Why I will never use travel agents again

[Kartgv]

We look at each cruise separately, comparing cruise line prices and at least 2 different online TA's. One charges a $50 cancellation fee - if you don't rebook another cruise within 30 days - and one doesn't charge any change/cancellation fee. The one with the cancellation fee has, so far, given us a cruise price a little lower than the cruise line price, PLUS an OBC of approximately 10% of the cruise line base fare. That has amounted to thousands of $$ over the last few years and we're willing to risk possibly paying $100 if we have to cancel. The one without the cancellation fee has prices just a little lower than the cruise lines, sometimes offers OBC of $200-$300, but their service seems somehow more personal, with specific agents sticking around for several years and getting to know us. We also get any perks and OBC's offered by the cruise lines. We usually book balcony or mini-suite cabins, not suites.

 

The important point about both agencies is that they won't always offer these OBC specials...you need to get on their mailing lists and watch for their sale notices. You also need to read their initial cruise authorization form carefully so that you know exactly what you're getting and not getting. If you don't read the fine print, you can't complain.

 

We've never had any problem with either agency getting questions answered or special requests taken care of promptly. One agent called us from home on his day off (the day after Thanksgiving) when he logged into his work emails and saw a message that we had spotted a price decrease. As long as they continue to provide this level of service and offer the same benefits, we'll stick with the TA's.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Kartgv

[icat2000]

Then why is the OP complaining? If someone from Australia wants to discuss something unique to Australia, then that person should post in the Australia and New Zealand forum, which Cruise Critic provides for just that purpose.

 

If someone is going to post on this forum, which has a very large majority of US members, then that person is going to get an answer from someone based on that person's experience. As noted, my experience is with US based agents and that is how I answered the question.

 

This thread is for Princess Cruises. Not solely for American citizens who use Princess Cruises.

 

Sure your experience is fine. However your experience was not necessarily going to be the same based on the reasons I suggested and a couple of others have mentioned in this thread.

 

We have all been caught out from time to time re cruise bookings.

 

Cruising in Australia has grown by huge numbers over the past couple of years. So there is bound to be a lot of cruises who are new and it takes a little bit of time to wrap and understand everything. Heck just working out which cabin to choose is a challenge and a half :D

Edited July 28, 2016 by icat2000

[riclop]

I have an upcoming Princess cruise for march 2017. A Celebrity offer has come to light. A better offer. Better dates etc.

 

Being well over the 181 days for a penalty free cancellation I thought great lets make the switch. However I didnt realise my agent had there own set of cancelation policy ontop of Princess. We require to pay a fee for cancelation. I would understand a small fee since its extra work but I think $300 is a little excessive.

 

They also charge fees for refairing etc (so price drops are useless). Ontop of my frustration I specifically asked if a penalty free cancelation will be honoured by princess prior to booking since we weren't sure about the dates.

 

Adding to my frustration it states a change in cruise date is permitted for $50. I argued that since they are retaining the commission isnt it a change in date. They argued since it involves cancelling our cruise and booking another. No we incure the cancelation fee. The $50 is only charged within the same booking... one is not sure how you book a new departure date for the same cruise.

 

Has anyone experienced this before. I.e agent fees ontop of cruise lines?

You did not do youre home work.

[caribill]

Being well over the 181 days for a penalty free cancellation I thought great lets make the switch. However I didnt realise my agent had there own set of cancelation policy ontop of Princess.

 

There are adequate TAs, good TAs, great TAs, poor TAs and very poor TAs.

 

You managed to find a very poor TA.

 

There have been many posts in many threads that have said before using a TA, find out their cancellation policies and their policies for making changes.

 

And these posts have also said to avoid TAs that have policies like the ones your TA has.

 

So, do not give up on using a TA, but ask the right questions before using one. And on your next cruise, ask other passengers what TAs they are happy using.

[cdngrl]

i'm wondering how you get obc from princess? or are you talking about your shareholder, fcc and military benefits? i'm wondering because i never see them offer any obc.

 

this discussion is very timely. i am looking for a new travel agent. i figured i'd try a canadian one. i am interested in a cruise and princess' price is a tad too rich for me.

 

i emailed and called several agencies today in canada and then the us. all quoted me princess' price. i specifically asked if they discounted. the canadian agencies all said they weren't allowed to. perhaps they've never booked princess before. if so i don't want to deal with them anyway.

 

the american agencies weren't better. one offered me $85 obc, however, their exchange rate was higher than the 30% princess is charging.

 

googling has gotten me nowhere. i am annoyed that you can't say who your travel agent is on this forum. i need one of the good ones. i am happy to hear they are out there but i'm afraid i'm booking direct if the price is exactly the same.

[muggo11]

In my 20+ cruises I have booked in a variety of ways. For several cruises I have used timeshare weeks towards cruises, necessitating use of my timeshare company's TA. Great service and always willing to rebook if fares dropped.

Then, for a while, I used a site I can't name but enabled TAs to compete for my business by bidding on my desired cruise. I used 3 different TAs, always got great prices with OBC, etc.

THEN, I qualified for the casino rate. So now I either book via the casino (for free cruises) or with a TA for regular cruises.

I continue to be convinced I am among those that pay rock-bottom fares for cruise cabins! I read in the Carnival annual report that cabin sales only account for 25% of revenue--trust me, I end up giving them money in other ways. And justify it by getting low fares:)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[DMRick]

I use the same TA all the time. We just love her service and her prices are good.

We have two we go to, and they are both great.

[caribill]

Just for fun I checked a few places to see what it cost for my cruise:

 

Just checked Big box store:

 

3,696.00 -----235.00 OBC

 

Another big travel agency is charging 3,518.00 ---- 175.00 OBC

 

I paid 3,000.68- ---- 225.00 OBC with Princess.

 

Think I made the right choice!:D

 

 

Did you book your cruise with Princess the same day you checked pricing with the TAs?

 

Or did you book it a while ago and the TAs are basing their pricing on current Princess pricing, not what the price (and amenities) was when you booked the cruise.

 

Also, are the TA prices what you received after getting a quote from them or what you saw when looking at them on the Internet? Only a personalized quote can include any discounts from Princess pricing.

[Chris86]

You did not do youre home work.

 

Well I did. I noticed fees (which didn't indicate when exactly they were imposed).

 

I asked them over the phone about the 181 day penalty free zone. and they said provided you cancel before 181 days Princess do not charge a cancelation fee. With no mention of their $150pp fee.

 

It also took several emails for them to indicate the alternative. I.e switch to another princess cruise for $50 vs. paying $150pp to cancel and re-book. The $50 isn't such an issue. Its the $150pp fee to cancel over 181days out. I think its unreasonable and very condescending of them to not indicate the alternative of switching to another princess cruise for $50.

 

I'm now happy since I now have until the 22nd of august to switch cruise for $50 (which surprisingly is 1month longer than the 181days). Lucky I asked the date since 181 days is end of September. Again another silly complication/ loophole/ blurry line created by the agent.

 

Happy cruising

[caribill]

Or, more likely, many people here book early and pay higher prices, from which the TA can indeed get a decent discount. But after re-faring when the price is lowered, people come out the same. Example:

 

Poster 1 books cruise on the day it comes out, 2+ years in advance. Pays MSRP of $4,000 less 10% TA savings for a total of $3,600. Over the course of 2 years, various sales reduce the price down to $3,200. TA graciously does the re-booking to get the lower fare and Poster is now locked in at $3,200.

 

Poster 2 waits for the sale, has fewer cabin options, but pays the sale price of $3,200.

 

Poster 1 brags about the deal that the TA got them as well as their great customer service in watching out for lower fares. Poster 2 shrugs and says that they got the same price. Both people are technically correct.

 

If Poster 2 had used the TA I do, he/she would have paid less than the sale price of $3200. How much less I cannot say as when there is a sale price, the TA gets less commission and therefore has less $$ to share. It may only be a $25 discount at the sale price, but it is still a lower price.

 

And when I call to make final payment, my TA always says they will check at that time if a lower price is available. (Of course before final payment I will call the TA if I spot a price reduction and the TA will get a reduction for me.)

[JimmyVWine]

If Poster 2 had used the TA I do, he/she would have paid less than the sale price of $3200. How much less I cannot say as when there is a sale price, the TA gets less commission and therefore has less $$ to share. It may only be a $25 discount at the sale price, but it is still a lower price.

Agreed. And that is where the debate gets honed. When does $25 become worth ceding control? For some it is an easy decision in one direction and for others it is an easy decision in the other. But this insistence that there are hundreds of dollars to be saved off of low sales prices is tough to substantiate.

[bvm49]

I'm an Aussie who has booked many cruises using on-line agents. Usually the price is better than booking direct.

 

Last week I received a price for a guaranteed inside cabin category ID from Princess of AU$6199 + $75 OBC pp. Immediately after I phoned an on-line TA who quoted AU$5763 + $42 OBC pp. Effective discount was $403 pp = 6.6%.

 

Also Princess claimed only insides & suites were available but TA also had window cabins available.

 

Yes they do charge for cancellations but with 26 past cruises done, I've never yet had to cancel or make changes.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

???

Same cruise. I didn't book that sailing, but I priced it. The data I provided is for your sailing.

 

No it's not. When we booked, there was no sale as there was no additional perks offered by Princess. If there had been, when I booked it online at the Princess WEB site, we would have those perks as they are not going away when transferred to a TA. As I noted before, there was nothing additional given with this booking.

 

You took a past sale and added a bunch of perks trying to show how there was some hidden discount for things we don't have.

 

The day it was booked, it was transferred to the TA & the savings I quoted were realized at that point in time. With our TA, if something better comes along, I can change it, or have it added, depending on the terms set by Princess. The only reason we booked when we did as there was only one WS left.

[Reader0108598]

Did you book your cruise with Princess the same day you checked pricing with the TAs?

 

Or did you book it a while ago and the TAs are basing their pricing on current Princess pricing, not what the price (and amenities) was when you booked the cruise.

 

Also, are the TA prices what you received after getting a quote from them or what you saw when looking at them on the Internet? Only a personalized quote can include any discounts from Princess pricing.

 

 

Hello Carbill

 

You are correct they were not checked or booked on the same day.

 

Does not change the fact ,I did better with Princess.

 

No longer ask for personalized quotes ,as I have been bothered in the past by aggressive TA's.

 

Reader

Edited July 28, 2016 by Reader0108598

[dd likes to cruise]

My TA $1800 credited back against the Cruiseline price. Why wouldn't I use my wonderful TA?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Please tell us what you booked for a discount/savings of that much.

[Grimsby]

Because you are Canadian can you get better rates going through a U.S. agent?

 

No matter how I try, when I go to, the Princess web site, I'm always taken to the "Canadian" Princess site which shows prices in Canadian dollars. When I do the conversion to U.S. dollars, my long time T.A. from Florida is almost always hundreds of dollars less. I think Princess is trying to hedge their prices against currency fluctuations and erring on the high side. The really high side.

 

This has also been true for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

[cruzsnooze]

I have an upcoming Princess cruise for march 2017. A Celebrity offer has come to light. A better offer. Better dates etc.

 

Being well over the 181 days for a penalty free cancellation I thought great lets make the switch. However I didnt realise my agent had there own set of cancelation policy ontop of Princess. We require to pay a fee for cancelation. I would understand a small fee since its extra work but I think $300 is a little excessive.

 

They also charge fees for refairing etc (so price drops are useless). Ontop of my frustration I specifically asked if a penalty free cancelation will be honoured by princess prior to booking since we weren't sure about the dates.

 

Adding to my frustration it states a change in cruise date is permitted for $50. I argued that since they are retaining the commission isnt it a change in date. They argued since it involves cancelling our cruise and booking another. No we incure the cancelation fee. The $50 is only charged within the same booking... one is not sure how you book a new departure date for the same cruise.

 

Has anyone experienced this before. I.e agent fees ontop of cruise lines?

Not all agents charge fees but since you already know the mechanics of how bookings work why not keep control of your own bookings. TA's used to be more useful before the internet. Now people monitor their cruise and check the prices online frequently and don't rely on a middleman.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

Let's compare apples to aples, with current prices on the Caribbean Princess, sailing 12/11/2016, 6-day Western Caribbean, since this is what I referenced earlier. This does not include any special discounts to military, CCL stock holders, repeat cruisers, etc. This is straight from the Princess WEB site if someone went and booked right now, with no past sailings on Princess.

 

There is one (S7) window suite available, as of 8:30AM this morning. The total princess price for two is $2518 with no extra OBC's or other perks I can find.

 

I sent our travel agent an email, asking what she could do for this exact room, and her response:

 

For the S7 is coming out to what I quoted you from our agency $2,296.00 plus $60 OBC’s

 

It appears to me, that suites are not on sale as the pricing is in black on the Princess WEB site and not in red.

 

So to be fair, I asked about a (ME) mini-suite, in the front as this appears to be included in the sale (red prices). The total on the Princess WEB site is $2018 (D121). Once again, I contacted our TA and asked for her price:

ME mini suite category the total for two is $1853.00 plus our $60 OBC’s

 

All of these prices quoted are from the Princess WEB site and our travel agent within 60 minutes.

 

As someone else in this thread brought up, is Princess won't let them advertise discounted prices. The way I see this, and someone correct me if I am wrong, you are probably not going to be able to go online to any reputable travel agency, and come up with a fare price less than Princess. I have seen some that are more the Princess, then offering perks that you are paying for in the extra fare.

 

I wanted to see that myself, as our travel agent has as office along with a Internet presence. I went to the their WEB site, and priced the (S7) Window suite, and on there, the price was exactly the same as the Princess WEB site, which is what I expected. Also brought up earlier somewhere, was if there was an option at the WEB site to request a quote, or chat online, etc., there may be better pricing available for those who want to look for it.

 

I fully understand those who have had bad experience with TA's in the past or those who prefer to control everything themselves through Princess. I don't agree that there are travel agents that offer discounts off Princess, on sale or not. We always get a discount and will continue to book at PRincess and transfer it to a TA as it works our well for us.

 

Those who get discounts and have TA that follow's price drops and gives them to you, that is great as we have to follow ourselves.

[AdoraBelle]

Let's compare apples to aples, with current prices on the Caribbean Princess, sailing 12/11/2016, 6-day Western Caribbean, since this is what I referenced earlier. This does not include any special discounts to military, CCL stock holders, repeat cruisers, etc. This is straight from the Princess WEB site if someone went and booked right now, with no past sailings on Princess.

 

There is one (S7) window suite available, as of 8:30AM this morning. The total princess price for two is $2518 with no extra OBC's or other perks I can find.

 

I sent our travel agent an email, asking what she could do for this exact room, and her response:

 

For the S7 is coming out to what I quoted you from our agency $2,296.00 plus $60 OBC’s

 

 

The same sailing/S7 is about 2306 after multiple OBCs from the box store.

 

Just providing a data point.

 

(Honestly, I only take issue with people who are claiming to get hundreds and hundreds (or thousands) off with a snap of their fingers.)

[CineGraphic]

I always shop for the best deal, and that includes any "hidden" fees.

The best deal is always with a TA, a TA without cancellation or change fees. They aren't too hard to find. Well worth the few minutes of reading fine print.

I found my TA on the site that allows TAs to compete for your booking.

(can't mention the name or post a link here, sorry, rules are rules.)

 

Between the discounted price and additional OBC our TA gave us, we saved over $500 on our upcoming 10 day sailing to the Panama Canal.

 

If you want to pay Princess more and get less in return, so be it.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

The same sailing/S7 is about 2306 after multiple OBCs from the box store.

 

Just providing a data point.

 

(Honestly, I only take issue with people who are claiming to get hundreds and hundreds (or thousands) off with a snap of their fingers.)

 

That's good to know as we get discounts off the fare or in the form of OBC's that when netted out, is about 8-10% savings over the Princess WEB site.

 

If we kept either of these bookings with Princess, we would be paying the quoted price unless some price drop or sale came along.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

I found my TA on the site that allows TAs to compete for your booking.

(can't mention the name or post a link here, sorry, rules are rules.)

 

 

Funny, that's where we found ours at too, probably the same place. We had a range of fares from about 10% less to 10% more.

 

Guess which one we stayed with all these years :D

[Cuizer2]

This thread is for Princess Cruises. Not solely for American citizens who use Princess Cruises.

 

Sure your experience is fine. However your experience was not necessarily going to be the same based on the reasons I suggested and a couple of others have mentioned in this thread.

 

We have all been caught out from time to time re cruise bookings.

 

Cruising in Australia has grown by huge numbers over the past couple of years. So there is bound to be a lot of cruises who are new and it takes a little bit of time to wrap and understand everything. Heck just working out which cabin to choose is a challenge and a half :D

 

If someone has a general question about Princess or a specific question about Princess in general, this is the correct forum to use. However, if someone has a specific question about Princess that is unique to Australia, then the Australia forum is the correct one to use. It is there for a reason.

[Cuizer2]

Well I did. I noticed fees (which didn't indicate when exactly they were imposed).

 

I asked them over the phone about the 181 day penalty free zone. and they said provided you cancel before 181 days Princess do not charge a cancelation fee. With no mention of their $150pp fee.

 

It also took several emails for them to indicate the alternative. I.e switch to another princess cruise for $50 vs. paying $150pp to cancel and re-book. The $50 isn't such an issue. Its the $150pp fee to cancel over 181days out. I think its unreasonable and very condescending of them to not indicate the alternative of switching to another princess cruise for $50.

 

I'm now happy since I now have until the 22nd of august to switch cruise for $50 (which surprisingly is 1month longer than the 181days). Lucky I asked the date since 181 days is end of September. Again another silly complication/ loophole/ blurry line created by the agent.

 

Happy cruising

 

Hopefully this is the last time you will use this agent.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

 

(Honestly, I only take issue with people who are claiming to get hundreds and hundreds (or thousands) off with a snap of their fingers.)

 

I think in fariness, it depends on the total cost of the cruise too. We got over $600 off our upcoming Panama Canal cruise.

The fare was around $6800, so that sounds like a lot, if it were a inside cabin, although still ~8-10% off the Princess fares. That is what I see pretty much across the board using our TA, in all the cruises we have booked, regardless of there being any kind of sale or not.

 

Sometimes I don't see people quote what fare they booked, just how much they saved, which I believe can give a distorted comparison.