Originally Posted by
GeezerCouple
We've been hesitant to deal with "unknown" online-only vendors for cruise reservations.
We usually want a very specific suite; there may only be two and we may want the on on a specific side for a specific itinerary.
Now, with at least some cruise lines, we can reserve with the line itself, and then (with some limitations) we might be able to transfer the reservation to an outside agent of our choice.
IF we did this, would an agency such as yours still be able to offer the same discounts/OBC as if we had gone through you at the start?
Or do you only offer cabins that are "left over" from groups where you had booked a block and didn't sell all of them?
GC
I noticed you mentioned you like to pick very specific cabins on specific cruises. We are the same and the Internet based agency we use always gets us the cabin we want on the cruise we want. They don’t book blocks of rooms and then only book those specific cabins. We have worked with the same agent and her team via phone or email since 2012 and won’t be changing agents or agency any time soon. She’s been great and has consistently given us a 10-12% cash discount and usually throws in another $200 to $300 in on-board credit. I don’t bother to book with the cruise line first then transfer the booking to her as I see no advantage since we always get what we want in terms of cabin and cruise.