Best gift from travel agent?

What is the best gift you have gotten from your travel agent for booking with them? We booked our last February cruise online with an independent agent, which I won't mention, and we got a $200 onboard credit, nice bottle of champagne in our room, and a $20 gift certificate for photos onboard. We were very impressed. We knew about the onboard credit, but were nicely surprised with the champagne and gift certificate. We are cruising next March and have booked through a regular travel agent this time, and she is saying that they usually do not give any kind of gift for booking with them. She said she would work on it. I was thinking that it was really nice to get a few freebies. What have you gotten that is worth writing about???

We use the same local agent and she looks after us well. I will say that we have never received anything from the agent or her company. The first crusie we took the group they belong to was offering some onboard credit. I read of others getting onboard credit and other things but not us. I am happy with our agents service so this is not an issue, but I can't help wonder if this is usual or is our local agency just tight fisted?

We have received good service from our travel agent and some really good bargains on cruise and airfare, but never any gifts. Maybe we should have asked, "What extra can you give us if we book this cruise with you?" But that would be uncomfortable. A nice unexpected perk would sure be a treat, though!

FYI, the gifts that some agents give comes out of the commission they receive from Princess...so in essence YOU are paying for your own gift! I prefer an agent doesn't give me a gift but the best rate possible and rebate back most or all of the commission!

Tony

I have gotten on board credit, appetizers, and photos. That coupled with excellent rates have kept me going back to the same agent. Oh and she checks rates and if they have gone down we get our rate reduced. Thanks to everyone here at CC back in the old days when we could talk about agents. That is how I found her. My first cruise back in 1989 was booked through a local agent and we payed LIST price. There were no perks with that cruise and we even booked the air through the cruise line. I guess you have to pay your money to get your education sometimes.

I've played the rate game for several years with as many agents and now prefer to use an established agent with a live person at the other end of the phone to not only give me a competitive rate but mainly personal service in the event of changes to our cruising plans. Have had everything from onboard credits to wine, coupon books, etc., and still prefer a good price without the onboard perks.

Of course a note or small token in the cabin is always a nice touch! :)

what my TA gives me is SERVICE. She is there for me when I need her. if she hears of something that I might like she calls. She checks the rates, and if they go down makes sure I get a refund. She also always calls whenI get home, to see if all went well. If not she follows through. she is dependable and that means alot to me. (she does throw in a bottle of wine per cruise too...but I don't use her for that.)

The best gift from our travel agent is great service and the best pricing around. When I can save hundreds, and sometimes many many hundreds of dollars on my booking, who needs the gifts? I would much rather save a bunch and get great service then a bottle of wine.

But I am glad for those that enjoy their gifts. Trust me, you are USUALLY paying a hefty price for them through the Travel Agent you book with. ;)

We were very impressed. We knew about the onboard credit, but were nicely surprised with the champagne and gift certificate. We are cruising next March and have booked through a regular travel agent this time, and she is saying that they usually do not give any kind of gift for booking with them.

If you got such a great deal from the travel agent, why didn't you book again with them?

Perhaps the first agent got you in on a group booking they had going, which is why you got the amenities.

We used a well known agency for our cruise to Alaska last July. We had a PH for my DW and me, inside cabin for our two kids and a balcony cabin for my parents. The price we had for our cruise was the same as all the discount web sites. Our travel agent took care of everything and even called us about changes in airline flights. We were listed as VIPs on the Diamond Princess and were treated as such. We had a bottle of champagne in our room and my parents room, spa treatment for two and a gift certificate for $100 to use on board. We even got to tour the bridge. My in-laws used their AmX agent for the same cruise and got nothing. Paid the same rate as my parents.

Did we pay for these extras? Yes, in a way. But the travel agent used the money from their commission to pay for these gifts. Don't begrudge your travel agent making a profit. Just wait until you really need some help and have used an on-line broker. You will be on your own, trust me, I have been there, done that.:)

I found my current agent by using a travel website. He is the best! On my first cruise we got all kinds of goodies: bottles of wine, on-board credits, travel totes, and Princess coupon books. When I call him, he is always there for me and follows through with everything that I need to insure that my cruise is wonderful. Not to mention that he will move mountains to get me the best fare. Not only that, he is now a dear FRIEND. We talk and laugh on the telephone for hours. He is in the mid-west and I've yet to meet him. We keep trying to get together whenever he gets to the Ft. Lauderdale area, but something always comes up. Its such a shame that we can't post t/a names, because he is AWESOME!

:) Best gift from travel agent? ...........Good price and good service......:)

In addition we have receive wine, free photos, ship board credit and tote bags......nothing overly expensive .....but gratefully received as appreciation for booking with her....:)

FYI, the gifts that some agents give comes out of the commission they receive from Princess...so in essence YOU are paying for your own gift! I prefer an agent doesn't give me a gift but the best rate possible and rebate back most or all of the commission!

I never really considered the commission (sp?) before. Do I pay the commission or does the cruiseline pay it? Sure would like to know that info, although it won't make any difference as to my relationship with my TA. She is very good at what she does and I like having a person that I can actually speak with in her office. :)

The TA's commission is built into the price of the cruise that's quoted. Some TAs have such high volume that they rebate part of their commission to their clients and thus their clients pay less for the cruise. Other TAs spend part of their commission on "gifts" to their clients.

I have just completed three cruises and got absolutely nothing from travel agents.

Just wondering...

Those of you who have not received a thank you gift from your TA, did you book it through an online company, or a local travel agent?

I always send clients a thank you gift. I was under the impression that most TA's do. I'm surprised to read that some of you don't receive at least a bottle of wine or something as a thank you.

I have used the same travel agent since our honneymoon fifteen years ago. I beleive we have almost always received some token of appreciation for our business.

I have also put together many groups that she has coordinated and booked for us. After returning home from one of those cruises she even sent us a lovely gift basket as a thank you for our business.

I have now joined an agency as an outside agent and am booking on my own. In a few weeks we will take our last cruise, a group of about 21 of us, that was booked through her about a year ago. She is aware that I have ventured out on my own and she is still providing the same service and I will not be surprised to find a bottle of wine or something in our stateroom with a note of appreciation.

I am now doing the same things that I have learned from her. I notice the little things and some of the folks I have booked this year have mentioned that they have appreciated the little momentos of appreciation and a wish for an unforgetable escape.

Your agent is paid from the booking. But if they are providing you service of finding great rates, getting you the staterooms you want, and helping with the details you may not have thought of aren't you just paying them for the job they are doing for you! A great agent is worth every cent!!!

Here's to many more unforgetable vacation adventures!!!

I used my local TA for my cruise in May of this year.. A bouquet of flowers were waiting in the room and a coupon for a 8 by 10 portrait and a silver frame.. I thought that was very nice.. My next cruise is booked through and online agent. He says I will get dinner for two in the specialty restaurant and 2 bottles of wine. My next second cruise is booked back with my local travel agent.. She books all my Princess cruises.. Not sure what she will give this time.. My 3rd cruise is booked back with the same online travel agent and I even asked this time what perks I would get if any. He said on this one I will get a 50.00 onboard credit and dinner for two in the specialty restaurant. So far we have got some nice things and still getting bottom prices on fares.

FYI, the gifts that some agents give comes out of the commission they receive from Princess...so in essence YOU are paying for your own gift! I prefer an agent doesn't give me a gift but the best rate possible and rebate back most or all of the commission!

 

Tony

how do you expect your travel agent to stay in business if she rebates all of the comission?

Bill

The nicest gift we ever got from a travel agent was car service to and from the airport. That was quite some time ago.

FYI, the gifts that some agents give comes out of the commission they receive from Princess...so in essence YOU are paying for your own gift! I prefer an agent doesn't give me a gift but the best rate possible and rebate back most or all of the commission!

 

Tony

Wouldn't the world be wonderful if ALL travel agents were willing to work for free?

I think that if you get good service an attention, that is the best gift you can get when booking with a TA. With the competition now (low fares), some bookings can net as low as $30 in profit to the agency on a short duration cruise per person. The agency that I work with give a nice bottle of wine to clients when they pick up the tickets.

An unusual gift that we really loved was a large bromeliad plant on our front doorstep when we arrived home after a cruise. Here I was, facing a mountain of laundry, and here was this beautiful plant to cheer me up! Ten years and five hurricanes later, that plant is still sitting on my patio table!

Another nice gift, promised by a travel agent, but never received was dinner sent in from a deli the day we returned from a cruise. That would have been delightful, but she forgot to send it!

Those were a long time ago. Today, we don't expect anything, but we are pleased when we find something in our cabin....a coupon book, a specialty dinner, or even a bottle of wine to share with our tablemates. In these days of cut-throat competition between neighborhood travel agents and on-line agents, I don't think they have the budget for lavish gifts.

I agree, wholeheartedly, that there is nothing like a good local TA. We lost our TA through her retirement, and then we moved out of the area. We had a local agent book a trip for us, and she was not very personable so we tried online the next trip. Our first TA was great, but we never got any perks so were were surprised to get gifts after booking online. When we planned our upcoming trip we wanted to get a local TA again, and tried a new company. I first went online to see what the online agent could do for us, and then I went to the local TA. She matched the price, and that is how we ended up going with her. It is nice to have someone local, but I was just curious as to what everyone else was experiencing with their agents.