Any disadvantages to using a travel agent to book a cruise?

[OffToDWD]

I am considering using a travel agent to book a cruise just for the onboard credit (in general, I book everything myself). Hoping to book a cruise for summer 2021 once the booking window opens for Silver members. If I book using a travel agent, are there any disadvantages? Can I still book onboard activities or excursions myself? Thanks in advance!

 

[JARNJ3]

Yes. I used a TA & booked all of my own excursions, Palo reservations, spa reservations etc.

I see no disadvantage to a travel agent. None at all.

 

[Adventurelawyer]

I am considering using a travel agent to book a cruise just for the onboard credit (in general, I book everything myself). Hoping to book a cruise for summer 2021 once the booking window opens for Silver members. If I book using a travel agent, are there any disadvantages? Can I still book onboard activities or excursions myself? Thanks in advance!

You can still book all of your own onboard activities, dining, and excursions if you use a TA as well as calling DCL to make special requests like a private table in the MDR or help with linking multiple staterooms. The disadvantage is that you must rely on your TA to make stateroom changes for you and to handle all billing and payment related issues. SOme people do not like not being in control of every aspect of their reservation and dislike having to route communication through someone else because it can be slower. A TA can also be a great asset if you're trying to book on opening day.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am considering using a travel agent to book a cruise just for the onboard credit (in general, I book everything myself). Hoping to book a cruise for summer 2021 once the booking window opens for Silver members. If I book using a travel agent, are there any disadvantages? Can I still book onboard activities or excursions myself? Thanks in advance!

Whether it's considered disadvantage or not, that's up to you. Using a TA any issues related to money/payments, room selection, that all has to go through the TA. If you have to contact the TA, and they have specific business hours, if you have a problem outside those hours, you'd have to wait until they open.

Many TAs have after hours phone contacts.

Online check in, activity bookings you can do yourself.

 

[Dash117]

We used Mousektrips we told them we had a family of seven and we wanted joining rooms. He emailed us are options with prices. We went with a deluxe stateroom with a private veranda (2) joining rooms. We also received $250 each room onboard credit. We booked this last Feb 2019 for the Marvel Days at Sea for March 9th - 14th 2020. We booked all are activities on the Disney Cruise app. Since this is are first time we had to wait until Dec 25th to do so.

 

[MomOTwins]

If you get a good TA and don't mind them having to be the one to make any changes to your reservations and handle payments, then it isn't a problem. The downside is if you get a bad TA, it can be difficult to cut them off, and they can botch stuff. Examples of things I've heard TAs have botched that are hard to reverse are misspelling a name on a reservation such that it doesn't match the travel documents at check in, not being responsive timely to customer requests, failing to make payments on time resulting in missed payment deadlines and the reservation getting dropped by Disney, not adequately communicating to clients restrictions around certain special rates (e.g. *GT), and just generally giving advice that may be good for one family but horrible for another (e.g., recommending an aft-facing room because of the big balconies, only to have the family be miserable because of aft vibrations and smoke, which bother some people more than others).

 

[squirk]

If you get a good TA and don't mind them having to be the one to make any changes to your reservations and handle payments, then it isn't a problem. The downside is if you get a bad TA, it can be difficult to cut them off, and they can botch stuff. Examples of things I've heard TAs have botched that are hard to reverse are misspelling a name on a reservation such that it doesn't match the travel documents at check in, not being responsive timely to customer requests, failing to make payments on time resulting in missed payment deadlines and the reservation getting dropped by Disney, not adequately communicating to clients restrictions around certain special rates (e.g. *GT), and just generally giving advice that may be good for one family but horrible for another (e.g., recommending an aft-facing room because of the big balconies, only to have the family be miserable because of aft vibrations and smoke, which bother some people more than others).

I second this.

I have an excellent TA that I've used for years. Even though her agency doesn't give OBC, she's super-nice, gives top-notch service and patiently puts up with all of my OCD trip planning and changes.

I have also had, in the past, a TA who ... wasn't so great. Her agency did give a very healthy amount of OBC, but her communication was horrible and her follow-up was unprofessional. Unreturned phone calls and emails (like, not for over a week), agreed-upon actions not taken when promised, etc. Dealing with that TA was, almost literally, more trouble than the OBC was worth.

 

[xiphoid76]

Not having total control of the reservation when it comes to payment, room changes, cancellation is a major disadvantage. For us it is much better doing everything on our own. Had a TA once and will never do it again, we are too obsessive compulsive to have it any other way Just do things on your own, you won’t regret it and it is very easy.

 

[MillauFr]

Even if you book direct with Disney you don't have total control of your reservation. You are still beholden to Disney's lousy system of making changes which usually results in a phone call to a person. You should be able to make all changes via the Disney Cruise app.

 

[TXspartan]

No disadvantages, I’ve booked direct, through a local travel agent through a big box store and I can say it’s honestly all the same. At then end of the day if you need to make a change you have to call someone, doesn’t make a difference if that person needs to work with someone while you are on hold or not. Also disney controls the prices so every quote you receive will have the same base price at the same time.
That being said there is a big advantage of using a TA and that comes in the form of $$$$ while Disney controls the prices each travel agent is allowed to provide either obc or cash back etc. from their commission. From my experience as a self diy planner who doesn’t need a travel agent to guide me through he process I book with Costco bc they are working on volume and give the most % back in the form of a Costco cash card which can be redeemed at the store for purchases or just for cash back. Nothing wrong with saving 8-9% off the cruise just for booking through someone else

 

[PrincessShmoo]

No disadvantages, I’ve booked direct, through a local travel agent through a big box store and I can say it’s honestly all the same. At then end of the day if you need to make a change you have to call someone, doesn’t make a difference if that person needs to work with someone while you are on hold or not. Also disney controls the prices so every quote you receive will have the same base price at the same time.
That being said there is a big advantage of using a TA and that comes in the form of $$$$ while Disney controls the prices each travel agent is allowed to provide either obc or cash back etc. from their commission. From my experience as a self diy planner who doesn’t need a travel agent to guide me through he process I book with Costco bc they are working on volume and give the most % back in the form of a Costco cash card which can be redeemed at the store for purchases or just for cash back. Nothing wrong with saving 8-9% off the cruise just for booking through someone else

I believe the Costco card has changed, and there's no cash back option now.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Our travel agent has been great, especially when we needed a Christmas cruise for 20+ extended-family members to Hawaii on short notice. Over the years the family has grown and our latest group was 48 people. That's not something we'd attempt without help from someone who knows what they're doing. A couple of years ago she booked DH and me on a European river cruise and upgraded us to a suite for no additional charge.

 

[Surgie2]

I transferred my booking of 2 cabins to a AAA travel agent after I made it myself online. She said she can only give $25 OBC per cabin. Once on this cruise in November 2020 I plan to purchase a future cruise for 3 cabins and hold it for dates not yet released (I know I have to use within 24 months).

Our AAA agent is very responsive and competent and we did a previous booking through her on a different cruise line. But I'm not sure I should transfer the future bookings to her or go with a different agency or Costco? How do those who use TAs "comparison shop"? And as a PP said, it's not all about the OBC...I want someone who knows what they are doing and will be on the phone on day 1 to get the cabins we want.

 

[meremac]

I transferred my booking of 2 cabins to a AAA travel agent after I made it myself online. She said she can only give $25 OBC per cabin. Once on this cruise in November 2020 I plan to purchase a future cruise for 3 cabins and hold it for dates not yet released (I know I have to use within 24 months).

Our AAA agent is very responsive and competent and we did a previous booking through her on a different cruise line. But I'm not sure I should transfer the future bookings to her or go with a different agency or Costco? How do those who use TAs "comparison shop"? And as a PP said, it's not all about the OBC...I want someone who knows what they are doing and will be on the phone on day 1 to get the cabins we want.

When you book a cruise yourself and then transfer your booking to a TA, they get less commission than if you booked directly with them. That's probably why the OBC was so low in that case.

 

[TestingH2O]

I transferred my booking of 2 cabins to a AAA travel agent after I made it myself online. She said she can only give $25 OBC per cabin.

When you book a cruise yourself and then transfer your booking to a TA, they get less commission than if you booked directly with them. That's probably why the OBC was so low in that case.

No, it's so low because AAA doesn't give good OBC. My dad insisted on using AAA for our first cruise. We booked directly with them and had 3 concierge cabins. OBC was 25/10/10. I tried explaining this to my dad and he didn't believe me until I picked the TA for our second cruise. Now we use Small World Vavations and get hundreds of dollars per room. Dreams Unlimited sponsors this board and offers the same OBC that Small World does.

 

[meremac]

No, it's so low because AAA doesn't give good OBC. My dad insisted on using AAA for our first cruise. We booked directly with them and had 3 concierge cabins. OBC was 25/10/10. I tried explaining this to my dad and he didn't believe me until I picked the TA for our second cruise. Now we use Small World Vavations and get hundreds of dollars per room. Dreams Unlimited sponsors this board and offers the same OBC that Small World does.

That could be it too! That makes sense that AAA would have an across-the-board OBC structure since they're a larger entity. But it's also true that commission is lower when you transfer your DCL cruise booking to a TA instead of booking directly with them. For smaller agencies, this could definitely impact the OBC level that they're able to give.

 

[Surgie2]

When you book a cruise yourself and then transfer your booking to a TA, they get less commission than if you booked directly with them. That's probably why the OBC was so low in that case.

If you do a future cruise booking onboard, is this the same as transferring a cruise to an agency so I wouldn't be originating my reservation with them? I am not likely to choose my date onboard at the time of purchasing the future cruise.

 

[meremac]

If you do a future cruise booking onboard, is this the same as transferring a cruise to an agency so I wouldn't be originating my reservation with them? I am not likely to choose my date onboard at the time of purchasing the future cruise.

Yes, onboard bookings are the same deal for TAs as transferred bookings. TAs get smaller commissions for any type of onboard booking, even if it's just a placeholder.

 

[Doofenshmirtz513]

For us (and having a good travel agent), it's so much less hassle than trying to do it ourselves. I email her exactly what I want and, a little bit later, I get a confirmation that it's done. I change reservations, make payments, cancel reservations, and add requests all in the time it takes to write a short email. I still feel in total control, and the execution is so simple.

And we still do all the excursions, Palo, etc for onboard stuff ourselves.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

We used DU for our last cruise and upcoming cruise and I have been very happy with them. The OBC was great, and they were also able to get exactly the room I wanted on opening day despite my being no-status and now only silver status when I couldn't even get log onto the website without it crashing. Two weird hiccups were that DCL sent my cruise paperwork to DU instead of to my address, and the onshore concierge team reached out to my DU agent instead of myself initially to discuss bookings for onboard Palo reservations, but DU got both of those things sorted quickly. I never use a travel agent for WDW because I change things constantly, but I will always use one for DCL.