Dick,

Based on MY personal experience. I NEVER use a TA unless it's a group
thing where the agent has blocked out rooms and got a special rate,
etc. I have saved LOTS of money by dealing directly with the hotel,
airline, cruise line, etc. or an online service (I realize that some
of those are technically TA's). I have had too many bad experiences
with TA's. I am sure there are some good ones out there, and you
appear to have found one, but have you ever compared prices online
with what the TA is charging you? That is what you are paying for the
"service".

Specific to Las Vegas, since I live here and often get rooms for
visitors, try this one:

http://www.nevhotels.com/

They have good deals all the time. For example, for New Years Eve
they got us a room at Bourbon Street, one block from the strip for
about $100, when other quotes were in the $200's and higher. Try them
the next time you come to LV, if only to compare. You could always
call a hotel in advance and discuss your service animal but I doubt
that there would be any problem. I have seen service animals many
times in even the poshest hotels and restaurants.


Specific to Disney, a few years back I booked a cruise on them.
Initially went to a TA and got a price, then looked online at the
Disney site and got a price much lower (a few hundred dollars for a
party of three). went back to the TA and she "checked" and lowered
her rate to match. Now I don't even bother with the TA.

Just my experience, to each his own.

OT: BTW, the casinos are now taking bets for Super Bowl XXXIX, and the
Eagles are leading the pack at 6 to 1. Better hurry out here and get
your bet down! g

Jim

On Mon, 2 Feb 2004 13:33:49 -0500, "Dick Goldhaber"
wrote:

Kurt,

On this newsgroup you will get a lot of information based on fact and a lot
based on personal experience.

Based on personal experience why would anyone EVER not use a travel agent to
book a cruise?

It wasn't a cruise, but about 20 years ago we booked a week at Paradise
Island through Liberty Travel. We prepaid everything but when we arrived at
the hotel they had us down for the wrong food plan.

Because we had a TA we were able to call Liberty and within minutes the
problem had been corrected.

We go to Vegas every other year when we are not cruising, and while we could
easily book hotel and flight ourselves, because we have issues which have us
traveling with a "service animal" we still book through Liberty so that when
the three of us arrive at the hotel on eight legs, the hotel knows what is
coming.

If you book online and there is a problem, will there be someone available
to help you on the day of departure?