Question on how to book

[Jack_Sparrow_NJ]

I am starting to research a family cruise and have a number of questions. The first being what is the best way to book? Through Disney, Travel Agent, AAA, BJs, Costco??

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am starting to research a family cruise and have a number of questions. The first being what is the best way to book? Through Disney, Travel Agent, AAA, BJs, Costco??

It all depends on your comfort zone for booking a first cruise.

If you travel often, you could do it on your own.

If you're totally green, a travel agent would be best. Most of the time they can answer all your questions. It's best to use a Disney-trained TA for DCL, as the way DCL does things is different than how other cruise lines do things.

A TA can/may give perks for using them to book trips, so do a little research as to who might give you the better deal. That said, the cost of a cruise will be the same, whether you book yourself, or through a TA.

 

[ryankski]

Also this forums are sponsered by a Disney trained travel agency and you may also get on board credit for booking with them. Just saying.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I do a lot of my own travel planning but always have our TA book a cruise. Unfortunately she doesn’t give any credits on Disney but does on other lines that my husband and I have cruised on. That’s less important to me than working with someone I know and trust. I usually book my own air but she is great with rental cars, hotels, and alwAys provides a detailed written overview of each port with maps and info on what to see, where atms are, etc so we know exactly what to expect.

 

[Geomom]

I would pick a travel agent that gives you perks. We use Dreams Unlimited who is a sponsor of these boards and gives on board credit. I just can't pass up 'free money.' Costco will give you a cash back card for 8%? AFTER the cruise--so if you are a Costco member, that can be a good option--as long as you don't need any hand holding as they're not Disney experts.

The prices for the cruise will be the same no matter how you book and there should be no charge for using any travel agent. I figure out exactly what I want ahead of time, by looking at the DCL site, and then tell my TA what to book.

 

[Travel60]

We have always booked our own...bit of control freaks, I guess. We are comfortable with knowledge that we may be leaving money on the table. Platinum traveler.

 

[disneylove69]

I only use a travel agent for the onboard credits. This upcoming cruise the perks went down so I will look for someone else or go on my on. I get a nice basket of promotional gifts but after a couple I dont need any more

 

[squirk]

I do a lot of my own travel planning but always have our TA book a cruise. Unfortunately she doesn’t give any credits on Disney but does on other lines that my husband and I have cruised on. That’s less important to me than working with someone I know and trust. I usually book my own air but she is great with rental cars, hotels, and alwAys provides a detailed written overview of each port with maps and info on what to see, where atms are, etc so we know exactly what to expect.

I, too, use a TA who doesn’t give OBC for DCL. I realize that I am leaving money on the table, and that stings sometimes, but similar to what you said, she does a great job every time and puts up with all of my OCD-level questions without fail. I trust and enjoy working with her, and I could not ditch her just to snag a few hundred dollars of OBC each year.

That having been said, my loyalty is to her, not her agency. So, yeah, if she ever got out of “the biz,” I’d jump on that Costco 8% store credit in a hot minute.

 

[FigmentSpark]

If you're happy with your TA, why would you change?

 

[MillauFr]

We have always booked our own...bit of control freaks, I guess. We are comfortable with knowledge that we may be leaving money on the table. Platinum traveler.

you can book on your own using the Costco Travel web site and get a huge discount on the cruise. I get over a 10% discount when you add up the all the credits Costco gives you.

 

[pixiedustedme]

I prefer to book on my own, then transfer to Costco within 30 days for the full credit from them. I enjoy selecting the cabin on the DCL website myself, selecting my own dining time, etc. I can call DCL directly if I have any particular questions or special requests. Then after everything is set, I transfer the booking to Costco.

 

[Travel60]

Do you have to be a Costco member through them? Just two of us ....Costco membership not worth it

 

[ProgressCity]

Personally, I would only ever book direct. I'm too much of a control freak. After working at DCL, I've seen too many people lose their money or miss out on a cruise because of issues with their TA and all so they could get a couple hundred dollars OBC. It just doesn't seem worth the risk. It's too much money for me to trust anyone with.

I will say that Dreams Unlimited has a stellar reputation and I never had an issue with them. Whenever a guest called in with an issue it was a relief to see that DU booked them because we knew they would get taken care of. Their agents were also always a pleasure to work with because they knew what they were doing.

 

[mmmears]

I generally book all my family's trips independently, but I do use a TA who specializes in Disney to book my cruises. I get some on-board credit (not as much as Costco, but she knows more about DCL than I do and with Costco I'd get a different agent every time), I get advice when needed, and I can still change my dining, book excursions, etc. on my own. Plus when there have been issues, she was able to deal with DCL even better than I could have.