Are travel agents really the way to go?

[VA_mouseman]

I submitted a rate request to Dreams Unlimited for a 7 night Eastern Car. Cruise (Oct. 15th departure, Cat. 8 room). Their quote was exactly the same that DCL provided to me.

So, is it really necessary to use a travel agent? Doesn't seem that going this route works for me.

(I did indicate in my rate request form that I'd be using my Disney Visa 0% APR feature ... I'm wondering if that trumped any other potential savings).

 

[jeannief]

My TA (in Canada) gives 5% off the Air Canada Vacation price (which is how we booked) and gives me great service. She answered the emails with somewhat sill questions that I sent her over the course of a few months within a day and always made me feel like I was her only client. She badgered ACV into getting our reservation documents as early as possible so that we could have them before we left, even though we didn't book flights with her (used points) and booked our own car on-line (since DH travels alot he got a better rate and she said to do it ourselves if the price was better).
So a good TA is worth their weight in gold.

 

[Chattyaholic]

For our first Disney cruise we used a local TA. She was sweet and helpful, and she had a lovely gift sent to our stateroom upon our arrival.

But for our other Disney cruises we used Dreams and were satisfied with them too (except for one small travel insurance detail).

However, for the Carnival and RCI cruises I booked directly with them and if we ever do another Disney cruise I would ask for a quote from Dreams but if it was the same as the cruise line's price I would book directly with Disney.

 

[alexandrew]

My TA always beats DCL pricing...also, his personalized service and loyalty are an additional value that you cant put a price on....

 

[love2travel]

I recently booked through a TA (The Magic For Less) and it saved me about $600 compared to Disney.

 

[logan1_2000]

My experience with DCL pricing is the same as yours--I always shop around, and I typically get exactly the same price at DCL as DU or other internet discounters, Costco, etc. Many others here will post of very different experiences. Many factors can go into this--timing is a big one, like how much inventory from their initial block of rooms a TA still has compared to DCL, and maybe one has hit the threshold at which prices inch up but the other hasn't yet. Sometimes I read postings and the difference is so dramatic that I do question if the comparison is indeed apples to apples, meaning the same stateroom for the same embarkation date quoted at the same amount of time before embarkation--the differences just should not be terribly large in an efficient market (sheesh--sounding like an economist here and I hated every second of economics in college) and the internet makes the cruise pricin market extremely efficient. But I don't think anyone is lying--they must just be examples of the spot inefficiencies between sources of bookings.

Book directly w/ DCL. If a TA comes up with some promotion that would net out better for you, like a rebate that applies to your sailing date that is introduced months from now, you can switch the ressie to the TA, keep your early booking fare that you have locked in now, and still get the rebate--thats what I did for my upcoming Magic cruise--moved it to DU for a $100 rebate 6 months after making the ressie, kept my early booking fare that was already several hundred less than the prevailing fare at the time I moved the ressie. Most TA's a matter of professional courtesy will not accept a transfer of a ressie from another TA. Under certain circumstances explained at their website CruiseQuick will take over a reservation from another TA.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I submitted a rate request to Dreams Unlimited for a 7 night Eastern Car. Cruise (Oct. 15th departure, Cat. 8 room). Their quote was exactly the same that DCL provided to me.

I'm not surprised that the base price is the same -- if the category and dates are the same, and if you're comparing "apples to apples" (no air, no insurance).

However, I am surprised if DU did not offer a stateroom credit or a rebate. Please double-check the quote. Was there really neither a stateroom credit nor a rebate?

 

[lbgraves]

You might want to check with Dana at micdan.com. She was able to give me a discount on a cruise that the other TAs no longer had group rates for. I was also able to keep my onboard booking discounts & credit.

 

[StuartMI]

If you want to save money, talk to Dana at micdan.com. If you have money to blow, book through DCL direct.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

How does first reserving with DCL and then moving the reservation to a TA affect travel insurance? I assume that the insurance is bought when the ressie is first made (or within a few days of paying the deposit) and then the insurance transfers with the reservation.

T&B

 

[lbgraves]

Your insurance would transfer with you. If you want to save money there, shop around on your own & you can get it for alot cheaper than with DCL.

 

[VA_mouseman]

I am surprised if DU did not offer a stateroom credit or a rebate. Please double-check the quote. Was there really neither a stateroom credit nor a rebate?

D'oh!

Yep, there was an "instant rebate" of $150. The quoted base prices of DU and DCL were the same, but I read the DU quote too quickly to catch the extra savings.

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions!