We booked our first cruise via Cruise Direct and will avoid them going forward. At first, the customer service was ok; they mistakenly told us we would get free laundry on the cruise, which was incorrect, and compensated us so we could pay for laundry onboard. When we returned, we applied for the Visa Gift Card worth US$650 we were promised as a booking incentive. The card never arrived, and after over eight phone calls we finally received a gift card (not Visa) for CA$650, which is over CA$250 less than we were promised. After more calls, they cancelled that card and delivered the US$650 Visa card they promised. However, they didn't mention that it can only be used in the US! After further calls and having to deal with the worst customer service agent I've ever spoken to, we received a CA$675 gift card (not Visa), which we have applied to our Amazon account. The hassle to try and get the Visa Gift Card is just not worth it, and the terrible customer service around the matter means we will avoid them going forward and go back to booking direct with the cruise lines.
Recommendation: Book directly with the cruise line and avoid Cruise Direct.