I am organizing a 7 night group Disney cruise for family and friends. I am looking for input into where I can get the best prices, and perks plus get good service. I have done some research online and I am torn between a disney specialist agency and a big high volume cruise only web travel agency. I have read that the big cruise retailers block so many rooms that they get huge commissions and pass some onto the customer making them hard to beat price and perk wise. But I have also read Disney cruise line is different and Disney agents are better suited for this. Any input???? Does it matter?
Some TA's will give you a large room credit for booking through them which helps a lot. Prices will be close to the same for either place unless you have a huge amount of people going.
Some TA's and Disney will offer discounts for large groups.
We book directly through DCL that way if we have a problem or question we can call and get the answer right now. Convenience.
With a TA it can take 2 or 3 days to get your answer.
Plus DCL will send your documents right to you. A TA will receive your docs from DCL then sen don to you.
Now some will get right on it but I do know of a lot of people whos TA's forgot to mail them out until the last minute which is nerve racking.
You can check in on line, but luggage tags are included inyoru docs which are nice to have. You can ask for extras from the porters but its just one less worry to already have them.
If you use a TA, try to find one that does a LOT of Disney so they really know what they are doing. Many dont. Check with 4 or 5 before deciding. They will all make different offers and right now everyone needs your business, so you can find some great deals!!!!
If you rebook while on board you can get 10% off and $200.00 room credit through Disney too!!
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20 DCL cruises and counting!
1 Carnival Glory cruise
Waiitng for the new ships to arrive for more magical cruises!!
I am organizing a 7 night group Disney cruise for family and friends. I am looking for input into where I can get the best prices, and perks plus get good service. I have done some research online and I am torn between a disney specialist agency and a big high volume cruise only web travel agency. I have read that the big cruise retailers block so many rooms that they get huge commissions and pass some onto the customer making them hard to beat price and perk wise. But I have also read Disney cruise line is different and Disney agents are better suited for this. Any input???? Does it matter?
YES! It does matter!!! TA work for you first and foremost. We have extra way of getting incentives that you would not get on your own. Especially when it comes to a group. TA help is free to you because DCL pays us to handle your booking. Your repeat business is most important to small agency, small TA and Disney specialist. Do you think the big on-line agencies have time to care about you and your family, personally ??Small home based TA who are Disney Specialist are you're best bet! We not only work in the cruising business, we live with it. We are available to you 24/7 and want to get to know you, please you .....so that you will always come beck to us and become loyal client for life. That's more important than just making a ONE time booking/sales.
Why would you want to deal with so many different folks, everytime you call and need help ?? Wouldn't be better to get to know your personal TA, who is always there all the time. When you call, we know exactly who you are and everything about your booking details. Anyways, I dont' want to be advertisment here but I'm a DCL speicialist and I work from home. I personally handle DCL family reunions and group bookings. I make sure my clients receive the best incentive DCL can provide. I don't expect to gain your business from here, but I had to be advocate for home based TA-disney specialist because we love what we do and nothign means more to us, then to be able to help someone have a wonderful cruising experience.
Call around and make sure that TA has had personal experience. Do they sound happy about helping you ? Do give us, little agents a chance to prove that we are better than the big on-line agencies. Do you enjoy having a pesonal travel assistance by yourside ? Do you want someone who actually cares about YOU first, and not just an order taker.
When you find that perferct DCL specialist Travel agent to help you, you will be glad you asked this question!! Because it does matter....if you want to ensure that you're cruise vacation is well taken care of by someone who appreicate you and your business. To us, you are not just another phone call or email. We want your business and your friendship, to be able to share the love of cruising, espcially on DCL!!!
Thank you for your time and good luck with your decision. I vote for you to use a home-based disney specialist TA.!!
I am newbie to these Forums and Good to see the Difference between the both the two. I hope these differences will definitely help me in selecting the best option.
This is a OT question for the DCL TA. Can you give me a brief idea of what it takes to become a TA that specialized in DCL? I am having a mid life crisis and want to change jobs. My criteria is wanting to travel, and helping people. Good idea, bad? Expensive?
Thanks in Advance.
I used to work as a travel agent in an agency; now I'm an outside agent. I was not a Disney Specialist and one of the other agents was. Our agency was one of the biggest ones in our city (in actuality, it was the biggest privately-owned travel agency). As a "Disney Specialist" she did not get any more perks for herself or her clients than I got as a regular travel agent. The only "plus" about going with a Disney specialist is that he or she may know more about Disney/Disney cruises than an agent who didn't go through the courses. I was a special case because I worked at Disney throughout college and already knew more than the courses could ever teach a person.
When it comes to cruise lines and booking group cruises, the perks you get depend on what the cruise line is offering for that specific sailing date. Usually they will give a travel agent a list of perks to choose from--$25 per person onboard credits, or a bottle of wine waiting for the client in the room, for instance. When I was a TA, I would usually present the list to my client and allow them to choose the perks they wanted for their group, and would hope that most other TAs would do the same.
Should you book your group cruise through a travel agent? Absolutely. I say this because I know the work that goes into organizing a group cruise, and doing it on your own would be overwhelming at best. But other than making sure you are going to a specific AGENT who knows what he or she is doing regarding Disney travel/Disney cruises, you shouldn't be concerned about what TYPE of agency to go with/through.
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Tara http://southernyankees09.blogspot.com
-Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas Southern Caribbean Cruise, August 2000
-Carnival Valor Western Caribbean Cruise, June 2005
-Sapphire Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise, May 2008
HI tHERE, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE I CONTACTED A TRAVEL AGENT FOR THE TRIP WE BOOKED ON 4-17-2011 ON THE NEW DREAM SHIP AND IT COST US LESS FOR 2 VERANDA CABINS AND 5 PEOPLE THEN WHEN I BOOKED 4 PEOPLE MYSELF IN 1 VERANDA CABIN IN 2007!!!! NEED I SAY MORE?
I am new to the Disney cruise line but so far found the TA working for DCL more thorough - and I don't mind speaking to a new person - getting new info each time.
FYI- nuts & bolts
U get a 10% to pre book while on a Disney cruise.
There is no waiver for single supplement.
Last minute deals are 3 mouths prior.
Fl Resident rates, military and cast deals sell out fast.
The Hi volume post the DCL deals so that is one way
to start in deciding when to sail.
Disney agency vs. high volume agency
It really doesn't matter.
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