Has Anyone Used the TA Required by Discover Card?

[MississippiMom]

I was researching our various credit cards to see if there was any way of catching a discount on a RCCL cruise. I found that I can apply my accumulated "cashback" amount at a doubled amount (some limitations, of course) toward the cruise and that I can get a 5% cashback on the total cost of the cruise if charged on my Discover. However, I must use a specific travel agency that they list on their website. I haven't called them yet, but I have to admit that I am a bit sceptical. I guess it can't hurt to give them a try, but I won't really know who I am dealing with, so I was hoping someone had the experience. The savings could be pretty substantial, considering that I will be booking for five and possibly seven, if my parents decide to join us.

 

Thank you for any pros/cons that you are willing to share.

[DFritz]

I wouldn't want to be told which agency to use , but that is my personal opinion.

 

There are many TA's that can get you a discount rate on RCI. You may want to find out the agency you need to use and then find out from others at Cruise Critic what others think of that agency. It may be more expensive for you in the long run.

[NancyIL]

I wouldn't want to be told which agency to use , but that is my personal opinion.

 

There are many TA's that can get you a discount rate on RCI. You may want to find out the agency you need to use and then find out from others at Cruise Critic what others think of that agency. It may be more expensive for you in the long run.

 

Unless a travel agency has a lot of group space booked, your price will be the same no matter what agency you use, since RCI no longer allows discounting. I haven't used my cashback bonus for a cruise, but it can't hurt to get a quote from that agency. Make sure to read all the fine print.

[onmyjourney]

We used Discover Card's agency last year on a Celebrity cruise after the TA discounts were disallowed. We were not using "cashback" but the D.C. agency did discount the cruise. All things were as we were promised. The agent was available for questions and a couple changes we wanted to make. She was very prompt in getting answers. Overall, it was a very good experience.

 

Janet

[WeRockChalkKU]

We've done it once with the assigned TA. I think you need to do your homework ahead of time and know what the best rates are so that you can present them to the TA. Also, you have to go ahead and get the Discover certificate, mail it to the TA and have it deducted from you cashback account. I think you get charged the entire amount when your cruise payment is due and then the day you actually sail they mail you a check for the award amount. I felt okay about all of it since I figure that the Discover cashback bonus is actually just a bit of "free money". It didn't cost me anything to get the award.

[MississippiMom]

I haven't contacted that TA - Touraid Travel Cruise and Vacation Desk - but I guess it can't hurt. I have called RCCL directly, Sam's Club Travel and requested quotes from ***** and they all provide the same costs for the cabins. A couple of the ***** agencies will give me a bottle of wine, but I'd much rather have that Discover Card cashback, and look at it as money that I can use to spend on excursions.

 

I'm very new to the board, but I will make sure to come back and post about my experience with this TA and let everyone know what I decide to do.

[sable1]

I redeemed about $200 Cash back from my account for a Celebrity cruise. When they arrived I noticed I needed to use the Discover T.A. whom I had never heard of. Also, if I recall, I could use only a certain amount of Cashback $$, not the amount I was planning on. So, I called Discover and explained the situation and they credited my account with the $$ certifictes.

No problem. But be sure to read all the fine print and ask questions of the Discover person.

Happy sailing,

Joanne

[MississippiMom]

Not only am I taking a risk by using a TA that Discover Card requires, but I am booking a cruise out of the Port of New Orleans that goes to Cozumel and Costa Maya. Luckily, this cruise isn't until December 2006, so I have a LONG time to cancel if I need to do so.

 

Just in case you are curious, I was very, very pleased with April at Cruise and Vacation Desk. She was able to get me (and my family) into two connecting cabins, plus book my parents into a room right next door. Her rate for a Category I (Oceanview) was $460 per person; RCCL website was $599 pp. Her rate for additional passengers was $160; RCCL website was $299. I am thrilled, since I had resigned myself to an inside cabin to save on costs, but found that this TA could get me an Oceanview for less than the inside cabins on the RCCL website. Yippee!!!

 

Now, I just hope that all of the ports that have suffered so much destruction, will be up and running by then. I feel a bit guilty about booking a pleasure trip when so many are suffering, but I also understand that these areas need the tourist dollars.

[WeRockChalkKU]

Sounds like you did well and now you've got over a year to earn even more cashback on your Discover card. Then you can just have it applied to the balance on your Discover. Kinda like getting a shore excursion paid for.

 

CHARGE!!

 

CCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Earn more cashback and have a great cruise.

[rferr]

I did last year on the Grand Princess. Got a check for 140 dollars upon my return from the cruise and they were the same price as the consolidators. The only reason I did not use them for my upcoming cruise is cause NCL does not participate. They seemed fine to me.

[JJCalder19]

I emailed Discover Cards TA for a quote. When I received the numbers, I noticed there was no savings then booking direct. They doubled the port charges to $100 from the usual $49 to make up the difference.

[prairie_fox]

I was researching our various credit cards to see if there was any way of catching a discount on a RCCL cruise. I found that I can apply my accumulated "cashback" amount at a doubled amount (some limitations, of course) toward the cruise and that I can get a 5% cashback on the total cost of the cruise if charged on my Discover. However, I must use a specific travel agency that they list on their website. I haven't called them yet, but I have to admit that I am a bit sceptical. I guess it can't hurt to give them a try, but I won't really know who I am dealing with, so I was hoping someone had the experience. The savings could be pretty substantial, considering that I will be booking for five and possibly seven, if my parents decide to join us.

 

Thank you for any pros/cons that you are willing to share.

 

you can get that off even if you dont use that agent to book it, we are ours and we wont use them due to the fact it was going to cost more then us booking it on our own.

[prairie_fox]

db posted for some reason

[golfergal]

We've used Touraid, they also go by Cruise and Vacation Desk, several times and have never had a problem. In many cases they matched or beat the best price we found for our Celebrity cruises and we used our double cashback award. I've given them a chance to quote on all our cruises. They are very competitive on some lines and not so much on others, like Windstar.

[ajpack]

Can you use the cashback offer if you transfer the booking from Celebrity to Discover card's TA ? We already booked our cruise while onboard, but plan to transfer it to a TA.

[VALENTINE CRUISER]

Instead Of Using Our Cashback For The Cruise, We Just Let It Keep Building Up, (we Booked Over A Year Ago). Now We Have About 300.00 Dollars That Will Cover Our Tips And Any Other Onboard Purchases We Might Make. That Way Our Bill At The End Of Our Cruise Won't Be Such A Shock, Lol

[AAAAmerican]

Having used a Discover Card since its inception I really do like getting money back from the .. it is what started everone else doing it too...:)

 

Yes I just acquired a few CDs from the Discover Bank in Delaware on Friday past gain..

 

Short Term now has been more than long term so yes an inverted yields curve is at hand..

 

 

Morgan Stanley has done a wonderful thing when it was pruchased.. The Discover Card is excepted in so many more places now too..

 

Getting your best pricing is Vital in any purchase... we like to use the largest volume Travel Agents and get the lowest pricing not a promise of it...

 

 

RCL does also give Shareholders of only One Hundred Shares a onboard credit of 50-250 US$ too...

:eek: