Best booking options

[highseaschick]

We are looking into a HA cruise and it would be our first time on this line (3rd cruise ever) I noticed that some TAs get special rates with HA but I have yet to find one. Does anyone recommend a TA in the US that they use that can get good deals with HA?  Thanks in advance.

[ontheweb]

Sorry, but cruisecritic rules do not allow the recommendation or even mentioning of any TA by name.

[highseaschick]

3 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Sorry, but cruisecritic rules do not allow the recommendation or even mentioning of any TA by name.

Okay, I did not know that. Thank you for your reply.

[DaveOKC]

One thing to ad though - it depends on what you want out of your booking agent.

 

Local TA - generally best for new cruisers and those wanting alot of assistance.

Online Agencies - best for price, but service not as good (IMO).

Directly with HAL - though a Personal Cruise Consultant (PCC) or just online.  Good if you do not need alot of assistance and easier to use once you get set up with a PCC.

 

Of course, all of the above can vary!

[albingirl]

I like booking direct with a PCC or on my own.  I know I pay more than some on this board who say they save money with their travel agents, but I've done just fine, especially lately.  And when upsells are available, you hear about them first, without waiting for your travel agent to contact you.

[GulfShoresCruiser]

We use an internet TA that is big.  Wish I could tell you the name but I get censored on here w/quick speed! 

 

We like them because they match the HAL rate and then some.  And the service is good with email being the efficient way to get stuff done w/the TA.  We book where we find the cheapest price and this TA seems to always win when we price compare. 

 

Also, I've got a thing about wanting a TA on my side (as my agent) when dealing when dealing w/ a large purchase like this.

[CafeBruno]

I use a website in which you tell them the sailing you are interested in, and then the site solicits quotes from a number of travel agents; i.e. they all COMPETE for your CRUISE business. This has resulted in some unbelievable deals for me in the past. I wish I could provide the name of the site but again its not allowed, but I bet you can find it with a Google search. 

[Hlitner]

It is true that one can save a lot of money (often in the 10% range) by finding the right cruise agency.  There are times you can find a better cruise price but what is more common is get very generous On Board Credits (sometimes refundable at the end of the cruise) and various promotional things such as a drink package, dining package (for alternative restaurants), etc.

 

As others have posted, we are not permitted to recommend specific cruise agencies.  But I would suggest searching among multiple reputable high volume online cruise agencies.   Nearly all the good one's have their own online booking engine (usually tied directly into the cruise line's own computer system) that will show prices, deals, etc.  Another thing I like about using decent high volume agencies is that my favorite agents can handle booking for any cruise or river cruise line.  The good agencies also offer great customer service (with no time on hold) and the ability to resolve many issues with a quick/simple e-mail.  We have actually saved over $3000 on some of our longer HAL cruise bookings so we are talking about real money.   Our PCC once telephoned us (this only happened after we had cancelled a HAL booking) and wanted to know why we did not book directly with her.  My fast answer was that if she could match the deals we find elsewhere we would consider booking direct.  Her response was that we could still book with her (the PCC) and then transfer the booking to one of our favorite cruise agencies...to which my answer was why would I want to go through all the extra steps?

 

Hank

[Sea42]

With the long wait times people have been reporting lately when trying to contact HAL, I'm very glad I have a TA who handles that for me. I send an email to my TA and that's it, I know it will be taken care of.

[DaveOKC]

One good thing happened to me today because of my HAL booking.  I received an email offering a nice upsell offer, which I quickly accepted by talking directly to the HAL department that handles that (direct phone number).  By moving quickly and by being able to rebook directly, I was able to lock in a great location for a good price (IMO).  

 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

One good thing happened to me today because of my HAL booking.  I received an email offering a nice upsell offer, which I quickly accepted by talking directly to the HAL department that handles that (direct phone number).  By moving quickly and by being able to rebook directly, I was able to lock in a great location for a good price (IMO).  

 

Congrads on getting a satisfying upsell offer.  But I would just point out that we have also had our share of upsell offers (some quite good) when booking through various cruise agencies.  I think there is a myth (with several cruise lines) that there are upsell/upgrade advantages to booking direct.  No question that one can sometimes snag a great deal though a PCC, but that also is very effective with the right agents.  Keep in mind that the vast majority of bookings (for HAL and most cruise lines) comes from agencies and there is a strong incentive for the cruise lines to "please" the high volume agencies where they generate a lot of business.  

 

Hank

[hvbaskey]

5 hours ago, CafeBruno said:

I use a website in which you tell them the sailing you are interested in, and then the site solicits quotes from a number of travel agents; i.e. they all COMPETE for your CRUISE business. This has resulted in some unbelievable deals for me in the past. I wish I could provide the name of the site but again its not allowed, but I bet you can find it with a Google search. 

 

Just google those words in ALL caps in reverse and VOILA!  I have used it with great success in the past, but recently very slow and painful process and no enthusiasm from competitors.  Maybe, because cruising hasn't yet resumed to its former glory?

[SusieKIslandGirl]

@hvbaskeyJust noticed your location as an island in the PNW. Are you north sound or south sound? We're floating between Seattle and Tacoma.

[hvbaskey]

3 minutes ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

@hvbaskeyJust noticed your location as an island in the PNW. Are you north sound or south sound? We're floating between Seattle and Tacoma.

 

Not in the Sound, but on the big island to the North by Northwest of the Sound, in Canada 🐋 🇨🇦

[SusieKIslandGirl]

near my brother in Bellingham. You're in a beautiful spot!

[DaveOKC]

11 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Congrads on getting a satisfying upsell offer.  But I would just point out that we have also had our share of upsell offers (some quite good) when booking through various cruise agencies.  I think there is a myth (with several cruise lines) that there are upsell/upgrade advantages to booking direct.  No question that one can sometimes snag a great deal though a PCC, but that also is very effective with the right agents.  Keep in mind that the vast majority of bookings (for HAL and most cruise lines) comes from agencies and there is a strong incentive for the cruise lines to "please" the high volume agencies where they generate a lot of business.  

 

Hank

Hank - no doubt that a good agency can get you good upsell offers as well, but not ALL agencies offer them.  Second, I like the idea that I get my email directly from HAL in a mass emailing and thus can react quicker than people having to go through their TA.  In the past this has served me well, as often there were only a very few cabins available.  Of course now with many open cabins on most sailings, its not as big a deal (IMO).  Thus, if you have a good agency that gives you better pricing AND passes on upsells, likely this is the best situation currently.

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by DaveOKC