Curious why use a TA?

[MNKelly]

Thanks, posters! I'll keep this in mind. If we go with a TA it will probably be AAA so no OBC, but we may try it.

AAA gave us 4 8x10's & 3 6x8's from Shutters for our cruise...$120 value!

 

[insureman]

AAA gave us 4 8x10's & 3 6x8's from Shutters for our cruise...$120 value!

The AAA OBC was much better a few years back, right now we get the photo package as you stated and some sort fruit platter in our state room.

 

[FJS961]

You will get the same price for the cruise wheter you book online or through a TA. They can't sell the cruise for lower than what Disney is selling for. The only thing they can do is give you OBC or other gifts.

The size of the OBC from a TA should be / usually is related to the cost of the booking. For my high end bookings, I've been offered as much as $1000. Hmmmm, lets see ... 1K back to spend on excursions, etc or $25 (or NOTHING) booking directly with DCL?

 

[tweis]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Since we do a DCL once a year we already book a future one on board so we get the 10% and OBC every cruise. So really it's about OBC mainly? You get that in addition to what DCL offers for OBC?

YES, you get the OBC for booking onboard PLUS the OBC from the TA. So it really pays (pun intended) to book with a TA that offers OBC.

 

[jlwhitney]

The size of the OBC from a TA should be / usually is related to the cost of the booking. For my high end bookings, I've been offered as much as $1000. Hmmmm, lets see ... 1K back to spend on excursions, etc or $25 (or NOTHING) booking directly with DCL?

Yes but the cost of the cruise that you are paying for is the same. Yes OBC helps, but based on how much you spend onboard. I dont think we have ever spent or could spend that much onboard.

 

[Meghatron]

Yes but the cost of the cruise that you are paying for is the same. Yes OBC helps, but based on how much you spend onboard. I dont think we have ever spent or could spend that much onboard.

Tips alone for our next cruise will be $672; more if we like our servers. Going to Las Caletas will be $300+. Add in the occasional drink, additional excursions, souvenirs from the Castaway Cay shop (our first and possibly last visit because we live on the west coast) and I could easily spend $1k onboard. That's not even touching the spa.

 

[MillauFr]

You should be getting about 10% of your cruise fare minus taxes as a credit. Not sure why you would book direct and pass that up. I got $595 back from Costco when I booked with them.

 

[trickiwoo]

I'm the same as you, I've always booked all my Disney trips myself and have never used a TA. I did use a TA for my cruise to get the onboard credits.

On my last cruise I booked a 7-night on the Fantasy with a verandah room and got $200 in onboard credits from my TA plus an additional $25 in onboard credits from Disney. On the most recent cruise I booked, I went with a 4-night on the Dream with an inside room and got $50 in onboard credits from my TA and an additional $50 in onboard credits from Disney.

So yeah, just having that additional money to spend onboard on excursions, at Palo, on drinks, on shopping, etc. is definitely worth using a TA!!! And it doesn't cost you anything to use a TA!

I use Dreams Unlimited (which owns the DISboards.) I've had a fantastic experience with them! And I liked it because they pretty much just booked my trip for me, got me my OBC, and then I got a log-in for the DCL website to book all my excursions, dining reservations, spa reservations, etc. all by myself like I prefer doing. I never had to tell my TA my requests, I was always able to just do it all myself.

But my TA was there to answer any questions for me if I had any or to help with anything I needed help with.

Now, I can't speak for any other TA because I've only used Dreams Unlimited, but I thought it was the perfect combination of doing things yourself when you want to, and having your TA help you with things when you want them to.