Need tips on finding a good travel agent for Regent

[kjbacon]

What recommendations do you have on finding a knowledgeable travel agent for booking the luxury cruises? All help welcome, thank you!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well since we can't tell you, you'll have to do your own research.

 

My advice is to look for agencies that specialize in "luxury cruises", and then talk to them, on the phone or by email, and ask them about their knowledge of the ships, their services in general, and the incentives they offer, i.e., cash rebates and/or onboard credits. You can also google them and look to see if you can find reviews or comments about them. Don't try to find someone local, i.e., brick and mortar; if this happened it would be a coincidence--my TA isn't even in my country!

[gnomie1]

I use to believe (before the internet) that I needed to use a local travel agent, however, as time went on and my travel adventures expanded, I needed to locate agencies that could provide me with the type of assistance necessary - my TA is located 2000 miles away from where we live, but is always available - and with the use of overnight delivery services, the receipt of tickets/documents is no problem whatsoever.

 

 

 

Here are some recommendations:

 

 

1) TALK to the agent - is is someone who you believe you can relate to and talk to easily? Remember, they are not mind readers and you need to be able to communicate your likes/dislikes etc. Make sure that the TA recommends the BEST cruise for you, not one that will earn the most commission

 

 

 

2) With the use of the internet, one can read reviews - just remember to look at the reviews from a number of sites

 

 

3) ASK if the agent has actually been on the ship you are interested in. The top selling TA's are often invited for special sailings so that they can experience it themselves

 

 

4) Many agents offer various incentives (rebates/ship board credits) and/or belong to a consortium that may provide additional benefits, such as a special excursion or event

 

 

5) Generally, you are much better off NOT booking directly with the cruise line

 

 

Hope that this helps you out!

 

 

gnomie :)

Edited August 2, 2018 by gnomie1

[Got2Cruise]

Cruise critic is very restrictive as far as mentioning TAs and personal messages. If you use google you can find the RSSC social club on another large social media platform. That platform allows you to message other members directly.

[Travelcat2]

We are permitted to mention consortiums on CC so I would look for a luxury travel agent that belongs to Signatures, Virtuoso or Ensemble for instance (there are more consortiums, these are the ones that came to mind).

 

When we were looking for a TA, we were not looking for anyone to find a cruise line or itinerary for us. We knew what we wanted but needed the type of information that a TA can provide. After years with the same TA, we still communicate mostly by email which I like -- it is easier than trying to remember everything that you spoke about on the telephone. They have contacts at Regent that the rest of us do not have.

[MalbecWine]

Not all consortiums are equal. A handful of luxury agents are available and ours has been written up in Forbes many times. It is an exclusive private agency that specializes in all kinds of luxury travel. You have to do your own research. The plus side of finding an excellent agency/agent is that you will get far more benefits. We were with Virtuoso several years ago and they were cutting benefits and the agents were so territorial they would not help you if your agent was not in the office and forget about weekends. Our agency who we deal with, everyone can help you and we have a emergency number to our agent 24&7. Peace of mind.

 

Hunt around google and start calling the luxury agents. Wish we could all recommend agency’s here but understandably CC does not allow this as it could become too much and this is not what CC is about.

 

Good luck in your research.

[RachelG]

You should look for an agent who specializes in luxury cruise travel. You don’t need to be in the same town. A good specialty travel agent will be able to communicate by email.

[Keith1010]

My recommendation is to ask people that you know and who you respect who sail luxury lines for recommendations. Ideally, if you can get recommendations that span each of the consortiums (Signature, Ensemble and Virtuoso) and also include a couple of independents. Ask friends and also ask people you know on a cruise.

 

For luxury cruises my recommendation is to look for a seasoned agent who has sailed most if not all the luxury lines and who books a good deal of cruises with each line as they know how to get through the red tape. This is key should issues come up.

 

Ideally have a new cruise in mind to book. Send an e-mail to each agent with some questions that they can answer by e-mail (to me that is a test to see how thorough they are) and then set up calls with each one. Questions should include items such as the amenities they offer, their own cancellation policies, how things are handles when they are out of the office (eg., support team) along with their recommendation on category of room (you are trying to see how knowledgeably they are) and also what services they can provide in addition to amenities and what added value they bring to their clients.

 

In terms of support that is key and I recommend finding an agent who has support so if they are out of pocket that there is one or more people who can assist you. Sometimes I see someone on CC asking a question and noting that they would not be asking but their agent is out of pocket for a week or more. IMHO there should always be someone who is there so you don't have to wait.

 

Finally as you speak with each agent my recommendation is to see how well you click with them on the telephone and if they see you as an individual or just a "number" and a "commission".

 

The key to me is to evaluate five or more agents so that you can see the differences for yourself.

 

Then test whoever you pick with one booking rather than several to see how they do.

 

Good luck with this.

 

Keith

[kjbacon]

Thanks all for this help. I’ve always booked our cruises myself with the cruise company but learned here that I should use a travel agent. Didn’t have one so I picked an internet company and it’s not going well (to say the least). I’ve done several searches and this is not as easy as it sounds!!

[RustyRollock]

I certainly wouldn’t use an internet agent. You need to use a reputable agent with real consultants who you can build a real one-on-one relationship with. One you can actually talk to or at least email personally and plan/organise you cruise together as a team.

[seaknots]

even with a good TA I still do my own research before booking

this site cc and others are useful

 

rebates obc and other perks for most cruises with a TA rather than direct

[WesW]

kjbacon,

 

You can find a Regent Seven Seas Travel Agent that lives in your area by using the Find An Agent link at the bottom left of the rssc.com home page.

 

For example, from reading your previous posts, see that you live near Philadelphia. I put in a Philadephia zipcode of 19087 and Regent will list almost a half dozenTA's that live near this zipcode they recommend.

 

You can use Keith1010 s terrific suggestions posted above, call and speak with these Regent recommended TA's using the questions Keith recommends asking a prospective TA.

 

Echo previous posters suggestion that you find an experienced Regent Travel Agent.

[Got2Cruise]

You want an experienced Regent TA that gives cash rebates.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums