- Ask friends and family who have cruised before about their favorite agents. If you don't know any cruisers, find agents through their memberships in the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) or the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Preferably, you want a local, high-volume agency that will be interested in making you a repeat client.
- Good agents love to cruise on their vacations and tour new ships whenever possible so they can share real experience with clients. Also, busy, well-established agencies forge relationships with cruise lines and get the best pricing and access to special, unpublished deals they can pass on to you.
- Your agent should not be simply an order-taker, particularly if you're shopping for your first cruise. The agent should ask you lots of questions about your likes, dislikes and expectations, and suggest cruises based on your answers. Cruise lines and ship are not all alike; they have distinct personalities. For example, if you crave a casual getaway where you can kick back and never put on shoes or a tie, a transatlantic voyage on a venerable old line, with many formal nights, would be a disaster. Avoid any agent who pushes any particular cruise line or ship without first asking about your tastes.
- An agent should know the ships, including their size, age, amenities, and typical passenger mix. The agent should be familiar with deck layouts and ask many questions about your ideal cabin so you don't get onboard and discover the ocean vista you thought you bought with an outside cabin has a lifeboat dangling in front of it.
- After booking a cruise, your agent should remain in the loop to answer your questions and be your advocate with the cruise line in requesting any special perks like a cabin upgrade or ship's credit for onboard expenses. The best agent will even keep checking on the price and get you a refund if there's a drop in fare for your voyage.
