Best way to make cruise reservations? Cruiseline directly? TA or other third party?

I am looking at a Western Carribean Christmas 2010 cruise for my family. This will be my 4th cruise overall, first with a particular cruiseline (I don't know if I can mention it directly, I read the rules on mentioning companies, travel agents, ect). I have looked a third party website I would get their membership discounted price, and a warehouse store I belong to's website and they all pretty much have the same price for the same cabin I want on this cruise.

What are the pros and cons of booking directly with the cruiseline's website, or with a travel agency, or through another third party?

Sorry to be so vague, I just don't know if I can mention the cruiseline I want to go on or any other details!

Thanks!

Yes, you are allowed to mention the name of the cruise lines. You are NOT allowed to mention the names of any travel agents.

I always book directly with the cruise line since I enjoy having control over my reservation. Others prefer to have a travel agent do the work for them. It's all personal preference. You'll get the same price regardless of where you book since the cruise lines do not allow travel agents to discount their cruises.

Hi. We booked our first 3 cruises directly with the cruiselines, then I learned of the discounts available through a TA. Now we use our whse club TA. I have checked out other TA sites online, but they seemed to quote the same price as the cruise line so why bother.

Every cruise we've taken using the TA has been priced lower than the cruise line directly--except for the upcoming Celebrity one for which we got the same price with a nice onboard credit. Apparently Celebrity doesn't discount. But for Princess, Norwegian, RC and Carnival, we always got a better price with a TA, sometimes even WITH an onboard credit to boot. IMO it's worth investigating.

The deposit shows as directly from the cruise line on the credit card statement. Once the res is made, you can log onto your cruiseline account and it should appear there for you to make requests, etc.

I am looking at a Western Carribean Christmas 2010 cruise for my family. This will be my 4th cruise overall, first with a particular cruiseline (I don't know if I can mention it directly, I read the rules on mentioning companies, travel agents, ect). I have looked a third party website I would get their membership discounted price, and a warehouse store I belong to's website and they all pretty much have the same price for the same cabin I want on this cruise.

 

What are the pros and cons of booking directly with the cruiseline's website, or with a travel agency, or through another third party?

 

Sorry to be so vague, I just don't know if I can mention the cruiseline I want to go on or any other details!

Thanks!

We always just book with the cruiseline, then when we see a better price with our online ta we just call the cruiseline, usually Princess and transfere the booking to the ta. Our ta takes care of the rest. Now we will get the better price and obc if offered to boot. This is nothing out of the ordinary just a normal way to get the best price. Now if the price goes down again you call the ta and they will get you the better price.

We book with a web TA that we have used for 5 years for AI and cruise vacations. She appreciates our loyalty and goes out of her way to get us booked at the lowest price and gives up a good amount of her commision to keep us booking with her firm and offering obc's.

If you don't need a lot of hand holding, do your own research and then price the exact ship, category and itinerary at several agencies. Take the best offer. Make sure there are no hidden fees etc.

I agree with everything that has been mentioned about using TA (as long as they specialize in cruising and are familiar with the ships). The prices of the cruise with our TA is the same, however, we do get a percentage of what we paid back at the time of the cruise. Also, there are substantial on board credits on some cruises.

The one point that has not been brought up is if/when you have a problem with a cruise. Perhaps you were in a cabin where something did not work and was not able to get fixed. . . . or, as happened to a few ships in 2009, there is a mechanical breakdown and your cruise is cut short. It really helps to have someone go to bat for you. The cruiseline wants to compensate the least amount possible for these type of things. TA's, on the other hand, want to get the most for their client. Here is where the specialization of the TA comes into play. As an example, if "xyz Travel Agency" books a substantial amount of business on Carnival, they know exactly who to speak with to get you the compensation you deserve. They are your advocates!

Note: I am not a TA -- just have a great one:-)

I use a 'brick and mortar' TA in my hometown. I do the research myself for prices and he always matches. Also throws in some perks for us. My thought has always been that the cruise line will not discount me for what they would pay the TA in commission, so I'm going to try to create a job by booking thru him, and get the same price anyway. If the cruise lines would like to discount me for saving them money I might change my mind!!

Yes, you are allowed to mention the name of the cruise lines. You are NOT allowed to mention the names of any travel agents.

 

I always book directly with the cruise line since I enjoy having control over my reservation. Others prefer to have a travel agent do the work for them. It's all personal preference. You'll get the same price regardless of where you book since the cruise lines do not allow travel agents to discount their cruises.

Sorry, but that is not true. There are some cruise lines that do not allow travel agent discounting (such as the lines of the Royal Caribbean group) but many cruise lines impose no such restrictions. Even if the cruise line prohibits discounting, the TA can circumvent that by giving you an OBC or prepaying your gratuities.

We always get a discount and/or an OBC when booking through a TA. The discount is the main reason we book through a TA.

I am saving over 400.00 with an online agency.. 225.00 room, and 175.00 OBC. They are not a big online agency.. I used them my last cruise in Sept.. no complaints. This is with HAL.. both cruises.

While we are cruising we put down deposits on future cruises to be decided at a later date -- HAL.

Then when we get home we decide when and where we want to go.

We are fortunate that we have had the same TA for over 23 years and she takes care of the final details once we make a decision. Of course we know what cabin we want, dining preferences, etc., which makes her job easy.

I've booked our last cruise and this one with the same online TA since we were given free prepaid gratuities for both. Otherwise the rates were the same as through the cruise line. We've had no problems, and was able to call the TA and easily get a price drop a few months ago.

Go with whoever gives you the best deal.

I booked our last cruise on my own, after using a TA for several previous trips. I believe I read where some people book on their own and then switch to their TA at some point to give them some credit...but I can't find that discussion any longer.

If you have done this...when is the best time to switch to your TA?

ie. I booked our cruise last summer for a May 2010 cruise. In Feb. there is a deadline for final payment. Should I transfer to the TA before or after this date (or not worry about it at all)

Thanks for any suggestions.

According to my Carnival TA, he said transfers can be made to a different travel agency up until the final payment is paid. If you get the Early Saver discount, however, transfers can't be made at all.

Go with whoever gives you the best deal.

not always the best sound advice.....in some cases you pay for what you get only to find out that the customer service sucks or change fee's are not disclosed.... it pays to be an informed shopper before making a decision who to book your vacation travel with.

According to my Carnival TA, he said transfers can be made to a different travel agency up until the final payment is paid. If you get the Early Saver discount, however, transfers can't be made at all.

Incorrect info you have been given. Transferring a booking to a TA can only be done within a 30 day window after initial deposit is made. This policy just was changed not too long ago.

I booked our last cruise on my own, after using a TA for several previous trips. I believe I read where some people book on their own and then switch to their TA at some point to give them some credit...but I can't find that discussion any longer.

 

If you have done this...when is the best time to switch to your TA?

 

ie. I booked our cruise last summer for a May 2010 cruise. In Feb. there is a deadline for final payment. Should I transfer to the TA before or after this date (or not worry about it at all)

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

Depends on the cruiseline... with CCL, you have a 30 day window after deposit to make the transfer. Other cruiselines will allow it until the day before final payment date (per cruiseline).

To get back the OP's question, with the exception of my first cruise I have used nothing but online TA's. I shop it pretty hard and don't need any hand holding - just book it and forget it. The prices have always been lower than the lines.

Those that may need higher maintenance should use a local TA or the cruiseline PVP's and should expect to pay more for it (but that's nota bad thing either). Like I mentioned, on my first cruise I had no idea what to do or expect so I went with a cruiseline agent and was willing to pay for it. Now since I believe I know what's going on, I need little assistance.

Everyone is a bit different so choose according to your needs.