Travel Agent's Posting on CC

[Kiwifruit]

For those of you who have been following the thread "What one thing do you wish Oceania would change?", you will be familiar the debate going on regarding potential bias in the posting of Travel Agents on CC forums. As this discussion does not really fit in that thread I thought it should have a thread of its own and I throw in the following thoughts for comment.

 

 

My issue is a general one relating to the postings of TA's on CC and the inherent self-promotion and bias that goes with them:

 

FACT 1: Travel Agents get paid by the cruise lines on a commission basis, the more cruises they sell the more that get paid.

FACT 2: The more advertising and self promotion done by a TA the more sales a TA makes particularly if this is targetted effectively.

FACT 3 : CC is widely read by a lot of dedicated cruise aficionados and regular cruise travellers and is a very effective means of reaching this market through advertising and self-promotion.

FACT 4 : Some TAs favour certain cruise lines over others or deal exclusively with particular cruise lines as a result of greater commisions and incentive/loyalty payments they may receive from one cruise line over another.

FACT 5 : Some TAs although not formally advertising on CC, make regular postings on CC and publicise the fact that they are travel agents specializing in cruises. Some even go so far as to incorporate their trading name in their sign off for each posting.

 

HYPOTHESIS : While TAs can be a useful repository of information relating to cruise lines, flights, ports etc, TAs using CC to publicise their business are commercially motivated and inevitably show a bias towards those cruise lines with which they have an exclusive arrangement or which pay them higher comissions and this is reflected in their postings.

 

OBSERVATION : Many people on CC have picked up and commented on the bias running through the postings of some TAs on CC, such bias being exemplified by having a constant "rose-tinted" view and inability to recognise the failings of one cruise line while at the same time denigrating or spreading misinformation about others.

 

CONCLUSION : The advise of regular cruisers, having an extensive knowledge of the cruise industry, particularly those who have cruised on a number of cruise lines should carry more weight than TAs who post on here who may be motivated by a commercial agenda.

 

As some TAs postings are not as transparent in their bias as others, I would suggest that TAs posting on CC who publicise the fact that they are travel agents (TAs who post but don't publicise the fact they are a TA don't derive any publicity or commercial gain) should be some how designated as "commercial posters" so that readers are at least informed of the potential bias and can view the posts accordingly.

[PurpleCow]

I haven't got any problem with professional travel agents posting on CC as long as they identify themselves as travel agents. It's the travel agents with "hidden" agendas that bother me.

[nparmelee]

I thought the rule was that they were supposed to indicate they were TA's in their signature. Most of the ones on these boards usually help a lot of us out with the information they provide. Kind of sounds like you're mad at someone. I agree with PurpleCow, it's the ones' with hidden agendas that are to be avoided.

[Kiwifruit]

Hi nparmelee, no i'm certainly not angry at anyone, life's far too short for that ;-). I just find the lack of impartiality of some posters a little frusrating at times. I certainly have no issue with TAs posting on CC as they can be great resource for factual information, travel is their job after all. I just wish some TAs were more objective in their comments rather than pushing the virtues of the particular produts that they deal in and deriding those who disagree.

[Jane110]

Kiwifruit,

 

I agree with the others that I definitely want a TA to identify themselves whether it's a CC rule or not.

 

Yes, you're right, some TA's are biased, but then some people on this board are as well. They go on a cruise (any cruiseline) don't like the way something was handled and then take every opportunity available to anyone who'll listen, what a terrible cruiseline they were on.

 

Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and the CC board isn't perfect. But given the choice, I'd rather keep TA's here - they do contribute valuable information - rather than have them post without disclosure.

[brian_uk]

As I said on the other thread........Get a life.......

 

Seems to me you - kiwifruit - have some agenda if all you can worry about is Travel agents, whether transparent or not, giving advice on this Board.

 

Brian

[drwong]

I'm with PurpleCow and the CruiseCritic managers. I think travel agents should fully disclose their identities. A well-informed CC member can then place the agent's comments in their proper context, and decide for himself whether the comments should be taken at face value or with a grain of salt. If the CC member has any doubts, he can always check the previous postings of that agent.

 

And nothing forces a CC member to do business with that travel agent (or with any other, for that matter!). He can book tickets on Expedia, Travelocity, or some other on-line service that removes the need for personal contact once he's gathered sufficient information on these boards.

 

I see a similar phenomenon in my capacity as a travel advisor on TripAdvisor all the time - people will post a question on the boards that has been answered numerous times before, when all they needed to do is to scroll through the previous postings for the answer they seek! Instead, they toss their question out and expect us local experts to provide a thorough and honest answer. In my view, if somebody's too lazy to have done their homework, they deserve what they're going to get!!!

[CathyCanada]

I do not post a great deal on CC but when I have and the situation called for it, I have identified myself as a travel agent (as has my business partner). We can't speak for others, but we feel we have a responsibility to be honest about our cruise experiences. No TA wants to send a client on a "bad" cruise. :confused: I guess I just haven't read the threads that you are referring to, but I think a TA with any sense of ethics would not be dishonest about their experiences or promote a product that THEY want even if there are "flaws". As others have said, there is no obligation to book with anyone who posts or advertises here when there are so many other options on the web.

 

Sorry, I just take offense to lumping all TAs in one basket. No agenda here.

[PurpleCow]

CathyCanada, I was reading over some of your recent postings and didn't find any mention that you're a travel agent on any that I read, including this one which seems like a post where the "situation called for it." Just saying . . .

[CathyCanada]

That is because I haven't posted recently, purple cow. I read more than I post and have been on the DCL, Norwegian and Princess boards more than here.

 

If you search further back, you will see that I responded to a thread regarding agents cutting their commissions and identified myself as a TA. THAT was a situation that I felt called for it. I am not here to advertise. Simply to find info and where I can, share info.

[Jane110]

Cathy,

 

I believe it's a CC rule that you identify yourself as a TA with that information under your name or online handle as opposed to being mentioned somewhere in your message.

 

I had no idea you were a TA.

[CathyCanada]

I wasn't aware of that, Jane. I knew there was no advertising, I wasn't trying to hide anything. Thanks for the info, I will adjust my signature accordingly. :)

[Jane110]

I wasn't aware of that, Jane. I knew there was no advertising, I wasn't trying to hide anything. Thanks for the info, I will adjust my signature accordingly. :)

 

I said that "I believe it's CC's policy", so don't take my word for it. Check with the board moderators.

 

Personally, I really appreciate knowing who the TA's are. Yes, of course, we all know you're in the biz to sell cruises, but you take more cruises than most of us, so the information you all share is very valuable.

[CathyCanada]

I did check the Board Guidelines and while it is not necessary, I have added it anyway.

 

I think all of the information that folks share here is invaluable. Some of my best cruises have been in part to the contributions made to this site!

[digby]

If I knew a regular poster was a TA and I did not want to read those posts, I would simply go the set up page and block all that person's posts. That way the rest of us could still enjoy and learn from them, and the offended person would be free NOT to have to see them. Seems rather simple.