booking a cruise

[Amink]

we no longer have AAA, and I am trying to decide

if it would be worth it to get a new AAA membership and book through a TA, or just to book through Carnival directly?

 

Are there any perks to booking through a TA?

 

or is there a better way to book?

[fergusonvt]

Many times a TA can offer you something extra like OBC. I have never booked a cruise with a TA because I like to control my own bookings but many have had great experiences with them.

[christmas]

Book with Carnival.

[pbsteve]

TA

Pro: on board credit sometimes

Someone else handles everything for you

 

Con: any issues carnival will refer you back to the TA and will not assist with any booking problems.

You can do everything a TA can through carnivals PVP (their in house agents)

 

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[pungo3]

I have booked all of my cruises, myself, through Carnival. It's just the way I prefer to deal with it.

[woodey]

I use a TA... I prefer them having to fight my battles

 

it is the same price either way normally some time you might get in on a group deal through a TA and get some OBC but that's about all the difference

[xitappers2bx]

TA

Pro: on board credit sometimes

Someone else handles everything for you

 

Con: any issues carnival will refer you back to the TA and will not assist with any booking problems.

You can do everything a TA can through carnivals PVP (their in house agents)

 

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BUT... a TA works for YOU, so if there is a problem, they'll not only be aware of it, they'll solve it for you in order to get your repeat business.

 

The biggest different is a TA works for YOU. a PVP works for CARNIVAL. i used a pvp (almost) and it was a miserable disaster of an experience, and i went running back to my TA. some people love their PVP's but I adore my TA.

[CatlinSTJ]

The past couple of years I have noticed that the AAA rate tends to be higher that what I can find myself online. It used to yield discounts of 10 - 30% on hotels and other travel, but I haven't seen that recently. Cruise rates for Carnival really can't be discounted, though some places offer OBC or other perks. The hassle of having to deal with a TA for changes makes it not worth it to me.

 

 

Next cruise: Carnival Breeze June 2014