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The sales spotlight is on cruise vacations this week during the new National Cruise Vacation Week. #Formerly called World’s Largest Cruise Night, the now week-long promotion being launched by Cruise Lines International Association is the highlight of new National Cruise Vacation Month which takes place throughout October.# All this week we will feature tips on how to book a cruise, getting you inside cruise vacations with the latest information that will help get the best value.
There are basically three ways to book a cruise. Do it yourself online, call the cruise line or use a travel agent. There are pros and cons to any of those methods but in the long-run, using a good travel agent reaps the greatest rewards. The big trick is finding a good one.
“A competent travel adviser can be your greatest asset when you’re planning a trip” says consumer advocate Chris Elliott. “Good travel agents have an edge over almost any other seller of travel. They know what you want. They speak your language.”
But how to go about finding one of these good agents is the trick. Just back from Royal Caribbean‘s Allure of the Seas, I have been reporting all week on the CruiseOne and CruisesInc national conference held aboard the ship.# I have to tell you, the agents on board sure did seem to know what they are talking about and a CruiseOne or CruisesInc member agency might very well be a good place to start.
A recurring theme throughout that conference which makes perfect sense was matching us with the right cruise line.# A good cruise travel agent can do that easily by asking a series of questions.# But finding a travel agent that is a good match for us is the first step.
Consider these suggestions to help with the hunt:

  1. Attitude check- Start by getting your head in the right place. To get the most out of a travel agent, you and that agent need to be working on a long-term business relationship that will benefit you far into the future. If you think along those critical lines, you already eliminate a whole lot of travel agents who are just in it for the commission.
  2. Referrals- Asking friends, family or business associates, who they use is a great way to find a potential candidate. If you work for a large company that has a travel desk or uses one exclusive agency, that might be a good place to start also.##
  3. Qualify- Start by asking questions of potential agents. “Are you certified?”, “How long have you been selling cruises?” and other revealing questions are a must.
  4. Test the waters- One of the big advantages of using a travel agent is saving time but a spending a little time up front locating that good agent is worth it.# At some point you need to take the jump and make a booking.# If you feel good about numbers one through three above, this one should be easy.
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