How not to sell a cruise.

[Hypo]

Two days ago, I placed a courtesy hold on a cabin for a cruise on Mariner of the Seas sailing Jan 2, 2012. Since it is within the final payment period, any payment would have to be payment in full.

 

I called my favorite TA and gave her the credit card number and asked her to transfer the booking to her agency. (Same as I had done many times previously)

 

Much to my (and hers) surprise, she was not able to get RCCL to transfer to booking to her.

 

According to her, RCCL said that I would have to make a payment on the cruise first, before they would allow the transfer of the booking. But, in order to make a payment, it would have to be payment in full since it is only 62 days till sailing. As we all know, if I had made payment in full, then I would not have been able to transfer the booking to my TA. Also, the 24 hour "Courtesy hold" was about to expire.

 

She even talked with a supervisor at RCCL and they also said sorry, no can do. She explained to them that she had the credit card number in hand and was prepared to make full payment once the transfer was complete. RCCL still would not budge.

 

We ended up canceling the Courtesy Hold, and rebooking as a new booking, directly through her agency. Now, when the original cabin shows up in inventory we will change cabins.

 

Really strange was to do business, if you ask me.

[F27TW]

Why even bother going to a travel agent after you already did all the work booking your own cruise?

[Ashland]

Why even bother going to a travel agent after you already did all the work booking your own cruise?

Must have been for some incentives..OBC etc...;)

[Ocean Boy]

Why didn't you just call your TA and have them make the booking in the first place? Was it a special cabin that you were concerned about possibly loosing?

[bajathree]

Two days ago, I placed a courtesy hold on a cabin for a cruise on Mariner of the Seas sailing Jan 2, 2012. Since it is within the final payment period, any payment would have to be payment in full.

 

I called my favorite TA and gave her the credit card number and asked her to transfer the booking to her agency. (Same as I had done many times previously)

 

Much to my (and hers) surprise, she was not able to get RCCL to transfer to booking to her.

 

According to her, RCCL said that I would have to make a payment on the cruise first, before they would allow the transfer of the booking. But, in order to make a payment, it would have to be payment in full since it is only 62 days till sailing. As we all know, if I had made payment in full, then I would not have been able to transfer the booking to my TA. Also, the 24 hour "Courtesy hold" was about to expire.

 

She even talked with a supervisor at RCCL and they also said sorry, no can do. She explained to them that she had the credit card number in hand and was prepared to make full payment once the transfer was complete. RCCL still would not budge.

 

We ended up canceling the Courtesy Hold, and rebooking as a new booking, directly through her agency. Now, when the original cabin shows up in inventory we will change cabins.

 

Really strange was to do business, if you ask me.

 

You don't quite have the full story ....when a guest wants to transfer a booking to a TA, the guest needs to fill out a transfer form and fax it into Royal...it can takes anywhere from 24-72hrs for it to be processed. Since you were trying to transfer a booking that is post final and only has a 24hr hold, there was no time to do the transfer...and like you already know...if you make full payment you can't transfer the booking. Your TA didn't explain it right to you.

[PH8]

Why didn't you just call your TA and have them make the booking in the first place? Was it a special cabin that you were concerned about possibly loosing?

Good question since the TA could had put a hold on it as well..

[will773]

I don't think that this is too strange, they have policies and booking rules that they need to stick to.

[firefly333]

Im surprised and glad I read this.

 

I know Carnival allows 24 hours to transfer bookings after final payment with no fax, and it doesnt take a day to two days to transfer.

 

It does seem on this one thing RCL has you so you cant do what you need.

[Hypo]

You don't quite have the full story ....when a guest wants to transfer a booking to a TA, the guest needs to fill out a transfer form and fax it into Royal...it can takes anywhere from 24-72hrs for it to be processed. Since you were trying to transfer a booking that is post final and only has a 24hr hold, there was no time to do the transfer...and like you already know...if you make full payment you can't transfer the booking. Your TA didn't explain it right to you.

 

Booking transfer paperwork was faxed to RCCL, as per their policy.

[Scotty G]

You don't quite have the full story ....when a guest wants to transfer a booking to a TA, the guest needs to fill out a transfer form and fax it into Royal...it can takes anywhere from 24-72hrs for it to be processed. Since you were trying to transfer a booking that is post final and only has a 24hr hold, there was no time to do the transfer...and like you already know...if you make full payment you can't transfer the booking. Your TA didn't explain it right to you.

You are correct. I have done that with my TA. The only exception that occured once was that the RCL person took a verbal from me and allowed the transfer immediately as long as the faxed form came in at his end.

[Aquahound]

Booking transfer paperwork was faxed to RCCL, as per their policy.

 

On a courtesy hold? :confused:

[Isa65]

Same thing happened 3 weeks ago with me, where I had to go through an ordeal just to book the cabin I had on courtesy hold. I ended up just booking with the TA that offered the most OBC and got the cabin next door... But indeed weird that they're not to eager to get your booking and your $$$....

[Schooner Bar Girl]

All you had to do was make a partial payment on the cruise and then once it was transferred to the TA complete payment with them. Your TA should have known this and suggested this to you. RCI would not have canceled the cruise and would have accepted partial payment while processing the paperwork to transfer your booking to your TA. Even after final payment the partial payment would have held your booking until it was transferred to your TA.

[silentbob007]

Sometimes it is a pain to transfer bookings to a TA ... after final payment, I don't even bother trying ... I just make the booking with the TA.

[bajathree]

All you had to do was make a partial payment on the cruise and then once it was transferred to the TA complete payment with them. Your TA should have known this and suggested this to you. RCI would not have canceled the cruise and would have accepted partial payment while processing the paperwork to transfer your booking to your TA. Even after final payment the partial payment would have held your booking until it was transferred to your TA.

 

Not so sure about that....just went through this exact same situation a couple weeks ago....Royal told me they couldn't guaranty the booking wouldn't get cancelled before the transfer with partial payment since it was after final....and this was a special very well educated desk I was dealing with at Royal...not just the run of the mill reservations folk....I tried several different ways to try to get it done including doing a conference call between all parties involved....wouldn't do it....form had to be faxed and wouldn't guaranty the booking.

[bajathree]

Sometimes it is a pain to transfer bookings to a TA ... after final payment, I don't even bother trying ... I just make the booking with the TA.

 

Exactly;)....why fight the system:)

[Schooner Bar Girl]

Not so sure about that....just went through this exact same situation a couple weeks ago....Royal told me they couldn't guaranty the booking wouldn't get cancelled before the transfer with partial payment since it was after final....and this was a special very well educated desk I was dealing with at Royal...not just the run of the mill reservations folk....I tried several different ways to try to get it done including doing a conference call between all parties involved....wouldn't do it....form had to be faxed and wouldn't guaranty the booking.

 

They can make notes on the booking. While the rep may not be able to guarantee that the reservation won't be canceled it still won't be canceled.

 

At the very least you would get an email from the Balance Due Coordinator (yes a real position):) saying that final payment must be made by......... (whatever date they give you....would be at least 24 hours) with a phone number to call and the address if you wish to overnight a cheque. All you would then have to do is call the number in the email and explain the situation and they would extend the final payment day by a few days to allow the transfer to go through to your TA.

[klove613]

Two days ago, I placed a courtesy hold on a cabin for a cruise on Mariner of the Seas sailing Jan 2, 2012. Since it is within the final payment period, any payment would have to be payment in full.

 

I called my favorite TA and gave her the credit card number and asked her to transfer the booking to her agency. (Same as I had done many times previously)

 

Much to my (and hers) surprise, she was not able to get RCCL to transfer to booking to her.

 

According to her, RCCL said that I would have to make a payment on the cruise first, before they would allow the transfer of the booking. But, in order to make a payment, it would have to be payment in full since it is only 62 days till sailing. As we all know, if I had made payment in full, then I would not have been able to transfer the booking to my TA. Also, the 24 hour "Courtesy hold" was about to expire.

 

She even talked with a supervisor at RCCL and they also said sorry, no can do. She explained to them that she had the credit card number in hand and was prepared to make full payment once the transfer was complete. RCCL still would not budge.

 

We ended up canceling the Courtesy Hold, and rebooking as a new booking, directly through her agency. Now, when the original cabin shows up in inventory we will change cabins.

 

Really strange was to do business, if you ask me.

 

Yep, same thing happened to me about a month ago. I really had no idea that it would be such an issue. An Owner's Suite popped up one night on a cruise that I had been considering. The cruise had entered final payment status, so I put a courtesy hold on with RCCL and then contacted a travel agent the next day to see what he would offer. We negotiated at bit and then he advises me to call and ask them to just note his agency on the hold. They said they couldn't do it, paperwork would have to be faxed over (for a hold??) and the hold would drop off before they could process it. The other options Royal gave me were to pay the entire balance, but not be able to transfer or just let the hold expire and hope the cabin was available. None of those were really working for me.

 

We were talking about quite a bit of cash here (from the TA) and this was the only actual suite available on the sailing. So the travel agent had me call RCCL and drop the hold and then he grabbed it up for me. It was very frustrating, but now I know not to mess with holds when the cruise is in the final payment period.

[bajathree]

They can make notes on the booking. While the rep may not be able to guarantee that the reservation won't be canceled it still won't be canceled.

 

At the very least you would get an email from the Balance Due Coordinator (yes a real position):) saying that final payment must be made by......... (whatever date they give you....would be at least 24 hours) with a phone number to call and the address if you wish to overnight a cheque. All you would then have to do is call the number in the email and explain the situation and they would extend the final payment day by a few days to allow the transfer to go through to your TA.

 

Some things just aren't worth the hassle or the risk....just do things right from the beginning;)

[ehfl]

This makes no sense. You do all the work. The travel agent gets the commission? Why add a middleman to the equation once you've made the booking?

[klove613]

This makes no sense. You do all the work. The travel agent gets the commission? Why add a middleman to the equation once you've made the booking?

 

Because the TA is offering an incentive.

[rubrrick]

Some things just aren't worth the hassle or the risk....just do things right from the beginning;)

 

Steve........I'm not an expert, but will say, if any passenger sees something in the way of a cabin that they want........be it midnight....and they put a hold on the cabin......and they want to transfer it to their TA.......it takes about 30 seconds, on a 3 line conference call, to lose the cabin, and get it back.

 

I wish that I could say more, but CC has rules.

 

Rick

[UNV-IT!!!]

I'm all the TA I need. I hear too many stories of problems with TA's.

[Dbedros]

This makes no sense. You do all the work. The travel agent gets the commission? Why add a middleman to the equation once you've made the booking?

 

 

Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. We are joining approximately 60 other cruisers to play Bridge. One TA is handling the group booking which allows you to participate in all activities. There were no JS’s in the group booking and the cost was high for the TA to acquire one for me. I booked Balcony and monitored the RCCL web site where I saw a JS go on sale one night, although the location was not ideal. The web site would not let me put a 24 hour hold. I called and the agent said I had to make a deposit to hold, which was actually a booking, which I did. No problem with this transfer, just completed the form faxed to the TA and the transfer was completed, costing me two deposits for the one cabin. Later again at night I saw a JS become available in the middle of the hump. This time the web site let me put the 24 hour hold on and did not require a deposit. I emailed the transfer paper work to the TA to be there upon opening. This time RCCL gave grief. The TA advised me to call and cancel the booking while she was on with RCCL and she would get the cabin when it went into inventory.

 

Sure I do my homework and then take it to my regular TA because I get OBC and paid gratuities, sometime other amenities and the price is always less than what I found. Don’t judge until you know all of the facts and assume nothing.

 

 

Steve........I'm not an expert, but will say, if any passenger sees something in the way of a cabin that they want........be it midnight....and they put a hold on the cabin......and they want to transfer it to their TA.......it takes about 30 seconds, on a 3 line conference call, to lose the cabin, and get it back.

 

I wish that I could say more, but CC has rules.

 

Rick

 

You got it right as to what should happen. IMHO when dealing with RCCL you can and will always get more than one answer for the same problem or situation depending on the agent and the time of day. This is when an experienced TA comes in handy.

[bajathree]

Steve........I'm not an expert, but will say, if any passenger sees something in the way of a cabin that they want........be it midnight....and they put a hold on the cabin......and they want to transfer it to their TA.......it takes about 30 seconds, on a 3 line conference call, to lose the cabin, and get it back.

 

I wish that I could say more, but CC has rules.

 

Rick

 

Rick...yes, that is very easy and the simplest solution in a situation like the OP posted and ended up doing....drop the cabin and rebook it through the TA......however that isn't a booking transfer.....it's basically a cancel or drop of the hold by the guest and the guest re-booking through the TA you are talking about. However what if things changed in the time the guest placed the hold the night before and the next morning when they called their TA. If Royal isn't just transferring the original booking there is always a bit of risk involved in that and the situation could vary....ie...what if it was the last cabin available in that category....what if the price went up...what if it was a booking for a triple and now there is a restriction on triple and quad bookings.