Shop or internet for booking next Cruise??

[bilty]

Has anyone had any experience with booking via the internet as opposed directly through a travel agent. Have been pricing a caribbean cruise for next march and it is cheaper via the internet than my local Thomson travel agent. Have been in today and eventually they said they could match it but it would still cost me another £20 for their admin fee and to get my custom - even though ive booked there for the last 3 holidays.

Anyone got any suggestions or reliable travel agents or web addresses

[tart6000]

Hi,why dont you try cruisedeals.co.uk.They are a Thomson company but often come in cheaper than Thomson.Also last year I booked through Portland travel another Thomson company and saved over £300 on Thomsons internet price,so it does pay to shop about.

[steelerannie]

Have you tried Cruisekings? They usually have some pretty good deals, or Bolsover Cruise Club. We've booked with them for next year.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

We have booked with Victoria Travel and Reader's Offers - both good:)

 

Linda

[Huddersfieldtourist]

Has anyone had any experience with booking via the internet as opposed directly through a travel agent. Have been pricing a caribbean cruise for next march and it is cheaper via the internet than my local Thomson travel agent. Have been in today and eventually they said they could match it but it would still cost me another £20 for their admin fee and to get my custom - even though ive booked there for the last 3 holidays.

Anyone got any suggestions or reliable travel agents or web addresses

 

Thomson website, Cruisedeals and Thomson shop are the usual order of best price but sometimes the website is can be slightly more than Cruisedeals. Other than that it is haggle with your Thomson shop or even at Thomas Cook. We always book one of the first three shown above

[ekco]

Has anyone had any experience with booking via the internet as opposed directly through a travel agent. Have been pricing a caribbean cruise for next march and it is cheaper via the internet than my local Thomson travel agent. Have been in today and eventually they said they could match it but it would still cost me another £20 for their admin fee and to get my custom - even though ive booked there for the last 3 holidays.

Anyone got any suggestions or reliable travel agents or web addresses

 

I heard the TA on the phone talking about that £20 admin fee the other day when we went to pick up our tickets. This is the first time we've used travel agents for decades and the last, forever running up and down paying this and picking up that.

 

We booked the Island Escape on the internet in March and got exactly what we wanted. Booked late, got a good price, picked up the tickets at the airport and did day before check-in all with no problems. We did our own cabin upgrade which is more than the TA would do for the next one, trying to charge full price when the internet upgrades had dropped significantly, so we'll stick with our basic inside and spend the money on the trips.:):)

 

Jan

[jenny wren]

the last one we did on Spirit....we phoned Cruise deals and got their best price (cheaper than Thomson online) then we just went into local First Choice shop (also part of TUI) and they bettered it by £50...didn't even ask for proof just took our word for it !! they also did currency cheaper than anyone else !!!!:D

[Tiggertastic]

We go in 2 weeks, ours was booked online, we then booked my dad's at the Thomson shop (because they wouldn't take my card for his name) then we booked mum and dad in law on the phone with Thomson.

 

All 3 ways for 1 trip

 

Online was the cheapest and the other two guaranteed to give us the online price - but when the tickets came the phone one had given them £100 on board credit that we didn't know about - bargain!

 

So it pays to ask about the offers - as OBC was not available online.

 

We shop around online all the time and find Thomas Cook and Ideal Cruising often cheaper - this is the first time it wasn't

[its,only,me]

I always use my local TC shop and they have always givin the price I find online sometimes even better .

 

mrs.c

[bilty]

Thank you for all your suggestions, am slowly working my way through them to find the best deal. One quoted me just slightly more to go on a Royal Caribbean Ship than Thomsons! even more decisions to make.

[ekco]

Thank you for all your suggestions, am slowly working my way through them to find the best deal. One quoted me just slightly more to go on a Royal Caribbean Ship than Thomsons! even more decisions to make.

 

Just to say that although we booked this last time with a TA the onboard credit was available online. It was quite hidden away on the page with the AI, flowers, cakes, champagne, etc. About 3rd one down so it pays to read that page very carefully when booking or you will lose out.:):) It's only there for a few weeks, ours was there in January/Feb. for June cruise.

 

Don't forget to factor in the bar prices when you are looking at other cruise lines and also if gratuities are included. It can add up to a substantial sum.

 

Jan

[RivaDiva]

Cruise118 undercut everyone else and they were also very helpfull. They are also members of ABTA. Mind you my cruise isn't untill end of August, so hopefully they are all legit!

[billmul]

Seems everyone has different outcomes when using TA's and the web. Used the Thomson website to price up our cruise for 4 of us, took the quote to our local Thomson TA, who suprisingly came out at over £300 more expensive. Needless to say, I went home and booked it through Thomsons online. I didn't bother arguing the toss with the TA's, as far as I was concerned, they had the chance of my custom, and blew it.

[Flopsy]

I always book on line through the Thomson website, and I usually dive in as soon as the brochure becomes available in order to get the all inclusive drinks package free.

 

It feels so good to be able to order any drink and not have a bar bill at the end of the week hic.

 

Flopsy