Have you ever transferred ........

[Softball20]

I know we can't talk about specific TAs, but I'm wondering if it's worth it to transfer my booking to one, more specifically one of the bigger, on-line ones.  We haven't used  a TA in years - we typically book directly with Celebrity, but I keep reading about perks people are getting so I thought it might be a good idea.  Any downside?  

[DaKahuna]

 From what I understand a number of the big box, on-lines do not participate in the Move Up program so if that is something you think you may want to do you might want to check and see if the on-line TA your are considering participates or not.   Also, I have read concerns expressed by others about the ability to contact their big box, on-line TAs outside of normal hours and with the responsiveness in dealing with issues that come up.  Something else to take into consideration.  

 

[LeeW]

Usually have a limited time after booking to transfer but not sure what the number is.

[Arizona Wildcat]

Within 30 days ok to transfer.  I caution doing it without talking to the person who will be your TA.  How accessible are they.  Went through several to find a great one who is not with a big box company.

[Jim_Iain]

I transfer all of my bookings to my TA within 30 days of booking.  I do not use the Big Box company and am able to upgrade using the MoveUp program.

 

I think the only possible downside is  like an airline and TA you have to use your TA to make changes to your reservation.   Actually I find it much easier to just e-mail my agent and have him take care of things instead of sitting on hold for hours.

 

Upside are the perks a travel partner may offer for your booking.

[Cruise Gopher]

I wouldn’t suggest a big box one. If you need assistance with bookings you’ll be dealing with a different call center rep every time you call and may face long hold times etc. it’s just not worth the hassle.
 

Find yourself a dedicated TA who you can email, call, text whenever you need something. 

[redjetz]

9 minutes ago, Cruise Gopher said:

I wouldn’t suggest a big box one. If you need assistance with bookings you’ll be dealing with a different call center rep every time you call and may face long hold times etc. it’s just not worth the hassle.
 

Find yourself a dedicated TA who you can email, call, text whenever you need something. 

Everyone’s experience may vary, but we’ve used both a big box travel agent and a private, well-known agency, and been very satisfied with both, even when issues arise. We have tended toward the big-box agency in recent years because they give us an 8% rebate on the total book8 g (including airfare, etc.) in the form of a gift card for their retail outlets. The private agency does not consistently provide the rebate.

[Tee & Chilli]

I’ve used the same big box company for many years. They are open 7 days a week and until 10 pm weekdays. Yes I get a different agent each time I call, however they are knowledgeable. Upon the completion of the cruise I receive a gift card for future purchases or I can use it on my next cruise. Sometimes the perks are obc and specialty dining in addition to the gift card.

 

Everyone has different experiences. Best regards 

[Softball20]

Thanks for the input.  I don't anticipate move-up being an issue on this cruise, and Celebrity gives you 60 days to transfer the booking.  .  I do like some of the OBC they are offering.   I wouldn't even know where to find a good TA around here as it's been so long since we've used one.   Hmmmmmm

[Silkroad]

10 minutes ago, Softball20 said:

Thanks for the input.  I don't anticipate move-up being an issue on this cruise, and Celebrity gives you 60 days to transfer the booking.  .  I do like some of the OBC they are offering.   I wouldn't even know where to find a good TA around here as it's been so long since we've used one.   Hmmmmmm

Celebrity no longer allows booking transfers after 30 days. 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Silkroad

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, Softball20 said:

Thanks for the input.  I don't anticipate move-up being an issue on this cruise, and Celebrity gives you 60 days to transfer the booking.  .  I do like some of the OBC they are offering.   I wouldn't even know where to find a good TA around here as it's been so long since we've used one.   Hmmmmmm

That changed to 30 days.  We don't use big box as the gift card isn’t useful if there is no location nearby.  We use 2 large on-line TAs both are excellent. I can’t imagine booking direct and then having to deal with issues and multiple calls on hold to get to someone who  can fix a billing screw up.   It to mention the 10% refundable OBC.

IMHO the best way to find a hood TA is asking others on a cruise who they book with and why.

[chemmo]

6 hours ago, Softball20 said:

Thanks for the input.  I don't anticipate move-up being an issue on this cruise, and Celebrity gives you 60 days to transfer the booking.  .  I do like some of the OBC they are offering.   I wouldn't even know where to find a good TA around here as it's been so long since we've used one.   Hmmmmmm

Ask your family or friends if they can recommend…Social media sites you are a member of could be a good start.

 

Also decide what is important to you, just a few things to consider…These thoughts may help to focus your discussion with family and friends.

 

Do you want a cruise specialist or a general TA?

Do you want a named agent or are you happy to deal with whoever answers the phone?

Do you want a local TA or are you happy with phone/email contact?

 

Final advice, check if there are any ‘small print’ issues to get extra OBC. We have seen a couple of advert to reality anomalies over the years…

 

Excellent discounts but you needed to purchase their insurance.

Excellent OBC but with a room category not a specific cabin, a specific cabin was more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bikerunner]

I usually book direct with a TA, I use 2 different ones, not big box did that once and had some issues.  Now I have a general TA and more a cruise specialist TA and depending on who has the better perks etc I would go with them, they both know I do this and have no problem with it.  I used to work with them when I was in the hospitality industry years ago.  I always have access to them they have dealt with some interesting issues and handled very quickly.  

[MISTER 67]

We always book with our personal cruise consultants on the various lines we cruise with. Seems a lot easier dealing with just one entity. We shop online for the best deals among Celebrity, Princess and Holland America and are always able to find a price to our liking. We are on the Reflection this coming Sunday with 2 other cruises booked in August and December. We also look for good deals while on board which has worked out well for us for quite a few cruises.

Edited March 30, 2023 by MISTER 67

[cgolf1]

We have used the same one for years from our time doing Disney cruises and they also handle Celebrity. The downside is if there is an issue or a need Celebrity won't want to talk to you directly. In some cases I got around that, but others not.

 

For that reason, we had to remove the TA from our reservation for our Galapagos cruise, which the OBC really doesn't matter for anyways. The Galapagos cruise have a concierge like line we can call with any questions, which we have already used.

 

Now that we have a HAL cruise booked, TA doesn't book them, we may need to look for another TA if we find we like HAL as an option too.

Edited March 30, 2023 by cgolf1

[lienf]

We found a very good TA a number of years ago by asking fellow cruisers who they used when we were on board. 

[Softball20]

Thanks for all the input. I always do the research and get all that done before booking, so we’re good there. I just booked the other day directly with Celebrity from the open booking we just did on board our last sailing. My sole motivation this time is the potential for additional OBC, which we typically use to upgrade our beverage package and internet. I typically also monitor the pricing along the way in case there are any decreases prior to final payment. Maybe I’ll give the transfer a try this time. 

[peanut head]

I have tried many times over the years to find a good and responsive independent travel agent and I have had no luck.  I started using the big box TA and have been very pleased.  However, I do my research beforehand--I find the cruise I like and book it directly with Celebrity and then transfer to the big box TA.  I constantly check my Celebrity emails for new promos, and also CC for other information/promos, and reach out to the big box TA to check if I can get them applied to  my cruise.  The hold times for the big box TA has significantly decreased over the last few months.   Yes, I get different agents, but I take detailed notes and they often have similar notes in my file so that they know what I am looking for.  As others have written, you cannot access the Move-Up bidding process, but you wrote that doesn't matter to you.  I also like that the big box TA has a link to a very, very good trip insurance carrier that offers a discount for their best product.  In the past, their shore excursions were also top rate.  I haven't used the big box shore excursions since pre-pandemic so I don't know if they are still good.

 

In summary, if you are not a detail-oriented traveler who will be your own advocate and have the time to invest then you should probably stick with a personal TA.

 

P.S.  The shop card is pretty nice, too😁 

[yogini06]

17 hours ago, Softball20 said:

I know we can't talk about specific TAs, but I'm wondering if it's worth it to transfer my booking to one, more specifically one of the bigger, on-line ones.  We haven't used  a TA in years - we typically book directly with Celebrity, but I keep reading about perks people are getting so I thought it might be a good idea.  Any downside?  

Booked onboard with celebrity.  Immediately transferred the booking to my TA.  He was able to give me a group rate which saved me over $2K and give me additional OBC.  Completely services my booking including making final payment.  

[Duanerice1]

I never used to use a TA because I wanted to ‘control’ my reservation.  I cringe thinking how much money I threw away…  but I really don’t need to control it.  I pick the cabin I want (large balcony) so don’t plan on moving and if the price drops they can take care of that for me.  
 

I’ve used a large TA out of New Hampshire for about 10 years now.  Minimum OBC I get is around $150.  This latest in a 1a cabin I’m getting $350.   And I still get the $250 from Celebrity too. 
 

So if I booked  and left with Celebrity I’d be paying $350 more than I should have.   I also used to book onboard if they had extra OBC to do so then switch to the TA when I got home.  
 

have fun