Question About Payment Using Travel Agent

[PrincessPatti]

Hello, all!  First time cruising Princess, and first time using a travel agent.  It seems we can only go through the TA to make a payment, as well as see our balance.  Is this a Princess thing, or is it just specific to our TA?  Thanks in advance.

[Mike45LC]

When I book through a travel agent [TA], I pay through the TA and deal exclusively through the TA.  Regardless of the cruise line.  The TA is the interface between me and the cruise line.  

[Coral]

Not specific to your TA - this is how it is for all travel agents.

[PrincessPatti]

Excellent — thank you both!

[Coral]

Your travel agent should charge your credit card through Princess though. Your credit card statement should say "Princess" and not "travel agent company name".

[paul929207]

My charges always show as thru Princess

[Mike45LC]

In the old days, my checks were payable to the TA and the credit card charge was in the name of the TA.  But that was decades ago.  I now book directly through the cruise line, so I will defer to Coral and Paul on this.

[Ella2]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

Your travel agent should charge your credit card through Princess though. Your credit card statement should say "Princess" and not "travel agent company name".

YES.  And to the original poster,  your TA should be providing you with a guest copy of every Princess confirmation showing your payments and balance due, in addition to any agency confirmation they send.  Just ASK if  you have questions...that is what the TA is for!  😊

[dog]

Best with a TA now

 

i cannot understand how Princess comes up with the numbers in my paperwork from them.  Just sort it out to totalled owed/ paid.

 

particularly hard to understand the FCC balances and how payment is applied when I do it on Princess website.

 

u will be looking for a good TA.

[caribill]

When you are booked with a TA (and thus paying through them), the TA may require final payment a week or more earlier than the Princess FP requirement.

 

This is so any payment problem can be resolved before the Princess FP date as an unpaid cruise after that date may be cancelled by Princess.

[ontheweb]

12 hours ago, Coral said:

Your travel agent should charge your credit card through Princess though. Your credit card statement should say "Princess" and not "travel agent company name".

And that goes for all cruise lines, not just Princess. At least that is how it is in the USA. I have read some post where it is different in some other countries like the UK.

[skynight]

The TA should always provide your credit card number directly to Princess and your credit card should show the payment as Princess Cruises. You should never allow payment to the TA who then pays Princess. 

[PrincessPatti]

First off, thanks to everyone that replied.  I have an issue with out TA — my sister provided a gift card 3 weeks ago to the TA for payment.  TA called a week later because she forgot the amount of the gift card.  Sister provided it and asked for a receipt, which we still have not gotten.  I gave a gift card for payment last week, and still have not received confirmation that it was processed.  I checked Princess’ web site, and my sister’s GC balance is 0, but mine has not been used.  We don’t know if my sister’s payment was made toward our balance as we have not gotten anything from the TA.  She is very scatterbrained and it is very likely she posted it to someone else’s reservation.

 

to say we are beyond frustrated is an understatement.  Can I contact Princess to see what our balance is, or will they refer me to our TA?  It seems we can never reach the TA and always get “I am busy with clients as the office let go of quite a few agents during covid.”

 

no disrespect to any TA on here, but I do t like not having control of my reservation.  My biggest fear is that she will not make our payments and the cruise will be cancelled.  Final payment is in a month, so I am beginning to panic.

[Thrak]

48 minutes ago, PrincessPatti said:

We don’t know if my sister’s payment was made toward our balance as we have not gotten anything from the TA.  She is very scatterbrained and it is very likely she posted it to someone else’s reservation.

 

WHY would you use a TA that you describe as "very scatterbrained"?  This totally blows my mind. As for the "I am busy" message... My TA has responded to voice mail and email even though he was currently on the other side of the country and it was after 8:00 PM where he was. His voicemail is forwarded to his cell phone and he checks his email conscientiously. Again, WHY would someone want to use such a useless person as their TA?

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, PrincessPatti said:

First off, thanks to everyone that replied.  I have an issue with out TA — my sister provided a gift card 3 weeks ago to the TA for payment.  TA called a week later because she forgot the amount of the gift card.  Sister provided it and asked for a receipt, which we still have not gotten.  I gave a gift card for payment last week, and still have not received confirmation that it was processed.  I checked Princess’ web site, and my sister’s GC balance is 0, but mine has not been used.  We don’t know if my sister’s payment was made toward our balance as we have not gotten anything from the TA.  She is very scatterbrained and it is very likely she posted it to someone else’s reservation.

 

to say we are beyond frustrated is an understatement.  Can I contact Princess to see what our balance is, or will they refer me to our TA?  It seems we can never reach the TA and always get “I am busy with clients as the office let go of quite a few agents during covid.”

 

no disrespect to any TA on here, but I do t like not having control of my reservation.  My biggest fear is that she will not make our payments and the cruise will be cancelled.  Final payment is in a month, so I am beginning to panic.

Contact the Agency office and ask to speak to the owner/manager and explain your concerns and you would like a statement of your booking showing payments made and balance owing.  You won't get it from Princess.  If that doesn't work, then call Princess and lodge a complaint about non-responsive TA.  Someone in marketing that is "owns" that district or the agency will contact them I am sure.

 

I don't like not having full control of my travel arrangements either.  But I am willing to give up partial control of my Princess bookings in exchange for a competent TA that gives me the best cash discount available.  Hope you can get things resolved in decent time and are on the hunt for a new TA.

[PrincessPatti]

On 4/13/2022 at 8:05 PM, Thrak said:

 

WHY would you use a TA that you describe as "very scatterbrained"?  This totally blows my mind. As for the "I am busy" message... My TA has responded to voice mail and email even though he was currently on the other side of the country and it was after 8:00 PM where he was. His voicemail is forwarded to his cell phone and he checks his email conscientiously. Again, WHY would someone want to use such a useless person as their TA?

Well, I am sorry that I blew your mind.  Not that I owe an explanation, but seeing as how you took the time to put “why” in all caps, bolded, and underscored, I feel as if I should.  I have used this TA in the past and did not have any issues.  

[PrincessPatti]

20 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Contact the Agency office and ask to speak to the owner/manager and explain your concerns and you would like a statement of your booking showing payments made and balance owing.  You won't get it from Princess.  If that doesn't work, then call Princess and lodge a complaint about non-responsive TA.  Someone in marketing that is "owns" that district or the agency will contact them I am sure.

 

I don't like not having full control of my travel arrangements either.  But I am willing to give up partial control of my Princess bookings in exchange for a competent TA that gives me the best cash discount available.  Hope you can get things resolved in decent time and are on the hunt for a new TA.

 

20 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Contact the Agency office and ask to speak to the owner/manager and explain your concerns and you would like a statement of your booking showing payments made and balance owing.  You won't get it from Princess.  If that doesn't work, then call Princess and lodge a complaint about non-responsive TA.  Someone in marketing that is "owns" that district or the agency will contact them I am sure.

 

I don't like not having full control of my travel arrangements either.  But I am willing to give up partial control of my Princess bookings in exchange for a competent TA that gives me the best cash discount available.  Hope you can get things resolved in decent time and are on the hunt for a new TA.

Going to the agency office is our next step.  If that doesn’t work, I will reach out to Princess to see if we can sign the booking over from the agency to them.  
 

‘While I am not against using a TA in the future, it is things like this that will make me consider using one.

[Coolmama_1]

Gift cards are a pain for both the cruiser and the TA. I do know that they have to call Princess with the card info. Anyone who has tried to call recently knows how time consuming this is. I thought I could use it to book online excursions but that is not possible either. Also, hang on to the card until you actually cruise. If for some reason your cruise is cancelled,  the amount goes back on the gift card. 

I hope you are able to get this straightened out