Booking via Web Site or Travel Agent

[brat7432]

Is it better to use a travel agent or to go directly to a cruise line's web site to book a cruise?

 

[1025cruise]

There are pros/cons to each method.

[brat7432]

I should clarify...we know we are going on a Carnival cruise to Alaska.

[Flatbush Flyer]

17 minutes ago, brat7432 said:

I should clarify...we know we are going on a Carnival cruise to Alaska.

Good to clarify.

Use the search feature here on CC to see why using the right TA is almost always better than direct booking.

That said, know that many of the very best TA’s won’t do Carnival. Not a lot of commission $ due to cheap fares Also, lots of hand-holding required.

[ldubs]

TA's provide a lot of services I'm not interested in really.  But, I say that without any scoffing as many like or need those extra touches.  

 

For us it simply dollars and cents.  I can book directly easily enough.  If our TA can do the booking for less money, get us an upgrade, or an OBC, then we will go with the TA.  In most cases our current TA saves us quite a bit compared to what we would pay booking directly.   

 

So for us the big "pro" is the savings.  I can't think of any real "cons".

Edited February 21, 2022 by ldubs

[Cruzaholic41]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

That said, know that many of the very best TA’s won’t do Carnival. Not a lot of commission $ due to cheap fares Also, lots of hand-holding required.

What a bunch of malarkey. With the numbers of passengers Carnival gets, TAs are more than happy to book them. You really need to stop posting this elitist junk. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

What a bunch of malarkey. With the numbers of passengers Carnival gets, TAs are more than happy to book them. You really need to stop posting this elitist junk. 

You may want to call a few TAs on the Condé Nast Traveler “Best of ....” list and ask them. 
It has nothing to do with “elite.” Rather it has  to do with “commission for effort.”  

[Hlitner]

36 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You may want to call a few TAs on the Condé Nast Traveler “Best of ....” list and ask them. 
It has nothing to do with “elite.” Rather it has  to do with “commission for effort.”  

With all due respect, we give little credence to that list which primarily includes hand-holding TAs who serve a clientele who is looking for special services.  No problem with those high end agents (we have used them a few times) but it is completely unnecessary when simply booking a cruise whether it be a 7 day or a 180 day.   While we have used an excellent agent when we booked a DIY trip to Egypt and would use a different agent if we were booking an independent camera safari in Africa, that kind of expertise is not needed to book a cruise.

 

For us, when booking a cruise it is simply a matter of who will give us the best deal (financially) and still meet our requirements for decent customer service.  Our savings are generally in the 7-10% range on many cruises with longer more expensive cruises sometimes yielding a savings in excess of 10% when compared to booking directly through a cruise line.

 

I have no idea what you are talking about when you say "commission for effort" although that sure sounds like a great marketing ploy.  Cruise/travel agents all get commissions with some high volume agents qualifying for additional "financial incentives" and overrides.  The truth is that booking most cruises involves a client doing most of the work themselves (by filling out the forms online) or an agent simply putting info into an online system such as "Polar."  If somebody wants a lot of "handholding" and a sympathetic ear than they should not complain if they pay a premium for extra time from an expert.  But these days many folks are comfortable with online systems and capable of doing much of their own research.

 

Hank

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

With all due respect, we give little credence to that list which primarily includes hand-holding TAs who serve a clientele who is looking for special services.  No problem with those high end agents (we have used them a few times) but it is completely unnecessary when simply booking a cruise whether it be a 7 day or a 180 day.   While we have used an excellent agent when we booked a DIY trip to Egypt and would use a different agent if we were booking an independent camera safari in Africa, that kind of expertise is not needed to book a cruise.

 

For us, when booking a cruise it is simply a matter of who will give us the best deal (financially) and still meet our requirements for decent customer service.  Our savings are generally in the 7-10% range on many cruises with longer more expensive cruises sometimes yielding a savings in excess of 10% when compared to booking directly through a cruise line.

 

I have no idea what you are talking about when you say "commission for effort" although that sure sounds like a great marketing ploy.  Cruise/travel agents all get commissions with some high volume agents qualifying for additional "financial incentives" and overrides.  The truth is that booking most cruises involves a client doing most of the work themselves (by filling out the forms online) or an agent simply putting info into an online system such as "Polar."  If somebody wants a lot of "handholding" and a sympathetic ear than they should not complain if they pay a premium for extra time from an expert.  But these days many folks are comfortable with online systems and capable of doing much of their own research.

 

Hank

From chatting with several TAs who work for at least a couple of the agencies you and I have alluded to in past threads, It is my understanding that Carnival’s commissions on an average short cruise pale in comparison to the amount of work (including significant hand-holding) often put into servicing the booking. And that work has multiplied due to Covid related cancellations, FCCs, changing pre-Cruise requirements etc.. And that is what is meant by “commission for effort.”

 

Like you, I generally need no handholding. But, because (unlike you) I tend to use a single cruise line in most instances,  and because it maintains a small group of “preferred providers” (top O sellers among both high and low volume outfits), they can work wonders. Not only will this group always have the best bottom line cost for an O cruise. But, they can fix problems (including the type you encountered with South America) in a brief call to one of their “speed dial” numbers.

Such “preferred” Travel Agencies can often wfind themselves in a triage situation (now more than ever) due to the current Covid circumstances. And that means no time (or interest) in doing work with/for certain lines with relatively small “rewards” for their effort.

 

Seriously, I do know TA’s who would pass on a Carnival booking unless, perhaps, it was as a favor to a regular customer.

 

BTW, this is no different that the concept of preferred and/or single vendor arrangements across multiple other kinds of businesses. 

[Ashland]

Cruises, flights, hotel and rental car...I'll book myself directly...no hand holding required or needed.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, Ashland said:

Cruises, flights, hotel and rental car...I'll book myself directly...no hand holding required or needed.

So, zero interest in commission sharing for a cruise booking? At 5-10% of the commissionable fare, that could mean a “chunk of change” in your pocket for all sorts of cruises with a hefty price tag.

[sanger727]

11 hours ago, brat7432 said:

I should clarify...we know we are going on a Carnival cruise to Alaska.

Which is ‘better’ isn’t a straight forward answer. It depends a lot on what TA you would use. 
 

TA pros: you may get a lower price, bonus OBC, or gifts such as free gratuities or specialty dining. If something goes wrong a good TA will sit on hold with the cruise line for you and deal with it. If you need a price drop match or something like that, the TA should also take care of that for you.

 

TA cons: you lose control of your booking. Carnival will not talk to you if you call, you must go through your TA. If you TA isn’t responsive or knowledgeable this can make the above situations worse,. You also have to read the fine print, some TAs will charge cancellation fees in situations where carnival would give a full refund.

 

my advise is; if you know a good TA or get a referral to a good TA, use them. If you are shopping for a new TA; if they get you something (lower price, OBC, etc) and don’t charge cancellation fees, give them a try. Otherwise, book direct.

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by sanger727

[1025cruise]

I used to use a TA to book my cruises. I ended up doing most of the work myself, and just booked with them as a courtesy. Until one cruise. My wife and I decided after cruising on Princess, Norwegian, Disney and HAL to book a Carnival cruise (itinerary and timing was perfect) and was informed that the TA didn't book Carnival. Said there had been too many complaints. So, I booked direct. Yes, we had a good time. Since then, I have just booked direct.

 

I should note, I have nothing against this TA. In fact, if I were going to be doing a more complicated trip, I'd probably use them again. But I can easily book my own flights, a cruise, and necessary hotels, as well as purchasing insurance.

Edited February 21, 2022 by 1025cruise

[Hlitner]

10 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

From chatting with several TAs who work for at least a couple of the agencies you and I have alluded to in past threads, It is my understanding that Carnival’s commissions on an average short cruise pale in comparison to the amount of work (including significant hand-holding) often put into servicing the booking. And that work has multiplied due to Covid related cancellations, FCCs, changing pre-Cruise requirements etc.. And that is what is meant by “commission for effort.”

 

Like you, I generally need no handholding. But, because (unlike you) I tend to use a single cruise line in most instances,  and because it maintains a small group of “preferred providers” (top O sellers among both high and low volume outfits), they can work wonders. Not only will this group always have the best bottom line cost for an O cruise. But, they can fix problems (including the type you encountered with South America) in a brief call to one of their “speed dial” numbers.

Such “preferred” Travel Agencies can often wfind themselves in a triage situation (now more than ever) due to the current Covid circumstances. And that means no time (or interest) in doing work with/for certain lines with relatively small “rewards” for their effort.

 

Seriously, I do know TA’s who would pass on a Carnival booking unless, perhaps, it was as a favor to a regular customer.

 

BTW, this is no different that the concept of preferred and/or single vendor arrangements across multiple other kinds of businesses. 

Interesting.  Like you, we did use a an "O" Preferred Agency when we tried to take a cruise on that line.  It happened that 2 of our 3 favored agencies were O Preferred.  I am not aware of any high volume discount reputable cruise agency that does not work with all the CCL, RCI, and NCLH brands.  I do know of one agency that resisted working with MSC for a couple of years but has finally relented.  MSC has an awful customer service reputation here in the USA which is partially driven by their relatively small footprint on this side of the pond.   My personal favorite cruise agent tells me she does not like dealing with MSC but feels obligated in order to fulfill the full-service (i.e. work with all cruise and river cruise companies) desired by their customers.  

 

I think the problem with some of the Brands, in terms of agencies, is that there are many short cruise bookings (3,4 and 5 day) with those lines which are relatively inexpensive bookings with low commissions.  My favorite agent sometimes unloads on me and says that she often needs to spend more time "hand holding" with a 3-4 night booking then with a World Cruise.  And that world cruise can generate commissions in excess of $10,000 while the 3-4 night cruise might not even generate $100.  But she (and her agency) also understand that the folks who book those short inexpensive cruises today may be the World Cruise bookers of tomorrow.   And then she also gets customers like me who will sometimes book a very long (2 month +) expensive cruise with a few clicks of the mouse (using the agencies excellent online booking engine) which generates the same amount of commission as the person who might spend 2 hours on the phone asking for all kinds of "hand holding."

 

As we both know, the last 2 years have been pure hell for the cruise/travel agencies.  Many decent agents (and some agencies) have left the business for better pastures.  We feel somewhat blessed that our favorite two agencies (and agents) have survived the long shut down.

 

I think we are both somewhat puzzled why there are still some cruisers who prefer to book directly with cruise lines and give-up the substantial savings they can derive by using decent cruise/travel agencies.  In all our years blogging and sharing cruise info online (and I go back to Genie before we even had a World Wide Web) I have never heard a decent argument that justifies dealing direct with a cruise line.  The only time we did need to deal direct was with Renaissance (they did not use agencies) and we know what happened to that long gone company.

 

Hank

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Interesting.  Like you, we did use a an "O" Preferred Agency when we tried to take a cruise on that line.  It happened that 2 of our 3 favored agencies were O Preferred.  I am not aware of any high volume discount reputable cruise agency that does not work with all the CCL, RCI, and NCLH brands.  I do know of one agency that resisted working with MSC for a couple of years but has finally relented.  MSC has an awful customer service reputation here in the USA which is partially driven by their relatively small footprint on this side of the pond.   My personal favorite cruise agent tells me she does not like dealing with MSC but feels obligated in order to fulfill the full-service (i.e. work with all cruise and river cruise companies) desired by their customers.  

 

I think the problem with some of the Brands, in terms of agencies, is that there are many short cruise bookings (3,4 and 5 day) with those lines which are relatively inexpensive bookings with low commissions.  My favorite agent sometimes unloads on me and says that she often needs to spend more time "hand holding" with a 3-4 night booking then with a World Cruise.  And that world cruise can generate commissions in excess of $10,000 while the 3-4 night cruise might not even generate $100.  But she (and her agency) also understand that the folks who book those short inexpensive cruises today may be the World Cruise bookers of tomorrow.   And then she also gets customers like me who will sometimes book a very long (2 month +) expensive cruise with a few clicks of the mouse (using the agencies excellent online booking engine) which generates the same amount of commission as the person who might spend 2 hours on the phone asking for all kinds of "hand holding."

 

As we both know, the last 2 years have been pure hell for the cruise/travel agencies.  Many decent agents (and some agencies) have left the business for better pastures.  We feel somewhat blessed that our favorite two agencies (and agents) have survived the long shut down.

 

I think we are both somewhat puzzled why there are still some cruisers who prefer to book directly with cruise lines and give-up the substantial savings they can derive by using decent cruise/travel agencies.  In all our years blogging and sharing cruise info online (and I go back to Genie before we even had a World Wide Web) I have never heard a decent argument that justifies dealing direct with a cruise line.  The only time we did need to deal direct was with Renaissance (they did not use agencies) and we know what happened to that long gone company.

 

Hank

You don't understand having control of the cruise? You don't understand being on hold for hours only to be told that the rep you are talking to cannot do what you need done and has to transfer you to someone else so you can be on hold for more hours unless of course the call drops or it gets beyond closing hours?

[Hlitner]

3 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

You don't understand having control of the cruise? You don't understand being on hold for hours only to be told that the rep you are talking to cannot do what you need done and has to transfer you to someone else so you can be on hold for more hours unless of course the call drops or it gets beyond closing hours?

What I do understand is that we have not been able to get into our own Princess account for nearly 2 months.  After sitting on hold with Princess for over an hour their suggestion was to simply reset my Password.  Once we did that this is the message we get on the Princess account:

We are experiencing technical difficulties with some guest accounts. If you have reset your password already and you still see this error, then we apologize. We are working on a solution.

 

That is the same message we have seen for over a month and, at the moment, Princess apparently does not have a solution to their own software problem.  To quote the other poster, this is "simplicity?"   I was just teasing DW that perhaps we should simply cancel our next Princess booking (20 days in a Suite) and rebook with MSC :).  MSC's Yacht Club offers amenities we can only dream about when on Princess.

 

Hank

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 hours ago, sanger727 said:

Which is ‘better’ isn’t a straight forward answer. It depends a lot on what TA you would use. 
 

TA pros: you may get a lower price, bonus OBC, or gifts such as free gratuities or specialty dining. If something goes wrong a good TA will sit on hold with the cruise line for you and deal with it. If you need a price drop match or something like that, the TA should also take care of that for you.

 

TA cons: you lose control of your booking. Carnival will not talk to you if you call, you must go through your TA. If you TA isn’t responsive or knowledgeable this can make the above situations worse,. You also have to read the fine print, some TAs will charge cancellation fees in situations where carnival would give a full refund.

 

my advise is; if you know a good TA or get a referral to a good TA, use them. If you are shopping for a new TA; if they get you something (lower price, OBC, etc) and don’t charge cancellation fees, give them a try. Otherwise, book direct.

 

 

This is sage advice.

The only thing I “disagree” with is the “control of the booking.” We passengers are rounding errors in the daily bottom line of a cruise company. While you are sitting on “hold” on the phone, the RIGHT TA has the regional Sales Rep on speed dial and can more easily get necessary action than can a cruise company “personal travel whatever” (once they answer the phone) who works for the cruise company (instead of “for you”) and can only press an issue so far with their supervisor. Meanwhile that  RIGHT TA can remind their contact that s/he sells $millions in bookings for the cruise line.

FWIW, I can understand not using a TA if it’s a simple short cruise booking on a discount line and you know what you’re doing. The “commission sharing” you can’t get from the cruise line direct won’t amount to much at all. But 5-10% of a $20k cruise price in your pocket is not “chump change” and the “on your side” problem solving by the RIGHT TA is priceless!

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Interesting.  Like you, we did use a an "O" Preferred Agency when we tried to take a cruise on that line.  It happened that 2 of our 3 favored agencies were O Preferred.  I am not aware of any high volume discount reputable cruise agency that does not work with all the CCL, RCI, and NCLH brands.  I do know of one agency that resisted working with MSC for a couple of years but has finally relented.  MSC has an awful customer service reputation here in the USA which is partially driven by their relatively small footprint on this side of the pond.   My personal favorite cruise agent tells me she does not like dealing with MSC but feels obligated in order to fulfill the full-service (i.e. work with all cruise and river cruise companies) desired by their customers.  

 

I think the problem with some of the Brands, in terms of agencies, is that there are many short cruise bookings (3,4 and 5 day) with those lines which are relatively inexpensive bookings with low commissions.  My favorite agent sometimes unloads on me and says that she often needs to spend more time "hand holding" with a 3-4 night booking then with a World Cruise.  And that world cruise can generate commissions in excess of $10,000 while the 3-4 night cruise might not even generate $100.  But she (and her agency) also understand that the folks who book those short inexpensive cruises today may be the World Cruise bookers of tomorrow.   And then she also gets customers like me who will sometimes book a very long (2 month +) expensive cruise with a few clicks of the mouse (using the agencies excellent online booking engine) which generates the same amount of commission as the person who might spend 2 hours on the phone asking for all kinds of "hand holding."

 

As we both know, the last 2 years have been pure hell for the cruise/travel agencies.  Many decent agents (and some agencies) have left the business for better pastures.  We feel somewhat blessed that our favorite two agencies (and agents) have survived the long shut down.

 

I think we are both somewhat puzzled why there are still some cruisers who prefer to book directly with cruise lines and give-up the substantial savings they can derive by using decent cruise/travel agencies.  In all our years blogging and sharing cruise info online (and I go back to Genie before we even had a World Wide Web) I have never heard a decent argument that justifies dealing direct with a cruise line.  The only time we did need to deal direct was with Renaissance (they did not use agencies) and we know what happened to that long gone company.

 

Hank

It’s good that we are often on the same page or, at least, in the same chapter.

 

I’m reminded of basketball coach Bobby Knight’s most famous statement: “Everyone wants to win. But, nobody wants to practice.”

 

The fact remains that many new (and old) cruisers do not want to do the real work involved in getting to a short list of the  RIGHT TAs. Relying solely on “Uncle Mike’s” recommendation or only checking the big box store or other “club” pricing is just not enough.

And, while I would never pit one against another in a bidding situation, there are times when any one of the short list TAs may be in a better situation (e.g., rotating “quiet sales,” consortium deals) to deal than are the others on your list. So, several calls or emails when I want to transfer a “book onboard” are the norm for me. 

 

Now, admittedly, establishing (and replenishing) that TA short list can take significant time in the beginning. But, as you well know, those several hours of research, phone interviews, chatting onboard with veteran cruisers etc. can save you many $ thousands over the long haul.

[Ashland]

11 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

So, zero interest in commission sharing for a cruise booking? At 5-10% of the commissionable fare, that could mean a “chunk of change” in your pocket for all sorts of cruises with a hefty price tag.

Zero...My cruises don't usually have a "hefty" price tag even though I book GS and up...I book the minute the schedule opens...watch for possible discounts that might apply and I'm good to go.

[gerryuk]

Book direct until all this uncertainty is over. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

29 minutes ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

I'm not sure of all of the things you folks do to require constant communication with your TAs or the cruise lines but apart from ordering some drinks, wifi and excursions (all of which happens efficiently over the website), I rarely need to discuss anything with the cruise line or HAs about my cruises.

Perhaps you are unclear on the concept: All I initially need from a TA is commission sharing.

 

In fact, whether while onboard or at home, I initially book with my preferred rep(s) on my preferred cruise line. BUT, I then transfer the cruise to my preferred TA (within the allowed time window - 30 days). I do this primarily to get “commission sharing.” For example, our upcoming cruise will generate a $2k+ rebate check from the TA. Total effort on my part = 10 minutes of exchanging emails.
AND, should any Covid related complication affect that cruise (e.g., FCC/transfer options/exceptions etc.), the RIGHT TA can handle it far more quickly than can the passenger.

So, in this example: book direct = published cruise line perks while book direct and transfer to TA = published cruise line perks + $2K+ USD rebate cash in my pocket. The choice is a no-brainer!!!

[donaldsc]

I make a decision regarding a TA versus a cruise company WEB site based on how much support I will get when things go wrong and trust me, there will be times when things go wrong and sometimes really wrong.  To me, that is as important as any rebates or perks that I might get from a TA.  We do get perks from our long time TA.  However, when things go wrong, a cruise line clerk basically does not give a damn about any problems that I am having or how the cruise line is lying to me and trying to mess with me.  My TA does care and usually figures out a way to handle the problem.

 

DON

[lenquixote66]

20 hours ago, brat7432 said:

Is it better to use a travel agent or to go directly to a cruise line's web site to book a cruise?

 

We always used a TA but on my last cruise decided to call the cruise line direct.The rep who answered the phone had the same last name as me.He said he never met anyone with the name and neither did I.

We had outstanding service .Was it always going to be like this ?

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

I make a decision regarding a TA versus a cruise company WEB site based on how much support I will get when things go wrong and trust me, there will be times when things go wrong and sometimes really wrong.  To me, that is as important as any rebates or perks that I might get from a TA.  We do get perks from our long time TA.  However, when things go wrong, a cruise line clerk basically does not give a damn about any problems that I am having or how the cruise line is lying to me and trying to mess with me.  My TA does care and usually figures out a way to handle the problem.

 

DON

No argument here. 
I actually stopped using a TA who gave the best rebates AND had the right cruise line folks on speed dial solely because his office made a lot of mistakes on invoices.

For me, it’s a “holy trinity” of commission sharing, problem solving and accurate attention to detail.

[sanger727]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

This is sage advice.

The only thing I “disagree” with is the “control of the booking.” We passengers are rounding errors in the daily bottom line of a cruise company. While you are sitting on “hold” on the phone, the RIGHT TA has the regional Sales Rep on speed dial and can more easily get necessary action than can a cruise company “personal travel whatever” (once they answer the phone) who works for the cruise company (instead of “for you”) and can only press an issue so far with their supervisor. Meanwhile that  RIGHT TA can remind their contact that s/he sells $millions in bookings for the cruise line.

FWIW, I can understand not using a TA if it’s a simple short cruise booking on a discount line and you know what you’re doing. The “commission sharing” you can’t get from the cruise line direct won’t amount to much at all. But 5-10% of a $20k cruise price in your pocket is not “chump change” and the “on your side” problem solving by the RIGHT TA is priceless!

 

what I mean by control of your booking is that you can no longer call the cruise line about a booking related issue. IF you have a TA that is responsive and represents you will, it’s not an issue. IF your TA ends up not being responsive or a clear communicator; you can end up with a whole lot of issues that you can’t sort out easily.