No more TA discounts on NCL cruises

[2Cruise4Ever]

Do you honestly believe that TAs won't try their best to compete under these new guidelines?

 

I do believe they will do their best. But, like I've said... the OBC being offered today won't come close to the savings we've enjoyed in the past. I really hope they are able to stay in business. I LOVE my TA. And, I will do what I can to promote them.

[OrangeAndBlue]

Do you honestly believe that TAs won't try their best to compete under these new guidelines?

 

As far as the OBC goes, it will have to be part of a pre-approved marketing plan that is done BEFORE the sale is released to the public and approved by the NCL marketing department. Usually these are one or two week sales and the cruise must be booked within that time frame.

 

TAs aren't going to be able to continuously run back to back sales nor will they be able to just giveaway OBCs at any time.

 

There will be competition but it will be restricted and less of it.

[big green]

no it isn't

 

1. The price today is different than the price in February.

2. If the TA is willing to kick back commissions through a discount, they will kick back commissions through an OBC.

 

NCL gave the 300OBC for suiotes

 

BG

[gliles]

i look forward to the day when cruise lines wake up and join the internet age by giving internet customers their best price.

 

amen!

[big green]

no it isn't

 

1. The price today is different than the price in February.

2. If the TA is willing to kick back commissions through a discount, they will kick back commissions through an OBC.

 

looking back at my notes the NCL price for suite at the time was about the same as it is now --10166 was an AD suite then.

 

Also every suite i have booked in the past i have experienced large discounts from my TA-- usually in the $900-1200 range--plus usually some OBC as high $600 dollars plus the discount in the past--I can not see where this change will not hurt me in total cruise cost .

 

BG

[Giorgi-one]

BTW, I never called you a liar and I am sorry if you thought that I implied that. Truly was not my intention. I just wanted some more clarification.

 

Understanding now that the agency you went through actually does purchase a block a cabins makes a lot more sense. That being the case, you very well of could have seen such a significant price difference. Like you stated, it's a risky thing to do but it could well pay off in the long run if the prices go up on suites. Kinda like buying a stock hoping it would double in a year. Only they can return them before final payment for a refund.

 

Maybe this is part of the reason that the companies in my previous post might have went out of business and stranded thousands of cruisers?!?!?

 

I have never heard of agencies buying cabins. Also, as I am sure you know, the discount for holding cabins in a group is not that much. Cruise lines have no trouble selling out suites so why would they give them away. These are the cabins they make the most profit. In most cases when I check a Celebrity cruise a year before departure all the suites are sold except the cheapest ones. I booked a Spa Suite on the Epic for January 2011 in August 2009. I got the last one and there were no Penthouse suites left almost 16 months before departure. I believe the passenger paid $6500 but I do not believe the explanation which was given to the passenger by the agency.

[2Cruise4Ever]

I have never heard of agencies buying cabins. I believe the passenger paid $6500 but I do not believe the explanation which was given to the passenger by the agency.

 

Just because you've never heard of it, doesn't mean it's not true.

 

And, if you don't believe what I was told, that's your opinion. All I know is that I received a $1,500 discount on my cruise.

[halos]

NCL is offering free insruance in lieu of discounts. Your TA is just passing along the NCL freebie.

 

The agency is offering it for CCL as well.

Not that it matters to me. I never liked the insurance the cruise lines or TA's offered and always bought my own through Insuremytrip.com

 

I'd like to see exactly what their 'free' insurance covers before I would get excited over it anyway. To me, free insurance is not a great perk.

Prepaid gratuities is though, and sometimes agencies will offer that.

[halos]

Um, the name on the cabins to begin with is the Travel Agency. They don't sell those cabins, they pay for them.

 

Since the price of a cruise has dropped over the last few years overall, I doubt I will find the $1,500 savings today. BUT, 4 years ago, when we booked the NCL Dawn (in a penthouse).. the price on NCL was $8,000 (approximately... give or take a few dollars). We booked through our TA, for $6,500. Why would I lie about THAT????

 

Some people just don't want to hear that you got a deal....let it go. You don't need to prove anything.

 

I have never heard of agencies buying cabins. .

Well now you have.

[decoste45]

2cruise4ever - we have gotten the same deals as you for the last 2 cruises. You are right and just because Paulcathcart doesn't believe you doesn't mean you are wrong and he is right.

 

Our Jewel cruise next May 2011 was on NCL for $8,100 (Courtyard)... we bought through an on-line TA for $6,600.

I don't believe the TA had pre-bought the cabins or blocked them off as when we looked at NCL the same cabins were avilable and listed as on the on-line site. So, if they were blocked/bought by someone else, why would they show up in both places as being available????

Last year we did the Courtyard on the Jewel and saved $1,500 and ALSO got a $500 obc. When purchasing a suite I have never found NCL to be the lowest price. Some of the other cabins I have noticed that NCL is much closer in price (balcony and inside) as other TA's.

[iheartbda]

Some people just don't want to hear that you got a deal....let it go. You don't need to prove anything.

 

No,2Cruise4Ever doesn't HAVE to prove anything because people around here know she's not "full of it". It's just very frustrating when she states her experience then someone comes along and questions everything or doubts what she says. Someone else should have let it go a long time ago.;)

[OrangeAndBlue]

No,2Cruise4Ever doesn't HAVE to prove anything because people around here know she's not "full of it". It's just very frustrating when she states her experience then someone comes along and questions everything or doubts what she says. Someone else should have let it go a long time ago.;)

 

Please will everyone read through what I have stated. I never stated that she was "full of it" or that she was a liar. I'm sorry if it came across that way and I have already apologized once. All I was asking for is clarification. As both a consumer and a TA, the numbers don't add up. If someone got the deal, they got the deal. It's awesome that they did.

 

And if they're getting that kind of deal, I would kinda like to know how. If I can still make a decent commission and still pass along that kind of discount, I would like to be able to do it! My clients would benefit and so would I. However, something isn't right and you just can't sell a cruise for that much less unless something else is going on!

 

This is what I know. On the date that someone buys a cruise from one of these online agencies and gets $2000 in discounts and OBCs, there is NO WAY that the discount agency is buying the cruise at that date and time and able to pass that kind of discount along. Either they have purchased that cabin way before on the gamble that they would sell it or they are kicking in twice what they are making in commission. The highest commission level for NCL is 17% and that is on the base fare. So for a $7100 cruise with NCL I just looked up the commission is $1100. If there are agencies out there that are knocking $1500 off the price and then giving an additional $500 in OBC, I would like to know how they are doing it. If NCL is giving them a super break on the price to do it, I am sure every TA out there would like to know.

 

I just sent in a quote for one of the cruises above to several of those online super agencies and I'm waiting to hear back on what their current price is. I'm curious to find out what kind of discount they are currently touting.

[iheartbda]

Please will everyone read through what I have stated. I never stated that she was "full of it" or that she was a liar. I'm sorry if it came across that way and I have already apologized once. All I was asking for is clarification. As both a consumer and a TA, the numbers don't add up. If someone got the deal, they got the deal. It's awesome that they did.

 

 

I only meant in general.....did not mean you said it.:) She is someone whose posts are on the up and up and one can believe what she says. There are posters around who ARE "full of it" in one way or another and it's hard to take much of what they say seriously.:confused:

[mbisson]

No,2Cruise4Ever doesn't HAVE to prove anything because people around here know she's not "full of it". It's just very frustrating when she states her experience then someone comes along and questions everything or doubts what she says. Someone else should have let it go a long time ago.;)

 

I'm with you...when 2cruise4ever states her experience---that's good enough for me :)

[CT Cruiser10]

Suppose that some TAs are doing what 2Cruise4Ever suggests. They buy a bunch of suites early in the game hoping that the price will go up and they will be able to sell them at a higher price than they paid, but a large discount to the then market price.

 

An example:

Cruise departs on 7/1/2012

ABC TA buys 5 suites on 1/1/2010 for $5,000 each

NCL raises the prices on 7/1/2011 to $8,000

ABC TA sells 3 suites on 7/1/2011 for $6,500 each

Final Payment is due on 1/1/2012, so ABC TA returns the last 2 suites to NCL and has their money returned.

 

Is this allowed?

If so, it's pretty obvious why NCL would want to end this practice.

 

If this sort of thing had been occuring with a large number of TAs, then I can actually see the overall price of NCL cruises going down due to this new rule. They won't have to worry about TAs returning a bunch of unsold cabins 2 days before final payment is due.

[spacewoman]

I emailed my TA about something regarding our upcoming cruise and I asked about this new pricing policy from both CCL and NCL. She said "don't worry about it" So---- the travel agencies must have something up their sleeves to get around this. I'm assuming they feel they won't have an issue getting "pre-approval" of discounts through any one of the lines.

 

My TA went to work for a "big" agency about 3 years ago. She said by the time it came down to dollars and cents for a paycheck she'd make the same with the bigger agency. She also said she'd be able to offer better discounts being with a big outfit. I always check the cruise lines sites, other websites, etc. and she has been true to her word.

 

I hope a travel agent member of this board can post here and let us all know what's up.

 

As far as those here giving different discount info -- I, for one, can attest to folks on our cruises telling us different amounts paid for the same category cabin. Did I look at their paid receipts? No, but I'd like to think that 99% of the time people were telling me the truth.

 

My TA has told me their procedure is this on group bookings --- They block X amount of cabins and they have until a specific date to sell or they have to give the cabins back to the cruise line. I did not specifically ask her if they also kept some suites at hand.

 

These cruise lines need a reality check. I've been looking at our Sept sailing on the Jewel and there are many many cabins still available. In 2008 our CCL cruise was sold out before the final payment and it stayed that way. I know they need to make a profit but I also know they need the ship full in order to do that. One must never cut off their nose to spite their face.

 

 

Kathy

[cod]

There is one online agency that sells NCL for less than other online sites and a lot less than NCL itself..I won't commit a no-no and mention them by name but I'm sure it's the one referred to often when price difference discussions arise here.

 

I've booked our last three NCL cruises with them with no hitches. I booked a specific BC cabin for a January cruise for $485pp (cruise and port) plus tax (eighty-something) that would have cost $639pp plus tax on the NCL site. And I've looked on NCL's site to make sure my reservation is listed correctly with them...it is. (Another online site that I like to check had a $599 price for my category..still less than NCL but a far cry from what I booked at).

 

I, too, wonder how any agency can do that or what the deal is that they have with NCL! Their CCL and RC rates match the cruiselines so it appears that they are sort of a 'discount house' for NCL.

 

However, it sounds like this may all come to a halt shortly..darn!

 

I too worked as a TA (part-time only for a couple of years) and I'm also curious about some of the deals talked about here. We only made a percentage - 10 to 15% depending on the cruiseline -of the cruise price alone (taking the port charge portion out of the base price) so there is not a lot of money to be made in this industry UNLESS you sell a heck of a lot of cruises along with some really high $$ ones which was NOT my case...at least not in my little Mississippi town. (Let me say that I NEVER sold a suite! lol)

[cod]

Correction.....the $599 rate on that OTHER site is for a BE. Their BC is the same as NCL's rate, $639.

 

That means there is actually is only one DISCOUNT online site for NCL...at least that I can find.

[Mooder]

I emailed my TA about something regarding our upcoming cruise and I asked about this new pricing policy from both CCL and NCL. She said "don't worry about it" So---- the travel agencies must have something up their sleeves to get around this. I'm assuming they feel they won't have an issue getting "pre-approval" of discounts through any one of the lines.

 

MY TA was not sure what they would do yet and was not so reassuring. But I hope you are right.

 

There is one online agency that sells NCL for less than other online sites and a lot less than NCL itself..I won't commit a no-no and mention them by name but I'm sure it's the one referred to often when price difference discussions arise here.

 

 

There is more than one online agency that offers the big discounts. I have booked with 2 different agencies, finally stuck with one because of superior customer service. And I have friends who deal with at least 2 others. This policy change is going to affect a lot of business and a lot of cruisers.

 

A lot of the examples given here are for suites so I just want to add that I have never booked a full length cruise in a suite. The discounts I am able to get from the TA out of their commission is a very nice discount. Naturally, not thousands since the cabins are less expensive, but saving $300 - $500 plus $75 OBC on a $2,000 cruise helps a lot. Last year, we did not book with a group or one of the TA's groups, but after we booked, they booked a group and he took it upon himself to add me in so that I could get the same perks as the group (additional OBC, etc). So, I felt very well cared for by my TA. For that reason, I will probably stay with them and hope they come up with a strategy to make up for this new policy.

[Alliea]

Please will everyone read through what I have stated. I never stated that she was "full of it" or that she was a liar. I'm sorry if it came across that way and I have already apologized once. All I was asking for is clarification. As both a consumer and a TA, the numbers don't add up. If someone got the deal, they got the deal. It's awesome that they did.

 

And if they're getting that kind of deal, I would kinda like to know how. If I can still make a decent commission and still pass along that kind of discount, I would like to be able to do it! My clients would benefit and so would I. However, something isn't right and you just can't sell a cruise for that much less unless something else is going on!

 

This is what I know. On the date that someone buys a cruise from one of these online agencies and gets $2000 in discounts and OBCs, there is NO WAY that the discount agency is buying the cruise at that date and time and able to pass that kind of discount along. Either they have purchased that cabin way before on the gamble that they would sell it or they are kicking in twice what they are making in commission. The highest commission level for NCL is 17% and that is on the base fare. So for a $7100 cruise with NCL I just looked up the commission is $1100. If there are agencies out there that are knocking $1500 off the price and then giving an additional $500 in OBC, I would like to know how they are doing it. If NCL is giving them a super break on the price to do it, I am sure every TA out there would like to know.

 

I just sent in a quote for one of the cruises above to several of those online super agencies and I'm waiting to hear back on what their current price is. I'm curious to find out what kind of discount they are currently touting.

 

You do realise that these are not "super" agencies.. but yea they are online.. I consider the gnome super agencies.. I don't think they are talking about that type place..That is not the place I have used. I wish I could send you the site I use.. you could put in all your information, and they come up with many different agencies competing for your cruise.

[OrangeAndBlue]

You do realise that these are not "super" agencies.. but yea they are online.. I consider the gnome super agencies.. I don't think they are talking about that type place..That is not the place I have used. I wish I could send you the site I use.. you could put in all your information, and they come up with many different agencies competing for your cruise.

 

I know EXACTLY what sites and companies everyone here is referring to. It's not that big of a secret ;). By super, I meant they're doing super things with bookings!

[sparks1093]

I know EXACTLY what sites and companies everyone here is referring to. It's not that big of a secret ;). By super, I meant they're doing super things with bookings!

 

It's a secret to me:o. I've checked several online agencies and have not found one that has a lower fare than NCL (at least for the sailing I can actually go on due to school vacations).

[spacewoman]

I wanted to add that, in conversing with my TA, the agency she works for several months back changed their pay structure. They gave them more commission but cut their base pay. This makes me wonder how the new fare thing is going to affect them.

 

For me, personally, who likes the one on one with having a travel agent I can go see face to face, I see doom and gloom in their industry. Big box Home Depot and Lowes put every hardware store in our area out of business, Quiznos, subway, McDonald's, donuts, etc are putting delis out of business now in our area, are the cruise lines themselves going to do this to the TA businesses now, where you can only book with them or online and then are the online people going to outsource to the Philippines and India like the computer companies are doing????:eek:

[peg013]

I have figured out exactly what the agencies in question are doing. Somehow, they've gotten NCL to give them special pricing when selling these cruises. When looking at the prices that they are offering, the rates match EXACTLY cabin category for cabin category for the lowest price offered on a particular sailing, which is usually the military/union rate. It wasn't just on one sailing but on EVERY sailing that I looked at!

 

On one sailing, I look at a suite. The rate given by NCL.com was $3709 + taxes per person. There wasn't a Latitudes discount and only a slight discount given for being a Senior. However, the lowest rate (both military and union) for that suite was $3362 + taxes per person. Imagine my surprise when I saw the rate being offered by one of those online agencies as being $3362 + taxes per person as their "normal" rate. So now already a "savings" of $347 per person, or $694. Also, remember that you CANNOT see military or union rates online so when you go to NCL.com you only see the $3709 + taxes rate! Where did you get this idea? To see the military rate just put PGMIL in the coupon box on the same page as you put the number of passengers and their ages.Next to that "normal" price was their "web" rate of $3049.80. So now you have another savings of $312.20 per person, or $624.40.

 

So in the end, the cruise listed on NCL.com for $7418 + taxes is being sold for $6099.60 + taxes. A savings of $1318.40 to the client which in reality is only a agency discount of $624.40. The agency is still making a commission of around $400 while giving the client significant savings.

 

So the puzzle has been solved. Now to find out why NCL is giving just a couple of agencies preferred pricing. I know the agency that I'm associated with is one of the largest agencies out there. I want to be able to pass along that lower pricing to my clients!

 

So your explanation only applies to those that don't know how to use NCL's site. (Didn't you say you are a TA???)

[mpk218]

Paulcathcart..

 

Well it looks like your not going to have to worry about it if these changes go through . But at least we have come to a conclusion that some of us are not as delusional as many of you think ;)

 

Cruise on