Yes, You Should Use a Cruise Travel Agent Here's Why
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Whether you’re speaking with one of MSC’s Italian officers or being taken care of by any of the expert and multi-lingual staff members, you'll feel pampered all cruise long. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. You will likely run into a lot of questions to which you have no ready answer.
Why should you should always use a travel agent to book a cruise?
Once you've chosen your cruise and, with the agent's help, matched your style with your vacation goals, you've got to book the trip. Again, it's a bit more complex than you might think, but a good agent will make the process go smoothly -- from securing the right cabin type and location to booking the dinner seating that will suit you and your party. Your agent will also be able to sort out travel insurance, if required, and will collect payment for the cruise (usually a deposit at the time of booking and the full amount 60 to 90 days before departure).
VACATION TYPES
For example, some cruisers would rather be on a ship with multiple complimentary dining options, while others are more focused on elevated specialty dining experiences. You should also ask if the travel agency offers 24/7 assistance (usually an 800 number) in case you have last-minute questions or something goes wrong before or during your trip. Be aware that not all agents work with all cruise lines; some represent only a few preferred suppliers or specialize in higher-end cruises.
Cruise Line Websites
You should consider booking a cruise through a travel agent because a knowledgeable agent can help you understand the nuances of a cruise purchase and help you make the best decisions for your vacation preferences. Going online to book an airline ticket or hotel stay is a familiar and fairly easy transaction. When you book a cruise, however — particularly your first cruise — you might want to reconsider the impulse to handle the transaction yourself through a cruise line website or an online advertiser with cheap prices.
Contact a travel agent today!
For instance, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, and Orbitz.com, are all part of the Expedia family. Below we lay out the advantages and disadvantage of booking with each different type of website. Cruising is big business, and that’s why you have dozens of websites at your disposal, all competing for your travel dollars. CruiseDirect and One Tree Planted have partnered to plant a tree for every cruise booking that sails with us. Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school.
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Just make sure you get the name and phone number of the representative for any follow-up questions. You can also find experienced and certified cruise travel agents through CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association, which is the industry's main marketing group. Asking friends who have cruised to recommend a travel agent is another good idea.
He or she can help you arrange flights and pre- or post-cruise stays, recommend in-port excursions and help with any special arrangements (think celebrations onboard or making arrangements for dietary and medical concerns). Sometimes, cruise lines will make changes to your booking or sailing. Maybe you booked a cruise on one ship and it was later changed to another due to scheduling issues or dry dock maintenance. Once onboard, your ship may have to cancel or change a port of call at the last minute due to weather. In these cases, your travel agent acts as your advocate and a liaison between you and the cruise line. There is so much more that goes into planning a cruise vacation than just picking the right cruise line and ship.
Travel agents also can help with any special arrangements, whether it's organizing a wedding ceremony in a port of call, ordering gluten-free meals, or dealing with accessibility or medical issues. They can also help with pre- or post-cruise travel, such as booking hotels and flights or arranging tours. In choosing a cruise travel agent, you will want to tap into the person's specific expertise about the cruise line and ship you are considering. Anyone can read a ship deck plan outlining ship spaces (which you can find online), but you are looking for people who really know their stuff. You might get more personalized care from smaller agencies than from the huge online agencies, though websites such as icruise.com, Cruise.com and Cruise411.com also have experienced cruise agents. These larger online travel agencies can be a good option for those who prefer to make decisions and ask questions via chat.
The Luxury Cruise Company
This DIY approach might not be the best way to find your dream vacation at sea. The best cruise agents will do a thorough job of interviewing potential clients to find out which ship, line and itinerary would be the best fit. Many agents become accredited cruise counselors through CLIA's Cruise Academy or take courses through the different cruise lines to become more expert at selling their products. Inquire whether the agent has attended any of these training programs. In addition, you can look for affiliations with the National Association of Cruise Oriented Agencies (NACOA), Better Business Bureau (BBB), American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) or even AAA.
This could also include researching fares online and then calling up travel agent representatives who work for an online retailer. The biggest advantage of booking a cruise through a travel agent is personalized advice from a knowledgeable source. A good travel agent will discuss your vacation preferences, budget and other travel needs and suggest which cruises will be the best fit.
It's easy to independently book flights, hotels and car rentals, but cruises are a different story. Since most of us haven't used a travel agent in a long time (if ever!), we'll lay out for you the pros and cons of using a cruise travel agent versus online booking. CruiseDirect is a leading online cruise travel company dedicated to providing customers with better deals than any other cruise website and access to great deals on cruise vacations. Offering special rates and savings on cruise bookings with some of the most popular cruise lines in the world, we are so confident in our cruise packages that each and every deal is backed by a price guarantee.
If you’re a deal-hunter, there isn’t some magic website that has cruise fares for dramatically cheaper than everyone else (that we’ve ever found). If you are worried about finding the best price for your cruise, there’s some good news and bad news. The good news is that cruise prices are usually the exact same across every single website you search. Liberty Travel is dedicated to helping you get the best value and greatest experiences out of any trip. One of our Travel Consultants will respond to your enquiry within 1 business day. Carnival Cruises is known as the world's most popular cruise line, thanks to its signature dining, exciting shore excursions and endless onboard fun.
Ideal for travel enthusiasts seeking a fresh perspective, these journeys offer a unique way to explore the world from a new angle. You will also want to ask the travel agent if they have a preferred relationship or negotiated agreement with any specific lines that could lead to special perks for you. You aren't just booking general passage on a ship, either, as you will be asked to pick a specific cabin and when you prefer to dine. Making a mistake in these categories can ruin your cruise experience, as there are such thing as "bad" cabins and dining times (think noisy or claustrophobic cabins, dinner at 8 p.m. with cranky children, etc.). Booking with a travel agent gives your transaction a personal touch -- you have a resource for asking questions and someone to contact if something goes wrong during your travels. But, your relationship with an agent doesn't tend to end after one trip.
She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer. If you have no idea how you would like to spend a day in port, they can provide some ideas on what you may like based on your preferences. They can even help arrange private tours if there are multiple highlights you'd like to visit. It is a lot to think about, but these are all decisions that a travel agent can guide you through. See a variety of destinations like, Alaska, Cuba, the Pacific Northwest, the Transatlantic and more with Royal Caribbean International Cruises.
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