Cruise
Information Center
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Cruise Information Center
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Cruise Specialist and Travel Agents
One needs to hire a travel agent, preferably a cruise specialist. Just think of it as a business advisor, you are planning on spending a lot of hard earned money and you want the time of your life. We in the cruise industry want you to have the time of your life and do not want you to be dissatisfied with your cruise. In North America there are over 15,000 cruise specialists that are certified by CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) and in the UK there are over 1000 specialists that are certified by the PSA (Passenger Shipping Association). There are also a number of Travel Agency organization such as NACOA (National Association of Cruise Oriented Agencies) in the USA that are especially established to provide you with specialist information. Do not use an agency that is only promoting only one or two cruise lines. It is estimated that about 90% of cruise bookings are handled through a travel agent. The balance of the bookings are directly with a cruise line. If booking directly with a cruise line, this would indicate that you are very sure of what you want. If you do not have a travel agent already, ask around your friends for a referral. Once you have obtained several referrals, you should shop around and interview the agents. Ask questions, don’t be afraid to ask questions about cruise lines, ships and the travel agents cruise experiences along with ensuring that they have taken a cruise themselves. If you do not feel comfortable or confident with an agent, move on to another. Not all travel agents specialise in cruises, some specialise in business travel and sell cruises as a sideline and then some are run of the mill and sell a bit of everything. To obtain the best service and the best cruise deals, it is always better to deal with an agent that specializes in cruises. Your agent should always offer you a variety of cruise lines to choose from, as there are over 82 different cruise lines with over 320 ships throughout the world. Some agents may limit their products to one luxury line, one mid priced line, one mass-market line and so on. But always ensure that an agent provides you with a variety of different options that will meet you requirement. If an agent is unwilling to offer you more and/or you feel pressurised into making a decision, move on to the next agent. Just remember that there is a cruise line out there that will meet your requirement and budget, it just might take a little extra research and hunting around. The analogy is that you wouldn’t buy a piece of clothing if it didn’t fit you!!!!! Each agency will operate in different ways and will offer numerous booking incentives and selected discounts. These are some of the deals you should ask about. Group Rates Agencies will negotiate with a cruise line and buy special blocks of space on selected ships and sailing dates and will offer a group reduction to their clients on these selected sailings. Be aware, there are two different types of groups, one being a common interest (Affinity) and the other is a promotional group. Be careful that you are not sold an affinity cruise group without your knowledge for you could wind up with a close group of people from a single organization, that you have no connection or interest in. Price Matching Some agencies are willing to price match their competitors to ensure that they get the business. Also some agencies are willing to negotiate, especially if you found a better deal elsewhere. Another way to look at this is when a store honours its competitor’s coupons. Rebates and Incentives Some travel agents are will provide you with incentives and rebates to ensure that you book through them. A rebate is where an agency may share part of the commission from the cruise line with you. An incentive could come in the form of a bouquet of flowers in your cabin, a shipboard credit, free bottle of champagne or a free shore excursion. Newsletters Today many agencies have newsletters, e-mail, postcards that will alert you to special offers and promotional discounts. Make sure that you ask to be included on these mailing lists to ensure that you are the first to know, before they offer it to the general public. Computer Database Systems Some travel agencies have developed sophisticated computer database systems that allow them to check for the deals against your criteria in order to provide you with the best deal possible.
Remember to ask your agent! If you don’t ask, you wouldn’t receive!!!!!!!!!!
Questions to ask your agent
Ask if he or she has sailed aboard a cruise ship before Ask if he or she has sailed aboard the ship you want to book Ask to see the photos that he or she has taken Ask to see the Menus from the ship and the daily programs Ask if they have any promotional Cruise Line DVDs or Videos that you could borrow and taken home to view at you leisure. Is air transportation included in the cruise fare quoted If not, what will be the additional cost What extra cost will you incur during you vacation What is the cruise lines cancellation policy Does the cruise line offer an early advanced booking discount Does that agency have any preferred cruise line suppliers Can the agency provide any information on shore excursions Pre & Post Cruise arrangements What are all the extra costs Is the agency bonded and insured. If so, by whom? Be Aware Keep in mind that you will find discounters in the cruise market place that advertise in the travel section of the weekend papers and on the internet with cheap lead in fares or great come-on rates that look good on first glance, but they are not necessarily going to provide you with service, but rather into selling a cruise based on price. It is more likely that these agencies are order takers and not advice givers. You should only go to them if you are completely sure of what you want.
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