To use or not to use a travel agent...

[mbeaulieu]

My friend tells me I will do much better if I book my Royal Caribbean (February 2005) cruise online --as opposed to utilizing my travel agent. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons--I am a newbie at cruising. I booked my DisneyWorld vacation on my own and did fine. But am a bit leary about booking something like a cruise online. Please help!
Thanks.
Michele

[Nitemare]

Shop right and you'll save a few bucks online (up to 10-15% if you're lucky). But you'll probably have no one holding your hand and watching out for price reductions, or to give you advice about ships, itineraries, or port excursions.

Shop right and you can get a great rate from a live TA, who will do all of the above for you.

[mbeaulieu]

Thanks, Nitemare.
Michele

[cberge]

Nitemare gave some really good advice.A good TA that specializes in cruises can sometimes do better than online or at least match an online price plus you have the advantage of having help there if you need it. If you are new to cruises this would all play in your favor.

Karen
Ü

[fodorspeter]

Its really pretty simple - ask yourself, do you use a TA to book your airline ticket, your hotel room or your rental car? Then why on earth would you waste your time using one for your cruise?

All the TA's are now going to jump in and tell you that you'll be missing all that tender loving care or the cheap bottle of champagne in your cabin or someone to share your cruise pictures with. Give me the $100 or more you'll save by shopping on the hundreds of online sites and keep the warm and fuzzies.

The best and cheapest fare online will always beat the best and cheapest TA. Now we always argue about what a TA is. To me its the people that sit in the closet size office in the mall sleeping behind the travel brochures.

Peter

[mconthehighseas]

Whether or not you call the online services TA's or not, keep in mind that going directly to the cruise line will almost always guarantee the HIGHEST price.

There are a few of online travel agencies that can get very low fares. But they will lock you in the price you signed up for and do not accept cruiseline coupons. They also insist that you sign up online, and not use their tollfree number(s). Others will not be able to match those fares, but will have people available to talk to you on the phone, will lower fares whe prices drop (but they don't always do that), and will accept coupons.

Decide how you want to do business, then collect prices from various agencies, and the fine print that goes with each one. Then decide who you want to go with.

Counting down to the Rhapsody OTS - 12/05/04
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[imsulin]

Peter: Actually, I worked in a large, well-appointed office with people like myself that have done extensive travelling world-wide, and have been on many cruises, on many cruise lines. The only closet in our office stored our coats and umbrellas. Our office was miles from the nearest mall, and I never sent cheap champagne to any client. I always asked what they preferred in terms of wine, champagne, canapes, or flowers. Interestingly, we consistently had first-time cruisers who would come to our office very frustrated and confused trying to book on-line, and needing information on proper documentation, what to expect, ports of call, transportation options, and information in general. We knew that brochures were printed months in advance, and were not always accurate, so we routinely printed information from current web sites and gave them to clients. As I'm sure you know, Peter, volume of business has much to do with discounts, and we received many discounts. Our clients weren't looking for "warm fuzzies". They were looking for accurate information and good prices. I'm definitely not the "expert" that you are, even though I've been on over twice as many cruises as you (not to mention travelling in general), and you certainly know best, but your grammar and spelling could use some improvement. Just in case you are unable to correct it on-line, please allow me to advise you that:

"Its really pretty simple" should be [B]it's[/B] (it is)

[B]TA's[/B] is possessive. [B]TAs[/B] is plural.

[B]ALOT[/B] is not a word, and has never been a word. You should say "a lot" - meaning "many".

"To me its (should be "it's", meaning it is) the people [B]that[/B] (should be "who") sit in the closet size (should be "closed-sized") office..blah blah.

I won't bring up your use of incomplete sentences, but I will say that if you choose to portray yourself as a "Fortune 500 expert", you would be well-advised to come across as one.

[fodorspeter]

To mconthehighseas - where in my post did you see my recommendation to book thru (oops, did it again, sorry) the cruise line. All of the online agencies I have used have taken my RCCL and Princess coupons as a past guest. None of them locked me in, several have refunded lower prices to my credit card, some have called and asked if I wanted a refund or an upgrade with the lower prices and twice they've gotten free upgrades when the prices have actually gone up. And where on earth did you come up with the "They also insist you sign up online, and not use their tollfree number(s)."? Come on, folks, do you believe this stuff?

Here's a little challenge for you - you get the best price for any mass market cruise line for seven nights on any caribbean itinerary from a "storefront" travel agency and I'll beat it with an online price.

And now imsulin - every diabetic knows you don't spell it that way! You use the past tense for your TA experience. Maybe because according to your very own travel agent organization, the number of registered travel agents is down 38% from the 1998 levels. Why? Because before that, travellers had no choice but to use agents. That was literally the only way to get an airline ticket.

Times are a changin (there I go again)! Perhaps you do your banking and bill paying online? So much for bank tellers. Do you find yourself sending your loved ones emails instead of real letters? There goes the postal employees (down 17% from two years ago). Bought anything from an online store? Or bid on anything on ebay? User friendly, my dear - here to stay. But no, you're probably holding onto that carbon paper, riding a horse and refusing to put that outdoor toilet inside.

And by the way, first-time cruisers do need a little more attention than veterans like yourself (I apparently need a dozen more cruises before I get to be an expert). That's why THEY CREATED BOARDS LIKE THE ONE YOU'RE ON!
Maybe the editors of this board will put in a spell check feature for all of us morons who don't know how to spell or use proper grammar. Until then, its nice to know you'll be there for us (us as in everyone else on this board except you).

Peter

[mconthehighseas]

Peter, you did not say anything about going through the cruiseline, and I did not say you did. I thought it would be a good idea to clarify things just in case mbeaulieu, the original poster, or readers who had never checked for prices online, might be considering that.

As for an online TA that locks you in, they are out there. Smartcruiser.com is one that works as I describe. If you change your reservation, there is a $50 fee. If you make a reservation by phone, the online rate is not applicable. That is why I said that people should check out the fine print. If you found a place online that doesn't do this, share it with us.

Since I asked you to share, then I will do that also. I use vacationstogo. They have a great website for checking prices, and their prices are very competitive, but when it comes time to make the reservation, you call their 800 #. I happen to like talking to a person, and I may have paid extra for that, but they also said that if prices drop later on, they will work with me to see that I get a refund or upgrade, depending upon what the cruise line will let them do.

I thought this board was a way for all of us to help each other, and that is what I tried to do. I do not appreciate being attacked for giving information, and hope you will refrain from this in the future.

Counting down to the Rhapsody OTS - 12/05/04
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[98Charlie]

Hi Michelle,
Welcome to the boards! Nothing like asking a good, simple question and watching a fight break out [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]


From my perspective and short experience:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Local TA - You have someone to go to face to face if you have a problem or concern. As with any profession there are good and bad TA's. I have yet to find one in my area that I am truely comfortable with. You might possibly get an emergency number (home phone/cell) in case you have a problem during embarkation.<LI>Online Agency with telephone support - Generally better pricing. You have someone to talk to if you need help although it may not be the same person each time. I have used this for the last 3 cruises and have one agent at one agency that I trust. She has gone to bat for us on a couple of issues and gotten positive results. Also has answered every question that I have had very promptly and accuratly. She works Monday through Friday, so if we have a problem on embarkation day (usually Saturday or Sunday for us) we will have to rely on whoever answers the phone that day.<LI>Online Agency without telephone support - Reportedly the least expensive. Everything done by web site and email. As you look around the boards you may find reference to some of these agencies who book specialty fares (eg. Senior Discount) for people who are not eligible. Others report great service, no problems.[/list]

Good luck on your booking [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> </pre>

[mconthehighseas]

Charlie - very good summary - on all counts.
(sheepish grin)

Counting down to the Rhapsody OTS - 12/05/04
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[DFritz]

I think a TA would be a wonderful choice IF you have any fear of making plans on your own. If you enjoy shopping for a bargain, maintaining complete control of your booking, reading websites to enlighten yourself, and if you feel secure in booking a hotel room or making phone calls to ask questions than there is absolutely no reason why you can't do it on your own.

Some of the online TAs do offer very good rates and you will want to compare prices with as many as possible double checking that all port fees and taxes are included in the rate quoted. I have almost always booked directly through the cruiseline and I as yet have never seen a better price at any other TA. I do however comparison shop just in case.

The only real hazard with a TA is that they are in control and you are not. I personally will probably never use a TA again because my very reputable, highly referred TA, stole my credit card numbers and used the accounts of her customers to do as she wished bilking customers out of about $300,000 . Yes, she is in prison now. No, most TA are not crooks. Most, are hard working individuals who love their job and want to assist others in having a great vacation at a great price.

The fact that you can manipulate your way through these boards tells me you are equipped to handle your own vacation plans.

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'Til my next cruise

[mbeaulieu]

Gosh--Baptism by fire! I Really did not mean to cause such a fuss. However, I sincerely appreciate the candor with which everyone expressed their opinions. I will take each one under advisement--Literally-I am going to print off this string of responses and review them with my sister, with whom I am traveling (along with our husbands). This cruise will be in celebration of our 25th anniversary. My sister and I are trying not to leave any stone unturned in planning the "perfect" trip. I am quite sure I will have more questions as our planned February cruise date approaches.
For those who may be interested..I purchased Frommers Caribbean Cruises and Ports of Call-2004. Definately worth the $23. Already, it has proven to be a valuable resource for the first-time cruiser--as has these discussion boards!. Thanks again!
Michele

[NightOne]

Here is my 2 cents worth... (kind of long)

I'm very Internet savy but I booked our last cruise with a traditional brick and mortar TA in the area. The reason I did was because we were going with a group of family friends and we all booked as a group. (although we didn't get any group discounts) The organizer of our group had used this TA for 7 previous cruises. After I talked to the TA I was told how much "service" we would be receiving from her. OK. We'll see. In any event I kept watching the prices on my own and called her one time when I seen a a pretty decent drop. She sort of blew me off so I ask our organizer to call her. He did, and we got a about a $450 price break for me and my wife (combined). I asked the organizer if he had ever got a price reduction on any of his other 7 cruises with her and he told me that he had not!! Wow! After talking with the TA a couple of months later on something, I got the impression that she didn't care for me and the fact that I took her previously happy client and introduced him to internet prices and price drops. The only good thing that the TA did in the entire process was notified us that our included flights were terrible and that we could get a refund and book our own. We did and save another $400 or so. In the end, for all the great service that was supposed to be heaped upon us by the traditional TA, all we wound up with was the $50 a piece onboard credit, 2 free 8x6 photos, and a bottle of wine which I ending up getting charged $23.00 for anyway (and didn't discover till I got home). When I talked with other local TAs during the time, comments were similar - they couldn't meet internet pricing, but would provide better service.

Would I use a local TA again? NO. Would I have even used one if it was just me and my wife and not a group? NO.

So, this moves us on to internet agencies. Would I book with one that only provided e-mail as a means of contact? NO. Would I book with anyone who "hides" behind a web site and doesn't make it clear exactly who and where they are? NO. Would I book with a site that advertises a low ball price that doesn't include all the taxes and port fees upfront? NO.

So that puts me in the boat with 98Charlie.. I booked my next cruise line with a TA who is internet savy, but provides service via telephone and e-mail. She had a lower price than any of the so called e-mail only/internet-only mega agencies and gave me good onboard perks to.

She has been mentioned on these boards many many times. (Kim of KK)

Outside the cruise, I will be booking my own air, hotel (if going early), and transfers to port.

Your mileage may vary

[img]http://www.chicagohouserabbits.com/images/hopping-bunny.gif[/img]

Time until Sailing
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[imsulin]

Just for clarification, I am not a diabetic, and I do know how to spell "insulin". My screen name has nothing to do with diabetes or insulin, but is based on a combination of certain names, as are other screen names here and elsewhere. I am not a travel agent, either. I referred to the TA that we have always used, and described the services we have always gotten from her. We have booked air, cars, and hotels on-line or directly through the particular compny for years, and only booked cruise air a few times due to good deals. I think the point is that a first-time cruiser should have several alternatives to choose from, and understand the pros and cons of each, rather than have one particular method "trashed" without offering some of the benefits that really are there. I've talked to a number of on-line cruise agencies, and generally ask them they types of cruises they've been on. The answer is largely, "None". However, we have booked a few cruises on-line on ships and lines we have done before. For the longer or more exotic cruises, or those we can get special deals on, we will use our TA, and have cruised with her a couple of times.

[imsulin]

You can't vote me off the island, Peter. I own it. And, my advice has plenty of substance, because experience counts.

[mbeaulieu]

Okay, you two boys! --Am I going to have to send you both to the Principal's office?
Michele