Booking on my own vs a TA/PVP

[txlnghrn79]

So the last two cruises I have used a TA and have been satisfied but now the TA I used is retiring, what is the advantage to booking with a PVP as opposed to doing it on my own on the carnival website? Also how can you book more than one room at a time on the website or is that possible? Thanks for any help concerning this matter!!

[mrpayroll]

If you are booking multiple rooms, i would call Carnival. You can do it online but it is time consuming.

[ooomwizard]

You'll probably save money. A ticket is a ticket. All paperword and info you'll need will be mailed or emailed right to you.

 

Easy as picking up a phone or using this internet. ;)

[firefly333]

I too would call, since you cannot see all the available cabins online to pick from.

[nodogkisses]

Firefly is exactly correct. I just booked an October cruise last night and they don't show all of the available cabins online. I just asked if the one I was interested in was open and although it wasn't, a very similar one was that wasn't shown as being available. So, by me calling vs. booking it online, I got the room I wanted. It pays to call.

[cdamion]

There is absolutely no difference in price between booking online or calling a PVP. I prefer to call a PVP if I am booking on my own for the reasons others stated.

 

If you use a TA you have to go through the TA for everything as Carnival wont discuss the reservation with you directly, which I don't really like. On the other hand, many TA's will over some kind of OBC for you.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

I like booking on my own. If it's just one cabin, I do it online, but if it's more than one, I call (like pp said). Apparently I do have a PVP, because that person called and left a message after I booked...he was pretty upset I didn't call him to book, but I honestly didn't even know I had one assigned to me.:eek:

 

On a holiday cruise I did go through a website to see if I could get a better price, and I was able to get a couple of hundred dollars savings (overall for 4 people). Since that was through a TA, I did have to contact the TA for any questions, but thankfully not much came up before the cruise. I like being able to just contact Carnival if I need to.

[MCC retired]

When booking yourself online or with PVP you are paying retail price.

[Kryssa]

We book with a TA because they've always matched the lowest rate we can find and given us a big OBC. For our next cruise, we are getting the ES rate will $100 OBC credit per cabin plus another $25 OBC for the family members that I referred to the TA.

 

Best deal we ever got from the TA was a free category upgrade plus $200 OBC but that was when we were sailing NCL.

[munchkin4]

I book cruises using my PVP. Sometimes, rarely, they can give you a deal, but mostly because if there are any problems, you have a speciic person to call.