Question Regarding Travel Agents

[br3ds0x]

Just had a random question, and figured I would post it in here as this is the next cruise we are looking at. We go on a cruise every year (usually about 8 of us), and we have always booked thru the same travel agent for the past 8 years or so. Since we book 4 rooms, our TA is usually able to get us $100 credit per room or what not. We’ve been on RC for the past few years, and decided to try Celebrity this time. I guess I’ve never really given it much thought, but I checked Celebrity’s web site after our TA gave us his prices, and it’s the exact same price as if I booked it myself online, and he said he is not able to give us any OBC. Is this generally how it is with other TA’s? I guess I was always under the impression that TAs were able to get better deals, otherwise what is the point of going thru them? As easy as it is to book online nowadays, just trying to see if there is still a reason to book thru TAs, or if maybe our TA just isn’t good anymore? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Lsimon]

It is extremely common to see people getting OBC from TA's for cruises booked on Celebrity. I'd suggest you shop around.

 

Do verify that a TA you're considering has reasonable access if you need to talk to someone and not just a booking web site and email. Also be sure to verify if there are any extra TA charges for booking, changes to bookings, or concellations over and above what Celebrity themselves charge. You don't want to be surprised if you make a change and find yourself saddled with extra charges.

[jagoffee]

It would appear that your TA does not do much volume with Celebrity or the TA figures that they have your business without competing for it.

 

You should be able to find a TA that can give you some OBC per cabin. (significantly more than the $100 more than you received with RCCL, but hard to say for sure without knowing the cost of your cabin) Obviously we cannot share our TAs with you. I found my Celebrity TA by having different TAs competing for my business. Once I found one that I liked that gave me OBC I stayed with them. IMO you should not book with a TA that has a change or cancellation fee. Some do, but many do not. As you will find researching on this site you should make sure that the monies go directly to Celebrity and not to the TA so you do not have the risk of the TA going out of business.

 

If you use a search engine you should be able to find many options for TAs.

 

Good luck.

[retired067]

Just had a random question, and figured I would post it in here as this is the next cruise we are looking at. We go on a cruise every year (usually about 8 of us), and we have always booked thru the same travel agent for the past 8 years or so. Since we book 4 rooms, our TA is usually able to get us $100 credit per room or what not. We’ve been on RC for the past few years, and decided to try Celebrity this time. I guess I’ve never really given it much thought, but I checked Celebrity’s web site after our TA gave us his prices, and it’s the exact same price as if I booked it myself online, and he said he is not able to give us any OBC. Is this generally how it is with other TA’s? I guess I was always under the impression that TAs were able to get better deals, otherwise what is the point of going thru them? As easy as it is to book online nowadays, just trying to see if there is still a reason to book thru TAs, or if maybe our TA just isn’t good anymore? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Hi, as I understand, Celebrity's policy is that TA's quote the same price as the X site, this does not always happen, so you have a couple of choices, book directly with X and switch to a TA within 60 days, this will give you a chance to find a TA who will give you an OBC and/or other perks or you can book a future cruise while on board, get what ever perks X is offering then within 60 days transfer to the TA of your choice and get what ever perks are available from them. Just a note, If your TA advertises the cruise as new bookings only then you would not be entitled to the the TA's perks.

[CathyCruises]

Just as a rule of thumb, we are getting over 10% of the total cruise fare as an OBC from our large online TA.

 

Some years ago I used an old friend who was a TA when I booked a sky suite with business class air as a package--I got a bottle of wine from the TA--never used him again. I do all the work myself, all the research, all I need the TA for is the actual booking, so I feel like I have earned all the OBC that I can get. I would be loyal to someone who had gone out of their way and done things over and above processing the paperwork, but absent that, I am in it for the $$$$!!!!

[Hlitner]

"My answer to the OP is simply 'NO! Many TAs offer generous on board credits, pre paid gratuities, vouchers for free alternative restaurant meals, etc. Sometimes its just a matter of shopping around among several reputable TAs.

 

Hank

[riclop]

Just had a random question, and figured I would post it in here as this is the next cruise we are looking at. We go on a cruise every year (usually about 8 of us), and we have always booked thru the same travel agent for the past 8 years or so. Since we book 4 rooms, our TA is usually able to get us $100 credit per room or what not. We’ve been on RC for the past few years, and decided to try Celebrity this time. I guess I’ve never really given it much thought, but I checked Celebrity’s web site after our TA gave us his prices, and it’s the exact same price as if I booked it myself online, and he said he is not able to give us any OBC. Is this generally how it is with other TA’s? I guess I was always under the impression that TAs were able to get better deals, otherwise what is the point of going thru them? As easy as it is to book online nowadays, just trying to see if there is still a reason to book thru TAs, or if maybe our TA just isn’t good anymore? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

We just got a 225 obc for a 7day cruise on the reflection for 2013. Shop around.

[br3ds0x]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am definitely going to try to find another TA. I'm glad I decided to ask instead of just booking with him :D

[4774Papa]

We like cruises from Europe. I have yet to find a TA that offers anything of significant value that makes it worthwhile using a TA.

I like having control over my reservation. Also, I once booked a hotel in Venice with an on-line travel company that went bankrupt and I had to pay twice for my hotel room.

[Hlitner]

We like cruises from Europe. I have yet to find a TA that offers anything of significant value that makes it worthwhile using a TA.

I like having control over my reservation. Also, I once booked a hotel in Venice with an on-line travel company that went bankrupt and I had to pay twice for my hotel room.

 

Interesting. Well, our last cruise was in Europe (Prinsendam) and our onboard credit was $1075 (yes, that is one thousand +) which we think is pretty worthwhile. If we had booked directly with HA the price would have been exactly the same, but we would not have received that large OBC. On a Celebrity cruise we are taking in a few weeks we were able to get $340 OBC plus pre-paid gratuities (worth$288) which is like somebody handing you $628 which we also think is "significant." Perhaps you need to expand your searches :) When we book a cruise (normally cruise about 10 weeks a year) it usually takes me about 30 minutes of online work to find these kind of offereings.

 

Hank

[ISABELLA]

Amount of OBC or prepaid gratuity depends on the cabin category and the price for that cabin, since TA offered OBC comes from their commissions. Sometimes, large online agency do have some special " group" pricing, when they sell a lot of X cruises for some specific sailings.

[windsor123456]

Celebrity has a Groups Dept. that offers "perks" through credits given that can be divided up. However, I believe that you need 8 or more cabins booked but that number might be wrong. Call them up and ask.

 

My understanding as well is that each person has control of their cabin as if they were individual bookings. Moreover, people do NOT have to travel in the same cabin category either.

 

Hey I have got it. I will form a group and you can all book through the group name and we all get perks <LOL>

[SusieV]

We like cruises from Europe. I have yet to find a TA that offers anything of significant value that makes it worthwhile using a TA.

I like having control over my reservation. Also, I once booked a hotel in Venice with an on-line travel company that went bankrupt and I had to pay twice for my hotel room.

 

Why would you have to pay twice? Did you not use a credit card?

 

My last TA did go out of business- after stealing my final payment for an AI vacation. I disputed the charge and got a full refund and the AI was very accommodating under the circumstances- they even honoured the discount the TA offered me to book. Of course, since I'm Canadian I got screwed on exchange rate fluctuation but it could easily have been the other way around.

[Oceangoer2]

:confused::confused:

Please help me understand the TA commission business. If they charge me the same as X, then where does the commission come from? Where does the TA make any money and how do they 'give it back' in OBC? I make my own online bookings through X, whose agent doesn't give me anything in OBC. Even the one time I booked with a TA I gratefully received a bottle of wine (incidentally this was a long term neighbour who books a lot in our community). If she was interested in more bookings, wouldn't it be in her best interest to offer what other agencies give if she could? I assumed there wasn't much in the booking (C1 class) for her, so no OBC.

[DocJohnB]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am definitely going to try to find another TA. I'm glad I decided to ask instead of just booking with him :D

 

 

I am going to have to assume that you have been quite satisfied with your travel agent as you have re-booked with them for 8 years or so. I also assume that the only reason for finding another t/a is because they did not come up with an onboard credit.

 

Instead of whizzing away an eight year relationship with a t/a agent(cy) that has provided you acceptable service, why don't you call them back and tell them what you are able to find with other t/a's and see if they will match it. Seems to me to be a decent thing to do. If they are unwilling or unable to accomodate then "think" about changing, i.e. is the change (and the "unknown" that entails) worth the dollars vs. the service they have provided for nearly a decade.

[DocJohnB]

:confused::confused:

Please help me understand the TA commission business. If they charge me the same as X, then where does the commission come from? Where does the TA make any money and how do they 'give it back' in OBC? I make my own online bookings through X, whose agent doesn't give me anything in OBC. Even the one time I booked with a TA I gratefully received a bottle of wine (incidentally this was a long term neighbour who books a lot in our community). If she was interested in more bookings, wouldn't it be in her best interest to offer what other agencies give if she could? I assumed there wasn't much in the booking (C1 class) for her, so no OBC.

 

The key to your answer lies in the words I emphasized above. Their commission comes from the cost of the cruise (minus certain non-commision items). It is from this commission that OBC's come from, i.e. from their wages. If your neighbor does enough volume then perhaps she can give OBC's. If not, she needs to make her money. It is up to the individuals buying and selling the cruise if it is worth it.

 

When I first started cruising, OBC's were a thing of the future. The cruise lines decided a few years ago to regulate the sales procedures of travel agents (much like airlines did), saying they could not change the price of the cruise from that which the cruise line set.

 

There are excellent agents out there, there are good ones and there are those that don't deserve to be selling cruises. If you have an excellent one you (like me) are lucky. They watch for changes, make them, help you with any AND all questions and they are worth every penny they make.

 

For the record . . . . . . . I am not a travel agent nor in the industry in any way.

[ISABELLA]

:confused::confused:

Please help me understand the TA commission business. If they charge me the same as X, then where does the commission come from? Where does the TA make any money and how do they 'give it back' in OBC? I make my own online bookings through X, whose agent doesn't give me anything in OBC. Even the one time I booked with a TA I gratefully received a bottle of wine (incidentally this was a long term neighbour who books a lot in our community). If she was interested in more bookings, wouldn't it be in her best interest to offer what other agencies give if she could? I assumed there wasn't much in the booking (C1 class) for her, so no OBC.

 

Commissions that TA gets is based on total $$$ volume they sell for particular cruise line, there for they can affort to give their customers OBC. Only large agencies really can do it.

Small agency can give OBC only when cruiseline runs promotions.

[Oceangoer2]

Thanks to all for your explanation.

[Hlitner]

I believe there is more to OBCs then rebating commissions. Nothing is as simple as it often may seem and this is true in the cruise industry where cruise line marketing is driven by sophisticated "yield managment" programs coupled with the "gut feeling" or a few top executives. This means that the cruise lines try to maintain the outward appearance of price control, but behind the scenes other things are in play. Large and high volume TAs will get certain types of inducements to promote specific cruise lines or cruises. The cruise line may quietly subsidize many of the OBCs and pre-paid gratuities offered through some agencies. Some folks may still call these a variation of "group rates" but that term seems to have fallen out of favor. There are also other "discounts' or amenities that can sometimes be offered, but only if it done quietly on a person by person basis. The cruise lines might permit special deals, but it can be with the provision that the deal not be advertised in any way. Another "game" involves high volume TAs who maintain special lists of "members" or "registered customers" who will get special deals via e-mail or they can even be on a special part of the TAs web site only accessible to registered members. This seems to fulfill a cruise line requirement that some promotions not be publicy advertised. So what does all this mean to a cruiser? If you want to find the best deals it pays to register with many different high-volume on line agencies. The only downside is you do get an awful lot of e-mails. But, you also find out about special promotions that may not be available to others who do not play the game.

 

Let me give you an actual example. We have an upcoming cruise on Celebrity that we booked at the last minute. The TA offered us a choice of a $250 on board credit or pre paid gratuities (actually worth more then $250) so we took the pre paid gratuities. This was actually clearly shown on the invoice issued by the cruise line (hence its clearly authorized by the cruise line). However, if we had booked this same cruise on the Celebrity web site we would not have gotten those pre-paid gratuities (actually worth $336).

 

Hank

[Oceangoer2]

I believe there is more to OBCs then rebating commissions. Nothing is as simple as it often may seem and this is true in the cruise industry where cruise line marketing is driven by sophisticated "yield managment" programs coupled with the "gut feeling" or a few top executives. This means that the cruise lines try to maintain the outward appearance of price control, but behind the scenes other things are in play. Large and high volume TAs will get certain types of inducements to promote specific cruise lines or cruises. The cruise line may quietly subsidize many of the OBCs and pre-paid gratuities offered through some agencies. Some folks may still call these a variation of "group rates" but that term seems to have fallen out of favor. There are also other "discounts' or amenities that can sometimes be offered, but only if it done quietly on a person by person basis. The cruise lines might permit special deals, but it can be with the provision that the deal not be advertised in any way. Another "game" involves high volume TAs who maintain special lists of "members" or "registered customers" who will get special deals via e-mail or they can even be on a special part of the TAs web site only accessible to registered members. This seems to fulfill a cruise line requirement that some promotions not be publicy advertised. So what does all this mean to a cruiser? If you want to find the best deals it pays to register with many different high-volume on line agencies. The only downside is you do get an awful lot of e-mails. But, you also find out about special promotions that may not be available to others who do not play the game.

 

Let me give you an actual example. We have an upcoming cruise on Celebrity that we booked at the last minute. The TA offered us a choice of a $250 on board credit or pre paid gratuities (actually worth more then $250) so we took the pre paid gratuities. This was actually clearly shown on the invoice issued by the cruise line (hence its clearly authorized by the cruise line). However, if we had booked this same cruise on the Celebrity web site we would not have gotten those pre-paid gratuities (actually worth $336).

 

Hank

Thanks for your explanation.....You really seem to be 'in the know'! Makes sense as the 'commission' has to come from X in the end -- either by reducing the cruise price the agent pays to X by discounting or by offering an OBC to the traveller as a reward for past business or incentive to keep sailing on X. Even if the agent paid the OBC out of commission, this commission had to be as a result of a lower price paid by the agent to X (and therefore more by me than X is charging the agent). Almost seems as though I'm paying myself the OBC!!

 

This particular agent is part of a large, well known agency dedicated to cruising. I suppose because we only booked once with her (and she knows I book cruises through X generally) a bottle of wine was a nice trade off. Happy to receive it though....just wondered how some posters are on the receiving end of many $$$s and how the system worked.

[cpj]

I believe there is more to OBCs then rebating commissions. Nothing is as simple as it often may seem and this is true in the cruise industry where cruise line marketing is driven by sophisticated "yield managment" programs coupled with the "gut feeling" or a few top executives. This means that the cruise lines try to maintain the outward appearance of price control, but behind the scenes other things are in play. Large and high volume TAs will get certain types of inducements to promote specific cruise lines or cruises. The cruise line may quietly subsidize many of the OBCs and pre-paid gratuities offered through some agencies. Some folks may still call these a variation of "group rates" but that term seems to have fallen out of favor. There are also other "discounts' or amenities that can sometimes be offered, but only if it done quietly on a person by person basis. The cruise lines might permit special deals, but it can be with the provision that the deal not be advertised in any way. Another "game" involves high volume TAs who maintain special lists of "members" or "registered customers" who will get special deals via e-mail or they can even be on a special part of the TAs web site only accessible to registered members. This seems to fulfill a cruise line requirement that some promotions not be publicy advertised. So what does all this mean to a cruiser? If you want to find the best deals it pays to register with many different high-volume on line agencies. The only downside is you do get an awful lot of e-mails. But, you also find out about special promotions that may not be available to others who do not play the game.

 

Let me give you an actual example. We have an upcoming cruise on Celebrity that we booked at the last minute. The TA offered us a choice of a $250 on board credit or pre paid gratuities (actually worth more then $250) so we took the pre paid gratuities. This was actually clearly shown on the invoice issued by the cruise line (hence its clearly authorized by the cruise line). However, if we had booked this same cruise on the Celebrity web site we would not have gotten those pre-paid gratuities (actually worth $336).

 

Hank

What you wrote is accurate.

[Hlitner]

Since we are having fun with this topic I want to talk about booking direct with the cruise lines. Up to only a few years ago you could only book cruises through TAs. And than along came Renaissance which had a new idea which was to only accept direct bookings (they would not give commissions to TAs) and pass the savings along to the customer. They went bankrupt for a variety of reasons (it broke our cruising heart) but not using TAs certainly was not a good decision. But the other cruise lines soon jumped on the bandwagon and started accepting direct bookings as well as working through TAs (the best of both worlds?). But this created a new problem because the cruise lines were competing against their own TAs which did not make the large TAs happy campers. So the cruise lines have tried to control pricing by everyone. But the cruise lines do not offer the promotions on their web site (direct bookings) that are often authorized for their TAs. I once tested this system with Princess. We found a good deal on a long Princess cruise with one of our favorite on line TAs. I called Princess and told them about the offer and asked if they would match the deal if I booked direct (this would save them having to pay an agency commission). Princess told me they would not compete against TAs.

 

One other related topic (am too lazy to discuss this) are how the industry handles price changes, but one could say that this is a big minefield for cruise lines, TAs and the cruisers.

 

Hank

[retired067]

:confused::confused:

Please help me understand the TA commission business. If they charge me the same as X, then where does the commission come from? Where does the TA make any money and how do they 'give it back' in OBC? I make my own online bookings through X, whose agent doesn't give me anything in OBC. Even the one time I booked with a TA I gratefully received a bottle of wine (incidentally this was a long term neighbour who books a lot in our community). If she was interested in more bookings, wouldn't it be in her best interest to offer what other agencies give if she could? I assumed there wasn't much in the booking (C1 class) for her, so no OBC.

 

Hi, I have talked to several Canadian TA's re OBC's and have yet to find one who will give an OBC or even acknowledge that OBC's exist. So I use a U S online agency and I have always received an OBC. Also from time to time this agency has reduced cruise rates and even then there's an OBC to be had. So if you want OBC's and other perks you'll have to go south of the boarder.

[bighairtexan]

Another source of the OBC's are group bookings. I booked on board well over a year in advance. The next month I called a cruise only agency to transfer. She said she'd get back w/ me w/in 48 hours. When she did the OBC was substantial. My new invoice had penciled in at the top GROUP. This agency does buy large blocks of Celebrity inventory and is able to provide nice OBC's.

Later I booked a Carnival cruise thru Carnival and called and the OBC was minimal. ALthough they do business w/ Carnival, this agency is consistently an =X= large volume/agency of the year.

[Oceangoer2]

Hi, I have talked to several Canadian TA's re OBC's and have yet to find one who will give an OBC or even acknowledge that OBC's exist. So I use a U S online agency and I have always received an OBC. Also from time to time this agency has reduced cruise rates and even then there's an OBC to be had. So if you want OBC's and other perks you'll have to go south of the boarder.

So if you want OBC's and other perks you'll have to go south of the boarder.

 

I'm sure this wasn't intended??? LOLOLOL