Advantages of booking direct

[mickey89]

4 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

I’ve also had my Celebrity Agent here in the UK do a price match (on receipt of a screen shot) for me. However, I do not think you are correct about your booking being transferable unless it was booked whilst you were on board (UK booking t&cs). I should love to be wrong though. Does Elite status make a difference?

Goto Celebrity T&C 1.12 that will confirm that Elite Captain club member are allowed one free change when transferring a booking. 

[mrsgoggins]

6 minutes ago, mickey89 said:

Goto Celebrity T&C 1.12 that will confirm that Elite Captain club member are allowed one free change when transferring a booking. 

 

Great. Thanks for that 👍

[Ex-Airbalancer]

20 hours ago, kathynorth said:

 

 

Airbalancer, did you find your Holy Land cruise in a special section of the website or did you randomly luck out with a group rate? I've met other people saying they found great deals from this TA, but same as ipeeinthepool, I mostly see the same prices as the X website.

Just got lucky , was cruising their website looking for a 40 TH anniversary cruise 

we also got the $75 dinning credit 

on the TA we also got lucky on the Black Friday sale , Celebrity by mistake had put a perk on the TA , first Celebrity said it was a mistake ,  the brother in law worn them down and Celebrity gave us the drink package as a perk 😄

Than switch the cruise over to box store for a nice cash card 

Mark 

 

[kathynorth]

5 hours ago, Airbalancer said:

Just got lucky , was cruising their website looking for a 40 TH anniversary cruise 

we also got the $75 dinning credit 

on the TA we also got lucky on the Black Friday sale , Celebrity by mistake had put a perk on the TA , first Celebrity said it was a mistake ,  the brother in law worn them down and Celebrity gave us the drink package as a perk 😄

Than switch the cruise over to box store for a nice cash card 

Mark 

 

 

So double lucky for you! I hope your anniversary was or will be extra special! 

[snichols23]

On 9/4/2019 at 1:57 AM, beloum said:

Usually I book direct with the cruise line, but came across a deal with a large box retailer warehouse club that offers a gift card for booking with their travel service.  Would like of know of any advantages/disadvantages of not going through the line directly.    I am concerned about level of service in making changes, accessing booking etc.   Anyone run into issues using this type of travel service?    

I was reading in a travel magazine where one big box gives you a gift card and any unused OBC is not lost but used on another cruise. Check it out for yourself and be sure. They were reviewing different companies, etc. 

[edgee]

On 9/4/2019 at 6:39 AM, hcat said:

We book direct with X ,..easier, quicker, more control over res and easier to make changes.

 

Trade off is that  we pay sticker price with less OBC,  or look for sales;  and If there is a problem or issue, then we are on our own!

 

Most long time X cruisers know more about the ships/ staterooms,   and X in general  than many TAs, so we found  no real benefit there with a TA.

I would never book direct. My TA rebates via a check between 7 and 10% of the price of the cruise just prior to sailing. In addition they offer shipboard credit on some cruises if they happen to have a large group booked on the cruise. It is a large agency which only does cruises and group tours, but I still get great prompt service from her. We cruise fairly often so she has saved us thousands of dollars over the years. 

Edited September 20, 2019 by edgee

[Denny01]

I use to book direct and then used the big box/website’s (they really aren’t TA’s, they are reservationists), but for the last number of years I’ve used a local TA who is highly professional. I do my own searches but she does a knockout job getting me good rates, better airlines and help with hotels. And yes, I just booked a cruise she set up for a group and I knew nothing about and jumped on her’s. So much for me only doing my own picks! 

 

Losing control when not direct booking?? My TA responds quickly for any changes, but I suggest we all look at how many times you’ve really made changes in SR’s and so on that you think booking direct will give you more flexibility. When the few times I’ve made a change, I’ve never lost the SR I wanted to move to because I went through my TA. 

 

So each to our own. 

 

Den

[Umbarger]

I prefer to book direct as I like having control of my booking.  I can make changes etc.  With a TA sometimes they will give you a break with the price.  

[sn2792]

We used to book direct, but started booking thru a TA. The TA participates in the move up program, which we have taken advantage of. The company also gives us around 8% of the cruise price in onboard credit. It is well worth it to go thru the TA. We have also used the Big Box store, but prefer onboard credit over a cash credit.

 

We can still access our cruise on the Celebrity website to access the cruise planner. I see no advantage in booking with Celebrity direct.

[varoo]

On 9/4/2019 at 12:57 AM, beloum said:

Usually I book direct with the cruise line, but came across a deal with a large box retailer warehouse club that offers a gift card for booking with their travel service.  Would like of know of any advantages/disadvantages of not going through the line directly.    I am concerned about level of service in making changes, accessing booking etc.   Anyone run into issues using this type of travel service?    

 

For us, it just depends. 

We will only give our booking to a TA if the TA can offer us sufficient incentive to make involving an unnecessary third party worthwhile.

 

That is often the case for longer and more expensive cruises,  or sometimes when a TA is able to offer good group rates and extra perks.

 

The gift card from the large box retailer is more appealing to those who shop there frequently than to those of us who don't, (unless we are planning to make a large purchase there). 

 

In general, the more you pay for a cruise, the greater the TA's commission and therefore the more generous the incentives they are able to offer you (but even then there are exceptions).

 

For last minute cruises booked at deeply discounted closeout prices, there is usually very little that any TA can offer us, so that is when we prefer to keep the booking ourselves.

 

The advantages of dealing directly with the cruise line are being able to make changes or payments or cancellations ourselves whenever we want at our own convenience and receiving immediate confirmation that it is a done deal, even in the middle of the night when a travel agency is closed.

 

We dislike having to play telephone tag, leaving a request for a TA on a phone or online and then needing to wait in suspense until they get back to us, not knowing whether or not what we requested has yet been done, or if it was done correctly.

I guess we are pretty much "do it yourself" types, but we know that there are other passengers who feel more comfortable using a travel agent.

         

[drakes2]

On 9/4/2019 at 3:12 AM, Miaminice said:

Advantages of booking direct... There are none! Get yourself a GOOD TA who handles everything and as a bonus gives you a better deal.

I disagree. On my last 3 bookings with X I've been able to obtain the same perks offered by the agency I've dealt with in the past. In addition he's given me 2 nice bottles of wine which saves me weight and valuable luggage space. Been extremely happy with his services.

[Wine-O]

39 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

I disagree. On my last 3 bookings with X I've been able to obtain the same perks offered by the agency I've dealt with in the past. In addition he's given me 2 nice bottles of wine which saves me weight and valuable luggage space. Been extremely happy with his services.

A good TA can get you all of that plus $300 in OBC.  🍷

[jasm8449]

16 minutes ago, Wine-O said:

A good TA can get you all of that plus $300 in OBC.  🍷

Would that be for a regular balcony?

[drakes2]

5 minutes ago, jasm8449 said:

Would that be for a regular balcony?

Yes. Paid for the cheapest category balcony and move up from there when there is a price drop on a higher category and always kept the obc. The wine is valued at $64 USD per bottle on celebrity's wine list and that can be taken to the dining room for consumption.  I know for a fact that they buy their alcohol pretty cheap so no big loss to them.  

[cltnccruisers]

We've always booked direct but recently tried a TA friend who had gotten back into the business.  Maybe he's just not very good but other than $100 OBC I see no benefit whatsoever. 

[drakes2]

31 minutes ago, Wine-O said:

A good TA can get you all of that plus $300 in OBC.  🍷

For $300 in obc you would have to pay more for the verandah cabin. The TA and agency still have to make money.

[Wine-O]

3 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

For $300 in obc you would have to pay more for the verandah cabin. The TA and agency still have to make money.

A good TA will give you 10% OBC after taxes & port charges.  Port charges show differently on the invoice whereas taxes are included in the price of the stateroom.  For example, for a $3,500 booking, taxes & port charges I would estimate at roughly $500, so I would get $300 OBC from my TA.  Depending on what I get from Celebrity as perks, i.e. grats/OBC, if I didn't spend the $300, I would get it refunded to my credit card.  

 

Whatever works for you.  Some people feel warm & fuzzy just sticking with booking direct with X and not transferring to a TA.  You have to do the math and weigh in the convenience.  🍷

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, drakes2 said:

I disagree. On my last 3 bookings with X I've been able to obtain the same perks offered by the agency I've dealt with in the past. In addition he's given me 2 nice bottles of wine which saves me weight and valuable luggage space. Been extremely happy with his services.

...

 

For $300 in obc you would have to pay more for the verandah cabin. The TA and agency still have to make money.

 

:-) You will get the same official perks with Celebrity or a TA. That´s true and not disputed. 

 

However, although you pay the same basic price with Celebrity or a TA, the TA receives a commission.
When you book directly with Celebrity, they make more money because they don´t have to pay the commission.
A good TA however gives you part of his commission to entice you to book with them. That can be as a discounted price, extra OBC etc. etc. WITHOUT you paying more for the stateroom.

So in a nutshell if you play it right, you will always get more from a TA than from the line directly.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Miaminice

[boscobeans]

First thing is that we have been cruising for 20 years and have booked with brick and mortar, internet, big box, Cruise line and through my own travel agency, (retired 15 years).

 

Now our cruises are booked with the same TA we have been using since I left the business. 

 

Her access to large blocks of staterooms at prices considerably lower than what is offered by the cruise lines always has something that fits our needs.

 

Always an email or phone call away she provides us with the room we want, the cruise we want and at a can't be beat price plus the ever present OBC and usually an added on board perk of some sort.

 

 

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

Really enjoy getting the gift cards in the mail from said big box. The 10% mentioned seems to be around the norm, some a little more, some less. It buys a lot of gasoline. 

 

I dont watch prices after final payment, so no worries there.  Still able to access cruise planner for anything I want to book/add to my cruise.  I see zero downsides.  

Edited September 20, 2019 by PTC DAWG

[boscobeans]

35 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

We've always booked direct but recently tried a TA friend who had gotten back into the business.  Maybe he's just not very good but other than $100 OBC I see no benefit whatsoever. 

Depending on the amount of business the cruise agent (or agency he/she works with) gives the cruise line the commission varies. Less commission means less that can be given back as an OBC.

 

Travel agents can be members of larger groups or consortiums and these book large blocks of staterooms long in advance and at considerably low prices and therefore can offer more in the way of reduced prices and perks than just a cut from their commission.

[cltnccruisers]

1 minute ago, boscobeans said:

Depending on the amount of business the cruise agent (or agency he/she works with) gives the cruise line the commission varies. Less commission means less that can be given back as an OBC.

 

Travel agents can be members of larger groups or consortiums and these book large blocks of staterooms long in advance and at considerably low prices and therefore can offer more in the way of reduced prices and perks than just a cut from their commission.

His own agency name but under a large outfit that you would recognize.  One problem I have is it seems everything he did had to have their approval.

[boscobeans]

2 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

His own agency name but under a large outfit that you would recognize.  One problem I have is it seems everything he did had to have their approval.

There are some agents and agencies and then there are others... Some good and others much better.

 

[drakes2]

27 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

 

🙂 You will get the same official perks with Celebrity or a TA. That´s true and not disputed. 

 

However, although you pay the same basic price with Celebrity or a TA, the TA receives a commission.
When you book directly with Celebrity, they make more money because they don´t have to pay the commission.
A good TA however gives you part of his commission to entice you to book with them. That can be as a discounted price, extra OBC etc. etc. WITHOUT you paying more for the stateroom.

So in a nutshell if you play it right, you will always get more from a TA than from the line directly.

In my case I ended up saving $50 by booking directly with Celebrity. Still got the obc which was $175. The online agency would not give the wine however.  I am Canadian and online TA charges in USD so I always factor in the FX rate.  With Celebrity I book in CDN currency. ObC is in US $. 

[Mauidiver]

We recently had to make this decision, but for us it wasn't necessarily all about the price of the cabin, but instead it was the add ons that really made the choice for us.  The cabin price for the big box store was actually more than booking directly with Celebrity but when you looked at the additional cost for the perks, that's where the money savings actually was.  I wrote down all of the things that we were going to add on (limited internet for 1 device, soda package for 1, and excursions) and what we would pay.  Then I wrote down the value of the add ons with the big box store (OBC, unlimited internet for 2 devices, premium drink package for 2, gift card for big box store, and 2% back) and by the time the costs were added up, we're basically getting the premium drink package for free, our OBC will pay for 90% of our excursions, and we have upgraded internet.  It was a no-brainer for us to choose to book with the big box store.