Originally Posted by
YVR Cockroach
Expedia CSC has a lot of overhead as it almost seems like a MLM of sorts. Owners of the local agencies have overhead to pay in the way of rent + all the accoutrements required for a physical walk-in location, as well as pay fees to Expedia. The TAs who are ICs have to drum up business (not much walk in apparently). Expedia of course provides the listing and pricing information for cruises and all the accoutrements cruise pax can be sold.
It's interesting that you bring up Expedia Cruiseshipcenters. A good friend of mine in Vancouver has worked for them since before they were purchased by Expedia and is actually my usual travel agent. It's not an MLM. It's just like any other business that Expedia has purchased and brought into their fold.
And yes they do offer group cruises, etc. Most likely you just aren't looking at cruises where group space is offered. My agent monitors to see if groups open up for cruises I've already booked and asks if I want to move into them for the perks. She also monitors for price drops for me. She helps me find independent tour guides, recommends hotels, transportation, etc if I want it. Sometimes I do book my flights through her if she can find a deal, but not always. But not every travel agent does that so it's best to shop around, ask questions, etc.