Opinions of booking options

[camper49]

Book on line, call, use a PVP, or a TA? 
Which & why? 
Ty

[groundloop]

You're going to get 50 different answers, all of them perfectly valid.

 

I use a travel agent.  I do all the research of choosing a cruise and cabin myself then call my travel agent and she books it.  My main reason for using her is the added on-board credit I can get, plus she's proven herself to be very good for sorting out the occasional problem so that I won't have to sit on hold forever with Carnival.

[Indiansbaseball]

I love my PVP. He always gets right back, if he doesn’t answer. He helps me make changes, or get price adjustments. He knows my preferences. 

[Mic101680]

I prefer to handle everything myself, but do occasionally use a TA if I can find a really great deal though one that I can't get on my own. I did use a friend's PVP once, who was fantastic, but when I went to call her about something else just two months later, she was no longer working with Carnival. Between that and noticing so many different PVP's listed on the bottom of Carnival emails I get, I wonder what their turnover rate is.

[Tink10]

My PVP stinks, so I handle myself

[EngIceDave]

If not for this forum, I wouldn't know what a PVP is, seriously.

 

I've always taken care of it myself. I get my offers, go through, pick one I like and that's it. I do my homework. 

 

I don't really get a lot of options with offers, but if you look around you can occasionally trip over extras like spa balconies or aft-balconies with the usual balcony offers.

 

If I have an issue or question, I call the regular number and talk to them. If they can resolve it, cool, if not they send me over to the casino people.

[nwcruiselover]

I swear by my PVP and I book all my Carnival cruises through him.  Although it’s easy enough to book them myself, I like the fact that he is very knowledgeable and helpful, and if any issues arise, he’s there to help.  Also, sometimes he finds an offer I hadn’t seen or a cabin he thinks is better than the one I had in mind, and I appreciate his expertise.  He is my third PVP, and he’s a winner!  Always returns calls and texts promptly.  The first PVP I had left Carnival about 8-10 years ago, second one wasn’t at all helpful.  Now I have a top-notch PVP.

Edited March 4, 2023 by nwcruiselover

[sgttami]

I book on my own when it's an easy trip like driving to the port and jumping on a ship.

 

I'll use a TA if it involves multiple destinations and flights to places I've never been.

 

Was referred to a Carnival PVP once after I'd been on a dozen cruises and he had no clue what he was talking about and had never been on a cruise.

 

Whatever works for you,  go for it!

[clackey]

We have booked 21 cruises for ourselves and 3 or 4 for friends.  Some went through the Cruise Line's websites and most went through online TA's.  I did use a PVP for our next cruise because our daughters as going with us and I wanted connected cabins and dining.  So far everything has gone smoothly.

[Drazil65]

Always book all of our travel myself, cruise, land or international.  We travel often and I am too OCD/control to leave in hands of someone else.  I have also helped friends and family with booking cruises in the past but have learned to give information out and let the individuals book themselves (too much drama otherwise).  For 2023 I have booked 2 cruises later in year and a 10 day land trip to London (we have been a few times so this was not new for us) upcoming in May (all of these trips were booked last year).  I know exactly what my family is looking for and our needs so I am the best person to take care of that.  

 

We have a lot of travel points (I learned how to play the points game many years ago) and I have learned to book well in advance, do my research and always purchase travel insurance.  If something goes wrong I can only blame myself BUT I can also hop right on the issue and deal directly with the other side without waiting on someone else.  

[GingerMT/TX]

I always book through my PVP, but she has been there 20+ years and is excellent. I cannot imagine having to navigate all the Covid related cancellations and rebooking over the last 3 years on my own or trying to go through customer service.

[SRQbeachgirl]

We only book online. Having lived through the era when you had no choice but to book through a TA, I like having total control over our booking. Not to mention being burned years ago by a TA who closed their doors, but not before taking our money and not bothering to pay the tour company. 

[n6uqqq]

I typically will book online through Carnival and then have my big box travel agent take over the booking. I do this because often the big box doesn't show the best rates on their website. Sometimes, though, they have a much better deal that Carnival doesn't list. In that case I book directly with them.

[audcc77]

17 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

Not to mention being burned years ago by a TA who closed their doors, but not before taking our money and not bothering to pay the tour company. 

This happened to me too!  I was very angry because I worked 2 jobs for months to be able to earn enough extra money to go.  All gone.  
 

30 years later, this still burns my tail!!!

[icft]

I think a TA or PVP is the way to go for new cruisers but once you get the lay of the land booking through the Carnival web site is just fine.

 

We prefer booking ourselves on the Carnival site mainly because it is usually in the evening that we get around to thinking about things like cruises. We'd rather get it done while we are thinking about it than wait till the next day.

[balcony bound]

1 hour ago, icft said:

 

 

We prefer booking ourselves on the Carnival site mainly because it is usually in the evening that we get around to thinking about things like cruises. We'd rather get it done while we are thinking about it than wait till the next day.

You might be surprised, PVPs are usually on until pretty late at night.

[pcvtmom]

I do my research, figure out exactly what cruise, category, room, etc. and THEN call my PVP. I like using one, because it's so easy to call them if a problem comes up. It was particularly helpful when Covid cancelled our 12 day Med cruise.  I was able to get everything handled with a phone call. Later, when wishing to use credits to rebook cruises, she was willing and able to handle that for me, as well.