She quoted me the exact same price and deals, and i felt as though i. With everything thats going on in cruising at the moment, i really recommend that you seriously think about working with a cruise agent particularly an independent cruise agent or one of those bigger groups that do online and telephone calls. Millennials seem the biggest fans of using travel agents, with 30% having used an agent in the last year. Booking directly with cruise line or through an agency. Even better, an agent will put in the legwork of sifting through travel insurance policies and point you to the plan that best suits your individual needs and itinerary, he adds. What are pros and cons of booking direct through royal caribbean, or booking through travel agent. My last 2 cruises i got a better deal with an agent, i got extra miles on my credit card, and overall a better deal, not major, but worthy enough to book through agent. In addition, the total price of your cruise vacation may be different depending on whether you book direct or with a travel agency.
I would definitely contact a disney specialty travel agency for a cruise. Does it cost more to book my cruise with a travel agent. Whether sailing the warm caribbean or historic mediterranean, youll likely want some sort of plan for while youre in port. When my wife and i planned our honeymoon roughly seven years ago, we went to a travel agent in newton, mass. Hi im new to msc and am planning my 1st cruise with them.
Jun 25, 2019 due to a suggestion that travel agents can sometimes offer perks unavailable directly through carnival, i spoke with a travel agent to compare pricing and offers. As well as mainstream cruising, we have a river cruise and a luxury cruise team who are here to guide you and help you find your perfect cruise holiday. As matt said, most incentives come in the form of onboard credit. We were told no one can undercut what the cruise line charges. Cruises should i use a travel agent to book a cruise. Ill tell you right out the gate that whether youre looking into your first cruise or well on your way to the highest levels of a cruise line s loyalty program, i highly recommend using a good travel agent, but lets talk about why by addressing some common questions and misconceptions. Guests under age 18 must have parent or guardian permission to call. Unlike when booking online, you cant book a cruise with an agent in the middle of night.
Is it better to book a cruise directly through the cruise. Have you ever asked, should i use a cruise travel agent to book my cruise. Why it pays to book with a travel agent personal finance. Agents at these businesses are cruise experts who have firsthand experience with the most popular ships and can tailor recommendations for your particular needs. Online cruise deals and cruise holidays with cruise direct. Booking shore excursions independently vs booking through the. As one of the largest official agencies in the cruise industry, direct line cruises can provide highly.
A travel agent is vital in planning these special memories as they take the worry off of you and let you focus solely on the exciting events to. Due to a suggestion that travel agents can sometimes offer perks unavailable directly through carnival, i spoke with a travel agent to compare pricing and offers. Should i use a travel agent or book directly with a cruise. Can a travel agent get you a better deal than booking online. Why do you use a travel agent to book a cruise, instead of booking with the cruise line.
From guided tours to resort passes, or even helicopter rides to glaciers, you can book a number of tours through the cruise line but should you book. A direct cruiselinebooking cruiser is someone who loves to hunt down. Lets face it, its tempting to be able to book your own trips online. Book carnival cruise direct or through travel agent. Folks ask us all the time why they need to book their family vacations with a travel agent. Or of course, you could book with the cruise lines direct. Why you should still book your cruise through a travel agent. Aug 31, 2017 why book your ocean or river cruise with roaming boomers travel services. When a travel agent books a cruise, their prices are the exact same as the cruise line, only the cruise line pays the agent a commission out of that price usually 10%. The river cruise companies that allow you to book through a travel agentbroker expect that this agentbroker will bring them business. Nov 05, 2009 when a travel agent books a cruise, their prices are the exact same as the cruise line, only the cruise line pays the agent a commission out of that price usually 10%.
A big question always is should you book your cruise direct with the cruise line or should you use a travel agent in this video i will give. Sep 04, 20 the river cruise companies that allow you to book through a travel agent broker expect that this agent broker will bring them business. She quoted me the exact same price and deals, and i felt as though i was more familiar with the current specials than she was. Youd think they would have been replaced by online systems, but the internet has done just the opposite its made them more. Also, if you book your cruise with a travel agent, youll have to carry out all communications with the cruise line through the agent, which can slow the process down and become frustrating.
The pros and cons of using a travel agent travel us news. Mar 12, 2019 a big question always is should you book your cruise direct with the cruise line or should you use a travel agent in this video i will give the benefits to both methods to help you decide what. The downside to booking excursions through the cruise line are primarily cost and options. We wanted to travel to paris, nice, and barcelona over a 14day span, wanted to stay in hotels in each location. Book your cruise with a travel agent 6 reasons why you should. A big question always is should you book your cruise direct with the cruise line or should you use a travel agent in this video i will give the. When youre ready to purchase your cruise, you can either go directly to the cruise line youve chosen, or you can book a cruise with a travel agent. Cruise lines also offer discounts to senior citizens, fire, police and medical personal, regardless if youre retired or not. Its the travel agents job to provide you with a number of options they think youd enjoy. The oncebooming travel agent industry has seen more than its share of changes in recent decades.
Booking shore excursions independently vs booking through. Should you use a travel agent or book directly with a cruise line. Aug 11, 2016 you dont save money when you book your cruise direct through the cruise line. Then the travel agency usually keeps a portion of that 10%, and pays the rest to the travel agent. Cruise lines will almost always charge a bit more than booking a similar or sometimes exact same tour elsewhere. Do you use a travel agent or book directly through rcl. Its worth checking prices however because there have been a few occasions weve found cruise lines.
Why you should book disney with a travel agent travelingmom. You can also make reservations through your travel agent or by calling disney cruise line at 800 95532. Also, if you book online through a cruise lines website, you might miss out on agencyspecific promotions that could get you extra perks and savings. Oct 20, 2016 even better, an agent will put in the legwork of sifting through travel insurance policies and point you to the plan that best suits your individual needs and itinerary, he adds. Book directly with royal caribbean or through travel agent. We could easily spout statistics like the fact that 51% of all u. Jun 24, 2019 due to a suggestion that travel agents can sometimes offer perks unavailable directly through carnival, i spoke with a travel agent to compare pricing and offers.
Is it cheaper to book a cruise through a travel agent. Should i use a travel agent or book directly with a cruise line. Youd think they would have been replaced by online systems, but the internet has done just the opposite. Travel agents might not always save you money on a trip but they can save you valuable time, offer insider info on seats and fares you wouldnt have found on your own, and back you up if your. The 70% factor cruise lines international association clia reported in its 2015 state of the cruise industry report that 70% of river and ocean cruise travelers book their cruises with a travel agent. Cruise deals and discount cruise vacations direct line cruises.
A good travel agent who books lots of cruises on a particular line can often offer perks that you dont get booking directly through the cruise line. Cruisedirect is a leading online cruise travel company dedicated to providing customers with better deals than any other cruise website and access to great deals on cruise vacations. I booked a disney cruise through a disney specialty travel agency, and they got me a better discount than the same cruise same sailing date, same cabin category through aaa. Although each ta goes about doing it somewhat differently, the reality is that a substantial piece of your payment comes back to the ta and with the best ones for us this means many hundreds of dollars or. Not only will they help you book a trip, theyll help you build the trip. When booking directly through a cruise line, the price usually increases as the sailing date nears however, when you use an agency like ours, that specializes in securing lower prices for your cruise, years in advance, you can save up to thousands of dollars.
Experienced cruise agencies are often able to contract prices with the cruise lines long before the sail date. Book your cruise with a travel agent 6 reasons why you. Direct vacation booking and online travel agencies havent killed the oldschool travel agent yet. Through travel insured international, direct line cruises provides costeffective optional travel protection to all our our clients. The best site to book a cruise online find a cruise. Why do you use a travel agent to book a cruise, instead of booking. Why you should use a travel agent to book a cruise. Any cruise travel agent can ask a series of questions and book you on a 7nighter out of portmiami. Most travel agents today can be quickly reached through a phone call, email.
Most cruises are about both the fantastic onboard experience as well as the ports of call you visit. Finally, if you book your cruise with a travel agent, youll have to carry out all communications with the cruise line through the agent, which can sometimes slow the process down if. Reasons you should never book a cruise through a travel agent. Occasionally, you can find a travel agent, that through a special promotion, has a lower per person cabin fare than what. Cruise critic member molliemoo writes that she booked a cruise through a major u. Is it really bad if there are rough seas vs extra room giv. Benefits of booking with a travel agent vs booking online. Why is it cheaper to book airline tickets through a travel. When we first learned that, it surprised us a well. The travel agent responded to our online enquiry within a couple of hours, suggesting two resorts. Travel agents still exist, and theyre more useful than ever. As well as mainstream cruising, we have a river cruise and a luxury cruise team who are here to guide you. Dec 08, 2008 cruise lines also offer discounts to senior citizens, fire, police and medical personal, regardless if youre retired or not.
If not, and youre familiar with the cruise line, you can book direct option 5 but. You can also book direct, get whatever perks the cruise line is offering, then transfer your booking to a ta if theyre offering more perks beyond the cruise line. People still believe to book their cruise, if they do it themselves and go direct through a cruise line reservationist, theyll save the money that would have gone to pay a. You can find available cruises listed by ports of departure, ports of call, port adventures or. Should you be using a cruise agent to book your cruise. Nov 11, 20 another attraction of booking a cruise over the phone through a traditional travel agency or walking into a travel agency office, rather than booking online through an ota, is that travel agents. Why book your ocean or river cruise with roaming boomers travel services. These agencies book dedicated space on popular sailings and often have cabins on cruises that everybody else lists as sold out. Or maybe, why should i use a travel agent to book a cruise when i can. Whats the difference between booking thru disney or travel agent. May 08, 2019 the 10 best sites to book a cruise avital andrews avital andrews, smartertravels editoratlarge, is a travel and lifestyle journalist who is also a contributing editor for aaas via magazine. In fact, when the cruise lines call center is closed your agent can still handle many of the changes you may have directly through online access to the cruise line database. Whats the difference between booking thru disney or travel.
Due to a suggestion that travel agents can sometimes offer perks unavailable directly through carnival, i spoke with a travel agent to compare. Hi guys me and my better half are planning a first time cruise this summer. The 10 best sites to book a cruise avital andrews avital andrews, smartertravels editoratlarge, is a travel and lifestyle journalist who is. We booked through a travel agent and the last cruise was with orbitz. Dec 01, 2016 travel agents still exist, and theyre more useful than ever. Why you should use a travel agent to book a cruise the occasional cheaper cabin. Occasionally, cruise lines offer irresistible deals and specials that are far cheaper than anything you can book through a travel agency. Occasionally, you can find a travel agent, that through a special. Bottom line you should book your cruise with a travel agent if youre a first time cruiser, have a lot of special requests or want to get the best deals. Book a cruise online with the best cruise finder and cruise booking website.
When booking a vacation, destination wedding or honeymoon, the last thing a traveler should have to do is worry. The 70% factorcruise lines international association clia reported in its 2015 state of the cruise industry report that 70% of river and ocean cruise travelers book their cruises with a travel agent. For those who like to book their own spa appointments, shore excursions, specialty dining, etc. Contact the cruise line first and get a price, then shop around through travel agents. There are several reasons why the might not are, just sometimes be cheaper. Why travel agents and telephones still rule cruise booking. When an agent books a hotel room, cruise, tour, etc, this means the provider doesnt have to sell, market, or service the booking the agent takes care of all of that.
You dont save money when you book your cruise direct through the cruise line. People still believe to book their cruise, if they do it themselves and go direct through a cruise line reservationist, theyll save the money that would have gone to pay a travel agent. In short, it generally doesnt cost you money to use a travel agent, and in fact, the agent can very often help you save money on your trip more on that in that below. Some tas will offer extras, particularly for a group booking.
Or maybe, why should i use a travel agent to book a cruise when i can simply do it myself. Heres why you should use a travel agent instead of. Is it better to book the cruise through agents rather than. I usually book my cruises through travel agents, but they do not handle msc kine.
Pros the biggest advantage of booking a cruise through a travel agent is personalized advice from a knowledgeable source. Here at cruise direct, our 120 cruise specialists are committed to providing you with the highest level of specialist service and value for money. Just wondering if there is any difference in terms of pricing and promo to book through agency or direct. Mar 17, 2017 hi im new to msc and am planning my 1st cruise with them. Find an agent who asks about your family, your interests, hobbies etc. Only downside is, if cruise drastically drops in price, or has other specials my agent cant do anything, sometimes when you book directly theyll give you the special. Bookings can be made online or over the phone with either the cruise line or the travel agent. Apr 30, 2012 its the travel agent s job to provide you with a number of options they think youd enjoy.
451 519 1403 1207 724 1283 600 855 847 364 501 41 519 1439 810 88 1384 1171 1073 629 446 1277 1532 628 662 1478 670 439 1480 324 602 561 1312 1438