Travel agent vs dealing with NCL

[OttawaJohn]

Just curious what you all do.

 

So far, we've gone through a travel agency to book everything.

 

But in reading through the forums, it seems many people get contacted by NCL later after booking to upsell or upgrade them, which has never happened to us. I wonder if this is because we go through an agency.

 

I do know that, if we ever try to call NCL to change something or ask anything but the most basic questions, they have to refer us back to the agency, since we are not the actual booking party, but the agent is.

 

What is the norm for you people who cruise a lot? Do you do it yourself, or via an agency? And do you think we are missing opportunities by not doing it ourselves?

 

Thanks in advance.

[fsuhockette]

We booked our last cruise through a website TA. Never again! It was a mess. My 'agent' was a PITA and never followed up with our basic questions. This time, I called NCL and got a PCC. I figured all I "lost" out on was about $50 OBC. Whooptie do.

 

Like the other poster said, I don't see the point in not going thru the company. You're likely to get better customer service, imo.

[Music City]

We booked our last cruise through a website TA. Never again! It was a mess. My 'agent' was a PITA and never followed up with our basic questions. This time, I called NCL and got a PCC. I figured all I "lost" out on was about $50 OBC. Whooptie do.

 

Like the other poster said, I don't see the point in not going thru the company. You're likely to get better customer service, imo.

 

The other downside is that particular TA may not be employed by the time you call back with your problem and whoever you talk to views you as an aggravation and doesn't want to deal with your problem because it doesn't put any money in their pockets.

[Friend100]

This question comes up over and over again at every cruiseline's board every other day, but I am enjoying them. I learn new things every day.

 

I think it really depends on what you want. Some people sometimes like full control and the ability to deal with the cruiseline directly. The same person, at a different time (or a different stage of his/her life), may just want to sit back and relax IF there is a TA s/he really trust and the TA can do all the work ... after all that's what a good TA supposed to do, right? It also depends on what other perks are there - direct or TA.

 

Some cruiseline allow bookings to be transferred to a TA after initially book direct with them. I like the flexibility and I' only need to make that decision at the date that I absolutely have to.

[Friend100]

We booked our last cruise through a website TA. Never again! It was a mess. My 'agent' was a PITA and never followed up with our basic questions. This time, I called NCL and got a PCC. I figured all I "lost" out on was about $50 OBC. Whooptie do.

 

Like the other poster said, I don't see the point in not going thru the company. You're likely to get better customer service, imo.

 

Again it really depends. I booked my previous one with an online TA (first time doing it). Price and OBC were good. They responded to my emails promptly. There was something that I was trying to get but it wasn't obvious to me that they tried hard enough. I communicated to the cruiseline directly. The cruiseline took action and respond back to me through the TA. At the end, I was satisfied.

[canpass]

I have booked both ways and really don't see a difference. In Canada the advantage of a travel agent is the protection you have if the company suddenly shut down. I kind of like dealing directly with the company but it is like dealing with a travel agent you can have good one or a bad one. A cruise consultant with NCL has access to some of the discounts such as union member that the TA does not. My next cruise is booked directly with NCL and I like the fact that my CC is going to book all my diner reservations for me and is doing some other stuff. The cruise after this one is booked through a TA. So it comes down to a matter of what you are feeling comfortable with.

[Turtles06]

Related to this topic: how do you actually find a good TA you can trust? I know that there's a rule against recommending TAs on Cruise Critic. Assuming I ever wanted to use a TA, where would I start? Thanks...

[Friend100]

Related to this topic: how do you actually find a good TA you can trust? I know that there's a rule against recommending TAs on Cruise Critic. Assuming I ever wanted to use a TA, where would I start? Thanks...

 

Get some tips from the First Time Cruiser forum here. I always find good idea there. I will also start with a local TA in your neighbourhood. Look at the posters in their stores to get a sense if they specialize on cruising or not. Talk to the rep and get some idea how knowledgeable they are. At least try 3 TAs so you can compare.

[ColinIllinois]

With all the online resources available to everyone these days I personally have never had the need of a travel agents assistance. I'm sure they are great for some people, just not for me.

 

(Apologies to those who are travel agents) ;)

[Music City]

With all the online resources available to everyone these days I personally have never had the need of a travel agents assistance. I'm sure they are great for some people, just not for me.

 

(Apologies to those who are travel agents) ;)

 

Exactly!

 

Who needs a travel agent when you have Cruise Critic?! :cool:

[travelloverontario]

I do all of my own research, then once decided, I call the cruise line directly and book it as well as pay the deposit. With NCL, if you cancel before final pay date, you get fully refunded...no fees or penalties. I like this because a lot can change over a few months.

 

Once final pay date is approaching, I check popular on line sites to see who's offering OBC's, etc. If I get a better deal with OBC's, etc, (needs to be at least $100.00 or more usually), then I do the transfer. I don't cancel and rebook, I just contact NCL and have them transfer my file over. This way I get to keep my cabin #. I have used the same on line TA 2 times now and end up with the same price, but about $400.00 in OBC's.

 

Most online TA's charge a penalty or fee if you cancel or change even if it's before final pay date...that's why we don't go with them from the start.

 

We DO NOT use a PCC with NCL, just book directly with whoever answers the phone, and we don't call with a lot of questions, so I don't feel guilty making the transfer.

[mylesf]

The other downside is that particular TA may not be employed by the time you call back with your problem and whoever you talk to views you as an aggravation and doesn't want to deal with your problem because it doesn't put any money in their pockets.

 

You are more likely to see a quicker turn around with personal at a large call center, like the ones, cruise lines use. These are entry level positions and in most cases, they have not been in the industry that long. I think doing your research is the best way to go. When you book with a travel agent a couple of questions you should ask are: How long have you been in the business and (depending on which cruise line or destination) have you cruised before with them and/or been to that destination...

 

I know it is really hard for some poster's to believe but not all information her is accurate and ALOT of it are opinions...

[Friend100]

I know it is really hard for some poster's to believe but not all information her is accurate and ALOT of it are opinions...

 

And that's what I am looking for here at CC - information and opinion. ;)

[mylesf]

And that's what I am looking for here at CC - information and opinion. ;)

 

As long as your able to seperate fact from fiction you are good to go! ;)

[JohnGaltny]

I think it really depends on what you want. Some people sometimes like full control and the ability to deal with the cruiseline directly. The same person, at a different time (or a different stage of his/her life), may just want to sit back and relax IF there is a TA s/he really trust and the TA can do all the work ... after all that's what a good TA supposed to do, right? It also depends on what other perks are there - direct or TA.

 

 

 

This. We have a TA who is just terrific and we do everything through her.

[Friend100]

This. We have a TA who is just terrific and we do everything through her.

 

I was lucky to find one too. The down side is that she "disappears" almost 8-10 weeks every year and I have to deal with her backup, who is still good. But everytime she comes back I learn more about cruising from her ... well, maybe not as much as CC. :D

[Music City]

You are more likely to see a quicker turn around with personal at a large call center, like the ones, cruise lines use. These are entry level positions and in most cases, they have not been in the industry that long. I think doing your research is the best way to go. When you book with a travel agent a couple of questions you should ask are: How long have you been in the business and (depending on which cruise line or destination) have you cruised before with them and/or been to that destination...

 

I know it is really hard for some poster's to believe but not all information her is accurate and ALOT of it are opinions...

 

Yeah, but you are still dealing with NCL and not some 3rd party. If the newbie doesn't give satisfactory answers you can always ask for a supervisor.

[fsuhockette]

Yeah, but you are still dealing with NCL and not some 3rd party. If the newbie doesn't give satisfactory answers you can always ask for a supervisor.

 

Correct. This is where my problem got ugly - my TA thru the online site claimed she was the highest person at her (very popular cruise website). There was no one above her. No manager (she was apparently on maternity leave), no CEO, no owner. She was the top dog and her word was final. I asked for a 3-way call with NCL and she said they refused. She was basically refusing to help me on her financial mistake, even though she emailed me her error in writing. I called NCL, they had me call her and boy oh boy was she shocked when I told her NCL was indeed in on the 3-way call. And yes...I'm still bitter. ;)

[CrusinMickey]

We have done both direct with the cruise line and with a TA. Here's a couple of things to consider. First, if you get a good TA and you establish a customer relationship with them, you are more likely to be favored with good service, good follow up, and some help if your cruise went sideways somehow. The TA wants your business for all their services besides cruises, so they work hard to make sure you have a wonderful time. Second, if you would ever want to arrange for a group to travel, having the TA set that up for you is the easiest way to make sure it gets done correctly. As far as pricing goes, you will pay the same no matter how you book, but your TA will work on your behalf to always see that you get the best possible deal.

 

All that being said, cruise lines will often promote a particualr cruise at a certain time with various kinds of perks, lower cabin costs and so on. A wise cruiser will always keep a finger in the water to see which way the current is flowing. If you see some advantage being offered that you should be getting, it is still your job to ring up the TA and ask them to get your deal fixed to reflect the perks. A TA really can't be working just for you around the clock, even though the good ones may leave you with that impression!

[OttawaJohn]

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Like a few others, I have a TA who I am satisfied with, she's great. I personally went with a larger chain that had small offices in Ottawa, rather then a call center or online type. I like the personal connection. :)

 

I'm just always looking for the best deal, and worry about what I may be missing not trying to haggle myself vs what she can get, though I know that, since she deals with various cruise agencies to get the best deal, she sometimes gets better deals then I could.

[Azure Moon]

We've booked with travel agents three times. The first time was for our first cruise, the second time was for a group (family and friends) cruise, and the third was for a Hawaii cruise. The rest have been booked directly with the cruiselines.

 

The travel agent booked trips were okay, but there weren't any outstanding points to having booked with them...no perks, no obc, no upgrades, and there weren't any circumstances that needed the expertise of a travel agent. In fact, on the first experience, hubby had to point out a flight glitch to the agent. On the second, the travel agent worked for one person rather than the whole group, and the third time we wanted to add a person to our cabin but it couldn't be done. Not 100% sure enough was done to make it happen.

 

We have another group cruise being planned, but I've decided not to go with the group's TA because it is clear to me through a piece of e-mail that she is working for one person, to the possible detriment of other members of the group. Her quotes are the same prices as we can book on our own - both cruise cabin and hotel, and the agency charges to book flights, so what's the point of booking with her? None that I can see - no obc, no upgrade...

 

So, we'll book everything on our own from here on out. Doing it ourself also gives us more control over everything. We are able to book components of the trip when we feel prices are good, we can choose the times of flights, the airline, the hotel, talk to the companies directly about the bookings, etc. Just faster and easier to do it on our own. Our bookings are simple and straight-forward - one cabin, two or three people, one hotel room, can find flights that fit our schedule, use car rentals or taxis. The more we book and travel the more confident we get at doing it.

 

[cowtowngals]

We have booked all our cruises through a TA who was recommended to me by friends who used him. He did an amazing job booking my first cruise for me based on where I wanted to go and when and he highly recommended NCL for us saying it would be a good fit for us for a first cruise. He was bang on. He also got us upgraded on our cabin and has done this and gotten us on board credits on all our furutre cruises. I love being able to tell him where I want to go and when and he does all the work for me and comes back with various options for me to choose from. Then he makes the bookings, gets my flights and hotels arranged and even sends me bon voyage and welcome home cards. I totally love my TA and since he only does cruises he has the knowledge about the various lines so can lead me away from a cruise that wouldn't be a fit for me and my likes.

[Huddler]

We have booked all our cruises through a TA who was recommended to me by friends who used him. He did an amazing job booking my first cruise for me based on where I wanted to go and when and he highly recommended NCL for us saying it would be a good fit for us for a first cruise. He was bang on. He also got us upgraded on our cabin and has done this and gotten us on board credits on all our furutre cruises. I love being able to tell him where I want to go and when and he does all the work for me and comes back with various options for me to choose from. Then he makes the bookings, gets my flights and hotels arranged and even sends me bon voyage and welcome home cards. I totally love my TA and since he only does cruises he has the knowledge about the various lines so can lead me away from a cruise that wouldn't be a fit for me and my likes.

Wow! If I ever encountered a TA like that I believe I would remain loyal to them too. I typically bid my cruise out on a well known website and go with whichever TA gives me the best offer.

[worldspan]

NCL's call center agents come across to me as poorly spoken and poorly educated.

 

I have predicted for years NCL would be the first cruise line with a foreign call center. Yes indeed, they just announced in the last month they are opening a call center in the Phillippines for "their Asian market".

 

That said, I suspect sooner than later your call to NCL will be answered in Manila!

 

Worldspan

 

128 cruises/129th April 21 2011 Radiance of the Seas

[Friend100]

We have booked all our cruises through a TA who was recommended to me by friends who used him. He did an amazing job booking my first cruise for me based on where I wanted to go and when and he highly recommended NCL for us saying it would be a good fit for us for a first cruise. He was bang on. He also got us upgraded on our cabin and has done this and gotten us on board credits on all our furutre cruises. I love being able to tell him where I want to go and when and he does all the work for me and comes back with various options for me to choose from. Then he makes the bookings, gets my flights and hotels arranged and even sends me bon voyage and welcome home cards. I totally love my TA and since he only does cruises he has the knowledge about the various lines so can lead me away from a cruise that wouldn't be a fit for me and my likes.

 

This distinguishes between a Travel Agent and a Travel Consultant/Advisor.