TA loses 24 hour hold- price soars

[PattyG12]

Unless you had a deposit on the cruise, a "hold" on cabins is meaningless. The prices can and do change are are not guaranteed until you have money on the booking. Sorry your price increased so much.

 

not true ... we've put many "holds" on cabins and had the prices honored.

[ehfl]

Its always a risk you take when you add more parties to a transaction. When you complicate things there is more opportunity for problems.

[JetsFanCruiser]

It sounds like the TA made a mistake, which I'd be pretty bummed at...

 

A lot of people don't know that you can put a hold on a cabin and then transfer to a TA...this site helps to educate but posts on the subject are scattered......Quite honestly if a TA told me they were going to do it, I would have relied on them to do it and not thought for a second that they may screw up...

 

Not sure there is much you can do, other than ask the TA for some type of consideration for another cruise....the situation sucks...

Edited March 13, 2014 by JetsFanCruiser

[edjny]

I was looking at a 7 day cruise on the Radiance and realised that I could get and oceanview and a balcony for a great price. I decided that I could just afford the $1200 plus per person for Xmas presents- especially for my sister and her little boy who cannot afford cruising. I used a travel agent I had used successfully twice before, found 2 great cabins on the same deck and requested at lunchtime yesterday that they be put on hold while I checked with my sister. The TA had 3 of the parties info on file and did not ask for the names or birthdates of the other 2 at that stage.

This morning I emailed him to confrim that we would go ahead, gave him the extra details and then discoverd that the price of the cruise had almost doubled overnight and that my hold yesterday did not hold anything.

I am really upset, especially as I had told my 8 year old nephew that his cruise dream had come true and now it is dashed. We don't live in the US and it was in our school holiday times and there are no other options anywhere near the original price. I wish now I had just used the courtesy hold on the RCL website. Jennie

 

The old saying applies here.... If you want something done right, DO IT YOURSELF.... When it is so easy to be in control of your bookings, why try to rely on a TA?

[cherylakers]

My TA put a hold yesterday on 2 cabins on Allure 2015 Trans Atlantic. She emailed me the confirmation hold sheet from RC and it shows booking #, date I need to make deposit, room #'s, etc. etc.

 

We will call her today to make deposit payment.

 

I guess you should always request TA to get something in writing from RC. With this I have full confirmation.

 

Sorry this happened to you. Keep looking.

[edjny]

My TA put a hold yesterday on 2 cabins on Allure 2015 Trans Atlantic. She emailed me the confirmation hold sheet from RC and it shows booking #, date I need to make deposit, room #'s, etc. etc.

 

We will call her today to make deposit payment.

 

I guess you should always request TA to get something in writing from RC. With this I have full confirmation.

 

Sorry this happened to you. Keep looking.

 

When one puts a hold on a cabin directly on the web site, you get a confirmation within minutes via e-mail with the reservation number. Whenever you have to go through somebody else, the risk of missing out rises.

[ryano]

Unless you had a deposit on the cruise, a "hold" on cabins is meaningless.

 

Wrong. The price is locked in for 24 hours.

[geocruiser]

I use the same TA for years and we think she is great. One time I booked a cruise with her and for some reason she forget to give in our deposit. I went on line to view our reservation. And there was none. so I called her. She did check it out and called me back and told me it was her fault that she forgot to send in out deposit. I told her not to worry and we would take another cabin or another cruise if we had to. IAnd I meant it. She has all ways give us great service. She said that she would take care of it. A half hour late she calls me and got us back on the ship. She upgraded us from a inside cabin to a balcony and gave us $100. OBC for her mistake. She really made up for the era.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

The old saying applies here.... If you want something done right, DO IT YOURSELF.... When it is so easy to be in control of your bookings, why try to rely on a TA?

 

When one puts a hold on a cabin directly on the web site, you get a confirmation within minutes via e-mail with the reservation number. Whenever you have to go through somebody else, the risk of missing out rises.

Maybe because people are more comfortable using a TA?

Maybe because (some) TA's offer benefits (pre-paid gratuities, OBC, etc) you can't get from the cruise line?

 

Yes, things sometimes go wrong, but don't tell me they go 100% right EVERY time a trip is booked direct.

[BDsquared]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. :(

[serene56]

As far as something "fishy " goes . I don't know. All I know is that I sent an email at luchtime on Tuesday asking for 2 specific cabins to be held for the 5 people involved. I was not asked to supply the names of the other 2- though of course I could have- at that stage. Three names were on file. I believed that the cabins were on hold till the next day. Apparently the TA just put TBA under our names and RCL refused to honour the price when the hold was made. At least that is what I am being told.

 

 

did you get a confirmation email that the cabins were being held?

 

if so I would go to Royal Caribbean and ask if that email will be honored

 

if no confirmation email i say the agent never held the cabins

[Starry Eyes]

As far as something "fishy " goes . I don't know. All I know is that I sent an email at luchtime on Tuesday asking for 2 specific cabins to be held for the 5 people involved. I was not asked to supply the names of the other 2- though of course I could have- at that stage. Three names were on file. I believed that the cabins were on hold till the next day. Apparently the TA just put TBA under our names and RCL refused to honour the price when the hold was made. At least that is what I am being told.

 

Interesting.

 

If no names at all were included, I can understand why the cruise line did not accept the hold. If that were allowed, a travel agency could trawl for good prices (or extra-special cabins), place the bargains on hold without any names, email blitz prior customers, and add the names once a customer snapped up the bargain.

 

So perhaps at least one passenger name per cabin must be submitted for a valid hold (and presumably that name must remain on the booking). I know my holds have had been honored when the website only had some generic entry "guest two".

 

Though your agent could have known some of the names, maybe the agent failed to enter at least one per cabin. Maybe an oversight, maybe the agent wanted a shot at selling the deal to someone else.

 

Or maybe the agent was too busy at lunchtime and the agent does not wish to admit that the price changed before the agent placed your hold.

 

I hope the agent goes to bat for you and works hard to get you that price. If not, in the future I'd do it myself (or find a new agent).

[CoachT]

Wrong. The price is locked in for 24 hours.

WRONG the stateroom is held. I do this every single day and I have seen price changes without a deposit.

[MrsKC08]

Just can not understand why anyone needs a travel agent. Book online yourself and stay in control of your cruise. So easy to do!

 

I don't understand why you can't understand why anyone would use a travel agent. I can tell you that we ALWAYS use a travel agent because you get more perks (OBC, Dining vouchers, prepaid gratuities, insurance included, just to name a few) using an agent vs going directly with the cruiseline.

Not to mention you are dealing with one person instead of calling a "call center" whenever needing to make changes or adjustments. There is definitely something about having that personal touch that you get with a travel agent verses the cruise line.

[NorbertsNiece]

I don't understand why you can't understand why anyone would use a travel agent. I can tell you that we ALWAYS use a travel agent because you get more perks (OBC, Dining vouchers, prepaid gratuities, insurance included, just to name a few) using an agent vs going directly with the cruiseline.

Not to mention you are dealing with one person instead of calling a "call center" whenever needing to make changes or adjustments. There is definitely something about having that personal touch that you get with a travel agent verses the cruise line.

 

What she said.

Make a call or drop an email with queries. Job done. No hanging on the line listening to hold music.

[awhcruiser]

Great advice for someone in another country. Different rules there.

Just can not understand why anyone needs a travel agent. Book online yourself and stay in control of your cruise. So easy to do!

[awhcruiser]

Do tell?

there is more to the story not being shared.

[awhcruiser]

This. Especially when the OP is from another country.

It does get tiring when people post crap like this that does not help one bit........

[nenasmum]

Hey Jennie,

Radiance 7 nights in Feb 2015 is on the Aus website now from $1269 per person for outside and balcony (same price, free upgrade) - Is that a lot more than what you were looking at? If not jump on now and put a hold on :-) They have a reasonable price on a 10 nighter in December too.

Good luck, I hope it all works out!

 

Thank you so much Cruisin Cat- you saved this cruise for me! The price drop was dramatic to what it had been the day before on the Australian site. Balconies were even cheapeer than Inside. Why discount in Australian school holidays and this far out? - who knows. We grabbed the booking and are now cinfirmed. A few hundred more than the original lost quote- but we did get 2 balconies. thank you so much.

[nenasmum]

An update for anyone who is interested in this saga. We did as you can see, get a great deal thanks to the kind person on Cruise Critic by booking in Australia where the price had dropped as suddenly and mysteriously as the price had risen in the US.

My original booking was made with a US agent I have used before for 2 cruises. I suspect he did not do the booking properly although I suggested when I requested the hold he put one cabin in my name and one in my mothers as he had all our details. I am very disenchanted with the lack of service from this TA.

As an addendum we had a originally asked for a quote on an online quote site for a JS on this cruise.This TAs quote came back significantly cheaper and we accepted it and then found out it had been a misquote. I was stupidly prepared to forgive this "error" and proceed with the new booking for a different combination of cabins, but the time delay while this first "error" was sorted out compounded my annoyance when the price rise suddenly came in, as without the "error" we would have beaten the rise.

I expeced to get some feedback to a number of strongly worded emails I sent him and his manager yesterday but complete silence. UNimpressed. I definately do NOT want to keep our booking for Sept next year on the Allure with him but I really want the cabin we have chosen. Is it possible to switch agents in the US?

[Ashland]

WRONG the stateroom is held. I do this every single day and I have seen price changes without a deposit.

You put holds on cabins everyday :confused:...

 

I may not do it everyday but I have done it twice during the last couple of days (including several times in the past)..even though one of those hold prices increased by $500.00 the next morning, I had no touble getting the lower quoted/held priced cabin when giving the booking number given at the end of the process...

 

So if you're not, that should be something you as a frequent "holder" should be investigating and asking "why" ?..Since this is the point of the "24 hour courtesy hold" offered by RCI ;)

[LovesCruising]

OP you are able to switch agents in the US - however the agent holding the booking would have to agree to release the booking as they "own" it - best you would be able to do is cancel and rebook and you might loose your pricing. I doubt your current TA would release your booking in order for you to switch it to another TA

[Morecruisesplz]

Just can not understand why anyone needs a travel agent. Book online yourself and stay in control of your cruise. So easy to do!

 

My TA just emailed me today that he had found a $1,050 savings on our September cruise. He's still honoring the $200 OBC he had offered at the higher price. He took care of it all and sent us new reservations. So please don't make blanket statement like that.

 

Do you know how many times I've read this same complaint from those who have done their own hold on the website and Royal lost it?

 

Here is all you have to understand: the only way to get the lowest price is to use a TA. (You may stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night but that does not make you a trained professional.) :D

 

Fine print: No, I am not a TA. I do not have any relatives or friends or are either. But after 30+ cruises some booked myself and most booked with TA's I can tell you if you use a TA you will save a enough to cruise more often. And if you have a problem the TA knows who to talk to get it resolved.

[Morecruisesplz]

I've been on 60+ cruises and I always use a TA b/c I get fabulous perks. I always get prepaid gratuities, usually an additional OBC, and dinner for 2 in a specialty restaurant and sometimes even more, like a spa treatment or beverage package depending on the cruise length, price and line. And I usually get it for less than what the cruise line is offering it. And the no discounting? Well the TA buys large chunks of cabins, and put me in a "group" of people I'll never meet or recognize so i get the group pricing.

 

So for the OP I totally "get it" that if you've used your TA before w/ good success, that you'd do it again. And I have NO good advice for you on how to rectify this except maybe talking to your TA's manager or the owner of the agency (armed w/ any emails you may have). And to tell you that I'd be royally TICKED OFF if I were you.

 

That didn't help much except for some empathy.

 

Amen!

[Isa65]

Being a TA, I can almost guarantee you that your TA did NOT hold those cabins for you. Maybe he/she just forgot.

 

The specific names of all guests aren't even needed when you put a cabin on hold. You can put John Smith as a guest and change it when the guest is ready to pay the deposit.

Also, a hold from a TA can be much longer than 24 hours as the option can be extended and extended and extended. So, if within 24 hours those cabins were released, your TA is really careless.