So what kind of perks does your TA give you?

[newmexicoNita]

Nita, You know I'm not evening asking for the world, but on our April cruise I got 5 other cabins to book through her. My sister-in-law used her to book a cruise for her entire family last summer to Hawaii and on our cruise in July it was our 20th Wedding Anniversary. She could have at least sent a bottle of wine. How much would it have cost her?

 

I was really upset after our last cruise, that's why now I'm in the market for a new TA.

 

Anne Maria

I hope you did not take my message wrong, I agree with you 100%. It is nice to have someone say "thanks for your business" regardless of how they say it. Not a big deal, but when you do hear others talking about what they got from their TAs and you never got a thing it does make you stop and think. I still say service is the number 1 gift we can give our clients, but the little added perks make for a really happy person.. NMNIta

[cathykb]

Upon returning from our last cruise through the canal on the Summit, we received a $100 gift certificate from the travel agency. So I promptly booked another cruise, and applied the $100. This was better than a bottle of wine!

[bananavan]

Our former agent did not do anything for us. I did all of the leg work in booking as well. We had given her almost 30 K in bookings over three years.

I met a wonderful local TA onboard the second leg of a 28 day b2b and now use her.

We have had Sky Suites and CC and FV for the just two of us. Her commission must have been great. Having found these boards I realize how little she had done for us even when it came to getting the lowest prices. I prefer the price reduction over any little gift but when you get neither, then that is annoying.

[CruisingChick]

I hope you did not take my message wrong, I agree with you 100%. It is nice to have someone say "thanks for your business" regardless of how they say it. Not a big deal, but when you do hear others talking about what they got from their TAs and you never got a thing it does make you stop and think. I still say service is the number 1 gift we can give our clients, but the little added perks make for a really happy person.. NMNIta

 

Nita, no I didn't take your message the wrong way. I guess maybe you might have took mine the wrong way. I guess I just wanted to get across that I'm not asking for the world and I don't even expect it, but a little thank you gesture would be nice.

 

Speaking of service, while our TA is adequate there have been times when I've had to call her more than once to do something or find something out for me.

 

Anne Maria

[wanda1213]

When mu husband and I sailed to Alaska last year our TA gave us a bag to hang in the bathroom with all kinds of goodies in it, hand warmers, toothebrushes and toothepaste..... Things you might think to bring on your own. She was great.

 

We have a another trip planned next month with a different agent, it will interesting to see if anything comes of it.

[mafig]

I would love a welcome home, thank you for your business call or email.

 

 

Something to make me think my business was appreciated.

 

The last time I booked a cruise I thanked the TA. I fully expected a response of "no, thank you." I got "you're welcome." I truly felt she thought she was doing me a favor. LOL

[CruisingChick]

Well, I guess I just have one last thing to say. I am glad I'm not alone. After reading so many posts about wonderful TA's, I thought maybe I was the only one who didn't get anything and felt left out, but I see there are others.

 

Anne Maria

[geoherb]

P.S. I forgot that the Internet TA we booked with gave us a Visa gift card after the cruise. I don't know if it was a special promotion through Celebrity or something from him. I did know we were getting one before booking the cruise through him, but his price was so much better than anyone else's that it did not figure into our calculations.

 

And after our cruise, he emailed to make sure we had a great time. I receive email specials from him every four to six weeks.

[Luckybee]

Can someone help me out with a question....as I've said on other posts we travel alot and I always do our own bookings unless a TA can get me a better price for something than I find myself(which is rare). When booking a cruise, I do check with a couple of TA's, and in the case of our booking with x we were able to save $ booking with an agent. What I cant understand is why I would want to book with an agent otherwise. I much prefer to deal directly with the co. who is supplying the product that way if there is a potential problem I know I can resolve it, and I dont have to hope that a middleman will. Moreover, I then have control, of my res, can make any chgs I wish, and again dont have to call someone else to do it for me...quite frankly then I know its done right. I remember once booking a resort in Fiji and having a problem with the accom type on arrival....I got the usual"your TA made an error". When I pulled out their direct confirmation they had to acknowledge that the error was on their shoulders and they couldnt "pass the buck". So what am I missing(other than a bottle of champagne perhaps ;)

[Two@Sea]

We booked a future cruise while onboard the Millennium, and then transferred it to a TA that is apparently well known on these boards. Unfortunately, we needed to cancel, and sent the request by email to the TA. She responded immediately, and our credit card was adjusted within a day or two. She then sent a personal note that she was sorry we couldn't make our trip.

 

We recently booked a cruise thru her for this December (alas, on another line). Now, we are not "suite" people, folks. We're just ordinary "balcony" types. But she is throwing in 4 bottles of wine, dinner in the specialty restaurant, AND a photo! Did I mention her prices were great, too?

 

How great is a TA that does all that for clients who had only previously cancelled a trip with her agency???

[tuggers]

I have done it all ways, direct, internet ta and brick and morter. I LOVE my current ta and would not change for ANYTHING. I get GREAT prices, service, refunds right up to sail date, wine, flowers, baskets, all sorts or goodies plus when I had an emergency and had to fly home from the ship, she had me resonable flights in a matter or minutes plus hotel rooms when we arrived back in the states. She always check in after a cruise to see how I am, she's even been known to call my cell before sailing to say bon voyage. When you find a fantastic ta you stick with them!!!

[Texed]

Ditto!

[Roaddog]

lel 5344 Could you please e-mail me your travel agent's name. We have booked 6 cruises with 2-3 cabins each time and have received 1 bottle of wine. We have done our own research and booked on-board and the agent has received the credit. We have had to check in with her every 2-3 months to confirm and check for changes. We need a new agent. Thanks. e-mail me at FSREED777@AOL.com Thanks.

[brigittetom]

None, nada, zilch, zero!!!

 

After booking 5 cruises in a row with her and a sixth one booked for next year I think it's time for a new TA.

 

Besides I do all the work. We have been booking onboard to receive the credit and all it does is get transfered to her.

 

Anne Maria

 

That's us. :D

[Steamboatin]

Our travel agent's agency allows its clients to put only a $25 per person down payment to hold any cruise. On cruise lines established last payment date you than pay the remainding cost of the cruise in full.

 

If you cancel prior to cruise lines established penality dates you are only out $25 per person initial deposit.

 

Than she provides us with great service, cheapest rates cruise line offers, cruise insurance cheaper and better than cruise line, and additionally with wine and choclate strawberries in our cabin upon arrival.

[gizmodog]

Desertbelle

I just know you are talking about the same TA I use and I am feeling the same way you are, I am sure my upcoming Hawaii cruise is the last one I am booking with her. I have booked so many cruises with her and have given her so much business and have never received one thing from her. Her service was very good in the beginning but now it seems I have to e-mail numerous times before a response and sometimes she does not respond at all.

Her prices are good, but not the best, but I kept going back because of her service, now that is not what it use to be. I have sent her gifts for Christmas, thank you gifts if she did a little extra work for me, but have never received so much as a thank you for all of the bookings I have sent her way.

So I am in need of a new TA, any suggestions from anyone out there?

[lysolqn]

I've always wondered why some TAs can afford to offer free upgrades, wine, and many of the other perks previously mentioned, while others can't or simply don't. For those of you who have gotten those little extras - have you gotten rock bottom pricing or are you paying a little more in exchange for those extras? We've been dealing with our TA for years and have given her lots of business and referrals but we've never received any perks. She always meets or beats the lowest quotes we find (which is really what we're after), but how do those other agencies manage to offer low prices and perks?

[alpal1993]

My T/A is local,but works for a larger company(franchise?) I used to get exceptional deals on Celebrity but now with their new policy it is more difficult.So she has given us monitary gifts from her commission.

On my Baltic cruise this past June Celebrity themselves gave me a fantastic deal,due to the fact that they had repositioned the ship from Ft Lauderdale to Amsterdam.

[Longboysfan]

Darn... Strawberries.

 

This time we got - a discount for over $1000.00

An extra cabin - free - inside. For the kids.

This was because there were no cabins to upgrade into.

 

I would guess by what she arranged for us last time - Fruit in the room.

Two bottles of Champagne.

Another hefty price break - of about $800.00 if I miss my guess.

 

That I'm doing O.K. in the T/A department.

 

I don't track all the extras she has provided me over the last 5 trips.

 

The splendid service and phone calls, to get price breaks and room switches and......, do it all for me.

[CruisingChick]

Longboysfan,

 

Can I have your TA's name? E-mail me at cruisingchick15 at yahoo dot com if you wouldn't mind sharing the info.

 

Have a great time on your upcoming cruise.

 

Anne Maria

[Queenk2]

Longboysfan.. I would also like the name and contact information about your TA. I am always on the look out for new resources! Thanks!

Karen Queenk2@aol.com

[Longboysfan]

Longboysfan,

 

Can I have your TA's name? E-mail me at cruisingchick15 at yahoo dot com if you wouldn't mind sharing the info.

 

Have a great time on your upcoming cruise.

 

Anne Maria

 

Sent you the information.

[charlielinda]

longboy - your TA sounds super -- could you send me name . . . clmoses@comcast.net. Thanks.

[PeteMan]

9% off the tour operator cost. The invoice to the TA shows commission of £330 of which £244 was passed on to us.

[Michuck]

Would love to get the names of some TAs who show their appreciation for loyalty. Please send to michuck@aol.com

 

Greatly appreciated!

 

Michele