Honeymoon Discussions

Should I use a TA?

I was looking through posts for honeymoon ideas and it seems many of you used travel agents.  I have never done this before and generally booked hotels through their websites.  I am looking for an all-inclusive in the Carribean or Mexico.  What would be the benefit of using a travel agent?Thanks!
Married February 26th, 2011 TTC #1 since May 2011

Re: Should I use a TA?

  • We used Nancy Finn of myislandgetaways.com. She doesn't charge a fee and does price matching if you find a cheaper rate online (Orbitz, etc). The benefit with her is that she has personal connections to the key people at her preferred resorts and has influence on things like room locations and extra inclusions. She is especially well-known at the Couples Resorts in Jamaica. FI and I just booked through her for our HM at Couples Tower Isle (Ocho Rios Jamaica). From what I have heard from past honeymooners, she also supplies tons of great tips and key contact information for you before you go on your trip... GL and HTH!
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  • I would recommend using a TA for your honeymoon also. As mentioned by pp, they can usually be a wealth of knowlege. We work with www.thetropicaltravelers.com. You really want to find a TA who specializes in your specific location too. They can usually get you better rates than the hotels offer directly and can give you tips on travel that you wouldn't otherwise know about. GL!
  • I used triple a (AAA). Just because they are a very well established business with lots of power. You do not need to have AAA to use their services, and if being a member will save you money on the trip your TA should let you know. I pretty much knew what I wanted I just wanted to get someone else’s opinion on all inclusive resorts. She sent me a ton of info on places in different countries. We knew we wanted the Caribbean and a couples only all inclusive. We chose Sandals Ocho Rios in Jamaica (everything for 7days 6nights with travel insurance was about $2800). My advice to you is do your research go to trip advisor dot com and read all the reviews (with a grain of salt because some people just can’t have fun).   Pros of a TA An experience opinion Booking power Someone to call if there is a problem Someone to explain what all is covered in the trip insurance   Cons My TA has bad hours and it seems like every time I go there I am there for like 45 minutes… but then again its nice to be able to talk face to face with someone The only other con is if I would have booked through Sandals we would have gotten a spa credit I think. But we will still get the extra honeymoon stuff if we check in online which I plan to do.   Travel date Nov 15-Nov 21 Good Luck!!!
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  • totally suggest using a TA. We went to a destination wedding in Hawaii and my sister (the bride) used a ta who was wonderful. I got engaged there and we aren't getting married until 2011 but are using the same TA for our yearly winter vacation. First, most TA's shouldn't charge you 2nd, they have "in's" at the hotels for upgrades and 3rd, they are watching out for you if something should change (needing a passport, or airlines not flying there anymore). give my ta a shout. Jennifer at VIP Vacations (yes, the travel expert on TV). If you can't get her, they have a bunch of agents there that focus on destination weddings and honeymoons. www.travelbyvip.com is their website! Good Luck!
  • Were also using Jennifer at VIP Vacations for our honeymoon. She is awesome! Their website is www.travelbyvip.com Send her an email!
  • I totally recommend using a TA. I never have before, but I have traveled considerably. But for this we weren't really sure exactly what we wanted and they were really good about listening to us in order to give us suggestions. We LOVED our resort and couldn't have asked for better for our honeymoon. Furthermore, having a TA can come in really handy when something goes wrong. We were boarded, and on our plane for an hour when they finally told us there was a maintenace problem and we were going to be delayed. The delay ended up being until 2pm (it was a 7 am flight!)! There was no way we would make it to Cancun that day, at all. The airline was very unhelpful. We called our TA who contacted the resort and airlines and transportation and was able to get our entire trip shifted back a day with no extra charges. So we got our full trip with no extra charges and since it was the airlines fault, they even put us up in a hotel. But my point is that there is someone else who has experience who can help when a problem occurs. It was a nice security for something like a honeymoon.
  • I second Nancy of myislandgetaways! We booked a 7 night honeymoon to Sandals St. Lucia and she has already been so helpful and we've got 8 months to go! I have always booked vacations on my own, but after reading opinions on here, I decided that I wanted to go with a TA especially for the trip insurance, and wanted to take the chance of getting some sweet upgrades! Good Luck!
  • We used Nancy from Island Getaways for our Sandals Regency HM in St. Lucia. Nancy helped us in many ways and is truly an expert. I was so lost with all the diiferent options. I love to do my own research but once I spoke with her I was sold. She knows the management and is one of Sandals top agents. We have not gone on our HM and I can't wait. We read so many great reviews on girls that have used her and I have personally cntacted her through email and by phone. I could have not asked for anyone better to work with. The real benefit is that I have peace of mind that our price was less than the internet rates and I have all the support.
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