Travel Agent vs Booking Direct

[LostShakerofSalt]

I feel like with booking direct is safer... but travel agents are offering the same price I paid to book with the company + onboard credit. I know things that sound too good to be true, usually are.

 

 

Does anyone have any advice regarding the OBC? Do TAs have higher fees on the back end?

 

Does Royal Caribbean offer any kind of guarantee that we will get the best rate through them? For instance, if we book and the price drops, do we benefit?

 

Sincerely,

 

(Cheap &) Clueless in Cruising

[Cruisin' Again 86]

Travel Agents can get the same rates if not better than the general public, this is done by them booking groups and getting better rates. Travel Agents get paid by the vendors (Royal/Carnival etc.) their commission in NO way affects the prices, check for yourself > go online and price out a cruise, then call a Travel Agent and see what they offer, make sure it is exactly the same, and then compare.

[Virtopia]

I've used a travel agent for all my prior bookings, but now I will start booking directly. I don't get as much as I see some people getting from their TAs, plus I've learned the ropes quite well.

[Archaegeo]

My TA will match any price and doesnt offer OBC, instead they offer an amount off of the cruise price based on "points" you spend that you earn by booking cruises with them

 

They are great, they have always beaten the cruise line direct price easily, including any promotions or discounts.

[Desert Cruizers]

This has been a debated topic for as long as I have been on CC and it will continue. The bottom line is, so long as one is happy with their price, that is all that matters. I have used our TA for all our cruises, even though I research things out well in advance, and know I am dealing with a trusted agency and they value my continued use of their service.

[robflys]

I have always used a travel agent. I am now reconsidering....

 

booked a cruise three weeks ago and was absolutely, without a doubt, promised $100 on-board credit due to the room/amount of guests and we are only getting $50. Plus, they screwed up my dining time and grouped our reservation in with another group/family. I have sent numerous letters/emails/calls to the company and have not even gotten a response from the agent or management. Their customer service operators are cheery, though.

 

I have booked 9 cruises with these folks. No more. Sure, any agent can mess something up, but to ignore me and not even feign interest or throw me a bone? And yes, I've been MORE than cordial and never innappropriate with them.

[netgear2020]

if i know a cruise that I want and the TA is not going to offer me anything free like onboard credit , pre paid tips or something like that , I book directly with royal

 

but if I get OBC or something like , I book with the TA ( hate it but i do it ) :)

[Archaegeo]

Nod, i use to be jealous of obc, till I realized i was getting the cabins for 100 pp less (which is 200 obc equivalent, better even since I can spend it anywhere).

[Topo Gigio]

if i know a cruise that I want and the TA is not going to offer me anything free like onboard credit , pre paid tips or something like that , I book directly with royal

 

but if I get OBC or something like , I book with the TA ( hate it but i do it ) :)

 

It depends because sometimes if you want to change a cabin or something and they are closed you will have to wait till the next day. Besides that there are some (big)travel agents out there that charge for every change you make to your reservation, so in the end it's the same as getting no OBC. I used to have one that charges for a name change, sailing date or cancelation. So if you are going to work with a TA make sure they don't have additional costs if you want to make a change etc.

[medfordgirl]

as of right now my reservation is direct BUT they give you 60 days to transfer to a TA. I have a couple weeks left. I found one TA offering $180 OBC for my D1 room. Another TA is offering $50 and champagne. BUT before I transfer, I am waiting for Feb 29, just in case someone is offering something better for leap year. In the meanwhile I have my transfer form filled out and ready to go. Course the one good thing about booking direct is that you have access to them 24/7 in case there is a price drop (which could go back up before you get a hold of your TA) My last cruise, my parents ended up joining us last minute (5 days before departure) because the price came way down, booked it direct with rccl. I must have been on the phone with them 10 times in 2 days because of price changes and room changes. started with inside guarantee for $499 but then ended up in a D1 balcony for that price. Wouldn't have been able to get that for them if I had gone thru a TA, it was that fast with changes.

[EydieG]

I had also been on the fence about this and was actually planning on booking it myself this time. On the RCCL website they were showing all cabins (in the category that I wanted) were sold out. So I called the TA that I had used in the past and they said they had several left. So that made my decision for me, at least this time.

[goouchjac]

We have been using the same TA for all our cruises,,he takes good care of us,,also gives really good OBC,, I can do it myself,,have cruised alot and know the ins and outs,,but he's been very good with us and the family,,so when we decide,,I pickup the phone and he does the rest:D:D..

[goouchjac]

I had also been on the fence about this and was actually planning on booking it myself this time. On the RCCL website they were showing all cabins (in the category that I wanted) were sold out. So I called the TA that I had used in the past and they said they had several left. So that made my decision for me, at least this time.

 

I really think they do go out of their way to get you what you want,,,and our TA is available all the time for me to talk to him about anything,,actually,,we have gotten to be friends:D..