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You can search by geographic location if you want someone who lives near you or by expertise if you want someone who specializes in a specific line or type of cruise. Cruise Critic also recommends you look for agents with CLIA-accredited designations like ACC, MCC or ECC, as these indicate the agent has invested a lot of time and money into his or her cruise education. Also look for any training the agent has done with individual lines. Other affiliations that are good signs an agent is legitimate are affiliations with the National Association of Cruise Oriented Agencies (NACOA) and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). Some travel agents also will monitor your cruise fare and, if the price drops, alert you to the difference and try to get you a refund, onboard credit or an upgrade.
VACATION TYPES
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. In that case, you’ll want to contact the website that you booked through — not the cruise line (unless you booked through the cruise line’s website).
Are there any other benefits to using a travel agent to book a cruise?
Remember, you might be a DIY type when booking airlines and hotels, but booking a cruise is more complex. If you enjoy doing your own research, focus on what to do and see in the ports of call. However, when it comes to booking the cruise, we recommend you still contact a travel agent who specializes in cruises to help you learn a few tips and avoid any rookie mistakes. While the bulk of a travel agent's income comes from commissions paid by the cruise lines, most travel agents also charge a small service fee ($15 to $30) for their time and effort, though not all do. Most travel agents who do choose to charge for their service are worth the expense, as they tend to be the most educated and well-traveled in the industry. High-end travel agents, like those that belong to the Virtuoso or Signature consortiums, will typically charge more, but they're less likely to sell mainstream cruises like Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian.
Packages
If the site offers a good incentive for booking through them, then know that you’ve found a good deal. If the incentive isn’t that strong or you don’t want to go through a third-party to your reservation, then booking directly through the cruise line is your best bet. In addition, these sites feature their phone number prominently for those who wish to talk to a person about their reservation. You don’t always find that with the large aggregation websites. Their staff are also focused on cruises, giving you someone who knows what they are talking about compared to someone with more general travel knowledge.
This Week in Cruise: New Ships and Positive Industry Outlook - Travel Agent Central
This Week in Cruise: New Ships and Positive Industry Outlook.
Posted: Sun, 14 Apr 2024 15:46:59 GMT [source]
Check out stellar reviews from thousands of happy customers
MSC Cruises is known for their Mediterranean brand of hospitality and warmth onboard each cruise. 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. Hurtigruten Cruises offers premium exploration voyage cruises to a variety of places like, Norway, Greenland, Spitsbergen, Iceland, Europe, Africa, South America, Central America, Arctic Canada, and Antarctica. If you're a do-it-yourself type, and you have the time and inclination to thoroughly research your own trip using resources like Cruise Critic, then go right ahead. For your first cruise, you might need help in matching your lifestyle and budget with a cruise line and destination.
Some cruise travel agents even throw in booking perks, such as a complimentary bottle of Champagne, awaiting your arrival in your cabin. If you're interested in a specific type of cruising (such as river cruising or luxury travel), look for agencies that specialize in the line or type of cruising you prefer. They'll often have more complete knowledge of your choices than a generalist.
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But, your relationship with an agent doesn't tend to end after one trip. The agent will keep you in his or her database, alert you to deals or sales and can even suggest future trip ideas. When you think of Costco, you probably think of bulk food and toilet paper. But the next time you’re booking a cruise, it’ll be worthwhile to pull up Costco Travel, which is, unexpectedly, one of the best cruise websites. Many people think of Tripadvisor mainly as a travel review site, where you go to get real talk on hotels and attractions, and to see non-glamorized photos of places as seen through actual travelers’ eyes.
Reasons to Consider a Travel Agent
However, the big difference is that Costco offers special incentives to book through their site. For instance, a cruise might be priced the same as another website, but will have an offer of free onboard credit as an incentive to book through them. Every major cruise line allows you to book online and do everything from find a cruise to make upgrades, buy extras like drink packages, and pay for the trip.
Royal Caribbean's top travel agents prove why you need one more than ever - Royal Caribbean Blog
Royal Caribbean's top travel agents prove why you need one more than ever.
Posted: Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The cheapest base cruise fare does not always provide the best value or best overall vacation deal. If you'd like to book a cruise through a travel agent, you can pop into a downtown storefront or search for cruise sellers online. If you want to look for agents registered with travel organizations, here are some resources for finding agencies near you. 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.
They have done a great deal of research through familiarization trips and cruise line seminars, so you don't have to do the work yourself. Even better, agents often have access to special discounts or perks -- or know best where to find them -- and as the cruise lines pay their commissions, you don't pay more for their services and expertise. One thing to note about booking through a travel agent is that if you want to ask any questions about your upcoming trip or your booking, you will have to speak with the specific travel agency that booked your cruise.
In other words, these sites are more akin to having your own travel agent to help you with the booking process compared to only a website. 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). Be aware that not all agents work with all cruise lines; some represent only a few preferred suppliers or specialize in higher-end cruises. In addition, cruise fares can be hard to understand and compare.
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. Remember, you won't just be using the ship as a home base, like you do with a hotel; it will be your home, restaurant and entertainment venue for a week or more. The right ship and itinerary can make your vacation that much more enjoyable -- and an agent can help you determine the best selection for your tastes.
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