Booking a cruise

[wanderingnsw]

Hello, 

1st time cruiser here. I'm trying to book a cruise in Alaska for this summer. Just curious about what people think about booking directly on the website as opposed to with an agent. I have friend who is a travel agent, but I'm not sure if they've ever booked a SS cruise. I usually trip plan myself, but wasn't sure if that's the wrong way to go about cruising. 

 

Any tips would be greatly appreciated! 

[CruisinPashmina]

I think it is best to use an independent agent. 

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, wanderingnsw said:

Just curious about what people think about booking directly on the website…

It’s not possible to book directly on the website.

[wanderingnsw]

12 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

It’s not possible to book directly on the website.

Really? At silversea.com I got all the way to a payment screen. Am I doing something wrong? As I said, I've never cruised before and I'm not used to needing to use a Travel Agent

[A Tucson Guy]

13 minutes ago, wanderingnsw said:

Really? At silversea.com I got all the way to a payment screen. Am I doing something wrong? As I said, I've never cruised before and I'm not used to needing to use a Travel Agent

Be aware that many travel agents will give you a rebate/gift in the amount of 5 to 10% of total cruise costs. To many of us, that is worth considering.

[jollyjones]

1 hour ago, wanderingnsw said:

Really? At silversea.com I got all the way to a payment screen. Am I doing something wrong? As I said, I've never cruised before and I'm not used to needing to use a Travel Agent

See my post on the sailing on the Muse thread re booking directly on the website. 
I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong, it seems you are doing something so new that none of us have done it before so we’re not really equipped to make a value judgment. 
It seems SS is moving with the times, how interesting … 

 

An afterthought - Stumbles, try a mock booking, see if it works in the US. 
 

Edited February 1, 2023 by jollyjones

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, wanderingnsw said:

Really? At silversea.com I got all the way to a payment screen. Am I doing something wrong? As I said, I've never cruised before and I'm not used to needing to use a Travel Agent

I agree with Jolly.  You seem to have uncovered a feature on the website that I have yet to see reported here, or even by SS issuing a press release. 
 

I apologize that my response to you was in error.

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

Stumbles, try a mock booking, see if it works in the US. 

Just tried several, Jolly, and responded to your post in the other thread.  Thx for the heads up over there.

[Port Power]

6 hours ago, wanderingnsw said:

Really? At silversea.com I got all the way to a payment screen. Am I doing something wrong? As I said, I've never cruised before and I'm not used to needing to use a Travel Agent

Repeat,, things are different on the Australian website than other countries.  You can book online with S/S.  Someone from the Sydney office will then contact you. 
 

Australian TAs don’t have the same abilities as US agents. My CLIA and Virtuoso TA does give a small discount and often some OBC.  
 

Booking through aTA or direct with the cruise line is a personal preference. Neither is right nor wrong.

[MrsWaldo]

4 hours ago, Port Power said:

 My CLIA and Virtuoso TA does give a small discount and often some OBC.  

 

Booking through aTA or direct with the cruise line is a personal preference. Neither is right nor wrong.

Yeah, I tried a Virtuoso,   Suggested by someone on SS, got nothing….  It was a $100,000 trip….

 

Totally agree on the way to go…. I wish I could find a good TA that does SS in Sydney 

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, MrsWaldo said:

Yeah, I tried a Virtuoso,   Suggested by someone on SS, got nothing….  It was a $100,000 trip….

 

Totally agree on the way to go…. I wish I could find a good TA that does SS in Sydney 

You don’t have to use a Sydney agent.  These days with so many ways to communicate, you could use a good agent in any city, Perth, Bicton or Brisbane.  Nevertheless, the cruise companies don’t give Australian TAs the capacity to discount like US agencies. Carol

[MrsWaldo]

11 hours ago, Port Power said:

You don’t have to use a Sydney agent.  These days with so many ways to communicate, you could use a good agent in any city, Perth, Bicton or Brisbane.  Nevertheless, the cruise companies don’t give Australian TAs the capacity to discount like US agencies. Carol

I should have been clearer.  The first virtuoso agent was in Melbourne. The second was someone suggested by SS.  I’d like a good TA in Sydney so we can talk face to face, rather than have that awkward phone lag while they check on the computer.  
 

Shouldn’t  post while trying to rush off to work to pay for SS🤣