Do travel agents save you $ in the end?

In my experience no

For us they did. It wasn't a huge amount but they did save us money. I don't see why you wouldn't use them, they're knowledgeable and you're helping a small business!

No, but they can really make the planning easier.

We went on a cruise this year and got a great deal with lots of extras on the boat through AAA, so you can at least check with them and see if they have any deals.

They don't save you any money but can save you a headache or two!

I used a travel agent that I met at a wedding show and she was amazing! My husband and I originally booked at Sandals Royal Bahamian about 6 months before our wedding (we got married on the Saturday and planned to leave the Monday). About two weeks before our wedding, the resort announced an emergency shut down and we had to re-book. The travel agent was great to represent us and help us rebook our honeymoon. She provided us with lots of information about the various Sandals resorts as we were allowed to rebook at any Sandals resort in the Caribbean. We ended up picking the other Sandals in the Bahamas and the travel agent was able to get us upgraded to butler service since she told the Sandals rep she couldn't believe this was happening to a couple two weeks before their wedding.

The upgrade was absolutely amazing and I am so thankful we had booked through a travel agent! It made it so much easier to deal with that issue.

As you mentioned, wedding planning is enough and it doesn't cost extra to use a travel agent.

I highly recommend one!

Thanks all...looks like I'll be stopping by a travel agency's booth during an upcoming wedding show! As long as it won't cost more & could save us time/represent us when things go wrong...it'll be worth it!

On a side note...thanks for NOT bashing me on this thread! I really appreciate the positive responses : )

I would highly recommended cheapcarribbean.com if you go the route of booking yourself. They have travel agents at the resorts on their website. We've done it a few times and I always felt like I went I got the best deal possible.

@OHP I'm relatively new to using the forums & for the few comments I have written on other threads, I would immediately get the 'why the HELL did you...' or 'that's rude as F***' responses. Nothing like making a newbie want to run the other way!

I just want to give/get information/positive feedback on here. I don't have time for drama.

2500 is going to be very hard to find. I just booked a honeymoon threw liberty travel spent 4,000 for Playa del Carmen in Mexico for a week..Punta Cana was the same price for us but we didn't choose that one.. travel agency is the way to go they no what to look for

We are flying to Punta Cana from Chicago in July for our honeymoon. We used Apple Vacations and they did not charge any extra. Plus, our travel agent got us a discount on the hotel in Chicago. And it's a lot safer because they will have a driver set up to pick us up and take us to the resort. She also got us the free upgrade to a honeymoon suite.

I don't think travel agents save you any money, but they don't cost you any! They make the process stress-free and we got some awesome perks, like a free night at a hotel near our airport. Highly recommend!

In my experience, no. But I did find the cruise I wanted and then contacted the travel agent to see if she could beat it. She couldn't but she matched it, got the commission from the cruise line so I paid no extra and then threw in 2 bottles of wine for us choosing to go through her

They can cost you money at times, particularly if they don't have your best interest in mind. Also, Ive never booked airfare through them but I did know someone who went to a travel agent and found better rates on their own for their flight then what the travel agent was suggesting

Use vacationexpress.com. Direct flights and transportation set up to and from the airport. Depends on when you go but $1000-$1300 a person.

We booked 5 nights in Punta Cana last year for two people, paid $895 total for flying out of PHL! Try cheap carribean, could save you tons and makes bundled booking packages super easy. Just be sure to throughly read online reviews before committing!

We like them for big things like honeymoon because they can upgrade your room for free, get you deals and honeymoon treats like champagne and fruit. We are going to punta Cana for 7 days for $3800.

It doesn't cost more or less usually, basically I see it as a travel advocate. They'll get you deals, represent you if you have problems, etc.... i.e. If you show up and your room has bugs - your travel agent will pitch a fit on your behalf.

I book a Caribbean trip at least once a year. I use Expedia or Travelocity with a coupon code and EBates. I could not find better rates through a travel agent. I do however like the advice I receive from travel agents with expertise in cruises when booking cruises. They help with cabin and ship selection and offer booking bonuses.