Why book direct and then transfer?

[JerryG0828]

I see frequently that people book a cruise direct with the cruise line and then transfer to a travel agent or big box agency.  If you get a better deal from the other why book with the cruise line first?  Why not just book with the other agent?

[Jareds_mommytoo]

The agency we transferred to, if they do the initial booking they charge $30 per person. If we transfer after there is no fee but we get the perks the agency offers

[RuthC]

Sometimes I find a cruise and cabin I want, and don't want the cabin booked out from under me. My TA can't be guaranteed to be at my beck & call, but HAL can. So, I book with them, then transfer to my TA when we both of us are available.

[RMLincoln]

When I booked with a PCC once, they had the better price and deal.  Later on the pricing through a big box TA came down and their OBC went up.  The PCC met the price but could not meet the OBC, so he re-fared at the better price, and then he transferred the booking so we could get the OBC.   

The lesson to me is that pricing and OBC are dynamic and I need to watch for changes.  

m--

[Lido deck main]

1 hour ago, JerryG0828 said:

I see frequently that people book a cruise direct with the cruise line and then transfer to a travel agent or big box agency.  If you get a better deal from the other why book with the cruise line first?  Why not just book with the other agent?

Hi, 

I booked directly with the cruise line so that I have control of the booking and don’t have to communicate with the cruise line via the T.A.  Just before final payment then I transfer to the T.A.

[oldpharmguy]

Will my  PCC lose any commission if I transfer my booking to a big box store?

[kazu]

38 minutes ago, oldpharmguy said:

Will my  PCC lose any commission if I transfer my booking to a big box store?

 

No.  Your PCC will not lose any points or credit if you transfer as long as you didn’t book on board the ship with the Future Cruise Consultant (at least that is what my PCC has told me).  

[oldpharmguy]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

 

No.  Your PCC will not lose any points or credit if you transfer as long as you didn’t book on board the ship with the Future Cruise Consultant (at least that is what my PCC has told me).  

Thank you Jacqui

[twodjs]

We book with HAL to get their best offer (including a recent booking with air discounts), then move it to our big box store travel dept. to get SIGNIFICANT additional refundable sbc (about 8%) while keeping all the perks HAL gave us. I shake my head when I hear people say they won't do that. It is all done above board, and HAL is happy to move the booking. The simple phone call has put as much as $1000. in our pocket. It's a no-brainer!

 

[Overhead Fred]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

 

No.  Your PCC will not lose any points or credit if you transfer as long as you didn’t book on board the ship with the Future Cruise Consultant (at least that is what my PCC has told me).  

 

Good to know Jacqui. I do like our PCC and do not want to "cheat" her out of any commissions, but sometimes that big box OBC is awfully hard to pass up!

[Tampa Girl]

52 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

 

Good to know Jacqui. I do like our PCC and do not want to "cheat" her out of any commissions, but sometimes that big box OBC is awfully hard to pass up!

 

I have never booked with a "big box".  In addition to the OBC's, do they discount the initial fare?

[Overhead Fred]

Whenever I have checked, the "big box" fare has been the same as those on the HAL site.

[Cruising-along]

52 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

I have never booked with a "big box".  In addition to the OBC's, do they discount the initial fare?

There was one time we got in on a "group rate" that was considerably lower than the initial fare.  It was unusual though.  We transfer to the big box TA because of their generous OBC.

[TAD2005]

We usually book with the Future Cruise Consultant onboard to take advantage of the reduced deposits and double cabin credits.  A cruise I am interested in for 2020 presently has a $1750 P/P deposit.  If we wait to book it onboard our March 9 2019 Eurodam cruise, the deposit is only $300 P/P.  When we book onboard, during the booking process, the FCC sees the agent we have booked the present cruise with on her computer, and automatically transfers the new cruise to my agent, without even asking me.   So, I doubt that the FCC loses any commission when you transfer a cruise booked onboard to your TA.

[Cruising-along]

6 minutes ago, TAD2005 said:

We usually book with the Future Cruise Consultant onboard to take advantage of the reduced deposits and double cabin credits.  A cruise I am interested in for 2020 presently has a $1750 P/P deposit.  If we wait to book it onboard our March 9 2019 Eurodam cruise, the deposit is only $300 P/P.  When we book onboard, during the booking process, the FCC sees the agent we have booked the present cruise with on her computer, and automatically transfers the new cruise to my agent, without even asking me.   So, I doubt that the FCC loses any commission when you transfer a cruise booked onboard to your TA.

The question was if a PCC (Personal Cruise Consultant)  would lose any commission.  You're talking about a Future Cruise Consultant who is on the ship.  

[TAD2005]

3 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

The question was if a PCC (Personal Cruise Consultant)  would lose any commission.  You're talking about a Future Cruise Consultant who is on the ship.  

I was referring to Kazu's comment about the Future Cruise Consultant in post #7.

[Mary229]

My sister is my agent so that explains that.  I always get the best direct deal I can direct. As often as not when I transfer she is able to add some group perk to my profile.  So i bought on Black Friday with HALs special and she even was able to add another OBC to my cruise.  Then I get the shareholder benefit.  

[iancal]

We do not bother booking direct with any cruise line.  

 

We use an on line TA exclusively.  Great service, great unbiased competitive information, and great pricing.   An email to two, a quick phone call, and it is done.

[DaveOKC]

3 hours ago, Overhead Fred said:

Whenever I have checked, the "big box" fare has been the same as those on the HAL site.

So, how much can we bet in extra OBC (lets say on a $2000 pp cruise).

[Ken the cruiser]

8 hours ago, kazu said:

 

No.  Your PCC will not lose any points or credit if you transfer as long as you didn’t book on board the ship with the Future Cruise Consultant (at least that is what my PCC has told me).  

That is not what our PCC told us. If we book a cruise with our HAL PCC, they get credit for the booking. That is correct. However, if we then transfer the booking to a TA, the PCC will not get the monetary portion of the commission they would have received once we made final payment since HAL now has to pay the TA the commission for completing the sale. At least that's how it was explained to us.

 

To be honest what irks us is when someone makes the PCC work the booking, maybe refaring the cruise a few times, and then transfers it to a TA right before the final payment is due. That just seems wrong and that's probably why a lot of lines, except HAL, only give you 30-60 days from the booking date to transfer it to a TA.

[kazu]

18 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

That is not what our PCC told us. If we book a cruise with our HAL PCC, they get credit for the booking. That is correct. However, if we then transfer the booking to a TA, the PCC will not get the monetary portion of the commission they would have received once we made final payment since HAL now has to pay the TA the commission for completing the sale. At least that's how it was explained to us.

 

To be honest what irks us is when someone makes the PCC work the booking, maybe refaring the cruise a few times, and then transfers it to a TA right before the final payment is due. That just seems wrong and that's probably why a lot of lines, except HAL, only give you 30-60 days from the booking date to transfer it to a TA.

 

Interesting on your report of what your PCC has said.  While mine has encouraged me to move if I can get more bennies, yours is the opposite.  

 

As to your last paragraph, which I take a bit of umbrance to, you don’t know me nor do you know when I transfer my booking.  It is usually well before final payment.  so you want me to give up a bunch of OBC?  OK, fine, you stay with HAL and I’ll take the discount in OBC.  Each to their own.  
 

If it makes you feel better, the word/rumour is that HAL too will be changing the rules to match the others shortly which is why I cancelled a cruise booked in 2020.  I book far in advance usually but now, I am rethinking that strategy.

[iancal]

If one assumes that the commissionable fare on a 2K fare is $1,500 we we anticipate an agent provided extra OBC of $90-150. Slightly more if the TA has a group going..could be another $25 or some freebie like an excursion or a meal at a dining venue.

 

it really depends on the agent.  The web price for an on line agency will usually be the same.  You will find out about the incentives to book when you ask or when you are about to book. 

Edited February 17, 2019 by iancal

[iancal]

If HAL’s PCC’s do indeed get commission I cannot see HAL giving them commission on bookings transferred to a TA considering that the TA agency will also get their agency fee. Unless of course HAL pays agencies less for transferred bookings.

 

I can see  PCC getting sales credit but not sales commission on transferred bookings.   Sales credit and sales commission are two very different animals.

Edited February 17, 2019 by iancal

[richwmn]

I use the same PCC as kazu. I have asked her many times if transferring the booking changes the credit she gets. She always encourages me to transfer the cruse to get the obc the BigBox agency gives me. This is even on a low end cruise (7 day, outside cabin) where the BigBox agency and others will only give a $50 - $50 OBC which in the overall scope of things is kinda insignificant. She has always encouraged me to go ahead and transfer the booking and told me that the only credit she gets/needs is that of making the initial booking. YMMV, etc ad nauium!

 

[Ken the cruiser]

27 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Interesting on your report of what your PCC has said.  While mine has encouraged me to move if I can get more bennies, yours is the opposite.  

 

As to your last paragraph, which I take a bit of umbrance to, you don’t know me nor do you know when I transfer my booking.  It is usually well before final payment.  so you want me to give up a bunch of OBC?  OK, fine, you stay with HAL and I’ll take the discount in OBC.  Each to their own.  
 

If it makes you feel better, the word/rumour is that HAL too will be changing the rules to match the others shortly which is why I cancelled a cruise booked in 2020.  I book far in advance usually but now, I am rethinking that strategy.

Ours has no problem with transferring our booking he originally booked to a TA. However, when we asked him the direct question with regards to how commissions work, he explained the process. Once we knew the process, we told him what our plans were with regards to transferring it to a TA so we can get a big kick back, he was good with that and was happy to at least get credit for the booking.

 

As far as being irked with folks that use the PCC's service until right before final payment, I wasn't referring to you, just folks in general who have made that claim on CC in the past. 

 

Glad to hear HAL is at least considering the possibility of changing their transfer process to protect their PCCs. At least HAL PCCs get credit for the booking whereas the Celebrity and Princess PCCs don't even get credit for the booking if it's transferred. At least that's what we found out when we specifically asked them the question.