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PVP vs Travel Agent

barrelracer89

By barrelracer89,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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winddawn

winddawn

Posted
Posted (edited)
Loved Your Post, but you forgot to mention that a couple of Years ago Carnival cut their Commisions to Travel Agents!!

 

Thanks

Mike

Hey there, Mike. That's a good point. All carriers cut their commissions as Al Gore invented the Internet and provided us with alternative travel booking alternatives (lol).

 

Thanks for your service to our country, and especially your combat service. We all owe you gratitude for our freedoms.

 

I see you cruised on Commodore Cruise Line! I did too years ago. I cruised Enchanted Capri in the 90's. Small world. :)

Edited by winddawn
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  • 4 weeks later...
firemanbobswife

firemanbobswife

Posted
Posted
I book my cruises with my PVP who is awesome. Then a week or 2 later I have my booking moved to a big box travel agency because I get a great deal on travel insurance from them as well as a cash card on returning from the cruise.

 

Why not just book direct with the TA then? Not quite sure how the PVP pay plan works, while I know they do get credit for a booking, there's a good chance that they don't get full credit or it gets reversed if it's transferred. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't personally feel right doing that. I would just leave the PVP out of it. If they are so awesome, then I would want them there to service my reservation. But that's just me.

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Micahs Grandad

Micahs Grandad

Posted
Posted
I book my cruises with my PVP who is awesome. Then a week or 2 later I have my booking moved to a big box travel agency because I get a great deal on travel insurance from them as well as a cash card on returning from the cruise.

 

I doubt if they will pay commission to TA and also pay the pvp the bonus he gets when he books a certain number of cabins in a month.

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Micahs Grandad

Micahs Grandad

Posted
Posted
We have had the same TA since 1994 and are sick that she is retiring, but she has worked with the agent taking over our account so that the transition is smooth. She is a CLIA Master Cruise Counselor, as is her replacement.

 

The benefit of a TA over of a PVP is that they handle all the cruise lines, tour companies etc. A few years ago we sent our TA an e-mail asking about a Royal Caribbean cruise. She sent us back the information on the RCCL cruise, but also priced Princess the same weekend, with the same itinerary. The Princess suite was $1200 less than RCCL, so we booked it. We liked it so much that the next 3 years we sailed Princess. We probably would not have done that had we booked on our own and definitely would not have had that option with a PVP.

 

Our TA knows our preferences in cabins, has my credit card number and is authorized to make bookings for us that she thinks we will want, as long as the deposit is fully refundable.

 

When the Liberty changed the itinerary for the last cruise out of Galveston she called us with a deal on a balcony cabin, knowing how much we would love an overnight in Cozumel. We said yes, she booked and paid for the cabin, filled out our online registration and printed out the docs and dropped them off at the house, all on the same afternoon. She had to call because since it was such a close in booking they were only holding the cabins for an hour before full payment was due.

 

Also, she checks prices and if there is a price drop before final payment she gets us the better deal. She knows our wine preferences and always sends us a bottle of wine.

 

We have never had a problem in 22 years using this agency.

 

Used to use a small TA but noticed when we wanted something quickly she was often out of the office and we had to wait until she returned.

 

Lost a few price drops along the way as by the time she got back the price went up.

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MaineBirdBrain

MaineBirdBrain

Posted
Posted

Here is my opinion. Take it for what it is worth. I have only been on 2 cruises. If you have a fantastic TA, you will prefer a TA. If you have a fantastic PVP, you will prefer a PVP. Acquiring that fantastic (insert preference) seems to be a crap shoot... or you have to know someone or something. I have tried both. I am with a PVP now... and think he is fantastic. We have 2 more cruises booked at the moment. Had the TA been fantastic, I likely would never had booked with a PVP.

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firemanbobswife

firemanbobswife

Posted
Posted
Here is my opinion. Take it for what it is worth. I have only been on 2 cruises. If you have a fantastic TA, you will prefer a TA. If you have a fantastic PVP, you will prefer a PVP. Acquiring that fantastic (insert preference) seems to be a crap shoot... or you have to know someone or something. I have tried both. I am with a PVP now... and think he is fantastic. We have 2 more cruises booked at the moment. Had the TA been fantastic, I likely would never had booked with a PVP.

 

 

I agree. And since I have an excellent PVP, I am willing to forgo some of the "perks" that some TAs might provide. The TA that I used gave inferior service and was horrible to deal with. The OBC was not worth it at all.

 

As long as you are happy with the way you book, then great. While I don't receive gifts from my PVP even though I have referred MANY people to him, he is priceless in my book. He always thanks me for sending him new clients and I am glad to do so because that's how he makes a living and I know my friends and family will be well taken care of as well. And if that means forgoing OBC or a free dinner in the steakhouse, then so be it. I am willing to "pay" a little more for his services. I can rest assured that he is there should I need anything and to me that's what matters. You can't put a price on peace of mind and excellent service.

 

There's no right or wrong answer. If you get the same degree of service from a TA and are OK with booking that way, then that's awesome. If you prefer to use a PVP, then that's awesome too. Do whatever makes you happy!

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firemanbobswife

firemanbobswife

Posted
Posted
I only book with my cruise planner . In the event sometimes wrong she's there to handle it and know the right people to contact. OBC is always a plus:)

PVP are always going to side with the cruise line not you!

 

 

Not true. Mine has gone to bat for me and won. Actually he has an advantage as he works there and knows a lot of the higher up people personally so can make things happen [emoji4].

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sjcruiser

sjcruiser

Posted
Posted

I've only used a PVP, so I can't compare the pros and cons between the two. I'm proactive in all my my travel research and arrangements, so a travel agent probably would work for me for cruising or other travel plans unless traveling to Europe or Asia on vacation. Even when traveling for business Asia, I make my now arrangements.

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  • 1 month later...
Bellasma2591

Bellasma2591

Posted
Posted

My husband and I met a man on a cruise that said he was called the day before the cruise and asked if he'd like to go on it. We left out of NY and the man lived in NY...so he had no problem getting there. Who would call him on short notice like that? I'm guessing a PVP and one that knew cabins were still available. Now that hubby and I are retired, we can go at the drop of a dime out of NY, NJ, or Baltimore. All these ports are accessible driving to in a little over 2 hrs time. I'd like to get on a WILL CALL list. Any ideas how to do it?

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kroozers

kroozers

Posted
Posted

We've always just booked online - it's so much easier than on the phone with a PVP!! I made the mistake of picking up a call from a PVP as we were searching for a cruise to book. I asked him a question or two about the Cheers program and he just kept me talking and pretty soon he had keyed in a hold on a cabin for us- without asking. For the next two weeks, I got an e-mail and several phone messages every day - and I was unable to cancel the hold on a cruise we weren't interested in on my own. We wound up deciding on and booking a late April Glory cruise online - which is the only way I'll ever book. I know some love to use PVPs, but I find that I know more about the cruise we want then they do!! They're a pain in the neck!!

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johno1234

johno1234

Posted
Posted

I needed connecting rooms and it was impossible online - none were available for my cruise. I called Carnival and the CSR offered me a number of connecting room options that were not available online.

 

So YMMV, depending on requirement, but if you have any complexity at all, I suggest it's better to call.

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