Pros and Cons of Travel Agent

[MarleneP]

I have been looking through older posts to help me with a decision but just got more confused. I booked a European cruise August 2016. I booked through Disney on-line. I mis understood how the on board credit thing works and asked a family member of a friend (that has her own travel agency) if she would like me to transfer the booking to her. Of course she jumped at the chance for the business but then told me that she does not offer the $200 on board credit and that is only some of the big TA that give the credit.

My question is "Do I let her take on my reservation?" I know I have to pay her directly which isn't a big deal but I never used a TA for any Disney travel and don't know if there are any pros or cons.

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Pros...They do everything for you.

Cons...They do everything for you.

(Meaning, that reservation doesn't really belong to you. It belongs to the travel agent. You won't be able to make any changes to it, she would have to do it. She will also handle all the money stuff for you. I think you can still do things like make your own Palo bookings or excursion bookings online, but you could also ask her to do it. And if she is a good travel agent, then she will do everything properly so you do not have to worry about it. However, if she is not a good travel agent, you may have to risk offending her if you wish to remove the reservation from her control.)

 

[squirrel]

It depends on the TA. If you transfer, for some companies you can keep your OBC, others you may get a reduced OBC. I just tried out a new TA this cruise as my home TA (where I can go in and see her) only does a $25 OBC. So far I am happy with the new TA. I e-mail back and forth, I have switched rooms a few times (inside to oceanview, to my preferred oceanview room). Paying was just as easy as my at home TA. I like to save $. The OBC will most likely be used for tips or towards excursions.

You still have access to your reservation to book spa, Palo/Remy, nursery, etc. I have found the only thing you can't do is change rooms without your TA.

 

[MillauFr]

I see no problem telling her that you'll transfer the reservation if she splits the commission she gets with you.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Aot of agencies give on board credits they give you help and support. You must transfer within 30 days of booking. All my cruises have been with a TA I prefer the safety of it, they gave clout with DCL like a union. But it seems you may not benefit transferring yo your friend.

Downside all payments go via her ( not a biggie) upside you still gave full control and you can still book Palo and shore trips on line.

 

[Ariel484]

Some TAs are better than other - both with OBC and the service/responsiveness they give you.

I am lucky that I have a great TA - great OBC and she always responds to me very quickly. I used to wonder why anyone would NOT use a TA (because free money!! Free help planning my cruise!!) but then I read some horror stories here...so when they're good, they're great, and when they're not good, it can be a headache.

 

[lanejudy]

My question is "Do I let her take on my reservation?" I know I have to pay her directly which isn't a big deal but I never used a TA for any Disney travel and don't know if there are any pros or cons.

First, you should NOT have to pay her directly. She receives a commission from DCL, whether she passes any of that on to you as OBC or not. It is true that not all TA's offer OBC.

I'm going to say it really depends on your relationship with this person, and how professional she will be in helping you. If I booked a European cruise, I would want some assistance from a TA who knows the region I'll be visiting. However, for U.S. based travel I prefer to book on my own. Will you want help with planning flights, pre- and/or post-cruise plans, flights, etc.? If yes to any of those, then a TA would be a good idea. Is this person knowledgeable about the areas you'll be visiting? Is she knowledgeable about DCL? Those are questions you need to ask her.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Annabell]

The only reason I would use a TA is because the TA offers an additional OBC. If there is no OBC involved then I would just stick with DCL direct.

Downside of using a TA is that you lose control of your reservation and everything has to go through the TA first. (= slows process down imo)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The only reason I would use a TA is because the TA offers an additional OBC. If there is no OBC involved then I would just stick with DCL direct.

Downside of using a TA is that you lose control of your reservation and everything has to go through the TA first. (= slows process down imo)

Well, not everything. Only those things that are related to the actual reservation (room, dinner seating for example). You can book your own excursions as well as do your online check in (when your window opens) whether you use a TA or not.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

I chose my TA because she owns a travel agency that's a Disney Authorized Agency, she's personally taken several Disney cruises on each DCL ship, she responded faster than all the other TAs I sent inquiries to and she offered me an OBC worth 5% of the cost of my upcoming Alaskan cruise. That's on top of my $200 OBC from DCL for booking the placeholder onboard. This other TA only offered me a $100 OBC, regardless of the cost of the cruise. When I received the $300 OBC offer (from my now TA),I asked the other lady if she was willing to match that. She told me $100 OBC was the highest she could give me. So, I kindly thanked her for her time and selected the TA with the higher OBC.

I chose to use a TA for the "free" money and to not have to wait on hold all day for DCL. One of my co-workers is a new TA. He asked me to consider using him for future bookings. He doesn't offer OBCs and he's only been on two Disney cruises. I asked him if he and his daughter decorated their door and did FE. He said he'd never heard of either. He's a nice guy, but with the money I'm spending on these Disney cruises (especially Alaska), I want a TA who lives and breathes Disney (even though I don't), so I can get offered any perk, tip, secret whatever...to make our cruise more enjoyable. The OBC will go towards tipping for our 7 night cruise.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[cheermom2four]

First, you should NOT have to pay her directly

So I can pay for my cruise thru DCL instead of my TA? I was under the impression I had to go through my TA to pay my cruise off before PIF date. I'm a newbie to cruising so please forgive me

 

[Bree]

When did you book your cruise? You can't transfer to a TA if it has been more than 30 days since booking it.

Payments do go through the TA unless you are making payments with a Disney Vacation Account.

 

[lanejudy]

So I can pay for my cruise thru DCL instead of my TA? I was under the impression I had to go through my TA to pay my cruise off before PIF date. I'm a newbie to cruising so please forgive me

Sorry, I thought you meant you'd have to pay for her services.

Payment towards your cruise -- depends on the TA's policy. You might make payments through the TA's website but it links you directly to DCL. Or you give her your credit card information and authorize how much to charge, then she makes the payment to Disney directly with your credit card. If she requires payment made direct to HER agency (as in, the charge shows on your statement as XYZ Travel Agency)...I personally would not use a TA with that arrangement, but most are not like that.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Flossbolna]

When did you book your cruise? You can't transfer to a TA if it has been more than 30 days since booking it.

However, if the prices have not gone up since the original booking, one could always cancel the current booking and then go and ask the TA to make a new booking I would think.

 

[bumbershoot]

My question is "Do I let her take on my reservation?"

Not if there's nothing in it for you.

Are you willing to put in the research and the time to find out everything you need to know? If so, no reason for a TA who isn't giving you something else in return. If you're a busy person with a busy family and you just don't have the time or interest in researching AND this TA is actually an expert in this particular field, then that's something being given to you that has value, and you don't need the OBC to "get" something valuable.

I have the time, curiosity, and interest in researching, so I don't *need* a TA. I will use one if I get osmething financial from it (and if I remember to transfer in time).

You process payments *through* the TA. I personally like the big ones that have a direct "line" to the cruiseline. for instance I go to www.costcotravel.com, log in, go to my cruise, and PAY. The payment goes through instantly. There's no TA needing to call or fax or do whatever they do in between.

You still make your Port Adventures, Palo/Remy reservations. You can generally request distilled water and an extension cord for a CPAP by calling DCL (I tell them what I need to do BEFORE entering in my info so they aren't biased against the TA booking ahead of time).

If I needed to change a person, change a room, change a date...anything that's going to change the money for the *booking*, to change the money needed ahead of time (Port Adventures and extra-cost dining is paid once onboard, NOT ahead of time, with DCL), those things have to go through the TA.

The other thing you want to think about is if you'll just leave your reservation alone. If you think there's a chance you might get interested in upgrading to another sort of room, think long and hard about how easy it is to get a TA on the phone. If you think you're happy with your room then one day you notice that a concierge room is available and a good price but you can't get ahold of your TA...there will be disappointment. So if your TA is hard to contact, just step away from checking for upgrades OR harden your heart to disappointment if you can't get ahold of the TA.

 

[MouseMomx2]

As others have said, if there is nothing in it for you there is no reason to transfer your reservation. We never use TAs and never will. While the onboard credit that some of them offer is nice, I prefer to have complete control over my reservation. Sure, you can still make Palo/excursion reservations on your own, but everything else will have to go through your TA. I find that frustrating and prefer to handle everything myself so no TAs for us.

 

[cheermom2four]

You process payments *through* the TA. I personally like the big ones that have a direct "line" to the cruiseline. for instance I go to www.costcotravel.com, log in, go to my cruise, and PAY. The payment goes through instantly. There's no TA needing to call or fax or do whatever they do in between.

Does Costco give OBC? I'm new to this so bear with me

 

[MarleneP]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I still have a few days left before the 30 day mark to make my decision.

 

[ThisGirlLovesDL]

I love my travel agent. She only handles Disney so she's very well versed on all things Disney. She's saved me quite a bit of money over the years as well and I love that she's as excited about our Disney vacations as we are!

 

[jdb in AZ]

For a family of 48, it was a no-brainer to have a TA handle the reservations for us. She found the only week out of the summer that DCL could accommodate us, which coincidentally was the only week everyone was available.

And yes, she offers a great OBC, so DH and I use her when it's just the two of us. She books DCL as well as several other cruise lines and has found super discounts for us.