Carnival scummed my TA

[Rudyard]

Since reps from the various cruise lines are rumored to browse these boards, it will be interesting to see if Carnival changes their policy and allows even less time to transfer in order to make the TA earn their commission.

[MMastell]

And those busy, non-lazy TA's that are forced to keep up with the industry, how to they learn about policy changes exactly?

 

Registered Travel Agents receive regular mail, email and handbook updates to the cruise line policies. It is up to the agent to "read" these updates and become familiar with them. They are also supposed to do their own education and continuing education on the cruise line policies.

 

If this agent has low volume and is just doing it to get lower cost cruises and/or a couple extra dollars then I can understand why they would not have known about this policy. I would never use that agent. It is a real concern if this agent is a true professional and does not know this policy. This is not a "new" policy or one that was put in under the radar.

 

Carnival can do some sneaky things but this isn't one of them and it is a bit offensive to blame Carnival when you and your agent are doing the scumming.

 

Take care,

Mike

[camarowesley]

We had the exact same thing happen to us. I book our cruise myself, this assures me of getting everything exactly as I want it, I then transfer it to my credit card company rewards travel agent and use my points to pay the balance. Lesson learned.

[beachbum57]

I'm trying to understand, let's see if I got this. so according to you, a "properly trained" TA should assume from their training what Carnival's policy is and then assume that from that point until the end of time that the policy will never change. and also her day to day bookings, which are not transfers, should somehow reinforce the years old transfer policy which never changes and could never change. Did I get that right?

 

I think you have this wrong.

 

Your TA should know Carnivals policy but a Carnival employee doesn't need know the company's policy.

 

I think I will go to work tomorrow and tell my boss that I do not need to know our company policy because it is our customer's responsibly to understand our policy.

[Chrisp414]

Wow - I can't believe this post is still active. Wow.

[awhcruiser]

Lol

 

lol never mind.

 

Noun 1. A confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, especially for making a quick profit; swindle. Verb (used with object) 2. To cheat or defraud with a scam ...

[gospelle]

. whats the difference between giving it to her right away and doing all the work or giving it to her a few months later and doing all the work?.

 

It doesnt work that way. Once she is the contact, I can not call carnival and make changes myself.

[gospelle]

Registered Travel Agents receive regular mail, email and handbook updates to the cruise line policies. It is up to the agent to "read" these updates and become familiar with them. They are also supposed to do their own education and continuing education on the cruise line policies.

 

If this agent has low volume and is just doing it to get lower cost cruises and/or a couple extra dollars then I can understand why they would not have known about this policy. I would never use that agent. It is a real concern if this agent is a true professional and does not know this policy. This is not a "new" policy or one that was put in under the radar.

 

Carnival can do some sneaky things but this isn't one of them and it is a bit offensive to blame Carnival when you and your agent are doing the scumming.

 

Take care,

Mike

 

I dont know what she receives from carnival in the way of updates. I'd have to defer to other TA's to know what is standard here. I would not take the same assumption you have.

[gospelle]

I think you have this wrong.

 

Your TA should know Carnivals policy but a Carnival employee doesn't need know the company's policy.

 

I think I will go to work tomorrow and tell my boss that I do not need to know our company policy because it is our customer's responsibly to understand our policy.

 

Exactly!

[gospelle]

Wow - I can't believe this post is still active. Wow.

 

I agree. This is my last post. Good bye all. It's been fun.

 

I'll take better care with my title creation next time.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

TA's just make more work. Too many hoops to jump thru.

[rjackieb]

TA's just make more work. Too many hoops to jump thru.

Isn't that the truth?

I got lucky with our 2nd PVP and have used him since. No hassles, hold times, or hoops. I call and leave him a message; he usually calls back within 15-30 minutes with the longest about 2 hours. I tell him what we're looking at, he gives me cruise options and we book. If I find a price difference after booking I send him a screen shot to his email and he gets back to me again just as quickly.

Different kind of vacation, but we used a TA for a trip to Las Vegas last week. It seemed 75% of the things she told us were wrong. Trying to get her on the phone prior to the trip was nearly impossible. I ended up having to call the airline, hotel, rental car agency and other arrangements to get answers to questions.

[topofE]

Your definition of scumming doesn't really apply either here...your TA didn't earn a commission or do any work. She just didn'tn get an unearned freebee. I am not knocking it. I can see how it would be frustrating. But as anyone who calls any customer service for any reason should always get the name of who they're talking to and EVEN then, not give it 100% without seeing it in writing.

 

I tell my friends and famiy that if one of THEIR friends book a Pampered Chef party through me, I will give them a 70$ free item. But if Sara Jo books a party with me and we spend a month putting together the details and arrangements and then the night before the party betty Loo calls and tells me that they are friends and she referred her and would like the item in red, it's a no go. Although, she and you are right, no one else is getting the item. No one had to do EXTRA work. But she didn't *recommend or refer* me to SJ.