Travel agent really against Carnival? New cruiser questions

[halos]

I don't understand why ANYONE would let a TA push them into something that would be beneficial to the TA.

 

Make your own decisions, and if the TA doesn't want to work with you, go elsewhere !!

 

 

I agree.

I don't understand this 'problem'...and the Op is not the first to have posted it.

 

If you know what YOU want, go purchase it. If you feel pressure by a 'live' TA, then book with an on line web site (better deals anyway)

[CoachT]

Absolutely! I just changed your statement a bit, and I'll quote you next time someone tells me about the customer always being right.

 

I cannot understand why a TA would book Carnival, knowing that if there is a price drop he'll have to do extra work to make less money.

Most clients remain blissfully ignorant of how much work a TA does behind the scenes. The machinations of Carnival and the agent community notwithstanding, it gets to a point where it costs money for a TA do business with Carnival.

 

Frankly many TAs are blissfully ignorant as business owners and do not realize how little they make with any booking when you take in all of the overhead, all of the hours, etc. They may make $100 on a booking but it cost them almost that much to get, process and service that booking. (BTW, that fact does not only apply to Carnival)

[deborahjo]

Most clients remain blissfully ignorant of how much work a TA does behind the scenes. The machinations of Carnival and the agent community notwithstanding, it gets to a point where it costs money for a TA do business with Carnival.

 

Frankly many TAs are blissfully ignorant as business owners and do not realize how little they make with any booking when you take in all of the overhead, all of the hours, etc. They may make $100 on a booking but it cost them almost that much to get, process and service that booking. (BTW, that fact does not only apply to Carnival)

 

So in Post 20 when you said you steer "customers who do not know what they want" to RCI and NCL because of commissions is not true.

 

You now change your story and say "it does not only apply to Carnival". How strange.

[CoachT]

So in Post 20 when you said you steer "customers who do not know what they want" to RCI and NCL because of commissions is not true.

 

You now change your story and say "it does not only apply to Carnival". How strange.

 

Nope no changing story. I absolutely steer clients to Ncl and Rci. But you keep trying to twist two different statements to your hearts content. I make money on every booking as I charge fees. I refuse to take a Carnival booking because of their business practices.

 

To the OP, I hope you have a great cruise!

[swedish weave]

Nope no changing story. I absolutely steer clients to Ncl and Rci. But you keep trying to twist two different statements to your hearts content. I make money on every booking as I charge fees. I refuse to take a Carnival booking because of their business practices.

 

To the OP, I hope you have a great cruise!

 

I have read on CC that Carnival prohibits some TA's from selling their cruises.

 

Is that the "business practices" you refer to ???

[Sixtytwo]

Interesting point you make, Coach. You "charge fees" for bookings. So, this sounds like you are getting your money either from the customer or the cruise line or both. Hey, it's business! If it works, you have a good business model.

 

Now, I believe that a high percentage of cruisers, even if they are newbies or old salts, are more computer savvy and, therefore, can and do make their own bookings online. If a customer has a long standing relationship with a particular TA, then maybe that TA could do what you do and charge a fee to handle a Carnival booking so they feel better and make money. As a TA, you should be able to replace the loss of Carnival commissions by selling hotels and transportation to your Carnival clients. Where it rubs me the wrong way is to have someone try to tell me that the trip I called about is the wrong one and that I should do what the TA wants rather than what I want.

 

Like I said, it is business. If you are happy with your business model, go for it! I am sure that Carnival, who owns 46% of the cruise market, thinks their model is pretty good and profitable for them so they are going for it.

[okgirl]

Hi,

We've taken one cruise last Christmas with Carnival on the Freedom and we had a great time! There were some things we didn't enjoy (Mainly the crowds at pools and really noisy in our room) however over all we had a great time! We're thinking of another cruise in 2014 and called the same cruise agent who helped us with this cruise and she is REALLY pushing Royal Caribbean over Carnival... I've been on their boards and website and I just can't see that it's worth $700 more... Just wondering what your thoughts are here? We're looking at the Dream or Breeze for Carnival 8 nights and Independence of the Seas Royal Caribbean ship. We have 2 boys, ages 10 and 7 with my husband and myself. Thank you!!!

 

Dump the TA and just call the 800#. I have no patients with people trying to push you to spend more money just to up their commission.

 

I would also recommend the Breeze over the Dream just because the Breeze has so much more to offer.

[firefly333]

we had no choice really....all of the cruises were booked...there were 3000 displaced Dream cruisers trying to find a last minute cruise somewhere..anywhere ....We were lucky to get a cabin at all...it was also spring break......The funny thing was We got a cabin that someone had canceled...they were Platinum cruisers...they were scheduled to dine at the captains table on the 2nd nite...and that was offered to us if We wanted to take their place...we did not...

 

I booked my last minute within 4 days of the cruise, but 3/30 maybe we didnt hit spring breakers as bad. Im surprised platinum would get invited to the Captains Table.

 

My point is people on this board seem to go out of their way to attack RCL.

 

Just come out and say you like Carnival without these petty attacks on RCL. You dont have to justify which line you cruise one. If someone doesnt like it, let it be their problem. I get tired of this war on RCL .. it just sounds lame to me to have to attack RCL to show you like CCL.

 

I want a TA who books what I tell them to book and doesnt try and upsell me or tell me what they think I should like. I've already looked and made my decision. .. and as a Texan .. please hurry and finish Triumph.

[Ship's Wake]

I think it's important to look at why some TAs want nothing to do with Carnival bookings.

 

If they can make a commission by making the booking, and they look for ways to not make a Carnival booking, that means that something is terribly wrong with the booking process and management of the booking.

 

Clearly Carnival management is not travel agent friendly.

 

I have a question for those posters who are outraged at TAs avoiding Carnival: would you want to make your living booking Carnival cruises, especially with all the issues such as price drops, rate re-farings, cancelled sailings, etc.

 

I know I wouldn't.

 

Basic economics tells us that there is a high opportunity cost for a travel agent to make a booking on Carnival. The time needed to bring make the booking and see it through until departure may in many cases not justify the TAs time.

[inco]

Anyone ever notice that no matter which agency you look at, the cabin prices all remain the same? Competition for fares doesn't seem to be happening so it doesn't matter which company you go to.

I'm sure Carnival and the other lines all have some sort of system in place to reward those volume companies. It's the way business operates - more the volume, the better the pricing - or commissions in this case perhaps.

All I know is that our TA has confirmed that through them, we will have to prepay in the near future, if we choose Carnival. This has to do with the relationship the two of them have, or in this case, do not have. Using this agency we get a discount. Not going to elaborate any further as I do not want to jeopardize our relationship and current bookings.

Others may wish to confirm that they too get discounts with their TA's and that's fine. We do with ours and I'm happy about that. I was brought up that you always try to negotiate - it may not be much, but it is something.

However this likely boils down to the way Carnival eyes this relationship and perhaps is unhappy with the agency. I guess they have the right to modify it, if it isn't working the way they want, but from here it could end our relationship with them. That's all I'm saying.

[inco]

Yes it makes sense for any cruise line to use their own staff for bookings. It likely costs them less and they have greater control over the booking by keeping it in house.

But, they also know that some folks have long standing relationships with their travel agents and so the cruise lines reach out to enhance their sales.

Unfortunately, as many have pointed out, the process with Carnival to get things done is sometimes cumbersome and likely caused many a TA to look for alternatives.

[firefly333]

Anyone ever notice that no matter which agency you look at, the cabin prices all remain the same?

 

Its not exactly a secret that Carnival (and other lines) do not allow TAs to advertise lower prices in public, but some do discount privately, behind closed doors.

 

One of the TAs I used to use used to discount a fixed amount and it became a mess when ES started, and there would be a price drop which would affect the amount they had discounted. I know I got checks in the mail for as little as about $5. Stupid, as they sent the check special mail and cost them as much in postage as the difference in the discount.

 

They finally started to charge $25 pp for each price drop and then quit selling Carnival all together. So, I tried a few other TAs and got a PVP now. Nothing wrong with using a TA for discounts and I use the PVP for last minute bookings. I use both.

[darlacat]

....when I asked her to look into a cruise, I said "No Costa and No Carnival", based on the recent issues on the news, (we've never been on a cruise before and I only had that to go on). She agreed that Costa wasn't for us, but she highly recommended Carnival and assured us that the recent incident is not indicative of their performance and that we would likely have a great time.

 

I appreciated her candor - and her honestly. And now we're booked on Carnival BECAUSE of our travel agent, not in spite of.

[CoachT]

Basic economics tells us that there is a high opportunity cost for a travel agent to make a booking on Carnival. The time needed to bring make the booking and see it through until departure may in many cases not justify the TAs time.

That is part of it. However, there are a host of other factors that have gone into TAs make a decision en masse to stop selling Carnival that go far beyond economics.

[poison7fl]

That is part of it. However, there are a host of other factors that have gone into TAs make a decision en masse to stop selling Carnival that go far beyond economics.

 

If you're as successful as you claim, you would understand that it is all about economics. You seem to have been trying to pull the wool over peoples eyes in this thread, but you are transparent.

[Momma Moles]

I don't know about the TA but I will say that Royal has bigger ships with less ppl on them ... That is what has kept from doing Carnival and we jabber done 8 with #9 coming up in Feb ..

[vikkster]

I was a TA for almost 3 years and the reason TA's push more expensive cruises is because they make more money per cruise. It only makes sense if the cruise cost $700 more the TA makes more. I prefered to have repeat customers.

I worked to make my customer happy and booked a lot of Carnival based on my customers needs, family fun at a affordable price. I booked all brands based on my customers needs, because that is the customer service I would want.

I personally have been on both lines and I honestly prefer the entertainment and many other things about Carnival plus I can cruise more often or in a better accommodation on Carnival.

I enjoyed working with Carnival, the reps and the website were much more user friendly than the other lines. This is all my opinion. But I do know in training the TA's are told to upsell to RCI. I preferred to take care of my customer....

[LisainFL]

Maybe profitable, but I know for a fact that their agent unfriendly policies have cost them millions as TAs have moved business away from Carnival since the first of the year. They may be sailing full, but making far less as their prices have indicated than even.

 

As a hero of mine once wrote, it is possible to make a product so cheap that no one will want to by it.

 

I think the reason that some TA's don't like Carnival is because Carnival proves them to be obsolete!!! I have been on 9 cruises and have my 10th booked for November on the Dream. I have never used a TA for a cruise and find no reason to use one. I book Early Saver with Carnival, keep an eye on the prices and submit price reduction claim forms when the opportunity arises.

 

I have had much fun researching and planning my own excursions, and have had 9 wonderful cruises so far at the lowest price for each cruise that Carnival has offered.

 

Just exactly why should Carnival pay a TA a commission, and why should I put a TA in charge of my booking, when it is so simple these days to just go direct with the cruise line? I can do just about everything online when I want to, and don't have to wait for the TA's office to open the next day or after the weekend.

[LisainFL]

I was a TA for almost 3 years and the reason TA's push more expensive cruises is because they make more money per cruise. It only makes sense if the cruise cost $700 more the TA makes more.

 

I can cruise more often or in a better accommodation on Carnival.

...

 

You hit the nail on the head why TA's push more expensive cruise lines....and also why Carnival does so well.

 

We cruise twice a year and in a balcony stateroom on a middle class income, and can afford shore excursions, the specialty restaurants, a little gambling, port parking, drinks, photos, and an occasional spa or salon visit.

 

If some TA tried to push us into a more expensive cruise line, we would not be able to cruise so often and enjoy the "extras" as we do on Carnival. So no, a TA would NOT be doing us a favor by pushing us to a more expensive cruise line....even if I was a new cruiser and they thought they knew best what I needed or wanted. The only benefit of it would be to the TA and their bank account. And frankly I'm a little surprised at the condescending attitude of one TA on here towards her customers...like they are sheep to stupid to know what they want. I'll bet they do know what they can afford, and I don't think anyone on here is going to feel sorry for TA's because they make less commission on one cruise line over another.

[dougandmo]

I'm curious for the TAs who are posting here what the demographics of your customers are? The last time I used a TA was for my honeymoon cruises in 2004, and that was because at the time I didn't know about Carnival's policy on pricing and thought maybe the TA could get me a good deal. I wasn't unhappy with the TA, but I saw no reason to use one again. I don't see how TAs survive as a viable business these days. The rising generation coming out of college today has almost certainly never used a TA or sees a reason to. Though correct me if I'm wrong, I'm just speculating, and I'm in my mid-30s so I don't honestly hang out with recent college grads, other than my younger cousins.

[deborahjo]

We used a TA 2 times. That was it. With Carnivals pricing it is so much easier to manage my own cruise. Like said before if a TA tried to steer me to RCI I would explain what we wanted and if they insisted it was better or refuse to book what I wanted I would run. Remember it is your money that is paying for your vacation. Why pay a higher price because someone tells you they know better then you what you want. All just so they can get a high commission. Run Run.....

[WetToes]

Hi,

We've taken one cruise last Christmas with Carnival on the Freedom and we had a great time! There were some things we didn't enjoy (Mainly the crowds at pools and really noisy in our room) however over all we had a great time! We're thinking of another cruise in 2014 and called the same cruise agent who helped us with this cruise and she is REALLY pushing Royal Caribbean over Carnival... I've been on their boards and website and I just can't see that it's worth $700 more... Just wondering what your thoughts are here? We're looking at the Dream or Breeze for Carnival 8 nights and Independence of the Seas Royal Caribbean ship. We have 2 boys, ages 10 and 7 with my husband and myself. Thank you!!!

 

 

We've done both lines, many more on Carnival, ... the reason being the cost.

Both lines showed us a good time, very similar, IMO. We'll continue to cruise around, but Carnival we'll definitely see us more, ... Royal ... every few years.

We just got off the Pride. In Nov. it's the Grandeur.

[CdrescherRBL152]

Just got off the phone with my TA and he advised me that Carnival is tightening the control over bookings and three weeks before final payment date they are sending out pre-cancellation notices.

 

Not yet in effect, but rumour has it that all bookings through them in the future will have to be paid in full at the time of the booking. That sucks. Any price drops will end with OBC's but by demanding payment in full at the time of booking, they (Carnival) greatly improve their cash flow while draining mine.

 

We are looking at a cruise for the fall of 2014 and they are supposed to be taking bookings in the next couple of weeks. No way do I want to prepay that cruise now when we have two other cruises coming up.

 

This does not apply to all TA's by the way. Most people will not be affected or those that book through Carnival. Apparently this will apply to just some TA's -ours being one of them.

 

Carnival if you do this I will not be happy.

 

Sounds like another wild story that is being passed on by TA's to get their coustomers to cruise other then Carnival. Its funny all the wild stories TA's have been pushing about Carnival, since Carnival stopped the parctice of charging a sircharge for booking directly with Carnival(opps of letting TA's give price breaks).

[CoachT]

I'm curious for the TAs who are posting here what the demographics of your customers are?

My clientelle runs from mid-20's to 80. To a travel consultant, you represent someone with dreams of an amazing vacation. To a website, you are nothing more than data.

[poison7fl]

My clientelle runs from mid-20's to 80. To a travel consultant, you represent someone with dreams of an amazing vacation. To a website, you are nothing more than data.

 

Silliest thing I have ever seen...But, keep thinking that. :rolleyes: