Benefits of transferring an existing reservation to a TA

OK, let me start off by saying that when it comes to my vacation, I'm a bit of a control freak. I have an existing reservation that I made directly with RCI, as I have always done. However, I have seen some YouTube videos from a certain TA claiming that even if I have an existing reservation, he can still get me a better price/deal by transferring my reservation over to him. Before I call him to see what he can offer me, I have some questions.

1. Will I still be able to make my own pre-cruise purchases and reservations (drink package, excursions, shows, etc.) or do I have to go thru the TA?

2. What other inconveniences might I experience with transferring my reservation? (In your opinion)

Keep in mind - I'm a control freak! :D

OK, let me start off by saying that when it comes to my vacation, I'm a bit of a control freak. I have an existing reservation that I made directly with RCI, as I have always done. However, I have seen some YouTube videos from a certain TA claiming that even if I have an existing reservation, he can still get me a better price/deal by transferring my reservation over to him. Before I call him to see what he can offer me, I have some questions.

1. Will I still be able to make my own pre-cruise purchases and reservations (drink package, excursions, shows, etc.) or do I have to go thru the TA?

2. What other inconveniences might I experience with transferring my reservation? (In your opinion)

Keep in mind - I'm a control freak! :D

You can still make your own pre-cruise purchase through Royal's Cruise Planner.

You cannot perform certain modifications yourself anymore, such as: stateroom change, price drop, cancel, dining change between Tradtional and MTD, adding/removing prepaid gratuities, making payments, etc.

By the way, you only have 60 days from when the cruise was first booked to transfer.

If you made your reservation 60 days ago or later, you won't be able to transfer your reservation.

What the TA can do for you depends on a lot of factors. They might be able to save you money, they might not. Many TAs will at least give you a portion of their commission as OBC or some other gift (specialty restaurant dinner, bottle of wine, etc). So what you gain will vary, but there usually is a financial benefit to using a TA. Also developing a relationship with a GOOD TA is that they'll fill you in on good deals that fit your tastes as they come across them. TAs are also helpful in difficult or customer service situations - for example I was able to get a client some OBC on their upcoming Allure cruise when Royal modified the itinerary from St Thomas to San Juan (the reason they had booked this sailing was specifically for St Thomas).

As for what you lose, mainly you lose control over "structural" changes to your reservation. If you decide to want to upgrade, switch staterooms, cancel, etc, that all has to go through your travel agent. If you see a price drop, you'll need to have your agent contact Royal Caribbean for you to receive the new pricing. You also make your payment through your travel agent, not through Royal Caribbean. However the charge on your card will show Royal Caribbean not the travel agency.

You are still able to use the cruise planner, make dining & show reservations, buy drink/dining packages, etc. You still fill out all of your cruise documentation on line.

Be aware some travel agencies have cancellation/change fees.

Given that you're a self-proclaimed "control freak", you may just want to keep the reservation direct with Royal Caribbean. But if you're not planning on changing staterooms, adding/subtracting passengers, cancelling, changing sailing dates/ships, etc, then you will see almost no difference between using Royal Caribbean and booking through the TA.

Don't do it. Biggest mistake I ever made - especially if you like to be in control.

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Don't do it. Biggest mistake I ever made - especially if you like to be in control.

 

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Why is that?

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We book balcony or better. We make the booking direct, choosing stateroom, dining, etc. Well within the 60 days we transfer to our TA (who has someone on duty 7 days) and we get an average of 8% refundable OBC .

We enjoy control, but also like free $.

YMMV

Why is that?

Yeah ... what he/she said ..... why?

By the way, you only have 60 days from when the cruise was first booked to transfer.

If you made your reservation 60 days ago or later, you won't be able to transfer your reservation.

Well, that settles that - I'm at 83 days right now. But thank you all so much for your input. It's still valuable information for me to consider the next time I book a cruise. And there will ALWAYS be a next time. ;) Because, as my signature states, "Happiness is having a Cruise Countdown". :hearteyes:

Yeah ... what he/she said ..... why?

I was tempted to clarify, but was reluctant to bash TAs in the public forum. Perhaps our TA was just a lemon, but is has jaded my opinion of them in general.

I booked online, but contacted a travel agent to help arrange some excursions at our destinations. Within minutes, I got a phone call, and she "recommended" transferring my reservation to her in order to make things easier. I had heard that, although TAs cannot undersell the cruise line per se, they can offer perks like sharing their commission, giving OBC, etc. So I thought, what the heck? What do I have to lose?

Later that week, I received a statement from the cruise line showing that my stateroom had been changed. We had booked a junior suite and were now in a balcony stateroom, yet the price had gone UP. I called my TA and she said that she changed it (without even asking me) because it was a better deal, but the price went up because the promotion I booked it under had ended. "I'm very sorry." :mad:

After much hassle between the cruise line and myself, I got the original booking back.

The TA said that she could not book airfare for us, or she would have to charge an $80 upcharge per ticket since the airlines do not offer commissions. Fair enough - I booked it myself.

When I asked her about the excursions (my original reason for contacting a TA in the first place) she was giving me prices much higher than I was seeing online, both from the cruise line and private companies. Again, I asked why. "Because they don't pay commission." :confused:

In the end I almost lost my stateroom, booked my own airfare, researched and booked my own excursions, and ended up with no "perks" whatsoever. I basically just did all the work and gave my TA a nice commission for nothing.

Like I said, I may have just approached the wrong TA, but her agency was recommended by my cruise line. All in all a bad experience that has led me to never use a TA again. If you have a friend that you trust who can recommend a good one, go for it; but don't pick one out of the phone book. (Do they have phone books anymore?)

A good TA can be very handy if you want something done, since they usually have more "pull". However for a control freak, it is up to you. If you want to change something you can't do it yourself, you have to ask the TA.

When it can be really handy to have a TA is if something goes wrong. They can be looking after fixing things while you are flying, for example.

Again, all of this has to do with having a "good" TA. There are definitely duds.

When I book on board , which is less since many benefits went away over last few years, I transfer to my normal agency. My company on, on board bookings, always gives prepaid tips on Royal & Celebrity ,on balcony or above, not usually OBC ,but often 2 specialty dinners, and 1 spa . It is true about control but the 13.95 X2 X7 savings on tips and 2 chops on Oasis$49.00 each and $100.00 spa I have a lot of benefits to balance out on a lower price. If the price lowers a good bit I can always contact agent to do the leg work. I guess what works for you is always the best. If you are comfortable with the way you do bookings, than thats all that matters. Safe cruises and calm Seas to all. Bob & Nancy The Villages, Florida:):):)

Well, that settles that - I'm at 83 days right now. But thank you all so much for your input. It's still valuable information for me to consider the next time I book a cruise. And there will ALWAYS be a next time. ;) Because, as my signature states, "Happiness is having a Cruise Countdown". :hearteyes:

If you are in the US, did a refundable deposit, and are not yet at final payment date it wouldn't hurt to reach out to the travel agent and see what pricing you could get for a similar stateroom through them. If it's a better deal, have the TA put a room on 24-hour hold to lock in pricing, cancel our existing reservation with Royal, and then make the deposit with the travel agent. Even if you have paid the cruise in full, if you are before final payment date you would receive a full refund from Royal Caribbean.

I was tempted to clarify, but was reluctant to bash TAs in the public forum. Perhaps our TA was just a lemon, but is has jaded my opinion of them in general.

 

I booked online, but contacted a travel agent to help arrange some excursions at our destinations. Within minutes, I got a phone call, and she "recommended" transferring my reservation to her in order to make things easier. I had heard that, although TAs cannot undersell the cruise line per se, they can offer perks like sharing their commission, giving OBC, etc. So I thought, what the heck? What do I have to lose?

 

Later that week, I received a statement from the cruise line showing that my stateroom had been changed. We had booked a junior suite and were now in a balcony stateroom, yet the price had gone UP. I called my TA and she said that she changed it (without even asking me) because it was a better deal, but the price went up because the promotion I booked it under had ended. "I'm very sorry." :mad:

 

After much hassle between the cruise line and myself, I got the original booking back.

 

The TA said that she could not book airfare for us, or she would have to charge an $80 upcharge per ticket since the airlines do not offer commissions. Fair enough - I booked it myself.

 

When I asked her about the excursions (my original reason for contacting a TA in the first place) she was giving me prices much higher than I was seeing online, both from the cruise line and private companies. Again, I asked why. "Because they don't pay commission." :confused:

 

In the end I almost lost my stateroom, booked my own airfare, researched and booked my own excursions, and ended up with no "perks" whatsoever. I basically just did all the work and gave my TA a nice commission for nothing.

 

Like I said, I may have just approached the wrong TA, but her agency was recommended by my cruise line. All in all a bad experience that has led me to never use a TA again. If you have a friend that you trust who can recommend a good one, go for it; but don't pick one out of the phone book. (Do they have phone books anymore?)

This sounds like worse then a "lemon" lol. Sorry to hear about your experience. A smart TA never discusses their commission or lack thereof. Ever.

sorry to hijack but just curious, i booked in May for a '19 cruise. now well beyond my 60 day window, just this week i was able to get this switched over to a TA. She was able to do a work-around and get everything switched over. When i asked her about this, she told me she has someone at RCI that she works this through. Everything has been finalized and I've confirmed the switchover for myself and the other 2 bookings who are going with us. Nothing has changed in our reservations other than it now shows that the TA is in control on RCI's website. Have i risked anything doing this? The agency has rave reviews for their service, in part i'm sure because of this. thoughts?

sorry to hijack but just curious, i booked in May for a '19 cruise. now well beyond my 60 day window, just this week i was able to get this switched over to a TA. She was able to do a work-around and get everything switched over. When i asked her about this, she told me she has someone at RCI that she works this through. Everything has been finalized and I've confirmed the switchover for myself and the other 2 bookings who are going with us. Nothing has changed in our reservations other than it now shows that the TA is in control on RCI's website. Have i risked anything doing this? The agency has rave reviews for their service, in part i'm sure because of this. thoughts?

If you have the same reservation number as before the switch, then I'd say your TA was able to get the 60-day rule bent.

If you have the same reservation number as before the switch, then I'd say your TA was able to get the 60-day rule bent.

Yes, but I would bet if there were a price change, they wouldn't be able to do it. If no price change, it would be easy to cancel and rebook, so that's probably why they could make the switch.

The key is having a great travel agent. Mine checks the prices everyday. I try to check daily, but often forget. He saved me over $1000 when the kids sail free first came out. I woke up to a email from him with a copy of the booking invoice. By the time I got up to check the price had gone up a couple hundred bucks from what he got. He offers to help with reservations and excursions, but I like to feel like I am planning part of the trip. I have booked several by myself and ended transferring for the benefits.

Yes, but I would bet if there were a price change, they wouldn't be able to do it. If no price change, it would be easy to cancel and rebook, so that's probably why they could make the switch.

Makes sense.

thanks guys. yeah it was a straight transfer over, nothing involving price changes. Just moved from me to the them.

sorry to hijack but just curious, i booked in May for a '19 cruise. now well beyond my 60 day window, just this week i was able to get this switched over to a TA. She was able to do a work-around and get everything switched over. When i asked her about this, she told me she has someone at RCI that she works this through. Everything has been finalized and I've confirmed the switchover for myself and the other 2 bookings who are going with us. Nothing has changed in our reservations other than it now shows that the TA is in control on RCI's website. Have i risked anything doing this? The agency has rave reviews for their service, in part i'm sure because of this. thoughts?

I've also had the 60 day rule "bent" so it can be done but technically, 60 days is the limit for transferring to a TA.

If you have the same reservation number as before the switch, then I'd say your TA was able to get the 60-day rule bent.

I used to have a TA that when I said take the reservation, it was done. Nothing at all I had to do.

sorry to hijack but just curious, i booked in May for a '19 cruise. now well beyond my 60 day window, just this week i was able to get this switched over to a TA. She was able to do a work-around and get everything switched over. When i asked her about this, she told me she has someone at RCI that she works this through. Everything has been finalized and I've confirmed the switchover for myself and the other 2 bookings who are going with us. Nothing has changed in our reservations other than it now shows that the TA is in control on RCI's website. Have i risked anything doing this? The agency has rave reviews for their service, in part i'm sure because of this. thoughts?

What perks are you getting for the change?

I used to have a TA that when I said take the reservation, it was done. Nothing at all I had to do.

Interesting, I used to have to sign a transfer document.

Interesting, I used to have to sign a transfer document.

Yes, never had to do that. Then he went and retired and haven't found another great TA since

Don't do it. Biggest mistake I ever made - especially if you like to be in control.

 

Nothing wrong with TA's.

You just made poor choices....