Disney Cruise....Travel agent or online booking?
Typhoon
wondering if we should book using a travel agent or right at the Disney
online website. I have the price, date, airfare, cabin, ect all in the
booking online. Would a travel agent get a better price? My wife and I
have took a cruise 5 years ago so it's not our first time. Any help would
be great!
Kurt
Dick Goldhaber
On this newsgroup you will get a lot of information based on fact and a lot
based on personal experience.
Based on personal experience why would anyone EVER not use a travel agent to
book a cruise?
It wasn't a cruise, but about 20 years ago we booked a week at Paradise
Island through Liberty Travel. We prepaid everything but when we arrived at
the hotel they had us down for the wrong food plan.
Because we had a TA we were able to call Liberty and within minutes the
problem had been corrected.
We go to Vegas every other year when we are not cruising, and while we could
easily book hotel and flight ourselves, because we have issues which have us
traveling with a "service animal" we still book through Liberty so that when
the three of us arrive at the hotel on eight legs, the hotel knows what is
coming.
If you book online and there is a problem, will there be someone available
to help you on the day of departure?
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
video...@comcast.net
ABB
"Typhoon" <cc_ty...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:wLCdnXt-CMh...@comcast.com...
ChiliJim
Based on MY personal experience. I NEVER use a TA unless it's a group
thing where the agent has blocked out rooms and got a special rate,
etc. I have saved LOTS of money by dealing directly with the hotel,
airline, cruise line, etc. or an online service (I realize that some
of those are technically TA's). I have had too many bad experiences
with TA's. I am sure there are some good ones out there, and you
appear to have found one, but have you ever compared prices online
with what the TA is charging you? That is what you are paying for the
"service".
Specific to Las Vegas, since I live here and often get rooms for
visitors, try this one:
They have good deals all the time. For example, for New Years Eve
they got us a room at Bourbon Street, one block from the strip for
about $100, when other quotes were in the $200's and higher. Try them
the next time you come to LV, if only to compare. You could always
call a hotel in advance and discuss your service animal but I doubt
that there would be any problem. I have seen service animals many
times in even the poshest hotels and restaurants.
Specific to Disney, a few years back I booked a cruise on them.
Initially went to a TA and got a price, then looked online at the
Disney site and got a price much lower (a few hundred dollars for a
party of three). went back to the TA and she "checked" and lowered
her rate to match. Now I don't even bother with the TA.
Just my experience, to each his own.
OT: BTW, the casinos are now taking bets for Super Bowl XXXIX, and the
Eagles are leading the pack at 6 to 1. Better hurry out here and get
your bet down! <g>
Jim
Sue and Kevin Mullen
We always book our cruises with a travel agent, that way if something
happens, I have a real person with experience to help me. The only way a
TA will get you a better price on a Disney Cruise, is to take less
commission on your booking, which some do. We sailed Disney last jan and
the price quotes we got were all very close to each other.
Enjoy your cruise, we loved the Magic!!
sue
Lee
> wondering if we should book using a travel agent or right at the Disney
> online website. I have the price, date, airfare, cabin, ect all in the
> booking online. Would a travel agent get a better price?
Why don't you get some prices online, from a variety of websites
(Travelociity, buycruises.com, Orbitz, etc.) - that way you'll have a
general idea of what the cruise is selling for. Then, if you have a TA
(maybe one that's been recommended to you by a friend), see if their
price competes. Then, you'll know if a (bricks & mortar) TA will get a
better price than an ecommerce TA. You've done all the research
already, so it's an easy sale for a bricks & mortar TA if they come in
at a better price.
In my experience, local TAs haven't been able to touch internet
prices. They've all advised me to buy online. Each time I book, I try
a traditional TA first, and end up booking on line.
Lee
JLeary256
easy and this group can give several recommendations. You may also wish to
post an "ad" on www.cruisemates.com bargain finder board.
Sue and Kevin Mullen
When I was doing research for our Disney cruise, I checked with a number
of TA's, plus travelocity etc. The prices all came in within a very
small margin of each other.
sue
Lee
I'm not surprised for a Disney cruise. Not sure how it is now, but
they didn't used to discount much - the price was the price. Very
different than the other big cruise lines.
Lee
>
> sue
Sue and Kevin Mullen
Lee wrote:
They still don't discount. As long as they fill the ships, why should they.
sue
Ray Goldenberg
<kjmu...@comcast.net> wrote:
>They still don't discount. As long as they fill the ships, why should they.
Hi Sue,
We see many discounts on Disney during non-peak times.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Sue and Kevin Mullen
Ray Goldenberg wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 19:36:39 -0500, Sue and Kevin Mullen
> <kjmu...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>>They still don't discount. As long as they fill the ships, why should they.
>
>
> Hi Sue,
>
> We see many discounts on Disney during non-peak times.
I see what you mean, the prices are lower at certain times of the year,
which is why we choose the week we did. What I think I meant was that
going from agency to agency, you won't find much of a difference for the
same sailing.
sue
Ray Goldenberg
<kjmu...@comcast.net> wrote:
>What I think I meant was that
>going from agency to agency, you won't find much of a difference for the
>same sailing.
Hi Sue,
This may be due to Disney paying the lowest commissions in the
industry to travel agents.
Sue and Kevin Mullen
Ray Goldenberg wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 22:41:24 -0500, Sue and Kevin Mullen
> <kjmu...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>>What I think I meant was that
>>going from agency to agency, you won't find much of a difference for the
>>same sailing.
>
>
> Hi Sue,
>
> This may be due to Disney paying the lowest commissions in the
> industry to travel agents.
I wasn't aware of this, not very nice of them.
sue
Randi
Hi Kurt,
I would go to a travel agent. Most of them will discount. I know my
travel agent does. He works very close to his cost. If you want his
e-mail address, let me know.
Randi
Mason Barge
wrote:
>My family and I are are think of going on a Disney cruise and I was
>wondering if we should book using a travel agent or right at the Disney
>online website. I have the price, date, airfare, cabin, ect all in the
>booking online. Would a travel agent get a better price?
In a word, yes. If you book at a cruiseline site you will pay more.
Mason Barge
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
-- Abraham Lincoln
STEVE COSIO
My wife says that Costco has an excellent travel package and offers the
Disney Cruise. We booked our cruise through a TA and had some problems
(mainly with rental car and airling reservations) and found out about
Costco Travel after the cruise.
Go to Costco.com and click on "Travel" to see what they have to offer.
Steve
San Diego
Cruised the Disney Wonder 1/11-1/14/04