, it’s your hard earned money at stake. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by NE John

[Victoria2]

It has nothing to do with 'nervous,  Zeg I have no intention of listing the occasions when our agent has negotiated with Cunard on our behalf, or how he helped  non clients [some of whom became clients] when Covid cancellations became apparent and has nothing to do with needing hand holding [patronising comments not needed] or needing any sort of comfort foodsvcmgr when booking especially when one is used to travelling the world over the past four decades.

 

All our cruises are booked within a minute/s of the itineraries going live. Cabins we specify  and when travelling on World cruise segments, our flight arrangements to our specification and bundled all together with the cruise.

 

Utilising a cruise agent is an extra level of travel insurance as far as we are concerned and as with all insurance, you never know you need it until you do.

edit

Sadly I can't name our agent on this site but everyone I have recommended him to, has become a client of his.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Victoria2

[D&N]

I think you need to differentiate between travel agents and really good specialist cruise agents.

25 years ago direct booking wasn't like it is now and specialist agents might compete to give 11% discounts and other perks.

If you use an agent simply to save a few £s $s €s, I'd say don't bother, book direct.

 

If you can find an agent who has a relationship with Cunard and other cruise lines; that you have spoken to at length on the phone; who always responds to non urgent comments unrelated to a booking you send them by email within a couple of days, even when you've noted no response needed appreciating they are busy with other clients; who always responds within hours to emails that are relevant to a booking; who you can follow on social media and you can see what they do when cruising and what their family/team get up to; who responds to comments you make to them on social media; who friends and acquaintances use for the same reason.

Their/team's CVs can be reassuring too.

 

Then you've probably found an agent worth sticking with.

[D&N]

For those in the US; bitob's agent seems like a safe bet.

Follow the submerged luggage thread from a few months back to appreciate what I mean.

[NE John]

11 minutes ago, D&N said:

For those in the US; bitob's agent seems like a safe bet.

Follow the submerged luggage thread from a few months back to appreciate what I mean.

His TA had extensive experience dealing with Cunard and that is the key, as you mentioned. Sounded like a true advocate for his/her travel clients. 

[Victoria2]

47 minutes ago, Zeg said:

We’ve done both, Direct and TA.

I’m still trying to work out what benefit there is of using a TA (apart from maybe a nominal, like £5/10 difference in price. We don't look for 'discounts', we look for service when it's needed.
 

So what does a TA add to the experience? In my limited experience, very little - because the main drawback is that everything has to be conducted through them - the second party.

Saves hanging on the phone to Cunard and our agent sorts issues out very quickly.

 

Another big drawback is shareholder perks. Because a TA gets a different rate, I’ve been met with the response that discounted (discounted? Yea right!) means you don’t qualify. 

Don't know which agent you use but no  problem with shareholder benefits when booking with our cruise agent.
 

I can appreciate many are nervous and feel that it’s important to have someone hold their hand. Already mentioned patronising comments not needed. Maybe I’ll reach that point where that becomes important. Who knows?
 

Look forward to seeing some REAL benefits of using a TA from other cruisers. 
 

 

[D&N]

@tlc1972

I've just realised that I have a specific comment on your main question.

 

Our travel agent would be able to deal with that because in September they contacted the team responsible for those matters to get us the cabin we wanted, which was not being offered for the trip we wanted to book.

 

There must be US based agents that can do likewise.

--------------------------------------------------------

It was Victoria's response to the patronising comment that reminded me. 🙂 Not sure why.

 

I'm a recently retired public transport professional and have no problems with online booking systems and planning detailed itineraries. I don't need any hand holding. What I do need is someone who knows someone when a company doesn't use a half decent system for allocating their cabins to multiple itineraries at the same time. But I do need someone to hold my hand if I'm mid Atlantic and something goes wrong and they need to modify other parts of my itinerary or contact Cunard on my behalf.

 

I know from a friend's experience that if it was a publicly reported event or simply something my agent became aware of that deviated from the itinerary, that they would proactively deal with the problem. I probably wouldn't need to contact them.

[david63]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Speaking as a UK resident, I wouldn’t dream of booking direct

Also as a UK resident I wouldn't dream of using a TA. The last time I used a TA they went bust just after I had paid the final balance and although the cruise line took over the booking it was a level of stress that I do not want repeating.

 

For me I will always book direct with whoever/wherever I am travelling.

[Pushpit]

I am a direct book person, I've got control-freak overtones so I'd rather sort out my own details, including flights and hotel. But there isn't actually a right or wrong answer here, there are good arguments on both sides for this.

 

Going back to the question as posed, if it was purely to get staterooms next or near to each other, and so long as you were not too fussy about this, then calling up Cunard should get you an agent with the skills to find a solution for you fairly quickly.  They can navigate you around the bulkheads and come up with suggestions that may be less than obvious (such as on QM2 deck 4 port side around 4116 plus the ocean views right below the stairs nearby). The website is a bit clunky for seeing what is available, it's sometimes easier to use the agent for Spain https://www.cunardcruceros.com/ in conjunction with the PDF plans for the vessel concerned.

 

If there were other complications - must have features, unusual connecting travel, splitting the bill - then that's where a TA would earn their spurs. There are quite a few specialists out there, it's just you won't find them mentioned on Cruise Critic.

[Zeg]

Some interesting and informative replies. Thank you. 
 

Still curious to learn what a ‘TA’ s good relationship’ with a cruise line actually means in practice. Are we talking about a preferred service? If so isn’t that discriminatory?  Or maybe some backscratching? Complimentary jollies, freebies? 

 

Perhaps cruise lines answer the phone or respond to emails quicker with TA’s?  Maybe you get a better cabin? I don’t know. 

 

What I do know is (in the U.K.) at least, many TA’s require larger deposits and earlier balance payments than booking direct. And cancellation T&C’s require careful scrutiny too because the booking contract is with the TA, not the cruise line. 

 

Doesn’t the ‘service’, we all receive (or otherwise) come from the cruise line itself? Surely the Agent is merely acting as a go between and in doing so taking a cut, which incidentally is fair enough. 

 

I’d be surprised if any cruise line would jeopardise its reputation by providing a two tier service, but I’ve been surprised before. 
 

I’ve an open mind, just curious. I’d book with a TA every time if I could uncover some real and personal tangible benefits. 

 

 

 

[Underwatr]

As a US resident* I've found a low-cost travel agent (not really an agent I'd go to for advice about a line) who discounts a Cunard fare via a rebate of a portion of their commission. On my most recent booking his fare was several hundred dollars below the list fare (about 9% of the all-in fare with fees and taxes).
I may be a little unique in that, particularly for Cunard I don't need much help from a TA (although he's also helped out greatly when things have gone wrong) so the savings has been worth it.

[Zeg]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Wait till something goes wrong, and you have to spend your time on the phone getting it sorted. If you have a TA, they deal with the tediousness and fight your corner, while you do more interesting things. But there is no need to be patronising to those who do want that service.

May I please know what you have in mind?  Thanks. 

[Zeg]

2 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

As a US resident* I've found a low-cost travel agent (not really an agent I'd go to for advice about a line) who discounts a Cunard fare via a rebate of a portion of their commission. On my most recent booking his fare was several hundred dollars below the list fare (about 9% of the all-in fare with fees and taxes).
I may be a little unique in that, particularly for Cunard I don't need much help from a TA (although he's also helped out greatly when things have gone wrong) so the savings has been worth it.

Now that IS a benefit. 👏

[Underwatr]

7 minutes ago, Zeg said:

Doesn’t the ‘service’, we all receive (or otherwise) come from the cruise line itself? Surely the Agent is merely acting as a go between and in doing so taking a cut, which incidentally is fair enough. 

Some agents may claim to provide better service such as periodically looking for fare reductions and proactively alerting you or rebooking for the savings.
If you need to make any adjustments to your booking and have use an agent that agent must be the one to contact the line. Possibly a travel agent acting on your behalf may be easier for you to contact than a reservation person with the cruise line.

[Zeg]

Just now, Underwatr said:

Some agents may claim to provide better service such as periodically looking for fare reductions and proactively alerting you or rebooking for the savings.
If you need to make any adjustments to your booking and have use an agent that agent must be the one to contact the line. Possibly a travel agent acting on your behalf may be easier for you to contact than a reservation person with the cruise line.

A excellent reason.  Sadly rebooking and taking advantage of subsequent fare reductions doesn’t apply in U.K.   

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

I’m with pushpit: way too much of a control freak to let an agent get between me and my details. Tried it once. Didn’t like it.

[Victoria2]

No one is more a control freak than I as far as holiday arrangements are concerned. I want and need everything to be to our dictate. I also want a professional in our corner  who replies to emails if not immediately, within an hour or two and not days. No hanging around on the phone listening to musak. If I leave a voicemail message, I know it will be picked up and the call returned asap.

 

If flying, we choose the dates of travel, the airline and our seat numbers on the plane. We also choose the specific cabin on the ship, the [cheapest] hotel which comes with a Cunard booking and anything else left to choose and our agent bundles it all up, does the legwork and books it. The only thing we do ourselves is to ditch whatever hotel we have included in a Cunard package [following UK package guides] and book our own hotel and room, again, control freak'ness at work.

 

When Covid cancelled around seven of our booked cruises, I read about all the hassle folk were having in getting their money back when their agents were dragging their heels. We got ours back as soon as Cunard released it because we don't pay our agent, we pay Cunard through our agent. Subtle difference.

 

When there are only a couple of cabins we want to book, and those cabins are very popular on certain itineraries, an agent who can get through to Cunard booking the second [ish]  bookings go live and grab one of two cabins in the category we want, is worth their weight in gold and diamonds because no cabin, no cruise.

 

So for those who say it's far better to book direct, my reply would be, they haven't found their own Cruise Agent Angel. We have.

[Victoria2]

When Covid cancelled around seven of our booked cruises, I read about all the hassle folk were having in getting their money back when their agents were dragging their heels. We got ours back as soon as Cunard released it because we don't pay our agent, we pay Cunard through our agent. Subtle difference.

correction

We could have got ours back but let the deposits roll on against future bookings and chose to take the added Cunard percentage.

[david63]

24 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

but let the deposits roll on against future bookings and chose to take the added Cunard percentage.

But isn't that what happened anyway as the default option? So no need for an agent to get involved.