Do you expect your TA to stay on top of new promos After you've booked?

[VIKINGCRUISER]

Hi All,

 

Just a question regarding using a TA (as it has been a while for me in using one).

 

Do you expect a TA to be on top of any promos that would benefit us as clients Prior or after we have booked? 

 

Based off the NCL website, it seems NCL has a "FREE 2ND GUEST + FREE AT SEA" promo going on that I was never told about,and only found out about because I decided to look up ongoing promos on my own.

 

I just want to understand what most people expect and try understand the expectations I should set for myself with using a TA, or am I better off going straight through NCL?

 

Signed

Confused😕

 

 

[Liljo22]

1 minute ago, VIKINGCRUISER said:

Hi All,

 

Just a question regarding using a TA (as it has been a while for me in using one).

 

Do you expect a TA to be on top of any promos that would benefit us as clients Prior or after we have booked? 

 

Based off the NCL website, it seems NCL has a "FREE 2ND GUEST + FREE AT SEA" promo going on that I was never told about,and only found out about because I decided to look up ongoing promos on my own.

 

I just want to understand what most people expect and try understand the expectations I should set for myself with using a TA, or am I better off going straight through NCL?

 

Signed

Confused😕

 

 

Honestly, most TAs are not going to make you aware because a lower price means less commission.  If you see a cheaper price, you will need contact them.   They may even tell you its not possible.  In terms of the new promo, it went from 50% off for both guests to 2nd guest free which is just the same price with difference wording.  

[pete_coach]

10 minutes ago, VIKINGCRUISER said:

Hi All,

 

Just a question regarding using a TA (as it has been a while for me in using one).

 

Do you expect a TA to be on top of any promos that would benefit us as clients Prior or after we have booked? 

 

Based off the NCL website, it seems NCL has a "FREE 2ND GUEST + FREE AT SEA" promo going on that I was never told about,and only found out about because I decided to look up ongoing promos on my own.

 

I just want to understand what most people expect and try understand the expectations I should set for myself with using a TA, or am I better off going straight through NCL?

 

Signed

Confused😕

 

 

To be fair, I think the TA did give you the " "FREE 2ND GUEST + FREE AT SEA" promo " because NCL has offered that for the past 1 1/2+ years.

Booking a NCL cruise from anyone would have gotten that deal.

[VIKINGCRUISER]

Thank you.

 

Not trying to get OT, but is there any benefit (or disavantage) booking through the cruiseline themselves?

 

Thank you again

[RocketMan275]

8 minutes ago, VIKINGCRUISER said:

Thank you.

 

Not trying to get OT, but is there any benefit (or disavantage) booking through the cruiseline themselves?

 

Thank you again

The disadvantage is this:  a good TA will discount the fare by 8-10%.

[cruiseny4life]

3 minutes ago, VIKINGCRUISER said:

Thank you.

 

Not trying to get OT, but is there any benefit (or disavantage) booking through the cruiseline themselves?

 

Thank you again

I'm a TA for friends and family (so not soliciting here as I make clear often). And, my husband books our cruises through a PCC, not me. We have a really amazing relationship with our PCC. We've met, had lunch in NYC, and just spent half an hour talking with her a couple nights ago after we returned from a cruise. She listened to our experience and we heard about her excitement as she's about to go on a cruise.

 

Some TA's do offer onboard credit, prepaid gratuities, etc. Some don't. Some may be registered with AMEX to provide the OBC/free meal at Le Bistro. Most aren't. The reason my friends and family use me is because they know I am fairly well-traveled, know what's going on (mostly) in the travel industry, and they don't want to do the work of booking, calling, etc. I'd still talk to them and provide guidance if they didn't book through me. I really don't care. 

As for someone searching for a TA, you should do some research. Find agencies that offer discounts (they book a bunch of rooms at a discounted rate, then sell them to clients), OBC, other perks. Ask questions like how long will it take for you to respond to me? Do you monitor current prices? Offerings? Etc.? Establish a relationship with your TA, so they know what you want and what you don't. You need to communicate with them so they know how best to provide you their services. 

 

Generally speaking, with most TA's, you're going to find you'll pay the same as if you booked through the cruise line directly and you'll need to monitor the amenities, prices, etc. on your own. Most TA's won't do that. Some on Cruise Critic have amazing TA's that do and that offer them discounts on their sailing. They've found the best option for them. 

 

As others have said the buy one, get one free is just NCL's marketing speak. It's not a sale. It's just marketing off their brochure rate. Just monitor the price of your cruise. Ignore the current "sale." 

 

Good luck! 

[VIKINGCRUISER]

41 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm a TA for friends and family (so not soliciting here as I make clear often). And, my husband books our cruises through a PCC, not me. We have a really amazing relationship with our PCC. We've met, had lunch in NYC, and just spent half an hour talking with her a couple nights ago after we returned from a cruise. She listened to our experience and we heard about her excitement as she's about to go on a cruise.

 

Some TA's do offer onboard credit, prepaid gratuities, etc. Some don't. Some may be registered with AMEX to provide the OBC/free meal at Le Bistro. Most aren't. The reason my friends and family use me is because they know I am fairly well-traveled, know what's going on (mostly) in the travel industry, and they don't want to do the work of booking, calling, etc. I'd still talk to them and provide guidance if they didn't book through me. I really don't care. 

As for someone searching for a TA, you should do some research. Find agencies that offer discounts (they book a bunch of rooms at a discounted rate, then sell them to clients), OBC, other perks. Ask questions like how long will it take for you to respond to me? Do you monitor current prices? Offerings? Etc.? Establish a relationship with your TA, so they know what you want and what you don't. You need to communicate with them so they know how best to provide you their services. 

 

Generally speaking, with most TA's, you're going to find you'll pay the same as if you booked through the cruise line directly and you'll need to monitor the amenities, prices, etc. on your own. Most TA's won't do that. Some on Cruise Critic have amazing TA's that do and that offer them discounts on their sailing. They've found the best option for them. 

 

As others have said the buy one, get one free is just NCL's marketing speak. It's not a sale. It's just marketing off their brochure rate. Just monitor the price of your cruise. Ignore the current "sale." 

 

Good luck! 

Thank you!

[www3traveler]

In 38 cruises, I have used a local downtown travel agency.  Does he keep track  of the various offers, no he does not have the time.  I will let him know what I find.

 

He also books my air, hotel and ground transportation sometimes as an NCL package and sometimes not..  Because of my age, he will add a request for airport assistance to  my reservation.

 

More than once he has a flight re-book long before I knew there was an issue.  A PCC is no help at all in case of a weather delay-- re booking flights, notifying hotels of delays, re-booking hotels.

 

I have used my travel agent enough, that he knows what I like and do not like.  He has been in business for a long time and I trust his judgement.

[phillygwm]

1 hour ago, VIKINGCRUISER said:

Not trying to get OT, but is there any benefit (or disavantage) booking through the cruiseline themselves?

 

Depends on the TA (or PCC) you're working with.  As stated elsewhere, many travel agents will throw in goodies.  At least one big box warehouse has a travel site that gives you a gift card so you can load up on Kirkland products 🙂  Amex has goodies, others do OBC, etc.  Of course, a good TA should really enhance your trip experience, not merely financially.

 

I don't use a TA because 1) I book through CAS so I can't; and 2) I enjoy making my own arrangements and (IMHO) do a pretty good job, most of the time.  It's like enjoying my vacation vicariously before I actually leave the house.  But it's not much different from managing one's own investments versus having a financial advisor (I do that myself too.)  It can be daunting at first and some people will never be confident enough to do it themselves, which is why there are entire industries built around the process.

 

Back to the topic:  Don't be confused by the promos; they're usually the same, just different wording (1/2 off versus 2 for 1, etc.)  Instead, look for the $500 Cruisefirst cert opportunities, or the promos that allow you to triple up CruiseNext, or maybe multiply Latitudes points.

Edited December 8, 2023 by phillygwm

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, VIKINGCRUISER said:

 

Not trying to get OT, but is there any benefit (or disavantage) booking through the cruiseline themselves?

 

Our TA periodically offers free prepaid gratuities. On a 14 day cruise, that's not insignificant.

[sanger727]

I've never experienced or expected a TA to stay on top of promos for my booking. Every sale is relative since the prices constantly change. 2nd person free for your sailing isn't necessarily cheaper than what you booked at paying full price for both people. A TA can't possibly stay on top of prices rising and falling for every trip for every client. 

Edited December 8, 2023 by sanger727

[Liljo22]

How about this TA scenario.  Friends have two balconies book on a Royal Christmas cruise that was booked for through a TA.  They missed final payment date and were cancelled.  They rebooked but now have a balcony and an inside because of the price change.  

 

Should the TA have informed them of the final payment date coming up?  

[RocketMan275]

21 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

How about this TA scenario.  Friends have two balconies book on a Royal Christmas cruise that was booked for through a TA.  They missed final payment date and were cancelled.  They rebooked but now have a balcony and an inside because of the price change.  

 

Should the TA have informed them of the final payment date coming up?  

There is no obligation for the TA to do so.  Still, I get an email about 10 days prior to final from my TA.

[RocketMan275]

Here's two more advantages to using a TA instead of a PCC.

A PCC can only deal with Norwegian.

My TA can book any cruise line.

Once upon a time, I had to cancel two cruise on different cruise lines and rebook the two cruises on a third cruise line.

Instead of making three phone calls, one to each of the cruise lines involved, I only made one phone call.  Instead of spending who knows how much time on hold for those three calls, that one phone call took less than 10 minutes to cancel two cruises and book two new cruises.

The second advantage is avoiding the long hold times.

Edited December 8, 2023 by RocketMan275

[pete_coach]

24 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

How about this TA scenario.  Friends have two balconies book on a Royal Christmas cruise that was booked for through a TA.  They missed final payment date and were cancelled.  They rebooked but now have a balcony and an inside because of the price change.  

 

Should the TA have informed them of the final payment date coming up?  

 

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

There is no obligation for the TA to do so.  Still, I get an email about 10 days prior to final from my TA.

I think if they are your travel agent and you have made arrangements and bookings through and with them, they are obligated to keep you informed.

 

Thing is, if you don't pay, they don't get paid either so, they lost as well.

[cruiseny4life]

27 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

How about this TA scenario.  Friends have two balconies book on a Royal Christmas cruise that was booked for through a TA.  They missed final payment date and were cancelled.  They rebooked but now have a balcony and an inside because of the price change.  

 

Should the TA have informed them of the final payment date coming up?  

Yes. That's absolutely a huge part of being a travel agent. That final payment reminder is ingrained in us during training!! Huge screw up by their travel agent. 

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, pete_coach said:

 

I think if they are your travel agent and you have made arrangements and bookings through and with them, they are obligated to keep you informed.

 

Thing is, if you don't pay, they don't get paid either so, they lost as well.

That is a reason for a TA to do so but it does not change the fact that there is no legal obligtion.

[graphicguy]

My former TA (who was with a large American Discount Cruise booker), used to send me a spread sheet every month that tracked the fares for the month and ship I was booked on.  It was up to me to sift through and look through the fares to see price drops.  In reality, it was a cut and past from their WEB site fare list.  I appreciated it as it made it a little easier for me to keep track.

 

She's moved on and my new agent doesn't do that.  No issue, as I can shop/track on my own.  But, the agency does discount the fare from what I see advertised by the cruise lines. They don't advertise that, as I don't think the can publish that.  But, I do believe it's a part of their commission, and yes, it is between 8%-10%.

[swmichigan cruiser]

I don't expect my TA to keep track of promo's on my cruises or final payments as I know she is busy. Her company does send me reminders about final payments but I also set up reminders in my computer for about two weeks before final payments and I occasionally double check myself to see if anything changed on pricing and promo's etc for my cruises I have booked. From my TA's company I always get a $100 onboard credit and cash back after the cruise. Sometime the cash back is $1,000 but usually much less.

[julig22]

1 hour ago, phillygwm said:

Depends on the TA (or PCC) you're working with.  As stated elsewhere, many travel agents will throw in goodies.  At least one big box warehouse has a travel site that gives you a gift card so you can load up on Kirkland products 🙂  Amex has goodies, others do OBC, etc.  Of course, a good TA should really enhance your trip experience, not merely financially.

Just playing devil's advocate here, not advocating for or against using a TA or PCC or none of the above. I was using a TA prior to the shutdown and yes, it was nice to let them deal with all the issues. But I currently use a PCC, although lately I've just called the main number since my PCC recently quit and the new one isn't thrilled about dealing with current bookings. There is no right or wrong choice, it depends on your needs and preferences.

 

On the negative side, the big-box warehouse site may give you gift cards but they will not book NCL airfare and do not participate in the Upgrade Advantage bidding process. Many people reported that their TA was not able to add a 3rd CruiseNext to an existing reservation during the recent triple-up promo, citing it was for new reservations only. If you were booked through NCL, you could just go online and make a payment with a CN.

 

In any case, I've never expected my TA or PCC to keep on top of my reservations with respect to new offers, etc. But my TA always sent me payment reminders, as does NCL. And it pays to check periodically to see if things have changed - not to say that all PCC's stay current, but a TA that works with multiple cruiselines may not be a knowledgeable about current offers, policies, etc.

 

[phillygwm]

10 minutes ago, julig22 said:

But I currently use a PCC, although lately I've just called the main number since my PCC recently quit and the new one isn't thrilled about dealing with current bookings. There is no right or wrong choice, it depends on your needs and preferences.

Others can better opine but I've read threads where people found it difficult to ditch an unresponsive PCC.  For me, this might be the big reason to switch to a TA. I'd be pretty upset if my new PCC only wanted to deal with new revenue generation and didn't want to support my existing cruises.  I realize the importance of earning commissions but if you take care of your clients, the revenue will take care of itself over time.  Of course, it's a position with pretty high turnover so they may not be focused on the long term.

Edited December 8, 2023 by phillygwm

[julig22]

6 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

I realize the importance of earning commissions but if you take care of your clients, the revenue will take care of itself over time.  Of course, it's a position with pretty high turnover so they may not be focused on the long term.

To be fair to my new PCC, she has been responsive but has indicated that her hands are somewhat tied, so not necessarily a matter of only wanting a commission. When I first contacted her, I offered to cancel and rebook a new reservation that needed some major changes anyway and she declined, saying she'd be audited for poaching (which is why people have issues with changing PCC's). Then for a simple price change she directed me to the main NCL number for similar requests in the future, again an audit issue, since apparently NCL does not transfer bookings when you get a new PCC. Whether this is accurate or not, I can't say.

[cruiser2015]

6 hours ago, VIKINGCRUISER said:

Hi All,

 

Just a question regarding using a TA (as it has been a while for me in using one).

 

Do you expect a TA to be on top of any promos that would benefit us as clients Prior or after we have booked? 

 

Based off the NCL website, it seems NCL has a "FREE 2ND GUEST + FREE AT SEA" promo going on that I was never told about,and only found out about because I decided to look up ongoing promos on my own.

 

I just want to understand what most people expect and try understand the expectations I should set for myself with using a TA, or am I better off going straight through NCL?

 

Signed

Confused😕

 

 

Most TA's could not monitor these options if they have (hopefully for them) a lot of clients. It would be way too time intensive.

Worse, the promos that NCL is constantly putting out there are often jargon changes with no price incentives or changes - wheel spinning to follow those.

Monitoring your own is the best way to catch any better deals.

There were some comments about final payments coming due. That's one where the TA should keep a follow up file - for everyone's benefit.

I'm currently working with a large, online cruise specialist agency. They have automated messaging for every step of the process. As for final payment, they sent multiple reminders. But something was strange - the date given was 10 days before NCL's requirement. So, I called the TA and asked "what's up with that?" I was told that because some clients, despite multiple reminder emails, still messed up paying on time; they added the 10 days to give more flex time against foul-ups.  🙄

[nimbex1970]

I don't expect this.  I manage my own bookings. 

[VIKINGCRUISER]

4 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

How about this TA scenario.  Friends have two balconies book on a Royal Christmas cruise that was booked for through a TA.  They missed final payment date and were cancelled.  They rebooked but now have a balcony and an inside because of the price change.  

 

Should the TA have informed them of the final payment date coming up?  

Purchasers responsibilty, Point well taken.