REVISED 1/14/2020:
ONLY OLD FARTS USE TRAVEL AGENTS!
I wanted to go to on a cruise to Hawaii with the best deal I could get. Call me a lazy old fart if you must, but I prefer the convenience of a travel agent. It does not cost that much more. And I will not endure a massive monumental mind grind pay cut of frying my eyes out, spending hours investigating on the Internet, trying to get a cheap deal online!
WHY KATHY SCANLAN? (AND NOT THE NEXT GUIDO DOWN THE ROAD)
An acquaintance referred me to Cruise Planner's in Renton Washington, owned by Kathy Scanlan. She was a good choice because...
1...she always got back to me promptly once our business relationship was established. Though she was slow getting back to me when I left an initial inquiry message (out of town).
2...she met me at a location far closer to my Bellevue home, rather than require me to drive down to Renton. Though she also had other local clients to meet, I still appreciate the savings in time and gas.
3...but also she met me at least twice, because she knew that this was my first cruise, to give "first timer" advice and also to hand over documents.
4...she was easy and pleasant to work with. In fact, she told me that she "had my back" right up to just before the cruise as she knew I was nervous about it.
5...she was this good to me despite not being paid a commission on the 6 excursions I booked through Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). But I promised to, and did, upload videos of my submarine tour and helicopter flight on YouTube, as she has never gone on these before. These added 2nd and 5th reasons per my 1/14/2020 revision bumps it up from 4 to 5 stars!
STILL WANNA BE YOUR OWN BOOKIE?
In June 2019, she arranged my vacation from 11/15-23/2019. This included setting up the cruise, travel insurance, airfare, shuttles to/from the airport, 1 night's hotel stay, and booking the 1st land excursion. I booked the rest online, as it took me a while to decide. She told me that I needed to fly in one day early(11/15) in order to catch the "Call of Duty Pearl Harbor Tour" on 11/16. That was why I needed the hotel for 1 night, as the 7 day cruise started at 7 PM 11/16. The alternative would have been to wait one week and risk losing my flight back home. This is the mark of an experienced travel agent. If you try to do all this alone online, expect problems!
CHEAP TRAVEL SCHMEAP SCHMAVEL!
Do not believe those cheap cruise travel deals that you see advertised! Travel is always more expensive than advertised.
$5409.86 (total insured trip cost) included 7 day cruise in a solo inside studio(glorified closet) on NCL, travel insurance, round-trip airfare (steerage class) on Hawaiian Airlines, one night at Ohana Waikiki East, 7 land excursions, + additional insurance for the excursions I booked, and 2 cruise add-ons. In the end, I believe I told her to keep the budget around $5000 for the whole shebang. But always figure that a travel budget is going to bust, especially since I booked 6 of the excursions myself (about $1060)and I had to pay additional insurance to cover them. Plus, booking through NCL, rather than directly through the tour agency, costs more, but is more convenient. And it guarantees that "NCL will hold the boat for you" IF the tour company is late in getting you back to the ship.
AH THE MEMORIES (AND "THE NOW")
Being this was my first cruise, I cannot say whether the total cost was a relative good deal or not. But the important thing was the memories I brought back in photos and videos, as well as "taking it in" while "in the now" during the vacation. But for me, it does not matter that much as I seldom go on vacation. I always figured that if I'm going to splurge, I would rather spend it on the vacation, then lose it in a bank run, which almost could've happened the last time I went on vacation in 2008, just before the economy nosedived! read more