Looking for advice, help - 1st time

[Omega1]

If you book direct with a US agent, you don’t get any of the statutory, nor trade body, protections you get by booking here in the UK (atol, abta, Package Tour Regulations 1992, etc). It all depends on where the cruise is sold and the cruise lines t&c’s that apply - the t&c’s are different in different countries.
Having said that, many people feel the deals and service they get with booking with a US agent outweigh the potential risks and in reality, the chance of a cruise line going bust is slim and would be covered under travel insurance.
There are other instances where booking in the UK has advantages. A recent example that I am aware of concerns a Princess transatlantic cruise that was sold as 14 day cruise Fort Lauderdale to Southampton and a 13 day cruise Fort Lauderdale to Le Havre. The ship was due to dock on 30 April in Le Havre and around 300 passengers (mainly American) were due to disembark. Approx 300 passengers were due to embark. Owing to high winds the ship couldn’t dock and continued to Southampton. Passengers affected were left to their own devices, scratching around to get flights to Paris, etc, at short notice trying to use ship’s internet which is patchy at the best of times. The American t&c’s state there is no liability on the cruise line to do anything to help, which is very different to the UK t&c’s which state they will honour their obligations under the Package Tour Regs. This would mean getting passengers to their final contracted destination. Force majeure would mean that they wouldn’t be liable for compensation but the cruise line’s response would be very different depending on where you booked.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t book with a US agent (I do occasionally) but be aware of the broader implications.

[magickate]

Not sure but I contacted travel on a dream 3 weeks ago on advice taken from here. Requested Deb & was told she was away until the 6th but would be in contact when she was back. A fortnight later & nothing, so I'll book it myself Thursday. Atleast then I have full control & it seems straight forward enough!

[Bats]

Originally Posted by magickate

Not sure but I contacted travel on a dream 3 weeks ago on advice taken from here. Requested Deb & was told she was away until the 6th but would be in contact when she was back. A fortnight later & nothing, so I'll book it myself Thursday. Atleast then I have full control & it seems straight forward enough!

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I would guess she wasn't given the message as she is normally very quick to respond.
Up to you what you prefer to do, but I wouldn't dismiss somebody because of one thing. You still have control whichever way you to choose to book it of course and you get the great T&Cs both ways too.

[jas72]

Originally Posted by Omega1

If you book direct with a US agent, you don’t get any of the statutory, nor trade body, protections you get by booking here in the UK (atol, abta, Package Tour Regulations 1992, etc). It all depends on where the cruise is sold and the cruise lines t&c’s that apply - the t&c’s are different in different countries.
Having said that, many people feel the deals and service they get with booking with a US agent outweigh the potential risks and in reality, the chance of a cruise line going bust is slim and would be covered under travel insurance.
There are other instances where booking in the UK has advantages. A recent example that I am aware of concerns a Princess transatlantic cruise that was sold as 14 day cruise Fort Lauderdale to Southampton and a 13 day cruise Fort Lauderdale to Le Havre. The ship was due to dock on 30 April in Le Havre and around 300 passengers (mainly American) were due to disembark. Approx 300 passengers were due to embark. Owing to high winds the ship couldn’t dock and continued to Southampton. Passengers affected were left to their own devices, scratching around to get flights to Paris, etc, at short notice trying to use ship’s internet which is patchy at the best of times. The American t&c’s state there is no liability on the cruise line to do anything to help, which is very different to the UK t&c’s which state they will honour their obligations under the Package Tour Regs. This would mean getting passengers to their final contracted destination. Force majeure would mean that they wouldn’t be liable for compensation but the cruise line’s response would be very different depending on where you booked.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t book with a US agent (I do occasionally) but be aware of the broader implications.

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Many thanks for the information.

I wasn't worried about the cruise line but more the time between giving a TA my deposit and balance and them giving it to the cruise line. The cruise line would have no need to honour any booking if the TA went belly up with my money.

[rubberduckie89]

We have just returned from a cruise on Disney Fantasy - 7 nights Western Caribbean. We had a great time overall. I do get motion sickness on boats though and most of the time I felt a bit unbalanced around the ship.
We did just fly into Orlando, have one night pre-trip it Titusville (booked through Go Port Canaveral fly-snooze-cruise package) and then flew back on the Saturday night the cruise ended.
My Dad and I both did the Castaway Cay 5k - it was pouring with rain on our Castaway Cay day though

[Bats]

Originally Posted by jas72

Many thanks for the information.

I wasn't worried about the cruise line but more the time between giving a TA my deposit and balance and them giving it to the cruise line. The cruise line would have no need to honour any booking if the TA went belly up with my money.

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Our TA doesn't hold your money at all, that's a very UK thing to do and not common with US agents at all.

Our TA (and I guess most other US ones) just call DCL with your cc number and pay it direct. They work very differently from our TAs.

[jas72]

Originally Posted by Bats

Our TA doesn't hold your money at all, that's a very UK thing to do and not common with US agents at all.

Our TA (and I guess most other US ones) just call DCL with your cc number and pay it direct. They work very differently from our TAs.

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How do you know this?

[Bats]

Originally Posted by jas72

How do you know this?

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Because that's the way US agents work - just ask them yourself if you are unsure.
They work as conduits for hotels, cruiselines etc, they just pay it direct without holding your money. I can't guarantee they all work like that, but ours does and I know a few others that do too.

When I ask my TA to pay $100 off my cruise, she then emails me back with an updated confirmation (that has come from DCL to her) with my new balance. Simples.

[danisleigh]

Originally Posted by Bats

I would guess she wasn't given the message as she is normally very quick to respond.
Up to you what you prefer to do, but I wouldn't dismiss somebody because of one thing. You still have control whichever way you to choose to book it of course and you get the great T&Cs both ways too.

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Deb has always responded to me quickly so I agree she probably didn’t get the message. She has been great for me booking a Disney cruise for next year and also a non Disney one for January the following year.

[magickate]

Originally Posted by danisleigh

Deb has always responded to me quickly so I agree she probably didn’t get the message. She has been great for me booking a Disney cruise for next year and also a non Disney one for January the following year.

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Quite possibly, I've only read positive reviews of them before. Just not a good first impression.