Many people book their own travel today. Don’t you visit an airline or hotel company website and make your own arrangements? Hotels have an even tougher situation because it is easy to find websites that aggregate online prices for the hotel you want on the dates you have chosen. Why do you need a travel agent when you can easily do it yourself?
As the travel industry changed, travel agents realized they needed to change too. Many shifted away from the mass market, focusing on business travel or luxury vacations like safaris. Cruises are an example of a category where it makes sense to bring in a professional instead of dealing direct.
Looking at travel agents in general and cruises as a specific category, what is the case for working with a travel agent?
- When something goes wrong…Instead of calling an airline and waiting on hold forever, it makes sense to have a professional as your intermediary. If you are stuck somewhere because a volcano erupted, disrupting air traffic, let a professional sort out your alternate route.
- How to get from point A to point B. You might assume you could figure this out on your own. If you are flying nonstop from JFK to LHR, you are right. If you are traveling from the US to Slovenia on the Adriatic, that’s a different story. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Rely on someone else with the experience.
- Work with a specialist. Some travel agencies specialize in cruises. The first thing they can do is help you decide which cruise line aligns with your personality. They can help you shop for deals and best fares. Sometimes the cruise lines might have better rates with the airlines because they do lots of business.
- Interact with a human. Airlines, hotels and cruise lines have customer service desks, but you need to get to them. A local travel agency in your metro area has people sitting at desks or working from home. Like working with a CPA or financial advisor, you should have a dedicated career person who knows your name. This is very important if a problem develops during your vacation.
- Pricing should not be that different vs. booking direct. Cruise lines want travel agents to be in the equation. When you book your next trip onboard they indicate the credit for the booking can be assigned to your travel agent back home. There might be a benefit like an onboard credit to spend (OBC) or a bottle of wine waiting in your stateroom.
- The travel agency business has it’s own credentials. Some states might require travel agents to be licensed, others might not. (1) Certifications are a different story. Ideally you would want a travel agent experienced and specializing in the cruise industry. As an example, the Cruise Lines international Association (CLIA) has four levels of Cruise Counselor certification. (2)
- Has the agent sailed on your line? Your Ship? Years ago, this was hugely important. Ships like Cunard’s famous Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) had cabins in all sorts of sizes and configurations. Today, cabins on ships, like LEGO blocks, are pretty standardized. Your travel agent will know some locations are better than others. Sometimes there are cabins that are larger (or maybe smaller) than normal because of their location. Is proximity to the self service launderette a positive or a negative? There are cruisers lined up on each side of this question.
- Shore excursions. You can boom them onboard, but the best ones might sell out quickly. You can book them with the cruise line through your travel agent. Your travel agent might be able to book direct with the tour operator, saving you a bit.
We live in a culture where “booking online” and dealing direct is considered the wise way to go. There are still areas like luxury travel, where it makes sense to work with a professional.
- https://thelicensecompany.com/license-types/travel-agent-licensing-services/travel-agency-registrations-by-state/#:~:text=States%20like%20Florida%2C%20California%2C%20Washington,travel%20agent%20licensing%20by%20state.
- https://cruising.org/en/travel-agent-center/professional-development-training/certifications
