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“The excitement of a great price is instantly forgotten
when the consumer experiences
the bitterness of a badly planned vacation!”
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Are you just starting or are in the middle of researching your Cruise Vacation? (Or Tauck Land Tour https://www.shawnpower.com/yes-we-sell-land-tours-too/)
Before you spend anymore of your valuable time doing so and before putting your hard earned money on the line to book your Cruise or Tauck Land Tour, be sure to take a few minutes & read these key points which explain why it NEVER makes sense to book your Cruise (or Land Tour) direct with a Cruiseline or Tauck or on a Website or with an inexperienced Travel Agent… these 7 points will help you get the BEST VALUE for the dollars you spend as well as avoid costly mistakes and will virtually ensure you have a great Cruise or Tauck Land Tour Vacation!!
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1. Better Deals
Many people assume when booking a Cruise or Tauck Land Tour through a Travel Agent like Shawn they’ll pay more than buying “Direct” through the Cruiseline or Tauck.
This is a FALSE presumption!
Fact is, you’ll NEVER pay a dime more with Shawn than directly with a Cruiseline or Tauck! (And MANY times you’ll get a better deal!)
Just like how Walmart and Costco get better deals from their suppliers for your groceries & toiletries due to their “buying power”, so do the Travel Agencies who sell millions of dollars of Cruises & Land Tours per year…
…so, if you want the BEST VALUE for the dollars you spend it’s to your ADVANTAGE to buy through a reputable Tavel Agent for the better deals and perks! (reputable is the key word… not all Travel Agents get access to the same deals that Shawn would have access to as he’s part of an organization that does Billions of dollars of business per year)
The TRUTH: 99% of the time when you book a Cruise or Tauck Land Tour with Shawn you’ll get a better price or a “perk” (Onboard spending money or pre-paid gratuities or a hotel night pre-Cruise/pre-Tour, etc.) and the worst you’ll ever do by booking with Shawn is pay the same you would directly with the Cruiseline or Tauck BUT, as mentioned in the next 6 points, you’ll still get “extras” like personal service & unbiased advice…
…which is truly Invaluable!
Here are some thoughts from dozens & dozens of Shawn’s clients on how valuable his “extras” are: https://www.shawnpower.com/cruise-testimonials/
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2. You’re Already Paying For a Pro’s Advice
Most people don’t realize it but the Cruiseline’s & Tauck’s prices already include the services of Professional Travel Agents like Shawn. (Which is why Cruiseline’s & Tauck’s owners & executives always encourage you to book with a reputable Travel Agent: https://www.shawnpower.com/supplier-testimonies/)
If you talk to no one and book online or you book direct over the phone (with a low-paid order taker who has little, if any, personal Travel experience) you’re losing out!
You’re truly not getting what you paid for!! (ESPECIALLY during unpredictable times like Covid-19 where you NEED the best advice on whether it makes sense to cancel your trip or not, if it gets cancelled on you whether to take a refund or future credit, which insurance is best to purchase, etc.)
As mentioned under the “Better Deals” section above, there is NO discount for going direct to the Cruiseline or Tauck and in may cases you’ll pay more…
…don’t disadvantage yourself & go direct… there’s no gain on your end at all and it can literally COST YOU MONEY since you’re not working with a Professional Travel Agent even though the cost to do so is already built into the price of your trip!
3. Saving Precious Time
3. One common complaint Shawn hears often from potential clients is how much time it takes to research the right Cruise or Tauck Land Tour for them and to “shop” around for the best price.
Stats are, people spend dozens of hours surfing around the Internet trying to figure it all out.
Most people would never do this when it comes to their Health, Legal Issues, Car issues, etc. (they’d simply see their Doctor, Lawyer, Mechanic, etc.) and it remains to be seen why so many people will do this with Travel… acting like Travel Agents?
BEST ADVICE: If you value your time and seem to have less & less of it these days (a common complaint) then use Shawn’s immense experience. It would take you YEARS to know what he knows about Cruising & Tauck Land Tours!!
After getting to know you and your needs for a few minutes Shawn will be able to narrow down your choices and help you find the best “Value” Cruise or Tauck Land Tour for you…
…and we all know there’s a difference between “Best Value” and “lowest price”.
Do you really want your Dream Vacation to be decided by what price looked best on the Internet and to have your trip ruined because one Cruise or Land Tour was a little cheaper than another…
…as always in life, you get what you pay for!
Fact is, there are dozens of choices when Cruising or Taking a Land Tour:
-Alaska alone has over 100 Cruise Tour choices
-In Europe there are over 3 dozen different Cruise itineraries and even more Land Tours
-Have you ever tried to figure out a good “Africa Safari” for you… it can be VERY overwhelming!
-And River Cruises are another World all together!
So… save your time, energy, the headaches and let a Professional Travel Agent like Shawn do the “figuring it all out” for you!
You’ll be Glad you did!
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4. Personal Attention
We all dislike calling a bank or utility company to be put on hold after unsuccessfully talking to an AUTOMATED Voice.
And once you finally get a Live person it’s someone different every time and who knows where in the world they are and if they can communicate properly.
There’s no need to go through those same frustrations when planning your Cruise or Tauck Land Tour!!
This should be (and will be) a pleasant experience!
There’s an advantage to booking with an Expert Travel Agent such as Shawn rather than buying directly with the Cruiseline or Tauck or a faceless website.
By booking with Shawn you simply call him directly at 1-800-219-7477 (Toll Free) or email him at Shawn@ShawnPower.com
…and you’ll ALWAYS deal with Shawn personally & get timely responses. (During Covid-19, even while he had to deal with hundreds of cancellations & changes, Shawn STILL got back to all his client’s requests within minutes yet he’s heard HORROR STORIES from others & online about people having to wait days to hear back from their agents, being stuck on hold with companies like Costco, Expedia, etc. for 7+ hours, etc. Shawn actually received A LOT of referrals during this time from his clients who told their friends about his great service after them complaining to Shawn’s clients about the agents/travel suppliers they were dealing with!!)
Visit here https://www.shawnpower.com/cruise-testimonials/ to hear from dozens & dozens of Shawn’s clients on the advantages of how this personal service made their Cruises & Tauck Tours great ones!
The best way to make sure your Vacation plans go smooth, Cruise after Cruise/Tauck Tour after Tauck Tour, and to have your special occasions recognized, specific needs met, etc. is to Always Deal with the same Travel Expert… it’s as simple as that!
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5. Knowledge
When visiting your Doctor, Lawyer or Mechanic… you expect them to KNOW what they’re talking about, right?
Like any of those Professionals, Shawn takes his business (which he personally owns & operates) VERY seriously and educates himself constantly.
(You can learn about some of Shawn’s agency’s awards here https://www.travelagentcentral.com/special-report/travel-agent-s-top-25-all-stars-2017 and here https://www.shawnpower.com/american-express-pacesetter-award-2019/)
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Shawn regularly takes courses to be up to date with his trade and his Agency has achieved & maintained:
- “Elite Cruise Counsellor” &
- “Luxury Cruise Counsellor” status with Cruise Lines International Association and
- Graduate status of all the Major River & Ocean Cruiseline’s Internal Education programs
- “Certified” Expert Consultant with Tauck
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MORE IMPORTANTLY, Shawn has a ton of real-life Cruising & Tauck Land Tours experience, having taken 87 Cruises to date & 6 Tauck Land Tours… and counting! (You can see ALL of Shawn’s personal Cruises here: https://gallery.shawnpower.com/CruiseVacations… and you can see the Tauck Land Tours Shawn has taken here: https://gallery.shawnpower.com/LandTourVacations)
As well, Shawn has inspected dozens of other ships on day “Travel Agent Inspection” tours… and realized this isn’t good enough.
So he continues to take 4-7 Cruises each year to stay current on any changes and to get on those ships for longer stays to get “insider” hands-on details and he doesn’t rely on outdated magazines & brochures. (which many times they are)
Bottom line is, unlike calling a Cruiseline and talking to a low hourly paid employee who takes orders (many have never even cruised before)…
…Shawn doesn’t get paid to talk to potential clients and give price quotes… he only makes money if you BOOK your Cruise or Tauck Land Tour with him.
So…
…he works extremely hard to educate himself and keep up to date to serve you best and share everything he knows to increase his chance of you booking with him again & again and referring your family & friends to him!
Like with your Doctor, Lawyer or Mechanic, it’s to your advantage to deal with someone who has years of education & real-life experience compared to someone getting their information from books & brochures & scripts prepared by the Big Corporations they work for.
It’s the little bits of knowledge that make the difference:
- Knowing what an “Obstructed View” Oceanview or Balcony room is and where they are located… FYI, the brochures don’t tell the full story
- Knowing the rooms where the 2 twin beds can’t push together for a Queen Bed? (Not very romantic for a couple excited for their getaway!)
- Being able to answer this common question with 100% confidence: “What is the best side of the ship we should be on for the best views?”
- Knowing the best Room locations to be in on certain decks to avoid excessive noise, heat from the kitchen, vibrations from the engine, the kid’s play areas, etc?
- Understanding the difference between a Tauck “Classic” or “Small Group” or “Smaller Group” Land Tour
- Getting the right advice on whether it’s a good idea to have the Cruiseline or Tauck book your airfare or not… as Shawn talks about here https://www.shawnpower.com/advice-for-booking-your-flights/, it’s definitely not always in your best interests to have the Cruiseline or Tauck do it for you!
Don’t risk your Cruise or Tauck Land Tour Vacation to someone without the knowledge!
Many people risk their Cruise or Tauck Land Tour Vacation turning into a disappointment or frustration simply because they relied on someone to book it who didn’t have PERSONAL Knowledge & Experience… Don’t let that be you!
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6. Real Reviews
Like many of you, before Shawn started working in the Industry as a Travel Agent booking Cruises & Tauck Land Tours, he used to think everything the Travel Industry magazines, websites and Sunday Travel editorials in the Paper said was total fact. The reviews had to be right!
But one thing Shawn realized when he first got involved in the Industry though, was that many times the people reviewing the cruise Ships were only on a Ship for a day Inspection for 3-4 hours or on a 2-3 night Inaugural Sailing…
…exclusively reserved for Travel Agents & the Media where all the “bells & whistles” are out, the Cruiseline’s “Top Brass” are there and the Booze is flowing freely…
…as you can imagine, those reviews could be a little biased or at the least, “Clouded”! 🙂
Yes, Shawn has done these events at times too but after personally taking 87 Cruises he can tell you what a Cruiseline/Ship is really like after spending 7-15 Nights, or more, onboard as a regular guest.
BIG DIFFERENCE!!!
Some of the highest-rated Ships out there surprisingly disappointed him, after he sailed on them, as being the some of the “rockiest” and least stable Ships at Sea or having some of the least quality Food Menus, etc.
Your Travel Agent’s knowledge/opinion of a ship after sailing on them or a Tauck Land Tour after experiencing it, compared to repeating what the Industry magazine “says” is the best, can be completely different!
And unfortunately…
…the magazine knowledge version is what most people get, because most people selling Cruises & Tauck Tours don’t get paid enough to take many Cruises or Tauck Tours… if any!
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7. Your Advocate
Shawn certainly doesn’t like to make his readers feel inferior but he will tell you that when it comes to the Cruise Lines or Tauck doing favours and making their clients happy & fixing customer service issues… he can promise you that as an individual customer, booking direct, you are NOT the Cruiseline’s or Tauck’s main priority!
Your calls and emails, literally, get put at the bottom of the request pile and Top Travel Agents like Shawn’s, well, their requests go to the VERY TOP simply because they bring them millions of dollars of business per year! (And this was NEVER more evident than during the Covid-19 Crisis!!)
He hates to put it that way but it’s a fact!
As an example, recently Shawn had a client contact him about a post-Cruise complaint that she emailed directly to a Cruiseline… it had been 2 weeks and she hadn’t heard a word back & was wondering if Shawn could help. The mistake she made was not emailing Shawn first to contact the line on her behalf. Anyways, to make a long story short, the next day the client received a call from the CEO to address the issue.
Now, who would you rather having calling in favours & issues on your behalf!! 🙂
Again, this is a major reason why Cruiseline’s owners & executives encourage you to book your sailing with a reputable travel agent: https://www.shawnpower.com/supplier-testimonies/
And, as you’ll see here, Shawn is a member of a Very select group of Travel Agents on Tauck’s “Travel Agent Advisory Board” so he has all the contacts at Tauck to make things right if anything doesn’t go as planned on your trip with them!
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Well, hopefully you received some value and learned a thing or two from reading “Why Book Your Cruise or Tauck Land Tour with Shawn Power.”
Shawn looks forward to sharing his knowledge & passion for Cruising & Tauck Land Tours with you (from the start of your planning to the finish of your Cruise or Tauck Land Tour) to help you have an amazing Cruise or Tauck Land Tour Vacation!
You can reach him directly at 1-800-219-7477 (Toll-Free) or email him at Shawn@ShawnPower.com.
Happy Cruising and/or enjoying your Tauck Land Tours! 🙂