Where do you book for best choices and deals

[tiny blonde]

You veteran cruisers, do you book through RCI or a local travel agent or an online booking agency? This being my first time, I went through Cruises Only (online) and I don't know whether that was the best way to go. The cabin selection seemed awfully scarce for so far in advance.

[melski94]

TAs have to offer you the same base price as RC, however some will offer extra OCB, a bottle or wine or other perk.  You need to shop around and make sure there are no booking fees and no fees to reprice. 

I use MEI travel, a sponsor of this blog.  Only once did I stray for extra OBC and honestly it wasn’t worth the headache from poor service.  I learned my lesson and back with MEI for the service I receive.  

When is your cruise?  Many of us book cruises 2 years in advance so it could be a limited inventory, however look at the RC UK for a good look at available rooms. 

[Matt]

I think the value of a good travel agent is the service they provide you.  That is more than just taking your payment for your cruise when you book.

Think about what you want in a TA. Do you want someone to assist in providing guidance/suggestions for what to book, different room configurations, etc? Do you think there may be changes to the sailing? What if there's a price drop? 

I love having a TA for dealing with issues, small and large. To me, a good TA is someone that is responsive to my needs and works on my behalf to free me up to do something else.

In the interest of full disclosure, the sponsor travel agency for this website, MEI Travel, is not just a sponsor for the sake of having one.  I used them for years, still do, and recommend them because I know the work they do is what I look for in a TA.

So to answer your question, the location of a TA (online versus local versus website) is more about the service they provide, regardless of where they are located.

[tiny blonde]

Thank you, Melski94 and Matt. This helps. If there's a next time, I'll go through MEI. I hadn't been aware of them until you told me.

[Jedi Jason]

Some online travel agencies might purchase blocks of rooms and you might have different room selections than you might find elsewhere.  I recommend a TA that you can contact directly.  I think you will love your cruise and I have no doubts that you will be back to book another.