Travel Agent or online booking?

[jjjct]

was wondering what benefits there are for booking a cruise through a T.A. vs online?

[martinchem]

We use whichever offers the best deal at time of booking.

[98Charlie]

You will find many different thoughts on these boards regarding your question. We book through an online TA that only books cruises. Have our own personal TA representative who has been super so we stick with that online agency. Have booked about 23 or so cruises through them so far. Have our representatives home phone # as well as her office number. Have even received answers to our cruise questions while she was technicall off duty. Once she answered my question while she was on vacation and standing in line with her family at the Grand Ol' Opry.

 

Booked with a different large online TA for our first cruise. Had no problems, just didn't have that personal touch from that agency as we get from the one we deal with now.

 

Booked our second cruise through a local TA. That cruise was OK as well but we still felt we were doing most of the work with the booking and the TA was just there for the glory.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Dianne

[jjjct]

I have looked at a lot of websites and most of them are the same price with same perks. One of them is offering a mini suite for $100. pp less than all the others and an additional $25. onboard credit. Just wasn't sure why they are or can offer this? Any suggestions?

[98Charlie]

I have looked at a lot of websites and most of them are the same price with same perks. One of them is offering a mini suite for $100. pp less than all the others and an additional $25. onboard credit. Just wasn't sure why they are or can offer this? Any suggestions?

 

 

 

My understanding is large online agencies often acquire blocks of cabins on sailings and can then sell them off at a ``group'' rate which allows them to offer a few perks for given sailings.

 

If you do enough research online on any given sailing you will find different perks offered for different cabin categories, etc.

 

Best advice is to do your own research to find the agency you feel best meeds your needs. But do pick an agency that accepts phone calls as well as e-mails. Have heard many stories from cruisers who book through an online agency and then can't get answers to questions via phone. Would stay away from those agencies in a minute.

 

Dianne

PS: Main reason we never booked again with the local TA who worked for a very large agency with offices throughout the states and Europe was because she never returned phone calls.