We've done both. One time, extended family were all going together and one of them hooked us up with their agent. We used their agent. It was a good enough deal, but we found out after the fact that we could've gotten more on-board credit, and rewards through direct sign-up with the cruiseline. Turned out the family member who recommended their agent was getting a free room as a result of us all linking our reservations to "her" ticket. The least she could've done was paid for the water package and hooked us all up with free drinking water, eh?

We've mostly booked our own without an agent, directly through the cruise line. It's less stressful.

MAYBE.

Like Kelevision stated: You know the cruise you want, check the price online… you can get all the way to checkout to see the total with taxes and port fees before purchasing, then call an agent and see what they can offer you for that exact cruise. Chose whichever is the best deal.

Cruisecompete.com has been mentioned and I second that suggestion. Not only are the cruise costs almost always lower, they often throw in on board credits as well. The beauty is you get multiple offers on exactly what you want (you enter the cruise date/ship and the room type eg inside, balcony etc) and within 1 to 2 days have several offers from major cruise agencies. You are NOT required to accept any of the offers so this is not anything other than a way to find the lowest number from your keyboard.

Travel agents will give you an equal or better price than the cruise line website plus extras. However, there a few smaller cruise lines that don’t really play well with travel agents and you are better off, IMO, contacting them directly. Grand Circle and Starclipper come to mind. The more popular cruise lines, such as Celebrity and Azamara, are better booked through a travel agent.

I agree with most about using a travel agent if you are not sure what to expect. There is some upside to using an agent. The downside is that if you have a problem or want to change something you cannot do it directly with the cruise line. You have to go back to your TA. That includes air reservations if you book air through the agent.

Good Site
 

Being new to cruising, you may want to visit a site that has a ton of information, and forums. Go to cruisecritic.com , and click on the "Community" tab. Have fun!

Travel Agent
 

Agree with other posters to go with a travel agent being that you are a novice cruiser. They are very knowledgeable and can give you insight on transportation, room choices, dining as well as shore excursions, all valuable information. We have always been happy with AAA and Ocala Travel. Have a fabulous cruise!

we always use bestpricecruises.com

We also use an agent with the cruise line. We usually go on the same cruise line, so we go back to the same cruise agent every time.
Now he knows us so well. He gave us his own personal company phone number so we can go directly to him. He sends us emails and also looks for the best deals.

If you belong to Costco, check their prices. They also give you shop cards back.

I have booked both ways and prefer direct with the cruise line. Every cruise line has cruise agents that can help with your booking.
Booking with the cruise line allows you to contact the line directly with any questions or concerns. If you book with a travel agent, that company "owns" your booking and all correspondence has to go through that agent.

As an experienced cruiser (over 30), I have only booked directly through the cruise line. It has worked out well that way for me.

Many Cruises
 

We use CruCon, last 10 cruises we received 10% of the cruise cost back in On Board Credits. We have used CruCon for fifteen years and 45 cruises. You can find them on line.

I have booked some cruises online in the past with Cruises Only (online) and found some good deals. In the past few years though, I have used a local travel agency here in The Villages. Janet Parks with Dream Team Vacations is excellent at what she does. She and her team also managed a large group cruise we were on last year. She is organized, friendly and knows what she is doing. Give her a call at 352-640-9455.

Cruise 1-2X a year and very difficult to answer your ? All agents/cruiselines/websites offer different choices and the headline price does not include add on like tips, port charges, Internet, drink packages etc, If you like a particular cruise line, you can get your own agent that represents them and they can help a lot. Good luck