Booking With US Sites & US TA's

[silverwillow]

Australia might be a smaller market but it is definitely a growing market. Australia is also doing very well compared to other countries weathering the economic crisis.

 

I think if the Australian travel agents don't like others booking overseas they should stop scaremongering about the possibility of being refused boarding on to a ship and apply pressure to the cruise company's for a better price on behalf of themselves and their clients.

[lizzy77]

Well we too are just back from the Bangkok to Sydney cruise and a great time was had by all on the Diamond Princess. She leaves our little boats from Princess Aus for dead. Would I sail on the Sun or Dawn again--- NO!!!! Not only are we disadvantaged with our booking terms and conditions in Aus but we have the old ships to boot!!!

 

As for the restrictions now in place with the overseas TA'S, I bet once the hoo haa has died down they will not stop taking our money.;) A sale is a sale:rolleyes:

 

I for one can only be grateful that we had booked the South American cruise BEFORE all this as the price difference was so much to book here, we would not have done it.

[NSWP]

What about Holland America..are American T/A's able to book Aussies on HAL ?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I think if the Australian travel agents don't like others booking overseas they should stop scaremongering about the possibility of being refused boarding on to a ship and apply pressure to the cruise company's for a better price on behalf of themselves and their clients.

 

 

Exactly......

If the cruise lines can offer good prices in North America, pressure should be put on them for the same price for everyone......

Who knows .....the local agents might end up selling more cruises...:eek:

[rkmw]

What about Holland America..are American T/A's able to book Aussies on HAL ?

 

hi Les, No we cannot book with Hal....Celebrity is ok...i think

 

bob

[LuckiePuris]

hi Les, No we cannot book with Hal....Celebrity is ok...i think

 

bob

 

Just wanted to wish you a fantastic cruise! Only 2 days to go!!

 

Hope you have an amazing time and look forward to hearing about your cruise :)

[Koolkrewser]

At no time has my overseas TA sent me any documentation that RCI would not accept my booking.

At no time have RCI included sailing restrictions, in any of the documentation that they have sent to me with my full address & that of the TA that I booked with. They have accepted my booking, taken all monies & allotted to me a booking number & cabin. This is a legitimate transaction on both sides. It appears that the info about refusal of embarkation is coming from some parties with vested interests ie- Australian TA's & not RCI that I see.

[NSWP]

And I reckon Carnival Corp is protecting Aussie T/A's and Princess Australia and P&O Australia and Holland America by not permitting big price reductions for Aussies.

[MMDown Under]

Does anyone know the % commission Travel Agents receive from the cruise lines?

 

Is the % the same for TAs in all countries from the same cruise line?

 

I understand there may be differencies in %s due to high volume sales.

 

I can book all my overseas travel requirements, at local rates, on the internet, except for cruise travel.

 

Why?

 

Not everyone needs the services of a good TA. Some are happy to do their own research and book direct on the internet.

 

Is anyone listening that many people would choose to cruise more often if the rates charged to Australians were fairer, with smaller refundable deposits?

[Down-Unders]

What about Holland America..are American T/A's able to book Aussies on HAL ?

 

 

Yes!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I have been following this thread with interest.

I have always used local TA,s.

If you dont use them

you will loose them.

I have cruised at prices

well under what the US

agents quote...

Search and yee shall find.

[MMDown Under]

I have been following this thread with interest.

I have always used local TA,s.

If you dont use them

you will loose them.

I have cruised at prices

well under what the US

agents quote...

Search and yee shall find.

 

David,

 

Do you book through NZ or Aust TA?

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

What about Holland America..are American T/A's able to book Aussies on HAL ?

 

I believe not.

 

Jillybean

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

I have been following this thread with interest.

I have always used local TA,s.

If you dont use them

you will loose them.

I have cruised at prices

well under what the US

agents quote...

Search and yee shall find.

 

 

I have 'seeked' but not found. Give us a clue?

 

I have to say that the USA Agents are far more flexible. They allow you to make changes within a certain date prior to departure without penalty.

They will credit you should your stateroom category drop in price before you sail.

They offer better on board credits or discounts if you are a shareholder of the cruiseline.

 

In Australia the T/A's are nowhere near as flexible. For instance today a friend of ours needed to transfer a cruise booked in April 2010 to November 2010,. He lost $200.00 for doing that. And I point out he is a good client, who, I might add has also booked 104 days on Dawn Princess with the same Agent. I would have thought the Agent could have been a bit more 'customer friendly', but no, always too worried about what is in it for them as far as their commission goes.

 

Jillybean

[Kiwi Kruzer]

David,

Do you book through NZ or Aust TA?

 

I have always booked through local NZ TA's.

However I never walk in "cold".

I use the internet to research and compare all prices. Having retired early , I can cruise anytime, so am always on the lookout for specials, and when I find one I simply tell the TA, thats what I want and this is what its going for.

Once there was a special advertised in Australia, and at first my local TA said she could not match it, but phoned later to say she had thought about it, and contacted the cruise lines Auckland office , and they met the price.

I must also add,that this is what I do now.

When I look back at some of my earlier cruises I was really stung, but that was specifying specific cruises and specific dates, inaugrals etc , which are always priced higher.

[MMDown Under]

I have always booked through local NZ TA's.

However I never walk in "cold".

I use the internet to research and compare all prices. Having retired early , I can cruise anytime, so am always on the lookout for specials, and when I find one I simply tell the TA, thats what I want and this is what its going for.

Once there was a special advertised in Australia, and at first my local TA said she could not match it, but phoned later to say she had thought about it, and contacted the cruise lines Auckland office , and they met the price.

I must also add,that this is what I do now.

When I look back at some of my earlier cruises I was really stung, but that was specifying specific cruises and specific dates, inaugrals etc , which are always priced higher.

 

Thanks David.

 

I am a member of a union which beats most prices on goods. However, when I last tried for a cruise I was advised by the "wholesaler" that sale of the cruise was restricted to nominated travel agents.

 

Now that we're also retired, we travel more frequently, but I'm finding we're doing more land travel rather than cruising.

 

Nevertheless, I'll keep looking for special cruising opportunities. :)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Now that we're also retired, we travel more frequently, but I'm finding we're doing more land travel rather than cruising. Nevertheless, I'll keep looking for special cruising opportunities. :)

 

Thats a good balance....

 

You do have to be patient ,

looking for cruise specials..:eek:

but every now and again they do come up....

and when you spot them you have to move quickly , as the cruising market has grown, and everyone is looking out for them now.

 

I do believe though with the extra ships down here now, there "should be some bargains coming up as they try to fill them......

Keep watching.

[Koolkrewser]

Well here we are day 4 of our ROS cruise. Let all those "doom & gloomers" know that we were on board in 10 minutes without so much as a raised eyebrow or question as to who we had booked our cruise with!!! Same for firends that booked with a US TA

Enough said

[ging466]

I book with American TAs but if the cruiseline goes bust, insurance bought in Australia does not cover you.

 

Has anyone found an insurance that does? Or do you just 'risk' it? In the past, I've just risked it. But with the GFC and my big outlay for next year, I'm a bit nervous.

 

I realise this is the P&O Board but I've read a lot of you book with American TAs for various cruiselines.

 

Thankx for any help/advice.

 

Cheers

ging466

[lizzy77]

I book with American TAs but if the cruiseline goes bust, insurance bought in Australia does not cover you.

 

Has anyone found an insurance that does? Or do you just 'risk' it? In the past, I've just risked it. But with the GFC and my big outlay for next year, I'm a bit nervous.

 

I realise this is the P&O Board but I've read a lot of you book with American TAs for various cruiselines.

 

 

When I have booked my cruise through a US TA my deposit has been paid directly to Princess. Here in Aus when I have booked the deposit has gone to the TA and they then send it onto the shipping line. They hold the deposit for up to a week.

In the US my booking no with Princess was on my personalizer the same day, so I knew that my money was OK.

[ging466]

When I have booked my cruise through a US TA my deposit has been paid directly to Princess. Here in Aus when I have booked the deposit has gone to the TA and they then send it onto the shipping line. They hold the deposit for up to a week. In the US my booking no with Princess was on my personalizer the same day, so I knew that my money was OK.

 

Yeah what you have said is correct up until "my money was ok". My question is if the cruiseline goes down the tube, insurance won't cover you because the cruise was not bought in Australia. Therefore "my money is NOT ok".

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

Cheers

ging466

[woodscruise]

Isn't a cruise line the same thing as an airline? Remember Ansett? If you paid by credit card then you were protected as you were able to dispute the charge and the credit card company credited your account. If you paid by cash then you became a unsecured creditor. When you book through a travel agent in the US, the agent uses the cruise line merchant number (just like the travel agents did with Ansett) so on the credit card statement it does show the charge as been made directly by the cruise line and not the travel agent. So from this you should be protected.

 

Michael

[ging466]

Isn't a cruise line the same thing as an airline? Remember Ansett? If you paid by credit card then you were protected as you were able to dispute the charge and the credit card company credited your account. If you paid by cash then you became a unsecured creditor. When you book through a travel agent in the US, the agent uses the cruise line merchant number (just like the travel agents did with Ansett) so on the credit card statement it does show the charge as been made directly by the cruise line and not the travel agent. So from this you should be protected. Michael

 

Thankx for your reply. I really don't know about what happened with Ansett (I just lost a Golden Wing membership & tons of FF points - luckily not my job).

 

Do you mean then that if the cruiseline goes belly up any passenger who paid their fare via credit card gets their money back from the credit card company? Therefore the credit card company shoulders the responsibility? That seems incredible.

 

Cheers

ging466

[woodscruise]

Yes, that is what happen with Ansett. At the time I was working with a major US carrier and after 911, and Ansett collapse the all credit cards companies increased the payment period on them from next day settlement to 1 month settlement. This was so that they were not exposed so much should an airline go bankrupt.

Therefore when the charge was made by credit card the airline did not get the money for 1 month and hence they were holding millions of dollars from the airlines. As far as the consumer and airline were concern they had paid for the tickets and were able to travel, as all documentation the airline had was paid for by credit card.

 

Michael

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Every collapse of a cruise ,or air line, is different.

 

When the R ships went under,

a message was sent out to all Captains,

to head for the nearest port

where they could disembark passengers,

send them down the gangway,

and wave goodbye to them.

 

Everyone was then on their own ,

to make their own arrangements.