transferring reservations

[mttwinmom]

I was wondering what peoples' experience have been transferring their reservations from ncl to ta. I am booked next fall on the Epic and was just quoted a huge price difference if I transfer my reservation. I checked all the fine print yesterday to make sure of any hidden costs, transfer fees, ect., and still find the difference would be significant. I'm a little confused on why there would be such a difference. I haven't done anything yet, just interested in anyones past experiences, suggestions. I am booked in an A5 catagory. The travel agency is reputable.

Thanks, Lori

[OceanDreaming2]

I was wondering what peoples' experience have been transferring their reservations from ncl to ta. I am booked next fall on the Epic and was just quoted a huge price difference if I transfer my reservation. I checked all the fine print yesterday to make sure of any hidden costs, transfer fees, ect., and still find the difference would be significant. I'm a little confused on why there would be such a difference. I haven't done anything yet, just interested in anyones past experiences, suggestions. I am booked in an A5 catagory. The travel agency is reputable.

Thanks, Lori

 

We transferred a direct-booked reservation to an on-line TA a couple of years ago. It worked out just fine but we now are back to using an NCL PCC just for the ease in handling our reservation(s).

[warriorking]

I transfereed my booked cruise to my local TA because of the better airfare arrangements, no problems whatsoever, I contacted NCL and they told me to send a EMAIL confirming my request to tranfer the booking, TA contacted NCL and all was good, will be making my final payment Monday to my TA for my Jan Eastern Med cruise.....

[DeltaOne]

I'm a little confused on why there would be such a difference.

 

The TA is rebating some of their commission to you, thus you save money.

 

We almost always book with the cruise line first. Choose our room, plan all the details. Then look around for a TA with a lower price and transfer the booking to them. Best of both worlds...I'm in charge in the beginning and make sure everything is right, then look for cost savings later. Once you transfer the booking to the TA all communication with the cruise line must go through the TA, so choose one that is responsive to your needs.

[BopRN]

I just transferred my Hawaii booking for next May to an on-line TA we had used before....and saved $500! I had to fax NCL a statement requesting them to do that. What is interesting is the TA said "NCL had a "lower price available...I wonder why they didn't give you that"." NCL still has a higher price posted for the same cruise....makes me feel ripped off by NCL!!

[STARFISH*4]

i transfered my January cruise to my TA from NCL...no probs...just a bit slowwwww on NCLs part but it all worked out just FINE:)

[Arwenmark]

I do this all the time. It is very easy to do just call the agent you want and give them the booking number and tell them you want to transfer it, they will set up a three way call and you confirm that is what you want. When you do that you lose contol of the reservation which then belongs to the new agent.

[ubdkjrb]

The TA is rebating some of their commission to you, thus you save money.

 

We almost always book with the cruise line first. Choose our room, plan all the details. Then look around for a TA with a lower price and transfer the booking to them. Best of both worlds...I'm in charge in the beginning and make sure everything is right, then look for cost savings later. Once you transfer the booking to the TA all communication with the cruise line must go through the TA, so choose one that is responsive to your needs.

 

This practice is why all of our cruise prices are higher than they could be. The cruiseline puts up all the money to hire, train, office and equip the personnel necessary to book cruises and then turn around and pay 15% commissions to travel agents that do absolutely no work. This is horribly inefficient and costly. Carnival has the right idea and I hope all cruiselines adopt it: you can't transfer a direct booking after 30 days.

[njhorseman]

This practice is why all of our cruise prices are higher than they could be. The cruiseline puts up all the money to hire, train, office and equip the personnel necessary to book cruises and then turn around and pay 15% commissions to travel agents that do absolutely no work. This is horribly inefficient and costly. Carnival has the right idea and I hope all cruiselines adopt it: you can't transfer a direct booking after 30 days.

 

 

So, you just transfer it inside the 30 day limit.

 

I'll wager that most transfers to travel agents take place shortly after the cruise is booked anyway.

 

Most cruise line telephone agents are little more than order takers who perform what is essentially a data entry job, as opposed to being truly knowledgeable sales agents. That's why if you call the cruise lines three times you're likely to get three different answers to your question, and if you're really lucky one of the answers will be correct. If they had to hire large numbers real agents, the cruise lines' expenses would increase dramatically.

[mttwinmom]

gosh, I didn't think the cost of the cruise I'm going on was that high to begin with but I was offered the same exact cruise for $1,200.00 less. Now, in all honesty, what would you do. Keep the original reservation, or benefit from these savings. This is not what I consider underhanded or unethical. I play by all the "rules" and if ncl had issue with this, they would forbid it. Don't worry, be happy:)

[ubdkjrb]

So, you just transfer it inside the 30 day limit.

 

I'll wager that most transfers to travel agents take place shortly after the cruise is booked anyway.

 

Most cruise line telephone agents are little more than order takers who perform what is essentially a data entry job, as opposed to being truly knowledgeable sales agents. That's why if you call the cruise lines three times you're likely to get three different answers to your question, and if you're really lucky one of the answers will be correct. If they had to hire large numbers real agents, the cruise lines' expenses would increase dramatically.

 

And I would wager the opposite. Most know that getting cabin changes, price drops, etc. are easier going direct than thru a TA so I believe most transfer right before final booking. As to your point about just transfer within 30 days - that makes even less sense. What's the point, just book with the TA.

[ubdkjrb]

gosh, I didn't think the cost of the cruise I'm going on was that high to begin with but I was offered the same exact cruise for $1,200.00 less. Now, in all honesty, what would you do. Keep the original reservation, or benefit from these savings. This is not what I consider underhanded or unethical. I play by all the "rules" and if ncl had issue with this, they would forbid it. Don't worry, be happy:)

 

You must be booking the GV!! If the TA were giving away the entire 15% commission (and unless they're the owner, it would be less since the agency gets a cut), the cruise would have to be costing you $8000. The average Joe who is booking a $1500 seven day cruise can expect about $150 in OBC or reduced fare.

[njhorseman]

And I would wager the opposite. Most know that getting cabin changes, price drops, etc. are easier going direct than thru a TA so I believe most transfer right before final booking. As to your point about just transfer within 30 days - that makes even less sense. What's the point, just book with the TA.

 

 

What's the point? Very simple. I'm sitting here on Sunday afternoon, my agent's travel agency is closed, but I spot just the cabin I want on the cruise I want by going to the cruise line's Web site. I book the cabin, it's mine, and I call my travel agent on Monday, Tuesday, or whenever they're next at work to transfer the booking. Now I have the cabin I want on the cruise I want and my agent will give me the price I want.

 

You can sit there, pay hundreds more for the same category cabin that's next to mine, and hope that in six months there might be an upsell that will be offered to you. I'll take the certain cash savings in my pocket...and it doesn't prevent me from getting that same upsell offer.

[ubdkjrb]

What's the point? Very simple. I'm sitting here on Sunday afternoon, my agent's travel agency is closed, but I spot just the cabin I want on the cruise I want by going to the cruise line's Web site. I book the cabin, it's mine, and I call my travel agent on Monday, Tuesday, or whenever they're next at work to transfer the booking. Now I have the cabin I want on the cruise I want and my agent will give me the price I want.

 

You can sit there, pay hundreds more for the same category cabin that's next to mine, and hope that in six months there might be an upsell that will be offered to you. I'll take the certain cash savings in my pocket...and it doesn't prevent me from getting that same upsell offer.

 

I wish every cruiseline President would read your statement and realize what a joke it is to give commissions to travel agencies. In your example the cruiseline already has the booking and when you transfer they give the TA $300 and the TA gives you $150 of it. What a ridiculous business model.

[BIG_Steve]

I wish every cruiseline President would read your statement and realize what a joke it is to give commissions to travel agencies. In your example the cruiseline already has the booking and when you transfer they give the TA $300 and the TA gives you $150 of it. What a ridiculous business model.

 

My view is that most lines would rather shut off the phones, fire their call center, and let independent TAs' fill their ship.

[njhorseman]

I wish every cruiseline President would read your statement and realize what a joke it is to give commissions to travel agencies. In your example the cruiseline already has the booking and when you transfer they give the TA $300 and the TA gives you $150 of it. What a ridiculous business model.

 

 

Not a ridiculous business model when you realize how much it costs to run a customer service operation, and that it's essentially impossible to give the type of service many customers want with that type of operation.

 

By the way, do you think that the cruise lines operate in some sort of La La Land where their executives don't know what is going on? They have to read what I posted on Cruise Critic?

[flashdog_1]

I just transferred my Hawaii booking for next May to an on-line TA we had used before....and saved $500! I had to fax NCL a statement requesting them to do that. What is interesting is the TA said "NCL had a "lower price available...I wonder why they didn't give you that"." NCL still has a higher price posted for the same cruise....makes me feel ripped off by NCL!!

 

That IS surprising if you dealt with a live NCL agent, and it is a big difference in price! However, if you booked online you might have missed a discount thru no fault of your own, just the booking engine might not have asked pertinent questions. Recently when I was changing cabins with my online TA, she saw that there was a regional discount that would get me a balcony for the price of an ocean view, so of course I took it. The previous discount was only for Latitudes, apparently.

 

One word of warning. If you have a super dooper discount, and/or have used those Bank of America upgrade certificates, a travel agency may not want to touch your booking. (I did a cruise compare site and that was the case). Our 2010 cruise falls under military discount and 4 of those upgrade BofA certificates (paid for a BC, got a BA stern). No one wants the booking! I was hoping to transfer it and get some on board credit, but alas, I'm stuck with just the original $75 obc offered at time of booking.

[ubdkjrb]

My view is that most lines would rather shut off the phones, fire their call center, and let independent TAs' fill their ship.

 

If they would shut off the commissions, force TA's to charge for their wonderful service and let their in-house booking engines and people fill their ship ---- they would save 15% of sales dollars. So those cruiselines with sales of one billion $, that would be $150 million more to the bottom line.

[BIG_Steve]

If they would shut off the commissions, force TA's to charge for their wonderful service and let their in-house booking engines and people fill their ship ---- they would save 15% of sales dollars. So those cruiselines with sales of one billion $, that would be $150 million more to the bottom line.

 

If it were that simple, the cruise lines would have locked out the agents years ago.

[mttwinmom]

no, I'm not in a gv. It's a deluxe owners suite and I indeed paid more then $8,000.00 through ncl. Now my entire cruise is almost $1,200.00 less ($1,184.00 to be exact). I could have reserved an inside cabin and hope that an owners suite was still available 3 weeks out for a steep price reduction but that would be a gamble I'm not willing to take. I would rather get the discounted price 10 months out then 3 weeks (and select the suite I want). I'm not sure what the difference is, either way ncl isn't getting the price they would love to get.