Book through travel agent

Isn't this better to get OBC? Most travel agents I see offer at least $100 OBC. If you book directly through MSC don't you forego this?

Isn't this better to get OBC? Most travel agents I see offer at least $100 OBC. If you book directly through MSC don't you forego this?

They sometimes offer an OBC.

Sorry don't think I was clear. I can get OBC through a TA for almost any sailing. What is the advantage of booking direct through MSC that is valuable enough to give up OBC or try to find a sailing that offers it?

Sorry don't think I was clear. I can get OBC through a TA for almost any sailing. What is the advantage of booking direct through MSC that is valuable enough to give up OBC or try to find a sailing that offers it?

That...if you have a problem....you can deal directly with MSC.

That...if you have a problem....you can deal directly with MSC.

Very true. Some Tas also don't know MSC or it's ships well, so you don't get accurate info.

This forum regular has threads booked through TAS bewailing not knowing there cabin was a restricted view or whatever.

We don't get OBC form TAs in the UK, so for me it is a incredibly simple choice. Do the bookings myself. No one has as much of a vested interest as I do in getting the details right and getting me what I like best! I'm also a control freak and I don't like second hand information.

Very true. Some Tas also don't know MSC or it's ships well, so you don't get accurate info.

 

This forum regular has threads booked through TAS bewailing not knowing there cabin was a restricted view or whatever.

 

We don't get OBC form TAs in the UK, so for me it is a incredibly simple choice. Do the bookings myself. No one has as much of a vested interest as I do in getting the details right and getting me what I like best! I'm also a control freak and I don't like second hand information.

Exactly. Either the UK market is less competitive or MSC UK maintains a firmer grasp. There is no advantage in using a TA. Here the prices are the same as MSC's. The offers are the same. I don't understand why TA's still exist. It would be better to cut them out and lower the prices by their 10-15% commission.

Booking with TA also means you cannot access and change the details of your booking online.

As with AmoMondo, I would not want to trust a third party who has less knowledge than I with my extremely valuable-to-me travel arrangements.

TA's as they exist now belong to the pre-Internet era. Their commission arrangement is an aberration to transparent competition. Yes, let us have knowledgable, experienced and qualified travel consultants but their fees should be explicit and clearly stated before using them.

In South America you do not have the option. You have to book through a travel agent. MSC has some kind of arrangement with them.

Since there was no OBC or any added benefit from booking through my some time used TA, I booked straight from MSC although what is booked is not what is on the confirmation page, although in their computer, it is.....Strange. If booked through TA, I also would have incurred a fee of I think $25 per person, so at least I saved that by not using them.

My travel agent us an OBC in addition to the one MSC gave us.

I booked my upcoming cruise on Divina through a TA, so this is my 2 cents experience... not advocating one way or the other...

Saw a good price I liked, so for my family of four I booked a balcony and an inside across from it. We were getting 25 dollars per cabin of OBC from MSC, nothing from the TA.

Then the price dropped on a flash sale to make it cheaper for us both to get balcony cabins, but forgo the OBC... no brainer for me.

These were balcony GTY's where I had requested we be booked close together as we were putting the teens in one, and DH and I in the other. 3 months out from sailing we had already been assigned. One cabin was port side forward and one cabin was starboard aft. But at least they left us on the same deck :p

A call to my TA to try and change cabin locations was handled quickly by my TA but not smoothly on her end. Apparently cabin assignment changes have to happen in some special dept. And they don't like doing them. But eventually we ended up with adjacent balcony cabins aft.

Then came booking packages and excursions. MSC's website is notoriously bad at not letting you prebook all the packages you want. So upon finding the menu online myself I called to prebook all my packages. After a 20 minute wait on hold, I was told NOPE you booked through a TA they have to handle your packages... REALLY?!? Because I could book the meager offerings they have online, but not call in for the packages I want. So I shot off an email to my TA with a link to the packages detailing exactly what I wanted. 3 hours later, get an email and a call back from TA letting me know they booked everything I asked for except a spa package which had mysteriously doubled in price. And a teen package which is in the menu, but they say doesn't exist.

So my take on it is this.... if you want to be able to access every aspect of your booking yourself, don't use a TA. If you want someone to go to bat for you and get things accomplished that shoreside doesn't seem capable of, use a TA.

I'm very new to MSC so I'm very confused. I booked through Travelocity 2 days ago for June 2015. I was going to book direct through MSC but their website died on me and I was irritated. Now I see a site called "Cruises N More" has the cruise for almost $300 cheaper than direct through MSC. Is this site legit? Has anyone used them? Why are they allowed to be cheaper? Thanks for the help!

I now have "premium status" with my TA and get a 4% discount. Officially, it's a 4 % OBC, but for the sake of simplicity, they always deduct it from the amount I have to pay.

The EU is pretty unforgiving as far as price fixing is concerned, but maybe they've given up on the UK ;-)

Have discovered that the secret is having a GREAT travel agent, one who is smart, hard-working, and a real advocate for the traveller. Mine knew all the ship's, itineraries, ports, cabins and was able to help me make smart choices. When we needed to check with MSC she had us on a three-way call in no time and knew how to get through to just the right person. It did not end with the sale, she kept on top of upgrades, price reductions, these new experience levels, etc., and got me the info promptly via phone or e-mail. Nice person, too.

Don't think that I can post the agents name here, but I would be happy to share it with anyone who asks me. My e-mail is KDSchnapper at gmail dot com

Will be using her for future trips

We booked thru our TA but theMSC website will not let us sign on to see our reservation because we did not book directly with them. We have sailed most lines always with a TA and this has never happens before. This is our first MSC experience. Does this always happen.

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Again, it depends upon the quality of the TA. Mine sends periodic updates with links that log me on to the MSC website. Have had no problems with booking shore excursions, arranging for a motorized wheel chair to be delivered to the cabin (and picked up), getting the preferred meal time, getting on-board credits, and a myriad of other details.

One issue that sometimes comes up for people is that the "travel consultant" that they pick is not really a TA. There are lots of free-lance people who work out of their homes through a local agency. These free-lance people are not dishonest, but they lack the ability to write airline tickets and lack any clout with the lines. So, in effect, you are dealing third-hand with the cruise line (or airline, or hotel).

Our TA sent us a link so we could fill out immigration forms. We can see different voucher plan descriptions but are unable to see prices. We have emailed her about this and are waiting for a reply. We have used this TA many times and she has always been very accomodating.

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I usually get one of the big internet travel website to price match another travel website. They will offer a $50 voucher for use on travel as their price match policy. You can stack Shop Discover cash-back for 5% back on your cruise fare(check out other travel cash-back websites that offer $20 - 3% and you can use any card). Most online travel website offer on board credit, prepaid gratuities or drink packages as sweeteners.

My last cruise (Nov 1st ) I was able to get 3% cashback, Price match another website, $50 future travel voucher, prepaid gratuities for 2 and 24 alcoholic drink vouchers worth $8 per ticket.