Do you book cruises on line or with a TA

I'm looking at a cruise that has a good price on ************ but I'm apprehensive to book something on line because I've always used our travel agent. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

You could always ask your TA if they can match the price

I have done both so like the above post said; see if agent can match that price or provide on board credit

I have booked numerous crises with an online TA, never a problem, and a ton of OBC.:)

What cruise line are you booking with?

I am loyal to Royal a dcI have a dedicated booking agent that always gives me specials and she always has a gift in the room for me

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I have been booking lately on NCL, but use a cruise consultant that helps me with it, so that I get everything I want. I open my online account, though, so I can book all my excursions, and reservations online, and make my payments online, also. If I have any questions, though, I call my consultant. If you have a TA you usually work with, call him, and see what he can do for you.

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We book through a travel agent - the same one for about 20 years. Prefer the human contact.

We use a discount TA because she gives us group OBC and a consistent 10% off the commissionable fare.

Any TA can book, at worse, the same rates that you can by booking direct.

Good TA should always offer you something better , like 1 or more of these:

Upfront discount for those lines allowing it (ex: Princess , Cunard & HAL)

OBC

Their Speculative Group rates

Gifts

Paid Grats

Shore Tours

Paid Insurance

And , perhaps find a better match for you on another cruise line ?

We combine them both. Book onboard to pick up what Royal is offering or book with the cruise line if they are giving away great perks then switch over to or online TA to pick up their perks. We booked Symphony of the Seas earlier this year for the Oct. transatlantic the day cabins were released on the RCCL web site, got a OBC from Royal and C&A balcony discount, two weeks later we switched our booking over to the online TA that we use and were given matching OBC, one specialty dinning for each of us, and were given $180.00 in addional OBC instead of the pre-paid gratuities we usually receive. No matter who we use we still check weekly looking for price drops, if we see a price drop it's just a quick call to the TA to get re priced. Shop around and look for TA offers. happy cruising

We would never use a TA but each person is different and has their own preferences.

I always look on line for the cruise I am interested in. Once I find the best price, I email my TA (who is a friend) and tell her what I have found and ask if she can beat The price. Usually, she can, but a few times, she said she couldn't beat it and to go ahead and book it online. So I did. :D

We would never use a TA but each person is different and has their own preferences.

I agree completely.....Many years of cruising with RCI and I book directly with them...no reason for me personally to have someone else own/manage my bookings.

I agree completely.....Many years of cruising with RCI and I book directly with them...no reason for me personally to have someone else own/manage my bookings.

The only reason would be to pick up everything Royal gives you and then add matching OBC, pre-paid grats, trip insurance, specialty dinning or a beverage package. With your 30 plus cruises you have passed on thousands of dollars offered by TA'S. There is great wealth to be had by letting someone else manage your booking. happy cruising

The only reason would be to pick up everything Royal gives you and then add matching OBC, pre-paid grats, trip insurance, specialty dinning or a beverage package. With your 30 plus cruises you have passed on thousands of dollars offered by TA'S. There is great wealth to be had by letting someone else manage your booking. happy cruising

Not really interested in those..We sometimes have a hard time even spending the OBC we get...prepaid gratuities (no big deal)....we have private annual trip ins...don't do the specialty restaurants...and the drinks we have in the CL, DL or Suite Lounge are more than enough drinks for us. But thanks anyway. ;)

Really doesn't matter a lot because if you book with the cruise line and find a better deal through a TA, that TA can transfer the booking to them any time before final payment. One TA can even take over a booking from another TA. I have also been told by a cruise consultant at a certain cruise line that it didn't matter to him one way or the other. A good TA can do a lot for you at times that no one at the cruise line will offer.

You can book while on board to maximize savings direct from cruise line, then transfer that reservation to a TA who can offer several sweeteners as mentioned above.

We prefer to book through a TA and have been fortunate to have a good one for over 26 years.

Love the extra perks.

There is a big assumption here: what category cabin are you booking? The advice to go TA or with the cruiseline matters a lot here. If you are booking a lower, less expensive category, there is almost no wiggle room for a TA to dispense perks. For example, I went on a 14 day Transatlantic on RCCL for $479 pp. last April. How many bottles of wine, free excursions, and OBC do you think your agent would give? Probably none? BTW- I had a marvelous time! My TA gave me a rather worthless $75 voucher to use with a private shore excursion company that was pricey. We used our own tour companies.

The situation is totally different if I booked a suite for $3,000.

I always book directly with Royal Caribbean. I have a dedicated cruise planner that takes great care of me and always calls when there is a price change or a better deal available.

I have only ever booked either online or actually on board the ship itself.