Be sure to thank your TA as they...

[Beachdude]

Sit on hold with Carnival for 45 minutes to get your discount and their commission reduced.

 

Burt

[Cruising Golfer]

Book it yourself on line and you do have to worry about it.:D

[happy cruzin]

Sit on hold with Carnival for 45 minutes to get your discount and their commission reduced.

 

Burt

 

 

I don't use a TA - but that's the "bad" that goes along with the "good" and is part of the job! :cool:

[Warm Breezes]

Sit on hold with Carnival for 45 minutes to get your discount and their commission reduced.

 

Burt

 

I do thank my TA for doing his job ;):rolleyes:.

[Snowball]

Sit on hold with Carnival for 45 minutes to get your discount and their commission reduced.

 

Burt

 

I do thank my TA for doing his job ;):rolleyes:.

I always thank mine too, just like I thank anyone who provides a service for me.

 

Having a t/a who is willing to deal with submitting price drops, calling the cruise lines, and dealing with other issues that come up is what makes it worth having a t/a instead of booking directly with the cruise line. If your t/a doesn't provide that level of service, or complains about it, then they are not worth giving your business to.

[loxley]

Sit on hold with Carnival for 45 minutes to get your discount and their commission reduced.

 

Burt

 

Are you talking about those TAs that you can't talk to at all before 8am (their time zone), after 5pm, weekends and holidays? The ones that fall down stairs and are out of the office for 10 days leaving you with no one to help you? The ones you email and pray you hear back from in no more than 2 days?

 

Are those the ones you are talking about?

[CJinFLA00]

I just email my PVP and she does the rest. No problem.

[happy cruzin]

I always thank mine too, just like I thank anyone who provides a service for me.

 

Having a t/a who is willing to deal with submitting price drops, calling the cruise lines, and dealing with other issues that come up is what makes it worth having a t/a instead of booking directly with the cruise line. If your t/a doesn't provide that level of service, or complains about it, then they are not worth giving your business to.

 

FYI...my Carnival PVP does all of this for me. ;)

[Snowball]

FYI...my Carnival PVP does all of this for me. ;)

That's great! :) I am not against PVPs - but just like with t/a's - there are good ones and bad ones. What I am against is poor customer service, regardless of who you book through. A good friend of mine is also a great t/a, so I prefer to send my business her way instead of booking direct through the cruiseline or a PVP. :cool:

[elcuchio24]

enjoy the TA's while they last, they'll be extict in a decade.

[happy cruzin]

That's great! :) I am not against PVPs - but just like with t/a's - there are good ones and bad ones. What I am against is poor customer service, regardless of who you book through. A good friend of mine is also a great t/a, so I prefer to send my business her way instead of booking direct through the cruiseline or a PVP. :cool:

 

Excellent point!

I thought from your post that maybe you thought PVP didn't (or couldn't) provide those services. It's all good! ;)

[shazam89]

went through a TA for my upcoming cruise.. was able to upgrade, but wasn't about to get $100 obc back :( but she did spend 30-40mins on the phone w carnival so we thanked her..

 

 

btw is there any way we would be able to get obc if we went through a TA?

[ontheweb]

Sit on hold with Carnival for 45 minutes to get your discount and their commission reduced.

 

Burt

 

45 minutes, my TA would be thrilled with that. The last e-mail I received from him said he was still on hold after 90 minutes to get my latest price drop.

 

And I do not only thank him, but try to recommend him to others.

O

[big_duck]

enjoy the TA's while they last, they'll be extict in a decade.

 

The are practically extinct now. Most are just travel order takers.

[lady_cruiser]

Well my travel agent must have a special phone number because every time I am in his office and he calls any cruiseline in front of me he gets through on the second or third ring.

[cruisinfanatic]

enjoy the TA's while they last, they'll be extict in a decade.

heard that one 10 years ago

[cruisinfanatic]

Well my travel agent must have a special phone number because every time I am in his office and he calls any cruiseline in front of me he gets through on the second or third ring.

That's because TA's call a different number. They don't wait any 45 minutes like the public might

Just tried the TA line I used when I was one.

3 1/2 minutes

[elcuchio24]

heard that one 10 years ago

 

Thats right. And 10 years ago there were 10 times as many TA's. Do the math.;)

[cruisinfanatic]

Thats right. And 10 years ago there were 10 times as many TA's. Do the math.;)

You must be using "new" math. There is still a travel agency in every mall. Tons of online cruise agency's. Think what you want, who cares

[nylori]

Last cruise i did not have one price drop, so this one he is working for me. I do feel bad and after seeing all the posts of people waiting on the phone so bad i called to thank him. I do always give him a great review with his company after our cruise!

[TPLGT]

 

Having a t/a who is willing to deal with submitting price drops, calling the cruise lines, and dealing with other issues that come up is what makes it worth having a t/a instead of booking directly with the cruise line. If your t/a doesn't provide that level of service, or complains about it, then they are not worth giving your business to.

 

Well put. I used a TA for my most current cruise...am very happy I did. Saves me time and CLL seems to react quicker in showing the price reductions. The first drop was completed and showing on my travel docs by the end of the same day.

[loxley]

You must be using "new" math. There is still a travel agency in every mall. Tons of online cruise agency's. Think what you want, who cares

 

No there is not. We used to have around 10. Now we have none.

[buddylover]

Are you talking about those TAs that you can't talk to at all before 8am (their time zone), after 5pm, weekends and holidays? The ones that fall down stairs and are out of the office for 10 days leaving you with no one to help you? The ones you email and pray you hear back from in no more than 2 days?

 

Are those the ones you are talking about?

 

Very funny.....however, all of your descriptives apply to all the PVP's we have worked with too.....you forgot to add gone for 10 days for countless funerals, visiting sick grandmas, being sick themselves.....yada yada yada. We gave up and just book ourselves now....in control of the booking, send in our our price reduction forms etc. Never had a PVP who serviced us at all nor a TA that was happy to get a reduced commission on a price drop!

[elcuchio24]

You must be using "new" math. There is still a travel agency in every mall. Tons of online cruise agency's. Think what you want, who cares

 

Maybe its different in NY. We certainly dont have any travel agencies in any malls. There used to be 6 or 7 within a 15mile radious of our house, they have all closed. There are certainly plenty of online options, but I wouldnt consider those TA's, certainly not the same profit margin or level of customer support there used to be.

[Mizzouaholic]

I don't know about you all, but I don't feel the least bit sorry when I haggle with the used car salesman and pay a lower price thus reducing his commission, so why would I feel bad doing the same thing with a travel agent?