I like that you blended the two channels. We miss the daily vlogs that have daily life and cruise stuff mixed together. We use TA’s when we can find a better deal. When no better deal or perks we just book directly.
We always use the cruise line agents. They know the layout of the ships and will explain where the cabins are located if you have any questions of location. If you book the cabin yourself, get what you think is a great deal, only to discover that the cabin is directly beneath or above a loud bar! I do reserve our specialty dining dates prior to sailing, they fill up very quickly once you set sail.
If it is a Disney product or a difficult itinerary, I use a TA. Otherwise, I self book. I had too much bad experiences with unqualified corporate travel agents who who would book hotels in the wrong city - Jackson, MS instead of Jackson, TN.
Glad you got the post card. 😎. Interesting topic. I have a PVP I currently use but have been thinking of using a TA for future cruises for the specific reasons you mentioned.
I was so overwhelmed with all the info when researching my first cruise that I found a travel agent to help me navigate the process. It's not at all like just buying airfare or getting a hotel as there is just so much more involved. I like having someone I can call or e mail with questions, concerns, and the like and there is that personal touch that dealing with a website and clicking on links, on line chat with a rep, or reading through FAQ's just does not have. And, with the travel agent you might get better deals, available rooms where the website might be sold out, or other perks.
Since I already did book my cruise through Carnival, mainly for the discounts and the extra credit offers, I wanted to transfer my cruise into Expedia.
I have booked 3 cruises myself and haven’t yet but wanting very badly to get my 4th in. And seeing this and all the other vlogs I might consider going thru an agent
We love cruising with Carnival. We had a travel agent through Carnival, but he’s no longer there. We’re in the market. Can you Jenny help us? By the way we’re fans the LaLido Show. Keep up the great work putting out cruise video. G & J from Htown
I want to use a travel agent but I have been soured to them. The last one I went with screwed me over. Everything was fine until the last day of our cruise. The entire time I believed we had $150 onboard spending because of some special. Turned out it was only $50. After lots of back and forth she said she made a mistake and would send me an additional $50. After more months of not getting a check from her she just banned me and deleted me. Ended up blaming me for the error. I used her before and she was great. Even saved me some money just before we went because the price of our cruise went down. Thats why I decided to use her again. NOT anymore though. So thinking now IF i should use one or not. I see though if you book online you don't have to do a deposit and a bunch of other stuff. Can a travel agent offer that too?
Stick with a travel agent. We use to book directly but now travel agent is the way we go. I use this adage. Can you contact your computer when you have a problem versus picking up the phone and calling your agent? Do you have the capability of taking a problem up the ladder at the cruise line? An agent has the support network to take the problem up the ladder and fight for their client. Would you be happy to get back 700 dollars from the cruise line when at first they said sorry but you have to eat the 900 dollars per the rules. The agent took it further up the ladder and got some money back. Plus a dinner for two, discount book and bottle of champagne. That is what customer service is all about. Of course not all TA's are the same and you do have some that are less than spectacular. Most agent have access to the cruise line deal and sometimes their agency sweeten the deal a little more. But its your choice.
We’ve had two travel agents and had two bad Experiences ..Michelle is getting good at booking ...she did our next two ...I don’t think a travel agent is necessary at all
I used a travel agent to book my Disney cruise in 2014 - she had some good general info about cruising & Disney cruise line specifics but she really didn't do anything additional to encourage me to use Travel agents when I book cruises. I would really consider using a TA to book an Alaskan or European cruise. After watching your video I am definitely inclined to talk to one before I book my next cruise.
I've recently discovered your channel and have been binge-watching your vids ... especially like your concept of the "Cruise Wars" (very entertaining and no one in the cruising vlogosphere has done something like this yet.) Nonetheless, this vid I voted thumb-down about half way into it and then promptly left it yesterday. But then as a second thought, I figure I should at least tell you, with a constructive intent, why I did that. I had commented previously (on your "Top 5 Cruise Vloggers" review vid) that I do not care for Sea Cruisers because I feel that they are too chatty and too unstructured, may be sharing too much, and that my time is important and very limited, and I feel that they sometimes waste my time by doing too much chatty stuff. Now, with this vid, I was interested in your opinions on "Should You Use A Travel Agent for a Cruise" (I booked my own cruise on NCL site, BTW.) I clicked on it with the intent to learn the pros and cons of using and not using a travel agent for a cruise. But then I spent the first *many* minutes watching you guys chit chatting, collecting your mail, driving around, and getting coffee before you started on the *TITLED* topic. And then this discussion was stopped, you drove around some more and did some other stuff ... at this point (half way through the vid), I simply ran out of patience ... I was not here to watch a couple running errands and doing their stuff; I was here for the info indicated by the title of your video--I wanted to see what you had to say and then I would go on with *MY LIFE* , not watch you running your life. I am not sure whether this could be taken harshly, but I simply want to provide some honest and constructive feedback. It is always important, as content creators, to be mindful that your audience's time is important and valuable; they give you a piece of their life time, and you should provide some value in exchange in a timely manner ... if you do *RESPECT* your audience, that is. BTW, there is also another reason why (some) YT viewers (like me) could react negatively in this scenario ... have you guys heard of the term "click bait"? Well, this title and this vid can be considered a click bait. Just FYI. ;)
Thanks for the feedback. I do appreciate it. The content has evolved and we do spend a lot of time working with the core audience to understand what they like to see. This was kind of an experiment where we mixed the vlog style with a cruise topic. Each of the talking segments included the topic of travel agents while showing our daily life. So the conversation was carried forward and was constant through to the end. Click bait can be good or bad. It's good if your content delivers what it promises. I feel like this video does offer a conversation on using a travel agent and it gives you that in the beginning, middle and end, but I will concede that it may not have been that engaging. I hope that helps you understand the approach to the presentation and style of this video. We are constantly trying to find the balance of where the audience's interest lies. More recently we have uncoupled the cruise talk and the daily vlogging and are trying them as separate approaches. Thanks again. The feedback is helpful - Tony
I have by two cruises my self, never used agents, to me self booking is part of the adventure
Agreed
I like that you blended the two channels. We miss the daily vlogs that have daily life and cruise stuff mixed together.
We use TA’s when we can find a better deal. When no better deal or perks we just book directly.
We always use the cruise line agents. They know the layout of the ships and will explain where the cabins are located if you have any questions of location. If you book the cabin yourself, get what you think is a great deal, only to discover that the cabin is directly beneath or above a loud bar! I do reserve our specialty dining dates prior to sailing, they fill up very quickly once you set sail.
If it is a Disney product or a difficult itinerary, I use a TA. Otherwise, I self book. I had too much bad experiences with unqualified corporate travel agents who who would book hotels in the wrong city - Jackson, MS instead of Jackson, TN.
Glad you got the post card. 😎. Interesting topic. I have a PVP I currently use but have been thinking of using a TA for future cruises for the specific reasons you mentioned.
Thanks again for the card. - Tony
We booked our 1st cruise on our own. But you have us something to think about the next time we cruise. Thanks for the insight. C ya on the Lido
Thanks for watching and commenting! - Tony
I was so overwhelmed with all the info when researching my first cruise that I found a travel agent to help me navigate the process. It's not at all like just buying airfare or getting a hotel as there is just so much more involved. I like having someone I can call or e mail with questions, concerns, and the like and there is that personal touch that dealing with a website and clicking on links, on line chat with a rep, or reading through FAQ's just does not have. And, with the travel agent you might get better deals, available rooms where the website might be sold out, or other perks.
I love my TA thanks Tony
Since I already did book my cruise through Carnival, mainly for the discounts and the extra credit offers, I wanted to transfer my cruise into Expedia.
I have booked 3 cruises myself and haven’t yet but wanting very badly to get my 4th in. And seeing this and all the other vlogs I might consider going thru an agent
Usually book ourselves on cruise, but next cruise booked through TA. Will see if different.
Yes that’s a great way to compare 🛳jenny
Do you book directly on the cruise's website or different website like Expedia?
Yay..that was quick!!!
Thank you again 😊jenny
I don't think you need two different channels. Love both either way
I love using a travel agent they do all the work for me
I have had a great experience with my Personal Vacation Planner with CARNIVAL
I like this mixed Vlog like you used to do.
Thanks Mr C 😊🛳jenny
We love cruising with Carnival. We had a travel agent through Carnival, but he’s no longer there. We’re in the market. Can you Jenny help us? By the way we’re fans the LaLido Show. Keep up the great work putting out cruise video.
G & J from Htown
If I ever go on Royal, I’m calling you guys. I think the Royal site is a little confusing to navigate.
I want to use a travel agent but I have been soured to them. The last one I went with screwed me over. Everything was fine until the last day of our cruise. The entire time I believed we had $150 onboard spending because of some special. Turned out it was only $50. After lots of back and forth she said she made a mistake and would send me an additional $50. After more months of not getting a check from her she just banned me and deleted me. Ended up blaming me for the error. I used her before and she was great. Even saved me some money just before we went because the price of our cruise went down. Thats why I decided to use her again. NOT anymore though. So thinking now IF i should use one or not. I see though if you book online you don't have to do a deposit and a bunch of other stuff. Can a travel agent offer that too?
Stick with a travel agent. We use to book directly but now travel agent is the way we go. I use this adage. Can you contact your computer when you have a problem versus picking up the phone and calling your agent? Do you have the capability of taking a problem up the ladder at the cruise line? An agent has the support network to take the problem up the ladder and fight for their client. Would you be happy to get back 700 dollars from the cruise line when at first they said sorry but you have to eat the 900 dollars per the rules. The agent took it further up the ladder and got some money back. Plus a dinner for two, discount book and bottle of champagne. That is what customer service is all about. Of course not all TA's are the same and you do have some that are less than spectacular. Most agent have access to the cruise line deal and sometimes their agency sweeten the deal a little more. But its your choice.
We’ve had two travel agents and had two bad Experiences ..Michelle is getting good at booking ...she did our next two ...I don’t think a travel agent is necessary at all
I’m glad you support travel agents 😎 I am one too lol
🛳🛳🛳
I will use a TA on my 4th cruise.
Awesome!!🛳jenny
Is it true that if you book with the cruise line that agent can give you extra perks?
I used a travel agent to book my Disney cruise in 2014 - she had some good general info about cruising & Disney cruise line specifics but she really didn't do anything additional to encourage me to use Travel agents when I book cruises. I would really consider using a TA to book an Alaskan or European cruise. After watching your video I am definitely inclined to talk to one before I book my next cruise.
It funny how everyone assumes Carnival is cheapest. Royal was a lot cheaper on our last cruise.
Travel agent for me, I receive special deals and on board credit too :)
I've recently discovered your channel and have been binge-watching your vids ... especially like your concept of the "Cruise Wars" (very entertaining and no one in the cruising vlogosphere has done something like this yet.)
Nonetheless, this vid I voted thumb-down about half way into it and then promptly left it yesterday. But then as a second thought, I figure I should at least tell you, with a constructive intent, why I did that.
I had commented previously (on your "Top 5 Cruise Vloggers" review vid) that I do not care for Sea Cruisers because I feel that they are too chatty and too unstructured, may be sharing too much, and that my time is important and very limited, and I feel that they sometimes waste my time by doing too much chatty stuff.
Now, with this vid, I was interested in your opinions on "Should You Use A Travel Agent for a Cruise" (I booked my own cruise on NCL site, BTW.) I clicked on it with the intent to learn the pros and cons of using and not using a travel agent for a cruise. But then I spent the first *many* minutes watching you guys chit chatting, collecting your mail, driving around, and getting coffee before you started on the *TITLED* topic. And then this discussion was stopped, you drove around some more and did some other stuff ... at this point (half way through the vid), I simply ran out of patience ... I was not here to watch a couple running errands and doing their stuff; I was here for the info indicated by the title of your video--I wanted to see what you had to say and then I would go on with *MY LIFE* , not watch you running your life.
I am not sure whether this could be taken harshly, but I simply want to provide some honest and constructive feedback. It is always important, as content creators, to be mindful that your audience's time is important and valuable; they give you a piece of their life time, and you should provide some value in exchange in a timely manner ... if you do *RESPECT* your audience, that is.
BTW, there is also another reason why (some) YT viewers (like me) could react negatively in this scenario ... have you guys heard of the term "click bait"? Well, this title and this vid can be considered a click bait. Just FYI. ;)
Thanks for the feedback. I do appreciate it. The content has evolved and we do spend a lot of time working with the core audience to understand what they like to see. This was kind of an experiment where we mixed the vlog style with a cruise topic. Each of the talking segments included the topic of travel agents while showing our daily life. So the conversation was carried forward and was constant through to the end.
Click bait can be good or bad. It's good if your content delivers what it promises. I feel like this video does offer a conversation on using a travel agent and it gives you that in the beginning, middle and end, but I will concede that it may not have been that engaging.
I hope that helps you understand the approach to the presentation and style of this video. We are constantly trying to find the balance of where the audience's interest lies. More recently we have uncoupled the cruise talk and the daily vlogging and are trying them as separate approaches. Thanks again. The feedback is helpful - Tony
Do the Travel Agents charge a fee for their service?
Patricia Nash no charge
Are you guys travel agents too?
Lidia Yuzko yes. Just getting started. - Tony
So cool! Im in process of starting myself.
Become a travel agent make money from your cruises