Is it wrong/unethical to switch Travel Agents after they've already put in work?

[WingerSupreme]

Long story short. My wife and I (first time cruisers) booked a cruise a little while ago (fully refundable deposit) then transferred to a TA a couple weeks ago. The TA hasn't managed to find us any deals or anything, but they have been very helpful and have put in a fair bit of time and effort just in getting the reservation transferred over - the cruise line has apparently been very difficult to work with. 

 

Anyways, our timeline opened up a bit and we found another cruise that we think might be better, although it is more expensive.

 

I put it into a website to see what deals we could get, and also emailed our TA. One of the deals from another agency came in at $500 cheaper than the one our TA found/offered. 

 

So we basically have 3 options. 

 

1) Thank the TA for their work but let them know we're canceling and going with another cruise and TA. 

 

2) Bring the other price to our TA and see if they can match (or even come close). 

 

3) Stick with our current TA, either with our original cruise or our new one. 

 

From an ethical/moral point of view, how bad are options 1 and 2? Sorry if it's a dumb question, this is all new to us. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

35 minutes ago, WingerSupreme said:

Long story short. My wife and I (first time cruisers) booked a cruise a little while ago (fully refundable deposit) then transferred to a TA a couple weeks ago. The TA hasn't managed to find us any deals or anything, but they have been very helpful and have put in a fair bit of time and effort just in getting the reservation transferred over - the cruise line has apparently been very difficult to work with. 

 

Anyways, our timeline opened up a bit and we found another cruise that we think might be better, although it is more expensive.

 

I put it into a website to see what deals we could get, and also emailed our TA. One of the deals from another agency came in at $500 cheaper than the one our TA found/offered. 

 

So we basically have 3 options. 

 

1) Thank the TA for their work but let them know we're canceling and going with another cruise and TA. 

 

2) Bring the other price to our TA and see if they can match (or even come close). 

 

3) Stick with our current TA, either with our original cruise or our new one. 

 

From an ethical/moral point of view, how bad are options 1 and 2? Sorry if it's a dumb question, this is all new to us. 

You left out an important piece of info. 
While the deposit is refundable, does your current TA charge a cancellation fee?

That said, honesty is the best policy. Just show your current TA what was offered an see if s/he will match it.

[WingerSupreme]

6 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You left out an important piece of info. 
While the deposit is refundable, does your current TA charge a cancellation fee?

That said, honesty is the best policy. Just show your current TA what was offered an see if s/he will match it.

 

I still control the reservation, the transfer hasn't officially happened, so I can just go cancel it...that said, you're right, and that was my gut feeling, too. I'll message them and let them know I saw a better price, and we'll go from there. 

[MCC retired]

2 hours ago, WingerSupreme said:

 

I still control the reservation, the transfer hasn't officially happened, so I can just go cancel it...that said, you're right, and that was my gut feeling, too. I'll message them and let them know I saw a better price, and we'll go from there. 

Sounds like the right thing to do .

[WingerSupreme]

7 hours ago, MCC retired said:

Sounds like the right thing to do .

I've done it, but here's my follow up question.

If they come back and say 'Sorry, this is the best I can offer,' am I a jerk if I end up taking the other offer instead?

 

Not sure if it matters, but I looked at a couple of other quotes they sent for different cruises, and they're not even as good as the standard deal I can see on CruisePlum. They're also a solo TA (they are their own agency, from what I can see) and they're fairly new (only started within the last 6 months), so now I'm worried they may not be able to do much at all for us. They've been very helpful, but I also need someone who can get things done.

[donaldsc]

26 minutes ago, WingerSupreme said:

I've done it, but here's my follow up question.

If they come back and say 'Sorry, this is the best I can offer,' am I a jerk if I end up taking the other offer instead?

 

Not sure if it matters, but I looked at a couple of other quotes they sent for different cruises, and they're not even as good as the standard deal I can see on CruisePlum. They're also a solo TA (they are their own agency, from what I can see) and they're fairly new (only started within the last 6 months), so now I'm worried they may not be able to do much at all for us. They've been very helpful, but I also need someone who can get things done.

 

Just a quick note.  You are not allowed to mention specific TA names on CC.

 

DON

[Hlitner]

If you are going to transfer a booking from a cruise line to a travel/ cruise agent. negotiate the deal BEFORE you do the transfer.  Otherwise, you have given up your leverage.  We have long suggested that folks shop around among high volume reputable cruise agencies/agents before booking.  We seldom transfer booking since we do our shopping before we book.  The exception has been when there are some good promotions offered when we are onboard a cruise.  In those cases, we will talk with the onboard booking person and also e-mail or call a couple of our favorite agencies.  The result is that we do the booking onboard and have it immediately transferred to the agency that offers the best overall deal.  

 

I will also make it clear we are not talking about saving a few dollars but rather major savings (often in excess of $1000).  Overall savings of 7-10% (of the cruise fare) are the norm when dealing with some decent discount agencies.

 

Hank

[WingerSupreme]

8 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Just a quick note.  You are not allowed to mention specific TA names on CC.

 

DON

I know, that's why I'm avoiding it.

 

CruisePlum isn't a TA, it's just a site to search cruises from multiple lines

[WingerSupreme]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

If you are going to transfer a booking from a cruise line to a travel/ cruise agent. negotiate the deal BEFORE you do the transfer.  Otherwise, you have given up your leverage.  We have long suggested that folks shop around among high volume reputable cruise agencies/agents before booking.  We seldom transfer booking since we do our shopping before we book.  The exception has been when there are some good promotions offered when we are onboard a cruise.  In those cases, we will talk with the onboard booking person and also e-mail or call a couple of our favorite agencies.  The result is that we do the booking onboard and have it immediately transferred to the agency that offers the best overall deal.  

 

I will also make it clear we are not talking about saving a few dollars but rather major savings (often in excess of $1000).  Overall savings of 7-10% (of the cruise fare) are the norm when dealing with some decent discount agencies.

 

Hank

 

When I first booked the cruise, I didn't realize cruise TAs were so common (and had no added cost), so I just booked it myself. Then, when I discovered the perks of having a TA, I was about 28 days out from when I initially booked it - plus it was the holiday season - so I ended up transferring to the first TA that a) responded, and b) seemed decent.

And they have been helpful (if they weren't helpful I wouldn't feel bad),it's just we're talking about a difference of 15 on the cost of the trip - that's huge.

[Hlitner]

1 minute ago, WingerSupreme said:

 

When I first booked the cruise, I didn't realize cruise TAs were so common (and had no added cost), so I just booked it myself. Then, when I discovered the perks of having a TA, I was about 28 days out from when I initially booked it - plus it was the holiday season - so I ended up transferring to the first TA that a) responded, and b) seemed decent.

And they have been helpful (if they weren't helpful I wouldn't feel bad),it's just we're talking about a difference of 15 on the cost of the trip - that's huge.

I would hope they were helpful since you handed them some easy money (i.e. their commission from the cruise line).  Consider it a lesson learned (we all learn from experience) for the next time.  I used to compare booking cruises to buying a new car (some cruises cost more than a car).  If you go to a car dealer and buy a car at sticker price, it is difficult to later negotiate a discount.  

 

In defense of many of the better discount agencies, they use their own formulas (that vary from agency to agency) to determine price (where they are allowed to negotiate price), on board credits, post cruise rebates, etc.  Some agencies have a little "wiggle room" but many just stick to their own formula.  But not all agencies are alike in terms of deals, which is why we suggest shopping around...at least until you find an agency that is consistent in offering good deals.

 

Hank

[WingerSupreme]

1 minute ago, Hlitner said:

I would hope they were helpful since you handed them some easy money (i.e. their commission from the cruise line).  Consider it a lesson learned (we all learn from experience) for the next time.  I used to compare booking cruises to buying a new car (some cruises cost more than a car).  If you go to a car dealer and buy a car at sticker price, it is difficult to later negotiate a discount.  

 

In defense of many of the better discount agencies, they use their own formulas (that vary from agency to agency) to determine price (where they are allowed to negotiate price), on board credits, post cruise rebates, etc.  Some agencies have a little "wiggle room" but many just stick to their own formula.  But not all agencies are alike in terms of deals, which is why we suggest shopping around...at least until you find an agency that is consistent in offering good deals.

 

Hank

 

Yeah, definitely a "live and learn" moment.

 

Although, the cruise my wife and I are looking at transferring to has come down in price (a LOT) since we initially booked our current cruise, so even if I had shopped around at the time, I would not have been looking for this cruise specifically.

 

As it stands, I still have full control over my cruise, Celebrity has not transferred it over yet (I did receive an email that the process had started, but there have evidently been issues). Financially, I have full control and could cancel the Celebrity cruise for a full refund and book the Princess one my wife and I are looking at. This is more of an ethical/moral question.

[Toofarfromthesea]

27 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Just a quick note.  You are not allowed to mention specific TA names on CC.

 

DON

 

FYI, CruisePlum is not a TA, it is a cruise database.  You can't book through them and the prices they show are the cruise line prices.

[Toofarfromthesea]

38 minutes ago, WingerSupreme said:

 

Yeah, definitely a "live and learn" moment.

 

Although, the cruise my wife and I are looking at transferring to has come down in price (a LOT) since we initially booked our current cruise, so even if I had shopped around at the time, I would not have been looking for this cruise specifically.

 

As it stands, I still have full control over my cruise, Celebrity has not transferred it over yet (I did receive an email that the process had started, but there have evidently been issues). Financially, I have full control and could cancel the Celebrity cruise for a full refund and book the Princess one my wife and I are looking at. This is more of an ethical/moral question.

 

Personally I wouldn't give a second thought to canceling the Celebrity and going with the Princess.  You say they have put a lot of work in in getting it transferred, but the truth is they were doing that work for themselves, not you.  And it's not as if you have a prior relationship with them, or they were providing you much of a deal or perks over the cruise line deal. The transfer would make them money, not you.

 

The most I would do is let them know I've decided to change cruises and give them a chance to match the offer on the Princess cruise.  I might not even do that because the only time I've had a problem with a TA was with a solo agent.  That made me realize how precarious it was to book with a one man shop for such a significant purchase.  In my case the guy got sick and went incommunicado without making any provision for another agent to take over the booking.  So I ended up having to go to the cruise line and it was a middle level hassle to get control of the booking back.  Live and learn.

 

Edited January 11 by Toofarfromthesea

[Hlitner]

24 minutes ago, WingerSupreme said:

 

Yeah, definitely a "live and learn" moment.

 

Although, the cruise my wife and I are looking at transferring to has come down in price (a LOT) since we initially booked our current cruise, so even if I had shopped around at the time, I would not have been looking for this cruise specifically.

 

As it stands, I still have full control over my cruise, Celebrity has not transferred it over yet (I did receive an email that the process had started, but there have evidently been issues). Financially, I have full control and could cancel the Celebrity cruise for a full refund and book the Princess one my wife and I are looking at. This is more of an ethical/moral question.

You are talking about a business transaction.  I never understood the "control" thing since you have control whether you are dealing with a cruise line or an agent.  The one difference is that some agencies do charge their own fee if you cancel (something to check-out before you choose a travel agency).  Just a warning that if you do cancel with Celebrity, it may take a while (weeks) to actually get your deposit refunded.  

 

Even if you have a cruise booked with an agency, price drops are fair game.  When a price drops on a booked cruise, and its prior to final payment, it is usually possible to get it "repriced" at the new price (although you might lose some perks you got with the original fare).  When you have a decent cruise/travel agent, price drops can often be handled by a quick heads-up e-mail to your agent who then should check out the situation and advise you accordingly.  When you deal directly with a cruise line it can actually be more difficult since you need to get through to somebody at the cruise line (not always easy these days) who likely has the cruise line's interests (not yours) in mind.  Many lines now have some kind of Personal Cruise Consultant (or a different term) who tries to mimic an independent travel agent by forming a bond/relationship.  But keep in mind they still work for the cruise line (sometimes a good thing and other times not) and are a combination reservations clerk/sales person.

 

Price drops, once you have paid in full, are a different kind of issue.  Sometimes you can get a price adjustment, sometimes you might be able to get an upgrade, and other times you may get squat!  A decent cruise/travel agent can quickly evaluate the situation and offer advice/solutions.  Personally, I currently use two different cruise agents (one with over 30 years' experience and the other with about 10 years) who are both excellent.   Since they work for me (not the cruise line) and deal with all the cruise lines, I do get some interesting advice (which I often follow).  

[Host Kat]

CruisePlum is NOT a TA and they do NOT book cruises. From their website:

 

 

If you decide to book a cruise found with their search engine, their site takes you directly to the cruise line site for booking. They are just a search engine such as our very own Cruise Critic Find a Cruise.

 

However, Cruise Critic Find a Cruise does accept paid advertising from multiple sites. Our partners who list cruise pricing are required to provide prices for cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included in the price shown. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. Fuel supplement may apply. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. In addition, average cruise prices are updated nightly. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. Cruise Critic is not responsible for content on external web sites.

 

Therefore, removed posts in this thread regarding CruisePlum have been restored.

 

Happy sails to all,

 

Host Kat

[Toofarfromthesea]

11 hours ago, Host Kat said:

CruisePlum is NOT a TA and they do NOT book cruises. From their website:

 

 

If you decide to book a cruise found with their search engine, their site takes you directly to the cruise line site for booking. They are just a search engine such as our very own Cruise Critic Find a Cruise.

 

However, Cruise Critic Find a Cruise does accept paid advertising from multiple sites. Our partners who list cruise pricing are required to provide prices for cruise only, per person, double occupancy, and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings. Taxes, fees and port expenses are not included in the price shown. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. Fuel supplement may apply. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. In addition, average cruise prices are updated nightly. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site. Listed prices may have blackout dates, qualifications or restrictions. Cruise Critic is not responsible for content on external web sites.

 

Therefore, removed posts in this thread regarding CruisePlum have been restored.

 

Happy sails to all,

 

Host Kat

 

Thank you.