book direct or through a TA?

I booked our first cruise this year direct through carnival during their 72 hour sale and was happy with the whole process. Now I'm thinking about our next cruise and wondering whether there is any advantage in booking through a TA rather than direct.

Do TAs have better pricing? I was happy with the customer service from carnival so price is really the only deciding factor for me I think. Do you use your regular local TA or find a cruise expert? Thanks.

So far I've booked three cruises. Two with different online TAs and the upcoming one direct with Celebrity.

The first cruise was with Princess and I booked about 11 months before the cruise. The price was competitive and I got a little extra OBC. Also there was a significant price drop about a month after I booked and the TA was able to cancel my original booking and rebook me in the same cabin.

The second cruise was a last minute booking, about five weeks before. Great price but no perks.

For our upsoming cruise Christmas cruise Celebrity had a five day special offering extra OBC and the price was good so I booked.

My local cruise specialist shopfront TA didn't impress me at all. I'd found out more about the various offering online than she was able to tell me, plus she seemed determined to convince me to book the dearest cruise even though the itinerary was the shortest, the least interesting, and wasn't quite in the time frame we wanted.

My advice is to shop around. Check the cruise line websites and also the various online TAs. Make sure you check the T&Cs though, especially cancellation policies. There is at least one online TA that charges a cancellation fee even when the cruise line doesn't.

In Australia the customer service from the cruise lines seems fairly good (unlike for some lines in the UK) so my default position is to book directly with the cruise line. It makes the process that little bit cleaner as you have a single point of contact and for the same price paid by you the cruise company makes a little more profit which helps them provide their service in the long run. Also the cruises are offered using an agency model which means that TAs are restricted from offering lower prices, OBC, etc. compared to others (apart from items like lanyards, etc.).

Also the cruises are offered using an agency model which means that TAs are restricted from offering lower prices, OBC, etc. compared to others (apart from items like lanyards, etc.).

Does this restriction on TAs not apply in the US, where TAs often offer lower prices, as well OBC, etc.? Many US cruisers book with the cruiseline, then transfer their booking to their TA for this reason. In addition, US TAs have better booking conditions than Aussie TAs.

I agree with OzKiwiJJ to shop around, and check the fine print for cancellation fees etc.

I agree. There is no hard and fast answer. Once you have decided which cruise you want,,,shop around. Sometimes TA's are able to offer a cruise cheaper than the cruise line through bulk buying , and they can pass the savings on to you .

Thank you. Very interesting. It seems like it is quite different in the US to here. Are the online TAs you are talking about just the first few ones that come up in google when you search? I know you can't name them specifically.

if you do a google search for cruise specialist and they would be better than a b&m travel agent because the one i use is up in Brisbane and she cruises a lot so they would have first hand knowledge of the in & outs of the ships and my TA can normally beat the cruise line in prices and sometimes its a few hundred dollars and if you book when they are having a special you can get some extra OBC but who ever you use read up on their t&c's

When you book through a good cruise specialist, you get good service and the benefit of their expertise.

I once booked a cruise, which was available only through certain TAs (read "non discount") for my friend and her husband and us. They appreciated the service of the TA, so used her services to answer their questions/concerns, whilst I just paid her the deposit and final payment, without any liaison. It depends on what you are comfortable with, how you make travel arrangements which suit you.

If you are looking for a wider cruise TA pool, ask the people on your next cruise. You will find many of the same recommended names come up, because they provide excellent service.

When you book through a good cruise specialist, you get good service and the benefit of their expertise.

 

The problem is finding one, especially if you're new to cruising.

I didn't discover Cruise Critic until after I'd booked our first cruise - online, not through the local ripoff TA. Luckily I picked a good online TA and a good cruise, but that was sheer luck I think.

do your research!

Sometimes it's better to go with one over the other and sometimes it's the same deal, but we have a great online TA we use and have been extremely happy with service and cost with them. So ATM using an online cruise agency for our bookings. BUt we have also booked directly with the cruise line and are happy with that service too!

Find what you like, best deals by doing your research and negotiating where possible.:)

Does this restriction on TAs not apply in the US, where TAs often offer lower prices, as well OBC, etc.? Many US cruisers book with the cruiseline, then transfer their booking to their TA for this reason. In addition, US TAs have better booking conditions than Aussie TAs.

In the US my understanding is that there is a limit to what they can offer along the lines of being able to offer OBC and extras but not lower the price. With respect to the better booking conditions I would rather say that they are different. We have more consumer protection here (in general) than in the US when it comes to booking through a TA.

The problem is finding one, especially if you're new to cruising.

 

I didn't discover Cruise Critic until after I'd booked our first cruise - online, not through the local ripoff TA. Luckily I picked a good online TA and a good cruise, but that was sheer luck I think.

Trouble is even if you find an excellent TA, like I did in my early days, she might get promoted to head office! :)

Word of mouth is definitely the best recommendation.

In the US my understanding is that there is a limit to what they can offer along the lines of being able to offer OBC and extras but not lower the price. With respect to the better booking conditions I would rather say that they are different. We have more consumer protection here (in general) than in the US when it comes to booking through a TA.

Why don't you think they have better booking conditions? From my experience, they are better in many ways.

I don't think we have more consumer protection here any more, since they abolished the Travel Compensation Fund on 1st July.

In the US my understanding is that there is a limit to what they can offer along the lines of being able to offer OBC and extras but not lower the price.

Agreed.

What can be seen (which also happens here) is that an agency has booked an amount of space early on, and the price has risen since. They can still sell at their locked in price which would at that point be cheaper than the current market rate.

do your research!

Sometimes it's better to go with one over the other and sometimes it's the same deal, but we have a great online TA we use and have been extremely happy with service and cost with them. So ATM using an online cruise agency for our bookings. BUt we have also booked directly with the cruise line and are happy with that service too!

 

 

 

Find what you like, best deals by doing your research and negotiating where possible.:)

We booked our first cruise through a TA (realted to a friend), we found we had to chase a lot, then when onboard found we were entitled to a $250 Military OBC, not happy Jan, wasn't even asked if we were eligible, and this is one of the major online cruise TAs on google.

We have booked out next cruise direct, good deal, will see how it pans out.

I get emails from an online Cruise TA who advertises heavily in the Sunday papers, fantastic deals, has anyone any experience of booking with them, do they actually deliver the deals or do they talk you up?

Not sure who you are referring to but I shop around and am actually still waiting on a call back from months ago about a great cruise deal. Didnt bother waiting just went ahead and booked with another company, This particular on line cruise TA seems to insist on taking details and getting back to you within 24 hours - oh yeh!!!! by that time the good deal has gone if it ever existed.

I have booked the last 4 or 5 cruises direct with the cruise line as price was the same.

Not sure who you are referring to but I shop around and am actually still waiting on a call back from months ago about a great cruise deal. Didnt bother waiting just went ahead and booked with another company, This particular on line cruise TA seems to insist on taking details and getting back to you within 24 hours - oh yeh!!!! by that time the good deal has gone if it ever existed.

I have booked the last 4 or 5 cruises direct with the cruise line as price was the same.

The one I am talking about offers a lot of fly/cruise deals which is the attraction, got an email 1 day sale last week for 8 day cruise from Singapore for $1099 including flights, with a night in Singapore, I happen to know the hotel offered is not very good, but for that price it wouldn't be.

In this week's paper they are offering the same cruise plus back to back, total 17 days for under $3000 pp including flights.

Just checked my email and this is now $1999 pp, Mariner of the Seas

They are also offering 15 day cruise on Legend from Singapore for $1599, and from Sydney from $1799.

If you book with a TA, and then you want to deal direct with the cruise line for any reason you must only go through the TA. (Talking from what I have read about Royal Caribbean and Celebrity).

Sure, I don't love that sometimes we might need to sit on the phone waiting to get through to talk direct to the cruise line, but I also don't like the little extra charges the TA puts in their small print for making changes or cancellations, or that they expect me to be paying my final payment earlier than the cruise line expects it. Is that payment going straight through to the cruise line? Who knows.

My first ever cruise was through an online TA, and I didn't have a bad experience dealing with them, but they offer the same price as Royal Caribbean. The online TA never advised us about the loyalty program available, nor did they send us the paperwork for checking in, or tell us that we should print it ourselves. We arrived at the pier with nothing and it took a lot longer to check in. They had an opportunity to do just a little bit to earn their commission and they chose to do nothing.

I like to do my research and pick my cabin, and when you do that direct online the booking is locked in straight away. I have had good experiences with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity with getting my deposit back on cancelling a cruise before final payment time. Click on the cancel button and the money is back on the credit card 4 working days later.

If someone can recommend a good TA, and you feel comfortable with that then it is worth it. If we end up going further afield than Aust/NZ then I may go with one that does the whole flight & accommodation package.

There really is not a right or wrong answer with using a TA, it is such a variable experience for people.

I always book direct - that way I retain full control and access to the booking.

I book a lot directly. I have used some online TA. But my preference is direct unless the TA offering a lot of OBC or cheaper fare.

We always use our excellent TA AND HAVE FOR 20 years! She gets the best prices and gives OBC. We have recently had some problems with a cruise line and our TA has sorted it all out and obtained refunds for us, complimentary drinks package and perks. She is with a big prestige agency and the cruise lines court their business. It certainly never costs us more than going direct and if you encounter any problems, she has more 'pull' in sorting them out.

Yes I am sure its the same company, I receive regular emails from them, but dont recall every booking through them due to their insistance on "phoning me back"

We booked our first cruise departing in Sept through a TA back in March and wondered right from the beginning exactly "What" it is that we were getting by using a TA. I did all my research for cabin choice myself and anything else i needed to know I actually waited to hear from them to see if they informed me but didnt so once again i would hunt on internet for my own answers.

In recent days when finalising our payments we have been mucked around and she has gotten quite shirty with us and it appears to me that I have 'learnt my lesson' and will book direct for any future cruises.:(

We have just returned from Papua New Guinea on Dawn Princess. During this cruise the Future Cruise Manager did a talk called "Be a Savvy Cruiser". It was very informative. One thing she did say was that if you book direct with Princess you can request your own Travel Planner and this person will handle all your bookings whenever you ring. That way you can get to know the person who is handling your booking at Princess. If you book onboard with Princess you can then come home and shop around and have the booking transferred to your own TA. Also Princess will never undercut a price given to you by a TA. But you might get additional benefits from TA's by shopping around. She said it was important to take control of your own bookings and keep an eye on deals and fare reductions. Don't depend on your TA to do this.

RE FARING ....I always book Princess cruises direct with Princess. 6 weeks ago I booked Diamond Princess, 23 Jan to and from NZ for my wife and 17 year old grand daughter (graduation present!) Original price was $1859 pp for Cat OV partial obstruction. Yesterday I checked prices and found Cat OV had been reduced to $1629. So I rang Princess and requested the re fare, got it no problems, saving $230 pp. Total $460. I have not paid final payment yet, so they did the re fare.

So it pays to monitor prices and book direct.