How often have your heard “I’m going to book this on my own.”  I bet you had a dollar (actually, even a dime) for every time someone has said this to you.  I know I would.

Every time I hear someone say this to me, I reply “If you’re going to book a vacation that is even remotely complicated, including any cruise because of all the choices, you should use a travel specialist.  Not a run-of-the-house travel agent, not some travel generalist or worse, not some random booking engine but a real, live travel specialist.” I have to admit, sometimes they get it, sometimes they don’t.

Unfortunately, some people have had bad experiences booking travel with a travel agent.  This is not because “travel agents are bad” but because they didn’t seek the advice of a professional travel specialist.

Many people have also had horrible experiences with trips they booked on their own, for all the obvious reasons.

I recently read an article by Anita Dunham-Potter (I love her stuff) about some 100 passengers who didn’t have the proper Brazilian visa for a Carnival cruise.  They either had to miss the cruise entirely or scramble to get the right documentation and miss the first port of call.  This is a great read.  Next time someone says they “can book it on their own” or they are going some travel generalist discounter, point them to this article.  See: http://tinyurl.com/cfpmwz