Why Travel Agents and Telephones Still Rule Cruise Booking

There's a reason that Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line each state that travel agents still handle a majority of their bookings: Cruise booking can sometimes be so complex it makes wedding planning seem to be a mere walk around the promenade deck. The existence of dozens of cruise lines, with several hundred ships in their motley fleets, is only the starting point. A ship like Oasis of the Seas has some 25 choices of cabin types, for example. Then industrywide there are over a thousand ports to choose from, hundreds of onboard activities, thousands of shore excursions, scores of convoluted deck plans, and a mind-numbing number of restaurants and dining seatings to consider. And, oh ya, then there also are the issues of deposits, and collecting final payments; choosing and booking flights, hotels and ground transportation for pre- and post-cruise stays, and coordinating all of this when the cruiser is traveling with family or as part of a larger group. Online Cruise