UK Resident - can I book a Med RCCL Cruise through a US TA?

[BA038_Passenger]

Hi,

 

Just like the title says, can I book a Mediterranean RCCL cruise though a US TA?

 

It appears significantly cheaper if I can!

 

Thanks

[Elizanessie]

Hi,

 

Just like the title says, can I book a Mediterranean RCCL cruise though a US TA?

 

It appears significantly cheaper if I can!

 

Thanks

 

 

Yes you can book a Med cruise through a US TA...(but not through RCCL website)

 

We are not allowed though to name TAs on here.

[BA038_Passenger]

Yes you can book a Med cruise through a US TA...(but not through RCCL website)

 

We are not allowed though to name TAs on here.

 

Many thanks.

 

Understood about the naming.

[cinanina]

I have also booked a cruise through a US travel agent, booked a balcony for the same price of an inside (including the charges for canceling the trip on the cruiselines website :eek:) wasn't with RCI though

[caribbeanboy]

I think you just need a US address. I book all my cruises in the US.

[Lotus Girl]

I think you just need a US address. I book all my cruises in the US.

 

 

I'm in the UK and booked through an American agent for a cruie from Rome in July on Voyager and gave them my UK address at the time of booking! No problems, certainly a lot cheaper than the UK and OBC as well! I know where I will be going in the future!

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friend:

 

Greetings from Madrid

 

Also check out the large Spanish travel agencies. For some time, booking RCCL cruises from here in Spain has been somewhat cheaper than booking them in the United States.

 

Right now there is a promotion going on sponsored by RCCL where the large travel agencies give you an additional 10% off.

 

I used to book our cruises in the U.S. but have found that it is actually cheaper here right now.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Cotswold Eagle]

You may want to consider if you are giving up some EU consumer protection rights, though?

 

Just have to ask about your user name - were you on the BA038? I was on that flight a few days before the one that nearly didn't make it, never did work out if it was the same aircraft.

[silentbob007]

The cruiselines have been cracking down on US agencies accepting bookings from those without a US address. I've seen more agents noting that this address is required to book with them. Will you still be able to find someone to do it? yes, but the lines are making it harder from what I've heard/seen.

[ollienbertsmum]

The cruiselines have been cracking down on US agencies accepting bookings from those without a US address. I've seen more agents noting that this address is required to book with them. Will you still be able to find someone to do it? yes, but the lines are making it harder from what I've heard/seen.

 

Gosh I had not realised that there was a difference. Sounds like some sort of con to me. I understand that there is going to be a little difference with the exchange rate but you folks are talking about a significant difference. I feel like I am being conned.

 

I never thought to compare the price in Spain. I have only paid the deposit so far, even though it looks as if the price may have gone up anyway. I will make a comparison and perhaps try to shop around next time.

[silentbob007]

Gosh I had not realised that there was a difference. Sounds like some sort of con to me. I understand that there is going to be a little difference with the exchange rate but you folks are talking about a significant difference. I feel like I am being conned.

 

I never thought to compare the price in Spain. I have only paid the deposit so far, even though it looks as if the price may have gone up anyway. I will make a comparison and perhaps try to shop around next time.

 

I think there are a lot of different factors ... purchase protection, contract law differences, currency, etc etc etc. I'm not saying the differences are always fair, but there is more to it than extortion.

[jclarkhall]

Hi Guys

 

Be aware ....BIG TIME. I thought of this some time ago but on investigation you throw away all your EU and ABTA etc protection.

 

jc

 

Diamond

[cinanina]

These TA's that I have used have also european "adresses" so in the end you are booking in a european TA but at the US price, which is a lot cheaper because these TA's sell to thousands of people and can negotiate dif prices (like eg buy group cruises in advance and then resale them, I dont know, just guessing how they do it because the prices are really different...)

[dannysdad]

I've used an American agency for a RCCL cruise. There were no problems and they were very professional.

[suekay]

We've used a US TA many times without any problem. Royal Caribbean are well aware we don't have a US address (Princess won't accept bookings from cruisers outside the US so, as a result, we stopped sailing with them years ago) I must admit that we now check UK sites as well as there are now bargains to be had, but our forthcoming Mariner cruise has been booked through our US TA. She responds via email within minutes and has already changed us from a guarantee to a numbered cabin at our request (when there was a price drop) This service compares most favourably to the online UK TA we are using for our September Navigator cruise - slow service, didn't know what to do with a Crown & Anchor coupon then made a mess of applying it even after being told (but we did get an unbeatable price during the free flights promotion so I can't complain too much:)) I'm not bothered about losing ABTA and EU protection when booking through the US - our payments are made direct to RCI not the TA, our deposit is fully refundable up to 75 days prior to sailing, and we get price drops up to final payment date merely by sending an email

[BA038_Passenger]

You may want to consider if you are giving up some EU consumer protection rights, though?

 

Just have to ask about your user name - were you on the BA038? I was on that flight a few days before the one that nearly didn't make it, never did work out if it was the same aircraft.

 

Yes, I was on that plane

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

EU travel protection is not just about losing your money because the cruise line goes bankrupt.

 

For example, you folks in the UK have some great air/sea packages that RCCL UK markets. Here in Spain, we don't have many air/sea packages, just good prices on the cruises.

 

If you purchase an air/sea package in the European Union, if the airline doesn't operate for any reason (whether the airline's fault or nature's fault) and you miss the boat (nearly 900 Explorer of the Seas passengers from England missed the boat at Christmastime), you get your money back for the full air and sea package. You will not have this protection if you purchase your cruise in the U.S.

 

Also be very careful when you are price shopping in the U.S. U.S. advertisements are allowed to advertise low prices without taxes included in order to grab your attention and make it seem like it is a low price. Under EU law, an advertised price must already include taxes and be the final price the consumer will pay.

 

So be careful when you see something advertised in the U.S. for $300 and then you see it advertised in Europe for the equivalent of, let's say $350. By law, that $350 European price must be inclusive of taxes, but the U.S. advertised price is allowed to be a base price before taxes.

 

As I mention in my previous posts, try the large Spanish agencies. We have great prices on RCCL cruises here in Spain right now with an additional 10% discount. Years ago when it was cheaper in the U.S., I used to book all my cruises in the U.S. Now that it's actually cheaper to buy them here in Spain, I purchase them here.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[mamabelleuk]

Since we are obliged to purchase Travel Insurance for cruises (certainly it has been compulsory for any cruise line I have sailed with!) surely the Travel Insurance would more than cover for the ABTA/ATOL protection? I haven't read any travel insurance policies in recent times so I may truly have this completely wrong!!!

[suekay]

Doesn't ABTA/ATOL cover only packages? Many of us book cruise only even if booking through the UK (I hate being told when/which airline I'm travelling on.....unless I get it free of course:D)

[earn]

Our travel agent in Scotland managed to book a Carnival cruise for us direct with Carnival US which was about $1K cheaper then Carnival UK or any other Uk travel agent price. Last Easter was a bit of an airtravel nightmare for us with the BA strike hitting first and then the Volcanic Ash cloud. It transpires that most insurance did not cover either event. BA would refund flight costs, but not consequential loss. Insurance didn't want to know, so we had to book Continental flights at last minute as our BA flight was cancelled due to the strike. Then the ash cloud came along. If we had still been with BA we would have been covered as it is an EU airline. If we had been stranded in Eurpoe with Continental we would have been coverred as by EU law they would need to pay for accomodation and food until they could get us home. However as we were in the US the EU law didn't apply and if we had been stuck we would have had to pay all accomodation costs etc. Our insurance would not have paid out either. As it was we were very lucky and our flight was the first flight to leave Washington. If we had booked a package through a TA we would also have been OK.

 

So this year we have booked RCCL cruise/air through a TA. Cost a little more, but worth it for piece of mind.