Book with Celebrity or use a Travel Agent

[Iamcruzin]

On 9/14/2024 at 11:40 AM, KiRiMi said:

Hi,  we are looking at several cruise options on Celebrity in the next few months.  We haven’t sailed on Celebrity for a few years.  What are your experiences/ recommendations with using a travel agent vs. booking directly with Celebrity?  TIA

By now you must have read endless replies on how a TA can give you fabulous discounts and how they go to bat for you in a crises. Since we can't discuss travel agents on this site it's a moot point.  In the 30 plus years of booking a cruise my worst experiences have been with travel agents. Even during the days of going to a physical building to book. One agent didn't even call me to make final payment. The online agents are just order takers and really aren't full service. They may offer a small $50 to $100 OBC but to me it's not worth giving up control of my booking.  When I was working I worked odd hours and would often see a discount at 2am. I would call the cruise line myself since they are available 24hrs and get the price adjustment. They answer the phone pretty fast in the middle of the night. I have also called during Eastern Standard time business hours and never had a long wait. I always find the cruise line agents very helpful even if they are sourced out. 

[Ellaleah]

I booked my most recent cruise very far out with Celebrity and did not transfer it to a TA for one reason.  I booked 4 inside cabins for 4 individuals knowing that at least 1 wanted a veranda  and would probably take advantage of the “Move Up” as our cruise grows closer.  After having booked a previous Celebrity and transferring it to a TA, I found out that you could not take advantage of the “Move Up” with my particular TA.

[peanut head]

I have tried, repeatedly, over the years to find a TA who was reliable and trustworthy but have come up with a big bag of nothing.  All those I have contacted have not returned calls, were not knowledgeable to my needs and just, plain didn't seem to care.  I am amazed at how many have  a good relationship with a TA.  I have gone to expos and checked out YouTube videos thinking I might find a good one there.  I have also contacted luxury TA sites and local companies that claim to specialize in cruises.  Since CC doesn't permit names to be mentioned, I am at a loss.  I have very few friends in my area who travel the way I do.

 

I have found it, in the long run, to be less stressful if I call Celebrity directly after researching what I like, or meeting with Future Cruises while on board.  I then transfer to the Big Box Store (Costco) where I will get a very generous shop card credit.  Occasionally, there will be a group OBC offered, as well.

 

In closing, I would love to have a great TA (not just a good one) who can do all of this for me but, at this point I am jaded as to the past experiences I have had.

[Cruise a holic]

We booked a couple of cruises with a TA   She really wasn't good and has soured us for TA's.  First, we were in a suite and know she got a hefty commission.  Gave us no additional perks!  So I now like to book when on a cruise- We get OBC and a lower deposit.  

[Jeremiah1212]

I’ve said it a million times, but there are two paths.
 

1. You choose a big high volume TA that has group rates that save you a boatload. No need to watch for price drops, book and rebook drink packages to save a few dollars, etc. You should be aiming for a sizable discount on the cruise rate, refundable deposit, classic drinks and roughly 10% OBC. A decent baseline measure would be all of that for less than the NRD cruise only rate Celebrity is offering. Typically you want to book at least 10 months out to get the best deal.  

 

2. You choose a small/local/side gig TA that can toss in marginal benefits but may or may not be able to offer personal expertise.

 

If you need to personally call someone to answer every question on your mind, the big TA’s are not for you. They take your booking, you take your savings and you are done. If you need a LOT of attention and every detail planned for you, you may be better off spending a little money to pay for someone’s service to play that role.   

[bikerunner]

Reason I use a TA.  I inquired about a 14 day TA on the Equinox yesterday that leaves 4.19.25

 

I got pricing for 2 room types.....Reg Balcony will be getting concierge today

Pricing is for Classic Drink and Wifi......The TA is also giving 100 obc Rate is for dbl occupancy refundable deposti

                             TA                           Celebrity

Reg Balcony     3312.52                        5080.08

Aqua                5315.52                         7750.08

 

Never any issues with the TA, easily reachable, and these rates are cheaper than the room only for this cruise.  It is not a big box one, Yes like above what Jeremiah said, does take some work at times finding one that works for you.  

[TeeRick]

I know this is a long-standing policy, but can anybody state a good reason why Cruise Critic will not allow the mention and discussion of good cruise TA's?  Maybe have a pinned topic that CC members can contribute to?  Who would that harm?  Hopefully this post will not get removed!

[billc23]

18 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

I’ve said it a million times, but there are two paths.
 

1. You choose a big high volume TA that has group rates that save you a boatload. No need to watch for price drops, book and rebook drink packages to save a few dollars, etc. You should be aiming for a sizable discount on the cruise rate, refundable deposit, classic drinks and roughly 10% OBC. A decent baseline measure would be all of that for less than the NRD cruise only rate Celebrity is offering. Typically you want to book at least 10 months out to get the best deal.  

 

2. You choose a small/local/side gig TA that can toss in marginal benefits but may or may not be able to offer personal expertise.

 

If you need to personally call someone to answer every question on your mind, the big TA’s are not for you. They take your booking, you take your savings and you are done. If you need a LOT of attention and every detail planned for you, you may be better off spending a little money to pay for someone’s service to play that role.   

Perhaps a third path for those who travel frequently and do all the work anyway... become a travel agent and enjoy the savings and perks. I met someone on a recent cruise who gave me the details of agencies to sign up with and he made it seem pretty straight forward. I have also met many travelers who retired and then became travel agents. They mostly book for themselves, family, and friends. 

[billc23]

5 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I know this is a long-standing policy, but can anybody state a good reason why Cruise Critic will not allow the mention and discussion of good cruise TA's?  Maybe have a pinned topic that CC members can contribute to?  Who would that harm?  Hopefully this post will not get removed!

IDK but maybe because there are many TAs on CC who may solicit rather than advise???

[hcat]

1 minute ago, billc23 said:

IDK but maybe because there are many TAs on CC who may solicit rather than advise???

and Cruise Critic  is a trvl co..

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, billc23 said:

IDK but maybe because there are many TAs on CC who may solicit rather than advise???

Yes that is the prevailing reason.  But that can be controlled by CC I think.  No travel agents soliciting here.  

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

and Cruise Critic  is a trvl co..

Yes they are.  

[billc23]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

and Cruise Critic  is a trvl co..

a wolf in sheep's clothing?

[Saturngrl]

I have worked with my TA over the past decade, after getting fleeced by booking a cruise directly with Celebrity.  My TA is very responsive and our relationship has allowed her to learn all my little preferences, as well as provide the best pricing for me, whether as part of a group or individually.  

[Iamcruzin]

20 minutes ago, hcat said:

and Cruise Critic  is a trvl co..

Yes the cruise travel search engine companies sponsor this site which is how I stumbled upon Cruise Critic to begin with. I haven't seen any great deals with them either.  The one that lured me to CC is the one that discounts off of a fake MSRP or what they call the brochure price that doesn't exist. They advertise huge discounts of 85% off. 

[Iamcruzin]

33 minutes ago, billc23 said:

Perhaps a third path for those who travel frequently and do all the work anyway... become a travel agent and enjoy the savings and perks. I met someone on a recent cruise who gave me the details of agencies to sign up with and he made it seem pretty straight forward. I have also met many travelers who retired and then became travel agents. They mostly book for themselves, family, and friends. 

I have a friend who I met at a Princess meet and greet. She belonged to one of those online company franchises. She booked mostly for herself and family but gave it up. She started booking for the general public and it wasn't worth her time and energy for the little commission she was making. People only wanted a discount which came from her commission and every time there was a price drop it lowered her commission.  

[canderson]

1 hour ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

I’ve said it a million times, but there are two paths.
 

1. You choose a big high volume TA that has group rates that save you a boatload. No need to watch for price drops, book and rebook drink packages to save a few dollars, etc. You should be aiming for a sizable discount on the cruise rate, refundable deposit, classic drinks and roughly 10% OBC. A decent baseline measure would be all of that for less than the NRD cruise only rate Celebrity is offering. Typically you want to book at least 10 months out to get the best deal.  

 

2. You choose a small/local/side gig TA that can toss in marginal benefits but may or may not be able to offer personal expertise.

 

If you need to personally call someone to answer every question on your mind, the big TA’s are not for you. They take your booking, you take your savings and you are done. If you need a LOT of attention and every detail planned for you, you may be better off spending a little money to pay for someone’s service to play that role.   

There is a 3rd path if I understand your 2nd option.  There are still a handful of medium size agencies out there.  You work with your own agent, but cross-coverage is available in a pinch. The advantage to us is that, unlike the big box, they take the time to bird dog your reservation for price changes, deal with waitlisting, etc.  The kick backs aren't as large as a big box, but the service level is much higher.  When money was tighter and we were booking FV cabins for two on X (was usually not even possible to book these at all online), our agent was always able to book us as just a couple, though we always did this when school was in session, and Celebrity always just winked at how she managed this.

[563toM]

23 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

By now you must have read endless replies on how a TA can give you fabulous discounts and how they go to bat for you in a crises. Since we can't discuss travel agents on this site it's a moot point.  In the 30 plus years of booking a cruise my worst experiences have been with travel agents. Even during the days of going to a physical building to book. One agent didn't even call me to make final payment. The online agents are just order takers and really aren't full service. They may offer a small $50 to $100 OBC but to me it's not worth giving up control of my booking.  When I was working I worked odd hours and would often see a discount at 2am. I would call the cruise line myself since they are available 24hrs and get the price adjustment. They answer the phone pretty fast in the middle of the night. I have also called during Eastern Standard time business hours and never had a long wait. I always find the cruise line agents very helpful even if they are sourced out. 

Your comments are ours as well.  Started with a "great" TA that our relatives recommended and used to book their 6 or so cruises a year.  We only cruised once a year and she gave us almost no attention, didn't track the price of our cruise and would return our calls about 3-4 days later.  I ended up doing all the work and would just give it to her to enter into the computer.  I easily could do it and all we ever received was a bottle of champagne and my husband prefers wine.  We have used a big box store for years as they have the hours open that work with us.  I was fine with their service until I found that the total due for an upcoming cruise was different from what Celebrity told me was due.  The glitch happened after a price adjustment and I spent hours correcting this with Big Box store.  We now book directly with Celebrity as I want full control to make changes or discuss our booking without going thru a middle man.

[Jeremiah1212]

7 minutes ago, canderson said:

There is a 3rd path if I understand your 2nd option.  There are still a handful of medium size agencies out there.  You work with your own agent, but cross-coverage is available in a pinch. The advantage to us is that, unlike the big box, they take the time to bird dog your reservation for price changes, deal with waitlisting, etc.  The kick backs aren't as large as a big box, but the service level is much higher.  When money was tighter and we were booking FV cabins for two on X (was usually not even possible to book these at all online), our agent was always able to book us as just a couple, though we always did this when school was in session, and Celebrity always just winked at how she managed this.

 

True, those are probably harder to find. They usually hone in on one product or cruise line and stick with it. I know a great Virgin and Atlas Ocean contact who probably couldn't tell you the name of a Celebrity ship. If you are low maintenance and book pretty standard cruises, a high volume TA that secures group rates early cannot be beat from a $$$ perspective. 

[NMTraveller]

11 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

True, those are probably harder to find. They usually hone in on one product or cruise line and stick with it. I know a great Virgin and Atlas Ocean contact who probably couldn't tell you the name of a Celebrity ship. If you are low maintenance and book pretty standard cruises, a high volume TA that secures group rates early cannot be beat from a $$$ perspective. 

Nope.  Not hard to find.  And they do cover all of the cruise lines.

 

My worst experience was with the Big Box TA.  So I fired them.

 

The one that I have now is very good.

 

If you run into a bad mechanic do you not service your car?  No,  you find a good mechanic.  The same for TAs.

Edited Tuesday at 02:28 PM by NMTraveller

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

I know this is a long-standing policy, but can anybody state a good reason why Cruise Critic will not allow the mention and discussion of good cruise TA's?  Maybe have a pinned topic that CC members can contribute to?  Who would that harm?  Hopefully this post will not get removed!

Because the TAs would advertise their services on this site by posting.  If you ask me quite a bit of this is going on with the cheerleaders.

[Jeremiah1212]

8 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Nope.  Not hard to find.  And they do cover all of the cruise lines.

 

My worst experience was with the Big Box TA.  So I fired them.

 

The one that I have now is very good.

 

If you run into a bad mechanic do you not service your car?  No,  you find a good mechanic.  The same for TAs.

 

Glad you've found the experts in everything cruises. Best of luck.

[minniemouse427]

10 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Nope.  Not hard to find.  And they do cover all of the cruise lines.

 

My worst experience was with the Big Box TA.  So I fired them.

 

The one that I have now is very good.

 

If you run into a bad mechanic do you not service your car?  No,  you find a good mechanic.  The same for TAs.

Same
We have an excellent TA that is responsive and does a great job all around ...and for multiple cruise lines. 
You can find someone that is a good fit for you, it just takes some time and effort. I have had lots of stumbles in my search for good TAs (both land and sea) but have great ones now and use them even when I really don't have to. The benefits are many and I really don't miss sitting on the phone w/ a cruise line or WDW when I don't have to!

[Shiba_Lover]

One other thing not mentioned is that a good TA can do more than just "book the cruise" and give you OBC.  A good TA will have also travelled to many of the ports or will have someone they work with who has.  They can pass on port tips, things not to miss, information about what to see/do, local food you may want to try.  They will help you with pre / post stays, transfers - the whole package.

[Iamcruzin]

41 minutes ago, 563toM said:

Your comments are ours as well.  Started with a "great" TA that our relatives recommended and used to book their 6 or so cruises a year.  We only cruised once a year and she gave us almost no attention, didn't track the price of our cruise and would return our calls about 3-4 days later.  I ended up doing all the work and would just give it to her to enter into the computer.  I easily could do it and all we ever received was a bottle of champagne and my husband prefers wine.  We have used a big box store for years as they have the hours open that work with us.  I was fine with their service until I found that the total due for an upcoming cruise was different from what Celebrity told me was due.  The glitch happened after a price adjustment and I spent hours correcting this with Big Box store.  We now book directly with Celebrity as I want full control to make changes or discuss our booking without going thru a middle man.

Also those here who claim to save thousands of dollars are no doubt booking suites or very long itineraries and cruise frequently. The average 7 day in a standard veranda booking will only see a small OBC or Bottle of wine. I never even got that with the agents I used. I actually came out an asked one if they were offering any incentive to transfer my booking and I was told no. I did all the work and you won't even throw me a bone. No thanks. I tried to book my upcoming sailing with my warehouse club and I couldn't even book the category I wanted which was a Prime Concierge. They told me that they were sold out. Meanwhile I'm 10 days away from sailing and both Prime Concierge and Prime Aqua are still available.