cruise travel agent in reading area

[gmac123]

Good day to everyone.

 

This is our first post, so please bear with us.

 

We are thinking of going on our first cruise this year, we have found the information here very useful for giving us a good overview of the cruise experience.

 

As this will be our first cruise I would also like to chat to an experienced cruise travel agent.

 

Can anyone recommend a cruise travel agent in the Reading area?

 

Is there anything we should bear in mind if we book through a travel agent?

 

Well I hope someone can help us and thanks for your time.

gmac

[RoofingPrincess]

sorry, board rules state that we are not allowed to recommend (or even name) travel agents....

[cb at sea]

I don't think specific TA's can be "recommended" on these boards. Your best bet is to talk to some of your friends who travel, and see who they use. If I use a travel agent, I like a "brick and mortar" one--not an internet agent! That way, I can walk in, sit down, get brochures and info right on the spot. And, you KNOW where your agent is---they're not floating out there in cyberspace!

 

Always find out about their cancellation policy and any cancellation charges. Ask about travel insurance and any "perks" that they may give you. Your payment dates will be different with a travel agency than if you book directly with the cruiseline, and you most likely won't be able to speak directly with the cruiseline if you book with a TA--they own the reservation and all inquiries will go through them.

[gmac123]

Hi,

Thanks for coming quickly, sorry I did not realize about recommendations, but I can see why.

 

Well reading through the other posts it would seem most people recommend booking through a TA (I have already learnt!!) I guess I will try a few and see what sort of feeling I get regarding their knowledge.

 

Thanks again.

gmac

[eandj]

You might want to check if you have a local TA that specializes in cruising. Those agents will have cruised many lines and have more firsthand experience re each ship they've boarded. Plus if they book MANY cruises, they might be able to offer you some nice benefits.

[Arwenmark]

Hi,

Thanks for coming quickly, sorry I did not realize about recommendations, but I can see why.

 

Well reading through the other posts it would seem most people recommend booking through a TA (I have already learnt!!) I guess I will try a few and see what sort of feeling I get regarding their knowledge.

 

Thanks again.

gmac

 

That is not necessarily true. IF you are willing to do some homework on these boards and by reading the cruise company websites so you understand what you want and what rules apply to various lines you can then book direct with the cruise line. After that you can keep an eye out for sales etc. and a good TA that you might find and you can then transfer the booking to the TA and recieve any discounts or OBC that they might have to offer.

If you are not willing or don't have time to do your research then use a TA HOWEVER, not all TA's really pay attention to New cruisers and don't bother to tell you what you need to know, or sometimes they don't even know themselves. So if you go the TA route, Ask a lot of questions on that first contact, and be clear about what you want and what your experience level is, make it clear you want to know everything there is to know about your potential cruise. Understand what catagories are etc. and what Guarantee does and DOES NOT mean etc.

[gmac123]

That is not necessarily true. IF you are willing to do some homework on these boards and by reading the cruise company websites so you understand what you want and what rules apply to various lines you can then book direct with the cruise line. After that you can keep an eye out for sales etc. and a good TA that you might find and you can then transfer the booking to the TA and recieve any discounts or OBC that they might have to offer.

If you are not willing or don't have time to do your research then use a TA HOWEVER, not all TA's really pay attention to New cruisers and don't bother to tell you what you need to know, or sometimes they don't even know themselves. So if you go the TA route, Ask a lot of questions on that first contact, and be clear about what you want and what your experience level is, make it clear you want to know everything there is to know about your potential cruise. Understand what catagories are etc. and what Guarantee does and DOES NOT mean etc.

 

Thanks a lot, I have found this site very useful not only for answering questions but also to give enough information to ask the right questions.

 

I hope to pop in and see a TA at the weekend. We are thinking of a European cruise, the med or Greek islands to get some sun and try to pick a cruise line with a good entertainment/show program.

 

The main reason for looking at Europe was we thought it might be more cost effective as it was our first cruise, to see if we liked the experience.

 

However the quick look at prices that I have had, it does not seem that more expensive to go further a field, which appeals as we have done a lot of land based holidays in the Greek Island.

 

Thanks for your reply.

gamc