Can't reach travel agent to make final deposit

[hullman57@verizon.net]

Hello, if someone could advise me, I'd appreciate it. Final payment came and went on a Celebrity Cruise this past Saturday and I've been unable to reach my travel agent by either email or phone (same thing with a friend of mine who's travelling on a different reservation.)

 

I reached Celebrity who told me there's generally a grace period (particularly for travel agents who they've worked with before.) They reiterated that their reservation is with the travel agent not me (but they did confirm that I do still have a reservation.)

 

My travel agent has been very highly rated but just in case something weird is going on, does anyone have any advice, has this happened to anyone else?

 

Many thanks for your help.

[jelayne]

The TA I use has a agreement we sign with all the details of the booking including the date they (TA) will process the final payment charge to our credit card for the cruise.

 

Check your credit card to see if the TA processed your final payment before the week-end.

 

With this being a holiday weekend I would think X wouldn’t cancel the reservation for at least a day or 2 after the holiday.

[Denny01]

This is a 3-day holiday, so the TA could be out enjoying. But you’d think in this business, they’d have backup, or would have checked what had to be done for an upcoming weekend. My TA conatacts us days prior, and we do have an agreement that if there’s a glitch contacting me, to go ahead and use the CC they used before.

 

Since your reservation is still good, according to Celebrity, the TA should be avail soonest. Assume you’ve checked if there were backup numbers for the TA.

 

 

Den

[hullman57@verizon.net]

Thanks for your advice. I researched these Cruise Critic posts (Thank goodness someone else posted and said there was a medical emergency for the travel agent-at least there's an explanation.)

 

Celebrity gave me another number for the travel agency and to try tomorrow morning when they're open.

 

Hoping Celebrity doesn't cancel our reservation but I'm hoping the resolutions desk wrote down our situation.

 

I'll let everyone know. Fingers crossed.

[Michidoeme]

I just found out last week by calling Celebrity Captains Club directly that my agent passed away. After not being able to reach him to change cabin, I called X directly. They said I had to go through agent and were going to try to patch him in. After awhile they came back with this sad news. What I don t understand is why the big box agency he was employed with never reached out to me. I called them a few weeks ago to make final payment, again after having tried my agent first unsuccessfully and they never mentioned a thing. I find this unacceptable but can t get to anyone higher up to bring this to their attention.

[hullman57@verizon.net]

I just found out last week by calling Celebrity Captains Club directly that my agent passed away. After not being able to reach him to change cabin, I called X directly. They said I had to go through agent and were going to try to patch him in. After awhile they came back with this sad news. What I don t understand is why the big box agency he was employed with never reached out to me. I called them a few weeks ago to make final payment, again after having tried my agent first unsuccessfully and they never mentioned a thing. I find this unacceptable but can t get to anyone higher up to bring this to their attention.

 

Was it a TA by the name of Greg? I don't understand why big box agency didn't let us know if it's the same person we're talking about. geez. oh and I am sorry that the TA passed away.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Was it a TA by the name of Greg? I don't understand why big box agency didn't let us know if it's the same person we're talking about. geez. oh and I am sorry that the TA passed away.

Guess you guys are using a different "big box" agency. My "big box" agency does not have dedicated agents - you just call in and are serviced by whoever answers the phone.

[TMLAalum]

Guess you guys are using a different "big box" agency. My "big box" agency does not have dedicated agents - you just call in and are serviced by whoever answers the phone.

 

Mine too, but I equate the term "big box" to "warehouse". Wonder what other big boxes are out there or if perhaps the agency referred to is one of the big online services such as "_2 go"?

 

Final payment was due for our 12/16 Edge cruise yesterday, Labor Day. Submitted the cc info online via the big box website for the remaining amount due., This is one of the options available- in the past we've called to make payment and, had we wanted, could have made mini-payments periodically either by phone or online.

 

It has to be very worrisome when final payment is due and the TA holding the reservation is unreachable.

[sippican]

Why could you just not make the payment directly with Celebrity? (It is not a change to a reservation.)

[hullman57@verizon.net]

Celebrity told me that they can only talk to TA.

 

it’s a small firm affiliated with a larger one which is who I’m contacting today at 9 am...clearly I should have elevated this before the end of last week. I’ll keep everyone informed, fingers crossed🤞

[Essiesmom]

Often travel agencies have a final payment date that is a week or two earlier than the cruise line date. If this is the case, you have nothing to be concerned about. EM

[milesfromu]

X is providing a grace period for bookings with GP. The parent company handled our final payment for a November 2018 sailing a couple weeks ago. You do need to hound them to follow-up. They are not travel agents, more like recruiters. We have an October 2019 sailing booked through GP too. Hoping he returns, but if by chance he does not, I hope it isn't difficult to have the booking moved to another agent. Please let us know if you learn more about GP's status. Thanks.

[sippican]

Celebrity told me that they can only talk to TA.

 

it’s a small firm affiliated with a larger one which is who I’m contacting today at 9 am...clearly I should have elevated this before the end of last week. I’ll keep everyone informed, fingers crossed🤞

 

That's very strange. We have been able to make payments directyl to X for cruises booked through a travel agency.

[rsail203]

I had a problem when TA Greg wasn't available by e-mail or phone. There were two groups of forum posts about it before Celebrity put me in touch with a parent agency because Greg was ill and not available. If you get no satisfaction with the larger agency, call Captain's Club.They should be able to help you.

[milesfromu]

That's very strange. We have been able to make payments directyl to X for cruises booked through a travel agency.

 

Bookings done by this agent are most often "Group" bookings with perks beyond those offered solely from X. As a result, staff at X cannot access all of the information associated with the booking. We had the same problem trying to make final payment, had to go through agent...whom unfortunately was unavailable. After final payment was made contacted X a few weeks later to try and upgrade bev package for third guest. X agent could not do it because they cannot see what perks are already tied to a "Group" booking. Has to be done by a TA according to them.

[Michidoeme]

Was it a TA by the name of Greg? I don't understand why big box agency didn't let us know if it's the same person we're talking about. geez. oh and I am sorry that the TA passed away.

 

No he was Bob. I am also sorry he passed away, but did not know him well, only talked with him once or twice for this year’s cruise. Before we had another agent who all of a sudden retired and nobody informed us either. Not happy with this, however as non US residents do not have much choice in TA we can use in USA. And no, we can not book directly either with Celebrity USA.

[grandgeezer]

Our online travel agent makes our final payment, when due, using the credit card we have on file with them. 26 for 26, a nonissue for us.

[jagoffee]

That's very strange. We have been able to make payments directyl to X for cruises booked through a travel agency.

 

Not strange based on my experience. My TA always initiates my payment although the payment goes directly to Celebrity.

 

Are you saying you book with a TA and them call Celebrity directly to make your Final Payment?

[sippican]

Not strange based on my experience. My TA always initiates my payment although the payment goes directly to Celebrity.

 

Are you saying you book with a TA and them call Celebrity directly to make your Final Payment?

 

I'm saying that we have had the option whenever we book with the TA, to make payments directly to X or via the dedicated payment department at the agency. Usually, we make the payment through the agency.

 

I think its strange that the OP was not given that option, but as others have pointed out, it may be a group with dedicated incentives.

[jagoffee]

I'm saying that we have had the option whenever we book with the TA, to make payments directly to X or via the dedicated payment department at the agency. Usually, we make the payment through the agency.

 

I think its strange that the OP was not given that option, but as others have pointed out, it may be a group with dedicated incentives.

 

Sorry for being a pest, but this is something I have never read. Are you saying that you have booked a cruise with a TA and actually paid a payment directly to Celelbrity without the TA involved. I did not think that this was even possible. I know you cannot do it on line, but I have never tried it on the phone with Celebrity without going though my TA.

 

Has anyone else done what Sippican is suggesting?

 

Thanks

[hullman57@verizon.net]

Thank you for everyone's comments and helpful suggestions. Reached the larger travel agency today, all they said was he was out on medical leave. All has been resolved and handled (phew). Sorry I didn't respond sooner, was on the road and in meetings.

 

We're waiting for email with final invoice showing paid but I'm not concerned. Now on to planning the rest of the trip.

[sn2792]

Our online travel agent makes our final payment, when due, using the credit card we have on file with them. 26 for 26, a nonissue for us.

 

 

 

Mine does this also. They send an email a few days before to let me know in case I want to use a different credit card.

 

 

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[zanderblue]

I too have bookings through this TA. The final payment on first one was processed by the folks you mentioned. No final invoice forthcoming, but I could see transaction had gone through my credit card. I left it a week before calling, since they had said they were busy with the amount of bookings and had to check every one with Celebrity. When I did call them they then told me that there was a possibility that I had overpaid and they were working with Celebrity to figure out by how much and how best to recompense. This last conversation was about a week ago. I’ll give them a prompt in a few more days.

Worth noting that I am confident my booking is complete, since I was able to check in with no problem.

[josumello]

We also had Greg as TA. I couldn’t get in touch with him either. Called Captains Club. They gave me a number to call which was the large agency he was affiliated with. Every thing seems to be in order all though I did have to send copy of my invoice. Frankly I think this guy just took off. My new agent did let drop that Greg was AWOL and the letter I reviewed from agency explaining situation said he left for personal reasons. I received the explanation letter after I made contact with agency. I was also very nervous about the whole thing !!

 

 

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[hullman57@verizon.net]

We also had Greg as TA. I couldn’t get in touch with him either. Called Captains Club. They gave me a number to call which was the large agency he was affiliated with. Every thing seems to be in order all though I did have to send copy of my invoice. Frankly I think this guy just took off. My new agent did let drop that Greg was AWOL and the letter I reviewed from agency explaining situation said he left for personal reasons. I received the explanation letter after I made contact with agency. I was also very nervous about the whole thing !!

 

 

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Interesting, I’m just glad the larger agency was able to handle things and honored what was offered.