New to crushing and need booking advicr

[catali150]

Hi! What are the advantages to booking with a travel agent versus Disney direct? I see Costco offers Costco store gift card or credit.
I kind of like the idea of booking through Disney and everything just being seamless.
But not enough to leave cold
Hard cash on the table.
Do all travel agents give ship credit or only during special times?
If booking through Costco will it be easy?
How do YOU book your DCL cruises?

(The rest is rambling)
We are planning to book the wish and maybe even concierge. I really want that CC cabana!!
Since we are going in off season we are actually saving money and we are celebrating a milestone birthday. I read that some don’t care for wish as much as other ships but since we have no comparison I think it’ll be fine, and four nights will be long enough to dip our toes in to cruising. Also daughter will be 12 and a less mature 12 so I think DCL will suit us.

Since we have never cruised with DCL and have only cruised twice internationally on small unknown ships, we are pretty much newbies. So with that I don’t have any other specific questions- internet is full of advice and I’ve been reading this board - but if there is anything else you could think of that is worth knowing I’m all ears! (No pun intended)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi! What are the advantages to booking with a travel agent versus Disney direct? I see Costco offers Costco store gift card or credit.
I kind of like the idea of booking through Disney and everything just being seamless.
But not enough to leave cold
Hard cash on the table.
Do all travel agents give ship credit or only during special times?
If booking through Costco will it be easy?
How do YOU book your DCL cruises?

(The rest is rambling)
We are planning to book the wish and maybe even concierge. I really want that CC cabana!!
Since we are going in off season we are actually saving money and we are celebrating a milestone birthday. I read that some don’t care for wish as much as other ships but since we have no comparison I think it’ll be fine, and four nights will be long enough to dip our toes in to cruising. Also daughter will be 12 and a less mature 12 so I think DCL will suit us.

Since we have never cruised with DCL and have only cruised twice internationally on small unknown ships, we are pretty much newbies. So with that I don’t have any other specific questions- internet is full of advice and I’ve been reading this board - but if there is anything else you could think of that is worth knowing I’m all ears! (No pun intended)

Many travel agents give perks for booking through them. They can range from onboard credit to room upgrades to just a bottle of wine or a free photograph.

We typically book our own. Although we have booked a couple of cruises using a TA when we found what perks they were offering on specific cruises. Only you can decide if what they're offering is worth it to you.

 

[CeCe0906]

Hi! What are the advantages to booking with a travel agent versus Disney direct? I see Costco offers Costco store gift card or credit.
I kind of like the idea of booking through Disney and everything just being seamless.
But not enough to leave cold
Hard cash on the table.
Do all travel agents give ship credit or only during special times?
If booking through Costco will it be easy?
How do YOU book your DCL cruises?

(The rest is rambling)
We are planning to book the wish and maybe even concierge. I really want that CC cabana!!
Since we are going in off season we are actually saving money and we are celebrating a milestone birthday. I read that some don’t care for wish as much as other ships but since we have no comparison I think it’ll be fine, and four nights will be long enough to dip our toes in to cruising. Also daughter will be 12 and a less mature 12 so I think DCL will suit us.

Since we have never cruised with DCL and have only cruised twice internationally on small unknown ships, we are pretty much newbies. So with that I don’t have any other specific questions- internet is full of advice and I’ve been reading this board - but if there is anything else you could think of that is worth knowing I’m all ears! (No pun intended)

My first DCL cruise is my Wish cruise this August, so I can't speak to the best way to book. I went direct through DCL, so far no issues. I did spring for consierge, mainly because it's my first cruise, I figured I'd need some extra handholding, and parks like the lounge/sun deck, less waiting in line boarding and leaving ship at end of cruise , and early entry to Theater.
And I admit it I wanted the cabana, but with 76 consierge cabins and only ~23 cabanas, it's not a given, and I didn't get one this time.
This site has had some great info, and lots of helpful people.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

booked with costco for upcoming May cruise. immediately had a confirmatin number to add reservation to the app..was last minute so paid in full. will receive $355 gift card (7 night)after cruise is over...easy for us to use. We have done one other time with no problems.

 

[dreamer17555]

I personally love using dreams unlimited travel. My agent is Joy Ferson. (They sponsor Disboards and dis unplugged)

They offer an onboard credit but my agent is also amazing if anything comes up (and things have). Costco is a good option- unless something goes wrong or you need to make changes and then it can be a headache.

I much prefer taking the onboard credit from Dreams Unlimited and letting Joy do the work for me and know she will have my back if something goes off the rails.

 

[dreamer17555]

Adding on if you absolutely want a cabana think about booking any ship except for the Wish. There are too many Concierge staterooms on the Wish and not enough cabanas to go around. I personally love the Dream or the Fantasy as a first introduction to DCL.

At 12 your daughter can do both the edge and the kids clubs and choose which one she wants to be at or bounce between them.

If you have sailed before and sea sickness, isn’t a concern I highly recommend a seven night out of Port Canaveral on the Fantasy. If you haven’t sailed I might start off with a five night on the Dream. Off season in the fall can mean much rocky seas, off-season in the winter won’t be quite as rough but sometimes winds will prevent docking at Castaway (rare but it has happened to us in late Jan).

ETA- if you are absolutely set on the wish, realize Cabanas are nice but really not needed. I suggest getting off the ship early on Castaway day and grabbing a spot at the second family beach. There are plenty of chairs and umbrellas.

 

[Clarkson U]

It’s about control. With a travel agent you give up control and they have to do everything for you. If you book direct you have a lot more direct involvement and can do the things youself. I book direct as the small amount of credit is not worth it to me to lose control.

 

[Mommb]

It’s about control. With a travel agent you give up control and they have to do everything for you. If you book direct you have a lot more direct involvement and can do the things youself. I book direct as the small amount of credit is not worth it to me to lose control.

When you book through a travel agent, any changes to the booking (such as stateroom location, guest names, and cruise date) and other changes that involve upfront charges (such as making payments, paying gratuities in advance, and booking insurance or transportation) need to be done by th3 agent. You still control planning for onboard activities that are booked but not paid for in advance (such as excursions, adult dining, spa treatments, and beverage tastings).

If you want to choose your stateroom yourself and expect to want to move to a different room or a different cruise a few times, you may be better off booking directly. If you want advice on what to book and plan to stick with what you book, you can save money by using a travel agent who gives you some form of credit.

 

[dreamer17555]

You can also always look on the website and see what staterooms are available and tell your agent which staterooms you would like to book. give them a few options and they will normally work some magic. Joy has always gotten me the room I have requested.

You get to book all your own activities and excursions. They can help you figure out any details you might be missing for your first DCL sailing. Plus- onboard credit and if you go with Dreams Unlimited you are helping a small business at no cost to yourself, (the people who provide this very board).

And honestly having an agent in case you cancel, is one of my favorite things because they can handle that and help you rebook. Anyone who had a cruise booked when the world shut down during Covid knows how insane the phones to DCL were, but those of us with Dreams agents didn’t have to worry about waiting through that insanity.

 

[auntlynne]

If you are not the type who likes to change your plans during non-work hours or are willing to wait for confirmation of a change while someone else does the work and reports the results to you (ie, control), a Travel Agent might be right for you.

It is hard to leave money on the table. The reports are that Costco pays out in a store gift card that can be used after the cruise. If you are paying that extra for a Concierge cabin and hoping for a nice return, know whether or not you would spend that money at Costco otherwise. It’s not truly cash in your pocket if you “have” to find something to buy. If you know you need tires, then it could be a good deal.

A Travel Agent who spells out what type of onboard credit you will receive might be the way to go. You are going to need $ for onboard gratuities (including the Concierge Hosts). Having that onboard credit could offset that. If you were able to get a Cabana, that is going to be several hundred dollars (maybe $400-500; I haven’t done it in a long while).

(Do you get onboard credit or actual cash? Will Disney give you cash for any unused onboard credit from the travel agent? Things to find out)

If you book in Concierge, you are going to communicate your plans / requests for activities and specialty dining with the Concierge team. I don’t know if you go through the travel agent. i would hope not; that’s just one more step (I am in the won‘t give up control camp and book directly - but use Disney Gift cards to save at least 5%). (Watch this thread for corrections to this information, in case I have this aspect incorrect.) Your requests are handled before even the loyal cruisers who book these things early.

You need to be sure that you are going to do the cruise as booked - the rules for cancellation (which might be any changes) to the cruise date, guests,… might mean a loss of deposit or cruise fare. An agent who is familiar with this can advise you. And you can read the details on the cruise line website.

You can also price out the cruise on the website, as though you were going to book - it will spell out policies. (It also takes the selected room out of availability for about 20 minutes. Don’t do it before getting the travel agent to book it for you.)

You will not pay extra for a travel agent. Disney pays them for bookings. When you book on your own, Disney just gets to keep more money. Onboard credits or other niceties cone from the commission the agents earn. This is the way.

 

[auntlynne]

“Do all travel agents give ship credit or only during special times?”

There is not a rule. They should tell you up front - usually it is listed / posted.

I haven’t heard of it being an on / off situation.

And they don’t get paid until you have sailed. All the work on canceled cruises during Covid was unpaid work for them.

As most agencies will post “no obligation quote available.” If you are not comfortable with your interaction with an agent or the credit they offer, you can decline and owe them nothing - if you don’t have them book for you.

 

[Flcruising]

There are a number of differences which others will point out
If you use a TA basically Disney won't talk to you. If you call them with an issue they will direct you to call your TA. Also if you do use a TA make sure it's a good one like Dreams Unlimited. Too many horror stories of some TAs not sending money in on time, not returning phone calls etc . Dreams Unlimited are well liked around here and have a great reputation.

Personally we book directly with Disney. That way I know exactly what is done and when.
As far as your other comments ...we enjoyed the Wish. But I'm not sure our Wish experience would have encouraged us to go on another,
If it had been our first cruise. We would have said "Nice, now let's see what other cruise lines are like" However after doing the other ships we always said "Let's do this again!!"
What I'm saying is I'm not sure the Wish is the best first time cruise. But it is a nice cruise and beautiful ship
I would give thought to what you expect and what you may be missing with concierge and CC Cabanas.

 

[CamColt]

Being a new cruiser you could really benefit from Dreams Unlimited Services. They are the experts, all having sailed multiple times, their services are free, and they actually give you money in the form of an on board credit, to use their services.

 

[kiford]

Do all travel agents give ship credit

No - we used to use CAA and they haven't given any perks or credit for years but often our cruises were only part of a vacation so our TA handled the whole thing, gave us good advice, a couple of times was able to get seats on a particular flight held for a couple of days at the lower price while we waited for friends to make final date decisions, sat on the phone instead of me to get things we wanted, handled the insurance, and was always there in case we had an emergency. Sadly, the CAA permanently closed a number of local offices during Covid so we've been booking much of the simpler travel ourselves online but once we start doing more complicated travel arrangements, I will probably go back to her at her new place. For me it was never about the credit or perks but the knowledge, connections, advice and ability to go to one person if something went wrong.