Might be able to get better rate with travel agent--worth a switch?

[brookmill18]

Received the CC promotional email about cruises and thought I would just contact the one advertised to see about better rate--not sure if I'm allowed to name group? It was sent by CC. IF they can get better rate (July 2016 Allure) can you see any cons to switching? We made the reservation ourselves through RCCL and have never used a travel agent so not sure of negatives to doing that.

 

Thank you!

[Clarea]

I would ask the travel agent if they have any cancel or change fees.

[tserface]

The only con to using a TA that I can see is that you give up your ability to deal with RCI yourself and have to work through the TA. If something happens with the price that you want to jump on you have to hope your TA is available.

 

But, with the prices mostly just going up these days and very few last minute price drops this has become less of an issue and often the free gratuities or extra gifts you get from a TA are starting to make them look more attractive IMO. Many TA's will help you get price breaks if the prices change anyway so the chances of that being a problem are minimal as well.

 

I doubt they can get you a better rate unless they have a group of cabins or something, but they often throw in OBC or gratuities which adds up to decrease the overall cost of the cruise.

 

Tom

 

Received the CC promotional email about cruises and thought I would just contact the one advertised to see about better rate--not sure if I'm allowed to name group? It was sent by CC. IF they can get better rate (July 2016 Allure) can you see any cons to switching? We made the reservation ourselves through RCCL and have never used a travel agent so not sure of negatives to doing that.

 

Thank you!

[brookmill18]

Thank you! I'm beginning to think that unless the cabin is reduced significantly I won't bother just bc I'm not used to working with someone else and we have 2 other parties as well.

 

When you mention checking on fees for changes, you mean before final payment, correct?

 

Thanks again!

[Clarea]

Thank you! I'm beginning to think that unless the cabin is reduced significantly I won't bother just bc I'm not used to working with someone else and we have 2 other parties as well.

 

When you mention checking on fees for changes, you mean before final payment, correct?

Thanks again!

Either before or after. You may want to upgrade or change staterooms after final.

[brookmill18]

Can't believe prices have already gone up, but sure enough the rooms are more now for summer 2016! We'll stick with what we have.

 

I really liked agent but am still leery of how much better it is to release control like that--I think it would need to be several hundred dollar difference to really take the risk--do you think that's reasonable? Getting an extra $50-100OBC and 2 person meal at Chops or Giovanni's just doesn't really seem worth it--am I missing something? He said he could always get better rate, but I just can't believe it's that much better without a sale going on, in which case I could get it myself with calling RCCL. Am I missing something?

[jticarruthers]

I don't like giving up control but get about 8% back in OBC on each cruise. After 14 or so cruises I am more or less at one free cruise now.

 

Is it a huge amount per cruise, no, but if you cruise often it does add up.

 

Personally I would prefer to book through RCI and have them give me the same "credit" they give the TA which the TA then shares with me as OBC and get the best of both worlds but somehow I don't see that happening.

[cruisenfever]

Received the CC promotional email about cruises and thought I would just contact the one advertised to see about better rate--not sure if I'm allowed to name group? It was sent by CC. IF they can get better rate (July 2016 Allure) can you see any cons to switching? We made the reservation ourselves through RCCL and have never used a travel agent so not sure of negatives to doing that.

 

Thank you!

If you are thinking about transferring a current booking that you did direct with RCI to a TA, you only have 60 days from the date that you booked in which to transfer.

Edited August 4, 2015 by cruisenfever

[LMaxwell]

Every Agent I have contacted from a Cruise Critic affiliated email has had booking fees, change fees, cancellation fees, etc. I've offered to pay the higher advertised rate shown on Royal's site if they would waive their fee structure and none has bitten. I use a different TA that doesn't charge for that stuff.

[sauvichick]

I find that when I deal with a certain big warehouse Co. I get the same rates as a TA, but higher OBC that is refundable to my credit card if I don't use it. I have booked my last 3 Royal cruises this way. All the rates are the same for the type of stateroom i prefer (balcony or GS). I've had to contact Royal through the Co and it was no problem. That's just my experience.

[Sascol]

We ALWAYS use our TA for our cruise booking. Generally we get an additional OBC from her for doing so. We have NEVER paid a cancellation fee or anything like that for changing or cancelling a booking prior to final payment. I keep an eye out for lower rates. If/When I find them, I advise her and she takes care of it.

[Summerknight]

We have used a local travel agent for many years. Never any change or cancel fees. Maybe you have time to stop by one of your local travel agent offices and ask a few questions??

[iluvit!]

Have not been able to find an online agency that doesn't charge extra fees. Am going on a work-related group cruise that charges a $100 cancel-

lation fee that I only discovered after reading online reviews. Even the "big box" agency, while offering OBC, involves a $55/ yr membership fee. When I asked one of their agents if I could call him back he said no, it would be whoever picked up the phone, as "we are not a full-service travel agency".

So I'm sticking with my local cruise travel agent of 20 yrs who picks up the phone when I call--no email, leave a message we are away from the phone , or those annoying phone menus press 1 for this... It's worth giving up the perks for service, though if I could find both I would switch.

[sellwingri]

We ALWAYS use our TA for our cruise booking. Generally we get an additional OBC from her for doing so. We have NEVER paid a cancellation fee or anything like that for changing or cancelling a booking prior to final payment. I keep an eye out for lower rates. If/When I find them, I advise her and she takes care of it.

 

We originally booked 2 rooms on a cruise in Europe next year but had to cancel it. One of the rooms was rebooked on another cruise in the Caribbean but out TA said that they have to charge us a $100 cancellation fee for the other one. We didn't even put a deposit on this cruise but she said she'd have to debit a card we have on file with her. (The cruise is still active since we haven't cancelled it because of the fee.) She made it seem like it RCI was charging the fee. We've used this TA several times and she's with one of the biggest cruise firms.

 

Am I getting bad information? Anyone have any suggestions for me? Final payment isn't due for another 6 months.

[jticarruthers]

As far as I know RCI does not have cancellation fees, unless maybe it is for a group booking (I looked at doing that once and seem to recall they had a cancellation fee).

 

It might be that your TA booked you into a group, which would then result in you being subject to cancellation but it seems pretty weak and if they didn't disclose it clearly ahead of time I would dispute it with the card company.

[MCC retired]

Any cancelation fee before Final Payment is a TA imposed fee.

Even if you did not ask about TA fee's before you booked , most every

fee charging TA will waive the penalty if you re-book something else at that time.

[Sascol]

We originally booked 2 rooms on a cruise in Europe next year but had to cancel it. One of the rooms was rebooked on another cruise in the Caribbean but out TA said that they have to charge us a $100 cancellation fee for the other one. We didn't even put a deposit on this cruise but she said she'd have to debit a card we have on file with her. (The cruise is still active since we haven't cancelled it because of the fee.) She made it seem like it RCI was charging the fee. We've used this TA several times and she's with one of the biggest cruise firms.

 

Am I getting bad information? Anyone have any suggestions for me? Final payment isn't due for another 6 months.

 

While I do not know your specific circumstances, I believe this is a fee imposed by the TA, not by the cruise line. We have canceled many cruises and never once has there been a fee even if we did not book anothe upon the cancellation.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Sascol

[sredish]

I booked my cruise about 425 days out with RCCI directly. Received the BOGO rate and $100 OBC. About 60 days later an online big box travel agency was offering $200 OBC for balcony and an additional $75 OBC for a fall cruise promo plus the agent threw in an additional $25 because I told him I was considering the switch. The price was the exact same so I cancelled with RCCI and rebooked exact same room with the big box for same price but $300 OBC instead of $100.

[sellwingri]

After contacting the agency yesterday, not my agent, I did determine that it was their cancellation fee, not RCI. My TA originally made me think it was imposed by RCI and was very dramatic when she told me that "I fought with them to transfer your booking to the new one and not charge the $100." After spending close to 45 minutes on the phone and threatening to take my business elsewhere, the person I spoke with checked with her management and got the fee reversed. Little did they know that I will not be doing business with them any longer.

 

This thread on Cruise Critic just saved me $100!!!!

[travelwide]

Big box agency (CC) charges $50 pp if you cancel and does not waive it even if you rebook another cruise upon cancelling the first one. This is why I will not use them unless I am booking very close to sailing. To use them for a cruise a year from now is taking a chance.

 

However, I must say they give the best price deals (sometimes less than on the RCCL site, they must get some special pricing) plus wonderful OBC and perks.

 

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.........

[critterchick]

I find that when I deal with a certain big warehouse Co. I get the same rates as a TA, but higher OBC that is refundable to my credit card if I don't use it. I have booked my last 3 Royal cruises this way. All the rates are the same for the type of stateroom i prefer (balcony or GS). I've had to contact Royal through the Co and it was no problem. That's just my experience.

 

That big box warehouse company IS a TA, at least for that part of their business.

 

 

After contacting the agency yesterday, not my agent, I did determine that it was their cancellation fee, not RCI. My TA originally made me think it was imposed by RCI and was very dramatic when she told me that "I fought with them to transfer your booking to the new one and not charge the $100." After spending close to 45 minutes on the phone and threatening to take my business elsewhere, the person I spoke with checked with her management and got the fee reversed. Little did they know that I will not be doing business with them any longer.

 

I'd go one step further and file a complaint with the original agent's boss and RCI. That's fraud, plain and simple. RCI never charges a cancellation fee to US customers unless they have used a Next Cruise Certificate (or whatever they're calling them these days) to make the booking. since you said in your earlier post that you hadn't paid a deposit, your cabin was only on hold and to charge to cancel that would have been unconscionable, maybe even illegal.

[sellwingri]

The fine print on the confirmation that they sent me after booking said there was a $100 cancellation fee but this was sent to me AFTER I booked it. My TA, who I really liked up to this point, never told me about a cancellation fee on any of the cruises I've booked through her which was probably 6 or 7. All she said on this one was that her company was actually paying my deposit for me ($500 pp). I told her that wasn't anything special because if necessary, I would have paid the deposit myself.

[sauvichick]

That big box warehouse company IS a TA, at least for that part of their business.

 

I don't consider it as having a TA because I always deal with different people for that particular sailing.