Tips for picking a travel agent

My aunt used to be our travel agent – smart, well traveled herself and a family member – she wasn't going to lead us wrong. Since our honeymoon 10 years ago, she has retired.

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So in my search for the perfect travel agent, I called a friend for a recommendation. My friend also happened to be the travel editor at the AJC. Since the jury is still out on my agent (until after our trip), we offer these expert tips to find your own.

• Calling a friend is exactly where you should begin, says Aimée J. Ricca, owner of Bonne Amie Travel in Rockport, Maine, and one of the experts featured on the Travel Channel's Vacation Challenge. A friend who has used an agent can tell you if they were given great advice and dealt with fairly. They can also tell you how the agent dealt with any problems that arose.

• Ricca says look for Cruise Lines International Association and The Travel Institute accredited agents.

• Allan Jordan, a New York-based cruising expert and historian who writes, lectures and consults on the topic, says: "Walk into a travel agency and if they start handing you brochures, walk out. If they're not asking you some questions, this travel agent is not the best person for a first timer."

Jordan, who has cruised more than 60 times, says some questions the agent might ask include: what are you looking for in a cruise, what do you want to do on the cruise, what type of ship environment do you want, what destinations do you want to visit, what types of vacations do you normally take, where do you normally visit and how much time do you usually spend?

• Ask if the agent has cruised before, how often and on what ships. Also ask if they have toured different lines.

• Cruise-only agencies can often help with all-inclusive vacation packages, as well as tour packages.