Booking

[bedrick]

Hi, We have never cruised with Azamara and are considering taking back to back Mediterranean cruises with them.  We usually book direct with the cruise line, however, I have noticed experienced Azamara cruisers seem to prefer booking through a travel agent.  Could you tell me why please?  We are booking from Australia.

[ChucktownSteve]

Because my TA sends me a rebate for $1,200 to $1,500 after the cruise depending upon the cruise's net cost. That is in addition to any perks included with the booking from AZ. 
 
Additionally, if there is any problem, they have to deal with customer lackofservice and I don't. They also carry more weight with AZ booking many cruises than I do individually.

[NeilWM]

A lot of the cruisers booking with TAs are from USA, where because of volume TAs can offer greater value. 

[blag]

4 hours ago, NeilWM said:

A lot of the cruisers booking with TAs are from USA, where because of volume TAs can offer greater value. 

On one occasion I did a comparison: UK TA's v US TA's for a specific cruise, in a CC suite. 

Whilst I do not recall or have a record of the specifics, I discovered that, whilst — generally-speaking — US TA's will offer more OBC without much discount on price, those in the UK offer discounts on the price but little, if any, extra OBC.

In all - except one - cases, the US TA's provided an overall better deal. UK TA's required less deposit, and final payment was usually a month or so closer to sail date that their US counterparts.

But, the most important discovery was that there was not much difference. The saving I found was never more than 5%.

[ChucktownSteve]

My TA offers the ability to take the rebate off the cruise price or send a check.  Since my credit card gives me 3% cash back on Travel and the discount or rebate amount is a wash, I decide to take the rebate then take the CC cash back as a little bonus.

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

My TA offers the ability to take the rebate off the cruise price or send a check.  Since my credit card gives me 3% cash back on Travel and the discount or rebate amount is a wash, I decide to take the rebate then take the CC cash back as a little bonus.

That's the way to play the rebate game!

[blag]

10 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

the discount or rebate amount is a wash

I am not familiar with the expression 'is a wash'. Even after on-line research, I regret to say that I don't understand what you mean. Please be so kind as to enlighten me. 

[ECCruise]

14 minutes ago, blag said:

I am not familiar with the expression 'is a wash'. Even after on-line research, I regret to say that I don't understand what you mean. Please be so kind as to enlighten me. 

Here you go.

"It's a wash" at Grammarist

[ChucktownSteve]

45 minutes ago, blag said:

I am not familiar with the expression 'is a wash'. Even after on-line research, I regret to say that I don't understand what you mean. Please be so kind as to enlighten me. 

another idiom in the US:. EVEN STEVEN. lol  or six of one, half a dozen of another.  Both equal the same.

 

Aren't we full of useless expressions this side of the pond?

Edited September 16, 2023 by ChucktownSteve

[blag]

4 hours ago, ECCruise said:

Here you go.

"It's a wash" at Grammarist

Sorry, but that doesn't help. I don't open sites that don't allow me to prevent all cookies etc. The site you have chosen makes this very difficult.

[blag]

3 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

another idiom in the US:. EVEN STEVEN. lol  or six of one, half a dozen of another.  Both equal the same.

 

Aren't we full of useless expressions this side of the pond?

Since you wrote the original comment, perhaps you could rephrase it, please.

I have read multiple definitions of the expression, but I don't understand its use in this particular context.

If the discount/rebate amount is 'a wash', what is it equal to?

Honestly — I don't understand what you wrote.

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, blag said:

Since you wrote the original comment, perhaps you could rephrase it, please.

I have read multiple definitions of the expression, but I don't understand its use in this particular context.

If the discount/rebate amount is 'a wash', what is it equal to?

Honestly — I don't understand what you wrote.

I think he means that taking a discount on the cruise price works out the same as getting money (possibly in the form of refundable OBC) from the TA after the cruise.

[hamrag]

21 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

My TA offers the ability to take the rebate off the cruise price or send a check.  Since my credit card gives me 3% cash back on Travel and the discount or rebate amount is a wash, I decide to take the rebate then take the CC cash back as a little bonus.

 

10 hours ago, blag said:

I am not familiar with the expression 'is a wash'. Even after on-line research, I regret to say that I don't understand what you mean. Please be so kind as to enlighten me. 

An example might help show what he means, as follows:

 

Let's say the total cruise price is 5000, and the TA offers a 10% discount in the form of a rebate off the cruise price or a cheque sent to you. If a rebate is chosen you will pay the TA 4500; If you go with a cheque, you will pay the TA 5000 and later a cheque for 500 will be sent to you.

 

In both cases your net cost would be 4500, described as 'a wash' because the end result is the same, albeit arrived at by different means.

 

In relation to the cc 3% cashback, if you pay 5000 by cc then you get 150 back and if you pay4500 then you would get 135 back, although he appears to not describe this element accurately!

[ChucktownSteve]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

 

An example might help show what he means, as follows:

 

Let's say the total cruise price is 5000, and the TA offers a 10% discount in the form of a rebate off the cruise price or a cheque sent to you. If a rebate is chosen you will pay the TA 4500; If you go with a cheque, you will pay the TA 5000 and later a cheque for 500 will be sent to you.

 

In both cases your net cost would be 4500, described as 'a wash' because the end result is the same, albeit arrived at by different means.

 

In relation to the cc 3% cashback, if you pay 5000 by cc then you get 150 back and if you pay4500 then you would get 135 back, although he appears to not describe this element accurately!

TY for explaining my Americanize in detail for him. I didn't believe I needed to explain the little bit of "bonus" as being the difference of cash back between the two amounts.  However I now see people around the world have different perspectives on credit card usage and their perks...me not being familiar with CC's issued overseas.