Travel Agent Vs Online Vs Carnival Rep

[kenandteri]

We are looking at taking the Sunshine from NOLA 3/30/2014 for a celebration cruise with at least 5 cabins of friends/family members. We have always booked our 1-cabin cruises either through the website or through our Carnival rep.

 

Just wondering how other people find they get the best deals? Also, anyone know if Carnival offers group discounts and, if so, what the minimum # of cabins would be?

[pungo3]

Frankly, my best deals have been while researching the Carnival website. Once booked, you can easily link the booking numbers, by calling any PVP with Carnival.

[Stallion]

seems like the old days our searching for the bigger, better deal are pretty much gone. Everyone seems to be selling the same prodict for the same price these days with minor perks

[Cruising Golfer]

Go to Carnivals booking site and click on I want more than one cabin and check the rate. T.A.'s can hold blocks of cabins, so if you have one that's any good they can give you some perks.(but don't count on it)

[Libra_Critic]

We are looking at taking the Sunshine from NOLA 3/30/2014 for a celebration cruise with at least 5 cabins of friends/family members. We have always booked our 1-cabin cruises either through the website or through our Carnival rep.

 

Just wondering how other people find they get the best deals? Also, anyone know if Carnival offers group discounts and, if so, what the minimum # of cabins would be?

 

If you plan to book Early Saver rates, go directly to Carnival. It is much easier to submit request for the price adjustments if the prices drop. Travel agents are reluctant to do it because their commission changes. Some will also take away the perks they initially offered.

 

If not booking Early Saver, go through the large online travel agency which will give you the most perks. If you worked with another travel agent before, they will often match the online agency perks to retain your business.

 

For five cabins, you should ask for better than average perks from the travel agents.

 

At 16 passengers or eight cabins, I believe you pay for 15 and one passenger goes free. Alternately if the cabins are different prices, you should be able to negotiate to spread the discount proportionately.

[crusinfamof4]

I scour the internet, then I have my DH call our PVP and give us the rate I find. I prefer to talk to people from CCL rather than booking online or going through a travel agent.

[nyc12345]

With five rooms, I would book through a TA. Last time I did it with mine, I get additional perks for doing so.

[etwright]

We normally book through Carnival PVP, but this time we booked through a TA we met on our previous roll call for our upcoming cruise and so far have been very happy using her. Will probably continue using her in the future. She deals with all the booking hassles and we don't have to worry about it.

[thrillergirl]

If you are looking for someone who can basically do the same thing you can do...research the price of a cruise (or any vacation for that matter), and book it yourself... contact a travel agent. Call any agent and the 1st thing they ask you is HOW MUCH, and start clicking away looking for prices.

 

A person who has dreamed about the perfect vacation doesn't say-I'm dreaming about a $600 pp deal with perks to the Bahamas! No, you are dreaming about the Bahamas, and although a budget is important, what is most important is working with a professional that helps you to plan unforgettable moments.

 

That's where professionals (like myself) come into play. We are Travel Advisors. Travel Advisors do more than just find you a "deal". You can find that on the Internet, even calling the cruise line directly, they can get you that "deal". There is value in working with a travel advisor, because we understand you do have so many travel options out there and it can be overwhelming. A travel advisor works as your value interpreter, using their expertise, they can find amazing experiences that exceed your every desire, all within your budget, perfectly planed and hassle-free, to turn your dream vacation into a memorable reality. So, if your dream vacation is totally focused on "the deal" and the # of "perks" you can get use the Internet or call the cruise line directly. If you are looking for more, contact a travel advisor.

[lola61]

I reluctantly went from a TA to a Carnival PVP after 12 cruises because of the early saver. If it was a weekend I was unable to submit a price reduction form because the TA was closed, learned the hard way, lost hundreds of dollars because of this. Last year did a PVP and ended up with a $592 OBC because I was able to submit the forms myself 24/7.

[RWolver672]

I would go with a TA. If you decide on wanting five cabins in a row, the TA can put a hold on them and each couple can then contact the TA to put their downpayment to hold the cabin. If you call, you will have to put the downpayment on all five cabins. If each couple calls themselves, they may not be able to get the cabins that you all have decided on because someone else may have already booked that cabin.

 

As another poster mentioned, eight cabins with two in each cabin give you one person free but it does not include taxes and port charges. It will be based on what the majority of the cabins booked are. For instance, one inside, three balconies and one suite will give you one free person in one of the balcony cabins.

 

What we have done is take divide the savings by sixteen and share the free ride. Some do that while others take the free ride for themselves.

[Legend]

I would go with a TA. If you decide on wanting five cabins in a row, the TA can put a hold on them and each couple can then contact the TA to put their downpayment to hold the cabin.

"If you call, you will have to put the downpayment on all five cabins. If each couple calls themselves, they may not be able to get the cabins that you all have decided on because someone else may have already booked that cabin. "

 

 

This last statement is not true. You can hold cabins for 24 hours without any payment. Then everyone can contact whomever you booked with and put their deposit down.

[HardToPort]

We are looking at taking the Sunshine from NOLA 3/30/2014 for a celebration cruise with at least 5 cabins of friends/family members. We have always booked our 1-cabin cruises either through the website or through our Carnival rep.

 

Just wondering how other people find they get the best deals? Also, anyone know if Carnival offers group discounts and, if so, what the minimum # of cabins would be?

 

First, let me go on record that I am married to a 30 year travel agency manager. I use all 3 methods when looking at a cruise. Your TA can provide you with direction (cruise lines, price points, possible specials etc) but I suggest you do your own research online. It can be fun and you learn a lot by looking at various sites and reading reviews.

 

Occasionally I speak to the Cruise Rep for background or to clarify certain aspects of their offerings.

 

But I always book travel thru a TA. A good one will keep an eye on pricing and possible upgrades for you but their value is in the support they provide. Most cruisers require some logistics support such as pre-cruise hotels, train or air travel, rental cars, local info, transfers, health insurance, currency exchange info, local customs, passport and / or visa requirements etc. But most importantly, a TA has your back when the excrement hits the fan. Missed connections, illness or injury, poor service, breach of contract, insolvent tour operators or service providers.

 

Even before I had the personal services of my bride of the last 3 years, I used a travel agent, especially for international travel. The cost is negligible compared to the benefits you get even if it's a simple as finding a decent family restaurant in Manhattan.

 

Some travel agents charge a service fee, others rely primarily on their commissions from service providers. Even if you have booked online, you can usually transfer your account to a TA afterwards. I've done it with Carnival. My wife does mostly corporate travel today and I can't tell you how many times she has had to rescue corporate executives from messed up schedules and missed connections.

 

For me, as with many older travelers (50 and up), the peace of mind of knowing that someone is available to advocate for you when you're in trouble outweighs any cost.

 

That's the way I see it anyway.

 

Safe travels!!

:D