Book Through Carnival or Travel Agent?

[twinsmom21]

We have decided to take our first cruise. Is it better to book directly through Carnival, or can you get better deals through a travel agent?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We have decided to take our first cruise. Is it better to book directly through Carnival, or can you get better deals through a travel agent?

 

Hi and welcome to Cruise Critic.:)

 

You can usually do better booking with a TA. Just make sure you ask what their policies are for changes, cancellations, price drops, etc.

 

Since you're new here I just want to mention that we are not allowed to mention travel agents, or travel agencies by name.

 

If ya do your post usually go POOF!

 

Bill

[VentureMan_2000]

You can usually do better booking with a TA.

 

 

 

I would like to know exactly what you mean by you can "do better booking with a TA".

 

 

Explicitly... what does "do better"mean...?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I would like to know exactly what you mean by you can "do better booking with a TA".

 

 

Explicitly... what does "do better"mean...?

 

I mean you do better price wise.

 

Bill

[fabulousmindy]

We used a TA and got a group rate that was lower then Carnival website and had onboard credit. But rates have dropped a lot and our TA won't do anything for us. Many people on my cruise have gotten onboard credit for price drops from TAs and PVPs, but we have not. So I suppose it is like anything else, it depends who you work with.

[dbrucern]

We have decided to take our first cruise. Is it better to book directly through Carnival, or can you get better deals through a travel agent?

 

I check the sites online and call to see what they can do, then I call Carnival. Remember once you have paid your deposit with whomever, you can have your cruise transferred to another company. I have done this several times so that I can get an OBC or the price drop. I have even changed it among Carnivals PVP when I was not happy with the service.

[glmnj]

I check the sites online and call to see what they can do, then I call Carnival. Remember once you have paid your deposit with whomever, you can have your cruise transferred to another company. I have done this several times so that I can get an OBC or the price drop. I have even changed it among Carnivals PVP when I was not happy with the service.

 

How do you change it from companies? Wouldn't the booking TA charge for a cancellation if that happened, otherwise they wouldn't get their commission if the booking was "moved" to another company.

[Ken076]

glmnj - When you book with carnival you can (easily) transfer to a TA, for whatever reason including a better deal. Generally you cannot transfer from TA to TA without the originating TA agreeing, altho Carnival has a procedure for doing so, with some justification required. You CANNOT transfer from a TA to Carnival (without GREAT justification). ken

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We used a TA and got a group rate that was lower then Carnival website and had onboard credit. But rates have dropped a lot and our TA won't do anything for us. Many people on my cruise have gotten onboard credit for price drops from TAs and PVPs, but we have not. So I suppose it is like anything else, it depends who you work with.

 

As with everything else you have to ask questions. I am pretty sure group rates are not adjustable as it effects the perks that come with the group.

 

Sometimes when booking you are booked into a group without you even knowing it.

 

Bill