Why do T/A’s automatically book a cabin when you ask for an quote?

[long cruiser]

if you booked with princess direct you aways transfer your booking to a travel agent.

long cruiser

[moki'smommy]

Apparently your TA didn't notify her customers about her vacation and would be unavailable from such a date to such a date and offer alternative booking venues. IF you saw a booking you couldn't refuse. You could have booked it through Princess, and upon return of your TA, and she DID get back to you (hopefully with an apology) have the booking transferred back to her

This--my TA puts up an automatic message so that if anyone sends an e-mail, they get a reply that says "I'm out of the office until XYZ. If you need assistance with an existing booking, please (insert instructions). If you need help with a new booking (insert instructions.) Or sometimes it is just "if you need assistance......."

 

Let's hope your agent tried and the system failed her.

[broberts]

The problem with these holds it ties up the cabin you want for up to 72 hours. It would appear that my usual T/A is away on a cruise and she probably overlooked applying my FCC for the deposits in her excitement for her holiday. As I said the bookings were there in my personalizer booked by her but she hadn’t applied my FCC’s so I’m assuming the booking fall off since no deposit was made. Not getting any reply to my emails for over I week I started to shop around to see if I needed to book with someone else.

When asking for an quote this is the only way to find out if they offer discounts on Princess Cruises or charge cancellation fees. First T/A I tried didn’t discount second one charged $50.00 for a cancellation for any reason. So neither were ones I wanted to book with yet they went ahead and put a hold on the cabins now I have to wait for the holds to fall off and hope I can just book the cabins myself and then transfer to my usual T/A once she is back from her cruise and get her usual discount.

 

I suspect you would be just as unhappy if you called back a few hours later only to be told that the price had changed and/or the quoted cabin was no longer available.

 

Did you call the TAs and inform them that you had decided not to accept their quotes and to go ahead and cancel any temporary cabin holds?

[myfuzzy]

This--my TA puts up an automatic message so that if anyone sends an e-mail' date=' they get a reply that says "I'm out of the office until XYZ. If you need assistance with an existing booking, please (insert instructions). If you need help with a new booking (insert instructions.) Or sometimes it is just "if you need assistance......."

 

Let's hope your agent tried and the system failed her.[/quote']

 

Exactly what a TA should do, but in this case, it seems that they have a long standing relationship, where a personal email could have just taken a minute to send

[geoherb]

The TA through whom I booked our upcoming cruise (September trans-Atlantic on the Royal) is on a cruise right now. I went ahead and called for him to charge our final payment last week before he left. I could have waited until the end of this month when he returns, but I did not want to risk anything going wrong. He gets back just a couple of days before the final payment date.

[JF - retired RRT]

The problem with these holds it ties up the cabin you want for up to 72 hours. It would appear that my usual T/A is away on a cruise and she probably overlooked applying my FCC for the deposits in her excitement for her holiday. As I said the bookings were there in my personalizer booked by her but she hadn’t applied my FCC’s so I’m assuming the booking fall off since no deposit was made. Not getting any reply to my emails for over I week I started to shop around to see if I needed to book with someone else.

When asking for an quote this is the only way to find out if they offer discounts on Princess Cruises or charge cancellation fees. First T/A I tried didn’t discount second one charged $50.00 for a cancellation for any reason. So neither were ones I wanted to book with yet they went ahead and put a hold on the cabins now I have to wait for the holds to fall off and hope I can just book the cabins myself and then transfer to my usual T/A once she is back from her cruise and get her usual discount.

Solution: book the cabin yourself and switch to the TA after she gets back from the cruise. Easy Peasy.

[Pam in CA]

Apparently, there are several TAs on the Regal Baltic cruise right now. Heard from mine. The Ocean Medallion has been down and there’s been no Internet. An upgrade is expected to be installed today or tomorrow.

 

Normally, my TA seems to work 24/7 whether on a cruise, traveling or whatever. This appears to be a very unusual situation out of their control. And very difficult as they expect to be able to work while on the ship.

[dstables]

Apparently, there are several TAs on the Regal Baltic cruise right now. Heard from mine. The Ocean Medallion has been down and there’s been no Internet. An upgrade is expected to be installed today or tomorrow.

 

Normally, my TA seems to work 24/7 whether on a cruise, traveling or whatever. This appears to be a very unusual situation out of their control. And very difficult as they expect to be able to work while on the ship.

This has always been my experience with her. She always gets back to me as soon as possible whether she is in the office or away on a trip. So not hearing back from her caused me to be concerned that something had happened with her. I feel much better knowing she is enjoying a cruise and just doesn’t have any internet. Thanks for the update.

[Cruise Junky]

If we're talking about the same agent, she has an assistant if something is urgent. Contact her instead. She got me a price drop on Saturday.

[TheRabbit]

The problem with these holds it ties up the cabin you want for up to 72 hours. It would appear that my usual T/A is away on a cruise and she probably overlooked applying my FCC for the deposits in her excitement for her holiday. As I said the bookings were there in my personalizer booked by her but she hadn’t applied my FCC’s so I’m assuming the booking fall off since no deposit was made. Not getting any reply to my emails for over I week I started to shop around to see if I needed to book with someone else.

When asking for an quote this is the only way to find out if they offer discounts on Princess Cruises or charge cancellation fees. First T/A I tried didn’t discount second one charged $50.00 for a cancellation for any reason. So neither were ones I wanted to book with yet they went ahead and put a hold on the cabins now I have to wait for the holds to fall off and hope I can just book the cabins myself and then transfer to my usual T/A once she is back from her cruise and get her usual discount.

Because so many people were booking multiple cruise with no intention of taking them or only taking one, many agencies have implemented the 50 dollar fee. I now book through the princess site using FCDs and transfer the ones we are actualy going to sail to my TA. We usually book the day the cruise becomes available in most cases to get the room we want, and then transfer them over about a year out once we know there are no major conflicts with the dates.

However, there have been times we still use our TA as they have more pull and knowledge when there are some problems.

[dstables]

If we're talking about the same agent, she has an assistant if something is urgent. Contact her instead. She got me a price drop on Saturday.

I think we are. :confused:

[Tucker in Texas]

I've read speculation and my TA has heard rumors of a sale June 20-23. Paid Gratuities, Beverage package on balconies and above and OBC. Now, it could just be select cruises.... I've also heard that fares go up but if it's less than what these packages would cost me, I'm all over it!

 

I don't think the sale is limited to certain agencies so call yours and ask about it. It just has to be done in that time frame and some agents don't want the hassle that will go with it as a ton of agents are booking and the lines can get pretty jammed requiring lengthy hold times.. It can be selective cruises, though, and, according to my agent, has to be a cruise taken after May 2019. He has said all the cruises he has lined up to book have been included and hasn't run into one yet that wasn't.

 

As for agencies selling cruises with a "discount." They have to sell them for what Princess is selling them for unless they have a group fare blocked they can hook you onto. If the price is less than what Princess quotes, they are using a portion of their commission to offer it for less.

[voljeep]

I don't think the sale is limited to certain agencies so call yours and ask about it. It just has to be done in that time frame and some agents don't want the hassle that will go with it as a ton of agents are booking and the lines can get pretty jammed requiring lengthy hold times.. It can be selective cruises, though, and, according to my agent, has to be a cruise taken after May 2019. He has said all the cruises he has lined up to book have been included and hasn't run into one yet that wasn't.

 

As for agencies selling cruises with a "discount." They have to sell them for what Princess is selling them for unless they have a group fare blocked they can hook you onto. If the price is less than what Princess quotes, they are using a portion of their commission to offer it for less.

 

 

I would really appreciate if you or your TA can find out if it is going to be available on the little 3 day cruise aboard the SKY Princess on 12/4/19?

 

if so, I would be all over something like that...

 

Thanks

[suekel]

I don't think the sale is limited to certain agencies so call yours and ask about it. It just has to be done in that time frame and some agents don't want the hassle that will go with it as a ton of agents are booking and the lines can get pretty jammed requiring lengthy hold times.. It can be selective cruises, though, and, according to my agent, has to be a cruise taken after May 2019. He has said all the cruises he has lined up to book have been included and hasn't run into one yet that wasn't.

 

As for agencies selling cruises with a "discount." They have to sell them for what Princess is selling them for unless they have a group fare blocked they can hook you onto. If the price is less than what Princess quotes, they are using a portion of their commission to offer it for less.

 

 

I'll let her know before we sale on the 16th what my parameters are and let her do her magic. It's a January 2020 cruise so hopefully it's included.

[Coral]

I don't think the sale is limited to certain agencies so call yours and ask about it. It just has to be done in that time frame and some agents don't want the hassle that will go with it as a ton of agents are booking and the lines can get pretty jammed requiring lengthy hold times..

 

Most travel agents don't call to book a cruise. They can do this from their computer. It is no more difficult to do this during a sale than when there isn't a sale.

[Tucker in Texas]

I would really appreciate if you or your TA can find out if it is going to be available on the little 3 day cruise aboard the SKY Princess on 12/4/19?

 

if so, I would be all over something like that...

 

Thanks

 

Sorry, I can't help you. It is not allowed on Cruise Critic to recommend or refer someone to an agent. If you call one and the agent won't help you, call another one (lol). This sale is not just limited to certain agents.