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On the plus side, an agent who is a preferred supplier might have negotiated rates with the cruise line and be able to call in favors, such as that bottle of Champagne or a cabin upgrade. We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. 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. You will likely run into a lot of questions to which you have no ready answer.
Is it better to book a cruise through a travel agent? We say yes
The initial interface comes off a bit clunkier than, say, Expedia’s or Kayak’s, but the tradeoff is that you can quickly search by cruise line, both standard and luxury, as well as by cruise length and departure port. 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. The agent will keep you in his or her database, alert you to deals or sales and can even suggest future trip ideas. With years of experience under their belts, they can help you identify the best luxury cruise that suits your budget perfectly.
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Inform them of your dining preferences, and they can easily book you a reservation to the hippest and happening cruise dining options. 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. In addition, an agent can answer any questions or assuage any apprehensions you might have about taking a cruise for the first time. With everyone attached to their phones, laptops and tablets, many people assume that online is the only way to book travel. But, as booking online can often be confusing, a travel agent might be just what you need.
Imagine Cruising
If you aren’t quite ready to buy, you can “heart” cruises to save them as favorites to refer back to later. Sometimes the best cruise website is actually a cruise line’s own site—since technically, cruise booking websites aren’t allowed to undercut the prices that the cruise lines set. Use ASTA's consumer website to locate a travel agent who has agreed to conduct their business activities in accordance with the organization's code of ethics. Select "cruises" or "cruise lines" under Specialties to find agents that focus on selling cruise travel.
And if the price of your cruise drops after you book, a good agent will notice and refund you the difference in fare. Finally, as cruise lines pay agent commissions, you don't have to worry about paying extra for their planning services. Susan Reder & Penny Entin are leading and respected travel industry veterans. They are accompanied by the support of an elite group of cruise travel professionals that has garnered over 500 years of combined experience. The group is Frosch – Classic, which has well-established, and influential relationships with the executives of most major luxury cruise and premium cruise lines.
Expedia’s cruise deals tend to come paired with other enticing offers, including steep discounts on pre-departure hotels when you book both your cruise and hotel through Expedia. There’s also a dedicated 800 number that lets you speak to Expedia’s cruise experts and, often but not always, a generous amount of onboard credit thrown in for good measure. If you're concerned that working with an agent will make your cruise more expensive, don't be. Cruise travel agents receive the bulk of their income via commission from the cruise lines. Their service to you is usually free, though some might charge first-time clients a minimal fee.
It’s got an attractive, inspiring landing page, and its newest function, “Explore Ship-tinerary pages,” lets you browse full ship profiles, details, photos, and itineraries. These are just some of the Luxury Cruise Travel Agencies that have done splendid work in the travel industry. We know we barely scratched the surface, it will be great if you let us know more about your experience in getting assistance from luxury cruise travel agencies. Some agencies have eased into the luxury cruise niche, giving them firsthand knowledge about the industry that can remarkably boost your cruising adventures. If you’re relatively new to luxury cruising or indecisive about which lines, ship, suite, or itinerary you should choose, travel agencies can be remarkably helpful and save you time, effort, and expenditure.
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As experienced travel counselors, their clients can take advantage of exclusive savings and value-added vacation packages. To keep up with the latest travel trends, and be in a position to provide notable advice to their clients, they frequently travel by both land and sea. Their travel specialists take at least two cruises a year and one land tour, to ensure that their service comes from firsthand experience. One of the most important things to know is that agents -- in particular, cruise specialists -- have been onboard the ships and can really give you firsthand advice about different cruise options.
The Luxury Cruise Company
Their expertise can help you avoid mistakes, whether you are a first-timer or a repeat cruiser checking out a brand you have not tried before. Cruise Specialists is a part of Travel Leaders Group and have offered its clients topnotch luxury cruises and tours for 30 years. From a seven day sail to the Caribbean, or a months-long World Cruise, you will have an experience second to none. Their experienced Cruise Consultants are skilled at matching you with the vacation that best fits your lifestyle, expectations, and above all, budget. Luxury cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas, Ponant, Oceania, Viking, Azamara, Silver Seas, Seabourn, Windstar, Paul Gaugin, offer an all-inclusive and tailor-made small cruise experience. They also usually have unique itineraries and excursions that the main-stream lines don’t offer.
Its cruise-booking interface is simple and straightforward, only requiring you to enter your preferred sailing destination and date range, as well as how many passengers you’ll be bringing along. Then Expedia does the heavy lifting for you, with comprehensive results that make it one of the best cruise search engines. If you don't see a sign or advertisement, always ask -- the agent may have fabulous offers the cruise lines won't let him or her publicize. In addition, ask if the agent can meet or beat the best price you've seen elsewhere.
Be aware that not all agents work with all cruise lines; some represent only a few preferred suppliers or specialize in higher-end cruises. 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. This DIY approach might not be the best way to find your dream vacation at sea.
The agent should be focused on helping you choose the cruise line, ship and cabin that is right for you. Making the correct choices is very important to your overall cruise experience. 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. Just make sure you get the name and phone number of the representative for any follow-up questions.
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