10 Reasons Why You Should Book Your Cruise With A Travel Advisor
Are you considering booking a cruise vacation but need help knowing where to begin? Utilizing a travel advisor, such as Extraordinary Adventures, specializing in cruising, can help take the stress out of planning and ensure you get the cruise vacation of your dreams.
Booking a cruise vacation is more complex than booking airfare or hotels. It involves researching cruise lines, itineraries, stateroom options, and lots of planning. That’s where having a cruise travel advisor comes in handy. They take the hassle out of planning and help you navigate the complexity of booking a cruise.
This article highlights the ten reasons Extraordinary Adventures is your go-to travel advisor for all cruise vacations.
We would like to thank Extraordinary Adventures for sponsoring this post. As always, my opinions are my own.
Who Are Extraordinary Adventures
Laura and Scott Stein are an adventurous, cruise-loving couple who are the travel advisors behind Extraordinary Adventures.
Their love of travel and cruising is contagious. After sailing on nine cruise lines and being on over 30 ships, they have distinguished themselves as experts in the field. After one meeting with Laura and Scott, they will have you wanting to book your next cruise vacation that very afternoon.
Whether cruising down the Panama Canal on a luxury Seabourn cruise or hanging out on a private island in the Caribbean during a shore excursion, they are constantly immersing themselves in cruise travel. Over the years, they have picked up a few tidbits and travel advice that even avid cruisers might need to learn.
As a frequent cruiser, I always find benefits in booking through a travel advisor to help us find our ideal itinerary and ship.
A prime example is Extraordinary Adventures is helping us book an Alaskan Cruise. They quickly advised us on different itineraries that would be a fit. Ultimately, we switched cruise lines from Disney to Princess because Princess goes to Glacier Bay National Park, while Disney does not. Another tip Laura gave me is that Princess brings the sled dogs onto the ship for the kids to see!
The knowledge and experience that Laura and Scott have obtained through years of cruising will help them craft your ideal vacation. The best part, it is an entirely free service!
10 Reasons To Use A Travel Advisor To Book Your Next Cruise
Protector of Time and Money
Whether you are booking your first cruise or are a seasoned cruiser scoping out a new line, you will want to rely on the expertise of Extraordinary Adventures. They will discuss your vacation preferences, budget, and other travel needs and suggest which cruises are the best fit. In addition, they can help you arrange flights, and pre-or post-cruise stays, recommend in-port excursions and field any questions or concerns that may come up.
The cheapest base cruise fare does not always provide the best value or the best overall vacation deal. Cruise lines often lure guests to their sites with incredible deals, only to discover that the deal isn’t what you expected it to be after entering all your personal information. Trusted advisors like Laura and Scott can help you determine what your cruise fare really gets you.
Honest Reviews
One quality I adore in Extraordinary Adventures is that they give honest feedback on their cruises. They understand that vacation time is a precious commodity that should not be wasted on a below-average cruise experience.
Reliable reviews that accurately depict the ship and staterooms are vital. Many travel advisors love to view all aspects of a cruise vacation through rose-colored glasses, but I know firsthand that is not the case. Have you read my Disney Cruise Royal Court Royal Tea article?!
Extraordinary Adventures offers a variety of videos full of tips and tricks along with their full reviews. I found their YouTube Video, Choose The Best Cruise Stateroom For You, extremely helpful when looking for a room accommodating a family of three.
They Have Your Best Interest In Mind
Travel advisors are your friends when it comes to booking cruises. While cruise lines will often tempt you with great offers, they are looking to increase occupancy on the ship to help drive onboard revenue sales. This can result in a subpar stateroom or ship with only some of the amenities you had in mind. Keep in mind that these undesirable staterooms boast a cheaper price tag since they are smaller, in noisy areas, or have obstructed views.
Extraordinary Adventures acts as a concierge service to give you the best experience over value. They will assist you in picking out the best stateroom and dining times, accommodate any dietary restrictions, help you navigate onboard activities, and so much more.
Finding The Best Ship For You
Cruise ships are like clothing; they come in all shapes and sizes and with different accessories. Finding the cruise ship for you and your family is like finding the perfect outfit.
There are a few things that go into finding the ideal ship. Are you traveling with kids or looking for a romantic cruise escape? Do you want the ship as a destination, or are you using it as a floating hotel? Age is also a factor in deciding on the best lines for entertainment and activities.
Extraordinary Adventures takes away the hassle of endless nights scrolling the internet researching the different cruise lines and amenities.
Their ship tours, such as Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey Ship, give guests an inside look at what to expect onboard!
They Are Ideal For Multiple Generation Trips
If you are traveling with a group or multiple generations, booking through a travel advisor will be one of the best decisions you make. Trying to organize the chaos of booking tours, staterooms, and events can be overwhelming. Why not let the professionals take over?
Note: Wedding services must be arranged through the cruise line. Fun tidbit, Laura and Scott will be doing a vow renewal at sea this year!
They Keep You Up To Date
When you book a cruise on your own, no one is going to alert you to a factor you forgot to consider, such as when to book onboard activities, or remind you to book excursions. When you book through Extraordinary Adventures, they will ensure that you know your booking window and help you find suitable excursions.
Another critical factor is that they will inform you of any changes or restrictions the cruise lines make. These can include policy changes regarding the pandemic, updates to the dress code, or gratuities.
Personalized Service
Extraordinary Adventures is a smaller agency that allows each customer more personalized attention and time. Getting a hold of a cruise line representative to answer questions can make you feel as if you are waiting at the DMV.
Scott and Laura are quick to respond to any questions, hop on a phone call or assist if you need to cancel your cruise.
They Are Cruise-Only Travel Advisors
There is a reason that I go to the dentist and not my physician when I have dental pain. The same concept can be applied when choosing a travel advisor. You want someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to cruises. Anyone can look at the deck plan and the amenities list but translating them into a successful vacation is another talent.
As cruise-only travel advisors, Extraordinary Adventures not only knows cruises, but they also go on them frequently! They can help plan your ideal European River Cruise, a cruise to Antarctica, or that dreamy Alaskan Cruise through their expertise.
More importantly, travel advisors with a real focus on cruising are kept fully informed about the latest offers from the cruise lines.
They Add Value
Did you know that often travel advisors can get you cheaper cabin rates even when the cruise lines don’t have ongoing promotions? Cruise lines send travel advisors upcoming deals and promotions to share with their loyal customers.
These unadvertised rates help the cruise lines fill their ships without upsetting your fellow guests who have booked at a higher fare.
Did I Mention It’s Completely Free
One widespread misconception is that your cruise fare will increase when you book through a travel advisor. At Extraordinary Adventures, there is no additional fee for booking your cruise. Cruise travel agents receive most of their income via commission from the cruise lines.
By booking directly online through a cruise line’s website, you might miss out on agency-specific promotions that could get you extra perks and savings.
When asked if you should book your next cruise with a travel agency or advisor, the overwhelming answer is- YES! While there are many travel advisors, I recommend using the experts at Extraordinary Adventures to take the stress out of planning your next cruise.
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Planning Your Next Cruise With Extraordinary Adventures
