Why use a (THIS) travel agent for cruises?
For many folks,
especially those who have booked through us
in the past, the answer to that question is simple. But
if you've ever frequented any of the internet bulletin
boards related to cruising you've probably seen this
question raised many times. People will write "isn't it
better to do your own research and then just call the
cruise line directly when you know what you want." Or,
have a representative of the cruise line you WANT advise
you and guide you through the booking process rather
than a travel agent who deals with all of the cruise
lines and may even be an agent that sells everything and
is an expert at nothing?
These are good questions especially if you believe that buying cruises is like buying airline tickets - find the flight you want and then book it directly with the airline. Except that buying an airline ticket is just purchasing the means to get to a vacation, not buying a vacation itself. If you're like most people and buy airline tickets based on price and the seats are a little smaller than you'd like, or the plane is a little late, or the flight attendant is a little rude, so what? Unless you're flying first class, there's not much that any airline is going to do that is going to positively impact your vacation and the flight is just means to an end which is over relatively quickly.
Now the cruise itself is a different story. You DON'T want to pick the WRONG one. To start, a reputable, experienced travel agency will never sell a cruise for MORE than the cruise line itself, and might sell it for a whole lot less. So there is no price advantage in booking direct. Second, the folks who do bookings for the cruise lines usually know a LOT less about their own ships than we do and know NOTHING and will offer NOTHING positive about their competition, even if they know what you're looking for is a different cruise than the one they are selling. We always do our best to point people in the right direction in selecting a cruise. We want you to be happy for very selfish reasons -- we want you to come back to us next time. If we sell you the wrong cruise or you overpay, that probably won't happen.
So we do our best to sell you the right cruise, at the lowest possible price and then, constantly work your booking right up until sailing date to make sure you have the best rate/promotion (we can see promotions that you probably can't) and are in the very best cabin for the money. If you book through the cruise line, will that happen? NOT on your life. The only way to book a cruise, is to find a knowledgeable travel professional who knows what is out there and will advise you accordingly. And if you book through us, give you a better deal as well.
Here's an analogy from another industry: If you were interested in filing a legal action or lawsuit, would you represent yourself with the help of the administrative aides at the County Clerks office, or would you hire the best attorney you could find if that attorney would represent you for FREE? We get our money from cruise lines, not you. Even before we start talking price of the cruise, you already can't find a better deal than that.
