To TA or not to TA..that is the question

[Shoppie124]

Why do you use a TA vs booking direct? I was warned by NCL that you won’t be eligible for an upgrade if you use a TA. They also told me if the cruise is canceled by NCL they give incentives and the TA sometimes keeps them.

 

Anyone with experience?

 

 

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[phoenix1181]

I use a TA for the service & OBC. If I want to change anything, they handle it quickly & easily & I always get correct information.

 

Being eligible for upgrades depends on the TA. Some, but not all, don't allow their clients to bid for upgrades. If you decide to use a TA & bidding for an upgrade is important to you, check before you commit.

 

I've used the same TA for awhile now & have never had a problem. My TA does allow her clients to participate in the upgrade bidding process.

[CruisingNole]

TA's rate is always lower than NCL direct. If you want to bid on upgrade, no problem.

 

Price drop occurs after final payment, my TA is on the phone same day to request upgrade.

 

I find it interesting NCL is trying to steer you away from a TA. Many other cruise lines would rather you use one.

 

Different business models, I suppose.

[emcelh]

TA's rate is always lower than NCL direct. If you want to bid on upgrade, no problem.

 

Price drop occurs after final payment, my TA is on the phone same day to request upgrade.

 

I find it interesting NCL is trying to steer you away from a TA. Many other cruise lines would rather you use one.

 

Different business models, I suppose.

If you book direct there's no commission to pay to a TA. The comment about the TA keeping "incentives" if a cruise is cancelled is odd though. What would the TA keep?

[CruisingNole]

If you book direct there's no commission to pay to a TA.

 

But it's also more work for NCL customer service to deal with customers directly. More employees, more employee benefits, larger office spaces, you get the drift.

 

Like I said, not sure what their business models are, but some cruise lines prefer you use a TA and some don't.

[www3traveler]

In 37 cruises, I ALWAYS use a travel agent in my hometown.

 

I have been able to get some really good deals through him and always have an opportunity for the Upgrade program as long as I am not in a Studio- which are not included in ability to bid. He handles everything for me--arrangements for the cruise, flights (including getting me airport assistance changing planes in large airports), hotels, ground transportation, and insurance.

[Cafedumonde]

You are paying the TA commission whether you use one or not. At least that's how I think about it.

[xcell]

I find that the TA and NCL price to be similar -- so know your price before you book. The only thing the TA is good for is any additional discount they can offer. I think their commission rate is between 10-15% of the cruise cost.

 

The problem with the TA is if you need anything change, they will have to call NCL on your behalf to do it..like a middleman so it can be annoying.

[newmexicoNita]

Why do you use a TA vs booking direct? I was warned by NCL that you won’t be eligible for an upgrade if you use a TA. They also told me if the cruise is canceled by NCL they give incentives and the TA sometimes keeps them.

 

Anyone with experience?

 

 

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I would question anyone who told you such a story. There are a few, but not many TAs that do not take part in the upgrade program. That part is true, otherwise what you were told is a misunderstanding on the part of the person at NCL. The company has nothing much to lose regardless of how you book, expect they do have to pay the TA a commission, but it is also less work for NCL if you use a TA. No, TAs do not keep any incentives or anything else. :rolleyes:I don't know where some of these people get their crazy ideas.

[newmexicoNita]

I find that the TA and NCL price to be similar -- so know your price before you book. The only thing the TA is good for is any additional discount they can offer. I think their commission rate is between 10-15% of the cruise cost.

 

The problem with the TA is if you need anything change, they will have to call NCL on your behalf to do it..like a middleman so it can be annoying.

It might seem annoying, but if there is a serious problem I would rather have the TA with knowledge and clout handling the issue than myself. A good TA is worth your weight in gold. Finding one that really knows what they are doing can to the concern.

[pghflyer]

Currently covered extensively in the last few days in below thread - short answer IMO is you should always get a few quotes from both places and choose based on your criteria - I know I don't spend hundreds/ thousands of dollars by just showing up at one store and buying it immediately (but congrats if you are in that financial scenario). FWIW regarding upgrades, the agent I have used for my last 3-4 cruises (and beats NCL by 10-15%) does now tell me that their lowest fare doesn't participate in the upgrade program, so you should ask about that if you care.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2660019

[sharonann24]

I always use a TA and still receive upgrades. For me it is peace of mind. I do book my own excursions, but like knowing I have that back up.

[Shoppie124]

If you book direct there's no commission to pay to a TA. The comment about the TA keeping "incentives" if a cruise is cancelled is odd though. What would the TA keep?

 

 

 

I was told that is a cruise is canceled NCL gives 50% off and because the TA owns the reservation, they don’t always give it to the consumer.

 

 

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[phoenix1181]

I was told that is a cruise is canceled NCL gives 50% off and because the TA owns the reservation, they don’t always give it to the consumer.

 

 

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Think about what you've been told. A TA may technically "own" your reservation but it's YOUR reservation and NCL is fully aware of that. They have all your information and they know you're the one who is paying them. How long do you think a TA would stay in business if they cheated their clients like that and how long do you think NCL or any other cruise line would deal with them?

 

Whoever you're talking to has no idea what they're talking about.

[MCC retired]

I was told that is a cruise is canceled NCL gives 50% off and because the TA owns the reservation, they don’t always give it to the consumer.

 

 

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You were told wrong .

If you cancel your cruise , the balance after any Penalty , goes back to you .

The TA controls the reservation , you own it .

Unless the TA has some ridiculous Penalty of their own , you get what you deserve back.

You should always do better $$$ using a TA (OBC, Price ,Gift , etc.) If not , get another TA who appreciates your business .

[emcelh]

I was told that is a cruise is canceled NCL gives 50% off and because the TA owns the reservation, they don’t always give it to the consumer.

 

 

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I doubt it. First , I've never seen NCL give 50% off a future cruise because of a cancellation. We've had cruises canceled 3 times. We tend to book at least a year or more in advance and 2 were cancelled because the ships were later chartered and the 3rd was due to repositioning the ship. In all cases we were offered alternate dates or cruises and OBC.

 

Future cruise credit is usually given when something goes wrong on a particular sailing (the Carnival ship that lost power at sea and had to be towed back to port a few years ago or the more recent NCL ship that was apparently under constrution during a cruise) In any case, the credit for a future cruise would be linked to the passenger, not the TA.

[Pens fan]

I realize that all TA's are different, but I'll share my experience booking with a TA on NCL. Our cruise ended up being cancelled by NCL and we were given several options. After my TA contacted them to book the replacement we chose, we somehow ended up with a better deal than NCL had originally offered in the email we received. I have no idea what transpired, and I'm not going to ask - just very pleased with the outcome. Is it possible that I could have negotiated the same deal on my own? Possibly, but those were phone calls I didn't have to make. :)

 

We also received the invitation to bid on an upgrade, just as someone booking directly through NCL would.

 

As long as you are working with someone you know and trust, the reasons NCL mentioned don't seem valid to me.

[Shoppie124]

This is all very helpful! I’ve never used a TA before so I presumed NCL was telling me the truth. Wow I feel super gullible now!

 

 

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[C cruise]

I could book my own trip but the TA has extra benefits I can't get ... the TA also coordinates the flight/hotel if its needed... again, I could do it myself but the TA has more experience and takes the hassle out of booking...and I trust my TA to not hold anything back from my booking.

[emcelh]

This is all very helpful! I’ve never used a TA before so I presumed NCL was telling me the truth. Wow I feel super gullible now!

 

 

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You're not super gullible. It's unfortunate, but you're not the first to get bad information from NCL's call center.

[phoenix1181]

This is all very helpful! I’ve never used a TA before so I presumed NCL was telling me the truth. Wow I feel super gullible now!

 

 

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Unfortunately, NCL customer service staff are [generally] poorly trained and they just don't know everything they should. If you were to call and speak with someone else, you'll get different answers to the same questions.

 

That's another reason for using a TA! BUT ..... shop around, not all TA's are equal. Some charge fees for changes or cancellations while others aren't available nights, weekends, holidays, etc. Also, there are some that specialize in cruises while others primarily sell land vacations.

 

Ask friends and relatives for recommendations. Find out about fees and availability and check fares yourself before you commit. Once a TA has your reservation, it's almost impossible to transfer it to NCL or another TA so make sure you ask questions before you give them your business.

[zqvol]

If I can find a TA that provides quality service and gives me something more than NCL does I will use them. I haven't found one yet that has given me enough to justify giving them control of my reservation/

[phoenix1181]

If I can find a TA that provides quality service and gives me something more than NCL does I will use them. I haven't found one yet that has given me enough to justify giving them control of my reservation/

 

I've seen this statement many times from different cruisers and I'm curious. Do you make a lot of changes once you've chosen a cruise? How often do you need to contact NCL after you've booked a cruise?

 

I always use a TA & very rarely have a reason to contact them except when I want to make a payment. The few times I have made a change, it was a paid upgrade and a cabin change request which was handled more quickly than it would have taken for me to call NCL myself.

[pghflyer]

Clearly the other question is how much "service" you will be needing. Probably just a generational difference but reading these two threads the last week, I didn't realize how many people still used agents to do all these other things.

 

Once they pass my reservation on to the cruise line at booking, I prefer to do everything myself and never hear from them again (my final payment is on auto pay with my CC). So I am periodically checking for price drops, booking my own hotel/ flight/ ground transport/ dinner reservations / travel insurance/ etc. If you have need of some of those expanded services, then choosing your agent becomes a lot more than who can provide the cheapest price at booking.

[graphicguy]

I've used an online TA for many years. They're a big one, too.

 

 

 

I don't think any of the cruise lines allow independent TAs to undercut the direct cruise line fare quotes.

 

 

Where independent TAs shine is the amount of OBC and other perks they offer.

 

 

My online TA offers significantly more OBC (particularly on NCL bookings) than NCL direct offers. They always throw in a specialty dinner and/or champagne, too!

 

 

If I book on line, my TA gives me the commission they'd pay an agent as OBC. They also have agents available if I need some help (that charge a reasonable commission for their efforts).