US Travel Agent for Cruises

Can anyone give website address on the best US Travel agents for cheaper cruises with the additional perks and benefits that they get on the other side of the pond. Thanks for any input.
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Comments

  • travellerboy
    travellerboy Posts: 797 Forumite
    We use American Discount Cruises, have been with them for a few years and booked many Celebrity cruises with them. They always give good perks and honour price drops without question. I even cancelled a cruise and they refunded my full deposit. Great company with excellent customer service and would highly recommend. You can easily see the full prices on line without the need to talk to anyone which is a bonus, no hassle. https://www.americandiscountcruises.com
  • Caz3121
    Caz3121 Posts: 15,533
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
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    mickey - which cruise line are you looking at? I think this link details the cruise companies that will not allow US agents to sell to non-US residents
    https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/retail-industry/submissions/sub094-attachment3.pdf
  • mickey234
    mickey234 Posts: 81 Forumite
    Caz3121 wrote: »
    mickey - which cruise line are you looking at? I think this link details the cruise companies that will not allow US agents to sell to non-US residents

    Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are my preferred cruises and they allow UK residents to book via the USA and get the great deals offered to them.

    I wish to know from people who have booked their experiences with US Travel Agencies.
  • mickey234 wrote: »
    Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are my preferred cruises and they allow UK residents to book via the USA and get the great deals offered to them.

    I wish to know from people who have booked their experiences with US Travel Agencies.

    We always used a US TA, but recently they have stopped having the same perks which the UK market are receiving. For example, Royal are (or maybe were now) offering free drinks to the UK market, they weren't doing that in the US, so for us, the discount which used to be considerable was no longer as attractive.

    I know they do sometimes offer drinks packages/other perks to the US market but you have to time the booking right.
  • travellerboy
    travellerboy Posts: 797 Forumite
    edited 6 July 2018 at 1:08PM
    We always used a US TA, but recently they have stopped having the same perks which the UK market are receiving. For example, Royal are (or maybe were now) offering free drinks to the UK market, they weren't doing that in the US, so for us, the discount which used to be considerable was no longer as attractive.
    I know they do sometimes offer drinks packages/other perks to the US market but you have to time the booking right.

    Which US T/A did you Use ?

    That's rather strange. The US benefits have always far outstripped those offered in the UK. You can get group rates, senior rates as well as additional onboard credit in the US which are never offered in the UK.

    Celebrity cruises are always offered with or without Drinks packages in the States as well as additional perks not offered in the UK. In the Uk you aren't offered these choices.
    If you compare UK to US prices at the present time there is only a marginal difference in prices but when you take into account the extra benefits offered in the US like - honouring Prices drop up to final payment and fully refundable deposits the US is still a better option in my book.
  • Which US T/A did you Use ?

    That's rather strange. The US benefits have always far outstripped those offered in the UK. You can get group rates, senior rates as well as additional onboard credit in the US which are never offered in the UK.

    Celebrity cruises are always offered with or without Drinks packages in the States as well as additional perks not offered in the UK. In the Uk you aren't offered these choices.
    If you compare UK to US prices at the present time there is only a marginal difference in prices but when you take into account the extra benefits offered in the US like - honouring Prices drop up to final payment and fully refundable deposits the US is still a better option in my book.

    I think it comes down to timing. In late May I asked for a cruise quote for an August cruise for this year (so, effectively last minute)and the quote didn't have the free drinks package on it that I could get here in the UK. I queried it and was told they weren't currently offering it to the US market.

    I agree the other perks are very much worth having, but to us the drinks package is important. Usually, we have managed to get it all, but not this time. When the Wave123 promotion was on we booked a Celebrity cruise via the US and we got all the perks.

    This thread has prompted me to email my US TA and ask if she will contact me when the promos are on for the US market for RCI and Celebrity.
  • travellerboy
    travellerboy Posts: 797 Forumite

    This thread has prompted me to email my US TA and ask if she will contact me when the promos are on for the US market for RCI and Celebrity.

    Are you able to share the name of the US T/A ?
  • Are you able to share the name of the US T/A ?

    We use the Cabin clearance store and we have a great agent named Karen Finch whom we work with.

    I have just done a search using the TA you quoted above and they have an RCI sailing on August 28th from Rome on Symphony of the seas, it has offers on it but no drinks package or wifi. Iglu are selling the same cruise as a cruise and stay with free wifi and drinks package onboard. It is much more expensive but it has the hotel element on it.

    However, that may be an agent specific promo, but when I got my quote RCI had the free drinks package on their own UK site but my US TA said it wasn't on the US site and so she couldn't include it in her quote.
  • travellerboy
    travellerboy Posts: 797 Forumite
    We used Iglu once but far better UK agency is https://www.vivavoyage.co.uk and they always offer better pricing than Iglu and better service. Vivavoyage are an American agency with a London address but operate out of New Jersey in the States. Our agent is Karina Simon - excellent.
  • We used Iglu once but far better UK agency is https://www.vivavoyage.co.uk and they always offer better pricing than Iglu and better service. Vivavoyage are an American agency with a London address but operate out of New Jersey in the States. Our agent is Karina Simon - excellent.

    Yes, we have never used Iglu. If we use a UK TA I usually use Cruise Compete to get quotes and Seascanner is a good resource and then I barter with them to get the best deal.

    Much easier to use a US TA if the promos are included.
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