Cruises. Has anyone used the

stoneman

travellerboy wrote: »

You will not be able to book a cruise via a US Travel Agent for HAL, RCCL, Celebrity, P&O and many others. These are the preferred Cruises for the majority.

You could do it about 4/5 years ago but not since the UK agents pressurised the Cruise Lines to stop the practice.

I think you are wrong there. Go over to cruise critic message board and you will find several threads on this subject where the agents don't give a fig where you are from. I have booked 2 cruises with Norwegian Cruise Lines, they are one of the biggest there is. Also booked with Celebrity, one of the ones you mentioned that won't do it, via a U.S. agent out of Miami. All the OP has to do is ring up for themselves and ask, no risk there.

Mands

poet123 wrote: »

That has not been my experience. I have booked via a US agent several times.

stoneman wrote: »

Mine neither. I have booked 2 years running from the U.K. with an agent based in Florida.

Nor me. I've only booked one cruise via a European agent; all of the others have been via US agents.

For those interested in a bargain it's worth mentioning that cruises are appearing more and more on the Flash sale/Invitation Only travel sites. I've seen deals for NCL, Seabourne, Windstar and Star Clippers in recent months. The deals are appearing on both UK and US sites and I haven't found a problem with booking deals as a non-US resident via the US companies.

Voyage Prive always seem to have cruises at the moment, Jetsetter and Rue La La from time to time. Over on this side of the Atlantic Secret Escapes had a deal a week or so ago.

Mands

poet123

I have never had a problem booking Royal Caribbean or MSC via A US TA. Friends are also currently booked on Celebrity too, via US TA.

travellerboy

I tried booking with a US Travel Agent last year for a HAL cruise and their response was you have to be a US or Canadian resident or be living permanently in the US or Canada. This was the rule given to the US Travel Agents from Carnival Corp., who is the parent company of a large number of the cruise lines.

This year the quotes were more expensive from the US Travel Agents, cheaper in the UK probably due to low exchange rate.

I am very curious to how you have used a US agent without taking some serious risks.

Can anyone give the EMail address of any of US agent who can make a booking on any Carnival Group Cruise for a UK resident.