Are any of you using travel agents/wedding planners?

[2007CarnivalBride]

I found this website cruisingweddings.com and the claim to be a travel agent and wedding planner. I checked into it and they claim to handle everything for you from choosing a ship to payment of the cruise and wedding to dealing with your guest's cruise payment, room placement and even helping to set up who sits where at diner tables. Have any of the rest of you past or present cruise brides ever heard of or tried them before? According to their website there is no cost for their services since they are some how paid by the cruise lines themselves. I'm trying to do some research now and get a head start so I can get my Save the date cards out the first part of the year, so any and all help would be appreciated! :)

[cruisethe7seas]

Hi CarnivalBride!!

 

I was in your same predicament. I hired someone (thought not the same website) to handle all of my DW plans. But I paid $50.

 

I really started to regret it though! My agent was like 5 states away so I'd never be able to meet with her personally. Emails took a few days to respond to, questions were left unanswered, etc.

 

Plus in another state they could be... dealing drugs too and you'd have not a clue! If it is a real brick-and-mortar building, you can always stop by.

 

I'm a control-freak and it drove me CRAZY to have my wedding so far out of my hands. A wedding is too a huge thing to be risked. And (possibly) many guests to join you on it too!

 

I'm not saying I doubt their services. I just REALLY think you should go to a regular Travel Agency in your hometown. They may not "advertise" that they do destination weddings, but I know they're able, and willing!!!

 

Let me know how it goes!!

J.

[scottishflower]

For travel arrangements, I'm using my local cruiseone agent - searchable at:

http://www.cruiseone.com

 

The local agents are brick and mortar, yet very close the the crusing business and have personal contacts with the right people. They book everyone in the group, make sure we get ammenities, etc.

 

They specialize in group cruises, so it's worked out real well for us.

 

(p.s. I opted out of the RCCL wedding coordination service and doing it on my own at our Key West port stop - too much bad press from Royal Romance for something this important, IMHO).

[2007CarnivalBride]

Thanks for the information! I decided not to go with the on-line "wedding cruise" TA and I think I may just work with goup sales myself to get everything planned. I am a control/detail freak too and the idea that someone else could not get it right, for me is beyond scary! :) I actually called and got the same rates from the group vacation planners as the TA did and they did still offer me those amenity points and the "free" cruise option with every 8 rooms booked! It's still early and I'm going to give a local TA a try before I go for it on my own, thanks again for the input and I will let you all know how it turns out!:)