Cruise Direct Online/Travel Direct Vacations Reviews 

Darren made my travel plans seem less and was quick to respond to calls and emails. I highly recommend him for your travel plans.

"I have always booked all of my travel myself, so I have incredibly high standards when it comes to trip logistics. However, when I wanted to join a group of friends on a cruise that was already booked up, I reached out to Darren.He went above and beyond, monitoring the availability weekly for months until a cabin finally opened up. Not only did he secure my spot, but he also handled every single detail seamlessly and went out of his way to get me on my preferred airline. Darren's persistence and dedication turned what could have been a missed opportunity into a flawless vacation. I cannot recommend him enough!"

Darren was so helpful in booking our trip! He helped us pick the perfect trip for our summer vacation. He even helped us by answering all questions that we had about booking flights, Viking cruise procedures, etc.

I highly recommend this company and I recommend Darren especially!

Darren was the best, he was honest and it was the best trip we ever took. He really made sure that we had everything and told us what to look out for. Thank you and i will use him again

This was my first cruise, and the booking process could not have smoother. Many thanks and kudos go to Darren Trencher our agent. He answered all question, offered suggestions and was prompt in all his responses to our queries. It is partly his professionalism that we have already made reservations on our second cruise with Viking.

I did extensive research before booking my Viking European cruise. Right before I submitted my payment, I wanted to speak with a Viking representative to ask a few final questions. That's where my problems began.

I later learned that independent cruise agents can create "co-branded" websites that closely resemble Viking's official website while directing customers to the agent instead. I didn't realize I was dealing with an independent agent rather than Viking directly.

My agent, Darren Trencher, answered my initial questions and then told me I had to book through him and provide him with all of my financial information. My mother and I were traveling together. Despite repeated requests, he never included my mother in any emails or other communications. From that point forward, he provided little to no assistance with any aspect of our cruise.

The biggest issue involved the booking incentive. Darren promised we would receive a $200 credit for booking through him in addition to Viking's promotion. When the credit never appeared, I emailed him twice to remind him. Instead of applying it as the promised shipboard credit, he didn't send a check until after we had already departed on our vacation—making the credit useless during the cruise.

When I returned home, I deposited the $200 check. It was returned for insufficient funds. Not only did I not receive the promised credit, but I was also charged an NSF fee by my bank because the check bounced.

When I contacted Darren, he acknowledged that he already knew the check had been returned. He told me, "Oh, I saw that. They took the $200 from my account and then refunded me. Very strange." He then asked for my Venmo information and eventually sent the $200 electronically. While I did receive the money in the end, it came only after multiple reminders, a bounced check, and unnecessary stress.

This entire experience was frustrating, unprofessional, and completely avoidable. I expected honesty, clear communication, and follow-through. Instead, I experienced poor communication, broken promises, and a bounced reimbursement check.

I plan to contact Viking directly to report my experience because no customer should have to go through this when booking what should be an enjoyable vacation.

I strongly recommend verifying that you are booking directly with Viking or with a reputable travel advisor before providing your personal or financial information.

Darren is responsive to inquiries and always helpful. I trust him to be there when I need him and keep me informed about any changes. I don’t plan to travel without him in the future.

Darren was extremely efficient in handling our cruise reservations. He was super knowledgable and answered all of my questions (and I had a lot of questions). Would definitely recommend Darren and plan to use him again for future travel.

Darren replied quickly to emails and went above and beyond to make our trip very special. He is skilled at making clients happy and as mediary to the cruise company. He got us deals we did not know were available to us.

Darren is always very helpful and follows up especially with issues related to how Viking air travel arrangements are made. Multiple changing of air flights is very challenging for older people and in our case, someone who requires a wheelchair. Most recently our air arrangements were 3 changing of flights to get from Philadelphia to London. Darren was able to help us and we only have 2 changes on the way over.

Darren Trencher was great. Timely responses to all my questions

Darren was always responsive and helpful; we had many issues on and off, and he never got tired of us or complained. He was always happy to help and he did a great job. He made our first voyage with Viking special and are thankful for the individualized help. Hope to meet him face to face some day !

Darren Trencher is awesome. Extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and patient. I highly recommend him.

My experience was flawless. Darren was informative and quick to respond. I highly recommend Cruise Direct online.

Darren Trencher answered all of our questions immediately and made the booking process for our cruise extremely easy. I would be happy to work with him again in the future.

We just completed booking our second cruise for 2026 with Darren at Cruise Direct Online. Each time, Darren listens to our needs and books exactly what we need. If our needs change or for any other reason a change is needed, Darren is always right on top of it and handles it promptly and correctly. It is so reassuring to have an expert looking out for us.

Detail oriented.
Fast replies to questions.
Very efficient.

Kind and polite professional attention to detail— we felt well taken care of!

Darren Trencher was incredibly helpful in making this experience easy to do. Our last one without him was not nearly as easy or enjoyable. Darren really knew his stuff and it showed.

Darren did a great job from the beginning to the end of our trip. We will definitely use his services again in the future.