What is the benefit of booking with Disney directly vs Travel Agent?

[Calker]

Yes there are rules about naming/listing TA information. I don't know the specific rules - those you'd have to read on the main page of this site.

I do know that there a TA's who sponsor this site but I'm not even sure if they can be named in a post. I make it a point not to mention any TA's by company name or even their first names.

[truck1]

Originally Posted by rpow

I know exactly what you mean truck1. Ireally wish that they would have allowed me to speak to my assigned TA via the phone.

It would have made some very stressful moments much less so if I could have just had some of my questions/concerns answered immediately instead of having to wait for an email response.

I did try but I guess for me it wasn't meant to be. Oh well, we still ended up with a fabulous cruise so all's well that ends well.

When we got to that point, I sent mine a email with my number and asked to call in reference to that issue. I forgot what the issue was. Like I said, she did, in a real short period of time and everything worked out.

[Host Mick]

Originally Posted by Musclengrace

Is it. Rule that no one is revealing names of online travel sites? It all seems so darn cryptic, is there a reason?

Thanks

We don't allow members to mention travel agents or put up contact information. The excat rules can be found in the Guidelines link in the banner of every page.
The short reason is that if TAs want to advertise, they can buy space.
The long reason is that a long time ago when Cruise Critic was just a little AOL site, TAs innundated the site with posts mentioning their services. We banned them then they came back as shills so we banned the shills and so on. We never had this problem with shuttles and tour operators so it's still OK to mention them... so far but there are a few rules about advertising.
If you need the name of a TA, feel free to click on the links all over Cruise Critic. They're the sponsors that bring you Cruise Critic for free.

[Kimmielee]

I have used the same TA for my last two Disney Cruises and since there were no issues prior... we decided to use her again. Three cabins... One couple in an inside stateroom and two couples in their own verandah rooms. All of us live in separate households in two different states. The first reservation was a transfer from March 2012 to the March 2013 Fantasy Cruise. Same stateroom type. No issue. The next one booked was the same stateroom type, same number of people. No issue. The third one was an inside stateroom, two adults... BIG ISSUE.

The day of final payment I noticed that I still couldn't book a dinner for all the adults in our "linked reservation". Typically when greyed out... it meant it isn't paid in full yet. I confirmed with the party that they had paid the TA on Friday. So I called the TA... to see if there was a delay in getting funds to DCL. She didn't call me... but she did forward me the paid in full receipt for the inside stateroom. It was correct that it was an inside stateroom, but ON THE WRONG SHIP!! She had booked the third stateroom on the Disney Magic 6 night cruise leaving the same day as our Disney Fantasy 7 night cruise!! I called her right away. Told her that she had booked them on the wrong ship. "Oh my gosh... Let me call you right back." She called in about 1/2 hour and said... "Good News... I have reserved them a room on the Fantasy, but there is an additional $1700 in the fare. How would you like to pay for that?"

Excuse me??? This cruise had been booked for over a year.... her receipt from the travel agency said Disney Fantasy, it did not say Disney Magic. It also said it was for a stateroom with a verandah, but we won't even go there....

I told her that WE wouldn't be paying anything. This was her mistake, not ours and today's pricing should not apply. I knew there should be an additional charge for 7 nights on the Fantasy vs. 6 nights on the Magic... but at least price it as it was priced when the original mistake was made??

She booked it on a "hold" with it having to be paid in 3 days, hoping that DCL would allow them to revert it back to the original pricing. That worked and the TA had to pay $600 for difference in the fare which I'm told most likely came out of her "Errors and Omissions" insurance fund.

In the meanwhile, they lost their assigned stateroom (now have a GTY reservation) and they are no longer in Main Dining with the rest of our family. I am hoping to get that rectified prior to sailing. A gentleman that I work with knows a higher up in DCL reservations and she's "looking into it". So... will this TA ever get my business again? Not likely. Had she NOT asked the question on the first phone call... "How would you like to pay for that?" and taken responsibility for her error... then I would have a different opinion.

How do you book three staterooms with one being on a different ship and link them together without some sort of indication that there is a problem?????

[scotlanddreamin]

We book with our TA for three very important reasons.

1. She does ALL the work. I want spa, I want excursion, I want linked cabins, I want blah blah blah, she makes it happen, she deals with Disney, she gets it done.

2. She is ALWAYS readily available. If something goes wrong, and lets face it, that sometimes happens, I just give her a call and she straightens it right out. I don't have to fix anything because she does it for me.

3. She is my friend from the adoption community, and I want her to get the commission. If I'm spending the same either booking through her or booking through Disney, I might as well get that money sent to her.

[anonymousegirl]

Originally Posted by tweis

I got a quote from my local TA and the online TA that I am using and for the same cabin on the Fantasy, the local TA could only offer me $25 plus the $25 that Disney offers for booking online yet the online TA offered me $250 plus the $25 that Disney offers. Huge difference. Most TAs do base it on the price of the cruise but apparently my local TA does not...

The obc is often negotiated a year in advance and is based on the total volume an agency does with the cruise line. So a huge online agency can often offer more obc than a smaller local agency.

In both cases, you have to deal with the agency and agents hours and the possiblity of errors being made by the TA. In exchange, the agent will handle all the details, big and small, of the cruise, and often makes a cruise better (but maybe not cheaper).

[milton333]

I guess I've never really needed anything that only a personalized TA could provide. Before I book, I research prices, itineraries, and cabins. I know where I want to dine. I can make upcharge dining reservations, book excursions, spa, etc., online with the cruise line. The only change I've ever made after booking is when my parents or in-laws decide to join us, and then we link our reservations for dining purposes.

Bottom line, I don't need a very hands-on TA. But of course I'll be happy to take OBC, no deposit, Costco cash card, etc.

[tweis]

Originally Posted by anonymousegirl

The obc is often negotiated a year in advance and is based on the total volume an agency does with the cruise line. So a huge online agency can often offer more obc than a smaller local agency.

In both cases, you have to deal with the agency and agents hours and the possiblity of errors being made by the TA. In exchange, the agent will handle all the details, big and small, of the cruise, and often makes a cruise better (but maybe not cheaper).

I do not require much from my TA. I already knew my dates, category, room number, dining time and I will select my own excursions/adult dining. The ONLY reason I booked with a TA for my next 2 cruises is for the OBC. My agent responds nights, weekends and holidays. My cruise is not costing me a penny more by using a TA. Actually I am saving money because of the $275 OBC I am receiving.

[tweis]

Originally Posted by milton333

I guess I've never really needed anything that only a personalized TA could provide. Before I book, I research prices, itineraries, and cabins. I know where I want to dine. I can make upcharge dining reservations, book excursions, spa, etc., online with the cruise line. The only change I've ever made after booking is when my parents or in-laws decide to join us, and then we link our reservations for dining purposes.

Bottom line, I don't need a very hands-on TA. But of course I'll be happy to take OBC, no deposit, Costco cash card, etc.

Exactly. The only reason I booked with a TA for my next 2 cruises is strictly for the OBC. However, if I do have a problem, I am confident that she can handle it.

[DillWaters]

I got the $25 OBC when I booked directly through DCL, but I almost feel insulted by it. We spent over $15,000 on our reservation and they are kicking back $25 to us?? Wow, really going out of their way to make us feel special, aren't they.

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I would say the DCL cruise savvy people will be contacting their DCL specialist TAs now to get on waitlists for the next release of 2014 cruises due very soon.

TA do the hard work for you, you do not need to be hanging on the phone for hours, or be processing your cruise online on the website and as it gets to the payment it crashes or charges your credit card twice. The TAs seem to get the best rooms, and get in early somehow, mine have always got me what I wanted.

I am on a waitlist now for Summer 2014.

[alaska_planner]

our first two disney cruises, i booked directly with DCL

i booked my most recent cruise in october, 2012 with a TA.

i got an onboard credit with my TA and also a beautiful stateroom gift.

In addition, i had to change that reservation 4 times (over the course of 3 years) - my TA handled the changes without any problem (i don't know if the same would have been true with DCL, but my TA took care of it immediately and without issue).

i was very pleased with the service i received from my TA.

[candlegirl]

Please excuse my ignorance. I have never used a travel agent, but I'm thinking about using an online TA for the OBC. If we use a TA, do we fill out the online checkin, port arrival time, book excursions and Palo or does the TA? I had to cancel our cruise the week we were set to sail due to medical issues, but I had make changes to excursions and dining time numerous times before cancelling. Also, in that case where I had to cancel, would I have had to send an email to the TA for them to cancel or could I call? I can't imagine having to wait for someone else to do it. I'm a little type A. May not be the best route for me. Thanks in advance.

[Shmoo here]

Originally Posted by candlegirl

Please excuse my ignorance. I have never used a travel agent, but I'm thinking about using an online TA for the OBC. If we use a TA, do we fill out the online checkin, port arrival time, book excursions and Palo or does the TA? I had to cancel our cruise the week we were set to sail due to medical issues, but I had make changes to excursions and dining time numerous times before cancelling. Also, in that case where I had to cancel, would I have had to send an email to the TA for them to cancel or could I call? I can't imagine having to wait for someone else to do it. I'm a little type A. May not be the best route for me. Thanks in advance.

You will do your own online checkin/book excursions/Palo/etc. The TA will handle any financial/room/dining issues.

I believe to cancel the TA would have to do it.

[candlegirl]

Originally Posted by Shmoo here

You will do your own online checkin/book excursions/Palo/etc. The TA will handle any financial/room/dining issues.

I believe to cancel the TA would have to do it.

Thanks for the quick response.