Suggest Caution On Obtaining Cruise Quotes

[CM1984]

We booked our upcoming cruise with a new TA by obtaining a few quotes using a particular website.  It worked well, and realized a savings of $950.00 total, a lot of money to us.

 

In looking at another cruise for 2020, we used the same website and obtained 4 preliminary quotes for 7 day Alaska.  We decided NOT to book that cruise and did not respond to any of them.  HOWEVER, today, I got an email from Holland America saying Welcome Back, showing this cruise has been booked and shows the Booking Number.  The TA listed is from one of the 4 quotes we received.  

 

I never emailed or talked to anyone, and the TA decided to book without consulting me at all.  Evidently there was no Deposit required.

 

I finally figured out that by including my Mariner number in the quote request (bad mistake) the TA could do this.

 

Since the TA does not have my email (at least I don’t think so), they must be waiting for me to call, but that is not going to happen!  

I am NOT happy, and will contact My PCC to get this cancelled.  I feel this is unethical.  Am I right?  Has this happened to any of you?

 

So please be brighter than me, I’ll not make this mistake again.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by CM1984

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, CM1984 said:

We booked our upcoming cruise with a new TA by obtaining a few quotes using a particular website.  It worked well, and realized a savings of $950.00 total, a lot of money to us.

 

In looking at another cruise for 2020, we used the same website and obtained 4 preliminary quotes for 7 day Alaska.  We decided NOT to book that cruise and did not respond to any of them.  HOWEVER, today, I got an email from Holland America saying Welcome Back, showing this cruise has been booked and shows the Booking Number.  The TA listed is from one of the 4 quotes we received.  

 

I never emailed or talked to anyone, and the TA decided to book without consulting me at all.  Evidently there was no Deposit required.

 

I finally figured out that by including my Mariner number in the quote request (bad mistake) the TA could do this.

 

Since the TA does not have my email (at least I don’t think so), they must be waiting for me to call, but that is not going to happen!  

I am NOT happy, and will contact My PCC to get this cancelled.  I feel this is unethical.  Am I right?  Has this happened to any of you?

 

So please be brighter than me, I’ll not make this mistake again.

 

 

This is strange. A booking without a deposit?

I’m wondering if there was a mistake made.

[Lido deck main]

35 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

This is strange. A booking without a deposit?

I’m wondering if there was a mistake made.

It is probably just a hold, I made a booking yesterday, August 22 I asked for a 24 hour hold and HAL rep said I could get a free hold until the 27th, at that time if I don’t put a deposit down the booking is automatically cancelled.  

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Sounds as if the agent used your mariner number to create a courtesy hold (option).  This will trigger the HAL email server to send you a welcome email. There is nothing unethical here - he/she did this most likely to ensure they could have the rate/space should you contact them back to book.  If you do not place a deposit within the hold (option) period HAL’s system will auto-cancel the booking. 

Edited August 24, 2019 by AtlantaCruiser72

[kazu]

5 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Sounds as if the agent used your mariner number to create a courtesy hold (option).  This will trigger the HAL email server to send you a welcome email. There is nothing unethical here - he/she did this most likely to ensure they could have the rate/space should you contact them back to book.  If you do not place a deposit within the hold (option) period HAL’s system will auto-cancel the booking. 

 

It may not be unethical but I understand the OP’s angst.  I had this happen to me once and wasn’t happy either.  If the OP wants to book with someone else, they can’t until the auto cancel drops off if they were using their only FCD.

 

IMO, the TA should advise they are placing a complimentary hold to secure the price.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have never had that happen.

 

But I can see why the OP is upset.  I would not want a TA to do that to me.  The OP will be alright in a few days when the "hold" time is up and the cruise automatically cancels or OP calls and tells the TA to take the hold off the cruise.

[SteelMagnolia9]

7 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

This is strange. A booking without a deposit?

I’m wondering if there was a mistake made.

There is an online TA where they pay your deposit (it is payable much later before final payment). I have never used them. They have a number of different fees (cancellation, change, etc.).

[FlorenceItaly]

7 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Sounds as if the agent used your mariner number to create a courtesy hold (option).  This will trigger the HAL email server to send you a welcome email. There is nothing unethical here - he/she did this most likely to ensure they could have the rate/space should you contact them back to book.  If you do not place a deposit within the hold (option) period HAL’s system will auto-cancel the booking. 

This is exactly what happened.  It happened to me a few years back and my PCC at the time would not talk to me until it was cancelled by me.  I made the call to the agency, not the PCC.  It may have been this particular agent, but, I think it is HAL policy.  That PCC has since moved on and I love my new one.

[Tampa Girl]

It sounds like either a courtesy hold, for which the TA should have asked you, or a simple mistake.  In any event, I would  not be upset or concerned about it.  We always book through online TA's, and they frequently will put a  hold on the cruise.  But it is always with my knowledge.  But, yes, once a hold is on, a PCC won't talk to you.

[kacurl]

I believe I know site you are talking about. I use them all the time for different quotes and have never had this happen

[FlorenceItaly]

20 minutes ago, kacurl said:

I believe I know site you are talking about. I use them all the time for different quotes and have never had this happen

Mine was the one that offers the 90 day ticker.  I had only emailed them for a quote.

[kacurl]

I use that too but was talking about one that gives quotes from many different agencies.

[Homosassa]

It sounds like a courtesy hold and nothing to be worried about.

 

My TA (I use the same guy at a large online agency) will frequently put a courtesy hold on a cabin for me if I need to finalize plans before booking.

 

He will also put a courtesy hold on cabins for people I am traveling with when I tell him our plans, and I pick out the cabins those other people may need.

 

As we are frequent cruisers and have past guest numbers of different cruise lines, he also has that information in his records and will use that number to look for any available discounts or in the courtesy holds.

 

The same agency will also have a record of any holds or bookings made to make sure that there are no "make multiple bookings and cancel at final payment  for the best deal" game .

 

However, I can see where this level of service may be disconcerting to those who are playing booking games.

[CM1984]

Thank you everyone, my mind is more at ease.  I will not call my PCC based on your recommendations, and just wait it out until the booking expires.

 

But still.........🤨

[CM1984]

 

CC Friends - you were absolutely correct!  I checked my Booking this morning and the "extra" booking had disappeared.  From Friday to Wednesday, that is how long it stayed before being cancelled.

 

Thank you! 

[jb008]

IIRC Holland will call it is a 24hr courtesy hold, but if you make the hold on a Friday or over the weekend they will normally leave the hold in place until at least the end of the next business day to give you a chance to connect with your travel agent.

And has been mentioned above, a courtesy hold will still result in a welcome email and booking #, even though no deposit was made.  If no deposit payment is received, HAL will let the hold expire although don't count on it being precisely 24h before it expires (although you can call and request a courtesy booking be cancelled - I did a courtesy on 2 separate itins and then they manually canceled one after I deposited the other sailing).

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by jb008

[StartrainDD]

On 8/24/2019 at 11:52 AM, FlorenceItaly said:

Mine was the one that offers the 90 day ticker.  I had only emailed them for a quote.

 

I have had the same thing happen.  I now only contact that specific agency when I really think I might do better with them.  They have sometimes gotten me "Incredible" airfares that I could not get myself or thru the cruise lines...

 

One time though they did a 'hold' without my asking and when I booked with another agent for a short time I had two bookings on my Mariner account for the same cruise.  It took a week or so before the 'hold' one vanished.

[iancal]

A number of years ago I asked the TA who handled my business travel for quote on an Alaska cruise for the four of us.  She gave me a price and we decided not to book.  The price, though competitive, seemed high when compared to other vacation options that we were considering.

 

Weeks later she called me at work on a Tuesday..  She told me of a last minute deal on RCI leaving on Saturday (we lived in Vancouver at the time).  She also told me that she had booked us because it was the only way that she could hold the cabin/fare.  We had until Thursday to decide, and then full payment would be required.

 

We decided to do it.  Plus we were thankful that she did grab the cabin since it was less than half the price the quote from a few months ago.  Paid on Thusrday, sailed on Saturday.   

 

We were very thankful that our TA used her initiative to do this.  There was absolutely no downside for us.  It was all potential upside if we decided to follow through.  Which we did.  We called her the following day to confirm.  In the space 18 hours all cabins had been sold.  Had she not gone ahead and booked we would not have done the cruise.

 

Now, when we book a last minute we always request a hold. Sometimes for as short a time as end of business day, sometimes of two hours.  It allows us to confirm and nail down air pricing that we have typically been shopping at the same time.  No booking required, just a hold.  Never been refused yet on any cruise line that we have asked for this.

Edited August 30, 2019 by iancal

[victory2020]

I called my  "90 day ticker" agent on Monday about a cruise with the free gratuities, he said it had to be booked by midnight that day. Today I noticed it's in my personalizer which is fantastic since it took till today for my husband to agree to it. I'm glad I still have the room/price/gratuity guarantee.

[nycruiser80]

I used to be a TA and I would hold rooms even if the client was unsure. I would do this especially if I saw the sailing they wanted had limited availability. In many cases, this was a life saver as the clients were shopping around I had a room for them holding for a few days and if they didn't want it then it would just cancel.

 

 In travel, trip components can change very, very rapidly therefore the price quote and availability you can have one minute can possibly not be available the next minute (literally). When I used to sell travel, people would be surprised how fast inventory can change and at times would get angry when what was quoted was no longer available. 

Edited August 31, 2019 by nycruiser80

[CM1984]

On 8/24/2019 at 12:04 PM, Homosassa said:

My TA (I use the same guy at a large online agency) will frequently put a courtesy hold on a cabin for me if I need to finalize plans before booking.

 

 

On 8/30/2019 at 9:18 AM, iancal said:

She also told me that she had booked us because it was the only way that she could hold the cabin/fare. 

 

On 8/30/2019 at 11:32 AM, victory2020 said:

I called my  "90 day ticker" agent on Monday about a cruise with the free gratuities, he said it had to be booked by midnight that day. Today I noticed it's in my personalizer which is fantastic since it took till today for my husband to agree to it.

 

4 hours ago, nycruiser80 said:

I used to be a TA and I would hold rooms even if the client was unsure. I would do this especially if I saw the sailing they wanted had limited availability. In many cases, this was a life saver as the clients were shopping around I had a room for them holding for a few days and if they didn't want it then it would just cancel.

 

I quoted all of you because of your example:   You were already working with a TA (or a customer).  I was not at all working with anyone already, or even spoken to anyone --- hence my unhappiness.

 

I have worked with a very reliable TA in the past, and she did hold a cruise for us one time, not because I asked, but because I had inquired and she knew that in order to keep the offers, it had to be held.  We booked and I was happy she did.

 

 

 

[nycruiser80]

Try not to be too unhappy. Seems they were looking out for your best interest at least that’s the way I see it from having been on the other side of it. I too have held space on a tight sailing when a new inquiring customer merely expresssed interest about a cruise using the names they gave me. But I guess I can see where you are coming from, you felt it was presumptuous of them.

Edited September 1, 2019 by nycruiser80

[caribill]

3 hours ago, nycruiser80 said:

 I too have held space on a tight sailing when a new inquiring customer merely expresssed interest about a cruise using the names they gave me. But I guess I can see where you are coming from, you felt it was presumptuous of them.

 

When a TA makes a courtesy booking in order to preserve a quote, then the client should be informed. There is no reason for a client to have to discover accidentally that this has happened.

[ralph2020]

On 9/1/2019 at 3:21 AM, caribill said:

 

When a TA makes a courtesy booking in order to preserve a quote, then the client should be informed. There is no reason for a client to have to discover accidentally that this has happened.

Been reading these boards for years so I decided to jump in for the first time. I used to work as a personal vacation planner for Princess a few years back and we would do the same thing to. If I saw a cruise that had a few rooms left I would hold it under the persons name without them knowing. If they called back then we had it for them otherwise you know how nasty people get????  I guess you never worked with the public. This was approved method by our supervisors. It really isn't a bad thing you are not obligated many of you are making comments like people are using your social security numbers or something. If you make an inquiry with a travel agency or a cruise line even through email they have the right to use the info you provided. Read those terms and conditions carefully on the websites you visit. Sorry thats just the way it is! someone on here says things in travel change quickly and they really do and people dont realize that. I remember I would be on the phone with people and rooms would disappear as I was talking to them. People from all of the world book cruises not just in the US.

[iancal]

We use a site where various TA's bid for your business.  Usually as a double check to determine if our TA's net price in the ballpark.

 

Our experience is that there are one or two respondents who always appear to low ball.  We look at the quote, call them, and magically those balcony cabins are no longer available etc.  

 

We always want our prices...inclusive of taxes and with OBC's, cruise line and TA, clearly indicated in writing.  We never provide our payment info without having a very clear hard copy document outlining this, the final payment date, and the purchase conditions, ie whether any or all the deposit is non refundable.  We are big on the trust but verify regime when dealing with vendors.

Edited September 3, 2019 by iancal