Booking directly thru Carnival vs. an agent?

[itzkelly]

Hi - I typically book directly through a cruise line when planning my next cruise, yet wanted to know exactly what advantage or incentive there is if I were to go through a travel agent? I usually book any excursions privately, and have no qualms with contacting the cruise lines if I need to make changes or reservations on board. This time, however, I will be cruising with other friends in their own cabins, so am thinking a travel agent may be the way to go?

 

Thanks!

[SummerXU]

You'll get a lot of different opinions, but I just prefer to book directly with the cruise line. Carnival will not talk to you if you've booked with an agent - all changes must be made through them. I'm a control freak and like to take care of everything myself. I don't trust someone else to stay on top of things like I will.

 

From what I've heard, Carnival has also really limited the perks that agents are allowed to offer you for booking through them.

[stargate fan]

Hi - I typically book directly through a cruise line when planning my next cruise, yet wanted to know exactly what advantage or incentive there is if I were to go through a travel agent? I usually book any excursions privately, and have no qualms with contacting the cruise lines if I need to make changes or reservations on board. This time, however, I will be cruising with other friends in their own cabins, so am thinking a travel agent may be the way to go?

 

Thanks!

 

If you book with a travel agent, you will have to contact him or her to make any changes or inquiries. I like to maintain control of my booking so we use our Carnival PVP.

[maldenmusic]

I'm not sure of the advantage of a TA or PVP. I have booked 11 cruises directly through the website and had no problems.

[KateLovesCruising]

I book directly through the cruise line myself. To me, travel agents always seemed like an unnecessary middle man. As someone else mentioned, I don't trust others to stay on top of things that way I will.

[coevan]

we always get more perks with a cruise T.A. Last cruise B2B, we got a Steakhouse dinner for each leg and $150 OBC on each leg, far better then CCL offers. As far as contactin CCL, our agent would get back to us immediately. We never had an issue, she was very professional.

[CeleBrat]

While we usually book direct with Carnival, I also check the travel agents sites as well. Occasionally, they will offer additional perks that the cruiseline won't. (Free wine in cabin, etc)

 

CeleBrat

[ddloml]

You mention that you would be cruising with others. It is probably a good idea to use a Carnival Personal Vacation Planner (PVP) and book that way. All of the reservations would be easily linked by the PVP, so that dining, boarding times, etc can be together. You wouldn't need to worry about that hassle. The PVP also has more options for cabin selection than you would get by doing it yourself. If changes need to be made, you have a single point of contact in your PVP who knows you and your friends' situation. So it's like having the services of an agent with an insiders connection to CCL. However you still have the option of visiting the website and logging in to your cruise after it's booked without having always to go through the PVP or a travel agent.

[itzkelly]

You mention that you would be cruising with others. It is probably a good idea to use a Carnival Personal Vacation Planner (PVP) and book that way. All of the reservations would be easily linked by the PVP, so that dining, boarding times, etc can be together. You wouldn't need to worry about that hassle. The PVP also has more options for cabin selection than you would get by doing it yourself. If changes need to be made, you have a single point of contact in your PVP who knows you and your friends' situation. So it's like having the services of an agent with an insiders connection to CCL. However you still have the option of visiting the website and logging in to your cruise after it's booked without having always to go through the PVP or a travel agent.

 

Ooh, I didn't know Carnival had this as an option - I will definitely look into it, thanks! :)

[summersigh]

If you book with a travel agent, you will have to contact him or her to make any changes or inquiries. I like to maintain control of my booking so we use our Carnival PVP.

 

My reply is based on the fact that we have a TA who's a jewel.

 

Actually, after booking with a TA you do have personal control of booking excursions that CCL offers, purchase FTTF, and other pre-sailing purchases like 12 pack of water or a bottle of alcohol for the cabin, specialty dining room reservations. I have asked questions of Carnival and received answers.

 

We choose our cruises carefully - especially the cabin we want so any upsale really has no interest for us which IS something that goes thru the TA. What we did a couple of times was tell the TA what upsale we would be willing to accept including area and deck number and how much we'd be willing to pay. That way she didn't need to wait to contact us to take care of it.

 

Our TA takes care of actually making the reservation while I sit in her office. She takes care of the deposit and final payment (she emails to let me know when she's about to do that). She lets us know what's the best insurance available for us - DH needs "pre-existing condition" and then takes care of securing and paying for it with our account. She sees we get on the invoice any perks we're entitled to and often adds some OBC of her own.

 

We're retired and to me it's nice to have somebody watch my back which she has done.

[Singer4Him]

You'll get a lot of different opinions, but I just prefer to book directly with the cruise line. Carnival will not talk to you if you've booked with an agent - all changes must be made through them. I'm a control freak and like to take care of everything myself. I don't trust someone else to stay on top of things like I will.

 

SummerXU says exactly what I would say.

 

We have been on several cruises and all of them, with the exception of the one I currently have booked, were booked through a TA. She was great but when the "dancing of the ships" took place last year, I found out via FB that my cruise had been canceled since the ship that I had booked was being relocated to another port. I tried calling my TA and she was out of town for a week on vacation. She works by herself so there was no one else that could help me. I called Carnival, only to be told that they could do nothing to help me; I would have to go through my TA. I really disliked feeling as though my hands were tied with regard to MY cruise! It took over a week to get everything straightened out and get rebooked. I vowed then that I would either book directly with the cruise line or use a PVP, which is still basically booking directly with them.

 

I've heard a lot of people talk about the great incentives that they've received from their TA's but we have never received anything like that.

 

I would suggest, as another posted has, finding a PVP who can help book your group.

[dsykes2]

We have used Costco Travel for the last two cruises with great ease! We get a price the same as Carnival, plus Costco gift cards (depends on the amount of cruise) to boot!