Booking with NCL Directly Yay or Nay?

[Cbum]

We booked a cruise for late Jan 2018. We had friends who cruised out of NY on the Breakaway and were married in Bermuda. They recommended an agent with NCL that we called and booked with. We thought the offer of the UBP and 3 days dining were going to expire so we booked. If booking directly was not a good idea, what are our options at this point? We booked the Getaway Category MA Rm 14172 Western Caribbean. Any suggestions or recommendations including the room we booked are more than welcomed. Thanks

[shof515]

i always book direct with NCL, if there is any problems with the booking, you can call them up without going through your travel agent

 

i find dealing with a travel agent can be a headache because you have to contact them and they contact NCL

[BirdTravels]

Booking directly was fine. We do.

 

You have until June 2017 to cancel with no penalty. You will get the promotions available at the time of re-booking. Since you didn't take the free gratuities (which is what was driving people to book at the end of last month), you could rebook today and get the same promos.

 

Also, realize that a mini-suite is the same room size as a balcony with the same amenities. The difference in room size is in a bigger bathroom. Nothing wrong with a mini-suite (we always book one). But is is NOT a suite. And does NOT get suite privileges.

Edited December 16, 2016 by BirdTravels

[sanger727]

Booking direct isn't wrong. Some people have a regular travel agent that they use that consistently gives them booking benefits (OBC, reduced rate, free grats, etc), but those are usually for consistent bookings, not necessarily for the first one. I have a company that I book with sometimes when they offer better rates, but they don't always. Do some searching online at this point and if you find a better rate advertised, contact that company and you can either transfer your booking to them or cancel and rebook. otherwise, there's nothing wrong w keeping your booking direct. it certainly is simpler for price drops to call NCL directly.

[Cbum]

Wow!! Thanks for the quick responses!!

 

@sanger727 We're new to cruising on NCL. Price Drops? What is that all about and how would you find out if there is one?

 

@BirdTravels Thanks for the info!!

 

@shof515 Thanks!!

[MikeyB]

Booking directly with NCL is not really smart when you consider that a TA might rebate part of their commission back to you.

[rocklinmom]

Just keep an eye on the fare for the cabin you booked as the time goes by. If you see the fare drop, and it is before final payment, you can call and get your booking refared at the lower price. You would have to accept whatever promo was going on at that time, and would lose anything you currently have. Sometimes you end up with an even better promo later. And getting the lower fare can save you quite a bit (for example, the balcony cabins I booked dropped from $1909 pp to $1799, and for four of us that saved me $440). And I caught the lower fare while the promo I already had was still good, so I didn't lose any of it. It's all in the timing. If you have a TA you would have to call them first and they would have to call it in for you. I always book direct and like to handle everything myself, and if I have any questions I just call and ask. One more note, you have booked a deck 14 minisuite that is under the pool. There are many complaints about deck chairs being moved around and the band music that is right above. You obviously have plenty of time to look at all of the Getaway minisuite locations and change to a different one if you want.

[ECCruise]

Approaching 70 cruises and never have booked direct with any cruise line and never would.

 

The money we have saved in reduced fares (e.g., group pricing), onboard credits and other perks have more than fully paid for a number of cruises (we are talking thousands and thousands of dollars). None of that would we have received had we booked direct. They pocket all that extra money by not paying commissions, not give it to you.

[MikeBTN]

Advantages to booking direct - you have full control of your reservation.

 

Advantages to booking with a TA - many of them will give up a portion of their commission, either in On Board Credit or a reduced price.

 

Disadvantages to booking with a TA - you must call your TA and then your TA must make any changes.

 

 

As long as you're before final payment, you can transfer your booking to a travel agent should you choose to do so.

[punkincc]

Advantages to booking direct - you have full control of your reservation.

 

Advantages to booking with a TA - many of them will give up a portion of their commission, either in On Board Credit or a reduced price.

 

Disadvantages to booking with a TA - you must call your TA and then your TA must make any changes.

 

 

As long as you're before final payment, you can transfer your booking to a travel agent should you choose to do so.

 

 

 

The new rule re the transfer of a booking to a TA is that you have a 60 day window. After that you would need to cancel and rebook with the TA.

 

It is interesting that what some list as a disadvantage to booking with a TA, the fact that your TA needs to handle anything related to the booking, cabin changes, price drops, promo change, etc., I actually consider a big advantage.

 

Why would anyone want to call NCL, wait on hold, try to explain to a brand new customer service rep what you want to accomplish, listen to them tell you that it can't be done, argue with them, escalate to supervisor. Instead, you can just call your TA and they handle it for you.

 

I don't relinquish "control" of my booking to a TA, I direct it, and the TA does the grunt work for me.

[BostonGal35]

we always work with our PCC at NCL. i havent used a travel agent in close to 20 years. no need to if you are savvy with research and the internet.

[detroitlions]

The new rule re the transfer of a booking to a TA is that you have a 60 day window. After that you would need to cancel and rebook with the TA.

 

It is interesting that what some list as a disadvantage to booking with a TA, the fact that your TA needs to handle anything related to the booking, cabin changes, price drops, promo change, etc., I actually consider a big advantage.

 

Why would anyone want to call NCL, wait on hold, try to explain to a brand new customer service rep what you want to accomplish, listen to them tell you that it can't be done, argue with them, escalate to supervisor. Instead, you can just call your TA and they handle it for you.

 

I don't relinquish "control" of my booking to a TA, I direct it, and the TA does the grunt work for me.

I do not agree with this for a few reasons. People on here saying they save thousands is hard to believe I think they are not internet savey and believe the brochure prices there TA gives them is the real price which I find hilarious and so wrong.

Now don't get me wrong I have booked with a TA and did get a few perks but not enough to make me ga ga over it.

I have had more problems with a TA then booking online direct for sure.

Some TA's are not quick to answer calls or they make it a big hassle to get you what you want after the original booking. When I call direct I do not have to deal with a middle man that pretends they hooked me up with something special when its the same I could of received on my own a lot quicker.

The most I have received was a bottle of cheap wine and a $200 credit but when I had a price drop that trip my TA screwed up and did not get me credit or a upgrade so it was a wash and a disappointing hassle.

[shof515]

Approaching 70 cruises and never have booked direct with any cruise line and never would.

 

The money we have saved in reduced fares (e.g., group pricing), onboard credits and other perks have more than fully paid for a number of cruises (we are talking thousands and thousands of dollars). None of that would we have received had we booked direct. They pocket all that extra money by not paying commissions, not give it to you.

 

I booked the Breakaway to Bahamas a few days ago, i price compare a lot of travel agents and they all offered the same price NCL has, the same promos NCL has, etc. I have to yet to find a travel agent that offers a cheaper discounted price. Even in all of my previous cruises, the travel agent was the same price as the cruise line. I only found one travel agent a few years ago that did offer an extra on board credit but that seemed to be a one time thing only because when i tried to book with them again, they did not offer anything extra.

[khaide612]

With an MA category, you have up until 90 days before the trip to cancel without penalty. Shop around for prices and keep an eye on promos. If you find a better deal, cancel and rebook.

[ECCruise]

I booked the Breakaway to Bahamas a few days ago, i price compare a lot of travel agents and they all offered the same price NCL has, the same promos NCL has, etc. I have to yet to find a travel agent that offers a cheaper discounted price. Even in all of my previous cruises, the travel agent was the same price as the cruise line. I only found one travel agent a few years ago that did offer an extra on board credit but that seemed to be a one time thing only because when i tried to book with them again, they did not offer anything extra.

 

I guess then we have been making a real mistake.

 

Have never booked a cruise without TA OBC. Have booked with over a dozen TAs over the years, so I guess they might be out there. In addition, TAs sometimes have access to group prices (many times 10-20% less than direct).

Shop around.

[ECCruise]

I do not agree with this for a few reasons. People on here saying they save thousands is hard to believe I think they are not internet savey and believe the brochure prices there TA gives them is the real price which I find hilarious and so wrong.

Now don't get me wrong I have booked with a TA and did get a few perks but not enough to make me ga ga over it.

I have had more problems with a TA then booking online direct for sure.

Some TA's are not quick to answer calls or they make it a big hassle to get you what you want after the original booking. When I call direct I do not have to deal with a middle man that pretends they hooked me up with something special when its the same I could of received on my own a lot quicker.

The most I have received was a bottle of cheap wine and a $200 credit but when I had a price drop that trip my TA screwed up and did not get me credit or a upgrade so it was a wash and a disappointing hassle.

 

If you are talking about me, I guess you could be further from the truth but can't quite figure how. Not internet savvy? How about developing, owning and managing a family of websites (since 1998) that generally generate 1.5-2 million unique users annually. Have taken almost all of our 65 cruises fully paid for by the income from that business.

 

Honestly, in the almost 20 years we have been sailing, I think I have devoted maybe a half dozen total hours on the phone straightening out issues with a TA.

 

I research fully, and when I call my current TA I give her sailing, category and cabin number. She quotes a total price and amount of OBC or other perks that may be available. Locked in and done in a manner of minutes, all by email. I haven't even talked to her on the phone in about a dozen cruises.

 

As I said before, there is nothing that would cause me to book direct with a cruise line, unless they try to eliminate TAs like Renaissance did in the late 90s. And we know where they ended up :)

[punkincc]

I do not agree with this for a few reasons. People on here saying they save thousands is hard to believe I think they are not internet savey and believe the brochure prices there TA gives them is the real price which I find hilarious and so wrong.

Now don't get me wrong I have booked with a TA and did get a few perks but not enough to make me ga ga over it.

I have had more problems with a TA then booking online direct for sure.

Some TA's are not quick to answer calls or they make it a big hassle to get you what you want after the original booking. When I call direct I do not have to deal with a middle man that pretends they hooked me up with something special when its the same I could of received on my own a lot quicker.

The most I have received was a bottle of cheap wine and a $200 credit but when I had a price drop that trip my TA screwed up and did not get me credit or a upgrade so it was a wash and a disappointing hassle.

 

 

We have used TAs several times, and sometimes their offerings are not as great as others. Timing is everything. My current cruise was already booked with NCL, ( no OBC, one Promo ) but still within the 60 day window, and I was able to transfer. I was lucky enough to find a TA offering a great Black Friday sale. I got a group cruise rate, and for my inside cabin was able to get TWO Promos, rather than the ONE NCL direct offered. I already had Free Gratuities, so I chose the UBP for the second, and the great thing about that is that the TA picks up the gratuities on the package, saving us more than $400 for this 17 day cruise. In addition the TA gave us $100 OBC.

 

So can you see how the savings are starting to add up? In fact, this TA is still offering the Gratuities as a promo, even though NCL has replaced it with the Shore Exc credit again. For our 17 day cruise, that would add up to $459 for two people.

 

Not saying you don't have to do your homework. Before I call a TA, I know exactly what my cruise will cost with NCL direct, and what I'll get with the booking. Then it's easy to window shop the TA offerings to find one that is worth booking for.

[tmilak]

I would have to say NAY. I get hundreds of dollars in OBC from my TA and they also always pay my gratuities.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

The new rule re the transfer of a booking to a TA is that you have a 60 day window. After that you would need to cancel and rebook with the TA.

 

It is interesting that what some list as a disadvantage to booking with a TA, the fact that your TA needs to handle anything related to the booking, cabin changes, price drops, promo change, etc., I actually consider a big advantage.

 

Why would anyone want to call NCL, wait on hold, try to explain to a brand new customer service rep what you want to accomplish, listen to them tell you that it can't be done, argue with them, escalate to supervisor. Instead, you can just call your TA and they handle it for you.

 

I don't relinquish "control" of my booking to a TA, I direct it, and the TA does the grunt work for me.

 

I totally agree. It's no hassle at all to work with my TA. I just sent her an email and she takes care of it. I've used her for three bookings now and will continue as long as she continues to offer good service. She also gives me OBC of about 10% of the cruise fare and the fare is usually $50 to $100 less than booking directly with NCL.

 

we always work with our PCC at NCL. i havent used a travel agent in close to 20 years. no need to if you are savvy with research and the internet.

 

I work in tech and am very internet savvy. Also used to be a researcher. LOL. When I call my TA, I know what sailing I want and also my cabin. I don't need a TA to do research for me--I book with my TA because it saves me hundreds of dollars over booking directly with NCL.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I booked the Breakaway to Bahamas a few days ago, i price compare a lot of travel agents and they all offered the same price NCL has, the same promos NCL has, etc. I have to yet to find a travel agent that offers a cheaper discounted price. Even in all of my previous cruises, the travel agent was the same price as the cruise line. I only found one travel agent a few years ago that did offer an extra on board credit but that seemed to be a one time thing only because when i tried to book with them again, they did not offer anything extra.

 

It sounds like you may be comparing prices by looking at online rates--is that correct? That would be why you're not finding differences. You need to contact them to see what they will offer you. Many of the cruise lines won't allow TAs to advertise a lower rate, but when you contact them it may be a different story. I wouldn't bother booking with a TA if there were no cost benefit to doing it.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I do not agree with this for a few reasons. People on here saying they save thousands is hard to believe I think they are not internet savey and believe the brochure prices there TA gives them is the real price which I find hilarious and so wrong.

Now don't get me wrong I have booked with a TA and did get a few perks but not enough to make me ga ga over it.

I have had more problems with a TA then booking online direct for sure.

Some TA's are not quick to answer calls or they make it a big hassle to get you what you want after the original booking. When I call direct I do not have to deal with a middle man that pretends they hooked me up with something special when its the same I could of received on my own a lot quicker.

The most I have received was a bottle of cheap wine and a $200 credit but when I had a price drop that trip my TA screwed up and did not get me credit or a upgrade so it was a wash and a disappointing hassle.

 

You do need to do your research on TAs--they're not all good, but some of them really are. Just like any industry. If you book with a TA who isn't quick to respond and doesn't continue to take care of you once the booking is complete, then you need to find a different TA. Mine doesn't pretend she's hooked me up with anything special and what she does give me I wouldn't get by booking directly with the cruise line. The three bookings I've done with her, I've saved $250 total on the fares and gotten about $800 in OBC. So, more than $1,000 in just three cruises. That's not something NCL will do.

[Oldgoat61]

Cbum......EC, and Pink are correct, you can save money and get more bang for your buck by using a TA. I have used several myself, and I have booked directly with the cruise line. The key (as mentioned earlier) is to do your research, know what cabin type you want, where you want to be on the ship, and know what perks you want that NCL is offering.

 

A TA will give you the NCL perks and then some (generally OBC), at least that has been my experience. I rarely call my TA, everything is done by computer. I almost always know at least 12 months out what my next cruise will be.

 

The price of a cruise always depends on demand. If cabins aren't selling, the price goes down, if the demand is high, the price goes up. Timing, as you can see, plays a role.

 

Hope this helps! :D

[TruckerDave]

Ford/Chevy...coke/pepsi....nikon/canon...NCL/CCL....this is one of those topics that brings out the same arguments on both sides over and over. :rolleyes:

[ECCruise]

Ford/Chevy...coke/pepsi....nikon/canon...NCL/CCL....this is one of those topics that brings out the same arguments on both sides over and over. :rolleyes:

 

True. But for the life of me, since we are talking real live money here, why some continue to argue.

 

Here are our TA OBCs for the next 5 bookings. Nothing more than plain vanilla balcony cabins (no minis, no suites). Any OBC from the cruise line would be additional (and all direct bookers would get).

 

$550

$100

$150.

$200

$400

 

For the poster who "didn't believe" that I had saved "thousands" in 65 cruises, those total $1400 in only 5 sailings.

[Vacationlover2]

I do not agree with this for a few reasons. People on here saying they save thousands is hard to believe I think they are not internet savey and believe the brochure prices there TA gives them is the real price which I find hilarious and so wrong.

Now don't get me wrong I have booked with a TA and did get a few perks but not enough to make me ga ga over it.

I have had more problems with a TA then booking online direct for sure.

Some TA's are not quick to answer calls or they make it a big hassle to get you what you want after the original booking. When I call direct I do not have to deal with a middle man that pretends they hooked me up with something special when its the same I could of received on my own a lot quicker.

The most I have received was a bottle of cheap wine and a $200 credit but when I had a price drop that trip my TA screwed up and did not get me credit or a upgrade so it was a wash and a disappointing hassle.

I use the company my timeshare exchanges through to book my cruises. I always compare their rate to ncls. I can tell you I have saved approximately $600 per cabin, so I too have saved thousand over time. It is true and can be done.

 

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