Booking directly thru Cruise Line vs a cruise or travel agency

[smslms]

Just curious about peoples opinion or experiences with this subject. We haven't cruised as much as many CC members, maybe 15 -16 times, a couple on NCL and the rest split between Princess and HAL. The last two cruises we booked, both with HAL, were booked directly with one of HAL's personal cruise consultants, otherwise we have booked through an agency. By booking direct you might tend to think that there would be some benefit, yet it often seems there are better prices or perks ( better air rates, dinners, gratuities, wine and shipboard credits ) offered by agencies that book blocks of cabins. When you book directly the cruise line avoids paying a commission so you would think there would be some breaks. Interested to hear what others think.

[shandryl]

I went directly to HALS website and booked on line. :D

 

I have also in the past gone through a TA :D

 

Depends what your comfortable with.

 

I love to book and get flights and hotels all online myself!! The whole process of planning the cruise from start to finish is exciting to me and alot of people do it. I book the tours!! I also visit CC's site often and get lots of my Q's & A's all answered very quickly by CC'rs who have been there and done that and cruised way longer than me!! :D

 

the boards are real help and the people are great too!! :D

[Padraic]

I love to book and get flights and hotels all online myself!! The whole process of planning the cruise from start to finish is exciting to me and alot of people do it. I book the tours!!

 

I do the same. I pick the cruise, cabin type, air transportation, tours, etc. but still book the cruise itself through our TA. I know that if there is a problem after the cruise is booked I just have to go next store to complain - my TA is my neighbor. I know that I will get extra OBC, bottle of wine, tour, dinner in the Pinnacle, etc. from my TA. I know that I will not get that from booking directly to HAL.

[TMWeddle]

One would think that HAL would give direct bookers some sort of perk since they are not paying the TA commission. This time I booked directly with HAL. You are able to call HAL and talk about all the aspects of your cruise, that's an advantage.

[kakalina]

We have booked directly with our PCC for all of our HAL cruises but one. Depending on the length of the cruise we get perks from him. Dinner in the PG, wine, flowers, VIP status; all kinds of neat stuff. We always get OBC.

 

If we ever run into a problem he is consistantly there to deal with it and make it right. The few times we have run into a problem onboard ( such as perks not showing up) they are able to contact him directly and straighten it out.

[Roz]

I've always received a better price from a TA than what's on the HAL website. I've also received perks from some TAs, as well as the lower price.

 

Roz

[willowtak]

I book with the PCC and get my onboard credit and than transfer the booking to my TA and get the better price from her. The PCC will do the transfer so my TA actually knows about it when I get home from the cruise. I have done this several times.

[CruisinManiac]

I looked online and the cruise I wanted was $60+ dollars more through HAL than what my TA charged me. :) I didn't get any incentives, OBC, dinners, or wine from my TA. However, that savings of $60 x 2 persons will buy us a few meals, an excursion or pay for a gratuity.

[emileg]

Just curious about peoples opinion or experiences with this subject. We haven't cruised as much as many CC members, maybe 15 -16 times, a couple on NCL and the rest split between Princess and HAL. The last two cruises we booked, both with HAL, were booked directly with one of HAL's personal cruise consultants, otherwise we have booked through an agency. By booking direct you might tend to think that there would be some benefit, yet it often seems there are better prices or perks ( better air rates, dinners, gratuities, wine and shipboard credits ) offered by agencies that book blocks of cabins. When you book directly the cruise line avoids paying a commission so you would think there would be some breaks. Interested to hear what others think.

I realize you didn't actually ask a question. But if you did the answer would be in the sentence I took the liberty of making bold.

[refman]

being able to talk directly with HAL to me is a perk. twice i used a ta and i realized then where the definition of incompetent originated. not all ta`s just the dope i used.

[iancal]

I suspect that in most cases you will always get a better price with a TA. HAL has to keep to list prices, or 'discounted' list prices that are available to TA's. It they deviate from list the TA's will simply move walk-ins to other cruise lines that do not 'compete' with the TA's. The TA's have a certain amount of commission and I suspect perhaps back end rebates based on meeting high volume agency sales targets, that they can use to incent clients in a way that HAL cannot. TA's also put together groups and will often sell a 'group' rate cabin to a walkin. This happened to us on a recent cruise...I read somewhere on the invoice that we were part of some group that we never heard of and never met.

[Rutland Gate]

Over the last forty years or so (Fry me for being older!) we have used three very good Travel Agencies, but each went out of business due to Airline practices more than Cruise Line practices. We still use a well known Travel Agent for Transatlantics, because we only do those infrequently, but we have had to rely on our HAL Cruise Consultant for many years, and have been very well satisfied.

[shoppern]

What is a PCC?

[duck tune]

Personal Cruise Consultant.

[smslms]

Thanks for all the responses. As "duck tune" pointed out a PCC is a personal cruise consultant. This isn't someone that you can book your next cruise with when you're onboard, but a consultant who works out of HAL's corporate offices. They do possess a detailed knowledge of all things "HAL". Although we go online to research things we have never booked a cruise online. We can communicate with our PCC by phone, fax or online, but as we said at the start it just seems when you're dealing direct that you should get some incentives, but I think "iancal" hit the nail on the head. "Kakalina", you seem to be getting a few more perks than we are, but then you've got just a few more days at sea than us. You've earned it, but we envy you! Enjoy Tahiti. Thanks all.

[caltnl]

Have used our PCC Lance (He is very professional and I would recommend him) for our last three HAL cruise's and have been very pleased.

 

Can not say that we have received any perks except for our Panama canal where we were upgraded to a mini suite.

[serendipity1499]

We've been on 17 cruises & prior to our 2006 cruise always booked with either the Cruise line Directly or a Group Wholesaler which had a land tour..

For instance, In 2005 we booked an outside “F” cabin (mid-ship) on Dolphin Deck on HAL’s 25 day Amazon Cruise for April 2006 directly with HAL..

Thanks to Randy & Heather on this board, four months after booking, I checked a couple of on-line Travel Agents who advertise on Cruise Critic.. Discovered one who could give us $1078 (8.9%) off the HAL fare with a better “E” cabin (mid-ship) on Main Deck…However we had to book by Internet only as the Agent could not be contacted by phone, which I normally like to do..

When I spoke to a HAL Supervisor, he informed me that they could not compete with the fares of their high producing Agents..On his suggestion, we then Faxed HAL & had them release the booking to the on line TA.. We then received the cheaper fare & better cabin…

I'm retired from an International Airline & was chagrined to learn that I had been a complete dummy..:o Should have realized that we always did the same thing in the Airline Industry..

In Nov. 2006 we booked a last minute 14 day on the Ryndam with the same Agent & their fare again was 9.9% less than HAL’s fare…This time he put us into his group allotment & in addition gave us the Pinnacle Grill ($30 per person extra) plus wine & 2 massages…

 

On our Oceania 26 day Cruise to the Amazon in Nov. 2007, we received a better rate with another Agent than Oceania could give us...This Agent gave us an additional $150 OBC & a wine package…

 

We've since booked all of our Cruises with an on-line Agent, who we can also talk to by phone..:)On our last 28 day cruise this past Nov. our Agent gave us a bottle of wine, dinner in the Pinnacle plus $150 OBC in addition to a much less expensive fare...

 

As suggested by others, you have to talk or e-mail a couple of Agents & see what their bottom line fare is…Be sure they quote the total fare which includes, taxes, port charges & fuel surcharges…Find out what extra’s such as OBC’s, spa wine, etc they will offer..Also be sure to read their Cancellation & Change policy very carefully … Check fares on some of the Cruise Lines which permit discounting by Agents on published fares...Other cruise lines which don’t permit Agents to discount may permit them to offer you OBC’s, wine, spa packages etc..Sorry can't give you the names of our Agents, but they did advertise on Cruise Critic...

Betty

 

 

[joe122]

I've always received a better price from a TA than what's on the HAL website. I've also received perks from some TAs, as well as the lower price.

 

Roz

 

Anytime I have ever checked both, the TA was substantially cheaper. Perks were never included by HAL, so I always use a TA. On the latest one, there is a $225 on-board credit and two free nights in the Pinnacle Grille.