Travel Agents

[JoePDX]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

So, every TA covers O's "gratuities"? Whether in US, UK, etc.? No matter what cruise, cabin, etc.?

 

Why is it so painful for people making claims about the inherent value of TAs to SPECIFY the details? What all they're paying for, when, how, etc. I have NO doubt but that people who spend thousands annually and tens of thousands over time with a specific TA will get some "benefit". But they paid for it over time. TANSTAAFL.

 

Interesting.  I did post specifics for our last two cruises and you didn’t acknowledge.   We also do our own excursions and don’t purchase drink packages.
 

Joe

[Cliff-FLL]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

Why is it so painful for people making claims about the inherent value of TAs to SPECIFY the details? What all they're paying for, when, how, etc. I have NO doubt but that people who spend thousands annually and tens of thousands over time with a specific TA will get some "benefit". But they paid for it over time. TANSTAAFL.

Dang!!!

What makes you think anyone owes you all the specificity you're demanding?  The person came on line to make a general statement about the benefits s/he received when using a travel agent.  This is a forum, not a debating or scientific panel where one provides full proof, documentation, & back-up for every statement made.  The person is entitled to make a statement without you beating them up!

Aggressive and entitled, all rolled into one.

[emd138]

The prices that I listed were BOTH including the sale.  The price from the TA was significantly lower, which is what I was trying to thank many people that have pointed me that way for.  What promotions they applied, I have no idea, I just have the 2 invoices to compare.  We take 1 short cruise a year, always less than $5k, so we are not high rollers.  It included the O Life drink package, and I travel for work frequently, so we are using miles for that, it does not include airfare.  And it was for 2 people, me and my husband.  

[emd138]

5 hours ago, Cliff-FLL said:

Dang!!!

What makes you think anyone owes you all the specificity you're demanding?  The person came on line to make a general statement about the benefits s/he received when using a travel agent.  This is a forum, not a debating or scientific panel where one provides full proof, documentation, & back-up for every statement made.  The person is entitled to make a statement without you beating them up!

Aggressive and entitled, all rolled into one.

Thank you, Cliff-FLL!  I am happy to provide those details, but yikes!  I have always gotten some benefit, usually pre-paid gratuities, but this is by far the biggest that I have seen.  It looks like some others have seen great benefits, too!

[pinotlover]

People really need to stop belching over what they get from their TA. They just need to talk with the heir TA and work out what each side feels fair and be happy.

 

I’ve given the example that on our last Marina cruise as part of her generosity comped two couples is us the Dom P. dinner. We gave her a toast at that wonderful event. We were happy. Another couple there said they wanted their TA to comp nothing. They wanted the full amount on the 1.5% cash back card, plus the cash rebate at the end of the cruise. 
 

Different folks have different wants and there’s not much meeting in the middle. I was even queried if I knew how much our TA actually had to pay for that meal. They knew exactly what was paid and what their kickback was. Each to his own. Not much middle ground.

[MarkWiltonM]

On 9/4/2022 at 11:25 AM, MEFIowa said:

Which specific insurance carrier and policy details? How can one assess if this "trip insurance" is actually of much value from a reputable trip insurance provider with "good" coverages?

 

My TA also includes travel insurance or, alternatively on board credit. We usually take the travel insurance. To determine the value of it, ask your TA the name of the insurer and the name of the plan and then look up what it would cost you for the same insurance on a website like "Insure My Trip." Then you can see if you can buy the insurance on your own for less than an alternative benefit, such as OBC, if offered.

[piedpiper99]

On 9/4/2022 at 10:02 AM, MEFIowa said:

Just wish people who post these would give the SPECIFIC DETAILS, not vague generalities.

 

My recent cruise, I got an extra 200 OBC that was from my TA, and I got another $200 OBC that came from the  "company" that she works for.  This is on top of what ever Oceania is offering.  Each time it is different.   We prefer OBC - which might limit what we get.  We exclusively use her if she sells them even though she mostly specializes in Oceania.

 

I have a relationship with her.  I also get great service. She specializes in Oceania and is a top 50 oceania sales people (I have not fact checked that).  We are easy  customers and do not need much - we know what we want.  It is easy to book with her.  Usually a one sentence email and we get it put on hold while we think about. We say to do it, and it is all done.  We'd use her even if we got nothing extra. She has all our info and preferences.  It is less hassle than a web form.

[edgee]

On 9/5/2022 at 11:00 AM, MEFIowa said:

And that's what I'm getting at. The detailed specifics. I have NO doubt but that if you spend a fortune annually you'll get something. But I'm not that type of annual spender.

 

So (1) my wife and I mainly do one O cruise a year. We're (2) only interested in A4-G, nothing higher. We (3) look for the periodic O sales to see if a cruise we want qualifies. If it does, we upgrade the already booked cruise to the new cabin. And we (4) book our own airfare. Plus, we (5) book our own excursions. Then we (6) are NOT interested in any drinks package.

 

Given (1)-(6), what will a TA do for us, even the very "best" O TA?

Like some others in this thread, my TA rebates a percent of the price of the cruise to me. On average that amounts to about 10% of the price of the cruise. So, the way I look at it, I cannot see paying 10% more for my cruise for the "benefit" of NOT using my TA.

[sirtom]

37 minutes ago, edgee said:

Like some others in this thread, my TA rebates a percent of the price of the cruise to me. On average that amounts to about 10% of the price of the cruise. So, the way I look at it, I cannot see paying 10% more for my cruise for the "benefit" of NOT using my TA.

Wow! What commission does a TA get for a cruise sale?

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, sirtom said:

Wow! What commission does a TA get for a cruise sale?

Posters here insist upon using “ TA” for both the Agent and the Agency. They are vastly different. The last time a poster was bragging about such kickbacks they finally admitted the check was from the AGENCY not the Agent. Be careful of what you read in the internet.

[edgee]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Posters here insist upon using “ TA” for both the Agent and the Agency. They are vastly different. The last time a poster was bragging about such kickbacks they finally admitted the check was from the AGENCY not the Agent. Be careful of what you read in the internet.

I work with an agent who is an employee of an agency that gives rebates. The agent gives me great service as does the rest of the agency's staff. Of course the term TA can mean both agent and agency and they are different. Curious to know how the "vast difference" you refer to is so relevant to the subject of this thread which is pro/cons of booking direct with cruise line vs. dealing with a travel agent and/or the agency with which they are affiliated.

[pinotlover]

3 hours ago, edgee said:

I work with an agent who is an employee of an agency that gives rebates. The agent gives me great service as does the rest of the agency's staff. Of course the term TA can mean both agent and agency and they are different. Curious to know how the "vast difference" you refer to is so relevant to the subject of this thread which is pro/cons of booking direct with cruise line vs. dealing with a travel agent and/or the agency with which they are affiliated.

I always support using a Travel Agent and their Agency.

 

Here is my sole issue. Some people here, perhaps like sirtom in post #34, read TA and believe it is solely the Travel Agent. They then read that someone’s Agent gave a rebate of X, so then they expect that from their Agent. For the sake of honesty, posters should say, just as you did, the Agency for which my Agent works, gave me a rebate of X. 
 

There are definitely times where perks come from the Agent and not the Agency. But not when rebate checks are 8.8-10 %!!

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by pinotlover

[emd138]

pinotlover, interesting point.  I use them interchangeably because the travel agent is the only one I have contact with, but very true that it is the agency that would have the deals that I have gotten.

 

 

[ChadnKate]

I always do the pre-planning and organize for my TA what we want. We always book at least a year in advance so I can use our Points & Miles for reward flights. We take the discount from Oceania for using our own air. Then our TA's company gives us at least a 5% rebate for travel expenses. As we are now Oceania Club gold we get free gratuities, etc. The air discount and 5% rebate total many thousands of dollars, at least totaling a cruise or two. 

But the TA does more than simply get us rebates. Cabin placement, problem solving, etc are also sometimes priceless. The cruise lines never give you extra benefits for NOT using a TA.

[ToxM]

In the UK we aren’t so lucky with what can be offered to us. I get a small amount of OBC sometimes, and have wrangled tips twice. A small discount once. 

 

Ours has been useful for when I want a specific cabin reserved and put on hold when they are first released, but to be honest I am thinking of just dealing with O solely (and in fact am for a cruise in 2024 to compare). 

 

I think in the UK travel agents are for people who just want it sorted. For those who understand the system and want to make a bit more of a saving or make their plans more bespoke direct is the way to go. 

[Robjame]

9 hours ago, ChadnKate said:

We take the discount from Oceania for using our own air

Discount? Don’t you mean you don’t’ pay for the air?

[ChadnKate]

6 hours ago, Robjame said:

Discount? Don’t you mean you don’t’ pay for the air?

Yes. If you opt for OLife but not the air you get a credit. Amount depends on the cruise. For our Vista cruise next Spring we each got 750 off for not taking their economy air to Venice and back from Athens. In that we will get to Venice and stay in Athens for 3 days we also avoid the Air Deviation fees, I think totaling 700. We use miles and points to fly lie-flat to/from on all ocean-crossing flights. Kate’s bad back precludes anything less. Naturally I don’t object to the additional comfort. 

[shepherd really]

10 minutes ago, ChadnKate said:

Yes. If you opt for OLife but not the air you get a credit. Amount depends on the cruise. For our Vista cruise next Spring we each got 750 off for not taking their economy air to Venice and back from Athens. In that we will get to Venice and stay in Athens for 3 days we also avoid the Air Deviation fees, I think totaling 700. We use miles and points to fly lie-flat to/from on all ocean-crossing flights. Kate’s bad back precludes anything less. Naturally I don’t object to the additional comfort. 

NO NO NO.  If you don't want air, they don't charge you for air.  It is no more a credit than if you buy a car without leather seats, the dealer doesn't charge you because you are not getting them.  You don't get a credit for not buying something, you just don't pay for it.

[ChadnKate]

6 hours ago, shepherd really said:

NO NO NO.  If you don't want air, they don't charge you for air.  It is no more a credit than if you buy a car without leather seats, the dealer doesn't charge you because you are not getting them.  You don't get a credit for not buying something, you just don't pay for it.

I still want the OLife package, just not the Air. So what you say is true but on the Oceania pricing chart there isn't a 4th column for that. So I was describing the way that we book. We do get lower pricing without the air, true, but on the Oceania booking accounting it is listed as a credit. Same bottom line but I'm used to their accounting. Over our @ 15 cruises with them it is a considerable difference. Plus we get, to reprise the Oceania byline, Our Air Our Way.

[HilsTas]

19 hours ago, ToxM said:

In the UK we aren’t so lucky with what can be offered to us. I get a small amount of OBC sometimes, and have wrangled tips twice. A small discount once. 

 

Ours has been useful for when I want a specific cabin reserved and put on hold when they are first released, but to be honest I am thinking of just dealing with O solely (and in fact am for a cruise in 2024 to compare). 

 

I think in the UK travel agents are for people who just want it sorted. For those who understand the system and want to make a bit more of a saving or make their plans more bespoke direct is the way to go. 

 

ToxM, we are much the same in Australia with a lack of discounts and no rebates.

 

Three experiences over the past few years:

 

• $100 OBC offered once - didn't eventuate.
• With all the muddle at the start of Covid my TA was too busy to look for a refund so gave me permission to sort myself so at least I got the refund reasonably promptly
• and most recently used another TA who offered a discount and who completely mucked up a cancellation

 

So I have an Oceania Rep who acts as as an excellent agent and I ring/email her directly.  She will stay up till midnight Australian time when new cruises are released to get our preferred cabins.  She knows or gets the answers to any queries and advises us well.  For example we were talking about how/when to book our free platinum cruise which will come up in a couple of years - she gave lots of sage advice about the type of cruise to take.  And if I want she will graciously transfer the whole booking to a TA if I wish within that first 30 day period.

 

It gives me more control working directly with her, and there doesn't seem to be much benefit to us in using a TA  (I am sorry not to support our local businesses though)

[shepherd really]

9 hours ago, ChadnKate said:

I still want the OLife package, just not the Air. So what you say is true but on the Oceania pricing chart there isn't a 4th column for that. So I was describing the way that we book. We do get lower pricing without the air, true, but on the Oceania booking accounting it is listed as a credit. Same bottom line but I'm used to their accounting. Over our @ 15 cruises with them it is a considerable difference. Plus we get, to reprise the Oceania byline, Our Air Our Way.

here is how it goes,

Cruise fare

Cruise fare plus Olife

cruise fare plus Olife and Airfare

Cruise fare plus airfare

 

That's it.  You get what you choose to pay for, there are no "credits", you are simply not buying one of the additions to the cruise fare.  It doesn't matter how many times O calls things you pay for "free", because the word "free" actually has a meaning and not paying for something you don't get unless you pay for it is not the meaning of free.

[ORV]

On 9/9/2022 at 11:58 AM, ChadnKate said:

Yes. If you opt for OLife but not the air you get a credit. Amount depends on the cruise. For our Vista cruise next Spring we each got 750 off for not taking their economy air to Venice and back from Athens. In that we will get to Venice and stay in Athens for 3 days we also avoid the Air Deviation fees, I think totaling 700. We use miles and points to fly lie-flat to/from on all ocean-crossing flights. Kate’s bad back precludes anything less. Naturally I don’t object to the additional comfort. 

One point here, it’s 175 per person. I believe this covers the whole trip. So it’s 350. I could be wrong but I don’t think so. We get them included so it doesn’t Matter for us. 

[LHT28]

32 minutes ago, ORV said:

One point here, it’s 175 per person. I believe this covers the whole trip. So it’s 350. I could be wrong but I don’t think so. We get them included so it doesn’t Matter for us. 

Yes

As long as you select inbound & outbound  at the same time

Not change your mind later to stay longer etc..

[ChadnKate]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Yes

As long as you select inbound & outbound  at the same time

Not change your mind later to stay longer etc..

Would if we could but usually, because we are doing biz-class reward flights, we grab them within 24 hours of them be available online. So the flight over is gotten weeks before the flight back.

Although this works fine for us, our hats are off to the Oceania travel department. Can't imagine trying to coordinate so many passengers needs and adjusting to the airlines' flight schedule changes.

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, ChadnKate said:

Would if we could but usually, because we are doing biz-class reward flights, we grab them within 24 hours of them be available online. So the flight over is gotten weeks before the flight back.

 

If you are booking your own flights  then paying the deviation fee  is moot