How informative should a travel agent be?

[TexCruise]

Thanks Cruise Speacialist for the re-enforcment of what a travel agent is and should be. I got scared there for a minute.

I'm in sales too and the best way we can educate people is for them to "ask questions" to find out what they are really after or what they want. I love for folks to ask questions and have the chance to take care of them. In turn I should ask them questions to serve them better.

[Cruise Specialist]

Spiritfilled and TexCruise, thank you. I think the difference between some agents is whether they look at their jobs as just a job to make a paycheck or if they LOVE what they do. I personally love what I do, thats what got me into this business, my love of cruising, I found that friends and family would ask me to help them plan a vacation or cruise and I enjoyed it so much I decided that this was my career of choice, so I went to training, became an agent and continue with my education. I want my clients to be well informed before they ever step on the ship. That is my first priority not the sale itself.

I am sure there are many travel agents that are only interested in making the sale, thats why when you are looking for an agent you need to question the agent, if they do not know the answers (of course I do not know all answers to all questions, lol) but if they seem to be lost or if they have never been on a cruise themselves, you might want to look around and keep calling other agencies until you are comfortable with the agent you choose, after all you are trusting this person to help with your travel plans. You want to find a cruise specially trained agent to work with.

Another tip, most times you pay the same for the cruise as you would get going directly with the cruiseline, only difference you will have a pesonalized agent who knows you as their friend and wants to make sure everything goes smoothly for you and most times will go to bat for you when problems arrise. I found that 75% of the agents at the cruiselines have never been on a cruise before, they basically work at call centers to book the cruises.

OK, time to step down off my soap box.

[Missjess0112]

I noticed that you said that your children were 19 & 21. Your 21 year old won't have any problems b/c that is the legal drinking age in the States... and when I cruised last year my cousin, who is 18, was allowed to drink Beer and Wine only, with a signed letter from his mother, allowing him to drink and taking responsibility for his actions. Is this no longer the policy on RCCL?

[Cruise Specialist]

On July 28, 2006 RCCL and Celebrity changed this policy. You have to be 21 to drink alcoholic beverages from any cruiseship departing from the USA. The age that person is on the day they embark the cruiseship is what regulates whether or not they will drink. If you board the ship and are 20 but will have a birthday during the week you are sailing, you still will not be able to consume alcohol..Of course I am sure there are some bartenders, waiters etc, that will look the other way in this instance.

[senglish]

I guess I really don't quite understand their reason for changing it. I see far more people over 21 abusing alcohol. Considering the drinking age in most of the ports is 18 years I'm sure the 18-20 years old will take advantage of that and just do their drinking on land. Seems kind of silly to me when the US is the only country in the world that's drinking age is 21. Please don't junp all over me, I'm just stating a fact. I know there are many under 21's that drink far too much but I still feel there are many more over 21 that make fools of themselves.

[Cruise Specialist]

I definetly would not jump all over you...I agree with you...I think the reason they changed the policy is to control the alcohol that the kids are drinking and with the recent fall overboards, suicides etc on the ships.

About the age limit, most people are not aware that if you are under the age of 21 you cannot sail without your parents permission. I have argued with the cruiselines on this one, an 18 year old can go to Iraq and fight for his country, live on his own but cannot board a cruiseship if his parents or grandparents are not sailing unless he has a parent permission form faxed to the company ahead of time. At least with RCCL they will let an under 21 travel with someone over the age of 21 in the same cabin if the form is filled out, but on Carnival if the person is under 21, then they have to sail with someone who is 25 or older if and the person sailing with them has to sign a responsibility form stating if they get in any trouble or destroy property they will be responsible for them. The only exceptions are if the passengers are under 21 and married and they have to show proof at the port.