Issue with PCC?

[RocketMan275]

I totally agree. You will find on here that people fiercely defend their preference, and it is a personal preference. Obviously I much prefer my TA (I have used 2) and have been very happy with getting upgrades and upsells to Neptune for each of my cruises plus excellent service and perks. I was persuaded to try a PCC through some of the info on here, and so far my experience as been abysmal with a PCC and I see no advantage whatsoever. But others swear by them, and that's their choice. It is, after all, about choices.

 

I would like to think that most of the posters here are much more interested in providing information about their experiences and helping other cruisers than they are about defending their preferences. Most of the responses here are, directly or indirectly, to a poster way upthread who asked about the advantages of using a TA. I think it's been a good discussion and I've learned a few things. For example, I thought upsell offers were more uncommon that what I've been told here.

[jimmy2x]

Well - I have to say that although we have used on-line TA's to book every one of our cruises, those of you who use a PCC have made a very strong case for going that way. Certainly you've given me something to think about and I appreciate all of the input.

[DaveOKC]

One thing I have found is that people often do not know where the "extras" (like OBC, free beverages, etc.) come from. Alot of them seem to think they are given out by their TA, instead of being a promotion that HAL gives to everyone. I think that this may contribute to the confusion about price comparisons.

[cruz chic]

You're kidding, aren't you? No wonder you prefer PCC. I wouldn't deal with a TA who treated me that way either. The longest I've ever waited for a response was till the next day and that was when I asked when the new set of cruises would be released, nothing urgent at all.

 

I have heard that some TA automatically do price drops. The one's I use don't. I usually get an email but I have to respond back to get the drop. It's done within an hour or so. The one time I used a PCC was with Princess. She was very good but promoted out of the job into supervisory role. I did get two price drops but I had to find them myself and call her to get them.

 

I don't get phone calls but both TAs sent me a birthday email. Both TAs email me about five days before the asking if all is well and asking if I have any questions/issues. They also contact me after I get back and ask for feedback on how my cruise went.

 

Obviously, I'm not dealing with a big box TA. Both of my TA's are small businesses, are properly credentialed, they operate out of their homes, and have two or three employees. They do not charge any fees for changes/cancellations. All my credit card charges are by the cruise line.

 

I'm a very low maintenance customer. When I call, it's I want (for example), Westerdam, Eastern Caribbean, departing DD/MM/YY, Neptune suite, room number xxx or yyy.

 

I wish I was kidding. My experience has been terrible with many agencies. If I wasn't happy with my PCC I wouldn't use her. I won't keep going back to TAs because they have been useless. Why would I ever go back to a ta? I'm not the type to use one and then complain bitterly about it after its failed me many times.

[Windsailer]

That's great info but please respect that might not be a motivator for everyone. If you book with a discount ta or a ta some things people need to know are:

 

1) you lose control of your booking. You can't phone Hal directly to deal with issues with your booking. You become a third party. I've never had the need to talk to HAL directly.

 

2) there may be costs associated with changes and cancellations. Know those costs. MY TA - who I have used for years - doesn't have any of those charges.

 

3) there may be less chance of an upsell. When I used a ta for years I only saw one upsell. I see them about 80 to 90 percent of the time now. If your ta is the bestie of the upsell manager this likely will not apply.

I've gotten upsell offers via my TA - when I've told her I was interested. Many times I'm not.

And I've saved considerable $$ and gotten more OBC with my TA than HAL offers.

 

You just have to find a good one.

[Lizzie68]

One thing I have found is that people often do not know where the "extras" (like OBC, free beverages, etc.) come from. Alot of them seem to think they are given out by their TA, instead of being a promotion that HAL gives to everyone. I think that this may contribute to the confusion about price comparisons.

 

That is very true, Dave. Before I transferred my recent booking to my TA last week, I had gotten over $700 in OBCs through various HAL offers. But then I got an additional $275 from my TA when I transferred the booking to her.

[cruz chic]

I've gotten upsell offers via my TA - when I've told her I was interested. Many times I'm not.

And I've saved considerable $$ and gotten more OBC with my TA than HAL offers.

 

You just have to find a good one.

 

Excellent, but that's not the case with everyone. I think it's important to ask those questions. Like I've said before if you are happy with your ta I haven't got a clue why you'd use a pcc. I did see one poster say that he uses one because his ta charges fees to cancel. That would be a good reason. He doesn't come on here and bash his PCC either.

[RocketMan275]

Agree with Dave OKC and Cruz Chic on PCC. We used TA until about 3 yrs ago. It seemed I never received an upsell offer (I know that some do). In the last 3 yrs which accounts for roughly 9 cruises with HAL we have received 6 upsells. These were veranda to suites (2x), lower category suite to higher level suite (1x), Suites to Neptune (2x) and 1x Neptune to Pinnacle. The only offer I turned down was the Pinnacle as I could not justify such a large space for 2 people.

 

Question: If you don't mind, what was the Neptune to Pinnacle offer? Days? Was it a long time ago? The wife asked.

[RocketMan275]

One thing I have found is that people often do not know where the "extras" (like OBC, free beverages, etc.) come from. Alot of them seem to think they are given out by their TA, instead of being a promotion that HAL gives to everyone. I think that this may contribute to the confusion about price comparisons.

 

I'm sure that happens. I check the online HAL price prior to contacting my TA. I know what HAL offers and I know what she kicks in. Typically, it's a 10-15% discount off the fares offered on the HAL/Princess website plus, usually, another $50 OBC.

 

For example, on the Celebrity cruise I cancelled (celebrity suite, seven day, eastern carib, Nov 2016), Celebrity offered $300 OBC and included a beverage package and gratuities. My TA passed through all of those at the same fare as the website and threw in another $575 OBC. The her OBC alone was right at 9% of the fare. She can and does do better on HAL/Princess.

[freestyling]

Question: If you don't mind, what was the Neptune to Pinnacle offer? Days? Was it a long time ago? The wife asked.

 

I believe it was 1999.00 additional for 7 day Caribbean on the NA 2 yrs ago.

It was the week after HAL had the Centurian Cruise.

We were doing the 14 day "collector" cruise where the 1st 7 days HAL had the "Centurian" cruise.

[RocketMan275]

I wish I was kidding. My experience has been terrible with many agencies. If I wasn't happy with my PCC I wouldn't use her. I won't keep going back to TAs because they have been useless. Why would I ever go back to a ta? I'm not the type to use one and then complain bitterly about it after its failed me many times.

 

I wouldn't either if I were you. It appears you're doing quite well with the upsells you're being offered and a PCC is working better for you. Still, not all TA are bad just like all PCC are great.

[RocketMan275]

I believe it was 1999.00 additional for 7 day Caribbean on the NA 2 yrs ago.

It was the week after HAL had the Centurian Cruise.

We were doing the 14 day "collector" cruise where the 1st 7 days HAL had the "Centurian" cruise.

 

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. Was that $1999 per person or total?

[freestyling]

Sorry 1999.00 pp. No deal at all in my opinion. When originally booking the Neptune the price difference was 4500 in total so no great discount.

[avian777]

I would like to think that most of the posters here are much more interested in providing information about their experiences and helping other cruisers than they are about defending their preferences...

 

... and now I have to ask, you're kidding, aren't you?

[freestyling]

... and now I have to ask, you're kidding, aren't you?

 

So very true.

[cruz chic]

So very true.

 

.....and some are just interested in stirring the pot :D;) and admit they come because it's entertaining.

[cruz chic]

I wouldn't either if I were you. It appears you're doing quite well with the upsells you're being offered and a PCC is working better for you. Still, not all TA are bad just like all PCC are great.

 

Absolutely. For many years the economy was incredibly strong here so mediocre people get away with murder. There was no interest in providing good service. I'm not willing to be treated like that. Many of my friends also book directly. No upside to the TAs here. I have not found any that give a discount here and I have no interest in dealing with online TAs that could be scammers.

[DaveOKC]

Question: If you don't mind, what was the Neptune to Pinnacle offer? Days? Was it a long time ago? The wife asked.

 

For my Dec cruise (11 days) it was $1199 per person.

[DaveOKC]

I'm sure that happens. I check the online HAL price prior to contacting my TA. I know what HAL offers and I know what she kicks in. Typically, it's a 10-15% discount off the fares offered on the HAL/Princess website plus, usually, another $50 OBC.

 

For example, on the Celebrity cruise I cancelled (celebrity suite, seven day, eastern carib, Nov 2016), Celebrity offered $300 OBC and included a beverage package and gratuities. My TA passed through all of those at the same fare as the website and threw in another $575 OBC. The her OBC alone was right at 9% of the fare. She can and does do better on HAL/Princess.

 

That is a good deal IMO and I can see why you stay with your TA. I have not found any TA here that will discount that much (if anything).

[RocketMan275]

Absolutely. For many years the economy was incredibly strong here so mediocre people get away with murder. There was no interest in providing good service. I'm not willing to be treated like that. Many of my friends also book directly. No upside to the TAs here. I have not found any that give a discount here and I have no interest in dealing with online TAs that could be scammers.

 

 

We booked our first cruise with a local TA who offered absolutely nothing. I was inexperienced and naive so I didn't know what to expect. We actually cancelled that cruise when the news of the Costa sinking and the poop cruise surfaced.

 

After a few months here on CCritic, I learned better. A much more experienced cruiser put me in contact with these two TA. Neither are local. I wouldn't put either one of them into the "online travel agency" category. To the best of my knowledge, they have nothing to do with CCritic.

 

I would prefer to use a local TA. I've learned of one whom I will contact for the next cruise we book. We will have to see whether she gets my business.

[cruz chic]

We booked our first cruise with a local TA who offered absolutely nothing. I was inexperienced and naive so I didn't know what to expect. We actually cancelled that cruise when the news of the Costa sinking and the poop cruise surfaced.

 

After a few months here on CCritic, I learned better. A much more experienced cruiser put me in contact with these two TA. Neither are local. I wouldn't put either one of them into the "online travel agency" category. To the best of my knowledge, they have nothing to do with CCritic.

 

I would prefer to use a local TA. I've learned of one whom I will contact for the next cruise we book. We will have to see whether she gets my business.

 

I actually got the name of one that sounds like she is very well respected and gives great discounts. The problem is that she is in the USA. With the exchange I'm not going that route. If I wanted to leave my PCC I might be tempted to try her.

[RocketMan275]

I actually got the name of one that sounds like she is very well respected and gives great discounts. The problem is that she is in the USA. With the exchange I'm not going that route. If I wanted to leave my PCC I might be tempted to try her.

 

Sorry to hear that but exchange rates go up and rates go down. I wouldn't throw that name away. Wish you well.

[cruz chic]

Sorry to hear that but exchange rates go up and rates go down. I wouldn't throw that name away. Wish you well.

 

Likewise, I will keep the name. Who knows, if things don't turn around for me and the 50,000 people (approx) that have lost their jobs my April cruise may be the last one I take for a while. Thx to my parents I'm able to take this one without stressing too much.

[freestyling]

Likewise, I will keep the name. Who knows, if things don't turn around for me and the 50,000 people (approx) that have lost their jobs my April cruise may be the last one I take for a while. Thx to my parents I'm able to take this one without stressing too much.

 

Excuse the thread drift......The oil company I retired from last year announced a 15k reduction on Monday. Folks love cheap gas however there are trade-offs :(

What goes down will come back up :)

[cruz chic]

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Edited January 21, 2016 by cruz chic