For years, going through a travel agent has been a highly popular way to book a vacation, from cruises and beyond. But according to Reddit, something may have changed in recent years. 

On July 15, 2024, a user who goes by the handle Dulcineal posted on Reddit about his recent dissatisfaction with travel agents. 

“I’m not sure if I’m just expecting too much from my travel agents or if the quality has just gone down recently in competence level, but I have been very let down by travel agents in the past two years,” began the post. 

The Redditor’s biggest complaint was that it felt like the travel agents they had employed were not knowledgeable enough to do the job well. 

“It just seems like the ones recommended to me either aren’t very good at researching the things they offer (not knowing port locations, not knowing perks for different cruise cabin classes, not knowing different categories for different cruise lines, not properly reading the dates or specific ship names I request in very clear emails, etc.) and/or they feel annoyed when I ask them to price several different trips,” continued the post. 

The disgruntled cruiser concluded his post by posing a question to the Reddit community: Are they expecting too much out of their travel agents or has the quality of the service provided by these professionals declined in recent years? 

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While a few people advocated for travel agents, some of whom were travel professionals themselves, the majority of the response echoed the sentiments of the original poster. 

“Lots of travel agents these days only really do it part time or as a side hustle with the benefit of getting some travel perks for themselves and most of their clients are friends and family. If you’re not really already in their orbit they’re not really going to spend a bunch of their time & energy on you,” commented one user. 

“I booked my first cruise with a T.A. and wasn’t really told a lot of information. We ended up not knowing that our room was in a bad location (in front of the ship near thrusters), that we had picked a specific dining time (never showed up because we preferred to eat in the buffet), and a few other minor things,” wrote another. 

The general consensus was that travel agents were not helpful enough to justify employing their services, especially when agents charge an additional fee on top of the commissions they typically get from the cruise lines or other vendors – as is the industry standard.

All that said, maybe travel agents do deserve to be cut some slack. With cruise bookings on the rise and reaching record numbers, it’s also possible that these professionals may be overwhelmed and don’t have the same bandwidth they did in the past.

Should Travel Agents Get A Second Chance?

While some on Reddit were clearly dissatisfied with their travel agent experience, it doesn’t mean all travel experts will do a bad job. With thousands of professionals working in this industry, there is certainly a range of super stars to people who are just phoning it in. 

While booking travel might be a side hustle for some people, or other travel agents might lack knowledge because they are new to the profession, there are lots of well-qualified agents out there who are happy to help. 

In the sea of complaints about lack of knowledge and timeliness, one travel agent, who goes by Crazydisneycatlady on Reddit, tried to advocate for travel industry professionals.

“I am a TA, have been for 8 years. It’s not my full time career but I take it very seriously, and it’s certainly not a 9-5 job. I’m always shocked when people say ‘It’s Sunday so I can’t contact my TA for such and such a thing’. Like, no, that’s literally the job. Unless I’m sleeping, I will get back to you very quickly. And that’s how everyone in my agency is,” a travel agent wrote in response to the Reddit post from Dulcineal. 

“Researching is what I do. I have an embarrassing amount of spreadsheets with various info. And if I don’t know something, I know where to look to find the answer. If you already know the date and ship you want, my goodness, you’re the dream client! If not, I help you narrow it down, because yes, that’s what I’m paid for,” continued her response. 

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For cruisers who find the right travel agent, their services can be quite helpful.

Especially for first-time cruisers, who may not yet know the ins and outs of picking a cruise cabin, the best ways to travel to the port, and booking shore excursions, a knowledgeable professional can serve as a useful guide. 

The best ways to find a reputable agent is to get personal referrals from friends or family members, read recent reviews online, vet professionals or agencies by checking their rating and accreditation on Better Business Bureau.

It’s also a good idea to look for agents with promising certifications from reputable organizations like the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) or The Travel Institute.