Hi Frieda,
We are located in Germany - so, not very far from you in Belgium! We always use a TA in the USA, mainly because of the better prices, but also because you are able to cancel -- if necessary -- up until the final payment is due, without losing any $$ or €€, and because you will often also receive an OBC (onboard credit) or paid gratuities.
I think that it is o.k. to mention travel agencies by name here on this forum -- please stop me, someone, if I am incorrect. BE VERY CAREFUL about booking with an agency called ecruisestore (R.C. Tanner) which may be offering a price via cruise compete. There are many, many complaints about this agency and you can do further investigation by looking at tripadvisor.com in the Miami forum (near where this agency is located).
If you need any further information, please send me a PM through the board here. Happy cruising!!
In order to be accredited with the Better Business Bureau, a business must pay a fee.
The BBB will track complaints about any business, but it will not accredit you unless you pay their fee. I have not, and therefore, you will not find my busness accredited. I doubt you will find many small businesses, such as ours, willing to pay out money just for that purpose.
Thank you for explaining this to me, something new I learned.
have a great day
good night from Belgium
Frieda
Also be aware that some online agencies have fine print that you should read up on. Cancellation fees, is one thing to be aware of. Also, make sure that the fare they list include all the government fees, port taxes, etc. If they don't list those, that could be why their fare might seem lower than other agencies.
As you've already read, BBB will only accredidate those who pay the fees - for small businesses, it's rather expensive not really cost effective. The BBB will tell you if they have any complaints, but that's about it. The bad thing is that if you contact BBB about a certain agency and that agency has no complaints, they will tell you. Then they call the agency and pester them to join the BBB. And another bad thing is that a company could be a member in one area, but the local area BBB would not know that. For example; our agency is headquartered out of Florida. If you call the Florda/Caribbean BBB and ask about Cruise Planners, you'll get the latest information. But if you call the local BBB where we're located, you'll get entirely different information, so it's often not the whole picture.
Stick with agencies who are associated with a major corporation - not to push ours, but using such companies as Cruise Planners is a good way to go - they have over 900 agencies across the country, so you know they are a major player. Not saying that local agencies aren't any good, but often the larger agencies get specials not offered to everyone.
Also, look at the agency's website. Those who obviously create their own or who use a company like Online Agency to create their website are suspect - not saying they are not a good company, but just something to be aware of. Most of the big agencies will have a more professional-looking website because they spend the time and money.
And lastly, if they say they are going to charge your credit card, look elsewhere. A reputable agency will not charge your credit card - they are a reseller for the cruise line and the cruise line is the one that should be charging your card. Major reason for this is that should something happen to the agency, such as bankruptcy or going out of business, you're still going on your cruise because the cruise line has your money, not the agency.
With that said, it's still better to book with an agency than booking directly with the cruise line. You'll often get better pricing and should any specials be offered, the agency will get the reduced rate for you. An agency will look after you, whereas the cruise line is going to look after them.
I have clients all over the world including Germany, Ireland, England, South Africa, Australia, India, Canada, etc. Many of these people I've never even talked to over the phone. In today's electronic environment it's truly is a small world. But while it's so easy to exchange information, it's also become an easy target for those wanting to take advantage of others. The trick is to find someone you trust while guarding against fraud and abuse. Not an easy situation in this world we live in.
I would like to thank you all for all of your great advise.
I have not yet booked our cruise, still am comparing some offers ( cruise compete deals ) but I am going to send some requests to some other TA which I noticed just now through all of these posts.
I have learned a lot ( should have asked this quiet a long time ago because this will be our 6th cruise in 4 years and would have saved us some money ) but ......... never too old to learn.
I wish to you all a very fine day, and happy cruising
Frieda
Frieda, you are free to mention travel agency names here on CruiseLineFans.com. It is good to share personal experiences so others will benefit....that's what is so nice about this cruise forum. Cruisers helping cruisers.
Frieda, you are free to mention travel agency names here on CruiseLineFans.com. It is good to share personal experiences so others will benefit....that's what is so nice about this cruise forum. Cruisers helping cruisers.
I really did not know that, ok maybe I should open a new thread " where do you US citizens book your cruise ? " that would help me a lot ! But at this time I have found through this forum some TA and I am comparing them just to find the best deal for our upcomming cruise.
Thanks for your reply
have a great day
Frieda
Frieda - Just be careful when you ask about insurance. Insurance can be complicated if you don't follow some basic rules, especially if you have pre existing conditions and especially if you want money back instead of cruise credit.
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