Recommendations for a new Travel agent?

[waltjr]

I am looking for a new travel agent who specializes in Disney Cruises.

Experienced. Must have gone on at least 10 Disney cruises from Eastern U.S.. Must be very knowledgeable about Disney Cruises. Must have extensive experience responding to problems. (A good mariner is created by the storms they weather.)

Good at costumer service. He/She must be willing to respond to many questions, be accessible and not try to up sell me.

FYI: On here, DU lists their agents, but tells little about them and there is no customer rating system.

I have been on 10 cruises (8 Disney) and used 3 travel agents.

How do I find a good agent?

 

[OKW Lover]

We use Tracey Heinrichs at Dreams Unlimited. She's always been great at looking after our requests. Never an up-sell push from her.

 

[WDWAurora]

I have mine booked with Kathy Werling from Dreams. I know she has cruised a lot. I can’t speak for her as a TA for cruises, but she has handled our WDW visits well, including when we had to cancel during the closed period (June of 2020). Our money was refunded promptly and she handled it all. I have been a relatively needy cruise customer and she has gotten me through it (primarily due to us being new to cruising).

 

[Doingitagain]

We use Tracey Heinrichs at Dreams Unlimited and she has been very responsive for both ABD and DCL. She teams with her husband, Chris, so it is like getting 2 for 1 !
She has been very patient as we have made changes to add pre and post nights and is quick to respond to emails.

 

[CamColt]

I would suggest Dreams Unlimited as they are the experts. You could enter a quote request and put what you are looking for in an agent in the notes section of the form. If the agent who gets the request doesn't fit the bill they should pass it off to someone who does.

 

[cwis]

Must have gone on at least 10 Disney cruises from Eastern U.S..

This is weird. You want someone who knows how to create value for their customers, or you want someone you can be proud of at parties like “my travel agent has been on so more cruises than yours”?

Disclaimer: I don't use a travel agent. I believe strong sellers are those who understand their customers needs, and I believe I am the more qualified to know mine. If I were to use a TA I would certainly choose one that would get to know me well in just a few minutes. That requires skill, not sailing a lot.

 

[Kwami]

This is weird. You want someone who knows how to create value for their customers, or you want someone you can be proud of at parties like “my travel agent has been on so more cruises than yours”?

Disclaimer: I don't use a travel agent. I believe strong sellers are those who understand their customers needs, and I believe I am the more qualified to know mine. If I were to use a TA I would certainly choose one that would get to know me well in just a few minutes. That requires skill, not sailing a lot.

I think the point is that the travel agent should have enough experience with sailing from Port Canaveral (and I guess Miami?) such that they can quickly answer any questions and solve any problems that come up. Some travel agents that specialize in Disney haven't cruised much or at all and have to figure things out as they go, which might be undesirable for some customers.

 

[jrgutknecht]

Elaine Edwards With Dreams Unlimited. You can specifically request her when putting in a request. She’s done several DCL videos with Pete And the gang. She’s great.

 

[Intr3pid]

Very few travel agents today can afford to cruise enough - much less with Disney - to lend help from experience. We have yet to come across one who knows more about our travel needs than we do. That said, they can be a handful in dealing with cruise lines over the phones, piecing together complex bookings - or, in our case, passing on the savings.

 

[cwis]

Very few travel agents today can afford to cruise enough - much less with Disney - to lend help from experience.

This. Being a TA is a full-time job that requires skill. There's a difference between couch experts that book flights on Google and the one that know how to use their GDS, decipher a fare basis and help their customers. Same for cruises.

Still, I don't use a TA as I'm a control-freak, but I'm pretty sure there are very talented and knowledged TAs out there. Many have reported success with Dreams Unlimited. As OP probably know they sponsor this very board where they allow you to ask for more info. Why don't give them a chance?

 

[randumb0]

10 Disney cruises is a lot for a full time TA so I am sure there aren't many

 

[waltjr]

This is weird. You want someone who knows how to create value for their customers, or you want someone you can be proud of at parties like “my travel agent has been on so more cruises than yours”?

i am tired of asking agents questions that they don't know the answer or give wrong information because they have never or seldom cruise Disney. Or that they have not cruised for many years and don't know any of the new stuff. is that unreasonable?

 

[cwis]

i am tired of asking agents questions that they don't know the answer or give wrong information because they have never or seldom cruise Disney. Or that they have not cruised for many years and don't know any of the new stuff. is that unreasonable?

Not unreasonable by any means. Just wanted to highlight that the number of cruises is not related to the experience they might have on DCL's.

I have sailed only cruise Disney cruise, however by reading these boards alone, I may very well know more than the majority of TAs out there. (Thanks to all here for sharing so much!)

 

[gatordoc]

I have a wonderful TA I have used for many years that ticks all those boxes. A different agency than the board sponsor so not sure I am allowed to mention. PM me if interested.

 

[waltjr]

I have a wonderful TA I have used for many years that ticks all those boxes. A different agency than the board sponsor so not sure I am allowed to mention. PM me if interested.

Others have stated their non-DU agency they use. Which one do you like?

 

[gatordoc]

I use Lauren at Small World. But please note that I have had less stellar experiences with other agents there.

 

[JonKPest]

We booked 10 out of 11 DCL sailings through Dreams Unlimited. Dorothy has retired and is missed. Now we use Merrie Thomas. She was truly invaluable through the Covid-19 shut down. (we went through 4 cancelled sailings) Keeping track of FCC, always looking out for our best insterest is such a value. And guess how much time I spent on the phone dealing with DCL, that's right, zero. I just send off emails and wait for a return email in a day or two. merrie@dreamsunlimitedtravel.com

 

[tvguy]

10 Disney cruises is a lot for a full time TA so I am sure there aren't many

A couple of the TAs whose vlogs I follow have been on 10 cruises just since the restart. Only one Disney, but I have NO idea how they do so many cruises and keep up with their clients.
My Travel Agent had never been on a Disney cruise, but has had many clients take one and she debriefs her clients on their return and keeps notes. She seemed to have a broader base of comments that she would have from cruising herself.

 

[randumb0]

A couple of the TAs whose vlogs I follow have been on 10 cruises just since the restart. Only one Disney, but I have NO idea how they do so many cruises and keep up with their clients.
My Travel Agent had never been on a Disney cruise, but has had many clients take one and she debriefs her clients on their return and keeps notes. She seemed to have a broader base of comments that she would have from cruising herself.

I can believe that there are TA's that have been on many more than 10 cruises, but 10 Disney cruises is a lot.

 

[nyweller6306]

We use Makayla Porter at Dreams for our Disney Cruises (and other Disney needs)now. I'm not sure how many cruises she has been on; however, at one point, she resided in the Orlando area, so she was very familiar with the Port Canaveral area. Since DCL cruising restarted, she has been on at least two Disney cruises. We love her Disney knowledge, friendliness, and willingness to help.