Benefits of a TA vs Booking Direct?

[Shanti]

Our family is finally ready to get back onto a Disney Cruise in the summer of 2019. It's been quite a few years since our last cruise, but I'm trying to really remember the real benefits of booking through a TA vs just calling into DCL or online?? Is it just the stateroom credit? Which is great don't get me wrong, but just trying to sort things out. Can I book with DCL and then transfer to a TA later on?? Or do I need to book directly through the TA? Do they get lower prices??

If anyone has a moment to share I'd really appreciate it as tomorrow summer 2019 bookings open up for myself as a Silver Castaway Club member so this is a little time sensitive I guess... I don't want to miss getting a good room...

TIA,
Mark

I recommend booking via Costco, for a few reasons:

• You can do the initial ressie yourself (I actually like doing the booking myself) and then transfer it to Costco with no loss of perks for it being a transfer.
• The Costco cash card is a great value (about 8.5% of the base cruise price), and you can use it on basics like gas & groceries, so it's very much like just getting cash.
• You can call Costco Travel anytime during their operating hours & get someone to help you. You don't have to wait for one specific agent to get back to you.

 

[Mommy_FamilyCEO]

Question - when you use a big agency like Dreams Unlimited or Small World do they also take care of arranging your airfare, hotels, etc.? I have booked both through and independant agent and just going direct. I use the agent when I know I am going to need help with hotels or transportation or pre/post tours etc. We don't get any on board credit but she does all the legwork for me figuring out flights and hotels for our family.

 

[Billinaz]

If the TA had all the required information and the client's go-ahead, s/he most certainly could have put a hold on the cabin.

Mine had the go-ahead to transfer my February reservation to a new one from my list and let me know after the fact. It turns out she had forgotten that I'd initially booked a more expensive cruise than the Feb one and she called to see if I wanted to go higher than February because nothing was coming in at that. I explained that no, as long as the DEPOSIT did not increase, that what I'd paid would cover the new deposit, go for it. She got me a couple of categories higher.

But you had a reservation and a deposit. You were just moving to another cruise. Unless Im missing it?

Now that I think of it, I think you can put a hold on a cabin on the DCL website for 24 or 48 hours...........

 

[Dug720]

But you had a reservation and a deposit. You were just moving to another cruise. Unless Im missing it?

Now that I think of it, I think you can put a hold on a cabin on the DCL website for 24 or 48 hours...........

Yes, I had a reservation. But at the last release, when I did NOT have a reservation that I was transferring, she had my information and my preferences in terms of cabin category and she put a hold on the reservation for me, contacted me with the information, and I called her back with my payment information. If I had not liked/wanted it after hearing the details, she would have released it.

 

[iivye]

Question - when you use a big agency like Dreams Unlimited or Small World do they also take care of arranging your airfare, hotels, etc.?

I use a Small World TA and set up my flights and hotels on my own. You can go through the Disney cruise line for air and pre/post cruise at a specific hotel in which case your TA would probably take care of that for you but I have always heard it is more expensive through Disney. I would say that if you aren't using Disney for those things then the TA would not arrange them for you.

My Small World TA is strictly Disney (vs an all around travel agent). I once asked her if she could book a cruise on NCL for me and she said no.

 

[tee11]

Our TA provides us with a nice OBC, takes care of our specific cabin requests, keeps us updated on any changes on the cruise, reminds us of payment dates, puts 48 hour holds on reservations (as she did today), along with other small extras. And every time we cruise, when we walk into our cabin on embarkation day there’s a gift for us from her (in addition to our castaway gift from DCL), which always makes a pleasant start for the trip.
We all have different needs but our TA meets almost every one of ours.

This sounds really nice. Who is your TA?

 

[arlopop]

This sounds really nice. Who is your TA?

If you want to message me directly I would be glad to tell you, but she isn’t with Dreams Unlimited and so I’m not supposed to mention other TAs here (since DU sponsors this board.)

 

[Dug720]

If you want to message me directly I would be glad to tell you, but she isn’t with Dreams Unlimited and so I’m not supposed to mention other TAs here (since DU sponsors this board.)

As I understand it, as long as the agency website doesn't go to "*************.com" when you input it, there is not a problem with mentioning it.

 

[arlopop]

As I understand it, as long as the agency website doesn't go to "*************.com" when you input it, there is not a problem with mentioning it.

Oh perfect!
Then it’s Tracy at Small World. We’ve used her services since we started doing DCL 7 years ago. Never let us down.

 

[lindsay0526]

I typically would book on my own or through Costco, but we are going as a large group- 8 adults and 7 kids. It was easier (and worth the money) for him to handle all of our room bookings- we are in the same general vicinity. And he is going to handle our dining arrangements- we are confirmed for early seating and I’m sure we will all be sitting together or very close to each other. Plus, my mother is a bit neurotic about traveling, so if the TA (whom she has used for years) takes that burden off of me & my siblings, then it is still 100% worth it.

 

[Dug720]

I will say it does "slow my roll" with changes a bit. I still ponder and will look at availability - and sometimes play the "If cabin x is still available on Monday, I'll email her to change"...but I still might not. It just makes me think a lot more because while I know "that is her job", I hate bugging her to change all the time.

 

[n2mm]

I am also a satisfied DU customer. I use Kristie and she’s always taken care of us. I am a planner and was nervous when I switched to a TA and guess what’s? I can still be control. I just send emails of dates, cabin numbers, alternatives and she does it all. I change cabin numbers sometimes and she takes care of all the calls. I make server request, or dining rotation request and she does that too. Yes I get obc and a gift basket, but I also support a small business too. I get my luggage tags at my home and I book my own excursions. I also book my own airfare, rental car and insurance. It’s the best of both worlds as far as I’m concerned. When I buy placeholders, they go straight to my TA. When it comes to WDW, I do it all...I’m a dvc member so have it under control on this end.

 

[n2mm]

I will say it does "slow my roll" with changes a bit. I still ponder and will look at availability - and sometimes play the "If cabin x is still available on Monday, I'll email her to change"...but I still might not. It just makes me think a lot more because while I know "that is her job", I hate bugging her to change all the time.

Omg, you sound just like me....esp the if it’s availabe by Monday part. I hate bothering my TA.

 

[Dug720]

Omg, you sound just like me....esp the if it’s availabe by Monday part. I hate bothering my TA.

I have actually been known to make my email subject “Please don’t kill me...” or similar.

And knowing that she got this on Silver opening day for me in all that mess, I’m even more hesitant.

 

[n2mm]

I have actually been known to make my email subject “Please don’t kill me...” or similar.

And knowing that she got this on Silver opening day for me in all that mess, I’m even more hesitant.

Almost as bad as me. I’m platinum, but didn’t decide to book until it opened to the general public. I was on the fence until I saw the prices for early September and then decided to book.....but I was using placeholders, so she had to call! She said the waits were terrible. Then I decided to change the cabin numbers and she had to call again to do that.

 

[Dug720]

Almost as bad as me. I’m platinum, but didn’t decide to book until it opened to the general public. I was on the fence until I saw the prices for early September and then decided to book.....but I was using placeholders, so she had to call! She said the waits were terrible. Then I decided to change the cabin numbers and she had to call again to do that.

Oh man. I do need to give her my dining requests (table to myself - it is just awkward either having a "solo dump" table or being the one solo at a table of couples or a group) and Animator's on Pirate Night. And make sure she has my gluten-free thing noted (that should be as this was a transfer from another booking, but just to make sure.) so she'll have to call for that. Might as well decide if I want to either give a Dream aft balcony a try OR have her see if the non-connecting cabin down the hall from where I am (which yes, was my choice...but I had not noticed the non-connecting room just down the hall) is available (I'm guessing it probably is but just not showing since the website only shows so many cabins) so she could do that in the same call.

Hopefully it's died down a bit...