Vacations To Go - Anyone used them to book a cruise

[Libandarchie]

Looking at booking a cruise from Miami as part of our trip. Their prices are very competitive and just wondering if too good to be true.

[Love*my*hols]

We have booked for a cruise in October and have used them before with no problems.

[murdi]

We have also booked a couple of cruises without any problems.

[Omega1]

We have booked a cruise with them (NCL) but not all cruise lines allow UK residents to book with a US agent. Our cruise lines of choice (Princess and Holland America) don’t allow it. Also keep in mind that the exchange rate will have an impact as you will pay in dollars.

[Jan]

We have used them several times before and again for our Alaska cruise with HAL in May. No problems whatsoever. However, after I booked the Alaska cruise I looked at the HAL U.K. website and found the price was cheaper! Most unusual. But we fly to Seattle where our travel is then taken over by HAL whereas with HAL in the U.K. it started in Vancouver. So swings and roundabouts.

Bear in mind that US bookings are not subject to the same stringent terms and conditions as bookings made in the U.K. So, for instance and as was pointed out to me today, a cruise line can make any alterations it likes to ports of call without paying any compensation to its passengers who booked with a US TA but it has to pay compensation to the passengers who booked with a U.K. TA.

Have you cruised with that cruise line before and, if so, did you use a US TA or a TA in this country?

[ERICSMUM]

i was going to suggest paying by credit card to protect your money. Then something popped into my mind about some payments made through booking agents aren’t covered by the credit card guarantee (section 75 Consumer Credit Act).

This is the issue that would put me off using them.

[Libandarchie]

There is only about $100 difference between them and the US RC website, not 100% sure the booking will go through if I try to book through that website rather than the UK one. This is the first time I have ever booked a cruise.

[Omega1]

Originally Posted by Jan

We have used them several times before and again for our Alaska cruise with HAL in May. No problems whatsoever. However, after I booked the Alaska cruise I looked at the HAL U.K. website and found the price was cheaper! Most unusual. But we fly to Seattle where our travel is then taken over by HAL whereas with HAL in the U.K. it started in Vancouver. So swings and roundabouts.

Bear in mind that US bookings are not subject to the same stringent terms and conditions as bookings made in the U.K. So, for instance and as was pointed out to me today, a cruise line can make any alterations it likes to ports of call without paying any compensation to its passengers who booked with a US TA but it has to pay compensation to the passengers who booked with a U.K. TA.

Have you cruised with that cruise line before and, if so, did you use a US TA or a TA in this country?

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That’s interesting, we have been knocked back when trying to book HAL with a US agent. One even emailed me the relevant section from their contract with HAL. The only exception was where a UK resident already had previously made a booking with the US agent before the ruling was brought in.
You are correct that the UK passage contract is very different from the US because the EU Package Tour regulations apply. This gives us much stronger rights. The US contract pretty much says the cruise line can do anything it likes at any time and tough. Even disembarking you at a different port if they think fit - as happened on a Princess transatlantic last year.
When ports of call are changed or omitted because of weather or port strikes etc no compensation is due to UK folk as it’s force majeure. All we’ve ever had back is the port fees and taxes for the missed port.

[bonnies mum]

Tried to get a quote from them recently and they advised that due to new regulations they would have to add a fee of $100 unless I had booked with them before.
Very apologetic and said if I still wanted to proceed on that basis they would send me a quote for the cruise I was looking at. Didn’t bother as their guide price was not much less than I could get booking in the UK.

[Loulou127]

Originally Posted by Omega1

That’s interesting, we have been knocked back when trying to book HAL with a US agent. One even emailed me the relevant section from their contract with HAL. The only exception was where a UK resident already had previously made a booking with the US agent before the ruling was brought in.
You are correct that the UK passage contract is very different from the US because the EU Package Tour regulations apply. This gives us much stronger rights. The US contract pretty much says the cruise line can do anything it likes at any time and tough. Even disembarking you at a different port if they think fit - as happened on a Princess transatlantic last year.
When ports of call are changed or omitted because of weather or port strikes etc no compensation is due to UK folk as it’s force majeure. All we’ve ever had back is the port fees and taxes for the missed port.

See more...

Omega, yes same here but with TOAD not vacations to go, they couldn’t book us as U.K. residents onto a HAL cruise because of their rules x