Can a travel agent get a better deal on a cruise than the internet sites?

Question

I've found a specific cruise that I want and every single "discount" travel website offers the same exact fare $549.00 as the actual cruise ships website. This seems as though the discount websites aren't discounts at all. So my question is, can I get a better price than carnival has on their site by going to a brick and mortar travel agent?

Also, we plan to cruise at the end of June or early July of 07

Answer 1

Not in every situation, but in many cases they can. Sometimes your rate is going to be the same price, but an agent may offer you some onboard credits, or other specials that may be available to them.

I would definitely book with an agent or directly with Carnival. The discount sites, which as you have seen aren't really discounted, can cause a lot more problems than they are worth, so if there is no savings, I would definitely avoid them.


There are a lot of travel agencies that you can use online as well. If going to a travel agent office and working on things doesn't really fit in your schedule, which is what I have found to be true for myself, online works so much better. I can e-mail my agent whenever I need, when I'm no the road, etc. I have actually found my online agent to be a lot o better than my old agent that in my local town, since they seem to be more specialized. So you may consider checking into an online travel agent, which is not to be confused with the online discount sites like Expedia, Oritz, etc.


So anyhow, you can't always get a lower rate with an agent, but you may be able to get some extra benefits by booking with an agent, such as onboard credit or upgrades. Also, you always get the service from the agent, very rarely, if ever do I find that my agent is higher than Carnival.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Im sure you can, i know the travel agents around here for how ever many cruises they book they get basically a free cruise out of it if they book so many. So with that most travel agents do all they can to get you to book your cruise with them, so im sure they can find a cheaper price for you somewhere