TA or carnival website

[eddiesgirl25]

Hello fellow cruisers!!

 

Wondering which is better, booking our cruise through a TA or through the website. Is one better then the other is reguards to perks?

We are passed Carnival guests and this will be our second cruise. When we booked through TA last time it was the same price as what is quoted on the website.

Thanks in advance.:)

[DarthGrady]

Hello fellow cruisers!!

 

Wondering which is better, booking our cruise through a TA or through the website. Is one better then the other is reguards to perks?

We are passed Carnival guests and this will be our second cruise. When we booked through TA last time it was the same price as what is quoted on the website.

Thanks in advance.:)

 

We book through a local TA. I like having someone here in town to deal with, and I also like that a local small business benefits.

 

TAs can also get little perks or small OBCs if they put you into a group booking. A lower deposit is also possible in some instances.

[breanne$5]

I prefer calling Carnival directly and booking my cruise. The big difference is if you have a question, want to change something, etc you work directly with Carnival. And if you are as lucky as I am you can get a great PVP (personal vacation planner).

[ehfl]

Well, you could involve a middleman and increase complexity and the ability to finger-point when something goes wrong (see 90% of the problems on these threads).

 

OR, you could book direct, reduce the likelyhood of a misscommunication, and eliminate any possiblity of fingerpointing if something goes wrong.

 

I think either is fine...I can't think of any reason to pick one over the other.

[kim300]

I would recommend booking with Carnival if you plan to book Early Saver. Otherwise you will be relying on the availability of a TA to put in requests for price adjustments. Even the best TA is not available 24-7 to complete the on-line form for early saver. If you are not booking Early Saver (or don't care about price adjustments), it is personal preference. I like being able to contact Carnival directly if I have questions or want to make changes.

[eddiesgirl25]

Thanks everyone for your help. Still deciding which way to go. Think we may go with the TA because we can make little payments to her till the cruise.

[bubbles1209]

I prefer booking direct with Carnival, especially using the Early Saver Rate. I know, that no matter what, I can send in the form, and I will know myself via e-mail whether or not we got the price drop.............instead of having to wait for a TA to do it for me. When you book direct they will answer anything you ask, and help with any changes that come up at any time of the day 24/7. If I were to book with a TA and needed to change something, and they were closed, out of the office, etc. if it involves a price drop, I could be outta luck, being as how the price could go back up before that person gets back in an office. I can still make small payments as I go, directly to Carnival, and know I have all access to them whenever needed. Then if something goes wrong, I have no one to blame but myself. We booked through a TA for our 1st cruise, and had no problems. However, after learning to do it myself, I'm always more confident everything's just how I want it. Good luck whichever way you choose!:)

[LucyR.]

EDDIE'S GIRL, Since this is your second cruise I WOULD stay with your T.A. who is letting make small payments to pay off your cruise.

 

If there is any kind of problem with your Carnival booking your T.A. can handle it.

 

When you book directly with Carnival everything will be okay as long as there are no problems. If a problem shows up all of a sudden it is best to have a T.A. For example: when the Splendor ship cancelled my cruise my T.A. called me right away before Carnival sent me an e-mail cancelling my cruise. I got my money back within two days.

 

I have a T.A. who will send my a message even if he is not in the office.

He is available around the clock. Plus, if there is a serious problem he is able to contact a manager at Carnival to fix a problem.

[hywaybeachbum]

We have taken one cruise before and used a TA, This cruise we have planned for next month we went through the TA again. While looking at the cabins and prices with him, I was on Carnival's web site while talking to him. He said they couldn't offer a better price but could give us an OBC. After we paid the cruise off, I was able to go to Manage My Cruise on Carnival's web site and see the OBC. So for us we got a little extra going through a TA.