Where should I book my cruise?

[drm31078]

This is my first cruise ever. Would it be a mistake to just book the cruise through the Princess website? Would I be better off with a travel agent or another "discount" website perhaps? I am a control freak, so I like to know all the details of what I am getting, hence my hesitation using a travel agent. FYI, cruise is to Alaska in July 08. Any suggestions or opinions are appreciated.

[Host Caroline]

First off, you can't post names of travel agencies, links to agencies or ask people to email you their TA info... so it may be difficult for some to answer you> I can say as a former TA that I find that it is easier to work with a travel agency (many good ones advertise here on CC and could help you) if you are a control freak IMHO because they can navigate for you on some things AND you may get a much better price. But if you want to deal directly with Princess you can certainly do that.. just get names and dates when you talk to someone so you can go back to that if something needs changed or doesn't pan out.. that's just my take on it..

Been to Alaska 7 times.. it's a great cruise.. you will love it! :)

[Charliesmom]

You can book your cruise directly with Princess, get all the details straight and then you can shop price at all of the online discount agencies, most of whom advertise on Cruise Critic.

 

When you find the price you like, you can then transfer the booking to the travel agent and get the good price. However, you must realize that most online cruise agencies will not give you much service beyond getting your documents to you.

 

If you would like any other assistance, you can email me: Charlies71mom at Hotmail dot com.

 

Roberta

[sunsurf]

This is my first cruise ever. Would it be a mistake to just book the cruise through the Princess website? Would I be better off with a travel agent or another "discount" website perhaps? I am a control freak, so I like to know all the details of what I am getting, hence my hesitation using a travel agent. FYI, cruise is to Alaska in July 08. Any suggestions or opinions are appreciated.

 

 

I booked directly with Princess for my first cruise and now my upcoming one. I prefer to book directly with them...there's no middle man to go through when you want to follow up on something or make requests etc. For me...its just more convenient.

 

Good luck!

[drm31078]

Thanks for the quick replies. I hope my post didn't sound like I was against travel agents, ha! It's that when there is a "middle man" involved I get a little skeptical. I think I will book through Princess and then work with some travel agents to see if I can get a better deal. Is it a cumbersome process to transfer a booking?

[dclark]

Travel agents can often give you extra perks that princess direct doesn't, like free wine, excursions, etc.

The forum correct answer would be to shop different agents, starting with all who sponsor this forum. If you see a link that says "cruises agencies", click it!

[cactusrose]

Thanks for the quick replies. I hope my post didn't sound like I was against travel agents, ha! It's that when there is a "middle man" involved I get a little skeptical. I think I will book through Princess and then work with some travel agents to see if I can get a better deal. Is it a cumbersome process to transfer a booking?

 

It isn't cumbersom at all to transfer your booking. You just need the booking number and the name and phone number of the new agent/agency. Then you fax the request to Princess and it's done. Princess has no problem letting you transfer to an outside agency.

[Toto2Kansas]

The one thing to keep in mind about booking a Princess cruise is that travel agents are still allowed to discount their commission. Booking through a travel agent can sometimes save you quite a bit off the price Princess is charging for the same cabin, same sailing.

So, you need to weigh just how much difference you might save by booking with a good discount TA, vs the control you think you might loose having to go through a third person with your booking.

So far, we would rather save a few hundred dollars (and sometimes much more) and use the middle man. :)

[Cruisin' Chick]

Another thing to consider is that there are some travel agencies that specialize in cruises. If you have any questions or problems, they would have a better chance to help you (compared to the "internet" agencies which are better suited to those who are cruising "vets" and know what ship they want and want route they want). The problem with us not being able to recommend specific TAs who can help you is that many TAs will claim to know the cruising world...and don't.

 

Even the customer service reps at Princess won't necessarily have the answers (many have yet to be on a cruise, and were hired because they live near Santa Clarita and are willing to take the salary). So if you do book through Princess, talk to a reservations clerk with all your questions. But first check out the deck plans for the ship and highlight the cabins you're willing to have (see what's above on the next deck). We always have the deck plan in front of us...and the last two cruises we asked that our booking be marked "no upgrade."

[Times Prince]

This is my first cruise ever. Would it be a mistake to just book the cruise through the Princess website? Would I be better off with a travel agent or another "discount" website perhaps? I am a control freak, so I like to know all the details of what I am getting, hence my hesitation using a travel agent. FYI, cruise is to Alaska in July 08. Any suggestions or opinions are appreciated.

As a first time cruiser you will probably get better prices through a "brick and morter" travel agent than through Princess directly. Once you have sailed with Princess, better prices are available.

 

What we usually do is to go through the booking tool online at www.princess.com and take it to the point where it offers specific cabin selections. The site will typically offer about six choices that are available (even though there may be more available than that). We click on the deck name to get the deck plan and see where the cabins are located. After backing up and going forward several times we can compare the locations and the prices for the different categories. Make note of the bottom line cost on the right. (cruise + port fees + travel insurance)

 

On our last cruise, when we went to our TA's office ( a major agency nationally with local offices ) we were able to say "how much does a category XY cost?". We were offered the same cabins as one would see online, but at a different cost.

 

This process gives us the control we want. We have also booked directly with Princess by phone and the sales rep walked us through available cabins and prices, including booking the options (bed set-up, dining preferences), giving us direct control. They will hold a cabin for 24 hours based on a phone call alone if there is some question you need resolved.

 

Have a great cruise!

[drakes2]

I booked our upcoming January cruise through a TA that advertises on this board and received a balcony cabin midship on the Caribe deck (larger balcony) at the same price Princess quoted for an aft cabin on another deck plus enough in OBC's to cover the week's gratuities and then some, so, no, I don't think I would ever book directly with Princess. I also get excellent service from this TA.

Travel agents can often give you extra perks that princess direct doesn't, like free wine, excursions, etc.

The forum correct answer would be to shop different agents, starting with all who sponsor this forum. If you see a link that says "cruises agencies", click it!

[sunluva7]

I have used an internet TA for all three of my past cruises and for my upcoming fourth, and can think of no reason why I would book directly through the cruiseline. In my past experience, I have been able to save a lot of $$$ off the cruiseline's price for the same ship and sailing and even get perks through the TA. Web TA's are not for everyone, but if you know exactly what you want, they are definitely worth a look.

[Eddie4Paws]

I love my TA, and found him through a Google search of cruise agencies. I like dealing with a small agency, and with some of the larger online agencies, you'll get different people, or you can't reach the person you initially spoke with. The corporate experience. My TA knows my preferences and will do everything he can to find what I like. He also usually gives an OBC, and the extras listed above: wine, coupons for pictures, a travel bag, etc. As an added bonus, over the years we have become good friends. :) Shop around and don't settle until you find the best deal that you can.

[sradogna]

I, like you, am a MAJOR control freak. I find that booking first with princess directly and then taking my time shopping for the best deal works very well. That way I can book right away while availability is good, pick my own cabin, and then take my good sweet time finding the best deal.

 

Oftentimes, while I'm shopping, princess will adjust their prices and it just takes a phone call to have your princess booking adjusted to reflect the new prices. Of course then you have to speak with the discounters again using the new price as your starting point but eventually I will transfer the booking to an agent.

 

In doing it this way, I've always been able to save a substantial amount of money over Princess prices.

[Hlitner]

We book a lot of cruises and have learned to simply book based on price. The reality is that booking directly with the cruise line (this seems to be true of all the cruise lines) will just leave you paying more money. We shop around for all of our cruises (generally 4 or 5 cruises a year) among several on-line travel agents and the cruise lines own site. We usually find a trusted agent who has group rates (this is never matched by direct booking with the cruise line) sometimes enhanced with other incentives. In the case of Princess, we once (about 2 years ago) called them and asked if they would match a particular travel agency quote and they told us they would not match the rate and we should book with the TA. I suspect Princess has learned from the now defunct Renaissance Cruise Line that its not wise to undermine travel agents.

 

Hank

[dgreeney]

The one thing to keep in mind about booking a Princess cruise is that travel agents are still allowed to discount their commission. Booking through a travel agent can sometimes save you quite a bit off the price Princess is charging for the same cabin, same sailing.

So, you need to weigh just how much difference you might save by booking with a good discount TA, vs the control you think you might loose having to go through a third person with your booking.

So far, we would rather save a few hundred dollars (and sometimes much more) and use the middle man. :)

 

I feel cruise lines should offer a discount for booking your cruise on line. Airlines do it.

 

I understand TA's serve a very useful purpose, but why should I be penalized by doing the booking myself. The penalty,of course, is paying full retail.

 

I also understand the online agencies offer perks like room credits, free insurance, etc. However, they still make a commission after the perks are applied. I want the same commission applied as a discount when booking myself! Am I wrong here?

[Stevesan]

I, like you, am a MAJOR control freak. I find that booking first with princess directly and then taking my time shopping for the best deal works very well. That way I can book right away while availability is good, pick my own cabin, and then take my good sweet time finding the best deal.

 

Oftentimes, while I'm shopping, princess will adjust their prices and it just takes a phone call to have your princess booking adjusted to reflect the new prices. Of course then you have to speak with the discounters again using the new price as your starting point but eventually I will transfer the booking to an agent.

 

In doing it this way, I've always been able to save a substantial amount of money over Princess prices.

 

That's my preferred method, too.

 

When you book directly with Princess, you have both the cruise line deposit (includes all the fare details) and booking confirmation forms. When booking with a TA you have only their invoice, which is not as detailed. Print the confirmations. They disappear from Cruise Personalizer after you trnasfer to a TA.

[drm31078]

Wow! Alot of opinions on this...

 

A few things to note...we are going on an Alaska cruise on Coral Princess. We cannot afford a balcony (would rather spend money on excursions), so we are getting an interior room. I think we have narrowed down the room to the very aft end of the Caribe deck (for access to the aft viewing area to make up for not having a balcony). It is our honeymoon so the date is pretty concrete. Looking at some cruise websites and cruise critic sponsers, it doesn't really save us anything, maybe $100 at most. But after reading all the responses, I will def look into talking with a TA. Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond!