Booking by travel agent or through Carnival.

[Singer4Him]

So that is true? I have read that a TA can get you certain deals or perks that you wouldn't get otherwise...

 

We've booked through a TA since we began cruising in 2008 and have never gotten a perk other than the fact that she went to bat for us on one occasion and got us a price drop that at first, they denied.

 

However, the last cruise that I booked was on one of the "Dancing of the Ships" and it happened when she was out of town, so unfortunately, I had to wait a week before I could rebook my cruise. I could not do anything thru Carnival since I had booked thru a TA. I don't think I'll book through a TA again since I do most of the left work myself (selecting the ship, dates, cabin, etc.), so I think a PVP might be a better fit for me on future cruises.

 

Just my $.02. :D

[petedacrazycruiser]

Here is my take, TA's play a very important role in all travelers vacation experience. IF, you find a good TA, they will be your go to rep forever. They are a lot of bad TA's, but you interview a few to see who fits your needs. A good TA should be able to find you not only the best rates, but be able to find the best cabin for you and your family. A good TA should also be able to advise you in advance should there be a price change! Most PVP's won't ever do that not give you a price protection. A good TA would more than likely have been a particular cruise or trip you will be on and give you some great advice on where to go, what to do. Most PVP's wouldn't have been on the ship nor tell you what good places are there to eat! A good TA will also advise you on great excursions. A lot of times it has nothing to do with the ship board ones which the PVP will only advise on what is available onboard... Now let's switch gears, If you do it on your own and you have never been on a cruise before, chances are your trip won't be bad, but with no help or direction you are literally on your own!!! In my personal opinion, find a good travel agent, give them a chance and if the experience doesn't workout for you, trust me, you won't pay any extra and you may be surprised on how good of an experience you have. Knowing someone is there for you to help you through out vacation experience in my opinion is priceless.... Oh, one last thing, for the person that said that you have no control over your travel if you use a TA is so far from the truth that I can't even put it into words. You WILL always have control of your vacation, your TA is there to make sure you are taken care of and that you don't fall into any traps!

 

 

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[Smokett]

Go with a PVP. They work for carnival and will help you with whatever questions you have and most of the times are more knowledgeable than some TA's. We are unsure what cruise we want to go on next, we just know we want it to be in November to the Eastern or Southern Carribean so we emailed our PVP. She sent us back a list of cruises and prices. She has always been great at answering questions as well.

[Earthworm Jim]

I think, though opinions seem to differ here, the bottom line is that you are best off with a good TA who will give you extra bonuses out of their commission and watch for any price breaks for you.

 

Unfortunately, the good TAs are few and there is no easy way to find a good TA unless you happen to know someone that has one. So doing it yourself is better than relying on an average or poor TA, just so you can be your own advocate instead of waiting for a TA to contact the cruise line on your behalf.

 

Therefore, unless you get a good recommendation on an excellent TA, skip the TA and do it yourself.

 

NO...unless you have hours to spare, are extremely patient, and are an online junkie.

 

What are you talking about? You can make a reservation in about 10 minutes. And make your final payement in 5 minutes. Yes, eventually you'll have to enter all your pre-boarding info. But if you have a TA I assume you have to tell them all that info, even if they're the ones who actually enter it. That's no time saver.

 

I don't think it requires any great patience. Granted, you might have to do your own research for price reductions, but unless you have an exceptional TA you'll need to do that yourself anyway. The average TA isn't watching price reductions for you.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Earthworm Jim

[tankmc]

I have done both and just do it myself now. Not had a bad experience with a TA but it's so easy doing it yourself and I prefer to just book direct. Everyone who says it takes hours or that you can't do it is just complete BS. I booked in 5 minutes and arranged flights myself in another 10. I'm not a internet wizz and if I have any questions I ask on here and get a reply pretty much asap.

 

 

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[NOLALADY]

what about those online agencies that offer free OBC, drink packages, etc.? I've done TA and PVP and so far, not thrilled with either. But I keep seeing all of these huge perks and wonder if there is a catch? I'm ready to book with one. Does anyone have any input?

Edited February 2, 2016 by NOLALADY

[a91741]

I no longer use travel agents.....I like to have total control of my booking and if I need something from the cruiseline, I do NOT want to have to go through the travel agent who might not be AS responsive once he/she has your money.

 

You will find MOST (not all) travel agents, much like the cruiselines themselves use deceptive marketing/selling practices and horrible bait and switch tactics....believe me, I have been there a few times in my 44 cruises.

 

I once used a travel agent associated with CruiseCritic and boy what a crook she turned out to be......I would just love to name and shame her here! Emailing her before the cruise, she promised a small onboard credit, after she got my money, she said there was not enough profit in the booking for her to honor what she promised the day before. I did get her straightened out though and vowed to NEVER, EVER use a travel agent again.

[pansoup81]

We used carnival pvp for our first and now for our 2nd. Love oura. He has answered all my questions quickly.

 

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[tankmc]

what about those online agencies that offer free OBC, drink packages, etc.? I've done TA and PVP and so far, not thrilled with either. But I keep seeing all of these huge perks and wonder if there is a catch? I'm ready to book with one. Does anyone have any input?

 

Most of the time the perks are just the same as the travel agent. I have never seen a Ta offer free drinks that the cruise line so not offering to everyone. OBC is different so just work out what is the best value.

[Jana60]

Most of the cruise lines allow travel agents to offer special deals and perks but this is not true of Carnival. I have repeatedly reviewed pricing at various sites and have found that Carnival always offers the same deal and indeed for biz travel agent from offering a lower price than they do. Since it's such a hassle to make any changes when using a travel agent I always use my Carnival personal vacation planner. She's like a travel agent in that she takes care of little details for me like submitting my price drop request and submitting my documentation for stockholder OBC.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Jana60