Any reason not to transfer booking to a TA?

[a1betpr]

First time Celebrity/veteran NCL and Princess cruiser here...I booked a cruise for Oct 2023 on the Equinox via the Celebrity website, as no one could match the price I got using the ALLABOARD100 promo code last week.  I am considering moving the booking to a large well-known TA for its platinum card benefits (hint hint!) that include an additional $300 OBC.  Is there any reason I should not do this?  Will this potentially mess something up, or would I be foolish not to transfer the reservation?  The Celebrity website currently shows that I have $1,300 in OBC for this cruise, which I am pretty sure is $600 too high, but I'd hate to lose that by transferring the booking.  Any insight appreciated!

[Lastdance]

5 hours ago, a1betpr said:

First time Celebrity/veteran NCL and Princess cruiser here...I booked a cruise for Oct 2023 on the Equinox via the Celebrity website, as no one could match the price I got using the ALLABOARD100 promo code last week.  I am considering moving the booking to a large well-known TA for its platinum card benefits (hint hint!) that include an additional $300 OBC.  Is there any reason I should not do this?  Will this potentially mess something up, or would I be foolish not to transfer the reservation?  The Celebrity website currently shows that I have $1,300 in OBC for this cruise, which I am pretty sure is $600 too high, but I'd hate to lose that by transferring the booking.  Any insight appreciated!

I always transffer to my TA for more OBC, but I have been with her for years.  No one knows what Celebrity might do, whether you stay with Celebrity or send it to a TA within 30 days.  Hope you have a good TA, one that provides great service to you, not just well known!

Edited August 24, 2022 by Lastdance

[Purplsmurf]

I need a TA that gives OBC. I was told I would get some and then nothing. I booked something last week and was told I couldn’t use the ALLABOARD100. Seems odd to me since others have used it without issue

[travlr21]

Something to consider, there are TAs that require final payment before the cruise line requires it, some up to one month before.

[cheeseheads4ever]

All I can say is make sure you get a good TA. Of course no one can say on this site to help you. Which is irritating.

Yes all the extra OBC sounds appealing but we did book our last and only cruise through a well known Florida TA and it was a complete disaster. We did more work that she did and then she stiffed us on the extra $100 OBC she promised. We are not high maintenance and never changed a thing on the original booking. She couldn’t get a simple booking correct and we were perfectly clear about everything.

Again would love to leave her name and company on here to help others but we are not allowed to.

Celebrity will be reluctant to talk to you after transferring your booking to a TA.

There are some good TA’s out there hard to find without a recommendation from someone who has one.

 

[canderson]

3 minutes ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

All I can say is make sure you get a good TA. Of course no one can say on this site to help you. Which is irritating.

 

Indeed.  The 'platinum' TA that the OP mentions in the first post was the subject of a long thread here which has since been made to disappear (too much direct information), but certainly didn't give very good service to one of our own here at CC.

 

There really are some good TAs out there.  We're happy to have had the same agency for a couple of decades now.  If we were, for some reason, to book direct with Celebrity, we'd move the reservation in a heartbeat, and not just for the OBC.

Edited August 24, 2022 by canderson

[asnaleah]

My terrific TA just got the “platinum” $300 OBC added to our December cruise. She is not with one of the credit card or big box agencies, but has been great for us and finds whatever promotions she can. I wish I could tell you who she is!

[cheeseheads4ever]

Is it against rules to direct email?

[Denny01]

Ive posted this on another thread: Id recommend a local professional TA who has a brick and motar building which infers they have background and are professionals. OBC is good, but not the main or even secondary reason I go with one. I go because they can help well beyond just that booking.

 

I almost always know my specific cruise, but the TA can assist in hotels, airlines, and especially when issues come up. And they make sure I fully understand what the booking includes And doesnt include. 

 

Examples:

 - coming back from an Ireland tour and the NYC airport was about to be socked in with snow. I had no idea since airborne over the Atlantic. When I got in, the TA had booked me on an earlier flight that got out before it hit.

 

- Just recently, I canceled a Celebrity cruise I’d booked onboard earlier. She got them Not to charge me the normal $100 for cancelation, And got them to move the OBC you get booking onboard over to the new cruise. 

 

I would make sure the TA doesnt charge you if you cancel; some do.

 

den

[cheeseheads4ever]

Happy you have a good reliable TA. But my complaint is no one knows but you and CC doesn’t want you to share. 
Id love extra OBC but with the misery we went through with our one and only time booking through one it was not worth the effort. That’s why I was wondering if it’s ok to direct email then you could share with others?

Just curious!

 

[cameoland]

2 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

I need a TA that gives OBC. I was told I would get some and then nothing. I booked something last week and was told I couldn’t use the ALLABOARD100. Seems odd to me since others have used it without issue

Did you try to book an All Included rate with the ALLABOARD100? I found that was the difference in getting it to work (found that info buried in the terms and conditions.)

[canderson]

1 hour ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Is it against rules to direct email?

Nope.

||||||||

VVV

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Is it against rules to direct email?

 

Yes I got spanked for suggesting by powers at be on CC for hinting that someone could email me for help in finding one.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/guidelines/#guides_agentrecommendations

 

"This means you should not ask about someone's travel agent, nor should you respond in kind. Offering to email someone your travel agent's name or info is also not allowed, nor is asking members to email you for the information."

[cheeseheads4ever]

Looks like my spanking is coming!

[FlorenceItaly]

19 hours ago, a1betpr said:

First time Celebrity/veteran NCL and Princess cruiser here...I booked a cruise for Oct 2023 on the Equinox via the Celebrity website, as no one could match the price I got using the ALLABOARD100 promo code last week.  I am considering moving the booking to a large well-known TA for its platinum card benefits (hint hint!) that include an additional $300 OBC.  Is there any reason I should not do this?  Will this potentially mess something up, or would I be foolish not to transfer the reservation?  The Celebrity website currently shows that I have $1,300 in OBC for this cruise, which I am pretty sure is $600 too high, but I'd hate to lose that by transferring the booking.  Any insight appreciated!

Based on what you have shared.   LEAVE IT ALONE.  You are getting a great deal.   Keep it with Celebrity.  For the future with a "typical" reservation, move it.  If it were me, I would leave it alone.

[a1betpr]

28 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Based on what you have shared.   LEAVE IT ALONE.  You are getting a great deal.   Keep it with Celebrity.  For the future with a "typical" reservation, move it.  If it were me, I would leave it alone.

Yeah, I think this is my feeling as well after reading all the comments - I don't want to rock the boat when I'm already happy with what I've got.  And TBH an extra $300 OBC might just end up being a challenge to spend on top of all the other OBC, particularly if the Apple store is as poorly stocked as it sounds (my wife would probably disagree having seen the handbag selection in YouTube videos...).  Thanks for opining!

Edited August 25, 2022 by a1betpr

[Denny01]

1 hour ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

Looks like my spanking is coming!

That’s why I didn’t respond. Sorry. 
 

den

[ScottC4746]

20 hours ago, a1betpr said:

First time Celebrity/veteran NCL and Princess cruiser here...I booked a cruise for Oct 2023 on the Equinox via the Celebrity website, as no one could match the price I got using the ALLABOARD100 promo code last week.  I am considering moving the booking to a large well-known TA for its platinum card benefits (hint hint!) that include an additional $300 OBC.  Is there any reason I should not do this?  Will this potentially mess something up, or would I be foolish not to transfer the reservation?  The Celebrity website currently shows that I have $1,300 in OBC for this cruise, which I am pretty sure is $600 too high, but I'd hate to lose that by transferring the booking.  Any insight appreciated!

I booked my cruise with X directly and wish I hadn't.  Any questions or problems I had they are impossible sometimes to get hold of and when you do it is outsourced overseas.  You have up to 30 days to transfer to a TA, but look at your OBC and ask the TA if they can keep that amount or increase it.  If your OBC drops, think about how much that OBC is worth.  I transfered from another cruise line to a TA and lost $50 in OBC.  That was worth the change for me.

[jelayne]

We found a TA by asking others we met when we were on a cruise.  

[cheeseheads4ever]

Yes Jelayne,

Thats  the way to do it. On our next one we will ask around on TA’s It’s a shame that on a site like this devoted to cruising and sharing info with people that have the same interest you can’t share that type of info. Not sure what the negative would be. Better than just taking a wild guess on who’s a good TA.

Makes no sense to me but has to be a reason.

BTW some people on this site have links to their personal email that you can email.

We’ve booked all our cruises except the last one directly through Celebrity. Never an issue but like people say maybe they have outsourced their customer service.

[Denny01]

I’d assume CC restricts sharing TA’s is because CC offers a method of booking cruises, providing other websites when you pick an itinerary, so allowing us to share TA suggestions would go against their business model. 

 

They dont allow competitors to be ‘advertised’. What most any business does.

 

Den

[cheeseheads4ever]

Ok that makes sense. So for people that say they stay at certain motels prior to their cruise and share on CC seemed like a double standard to me.

oh well… thanks for the info Den.

 

[cruisin lady ca]

Something that you might consider when choosing a TA….Some TA’s do not participate in Celebrity’s Move Up Program. If that is something you want to have the ability to do, make sure you know whether or not they participate in it. 

[canderson]

Combination of 2 things.  When CC decided to go into the cruise business, it became a conflict of interest issue fir them.  Prior to that time, they (probably wisely) wanted to avoid non-stop self-promotion and shilling for the many agencies vying for our business.

[a1betpr]

59 minutes ago, cruisin lady ca said:

Something that you might consider when choosing a TA….Some TA’s do not participate in Celebrity’s Move Up Program. If that is something you want to have the ability to do, make sure you know whether or not they participate in it. 

That's a good point, and I also think whether you are with a TA or not might somehow play into the upgrade algorithm.  But in any case we're booked into a Royal Suite so there's very little Moving Up we can really do.  😀