What Is the Best Way to Choose a Travel Agent or Cruise Specialist?

Thanks everyone for all your input.

I have booked every cruise myself via Princess on-line. Never had a problem. I keep reading threads like this post to see what I am missing. Not much - it sounds! I tried an Agent at a cruise show once and they were able to eventually add a $25 room CC to my account. I did not use them as I wanted to keep our cabin. We book early, and get the private Aft Balconies.

I had a worse experience in booking cruise via an agent. They always have a huge cut on the actual amount of cruise ticket. When I learned this I never booked cruise via any agent rather I started booking it online. I did my last cruise booking through Cruisemeout where they are giving $25,00,000 of insurance cover on every ticket. Also, I got a good discount on booking my second cruise holiday from them.

Can someone explain to me how you go about transferring a booking from one TA to another? I booked through AAA and they didn't get me anything I couldn't have gotten by booking it myself

direct with the cruise line. When I went on the cruise line site, even they said to use a TA because they could get me deals I couldn't get through the cruise line. Things like free specialty dinning and reduced pricing on drink packages.

We used to use a TA, then I just started booking on my own because I felt slighted ( personal matter ). However, I recently transferred our next cruise to a TA.

We used a travel agent for our first cruise and would never do that again! She was a cruise specialist, but really just wanted to upsell us to a different cruise line than we wanted, and for a longer time. She wouldn't apply for price drops either, saying we didn't qualify. Speaking with another agent in the same office proved her wrong, so we had the file transferred. Never again!

Our next couple of cruises were booked theough The Cruiseline with one of their vacation planners, but the first one we dropped when we learned that she didn't abide the company's privacy policy.

We booked the last one ourselves and planned to continue to do that, but couldn't resist booking and getting onboard credit while we were on the Sunshine. The ship's travel expert was wonderful, and she even applied for and got us some extra onboard credit that wasn't showing online.

I book through CCL directly. Easy peasy and done. Pay through the site, done. Book my own hotel. Done. I don't need a middle man

I previously used a travel agent that I didn't feel did much for me -- I transferred the booking to him after I made it, and asked if he would keep an eye out for price deductions. He informed me that I would have to do that, as he was too busy.

I then transferred to one I met on this site. He and his wife ensured that I was wanting for nothing, and found several price reductions that ended up getting me over 30% of the fare back. They also contacted me after the cruise to make sure that everything went well, as well as asking if they could help with my next cruise (they will be!).

I use Carnival's booking agents as they are in the know more than the travel agents. I see a hot item on the travel agents site, I call Carnival and they explain the deal, most likely the same deal Carnival itself offers.

Had a terrible experience with a TA, who got my cruise cancelled. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't been checking for a price drop and saw my cabin back in inventory.

I am much more comfortable booking everything myself, and if something goes wrong, I don't have to go through a third party to get it fixed.

Someday, when we get to travel abroad, I will use a travel agent because I think the booking process for that would be over my head. When that time comes, I hope to turn to some of my friends here for advice and recommendations :)