Should I use a Travel Agent?

Yes and No. For your first cruise, especially if you are flying to the departure port, then yes, I would recommend a travel agent. You can use those 3rd party .com outfits if you wish, but I have found that often, they are no cheaper than either a local travel agent or booking with the cruise line directly. And quite often, a local travel agent may be aware of special deals as cruise lines do not like to sail without full capacity. A travel agent can also help steer you to the right cruise line if they know what your personality and preferences are. Booking a cruise also requires a bit of logistical planning, and there is nothing like personalized service, especially on your first cruise. As you gain experience, you can elect to forgoe the travel agent and do things on your own. So my advice; use a travel agent for your first cruise, then decide if you want to do everything yourself for the second cruise.

If you want, you can also book your next cruise when you are on-board, as you may get a discount on the room, on-board credit, or some other incentive. When you do, your local travel agent can get credit for the booking, and they should offer to service the booking as if you went to them personally. After you have a few cruises under your belt, and especially if you joined the cruise line's loyalty club, you may have to direct-book with the cruise to get certain discounts, which means you will not be going through a travel agent.

So in conclusion, there is no right or wrong answer here, as the dynamics are constantly change. However, I need to repeat that for the first cruise, the right answer would be to book through a reputable travel agent.

Assuming you have decided to use a travel agent, the next question is which travel agent?

I recall when we decided to take our first cruise, I had the day off and my wife had to work. On a whim, I stopped into a travel agency and talked for quite some time about taking a cruise, got the brochure, obtained pricing, and I made the committment to the agent that I would bring my wife in, and we would book a cruise within that week.

Well, your's truly, the prograstinator, put it off a couple of days; and behold, the travel agency went out of business, with a lot of people losing their deposit. So, book with a reputable travel agent, and then book with a Credit Card. While you may not be able to get resolution from the credit company should the travel agent dissolve - your chances are surely better than if you paid cash. So go with a proven performer if you can; an agency that has been around for many years, or perhaps one that your friends have used and recommend. Its no different than selecting any other type of business; if the place doesn't look like its doing well, it probably isn't.