I wish to take a certain kind of cruise. Our pals have already secured the ship, date, and line. Would reserving through a travel agency be more cost-effective than going directly to the carnival or on vacation? How can I locate a trustworthy, good travel agency? Obtaining benefits or discounts is our primary objective with one.
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The issue with travel agents is that if something goes sideways with the cruise line or your airfares etc you only have recourse through your agent. Will they be available?
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Get free pricing checking by visiting several agencies.
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It’s your call. Personally for a cruise, I go direct with the cruise line. I see no reason to waste money or time on a TA. Its all self-explanatory. Now, if it was something like a vacation on land in a foreign country, yea I would use a TA.
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I detest having to discuss my reservation with a third party and having to wait for a callback, etc. My preference is to book directly with the cruise line. This way, I can contact them directly for any problems, payments, or modifications without having to tell a travel agent (TA), who would then contact the cruise line and wait for a response. There’s also a greater chance that something will go wrong. I have never received a better price through a travel agency than what the cruise line can match.
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Check the cost if you make your reservation directly with Carnival. Speak with a travel agency. Attempt to defeat it. Try contacting a second travel agency to see if they can offer a better deal than the first two.
Recall that there are other factors to consider besides the base price when negotiating. If the room comes with free wifi, a complimentary cruise excursion, several gourmet dinners, or a complimentary drink package, it can be worth it to spend a premium fee.
This year, I was able to switch my complimentary drink package for a new deck level on NCL without having to pay a different amount for my accommodation.
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Overseas yes. Caribbean no.
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Evidently an unpopular opinion, but no! One is not necessary for you. I could never imagine someone else scheduling my trip.
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Vacations to go are TA’s and they are great. They will offer you one of the best deals. I just go directly through cruise lines myself .
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I would agree that for newbies it can be a help. After that, Vacations to Go. Look for the deals then check out the cruise sites themselves.
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I emailed the vacationers about my plans, but they were unable to match the website’s price, so I had to make the reservation myself.
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Oh, man. Wait for the deluge. There are so many TA’s and TA fans on this stream. They will say you will get so many perks, and discounts, and comps and swaag for booking with a TA. Others will say book straight and get your own discount yourself. I’m in the latter camp because it’s worked for us, we get our own on-board credits and 75%-off offers on excursions, etc. regardless of cruise line, cabin level, or time of year. Every time I pencil it out, we do better on our own and save money when we do.
One way to compare is to hold a reservation directly for free which you can do on many lines. Then get a written proposal from a TA. This way you can do all the math and see which works best for you.
p.s. If everyone who disagrees could just be civil I would appreciate it. This s/r has gotten a little aggressive lately. We all have different experiences and are just trying to help our fellow travelers as best we know how.