2024 - Pros & Cons Of Using A Travel Agent (Princess)

[thanosmano]

Just thought I would make an updated thread to discuss the pros (and cons) of using a travel agent to book your cruise. Of course, I am not here for you to do the work for me, I have done my due diligence so I will list the pros I found and hopefully other members can help contribute to points I am missing. The longer the list the better right?!
 

PROS

• No-cost for their services. TAs are rewarded by cruise lines, you do not pay out of pocket for their services.
• No direct contact with Princess, no waiting on hold, no escalating your case, no waiting for someone to get back to you, no contracted Phoenix based (no offense Arizonians) call centers. Your TA will be responsible for tracking down any refunds, post-cruise folio discrepancies, pre-cruise changes, etc.
• Courtesy OBC (On-Board Credit), I believe this is given to most cruisers as gesture from their TA, non-escorted trips of course.
• TAs are well-versed with the latest promotions and can sometimes mix and match which has more value (the promo currently on the front page or the one that has removed from the front page but is still active)
• Price adjustments; a responsible TA will keep track of your cruise fare to make sure they adjust prices if your fare ever goes down.
  CONS
• Not all TAs are created equal, there has been nightmare stories of unresponsive TAs. On a tangent you also have Princess Cruise Vacation Planners (In-house Princess employees) BUT be wary of "Princess Promotions" (a third-party agency that sells cruises, often borderline deceptive because they are not obligated to identify themselves as such if they are not asked)
  
  
  🙂 That is all I have gathered so far, please feel free to add to the list!
  
  (I made this post because I recently boasted to my neighbors how great cruising is and how they should seek a travel agent to book their first one. They asked how come and off the top of my head this is all I could think of)
  
   

Edited April 17 by thanosmano

[ldubs]

Courtesy OBC:  While I think it very common for many, it would be unusual for us to receive an OBC from our TA.  We always receive a considerably lower cruise fare from our TA.    

 

Price Adjustments:  Our TA does not automatically track price reductions on our behalf for the same cabin category. We track them and if they happen we notify the TA so the change can be made.  Our TA has provided us with cabin upgrade opportunities.  

 

Something often listed as a "con" is staying in control of the booking.   Unless I am missing something, other than talking to a TA instead of Princess, there is no real difference, IMO.  

[thanosmano]

46 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Courtesy OBC:  While I think it very common for many, it would be unusual for us to receive an OBC from our TA.  We always receive a considerably lower cruise fare from our TA.    

 

Price Adjustments:  Our TA does not automatically track price reductions on our behalf for the same cabin category. We track them and if they happen we notify the TA so the change can be made.  Our TA has provided us with cabin upgrade opportunities.  

 

Something often listed as a "con" is staying in control of the booking.   Unless I am missing something, other than talking to a TA instead of Princess, there is no real difference, IMO.  

Very insightful! So, for example, today's 35% passenger 3+4 free promo, your TA would apply that and also provide an even cheaper fare on top of it? With my TA, if I booked that promo today I would also get the courtesy OBC on top of it

 

Edited April 17 by thanosmano

[ldubs]

4 minutes ago, thanosmano said:

Very insightful! So, for example, today's 35% passenger 3+4 free promo, your TA would apply that and also provide an even cheaper fare on top of it?
 

 

 

I cannot say with certainty for the promo you mention without actually checking both cabin categories on both web sites. But yes, I would expect so for two passengers.  For 4 in a cabin I honestly don't know. 

 

What I can say is when we compare for the cabins we want, we get a lower fare through our TA.  We have booked outside and balcony cabins (and one mini suite) with this TA.   

[capriccio]

We are frequent Princess cruisers and our TA always gives a 7 to 12% fare reduction and if she has a block of cabins on the cruise she throws in a modest OBC (between $60 - $80).  On two other lines she didn't reduce the fare but did provide a healthy rebate following the cruise and some OBC.

 

If considering using a TA to book a Princess cruise, realize that they are not allowed to advertise their lower fares.  Instead you must inquire (phone, online, in person) for a rate quote. 

[jsn55]

I'm very happy with my cruise-expert TA.  She is more meticulous than I am, and together we come up with the best booking.  I do all the initial research, so I know what I want.  She's instantly responsive and she pays close attention to every detail.  She never hesitates to make suggestions or offer her expert opinion.  It's her close attention to detail that I admire ... I never have to worry about anything, because she's on it before I am.  I just finished a Grand France cruise with Avalon from Provence to Normandy with serious water-level issues ... it was better than I could have imagined.  

[XBGuy]

One thing that might be added to the "Pro" side is that some travel agents will monitor pricing on their clients' cruises.  If there is a fare reduction prior to final payment, they will go ahead and refare their client automatically.  Then, they will advise the client that they have just saved them $X.  (My coffee shop buddy's travel agent regularly does this for him.)  While some may be uncomfortable with a third party independently taking this action, a variation would be if the travel agent just advised a client of a drop in fare and asked if the client wanted to refare.

 

On the "Con" side I would insert this.  Using a travel agent adds another moving part to the mechanism.  This can add to failures where the travel agent misunderstands the client, or the travel agent misunderstands something about the terms of the cruise pricing.  There is also always the possibility that a travel agent can miss a message (voice mail or email) from a client.  Travel agents are entitled to take vacations, too, and it is entirely possible that the backup coverage arrangement can fail.  Similarly, the travel agent can agree to verbal instructions from the client, and fail to follow through.  Many of these problems are not time critical, and the cruiser can follow-up if he/she does not see action on his/her request.  However, one of the reasons to engage a travel agent is to not have to worry about the details.  Also, I have read one report here on Cruise Critic where a travel agent failed to make a final payment in time even though the poster had paid the travel agent.  Yes, the poster's cruise was cancelled.  

[donaldsc]

Seems like we have had this discussion many times on CC.  I would suggest that the OP should review the previous posts to see if they can add something new to the subject before they continue this thread.  Most of the threads seem to cover almost everything that can be said on the subject.

 

DON

Edited April 19 by donaldsc

[thanosmano]

Hi Don, please refer my first paragraph prefacing that I was trying to make a 2024 thread because often times the cruise lines and the associated travel agencies change their benefits. I also did compile this list by reviewing what was previously known between serial cruisers and this thread was meant to add to what has never been discussed before.

 

I personally have a TA and I just thought an updated thread would be a useful resource for future cruisers or for cruisers to compare what benefits other TAs offer that their current TA does not.

Edited April 19 by thanosmano

[jsn55]

An updated thread is always a good idea with subjects like 'yay or nay' on a travel agent.  Not sure why anyone would object to it, especially since it does refer to old thread(s) so peeps can dig back in if they wish.

[clo]

On 4/19/2024 at 3:10 PM, thanosmano said:

Hi Don, please refer my first paragraph prefacing that I was trying to make a 2024 thread because often times the cruise lines and the associated travel agencies change their benefits. I also did compile this list by reviewing what was previously known between serial cruisers and this thread was meant to add to what has never been discussed before.

 

I personally have a TA and I just thought an updated thread would be a useful resource for future cruisers or for cruisers to compare what benefits other TAs offer that their current TA does not.

And I agree. Plus searching isn't necessarily the easiest thing to do.