Transferring Reservations from Celebrity to a Travel Agent - New Rules

[Christine Frances]

I always book very far out and I am still looking for my first price drop! :( It has dropped after final but never lower than my original booking. I monitor closely for price, rooms possible upgrades etc and when something comes up I call/email my T/A and it is taken care of very quickly. She actually seems to have a better "in" with X than I do! I don't feel like I am giving up control - just phoning a different number. Since I know I will get good service & great OBC from my TA, so when I tsf my booking to her doesn't really matter.

[cruzmaven]

If many changes, price drops etc are handled by the cruiseline for the past year with their staff , why would they want to pay a travel agent the comission at the last minute for doing practically nothing? It makes financial sense for X to put this policy in place.

 

 

Or...how about giving me a fare reduction for not transferring the booking to a TA, since they won't have to pay a commission. :rolleyes:

[cruzmaven]

I always book very far out and I am still looking for my first price drop! :( It has dropped after final but never lower than my original booking. I monitor closely for price, rooms possible upgrades etc and when something comes up I call/email my T/A and it is taken care of very quickly. She actually seems to have a better "in" with X than I do! I don't feel like I am giving up control - just phoning a different number. Since I know I will get good service & great OBC from my TA, so when I tsf my booking to her doesn't really matter.

 

 

That's fine for you. I don't happen to feel the same way. Things don't always happen during office hours. I have a booking on the Eclipse for next year. The fare dropped $350.00pp after I booked. I felt a lot better being able to call myself the evening I saw the difference and get the reduction right away, rather than getting a TA on the line the next morning and relying on them to do it. That's just me.

 

I've also gotten upgrade offers in the past. When I was in control of the reservation I got the call or email directly and was able to respond immediately and take advantage of the best available cabin being offered, rather than have to wait for the offer to be relayed to me by a TA (who may or may not act on it immediately, or at all) and then rely on them to pick what I think is the best cabin.

[Jade13]

And just what is the problem of booking a cruise directly with X and then in the next 60 days finding a TA who will give you a nice OBC? Or even using a TA that you have dealt with in the past? I recently transferred 2 bookings to a TA. I had been sitting on these for a year but had done absolutely nothing with them other than look at them and check prices. I still do that and now know that I have a nice OBC. I could have done it a year ago and it would have made no difference. And if the price goes down before final payment, I can still get the adjustments (except one cruise is sold out and the other has seen significant price increases since it opened).

 

It would be a problem to those who had a TA go out of business. Remember CVC (CC allowed us to post their name since so many people had a problem). If I book two years in advance I would prefer to wait, as well as have more control over my booking.

[Richiebaseball]

The "problem" is that some people, myself included, rather retain control over the booking as long as possible, instead of relying on a TA. If I get a bug up my but and decide I want to change my cabin, I can call X and make the change directly from available inventory without having to relay my request through a TA. If I see the fare has decreased, I can call X directly and have it adjusted without relying on a TA to get it done. If I decide to cancel I can do so directly (even online) without having to go through a TA (some of which now charge cancellation fees).

 

Typically I'll only turn the reservation over to a TA right before final payment.

 

Now this isn't an option. I have to choose between controlling my own affairs or getting an OBC and other TA benefits. Not happy.:(

 

Life is tough.

[Richiebaseball]

Do you mean to say that Celebrity only just realized now that they were not making money with the policies that they have had in place for god only knows how many years?? Now "that" does not make sense to me..........

 

I'm guessing it wasn't a problem in the past as it didn't happen often enough for it to be noticed. So now it's either getting big enough so that they noticed or they decided to stop it before it got big enough.

[lysolqn]

Frankly, I'm surprised it took X this long to change their transfer policy, nor is it totally unexpected in light of the recent change to its low price guarantee policy. Permitting open-ended transfers to allow pax to get better deals and/or offering low price guarantees up to time of sailing left the cruise line at a distinct disadvantage. As sorry as I am to see those two policies go, I think X has the right to level the playing field. Fair is fair, and sixty days seems a reasonable amount of time in which to find a better deal through a TA if one is so inclined. Those who like to retain control over their reservations may still do so by keeping those reservations with the cruise line; those who wish to get better deals through TAs will have to decide if those deals are worth loss of direct control. It sure was good while it last but the time of having one's caking and eating it too is rightly over.

[Richiebaseball]

It would be a problem to those who had a TA go out of business. Remember CVC (CC allowed us to post their name since so many people had a problem). If I book two years in advance I would prefer to wait, as well as have more control over my booking.

 

All this wailing and gnashing of teeth. The options are simple. If you choose an agency that offers OBC then basically book with them from the beginning or book directly so you can retain "control" of your reservation. You just can't have it both ways. Life is full of choices. So choose.

[Gonzo70]

If many changes, price drops etc are handled by the cruiseline for the past year with their staff , why would they want to pay a travel agent the comission at the last minute for doing practically nothing? It makes financial sense for X to put this policy in place.

 

I agree. I personally enjoyed being able to wait until near final payment to transfer to my TA, but from a business standpoint I can certainly see why X is making this rule change.

[jagoffee]

Do you mean to say that Celebrity only just realized now that they were not making money with the policies that they have had in place for god only knows how many years?? Now "that" does not make sense to me..........

 

I suspect that it has more to do with the significant growth at Celebrity with all the new bigger ships. They probably had to decide whether to keep hiring more staff to support cruisers directly when they really have a model that is more based on TAs. It really does not make much since for a company to support a customer up to final payment only to have the booking transferred forcing the company to pay a TA a commission who really did not earn it. It becomes more of a problem as you get bigger. 60 days seems fair enough. I also suspect that more people where taking advantage of this loophole in their old policy. Now people can either wait until nearer final payment or give up the opportunity for TA OBC to maintain direct control.

[jagoffee]

Or...how about giving me a fare reduction for not transferring the booking to a TA, since they won't have to pay a commission. :rolleyes:

 

That sure would upset the TA community.

[Sail Girl]

Today I spoke with a Celebrity Certified Vacation Planner with whom I have booked in the past.

 

She verified what posters have been saying on this thread about the 60 day limit for transferring bookings to TAs.

 

She also said that all Bookings completed prior to the change but on which final payments have not been made, will not be affected.

 

Within the next, week I'll be switching a cruise booked through her - hope it goes through!

[abellagal]

Is there any indication of how this new policy affects Passages (future open bookings) that are purchased on board? Since a booking number is assigned at the time of purchase that could be considered the booking date even though a specific cruise sailing is not identified.

[Richiebaseball]

Today I spoke with a Celebrity Certified Vacation Planner with whom I have booked in the past.

 

She verified what posters have been saying on this thread about the 60 day limit for transferring bookings to TAs.

 

She also said that all Bookings completed prior to the change but on which final payments have not been made, will not be affected.

 

Within the next, week I'll be switching a cruise booked through her - hope it goes through!

 

This is a perfect example of why the policy is and should be changing. Here is someone that booked the cruise through the vacation planner that Celebrity hired and is paying for, even called to check on some policy in which the vacation planner answered in doing the job in which she is hired to do, and in the end will still transfer so Celebrity can pay both an agency and the vacation planner.

I don't blame Celebrity in the least for wanting to pay one or the other but not both. Does anyone else?

[Sail Girl]

Is there any indication of how this new policy affects Passages (future open bookings) that are purchased on board? Since a booking number is assigned at the time of purchase that could be considered the booking date even though a specific cruise sailing is not identified.

 

 

The Certified Vacation Planneer said that the Booking has to have been completed prior to Oct. 6th.

I didn't ask about Passages.

 

If you call X for clarification, please share the response with all of us.

 

thanks and good luck.

[jcpc]

I called Celebrity and was told that I have 60 days from October 6th to transfer my booking that I made in April. So I'm thinking that, as usual, ask 5 people at Celebrity at get 5 similar, yet different, answers!!

[aandjw]

Or...how about giving me a fare reduction for not transferring the booking to a TA, since they won't have to pay a commission. :rolleyes:

 

Ahem, an opinion from a "brick and mortar" travel agency owner....take it for what it's worth (not much I think!)

 

This is a question of price control (in the public eye/perception). Does Celebrity want their product sold for a specific price or that price minus ?. Other cruise lines allow discounting - meaning they are looking ONLY at the bottom line (NETT cost after paying a commission) and allow an agency to sell the product for whatever, whereas Celebrity wants at least the "impression" that the price is the price is the price. The holding of a record and then "shopping" it for an OBC screws with that pricing model (cruise sold for $1000 or $1000 minus $50 OBC) - and this starts to put a kabosh on it.

 

In addition, I would think supporting a reservation for 300 days and then paying a commission can't be profitable......?

 

For years, the cruise lines say that paying a commission is less expensive than supporting a reservation themselves. Still true? Not sure......

 

j

[Richiebaseball]

Ahem, an opinion from a "brick and mortar" travel agency owner....take it for what it's worth (not much I think!)

 

This is a question of price control (in the public eye/perception). Does Celebrity want their product sold for a specific price or that price minus ?. Other cruise lines allow discounting - meaning they are looking ONLY at the bottom line (NETT cost after paying a commission) and allow an agency to sell the product for whatever, whereas Celebrity wants at least the "impression" that the price is the price is the price. The holding of a record and then "shopping" it for an OBC screws with that pricing model (cruise sold for $1000 or $1000 minus $50 OBC) - and this starts to put a kabosh on it.

 

In addition, I would think supporting a reservation for 300 days and then paying a commission can't be profitable......?

 

For years, the cruise lines say that paying a commission is less expensive than supporting a reservation themselves. Still true? Not sure......

 

j

 

Personally I don't think it's an issue of price control at all. Plenty of agencies offer OBC and will still continue to do so. This new policy does nothing to change that.

 

In addition, I would think supporting a reservation for 300 days and then paying a commission can't be profitable......?

 

I think that's the reason.

[Cuizer2]

Or...how about giving me a fare reduction for not transferring the booking to a TA, since they won't have to pay a commission. :rolleyes:

 

How about they just cut the TA's legs out from under them. Your suggestion would mean that the TA now has to compete against the cruise line.

[aandjw]

Personally I don't think it's an issue of price control at all. Plenty of agencies offer OBC and will still continue to do so. This new policy does nothing to change that.

 

I think the amounts will be lower the further from the sailing. More time to sailing = more work (time with customer) for the agency = lower profit = lower OBC. Keeps the price closer to what the cruise line is selling it for themselves.

 

My suggestion isn't the only reason for the change - but I believe it comes into play....

 

 

j

[lysolqn]

How about they just cut the TA's legs out from under them. Your suggestion would mean that the TA now has to compete against the cruise line.

 

Nothing new there -TAs have always had to compete against the cruise line.

 

Pax abuse is responsible for killing this goose that laid the golden egg. Pax book through the cruise line to maintain control over their bookings, using the cruise line's reservation services to the max for as long as possible until such time as they switch those reservations to TAs to get the max out of those TAs in the form of added amenities, all the time expecting the cruise line to foot the bill not only for the reservation services it renders to those pax but also for payment of commission to their TAs who only enter the equation shortly before final payment. Until now pax have had the best of both worlds and still will under the new policy, but only for 60 days following booking. I think that's a pretty generous compromise on the part of the cruise line.

[The_Big_M]

Now this isn't an option. I have to choose between controlling my own affairs or getting an OBC and other TA benefits.

 

Those benefits exist because the TA is handling it.

 

Doing it the other way is effectively double dipping, and RCL/Celebrity need to employ more support staff for something that they are paying a TA to do.

[LunaSeaRetreat]

Celebrity has made their choice. I can even understand it. I've also made mine. I will only book after final payment. Celebrity won't have my money a year ahead of time and my TA won't get the commission. And I'll get a great deal. (I won't book unless it do.) I'll miss the planning in advance, but will probably make out better financially.

Cynthia

[lysolqn]

Celebrity has made their choice. I can even understand it. I've also made mine. I will only book after final payment. Celebrity won't have my money a year ahead of time and my TA won't get the commission. And I'll get a great deal. (I won't book unless it do.) I'll miss the planning in advance, but will probably make out better financially.

Cynthia

 

That's certainly an viable option - provided your schedule is uber-flexible, you don't mind having to choose from potentially limited available accommodations on potentially fewer cruises (some sell out and some do increase in cost as sail date approaches) and the hopefully 'great deal' you get from the cruise line isn't eaten up (and then some) by the cost of higher last minute airfare.

[Hypo]

I think many of you are missing the point.

 

If you control the booking and Celebrity has to maintain the staff to process the booking, they pay the staff.

 

If the TA handles the booking and then Celebrity pays the TA. I would guess that this is pretty much a toss up.

 

Actually, since Celebrity has to maintain the staff to handle all of the requests from the TA's, I would guess that it actually costs them more for a TA controlled reservation than for one that is directly controlled by the guest.

 

My TA company believes that this is another attempt by a travel company to reduce or eliminate the cost of commissions to the TA, much like what happened with the airline industry, no airline (to my knowledge) pays travel agent commissions today.

 

We live in a connected society, with each passing day more and more people become accustomed to booking their own travel, online banking and bill payment, communication by texting or talking with computers.

 

We on Cruise Critic are, for the most part, very knowledgeable about cruising, pricing, and how to book and plan a cruise. I realize that there is a need for Travel Agencies to handle the needs of the first timers or those new to cruising, but that number is diminishing.

 

Our local Travel Agency, with whom we have done business with, for over thirty years, just recently closed their doors. They have consolidated all of their offices into one in Little Rock, 90 miles away.

 

Now our small city of over 30,000 does not have a brick and mortar travel agency. It is a sign of the times.