Welcome to Byte Size Cruises! We are glad you are here. If this is your first time joining us, it's great to have you! We are a travel agency out of Philadelphia, PA and we specialize in ALL things cruising. If you enjoy cruise vacations, or if you are interested in learning more about cruising, you're in the right place! Our goal here is to give you the best and most up-to-date information on cruising so you can plan and go on an amazing vacation. Today we are going to break down the pros and cons of booking your cruise with a travel agent. If you'd like to check out this post on our YouTube channel, click here.
You're ready to book a cruise! Awesome! Unless you've worked with a travel agent before, your go-to move is most likely to jump online and book your vacation yourself. Today we are going to give you all the pros and cons of dealing with and booking through a travel agent. Let's get into it!
So, to state the obvious, YES, we are travel agents. However, we are also aware that it might not be the best idea for you to book your vacation through a travel agent depending on what you are looking to do on your vacation. Let's start with the CONS of dealing with a travel agent.
CON 1: You want to book your vacation NOW. In some situations, time pressure might be a reality. If you're looking to book your flight, hotel, etc. in the next 20 minutes, most likely reaching out to a travel agent for support isn't realistic or helpful for you. In these cases, do you, and do the best you can. Often in these situations, price isn't as much of a factor as speed and convenience so there's no need to shop around. You find what you want online and get it done.
CON 2: You don't enjoy dealing with other people and you want full control. If you are super type A and really just want everything to be done your way, please do it yourself. This also could apply if you want to spend months doing research and agonizing over every little detail - legit, we know there are people out there who enjoy this! If this is you, definitely go ahead and do all the research you want to plan your vacation. Working with a travel agent most likely will feel like someone is taking control away from you or rushing your process.
If you don't fall into either of these categories, there is a high chance that working with a travel agent will add value to your booking process. Let's get into the pros.
PRO 1: It doesn't cost you any extra $$. There is a misnomer out there that working with a travel agent costs you more money, but this simply isn't true. You do not have to pay to use a travel agent; we get commissions from the cruise lines. The cruise lines are not allowed to undercut travel agents and everyone has to have access to fair pricing.
PRO 2: You get expert knowledge and experience. If you are going to use a travel agent, make sure you do a bit of research to make sure you're choosing an agent that specializes in the type of vacation you want to book. We are a travel agency that specializes in cruises. If you were looking to book a Disney land vacation, we would highly recommend you speak to a travel agent that specializes in Disney theme park vacations. Looking to do a land tour across Europe? Definitely speak with an agent that focuses on these types of touring vacations. You may find an agent that specializes in a wide variety of vacations because they have been in the industry for a long time.
PRO 3: Time savings and convenience. The reality is that cruise lines are very busy and if you have a question, you might wind up sitting on hold for a long time or searching the internet for hours trying to find an answer. Sometimes, weird things happen and they need to be addressed ASAP, such as someone's name being misspelled on a booking or a time error in a reservation. A travel agent is going to be able to help you with ALL of these things. They are there to support you and make sure that errors are corrected and that you have what you need for an amazing vacation experience. Some of these things might include group travel accommodations or accessibility needs.
PRO 4: Exclusive deals and discounts. Sometimes, when you book with a travel agent, you will get access to group rates or special discounts that cannot be found anywhere else. When cruise lines open up a new itinerary for a ship, travel agents can go in and purchase a block of rooms at a discounted rate. If you then book your vacation within that block of rooms you get access to that discount. Every now and then cruise lines will also throw in extra specials or deals that we can pass on to travelers, like extra onboard credit or specialty dining. This isn't always available but definitely worth asking your travel agent about.
PRO 5: Personalized Service. A travel agent will know everything about the field they specialize in. For us, we know cruising! What you tell us you are looking for in a cruise vacation will determine what we recommend to you. Looking for an adults-only peaceful cruise? That is a VERY different ship compared to the busy family looking for action and adventure. We will ask you a lot of questions about who is going on the trip, what do you enjoy, what are you looking for, etc. to make sure we are recommending the ship, itinerary, excursions, and packages that are going to best fit your needs. Now, could you do all this research on your own? Sure. But is it worth all that time? That's your call.
PRO 6: Problem Solving and Support. This aspect of booking with a travel agent gets overlooked a lot and it is a HUGE part of what we do for our clients. Sometimes things happen; cruises get canceled, you have an emergency and can no longer go on your vacation, you miss the ship or a port, etc. Having a travel agent will go a long way in supporting you in finding a resolution. As travel agents, we have connections inside the cruise lines and can make those phone calls on your behalf.
Those are the PROS and CONS of using a travel agent! What are your thoughts? Have you used a travel agent before? What was your experience? We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts below.