Find a CLIA Travel Agent Tool CLIA

Table Of Content

• USA Cruises
• Learn About Credit Cards
• Create a New CLIA Account
• Transatlantic Cruises
• Pacific Coastal Cruises
• Cruising Experience and Knowledge
• Best in Cruise Agency

These are, after all, professionals, and this is what they do day in and day out. Some cruise travel agents even throw in booking perks, such as a complimentary bottle of Champagne, awaiting your arrival in your cabin. Overall, the service was pretty good, and I was impressed by the options for food choices, activities and entertainment, but I wish the crowd of people were less racist; the Extra Virgin experience threw us off for our last day. We come on vacation to have fun and relax, not to be profiled and made uncomfortable by racist guests. I would also like to say a big Thank you to Maria, who I was on the phone with before I got on the ship because I was running late due to my flight being delayed.

USA Cruises

If you are using a full-service travel agency, ask for the cruise desk. You might get more personalized care from smaller agencies than from the huge online agencies, though websites such as icruise.com, Cruise.com and Cruise411.com also have experienced cruise agents. These larger online travel agencies can be a good option for those who prefer to make decisions and ask questions via chat. Just make sure you get the name and phone number of the representative for any follow-up questions. Many Caribbean cruises depart from ports in the United States and often stop in Miami or Key West en route to the Caribbean.

Learn About Credit Cards

Tripadvisor Cruise, which launched in April 2019, is among the best websites for cruise deals—it lets you nab the lowest price by comparing more than 70,000 ocean and river cruises from some 60 of the best cruise websites. It’s got an attractive, inspiring landing page, and its newest function, “Explore Ship-tinerary pages,” lets you browse full ship profiles, details, photos, and itineraries. CEO of luxury travel agency Avenue Two Travel in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and member of the AFAR Travel Advisor Council, Joshua Bush is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to luxury travel both on land and at sea. And as an added bonus, Bush is an avid adventure traveler and can also be of service in helping you add an adventure element to your trip.

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For example, if you want to cruise one of Europe's rivers in an intimate riverboat, you might not want to book with an agent who specializes in selling holidays on 3,000-person mega-ships. Question the agents on cruising trends or up-and-coming destinations, and ask them to explain the differences between cruise lines. Find out how many cruises they've taken that year and with which lines they've personally cruised. If the agent has rarely cruised, you might want to take your business elsewhere. In addition, you might want to look for an agent who is a cruise specialist -- either at a cruise-dedicated agency or within a larger general agency -- to get the best service. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.

Search SmarterTravel Hotels for great accommodations in your port of call. You can sign up for price alerts, which will notify you by email when the fare on your selected itinerary drops.

Pacific Coastal Cruises

The cheapest base cruise fare does not always provide the best value or best overall vacation deal. Their expertise can help you avoid mistakes, whether you are a first-timer or a repeat cruiser checking out a brand you have not tried before. Use ASTA's consumer website to locate a travel agent who has agreed to conduct their business activities in accordance with the organization's code of ethics. Select "cruises" or "cruise lines" under Specialties to find agents that focus on selling cruise travel. Before we go any further, we should define what a “luxury cruise” is.

Cruising Experience and Knowledge

Note that a Costco membership (starting at $60 per year) is required to book with Costco Travel, and that Costco doesn’t accept American Express. Its front page is clunky and sort of in your face, but CruiseDirect is still one of the best cruise sites for a variety of reasons. As a cruise-only company, CruiseDirect doesn’t deal in flights, hotels, or rental cars, allowing it to focus its full capacity on helping you find the best cruise deal possible. On the site, you can search by destination, departure port, month, length of cruise, and cruise line. There’s real-time online chat and a contact number for support from a cruise expert.

Best Cruise Insurance Plans Of April 2024 – Forbes Advisor - Forbes

Best Cruise Insurance Plans Of April 2024 – Forbes Advisor.

Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 22:36:00 GMT [source]

Finally, as cruise lines pay agent commissions, you don't have to worry about paying extra for their planning services. Consider Michelle Allen, owner of Travel Magic in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the fairy godmother of your next family vacation. Allen is a specialist in all things Disney travel, from Disney’s iconic theme parks, to ocean cruises with Disney Cruise Lines, to European river cruises and land tours with Adventures by Disney. Multigenerational trips and bucket-list group adventures are some of the most in-demand types of trips Allen handles regularly. And with so many different layers to booking a trip with Disney these days for multiple people, Allen is a welcome addition to the planning team for your next family vacation. One of the most important things to know is that agents -- in particular, cruise specialists -- have been onboard the ships and can really give you firsthand advice about different cruise options.

Going online to book an airline ticket or hotel stay is a familiar and fairly easy transaction. When you book a cruise, however — particularly your first cruise — you might want to reconsider the impulse to handle the transaction yourself through a cruise line website or an online advertiser with cheap prices. This DIY approach might not be the best way to find your dream vacation at sea.

You should consider booking a cruise through a travel agent because a knowledgeable agent can help you understand the nuances of a cruise purchase and help you make the best decisions for your vacation preferences. With everyone attached to their phones, laptops and tablets, many people assume that online is the only way to book travel. But, as booking online can often be confusing, a travel agent might be just what you need. Cruise ships provide a distinct method of travel and are a popular choice among passengers. They usually operate during two seasons – a European summer season and a Caribbean winter season – and utilize the same ships for both. In order to move between seasons, the ships must cross the Atlantic.

If you aren’t quite ready to buy, you can “heart” cruises to save them as favorites to refer back to later. When looking for the best site to book a cruise, don’t be put off by CheapCaribbean.com’s overly specific moniker. The site’s vibe is beach-oriented and a bit cheeky, with a front page that can overwhelm—but click on the “Cruises” tab, and a cleaner interface appears. There you can search by cruise line, ship, destination, departure date, and departure port. Expedia is an obvious first mention in a list of the best cruise booking sites, in part because it’s an absolute juggernaut (Expedia also owns Travelocity and Orbitz).

George Aballi, owner of Connection to Cruise in Redlands, California, should be on your radar when it comes to cruising, especially for travelers looking for a more active cruise experience. As a seasoned cruiser himself, Aballi has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry pairing travelers with a trusted roster of oceangoing brands that include Silversea, Celebrity Cruises, Explora Journeys, and Hurtigruten Expeditions. Aballi also books river cruises for clients with brands like AmaWaterways, American Queen Voyages, Avalon Waterways, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, and Viking. Lately, Aballi has been putting together group cruise trips that focus on pickleball and incorporating the widely popular sport into cruise itineraries both at sea and on Europe’s rivers. Susan Reder & Penny Entin are leading and respected travel industry veterans. They are accompanied by the support of an elite group of cruise travel professionals that has garnered over 500 years of combined experience.

Popular world cruise destinations from the United States include Fiji, the Bahamas, Panama, Mexico, France, Spain, Greece, Aruba, Jamaica, Chile, Belize, Brazil, and Portugal. The popular routes usually start in Miami or Port Canaveral and include stops at Key West, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve (Private Island), Nassau, Bimini, or Princess Cays. These shorter routes often end in the Bahamas, allowing you to explore the islands and stay for a few days after the cruise. Taking a cruise is a fun way to explore the world in comfort without having to worry about logistics. Once you’re on board everything is handled and you can just sit back and enjoy yourself.

They’ll help you find the most romantic spots and events on the ship, and any ship-sponsored excursions. They can also provide you information about when or with whom to book a private tour guide for port excursions. Though Tripadvisor is technically a meta-search site for cruises, which means that it will send you elsewhere to actually book, its search engine lets users sort by destination, length, cruise line, and month of travel. The default search results are ordered by “best value”, unless you specifically click that you’d rather see the results organized by price, cruise length, departure date, or cruise ship.

Travel + Leisure's A-List Travel Advisors 2024

Table Of Content

• Best in Cruise Travel Agency
• Top 12 Cruises From The United States
• Questions to ask a cruise travel agent
• The Best Travel Agents for Cruises
• Best for planning a luxury expedition cruise
• Best in Cruise Agency
• Porto to Lisbon: 7-Nt, Small-Group Portugal...

These cruises also typically include stops at destinations such as Tenerife, Portugal, Spain, the UK, the Caribbean and the Netherlands. They usually begin at a port in the United States or Europe and end at the opposite end, stopping at various islands along the way. New England and Canada are popular destinations for cruise enthusiasts and offer various itineraries, including four-, seven-, or twelve-night cruises. Most of these cruises start from major cities such as Quebec City, New York, Boston, or Baltimore. Unless you book a cruise that has an actual port stop in the U.S. or you're taking a river cruise, much of what you can do and see will be before and after your sailing, particularly in cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego and Seattle.

Best in Cruise Travel Agency

If you'd like to book a cruise through a travel agent, you can pop into a downtown storefront or search for cruise sellers online. If you want to look for agents registered with travel organizations, here are some resources for finding agencies near you. Once you've chosen your cruise and, with the agent's help, matched your style with your vacation goals, you've got to book the trip. Again, it's a bit more complex than you might think, but a good agent will make the process go smoothly -- from securing the right cabin type and location to booking the dinner seating that will suit you and your party.

Top 12 Cruises From The United States

She sent an urgent email to the terminal crew and informed them we were running late. She stayed on the phone with me and offered encouragement while I panicked about missing the cruise. It was really appreciated, and it's something I will always remember. Princess Cruises offers a number of itineraries that call on the ports of the scenic Pacific coast.

Questions to ask a cruise travel agent

Your agent will also be able to sort out travel insurance, if required, and will collect payment for the cruise (usually a deposit at the time of booking and the full amount 60 to 90 days before departure). In addition, the agent can help you with the rest of your travel plans, such as pre- or post-cruise stays, airfare and transfers. Embarking on a Panama Canal cruise from Miami is an extraordinary way to discover the diverse cultures of Latin America. Traversing the 40-mile Panama Canal is a memorable experience that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

When you book a cruise, you are making a vacation decision that goes way beyond a flight or hotel nights. Which ship you choose determines your dining and evening entertainment choices for the duration of your vacation. Which itinerary you choose impacts which destinations you'll visit and which shoreside activities will be available to you. It can be overwhelming to evaluate the options on your own if you've never cruised before.

Best for planning a family-friendly cruise

Travel agents' best tips: Common issues on cruises, parks, air travel - USA TODAY

Travel agents' best tips: Common issues on cruises, parks, air travel.

Posted: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

You aren't just booking general passage on a ship, either, as you will be asked to pick a specific cabin and when you prefer to dine. Making a mistake in these categories can ruin your cruise experience, as there are such thing as "bad" cabins and dining times (think noisy or claustrophobic cabins, dinner at 8 p.m. with cranky children, etc.). Booking with a travel agent gives your transaction a personal touch -- you have a resource for asking questions and someone to contact if something goes wrong during your travels. But, your relationship with an agent doesn't tend to end after one trip.

A Pacific Coastal cruise is an ideal option for those who are looking for a relaxing and adventurous vacation. It is a popular choice among first-time cruisers or those who are looking for a quick weekend getaway. The Pacific Coastal cruise offers a breathtaking view of the cities, natural landscapes and architectural marvels that span the coastline.

The Best Student Travel Insurance Companies of 2024 - MarketWatch

The Best Student Travel Insurance Companies of 2024.

Posted: Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It's the homeport for almost all cruise ships that sail in the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera and Canada, as well as the Panama Canal. Florida has the most homeports, but New York City, Seattle, Galveston and other coastal cities are also cruising hubs. Bucket list itineraries like Alaska and Hawaii, and scenic rivers (primarily Mississippi, Ohio, and Columbia) not only draw cruisers from the U.S. but around the world.

Porto to Lisbon: 7-Nt, Small-Group Portugal...

Cruise Critic has tons of filters and sort options to help you find what you want, including everything from cruise line to cruise style (family cruises, luxury cruises, cruises for the disabled). Each itinerary clearly lists what is and isn’t included in the fare; Wi-Fi, alcoholic drinks, gratuities, and port taxes and fees are among the common exclusions. The site also lists traveler reviews about each cruise ship (as supplied by Cruiseline), though the reviews often include comments about the ship’s destinations other than the one you’re considering, which isn’t entirely helpful. There’s also a live chat widget if questions come up while booking.

If you have time you can see a Broadway show in New York, check out the art deco architecture in Miami's South Beach, visit Pike Place Market in Seattle or tour the Kennedy Space Center near Orlando. Many people think of Tripadvisor mainly as a travel review site, where you go to get real talk on hotels and attractions, and to see non-glamorized photos of places as seen through actual travelers’ eyes. But Tripadvisor is also an excellent site for travel deals, including on cruises.

Luxury cruise travel agencies have a better grasp of luxury cruiser’s mindset, and nothing beats human touch in exquisite cruises. It’s hard to talk about canal barge cruising without thinking of Ellen Sack, aka the Barge Lady and expert in the world of all things European barge cruising. Sack and her family-run travel company work as brokers for canal barge cruises in Europe, connecting travelers to the right sailing experience to suit their needs. You’ll find everything you need to know about sailing on waterways like the scenic Canal du Midi in the South of France or the Caledonian Canal in the Scottish Highlands with help from Sack and the rest of the Barge Lady crew.

A self-proclaimed adventure travel enthusiast, Joshua Bush is as well versed in adrenaline as he is in luxury travel. Nadia Henry doesn’t only plan cruises for clients, she also often hosts groups on cruises as well. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but be aware if the agent seems to be putting you off the line you were originally considering, as this could be the reason. On the plus side, an agent who is a preferred supplier might have negotiated rates with the cruise line and be able to call in favors, such as that bottle of Champagne or a cabin upgrade. You will likely run into a lot of questions to which you have no ready answer.

For more than 40 years, Kadaster has specialized in creating itineraries backed by her knowledge as a former tour operator and archaeologist. Her list of must-do’s include Istanbul, Cappadocia, and the Thrace wine region. As a loyal customer, I was wondering if there will be a login to Cheap Cruises that would have my account info, instead of entering the info every time I book a cruise. CLIA Certifications require core curriculum training, cruise line product training, ship inspections and cruising experience. Attainment of each ascending level of Certification reflects a greater commitment on the part of the Certified Agent to acquire the expertise to better assist you in planning your next cruise. Keep Cruisewatch in strong consideration—more than a typical cruise booking website, Cruisewatch bills itself as a “digital cruise advisor” that couples data power with personalization.

If you enjoy doing your own research, focus on what to do and see in the ports of call. However, when it comes to booking the cruise, we recommend you still contact a travel agent who specializes in cruises to help you learn a few tips and avoid any rookie mistakes. Locate and connect with a CLIA-credentialed travel agent who has the experience, know-how, and relationships to help you plan your next cruise vacation, saving you time and money.Search by zip code to find a list of travel agents near you.

These cruises offer something for everyone with endless possibilities of destinations. The options are limitless with multiple countries to choose from for week-long, ten-day, five-night, four-night, or six-night cruises. Each cruise company offers distinct options, so there is something for everyone, regardless of the time frame. Alaskan cruises stand out from other cruises because many of the destinations or ports they visit are only reachable by boat or by a long train or car journey. These cruises typically depart from Vancouver, Seattle, or Anchorage and provide a unique experience of sailing past glaciers, anchoring in National Parks, and docking in small towns offering various activities to explore.