Is this the end for the travel agent?

2013 sees a lot of changes for the cruise industry with the majority of cruise lines now 'fixing' prices and advising travel agents that they can no longer offer additional discounts from their commission payments. P&O, Cunard and Princess introduced this policy over a year ago and now the likes of Fred Olsen, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise to name just a few have followed suit.

As a customer this will make booking a cruise holiday a lot easier, you will no longer have to trawl the internet and spend hours on the phone trying to get the cheapest price for your cruise as all agents and the cruise lines directly will be selling at the same price.

This though has led to concern over the impact that this will have on travel agents. Why book through a travel agent, if you are no longer getting a better price? Personally though I don't think it will be an issue, the UK cruise market is growing and growing, around 1.7million Brits cruised in 2011, a similar figure is expected to be reported for 2012 and predictions are high for 2013. There is more than enough business for everyone and the savvy customer will book with the agent that offers the best service.

Add to this the fact that more and more passengers are cruising for the first time and the travel agent is the obvious person to book with. Why would you call a cruise line direct when they can only offer you one product? There are so many different types of cruise to chose from, from small adult only ships like P&O's Adonia to mega cruise ships with Shrek on board such as Oasis of the Seas. It is only an independent Cruise Specialist  that can talk you through your full options and make sure that you book the cruise that is right for you.

I  have worked in this industry for many years and always made sure that my customers always get the best advice and I relish the future and a return to service being as important as the price that you pay. And the good news for you too, is that there are some great offers out there this year, which I look forward to sharing with you.