Originally Posted by
Shipfish
Another thing a good full service TA has is that they can be a great help if something goes wrong. On the rare occasion that the cruise may be cancelled or delayed, or there is a family/medical emergency, they can take a massive logistical nightmare off your shoulders. I've known cases where people have had to go home mid-way through a cruise and instead of them having to spend time and money (in phone/internet fees) on researching and booking new flights they have called (often complimentary depending on the situation) their TA and they've organized it all for them.
While what you say is true it's also a situational and risk analysis decision. I'd put us at the very experienced and relatively lowest risk end of the spectrum and less likely to need a TA. While I don't know the OP's overall travel experience or family member situation I'll just say for discussion sake that he might be at the other end of the spectrum and would be advised to use a full service TA. The number of potential passengers and cabins in his situation alone is almost enough for even the most experienced traveler to seek the active help of a good TA. Of course finding a good TA is challenge and probably the subject of another thread or even board section.