To TA or not TA

I think the only benefit I found is the OBC although if I remember correctly, the Norwegian web site offered it at the time I booked with a TA. My TA is now saying I have a $50 OBC due to using their agency..

He also told me today that he is not used to someone questioning whether they are getting the best deal! He had me do a 3 way call with NCL to clarify he was correct and I'm getting the best deal! Can you believe it!?

I did look up the same cruise/cabin after we booked and I could have booked it all myself for the same price. I guess if you're not looking for a specific cruise, a TA may be able to get you on a deal fast if they are watching that but in my short experience, I can do it all myself

just as well.

Funny...I asked my TA last week to help with a hotel in Seattle and he told me about the one he always uses for his customers. They were twice as much in price and no parking during the cruise which is what I asked help on. I then asked him to dig deeper but he did not and brushed me off! I found my own hotel at 1/2 the cost with on-site 10 day parking to boot!

I will never use the TA again....

Like anything, a TA can be great, or (erm) interesting. Have had experience with both. The interesting individual TA was one that was a living nightmare. The TA that we currently use, is one that we have worked with for 8 years. I know that she does an outstanding job. She knows that I'm more than a bit AR. When we ran into a challenge on a cruise, one phone call to her cleared it right up. That small phone call on our part would have taken me almost 2 hours to do on my own.

For a cruise, I can't see ever not using a TA. Just be sure you get one that you can work with and trust. Ask friends and family for their recommendations. Do your due diligence. If something doesn't feel 'right' with a TA, switch over to another one.

We have used a couple TA's in our cruising history. The first 2 weren't so good, but the one we've been using for the last 6 or so years is the BEST. He watches pricing for us, and grabs discounts and OBC when he can. We once had a problem at embarkation, and I quick phone call got it taken care of within 30 minutes!

I'll never book direct - always use a TA. Have always gotten better pricing on the lines that do allow discounts.

you wanna share your agent plz…I have booked over 14 cruises and find it easier to look everything myself online..In addition to cruises, we travel overseas every year and for that I use an agent but have been able to find some cool deals myself…If you don't mind sharing your agent, I want to give them a try!!!!

We sail on Princess and they allow a TA to discount the price. I search around and have found a TA that fives me about 15% off the current Princess price, plus some OBC.

I haven't been able to find a TA yet that will offer me deals better than what I can get on my own, other than offering a little bit of on board credit during a sale or something. I know some people out there have TAs that can save them money and get them OBC for their cruise.

Same here. Also, I book early and most of the time the cruises I book are not even listed on the main cruise TA internet sites.

Also, I get to control my reservation and call immediately and get the new lower price.

We sail on Princess. My TA gives me about 15% off the price listed on their website plus some OBC. I have never had a problem asking for a change. They are handled promptly. Once we were on a b2b. During the first leg, we wanted to change the dining arrangement for the second leg. I asked the maitre 'd. He said I would have to see him the first day of the second leg. I mailed my TA and it was done in 5 minutes.

Although this was not my thread, I really want to thank everybody who's posted here - I learned a lot. Google was my friend, and I did find some very good sites with bargain offers. As you suggested, there are reviews available for some of these companies, and some are very positive.

I also learned that there is a cruise section on Trip Advisor, and apparently no ban on recommendations and reviews of specific travel agencies. There, I found very positive reviews of two online TAs offering cruises.

So thanks, everyone, I'm going to use one of these agencies next time. Seems like a way to save to me!

I notice no one is using specific TA names, I hope it is not a violation to do so. I am trying to get more information about TAs and reviews, but am having a hard time finding any, specifically I was looking at crown cruise vacations. Anyone have advice on how to get more information on them?

You can't recommend TAs on this site. I use a popular online TA for its sort (I'm a solo traveler) and then book directly with cruise line....more control over reservation with the latter. But, you should watch the price (CCO price drop alert) and call when u see a price drop. I learned that after about my 20th cruise[emoji27]

My most recent booking an Alaska cruise in a suite the online TA and the cruise line direct has the EXACT same price.

The TA is giving me $1000 credit.

Kind of a no brainer.

You can't recommend TAs on this site. I use a popular online TA for its sort (I'm a solo traveler) and then book directly with cruise line....more control over reservation with the latter. But, you should watch the price (CCO price drop alert) and call when u see a price drop. I learned that after about my 20th cruise[emoji27]

Thanks, I'm certainly not reccomending them, just wanted to see if anyone had experience with them, or can point me in the direction of a place that reviews TAs.

I used an online TA for my first two cruises. Since then I have done all the research and booking myself. I periodically check the cruise line website to check for any specials or change in price. This next cruise I have done great! Since I booked, I have upgraded from a mid grade balcony to a mini suite and still got just under $1000 back. My husband is pretty impressed with my "TA" abilities, and I really enjoy doing it.

I would rather give the commission to a local TA that I trust than let the cruise line keep it. We "pay" it whether or not you book through a TA.

If you build a good relationship with a TA, they can and will discount for you. Sure it comes out of their commission but I would rather give up 50 bucks now to make 250 on another booking next year. Just my thoughts.

I'm on a 19 night cruise and the price came crashing down a few days after the final payment was due. A CC person alerted the roll call and we called and got a nice upgrade for no extra cost, as did most of the roll call. One person who booked through an agent couldn't get them to move fast enough and lost out. I'd be fuming, having had that experience with an agent in the past.

We've done both. Last time we booked through RCCL, got the cabin we wanted and got $800 per person in price drops.

I have been looking at cruises and I also will research to death to save $$, the problem I have is this, I inquired about a certain level of a cabin, she gave me a price of lets say, $1500.00 with a $100.00 OBC, for a net of $1400.00 I go to the cruiseline's own website the same exact cabin is $1400.00 without a OBC, so I contact the TA to inquire as to why the price difference, she tells me that do to supply & demand the CRUISELINE can charge additional but yet the cruiseline's actual price is the same as her net price, so theres really no OBC at all if she's going to jack up the price to make up for it, correct, I find that dishonest, does anyone have an opinion?