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Is It Better to Book a Cruise Online or Over the Phone – 2024 Guide?

The use of available technology has made our life easier. It has brought us the option of online bookings. And with this booking option, we are able to get amazing discounts and other benefits. You must have heard of different discounts and promo codes from different service providers. They allow you to book in advance and pay some amount for the booking. And if your booking is confirmed, you will get a discount. To get such discounts and to have peace of mind when going out, people do prefer booking in advance.

But what was the method before the availability of online options? Of course, you had travel agents and other options too. Hotels and airlines and cruise ships and all such places had their telephone numbers. Thus, you can call them and make your booking.

But what is the easier way? It mainly depends on what seems easy to you. So, let’s have a look at that.

Online booking

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If you are planning to make your online cruise booking, you can go to cruisebooking.com. You will be able to cruise book and also get additional information that you will need.

The information that you need to provide them is your destination, the travel date range and also the cruise line that you would like to book. When you click on the link, a new page will open up and you will see a form there. Fill in your needed information and thus, you will be able to confirm your booking.

When you click on the cruise line, you will see many different options there. You can select the one (if you have any in mind). Or you will have the option to go with anyone. Afterward, you will have the option of selecting the duration of your stay. Thus, you will select the number of nights of your stay.

Pros and cons of booking online

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There are many benefits of booking online. However, you should be aware that you will be responsible for all things. Firstly, you will do the research work. Search for all the available options. Then shortlist the ones that seem reasonable to you. This will give you freedom in options. You can select the one that fits your budget.

Pros

  1. You will have a lot of options to choose from.
  2. At what time you are going to do the shopping and your going in and out timings will be completely your decision.
  3. Whether you are making an early booking or a last-minute decision, it will be your word and your choice.
  4. The best thing about online booking is that you will be able to check various platforms and cruise lines. Thus, you can find the one that suits your budget. In this way, you will be able to get the best deal.
  5. As you are searching online, you can compare fares and deals on different sites.
  6. If you really like the deals of any site and you often go for tours, you can subscribe to their email notifications. This will give you a heads-up about the upcoming deals. Thus, you can plan your next tour accordingly.
  7. Online platforms provide you with all the necessary information that you need. So even if you forget something that you will need for the way, you will be reminded of that.
  8. You will get information about the deck plans, ship amenities, and also the in-port activities. And most importantly, you will have the cabin layout. Thus, you will have everything in your hand.

Cons

  1. As you are going to do everything, you will be responsible for all the decisions. In case you make a mistake, you will be going to take all the responsibility for that.
  2. In addition to this, you will need to have the contact details of everyone that you might need on your way. For example, if there is a health emergency, you should have the emergency number of the emergency service provider.
  3. There won’t be anyone who will remind you of something that you forget.
  4. Agencies and booking sites have several promotional deals and discount offers. So if you book directly from the company’s site, you might miss out on these deals and offers.

Pros and Cons of booking over the phone

Although online booking is a lot easier, this is the case only if you are aware of this option. If you are technologically illiterate (as we have our older generation), you will find it difficult to do it. Likewise, if it is your first time doing so, you will have doubts about whether your booking is complete or not.

Pros

  1. When you are making a booking over the phone, you will have confirmation from the cruise’s staff that the booking is confirmed.
  2. If you are not well aware of the use of online things, the best available option is talking over the phone.
  3. If you have a lot of requests and questions, you will be able to ask them from the person on the line. You won’t be able to ask so many questions when you are booking online. The reason is that you won’t have anyone to ask from. All you can do is find all the information by yourself. If not, you will need to call customer service.
  4. You will get personalized advice when you are talking to a person.
  5. Furthermore, you can discuss your preferences and budget, and other needs.

Cons

  1. How will you find a good staff-member to talk to? It is possible that the person you are talking to is not very cooperative and does not answer all of your questions.
  2. When booking a cruise, you will need to set the time before making the call. Because you cannot call at night.
  3. If the phone line is busy, you will have a lot of difficulty before making your booking.

Bottom line

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In conclusion, both options have their pros and cons. Therefore, you have to decide what is best for you.