How do you find a great deal on a cruise?
Is it best to use a travel agent or a web site? Can you negotiate with an agent over price?
Tagged with: travel agent
Filed under: Other Cruises Deals
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Check different Cruises for prices
agents cannot sell for less than the cruiseline itself..but you might be able to get some perks like on board credit or an upgrade by dealing with a TA.
Yes, definitely book with a travel agent. I cruise all the time and have used a travel agent for every single booking. Several reasons why. The main reason is that she is able to tell me everything I need to know. She keeps me up to date on what I will need to board, passports, etc. She knows all the secrets and tips. She has lots of good ideas, etc. Some people say you can find this information by looking online, but I disagree. She knows a lot more than any source I have found online. Cruising can be really picky and if you don’t have the right stuff, you can’t get on the cruise and you have to go home. She makes sure I get the nicest ships, helps me pick rooms, get insurance, and tell me all the information I need to know about everything that is dealing with the cruise.
Second, you can go with an online discounter to maybe get a lower rate. But you really need to know a lot about cruising to make sure that you know what you are doing is correct and that you have all the right documents, etc. Plus, I have heard of many people, not just one or two, that have had problems with the booking. Some found out just before they were supposed to leave that they didn’t have a booking, others had problems that weren’t able to be corrected because they booked with the online discounter, etc. It can be a real headache and sometimes the cruise lines have difficulty working with your reservation if you book with the discounter.
Finally, my agent almost always gets me a much lower rate than I can get either thru the line or with a discounter. She is able to offer a group rate because her agency buys a group of rooms when the rates come out. So they are able to offer the lowest rates until their rooms sell out.
Plus, my agent doesn’t charge anything for what she does. If they don’t have a group rate, the price is exactly the same as going directly thru the airline. But sometimes Orbitz and stuff will add on a fee.
Finally it is the service that you get. If you get a good agent that specializes in cruises, it will be great. They can take care of everything for you and you don’t have to worry about it. You still get to have fun by planning the vacation, but you don’t have to have all the worry that is invovled.
Even if you have been on several cruises, the policies and other information is always changing. It can be risky to book it on your own or with an online discounter, probably more risky with the discounters. If you have a good agent, I really don’t think there should be any question to continue to use them. My agent always gets me the same rates as the line or a little lower because the group rates they offer. She provides a wonderful service so I will continue to book thru her. Even if her prices were higher, the service is well worth it to me. I suppose if your agent doesn’t really take care of things properly then that could be why you are questioning booking on your own. But I would never question doing it on my own, even if my agent was charging double. Just be sure to tell your agent any discounts you may have and they will be able to get the same rates from the cruiseline.
You can’t really negotiate prices, they have to sell the cruise at the rate they are being given. I’ve also heard that it is illegal for an agent to give you money back on the cruise, it is like a rebate and it is illegal. So if you see an agency doing this, be aware. Some of them are legitimate and following the rules, but there are some out there that will give you a percantage back on your cruise, if they are doing things like this you don’t always want to trust them. Plus, in my opinion, if they have to give money back on the cruise, then they may be lacking in the service they provide clients. From people that I know that have used a good agent, they don’t care as much as price, as long as the agent does well.
Finally, an agent can sell the cruise at a lower rate than the cruise line. Here is how: They buy groups of rooms when the ship is first opened for booking, this is usually only with larger agencies. They then get the lowest rate available for that cruise. Then, as the ship fills, the price for the cruise will start to go up. But as long as the agency still has these rates, they can offer you the cruise at a lower rate, so you are saving money over using the cruise line. Usually, they also give on board credit if they have a group rates, it is another benefit. This is something several agencies do and the savings can be pretty significant.
I would find an agent that specializes in cruises. They will be able to tell you of any specials available and get you the best rate. They get specials all the time that they can then offer you to get you a better rate.
Hope this helps!
I’d say a travel agent or a website like travelocity