Honest opinion - travel agent or myself

[DanceGirl914]

Hello all,
Its been a while, and I have to ask your opinion. We are looking to take DD on a cruise next year. And booking it soon so we make sure we get the early dinner seating.
I have gone online to the disney site to price out what I want, and have gone to my travel agent friend to get a price. They are exactly the same, except her insurance quote is almost 300 higher.
I sent in a request to Dreams Unlimited on a whim to see what they come back with and with the exception of the 200 on board credit they are basically the same price also.

So I have never booked a trip myself, should i do it myself through Disney web page or use my friend.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.
Looking forward to the prospect of a trip!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

If there is no price difference in booking your vacation yourself, and you feel comfortable doing so, then I say do your own holiday planning.

That said.....the booking/planning/etc. is as much fun for me as the actual vacation. Its something I enjoy, so I don't mind the "hassle" (which is what others seek to avoid, and therefore go the travel agent route).

Our first Orlando trip (Disney-only) was handled by a travel agent. Our second, third and fourth trips have all been booked by me from start to finish. I have much preferred handling our own reservations and flights.

[minnie mum]

I always book our Disney vacations myself. We have adequate travel insurance through one of our credit cards. BUT I always book our cruises through a travel agent- one who is savvy in the ways of cruises. And because they tend to be expensive trips, we get extra travel insurance either through the TA or through our bank.

I would look very closely at the terms, conditions, and coverage of the Disney trip insurance and compare it to the insurance that you can get in Canada. You get what you pay for with insurance.... It may be worthwhile to pay a bit more for it.

[tgropp]

I have booked every Disney vacation myself for almost 20 years using codes etc, but always use a travel agent for a cruise as I could not get it any cheaper myself. For our Feb cruise I went with Dreams Unlimited for the first time due to a onboard credit and a stateroom gift.

[pkitty]

I have done all three.....Dreams Unlimited is excellent....most trips I do myself....however having said that.....the Cruises are a different animal and if I'd never booked one myself before I would be inclined to use a travel agency

[stefanospops]

The main reason, IMO, to use a travel agent for the cruises is because many will give you an onboard credit. You are going to be spending money on the ship anyways, so why not get something back? I have used Dreams Unlimited for my past two cruises. Truthfully, I do all my own research anyways and just tell the travel agent the room I want and get my onboard credit as a result. DCL has a policy that no one is allowed to discount their cruises so the price on their site is the same for everyone else. Only difference is that through a travel agent they get a commission and they kick back some of that to you in the form of the onboard credit.