Book direct with NCL or use travel agent

[vacation44]

Always book directly on website.  However, would love to use the TA I use for our Disney trips (she is absolutely the best).   My concern is would I be able to book dining, excursions, shows etc. myself or would she have to do it?

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

Always book directly on website.  However, would love to use the TA I use for our Disney trips (she is absolutely the best).   My concern is would I be able to book dining, excursions, shows etc. myself or would she have to do it?

You can still do that bit.

 

I've never used a TA, so can't talk from experience, but my understanding is that all the stuff that is done through myncl (dining, shows, excursions) is still done that way. You need to get your TA involved if you want to do other things though.

[DCGuy64]

We've always used a TA for cruise bookings. Folks who "go it alone" should remember that when you choose to do it yourself, you're working with potentially a whole host of personal cruise consultants from different lines and/or you have to pore over multiple sites and itineraries. With our agent, we just tell him we want to go somewhere during a certain month and he compares the best deals. Unless you always cruise with the same cruise line, it's better (in my opinion) to have a TA who isn't beholden to a particular line. Our agent even prepares us a detailed spreadsheet with the types of cabins, costs (with a breakdown of room cost, taxes + fees, promotions, beverage packages, etc.) and the names of the ships.

There are consolidator sites that show you multiple cruise lines, but their sites tend to be ad-heavy and they bombard you with emails, so I prefer to work with a personal friend (who also cruises). I never have to wait long to get a reply to any question, either. Usually it's within minutes. I vote for using an agent. YMMV.

[Sailing12Away]

9 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Our agent even prepares us a detailed spreadsheet with the types of cabins, costs (with a breakdown of room cost, taxes + fees, promotions, beverage packages, etc.) and the names of the ships.

There are consolidator sites that show you multiple cruise lines, but their sites tend to be ad-heavy and they bombard you with emails, so I prefer to work with a personal friend (who also cruises). 

You mean like this? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SjF2SR0Ed_c4hTAZ0ULdmZK19YcdGL30/edit#gid=152315093

 

I put something like this together myself whenever we're thinking of dipping into the vacation fund. I just haven't found a TA I can trust to do as thorough a job as I am currently doing myself. 

 

TA's don't get paid by us, so they're not really looking out for our best interest. They'll always lean you towards the company or trip that gives the best kickbacks to them first - not what is necessarily best for you.

[DCGuy64]

20 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

You mean like this? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SjF2SR0Ed_c4hTAZ0ULdmZK19YcdGL30/edit#gid=152315093

 

I put something like this together myself whenever we're thinking of dipping into the vacation fund. I just haven't found a TA I can trust to do as thorough a job as I am currently doing myself. 

 

TA's don't get paid by us, so they're not really looking out for our best interest. They'll always lean you towards the company or trip that gives the best kickbacks to them first - not what is necessarily best for you.

Yes, that's an excellent example of what I was talking about! But instead of listing only NCL options as yours does, our TA puts together a list of options from NCL, Carnival, RCL, MSC, Princess, HAL, etc. And a nice spreadsheet like yours takes time to put together, time I really don't have. That's why it's awesome to have a professional travel agent.

As I said at the end of my post, YMMV, Your Mileage May Vary. No doubt some travel agents will steer you toward the lines that give them the best kickbacks, but that's never been the case with our guy. He's a personal friend and someone I used to work with. I think it'd be harder to trust a faceless person I just found on the internet. I used to do the legwork myself on cruises, but the amount of time I invested became too much. I work full time and have a second career as a singer, plus we have 3 rental properties. I'd rather leave the hassle to my friend the TA. 😊

[Sthrngary]

9 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

You mean like this? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SjF2SR0Ed_c4hTAZ0ULdmZK19YcdGL30/edit#gid=152315093

 

I put something like this together myself whenever we're thinking of dipping into the vacation fund. I just haven't found a TA I can trust to do as thorough a job as I am currently doing myself. 

 

TA's don't get paid by us, so they're not really looking out for our best interest. They'll always lean you towards the company or trip that gives the best kickbacks to them first - not what is necessarily best for you.

OK, you got my attention and admiration.  I thought I was the only one to do Excel Spreadsheets to both choose a choose and to set my agenda.  Bravo.  On to your question that I hesitated to answer because it can get folks really upset. It is kind of like brand loyalty.  If you are really into a brand and someone says something negative about the brand, watch out.

 

I have used Discount Houses, Travel Agents and booked directly with the Cruise Brand.  Regardless of whom I use, I still do my due diligence.  Our needs and choose of stateroom are different however our approach seems to be the same.  My wife and I tend at this late stage in our lives to go in the VIP sections of the Main Stream and Premium Cruise Brands.  MSC=Yacht Club; Retreat=Celebrity and my all-time favorite is the Haven=NCL.  

 

My approach is to look at every single amenity that is provided and compare it.  All brands are GREAT at differentiating them selves from each other.  Very similar to Ford and Chevrolet. I actually wrote an OP-ED on "The Secrets of the the NCL HAVEN Luxury Experience."  The topic at hand is to use a TA or Book Direct so I will not drill down on that article.  Now you know that yes, there are other crazy folks just like you.  I consider knowing all the fact a sport. 

 

After doing all this information, one might think I would always go with the Cruise Brand.  I do not.  I use a Cruise Travel Consultant.  I do this to gain my American Express Platinum Perks which have ranged from $300.00 to $700.00 depending on the brand and stateroom/suite I select.  In most cases, I do the pre-work like your spread sheet, call my agent and tell her exactly what I want her to do. It I think I might miss my selected specific suite, I have also booked online and had my agent pick up the booking. 

 

The only downside is if there is a major issue on the cruise.  When that happens, we all have to remember, the TA is the client to the cruise line and we are the third party.  The cruise like will not really talk to us and the agents have not fought for me as I would fight for myself.  Other then that, using my TA simply gets me the perks I am looking to gain.

 

Most recently, I wanted to go on my first Luxury Cruise Brand.  I did all my normal due diligence and booked online the day the itinerary was open with the cruise brand which was Crystal Cruises.  The representative was top notch.  Yet, the brand did not offer the American Express Perks so I transparently share I was going to have me TA take over the reservation.  

 

I also want to say, I tried, key word tried to us a somewhat famous YouTube(tm) Travel Agent that actually went on Crystal which my agent did not.  The communication was horrible.  My lesson was simple. Do business with a good agent that can gain you the perks and know what you are buying.  

 

That is my story and I hope it helps everyone.  I will give as much details as anyone wants.  Cruise well everyone.

 

[Sailing12Away]

17 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes, that's an excellent example of what I was talking about! But instead of listing only NCL options as yours does, our TA puts together a list of options from NCL, Carnival, RCL, MSC, Princess, HAL, etc. And a nice spreadsheet like yours takes time to put together, time I really don't have. That's why it's awesome to have a professional travel agent.

There's separate tabs for each cruise line at the bottom of the sheet. Since the cabin types and perks vary too much, it's not fair to compare them directly. NCL has the price of drinks built in, so they'll always come out higher than RCC unless you added a ballpark price for that into the estimates.

[Sailing12Away]

14 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

OK, you got my attention and admiration.  I thought I was the only one to do Excel Spreadsheets to both choose a choose and to set my agenda.  Bravo. 

 

Hooray for being a fellow spreadsheet nerd!

 

My favorite part is seeing what prices were when I first started watching them and booked vs now. I have a different sheet that I use for watching flight prices to know when to book those too. I keep joking that I need to give up on this whole science thing and just become a travel planner.

[Sthrngary]

3 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Hooray for being a fellow spreadsheet nerd!

 

My favorite part is seeing what prices were when I first started watching them and booked vs now. I have a different sheet that I use for watching flight prices to know when to book those too. I keep joking that I need to give up on this whole science thing and just become a travel planner.

Don't give up.  It is SPORT and a HOBBY.  I did a very interesting one on Luxury Cruising.  The hardest part you referred to above.  To do a true apple to apple comparison takes lots of work.  For me, I want to set a realistic expectation of what I will get and not get on a cruise.  That way, I always, "Know the Rules to the Game".  I think it is also very important to fully understand, when full payment happens, getting the brand to give you the new lower fare is no easy task.  Again, realistic expectations are the key.  

 

Cruise well and often.

[DCGuy64]

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

There's separate tabs for each cruise line at the bottom of the sheet. Since the cabin types and perks vary too much, it's not fair to compare them directly. NCL has the price of drinks built in, so they'll always come out higher than RCC unless you added a ballpark price for that into the estimates.

Oh OK, I didn’t see that the first time, I was looking at this while trying to do work from my office at home so I didn’t see the stuff at the bottom. This is a really awesome spreadsheet, congratulations. Maybe when I retire I’ll have enough time to create one myself. You did a fantastic job. I think you’re already a pro from the looks of it. 😊 

[ClevelandCruisin]

Book myself. Using the people through NCL is not fun. To do anything on your reservation, it must be done through them. It's like dealing with a car sales person... I like to control my own vacation. Using a TA, probably the same thing, unless you are looking for deals, but you'll have to deal with them for everything again. But again, that is me.... if you like a TA or the people at NCL booking for you, then go for it.

[SpainAlien]

What I can tell you is that not all travel agents give your booking access to upgrade advantage

 

[KeithJenner]

5 hours ago, ClevelandCruisin said:

Book myself. Using the people through NCL is not fun. To do anything on your reservation, it must be done through them. It's like dealing with a car sales person... I like to control my own vacation. Using a TA, probably the same thing, unless you are looking for deals, but you'll have to deal with them for everything again. But again, that is me.... if you like a TA or the people at NCL booking for you, then go for it.

Who do you mean by "the people at NCL"?

 

I use a PPC to book purely because I use cruise next vouchers and it can be difficult getting the website to pick them up correctly. Other than the fact that I phone him to do a booking rather than doing it online it is exactly the same. I can still just phone the main NCL number if I want anything, regardless of whether I booked via him or online.

[Trimone]

Always remember when things go wrong TA are useless to the degree that when the Ash cloud closed the whole travel industry only people booked directly with Costa were allowed to stay on board, the rest of us put onshore to our own means, before you say insurance, they claimed it was an act of God! Everyone for themselves 

[WarfRatWA]

I book direct with NCL.  I do my own research and prefer to have complete control  I also manage our own flights due to often using miles for airfare.  While I might potentially give up some OBC or other perk by not using a TA; my OCD is assuaged by maintaining this level of control.  Perhaps one day I'll try a TA and will probably love it.

[ClevelandCruisin]

3 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Who do you mean by "the people at NCL"?

 

I use a PPC to book purely because I use cruise next vouchers and it can be difficult getting the website to pick them up correctly. Other than the fact that I phone him to do a booking rather than doing it online it is exactly the same. I can still just phone the main NCL number if I want anything, regardless of whether I booked via him or online.

Like I said in my post you can use whoever you want. We just had a bad experience with cruise consultants, so I'm just sharing my thoughts. Cruise next certs are a headache after the pandemic. Trying to transfer them from canceled cruise one after another,  never again. So we just choose to control our own vacation. 

[KeithJenner]

6 minutes ago, ClevelandCruisin said:

Like I said in my post you can use whoever you want. We just had a bad experience with cruise consultants, so I'm just sharing my thoughts. Cruise next certs are a headache after the pandemic. Trying to transfer them from canceled cruise one after another,  never again. So we just choose to control our own vacation. 

I wasn’t making a point, I was asking a question. Did you mean PCC’s as “the people at NCL”? In my experience using a PCC just means having a contact who you have previously spoken to when you call NCL, so is very different to using a TA, so I’m wondering whether you mean something different.

Edited July 3, 2021 by KeithJenner

[HuliHuli]

14 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

There's separate tabs for each cruise line at the bottom of the sheet. Since the cabin types and perks vary too much, it's not fair to compare them directly. NCL has the price of drinks built in, so they'll always come out higher than RCC unless you added a ballpark price for that into the estimates.

Indeed @Sailing12Away's spreadsheets are awesome, speaking as someone who has viewed her work for months.  I prefer to do my own research and have a detailed spreadsheet template that takes ALL cruise costs into account - travel, hotels, direct cruise costs including amenities, discounts tied to booking methods, rebates, etc.  Armed with that detail, I can book directly or use a TA that offers the Best Value for like cruises.  Does it take a little effort?  Sure, but can yield hundreds of dollars of difference in vacation cost.

[Sthrngary]

9 hours ago, ClevelandCruisin said:

Book myself. Using the people through NCL is not fun. To do anything on your reservation, it must be done through them. It's like dealing with a car sales person... I like to control my own vacation. Using a TA, probably the same thing, unless you are looking for deals, but you'll have to deal with them for everything again. But again, that is me.... if you like a TA or the people at NCL booking for you, then go for it.

Hello ClevelandCruisin:  I used to live across the street from the Market in Ohio City.  A GREAT time in my life and miss Cleveland and tailgating so very much.  I had to say that, good times.

 

This topic comes up all the time on every cruise social media platform.  No one ever agrees, lots of debate and conversation.  It always comes down to personal preference.  Sometimes, TA kick in to justify their value and we simply can't blame them.  They as well as all the cruise brands have had one tough 16 months.  

 

I have already posted my preferences and why so I do not want to be redundant.  What is good about this conversation is regardless of whom you use to book a cruise, we will all be cruising soon enough.  Here is to our first Bon Voyage drink together.  Cruise well everyone.

[ClevelandCruisin]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Hello ClevelandCruisin:  I used to live across the street from the Market in Ohio City.  A GREAT time in my life and miss Cleveland and tailgating so very much.  I had to say that, good times.

 

This topic comes up all the time on every cruise social media platform.  No one ever agrees, lots of debate and conversation.  It always comes down to personal preference.  Sometimes, TA kick in to justify their value and we simply can't blame them.  They as well as all the cruise brands have had one tough 16 months.  

 

I have already posted my preferences and why so I do not want to be redundant.  What is good about this conversation is regardless of whom you use to book a cruise, we will all be cruising soon enough.  Here is to our first Bon Voyage drink together.  Cruise well everyone.

Awesome!  That's a great area!

[RocketMan275]

On 7/2/2021 at 7:20 AM, KeithJenner said:

You can still do that bit.

 

I've never used a TA, so can't talk from experience, but my understanding is that all the stuff that is done through myncl (dining, shows, excursions) is still done that way. You need to get your TA involved if you want to do other things though.

My TA tells me that only those things that affect the amount of  her commission have to go through her.  For example, she earns no commission on air travel booked through the cruise lines. You can book, change, cancel airfare to  your hearts content.  Similarly, she earns no commission on excursions, specialty dining, etc.