It's contest time! Win a $100 Visa gift card, and $150 towards a future booking with TripOnAShip.com. That's $250 in prizes!

To enter:
1) Visit our Facebook page  (facebook.com/triponaship) and follow the instructions in the contest post. "Liking" our page = one entry, and answering the question in the contest post = one entry. Sharing the post to your timeline will earn you karma, since we can't legally make that part of the contest.

2) Visit our Twitter feed (twitter.com/triponaship) and answer the question by retweeting the contest post. Following us on Twitter = one entry, answer/retweeting = one entry.

Maximum amount of entries = four per person.

The winner will be selected on 8/6 through through random.org, and contacted through whichever means they used to enter.

To enter, simply click on the buttons, below:

"Travel agents still exist?" "Don't people book their own trips these days?"
"Why can't I just go to Expedia/Priceline/Orbitz? Won't I get a better deal?"

As travel agents, these are the questions we hear the most often (well, those, and "Can you get me a better deal on this trip?"). Let's take a look.

"Travel Agents still exist?"

Yes, TripOnAShip.com is living proof. As are the thousands of other agents/agencies that will come up with a simple web search. Technology and the internet have made the world smaller. Just check your Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest/Facebook feeds- how many posts are of people on vacation?  With this increased exposure comes and increased demand in travel. That's where we come in.

"But don't people book their own trips?"

Sometimes. The internet has made it pretty easy- a few clicks of a button a you can be on your way to Tahiti, Disneyland, Europe, etc. And sometimes, it really is that easy. Other times, it's not so simple.

For example, we had a recent client wanting to do a Disney World trip. Sounds easy enough- but, they wanted to visit Disney, spend time at Universal, tickets to special events, a scooter rental, transportation and accommodations that would work with everything. Could the client have booked themselves? Absolutely. It would have taken them a few hours doing the research, selecting rooms/flights, going to different sites for tickets, scooters, transfers, etc. Possible? Sure. Time consuming? Definitely.

Instead, they contacted TripOnAShip.com. A couple of emails later, they were booked. It probably took 15 minutes of the client's time rather than the several hours it took us. And, remember, time is money.

"It's less of a hassle to just book online, myself."

 Is it less of a hassle to book online? That really depends. In a perfect world, maybe. And by "perfect world," I mean your desired travel dates are available, the flight times are good (and your flights don't get changed or cancelled), the resort/cruise isn't overbooked, the weather cooperates, your luggage isn't lost, etc. The fact is, however, this isn't a perfect world. Almost every trip will have some sort of glitch, however minor. When you're on your vacation and something comes up, who would you rather talk to- an anonymous person at a 1-800 call center, or a dedicated Travel Agent who personally booked your trip, knows you, and knows your situation? A Travel Agent's job doesn't end when you've paid for your trip- it's our job to deal with any problems that arise before, during, or after your vacation.

"It's cheaper to book myself."

At TripOnAShip.com, we never charge you a fee for our services (except for very special circumstances, in which clients are told about the fee from the very beginning of the process). Most of the time, the amount you will pay booking through us is the exact same as you'd pay elsewhere. Why? Pricing is highly regulated (fixed) and there are strict rules against discounting. If you want to go on a cruise, for example, you are going to get the exact same rate booking through us as you would booking through the cruise line directly. Occasionally, mass-market websites will offer discounted rates. This is usually possible because they have booked a large block of rooms and need to sell their inventory. Booking with them may get you a (slightly) lower price, but it's more than likely going to get you inferior customer service. Those websites NEED to sell those cabins/rooms because they are already committed to them; their incentive to offer good service ends once they have your money.

So, do you need a Travel Agent? No. The same way people don't "need" dry cleaners, house keepers, yard work companies, or any other service that offers convenience. The difference between a Travel Agent and those other services, though, is a Travel Agent generally works at no cost to you. If someone offered to clean your house every day, for free, would you say no?

Let TripOnAShip.com help you plan and book your next vacation. You will not be disappointed.