Most people would go with a travel agency who know all cruise lines and the best prices.
"For the most part, whether booking through a ticket agency online or by phone is better will just be a matter of personal preference. Some would rather talk to an actual person, while others prefer completing the task without having to deal with someone. Occasionally, however, a ticket agency may run a special deal for online bookings."
After looking at their website, it seems to me that you would be better booking your vacation with another booking agency. Most of the booking sites that I have used do not charge you a deposit to "lock" in reservation. Also I live on the island of Oahu and some of the prices listed for the hotel half seem a bit steep.
It is often better to be through an insurance agency, often times a dealer will provide you with an insurance agent.
One of the best places to book last minute travel reservations online is at Expedia. You can also get good deals on last minute reservations through Kayak or Orbitz. Often, booking late results in better airfares than booking early.
Overall it facilitates a fast service, and saves thousands of hours on yearly bases, if the same tasks were to be done manually. It is a better experience for the customers as well, which often have limited time to spend at travel agency. It is as well easier to create reports and manage the business as well Hope this helps Matt
It all depens on what kind of what relatonship you have with the private owner. If it seems like it might be trouble you may be better off with an agency. This way you can have everthing in writing so in case anything goes wrong they can fix it right away.
"Travelocity does often times offer discounts for booking in advance. Usually, the earlier you book a flight, the better deal you will be able to receive."
www.allaboardcruisescorp.com/group-cruise.htm can get you a good deal on a cruise with any cruise line. Booking as a group can get you a discount if it is a large enough group as they can sell the rooms and tickets in blocks for a better price.
I have good luck finding great deals through Southwest. Usually the vacation package deals, are where you find the great bargains. Booking in a fair amount of time gives you a better deal as well.
actual store.
If you are an experienced traveler who knows how to book trips it is most likely cheaper to do it yourself. But if you are not experienced it is suggested that you use a travel agency so that you do not pay extra cost and end up spending more than you have to.
In my experience travel agents get you a better deal overall including their fees, than if you were to book alone. If you are willing to put in the work to browse through for deals and special prices on your own, this could be better than what a travel agent could come up with and you would avoid those charges. However, unless you are experienced at booking by yourself, I would highly recommend the use of a travel agent.