Travel Agents - Generic Discussion

[Jade13]

Are these TA's USA based because down under whilst I have found a TA who will discount his commission a little his reaction time to requests etc is so pathetic that I wont be going back. Whilst it seems common place for TA's in the USA to give something for the business it is most uncommon in our part of the world.

 

 

Many US TA's have group rates and if they don't have special groups rates often rebate part of their commission at final payment (you pay by credit card which they charge to the cruise line). This seems to work best with most cruise lines as long as you are making your own flight arrangements. You still get any cruise line specials such as with Celebrity two perks for booking at least an ocean view. We usually take the drinks package and pre paid gratuities although on some of the shorter cruises the OBC is worth more than the gratuities and you can use it to pay the gratuities.

 

 

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[4774Papa]

I tend to book early, frequently as soon as the cruise is available for booking. I like to do my own research and planning and don't need a travel agent for travel advice.

 

Before booking, I always check with a couple of large on TA companies and my cruise is rarely on their list for booking. We always book a balcony and I have found that booking with a TA usually gets me a modest OBC.

 

I think the control issue is important, even through Hank may be correct, it should not be important. However, I have read here on cc of people that booked with a TA and could not contact their TA in time to take advantage of price drops.

 

On a couple of cruises, our dinner table discussed what we paid for our cruise. We all had balconies. Both times we paid the lowest even though others used a TA.

 

Also, we have been offered upgrades a couple of times, once to Aqua and once to a Sky Suite. I wonder if we would have been offered that opportunity if we had booked through a TA?

[sippican]

 

Before booking, I always check with a couple of large on TA companies and my cruise is rarely on their list for booking.

 

I think the control issue is important, even through Hank may be correct, it should not be important. However, I have read here on cc of people that booked with a TA and could not contact their TA in time to take advantage of price drops.

 

 

Puzzling, that your cruise is rarely on their list - Any large, reputable agency is able to book any cruise you are able to book independently. If you meant you looked online, it is nearly impossible for an agency to list every single cruise through their online booking engine, always call to speak with someone directly.

 

A good TA is available, or has someone to cover! I have taken screen shots of price drops and my TA was able to get the price no matter if it was a day or two later. If someone is savy enough to find a price drop online, they can record the proof.

 

I am not arguing with your preference to have control over your booking, however, without exception, we have always found the best deal through a large travel agency, along with the perks that cruise line is offering, we are able to take advantage of price drops, group pricing, early booking prices and other incentives such as OBC and perks. (No additional cancellation fee.) Cruise lines offer their large volume agencies incentives that they do not pass along to an indivudual. That being said, no travel agent can work magic if you are booking late, inflexible with dates, cabin choices/location, etc.

[Jane2357]

My first cruise (many years ago) was with my local, small town TA - OK service but not knowledgable about specifics.

Later found a TA in my now home state of FL - a husband and wife team who provided great service and some small OBC - that I always had to ask for and they acted like I was raping them. I gave them up when their nation wide company had a hacking and all of our information - credit card and passport numbers were stolen.

At that time I was happy to gain control of my bookings by going directly to the source. No more making a phone call or sending an email to a middle man. I've had great service booking direct - knowing I was leaving a bit of OBC on the table was a trade off I was willing to make .....

Until our last cruise where we did our first on ship booking - we booked a 10 night Galapagos cruise for which you get nothing for booking on board - not even a cheap pen - lol.

Talking to some new cruise friends who had already done Galapagos - they told us that they got a substantial gift card to use from their big box TA. After we got home, and being members at same big box company - I called to inquire --- $1,400 gift card. Too big to leave that amount on the table as we frequently avail ourselves of their products - so I did transfer our booking. With Galapagos there isn't much to spend OBC on so this is really a win for us.

Being a control freak this will be an interesting experiment. I book when itineraries open to get the cabin we want - never see price reductions - so we are pretty low maintenance. IF this goes well - might have changed my mind about keeping control.

 

[kim826]

I use online companies but have learned to read the fine print. One of the larger ones charged $200 when there was a price drop of $400. I haven't gone back there.

[4774Papa]

What are the cancellation policies of the TA companies?

[sippican]

What are the cancellation policies of the TA companies?

 

It can vary from agency to agency - some charge nothing beyond the cruise lines's usual cancellation fees, others can charge whatever they like.

I have heard of a $300 fee from one of the highly advertised agencies.

[CalgaryMac]

We have been on two cruises and have two future cruises booked. All of these cruise bookings have been made through the cruise line web site.

 

Recently, I decided that I would try going through a travel agent. I had heard that travel agents have access to perks and benefits not available to the rest of us. The first travel agent that I tried told me that the cruise that I was looking for was not currently scheduled. I called her to tell her that I was looking at the cruise line web site and the cruise that I mentioned was offered online. She later told me that she had not done a thorough search despite my advising her of the line, dates, and destination.

 

The second travel agent who I tries booked the cruise but there were no perks other than what I could get on my own through the web site. We placed a deposit and purchased insurance. I learned a lot about what she likes to do on excursions but unfortunately didn't fit well with our interests. My partner lost his job and because of the job situation here we decided to cancel the booking just to be prudent. Unfortunately we had not been told that the insurance was not refundable because the health and travel portions were bought together as a package.

 

What did I learn? Once you book with a travel agent then you are obligated to go through the travel agent to pay for the cruise. The travel agent might not have any better access to what is available than me. The cruise lines are very helpful in providing information and tips.

 

I like researching trips, destinations, resorts, etc. so a travel agent took all the fun away from me :(.

[MacThespian]

I guess it depends on what you want/need from a travel agent. If you want the cheapest price and that is all that matters, then go with the cheapest price you can find. Just use the internet and look around every time you want to book something.If you want a travel agent who has your back when things go wrong or helps you save money on shore excursions or port information to DIY because they have visited those places then stick with one agent who gives you great service. I tend to look at the bottom line at the end of a cruise.....what have I spent on touring, drinks, gratuities, flights etc. If I can save some money on shore excursions by doing it myself ,then that can be a big saving -especially in Europe .Some of the big online agencies have people who have never visited the places that I want to go and they also will not call me when the price is reduced (by the cruise line). These things have value to me, so I stick with one reliable agent who knows me and what I like. Incidentally, if I can get a plumber or electrician to call me back the same day, I count myself extremely lucky.

I feel much the same. I was introduced to cruising by my father-in-law, and when he passed away and we started choosing (and paying for) our own cruises, I continued to use the travel agent he used. Not a big box store, not a local agent--actually, across the country--but she's given me great service and good prices. Yes, I suspect I could save some money by shopping around, but my quest is for the best value, not necessarily the best price.

[caribill]

 

They do advertise a $100 cancellation fee as standard (which I find reasonable for their efforts).

 

If you are like me, you contact the TA giving him/her the exact cruise you want, the cabin number or location you want, info. on dining preference, bed preference, etc.

 

Basically you have done all the effort and your TA is an order taker.

 

I do not find a $100 cancellation fee reasonable unless the TA really has put in a lot of effort in making a booking for you.

[caribill]

Just curious, can someone provide the history of why disclosing a TA name that provides good service, or poor, is prohibited on CC?

 

 

This web site is free for you to use, partially because of advertising by some travel agents.

 

CC does not want you to use the free web site to discuss TAs that are competitors to their advertisers.

[caribill]

We have been on two cruises and have two future cruises booked. All of these cruise bookings have been made through the cruise line web site.

 

Recently, I decided that I would try going through a travel agent. I had heard that travel agents have access to perks and benefits not available to the rest of us. .......

 

I like researching trips, destinations, resorts, etc. so a travel agent took all the fun away from me :(.

 

Then what you should do is have all that fun researching your cruise, book directly with the cruise line and then look around to see if there is a TA who can give you better pricing/amenities with cancellation policies you can live with.

 

 

If you find a better deal, then transfer the booking within the allowed time period. If not, stay happy with your booking staying with the cruise line.

 

Some TAs will meet your needs better than others. The fun you have researching your cruise can include researching which, if any, TA to use.

[flagger]

I am a TA and have been for almost nine years and cruised for four before becoming one. I am not desperate for business and as such I charge a pretty high consultation fee for my clients before I even begin the work. None of which applies to the booking. I do not deal in volume, and I do not price match or offer perks beyond what are available from the cruise line and through my franchise affiliation. I also charge a large cancellation fee.

 

There is more than enough business out there and I am having my best year ever. I am far from an order taker as most of my clients do not know exactly what they want.

[cjmayes51]

In April the DW & I got off our first 14 day cruise on the Equinox. Great time & have another 14 day on the Reflection booked in 2018. We were @ a table for 10, with great couples from around the US, during our table conversations I found it odd that we were the only couple who had used a TA- the other 4 couples all booked direct with Celebrity. We were also the only couple with the free drink package, that we upgraded to Premium. 6 of the other 8 people bought wine & mixed drinks during dinner and were not offered the drink package perk when they booked. They were very interested in how I had gotten it. As a CC reader for 20 years I just didn't realize that people who had cruised 5-10 times were not aware of this board & the info available. Can you even book a Celebrity cruise now without being offered a perk? By the way when we booked our Reflection 14 day, I had 6 different quotes for our 1A , some with $450 & $500 OBC, but they were also $500+ higher then a TA who didn't offer but a $50 credit- so it looks like you pay it one way or the other. Charlie

[Jade13]

In April the DW & I got off our first 14 day cruise on the Equinox. Great time & have another 14 day on the Reflection booked in 2018. We were @ a table for 10, with great couples from around the US, during our table conversations I found it odd that we were the only couple who had used a TA- the other 4 couples all booked direct with Celebrity. We were also the only couple with the free drink package, that we upgraded to Premium. 6 of the other 8 people bought wine & mixed drinks during dinner and were not offered the drink package perk when they booked. They were very interested in how I had gotten it. As a CC reader for 20 years I just didn't realize that people who had cruised 5-10 times were not aware of this board & the info available. Can you even book a Celebrity cruise now without being offered a perk? By the way when we booked our Reflection 14 day, I had 6 different quotes for our 1A , some with $450 & $500 OBC, but they were also $500+ higher then a TA who didn't offer but a $50 credit- so it looks like you pay it one way or the other. Charlie

 

 

 

Did you ask when they booked? Were any of them in inside cabins?

 

 

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[Jade13]

Our agent does not charge any cancelation fees. They also give us about an 8% discount. That is in addition to any perks from the cruise line and book on board OBC. They usually have an additional perk for the group booking, typically another $50 OBC per person in addition to the discount. I have been using them for about 10 years and do not shop around.

 

 

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[Jade13]

[quote name=Hlitner;52199864

 

If we want to "reprice' date='" rebook, change our cabin, category, etc...we can do that with our cruise agencies or direct with the cruise line. In fact, its often much easier to do with a cruise agent...as we simply send a short e-mail to our agent and it is done! Or we can call their customer service number and have changes done within minutes. If we try to call a cruise line it is more likely we will be on hold...

 

 

Hank[/quote]

 

 

 

I have not heard of changing cabins directly with the cruise line when booked through an agent. Purchasing shore excursions or dining packages, yes.

 

 

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[Jade13]

My first cruise (many years ago) was with my local, small town TA - OK service but not knowledgable about specifics.

Later found a TA in my now home state of FL - a husband and wife team who provided great service and some small OBC - that I always had to ask for and they acted like I was raping them. I gave them up when their nation wide company had a hacking and all of our information - credit card and passport numbers were stolen.

At that time I was happy to gain control of my bookings by going directly to the source. No more making a phone call or sending an email to a middle man. I've had great service booking direct - knowing I was leaving a bit of OBC on the table was a trade off I was willing to make .....

Until our last cruise where we did our first on ship booking - we booked a 10 night Galapagos cruise for which you get nothing for booking on board - not even a cheap pen - lol.

Talking to some new cruise friends who had already done Galapagos - they told us that they got a substantial gift card to use from their big box TA. After we got home, and being members at same big box company - I called to inquire --- $1,400 gift card. Too big to leave that amount on the table as we frequently avail ourselves of their products - so I did transfer our booking. With Galapagos there isn't much to spend OBC on so this is really a win for us.

Being a control freak this will be an interesting experiment. I book when itineraries open to get the cabin we want - never see price reductions - so we are pretty low maintenance. IF this goes well - might have changed my mind about keeping control.

 

 

 

Although we did not receive OBC when booking a Galapagos cruise onboard, we only had to pay a $200.00 deposit until final payment, and we booked over 2 years in advance. We received the elite discount and we also received the discount from our ta (which was taken off of the entire cruise tour I think), I would have rather had the discount rather a gift certificate from a store.

 

 

 

 

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[NantahalaCruiser]

Did they have your captains club numbers? They would have done it in a heartbeat if you brought it to their attention.

Point is, I had forgotten about the loyalty upgrade and the online TA never bothered to mention it or ask if I was a Captain's Club member.

[NantahalaCruiser]

I tend to book early, frequently as soon as the cruise is available for booking. I like to do my own research and planning and don't need a travel agent for travel advice.

 

Before booking, I always check with a couple of large on TA companies and my cruise is rarely on their list for booking. We always book a balcony and I have found that booking with a TA usually gets me a modest OBC.

 

I think the control issue is important, even through Hank may be correct, it should not be important. However, I have read here on cc of people that booked with a TA and could not contact their TA in time to take advantage of price drops.

 

Yes, many smaller TAs are not available 24/7; but as long as they are available within 24 hours, all you have to do is place a 24-hour hold on the price drop - then your TA can transfer the hold price to your existing reservation.

On a couple of cruises, our dinner table discussed what we paid for our cruise. We all had balconies. Both times we paid the lowest even though others used a TA.

 

Also, we have been offered upgrades a couple of times, once to Aqua and once to a Sky Suite. I wonder if we would have been offered that opportunity if we had booked through a TA?

Happy Cruising

[awhcruiser]

So what is the incentive to book with you?

I am a TA and have been for almost nine years and cruised for four before becoming one. I am not desperate for business and as such I charge a pretty high consultation fee for my clients before I even begin the work. None of which applies to the booking. I do not deal in volume, and I do not price match or offer perks beyond what are available from the cruise line and through my franchise affiliation. I also charge a large cancellation fee.

 

There is more than enough business out there and I am having my best year ever. I am far from an order taker as most of my clients do not know exactly what they want.

[GStonelake]

I just booked a 14-day with online company. I had 4 quotes ... Celebrity with rest being on line companies. Deal I ended up taking was $700+ cheaper then Celebrity, $125 OBC, prepaid gratuities for 2, and Classic Bev package for 2. I will say, Celebrity's Rep was the nicest and I almost booked with her because of her attitude even though cost was higher and was only getting the Bev perk.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

I have not heard of changing cabins directly with the cruise line when booked through an agent. Purchasing shore excursions or dining packages, yes.

 

 

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When we deal with a cruise agency, all subsequent business regarding that booking is done through that cruise agency. If we want to rebook (at a lower price), change cabins, categories, etc. we simply ask our cruise agent through a quick phone call or e-mail. No need to deal directly with the cruise line...and personally we prefer not to deal with cruise lines as you will often get a different story on every call. As to purchasing shore excursions, we seldom to ever purchase a shore excursion (anywhere in the world) as we prefer to either do our own thing or book a private tour. If we want a dining package we simply book online via our account on the cruise line's web site. No need for a call.

 

If you feel more comfortable dealing directly with a cruise line, then that is an option. However, you are generally going to forfeit the 7-10% you could save by simply shopping around for a cruise agent who gives discounts or extra amenities (usually generous on board credits). Many folks are happy to pay more money dealing directly with cruise lines....for their own reasons.

 

Hank

[caribill]

So what is the incentive to book with you?

 

 

flagger answered that in the post. Service.

 

 

most of my clients do not know exactly what they want.

[Jade13]

When we deal with a cruise agency, all subsequent business regarding that booking is done through that cruise agency. If we want to rebook (at a lower price), change cabins, categories, etc. we simply ask our cruise agent through a quick phone call or e-mail. No need to deal directly with the cruise line...and personally we prefer not to deal with cruise lines as you will often get a different story on every call. As to purchasing shore excursions, we seldom to ever purchase a shore excursion (anywhere in the world) as we prefer to either do our own thing or book a private tour. If we want a dining package we simply book online via our account on the cruise line's web site. No need for a call.

 

If you feel more comfortable dealing directly with a cruise line, then that is an option. However, you are generally going to forfeit the 7-10% you could save by simply shopping around for a cruise agent who gives discounts or extra amenities (usually generous on board credits). Many folks are happy to pay more money dealing directly with cruise lines....for their own reasons.

 

Hank

 

 

 

Hank,

 

I don't book direct or deal directly with the cruise line. I was quoting you since you appeared to be telling others they could book with an agent and still call the cruise line directly and move cabins and I had never heard of that.

 

I don't know where you got the idea that I felt more comfortable booking directly with he cruise line...I already said I received a discount from my agent.

 

 

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