Booking via Web Site or Travel Agent

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

You don't understand having control of the cruise? You don't understand being on hold for hours only to be told that the rep you are talking to cannot do what you need done and has to transfer you to someone else so you can be on hold for more hours unless of course the call drops or it gets beyond closing hours?

You may want to renew your search for the “RIGHT” TA.

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

Perhaps you are unclear on another concept.  I'm not just speaking to you and this website is not concerned with only your experiences.  

No soup for you!

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

what I mean by control of your booking is that you can no longer call the cruise line about a booking related issue. IF you have a TA that is responsive and represents you will, it’s not an issue. IF your TA ends up not being responsive or a clear communicator; you can end up with a whole lot of issues that you can’t sort out easily.

And herein lies the crux of the issue: The unwillingness of some folks to do the research to find the former responsive/efficacious TA and void the losers.

[dallasailor orig]

12 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

So, zero interest in commission sharing for a cruise booking? At 5-10% of the commissionable fare, that could mean a “chunk of change” in your pocket for all sorts of cruises with a hefty price tag.

I have found that booking with an agent, your agent must answer any questions you may have, including onboard.  Carnival will not answer even one question, and refer you back to your agent.

Since I am disabled, I prefer to book with Carnival, in this case.  With other cruise lines, I may use an Agent.  Again, may!

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

Once again, you assume that a one size fits all exists.  It doesn't.  And the fact that you may be booking cruises well into the five figures means nothing for the vast majority of cruisers, 80% of whom book 7 days or less on their cruises.

You need to reread other of my CC posts regarding this issue - where I often point out that TAs for short discount cruises may not be needed unless one wants assistance in unbiased opinions on A vs B.

 

A good TA will always interview a potentially new client regarding desires, preferences, expectations and the means to pay for it. 
When we restarted cruising more than a decade ago after a long hiatus due to work, we did the homework to ID top TAs. Each one interviewed us (and vice versa).

 

The chosen TA asked if we had any particular line in mind. We shared that we had done mass market lines in our “youth” but had heard from friends about HAL. Based on her interview of our travel experiences et al., she said “HAL is not for you.” She thrm recommended a relatively new line, Oceania and then demonstrated how the bottom line math on all that we would need or want in an intercontinental cruise could easily be less expensive on O than on HAL. 
 

Knowing that we had a few friends-acquaintances who liked HAL, I pressed her about why not HAL. Her answer: “I was a HAL onboard customer services manager for many years. HAL is not you. O is.” 

She was correct. Priceless!

[ontheweb]

31 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You may want to renew your search for the “RIGHT” TA.

The post I made was in answer to Hlitner's why book with the cruise line, not a TA. It referred to calling the cruise lines directly, not calling our TA.

 

Hank understood, and gave me a HA HA.

Edited February 21, 2022 by ontheweb
added second paragraph

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

First off, I don't need to read anything.  You need to better qualify your statements as you are making them.  We're not here to document your biography and we don't really care what you said in various other threads or even posts in the same thread.  Your opinion, my opinion or anyone else's is not at all noteworthy on an individual level.  

 

When people talk about using TAs on this site (which happens all the time in so many different forums), almost never does anyone qualify that it is for longer or expensive cruises.  They just say it as a blanket statement.  Now it may well apply to various shorter less expensive cruises as well, but the cost/benefit there is certainly more murky.   

Your second paragraph makes sense. Your first paragraph is unnecessary snakiness that only shows you need an attitude adjustment.

I guess we’re back to “no soup for you - now for one month.” 

[Ashland]

One size does not fit all...Each of us has the right to decide if that fit is gonna work. 

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, gerryuk said:

Book direct until all this uncertainty is over. 

I am going to assume you are from the UK (based on your posting name).  The situation here in the USA (and also Canada) is somewhat different then in the UK.  The "Uncertainty" really has nothing to do with using an agency vs booking direct.  In fact, dealing direct with cruise lines can now mean being on hold for hours just to get to a human whereas cruise/travel agencies cannot afford to have that kind of problem if they want to remain in business.  In the USA we also have a lot of financial protection by simply booking with a major credit card (no advantage to dealing direct or through an agency) which is assured by a Federal Law.  To make matters even worse, most of the cruise lines laid-off (made redundant) many of their employees including those in customer service/reservations.  

 

In North America we also enjoy substantial financial savings by simply shopping around among reputable cruise/travel agents.  I have been told (not sure this is entirely true) that folks in the UK and other places of Europe do not have the same situation.   In fact, we have some UK friends who often book their cruises through North American cruise agencies because they claim to get better deals.  

 

Hank

[gerryuk]

Hank..

 

I cruise a lot with Costa, i book directly with them. I don't need to phone them, they phone me when i need to speak with them. They have that option on their web site, you just click the time you want them to phone you, and click send. I have used that option many times and they have always called back at the time i have requested. Are Costa the only cruise line that has this facility?  

[Warm Breezes]

On 2/20/2022 at 6:16 PM, brat7432 said:

I should clarify...we know we are going on a Carnival cruise to Alaska.

For us it depends on if I am getting a great rate through Carnival's Casino at Sea or not.  If I am then I book through Carnival online.  If not then I book through my TA since he can usually give me around a 10% OBC.  If I am getting a great Casino rate then his cut is usually too low for him to give me OBC so I just book it myself.

 

Also with Carnival I always use Carnival gift cards to pay for my cruise.  I can usually pick them up at a discount at different times of the year at our local Meijer store or purchase them online at AARP for a discount.  Usually saves me an additional 10%.

Edited March 4, 2022 by Warm Breezes

[Warm Breezes]

On 2/21/2022 at 12:10 PM, ontheweb said:

You don't understand having control of the cruise? You don't understand being on hold for hours only to be told that the rep you are talking to cannot do what you need done and has to transfer you to someone else so you can be on hold for more hours unless of course the call drops or it gets beyond closing hours?

I personally use a small family run TA (I've only ever talked to the owner and his wife) in a different state.  I found them online 14 years ago using a site that gave me competing bids from different TA's for a specific cruise.  I have used them ever since for all our cruises other than our Casino at Sea cruises.  I've learned from experience that they can't give me a better deal on the Casino cruises so I just save the time of relating all that I want to him and just book it myself online.  On the cruises I do use him for he can normally get me around a 10% OBC. 

 

I must say that he was a huge help to us when Covid hit and we had to rebook our Carnival Mardi Gras cruise (which was not a Casino rate) and Carnival gave him some trouble getting our $600 OBC for switching our cruise that was cancelled due to Covid.  He was on the phone with them a few hours getting it all straightened out.  It was nice having him take care of the issue rather than having to deal with it ourselves.  Plus he and his wife have always been very responsive in returning all of calls, handling all our issues, getting us a lower rate when I find one for our cruise and dealing with us at all hours.  Even when we had to cancel a cruise the night before sailing due to a death in the family.  It was nice having someone else help deal with that.  I guess it all depends on the TA that you find.

[Warm Breezes]

On 2/21/2022 at 2:31 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Perhaps you are unclear on the concept: All I initially need from a TA is commission sharing.

 

In fact, whether while onboard or at home, I initially book with my preferred rep(s) on my preferred cruise line. BUT, I then transfer the cruise to my preferred TA (within the allowed time window - 30 days). I do this primarily to get “commission sharing.” For example, our upcoming cruise will generate a $2k+ rebate check from the TA. Total effort on my part = 10 minutes of exchanging emails.
AND, should any Covid related complication affect that cruise (e.g., FCC/transfer options/exceptions etc.), the RIGHT TA can handle it far more quickly than can the passenger.

So, in this example: book direct = published cruise line perks while book direct and transfer to TA = published cruise line perks + $2K+ USD rebate cash in my pocket. The choice is a no-brainer!!!

Totally agree.  When I call my TA I already know exactly what I want down to the room number of the cabin I want and what it would cost me to book what I want online.  He just handles dealing with the cruise line getting the cruise booked, getting me reduced fares if the price drops, and dealing with any other issues that may come up.  I get 10% OBC for letting him deal with those issues.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Warm Breezes said:

Totally agree.  When I call my TA I already know exactly what I want down to the room number of the cabin I want and what it would cost me to book what I want online.  He just handles dealing with the cruise line getting the cruise booked, getting me reduced fares if the price drops, and dealing with any other issues that may come up.  I get 10% OBC for letting him deal with those issues.

Yes! Not exactly rocket science to figure this out.

What really cracks me up is the folks who won’t do the research to find a good TA. Instead of admitting that they are unwilling to do the research required to find a great TA, many offer the lame excuse that they “want to maintain control of their booking.” 

Of course, some of those folks seem to forget that they are less than a rounding error in the daily bottom line of the cruise company they’re using. On the other hand, a great TA (who specializes in your preferred line[s]) may book $ millions with them in every month. So, while a cruise-line direct booking passenger is stuck “on hold” waiting for the cruise line’s “Personal Cruise Planner” (lol), that savvy TA has the line’s regional sales rep as a speed dial on theyr cell phone. Who do you think will solve your problem faster? 

[gerryuk]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Yes! Not exactly rocket science to figure this out.

What really cracks me up is the folks who won’t do the research to find a good TA. Instead of admitting that they are unwilling to do the research required to find a great TA, many offer the lame excuse that they “want to maintain control of their booking.” 

Of course, some of those folks seem to forget that they are less than a rounding error in the daily bottom line of the cruise company they’re using. On the other hand, a great TA (who specializes in your preferred line[s]) may book $ millions with them in every month. So, while a cruise-line direct booking passenger is stuck “on hold” waiting for the cruise line’s “Personal Cruise Planner” (lol), that savvy TA has the line’s regional sales rep as a speed dial on theyr cell phone. Who do you think will solve your problem faster? 

I think the tone of this answer is quite insulting to those, including myself who just don't want to use a TA but book direct with the cruise line. 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, gerryuk said:

I think the tone of this answer is quite insulting to those, including myself who just don't want to use a TA but book direct with the cruise line. 

 

Refuting a proven misconception (“control” of a booking) is hardly insulting.  Why throw commission sharing $€£ out the window?

[gerryuk]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Refuting a proven misconception (“control” of a booking) is hardly insulting.  Why throw commission sharing $€£ out the window?

You seem to be of the opinion that everybody has a top notch TA at the end of their street. Just to point out i live on the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria. If i want to book a cruise with Princess on their website,  i have to go through a TA, and the nearest one that Princess directs me to, is in Madrid, on the mainland. Why would i deal with a TA who is 1080 miles away? I have never met this person and would never hand over money to this person, hence i never book with Princess. 

You have to remember that many of those who cruise don't live in the US, many do not have access to good TAs, as it is not as prevalent as the US. Those living outside the US cannot use TAs based in the US as you need a American address. 

Also remember that cruise lines like Costa have a function on their site for them to call you at the time you want, no waiting around.

People are not, as you put it, using Lame excuses for not using TAs, many just don't have the option and those who have the option but don't use them have every right not to, its their money.  

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, gerryuk said:

....Why would i deal with a TA who is 1080 miles away? I have never met this person and would never hand over money to this person.....

Also remember that cruise lines like Costa have a function on their site for them to call you at the time you want, no waiting around.

People are not, as you put it, using Lame excuses for not using TAs, many just don't have the option and those who have the option but don't use them have every right not to, its their money.  

 

With the exception that I agree that people have every right to legally spend their money however they want to, all else you’ve stated in your most recent response makes little sense (at least to me).

As regards the exchange of money: Most folks I know (including myself) use remote TAs (relying primarily [if not totally] on phone and internet communications). State and federal consumer protection laws and credit card company policies protect our (and your) travel transactions. (I would find it hard to believe that Spain doesn’t have the same). I do admit, however, that the non-US practice of a TA in some other countries directly charging your credit card for a cruise rather than it being relayed to the cruise line for their action is bizarre and unacceptable in most situations (except for certain packaged vacations).

As regards prearranging to be called by a cruise line, that’s useless in an emergency when, for example, their ground transport doesn’t show at the airport or you run into a snafu with guest relations on a ship. Having 24/7 access to your TA or their customer service assistant (by phone, email, text) when there’s an issue is just as important as that extra rebate money back in your pocket. Never forget that we passengers are “rounding errors” while the right TA has clout when you need it.

 

As regards “lame excuses,” the reality is that there are many many (did I say many?) consumers of travel and other products/services who, for all sorts of reasons, choose to pay retail (MSRP, “rack rate” etc) prices when they don’t have to. And, yes, (beyond an understandable lack of awareness) it’s often because they don’t want to do the research though they’ll offer some other reason. They’re not bad people for not pursuing a deal. But, it might be nice to hear the real reasons rather than the misunderstood  “control my booking” excuse. 

 

And a final comment on spending one’s money:

Perhaps we sometimes forget that many of the folks who peruse Cruise Critic may be new to cruising (or even to international travel in general). And amidst the sea of typical internet misinformation, there are islands of truth and much good stuff to be learned, particularly when it comes to the finances involved (e.g., it’s better to compare bottom line cruise costs than cabin fares, understand/use price matching strategies, identify/use TAs that problem solve and share commissions). BTW, can you imagine how many newbies reading this thread didn’t realize that some TAs, via commission sharing, will give you far more in value than a bottle of cheap wine or an Amazon card for your business?

 

So, yes, people should spend their money however they want to. But, I will continue to do my best to help folks (who want it) to become knowledgeable consumers of travel. And if my advice doesn’t work for you or is delivered in a style that doesn’t match yours, don’t take it.

[Woody14]

On 2/21/2022 at 11:58 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

And herein lies the crux of the issue: The unwillingness of some folks to do the research to find the former responsive/efficacious TA and void the losers.

Not to pour more gas on what seems to be a good bonfire going here but wouldn't you consider asking questions on a forum such as this part of doing some research?   I know I would.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Woody14 said:

Not to pour more gas on what seems to be a good bonfire going here but wouldn't you consider asking questions on a forum such as this part of doing some research?   I know I would.

Except for the fact that the major question someone looking for an excellent TA, would you please recommend one to me, is not allowed in these forums to be answered.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Woody14 said:

Not to pour more gas on what seems to be a good bonfire going here but wouldn't you consider asking questions on a forum such as this part of doing some research?   I know I would.

Yes - definitely part of the research except that you do have to wade through all sorts of misinformation; and discussions of specific travel agents are not allowed. The pros and cons of a TA have been discussed many times on CC and, IMO, it all boils down to whether one is talking about an excellent TA or a real loser. And it certainly is understandable that some folks who made what turned out to be a bad TA choice will weigh in heavily on the “cons.”

 

FWIW: A search of CC will produce more than several detailed explanations of how to find an excellent TA. I’ve posted several such notes - 

[cruiseaholic777]

The TA will always get you a better price.

[slidergirl]

On 2/21/2022 at 12:45 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

So, zero interest in commission sharing for a cruise booking? At 5-10% of the commissionable fare, that could mean a “chunk of change” in your pocket for all sorts of cruises with a hefty price tag.

I'm not a "hefty price tag" kind of cruiser.  So, I'm happy doing my own bookings.  Plus, I'm kind of a control freak about my travels.   If I ever win the lottery or marry a wealthy man just for his money, I'll be asking you for recommendations to those TAs who share comissons. 😉

Edited March 6, 2022 by slidergirl

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, slidergirl said:

I'm not a "hefty price tag" kind of cruiser.  So, I'm happy doing my own bookings.   If I ever win the lottery or marry a wealthy man just for his money, I'll be asking you for recommendations to those TAs who share comissons. 😉

What may seem like a “hefty” price tag may still be quite the bargain when you compare bottom-line costs for everything required and optionally chosen for a cruise-centric vacation. Of course, that will depend in a significant way on how inclusive is every part of the trip.

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, cruiseaholic777 said:

The TA will always get you a better price.

"Always" Not if there's a price change and you can't get a hold of them