TA or VV Rep

[bencruzN]

We don't have a travel agent that we use on a regular.  Usually, I do the travel booking and organizing for DH and I, sometimes for friends and family. The last TA we used for a land vacation, I wouldn't use again.   I know sometimes TAs can offer up some perks, but does the cruise line TA offer perks?  We're looking to book our first VV cruise for next year, getting away from Carnival and Royal.  Thanks

[cantgetin]

VV calls the TAs who have taken their training, etc. "First Mates."  I would STRONGLY recommend using one; the one I use was ranked as one of the top 10 in 2023.  People with the rank of "Gold Tier" have completed extensive training on VV and met a bunch of requirements--again look for that.  Yes, TAs can sometimes offer some perks.  I don't think they are allowed to refund you a bit of their commission as OBC the way some other lines allow, but there are times they can get you some OBC for booking within a certain time period of an on line thing, get a bottle of wine or some bar tab because they have a certain number of cabins booked on your cruise dates, etc. Some buy up future cruise certificates on VV because they are transferrable--they can sell one to you at their cost and you can collect the discounts and perks associated with that even if it is your first cruise.  There is A LOT to learn about VV that is different than other lines...for that, check out YouTube.  I like a channel called "Where's Walter Travels."  He has a couple of excellent videos on VV...one general, one on food, etc. The ships are basically the same.  Here is one of his videos. 

We are not allowed to recommend TAs on Cruise Critic.  I would suggest that you look at other social media sites where it is allowed.

[MeganGC1983]

5 hours ago, bencruzN said:

We don't have a travel agent that we use on a regular.  Usually, I do the travel booking and organizing for DH and I, sometimes for friends and family. The last TA we used for a land vacation, I wouldn't use again.   I know sometimes TAs can offer up some perks, but does the cruise line TA offer perks?  We're looking to book our first VV cruise for next year, getting away from Carnival and Royal.  Thanks

Sailor Service through VV can only offer you the current promotion, same as what you can book online yourself. 
TAs offer have extra incentives as well as most of the top ones will book your dining for you and offer other services. 

[bdever]

I second Cantgetin. Watch the video they posted! 

Edited March 27 by bdever

[CruisingWalter]

TAs make your life so much easier to be honest. We have cruised for almost 20 years and have always used a TA. The biggest advantage is not having to call the cruise lines ourselves to do anything. They take care of it. And if we really need to take things to a higher level to get a situation taken care of, they have direct contacts at all of the cruise lines.  

 

And in the case of VV, having them take care of our dining reservations is worth their weight in gold. VV's app can make it incredibly challenging to book dining reservations when they open. So long as the booking engine is working for the TA, they can usually make your reservations pretty quickly. 

 

And our TA never charges us a dime so why wouldn't we use their expertise and connections?  🙂

[CruisingWalter]

On 3/26/2024 at 6:22 PM, cantgetin said:

I like a channel called "Where's Walter Travels."  He has a couple of excellent videos on VV...one general, one on food, etc.

Thanks for the kind words. Every time I'm on a ladyship I get so many compliments on that particular video. And so many Sailors will tell me they tried Virgin for the first time because of that video. It's super cool. 

[raphael360]

TA question:  Can TAs log into their First Mate portal to see and select from any of the rooms available in specific categories?

[Wildcatllamas]

1 hour ago, raphael360 said:

TA question:  Can TAs log into their First Mate portal to see and select from any of the rooms available in specific categories?

Yes they can. It's very easy.

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, raphael360 said:

TA question:  Can TAs log into their First Mate portal to see and select from any of the rooms available in specific categories?

Yes--this is one of the biggest points in favor of using a TA.

[CruisingWalter]

On 4/2/2024 at 7:54 AM, raphael360 said:

TA question:  Can TAs log into their First Mate portal to see and select from any of the rooms available in specific categories?

Absolutely, its one of the best reasons to use a TA.  They can also move your cabins around if you booked directly and then transfer your booking to the TA.  

 

Additionally TAs can book your dinner reservations so you don't have to deal with the app, and they can book Shore Things for you as well. 

[raphael360]

21 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

Absolutely, its one of the best reasons to use a TA.  They can also move your cabins around if you booked directly and then transfer your booking to the TA.  

 

Additionally TAs can book your dinner reservations so you don't have to deal with the app, and they can book Shore Things for you as well. 

Walter, you always offer the best advice - thank you! 🙂 

[kiefaber455]

I assume that the TA you are using is someone local to where you live. I  tend to shop around for TA's on online sites and see who can give me the best prices and most on board credit.

it has worked so far, but what I have found is that once you book a reservation, you very rarely speak with that TA again, if you have an questions or problems, someone else handles whatever issue you have. 

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, kiefaber455 said:

I assume that the TA you are using is someone local to where you live. I  tend to shop around for TA's on online sites and see who can give me the best prices and most on board credit.

it has worked so far, but what I have found is that once you book a reservation, you very rarely speak with that TA again, if you have an questions or problems, someone else handles whatever issue you have. 

Not at all.  I use a person I met on line, although we have since met in person on the cruise....and she gives excellent, personalized service at all hours.

[CruisingWalter]

On 4/4/2024 at 7:30 AM, kiefaber455 said:

it has worked so far, but what I have found is that once you book a reservation, you very rarely speak with that TA again,

Sounds like you're working with a discount cruise site or a big box cruise site. But that happens when you're just 'shopping the field for the best deal.' You're better off sticking to the 'cheap cruise websites' for that. When you say you're shopping for the most onboard credit I assume you're just looking for TAs who have MNVVs to sell. That's not how you build a relationship with a TA.

 

When you work with a really good TA they are there with you from the time you book through the time you return home. And then they start to know you so they can find vacations that might appeal to you on cruise lines and on land.  We worked with the same TA for almost 20 years and you build that relationship that pays far more dividends than shopping for the best onboard credit. I know our TA has saved their clients hundreds and thousands of dollars on overall vacations beyond just the cruise and/or onboard credit. 

 

And for those who say you should find a local TA, that's not bad, but with today's digital age, our TA is servicing clients all over the US and even some clients abroad. WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet all make face to face meetings so easy with the added benefit of screen sharing. You can find a good TA most anywhere today. 🙂

[Gretchendz]

On 4/4/2024 at 5:30 AM, kiefaber455 said:

I assume that the TA you are using is someone local to where you live. I  tend to shop around for TA's on online sites and see who can give me the best prices and most on board credit.

it has worked so far, but what I have found is that once you book a reservation, you very rarely speak with that TA again, if you have an questions or problems, someone else handles whatever issue you have. 

Totally  depends on the TA you choose. Will some book you and forget you? Yes. FIND another. Lots of us will give you the same deals and be available and send you tips and secrets. 

Even better if they still Virgin themselves. 

[cantgetin]

If you aren't getting service from your TA or just don't mesh well with that person, find another.  The TA I use has been in the top 10 agents on VV for 2022 and 2023....and didn't get there by ignoring customers.  Sometimes I get enough reminders that it could be a pain....but how hard is it to delete an email?  She also computer tracks all her bookings, and if there is a price drop will contact her clients with the details (change in perks? whatever  else.) and see whether you want the new deal.  On one cruise, I saved $400 and picked up some bar tab.  I also get basic reminders like booking dinners, etc.  Some are silly, but rather too many than too few.  And then there are those nice notices like "I've achieved 10 cabin booking on your (date) cruise, which means we now constitute a circle.  Each cabin will be seeing a bottle of bubbly to recognize this.  Thank you for trusting me with your booking."   Hey, every little bit helps.

 

And no, we aren't allowed to name agents here.

[DCGuy64]

We always use a TA for our cruises. In addition to being a personal friend and former co-worker, he travels a lot and is a solid cruiser. The best part for us is that he doesn't work for any cruise line, so no need to have a personal cruise consultant for each of the lines we cruise with. He was able to select a specific cabin for us on VV, which I understand you can't do if you book on our own. The other thing that is invaluable about him is that he ALWAYS responds quickly to emails. Average response time (and no, I'm not making this up) is about 10 minutes. He's even responded quickly while on vacation himself. I asked him about rebooking a cruise (the one we had booked was suddenly cancelled) and I got the new booking confirmation from the cruise line within minutes, even before he'd emailed to say it was done. Hands down use a TA.

[cantgetin]

Exactly, the above is the kind of service I'm used to from my TA....and especially the part about knowing and cruising multiple lines and giving personal advice.

[CineGraphic]

I love the way my TA does business so much that I came out of retirement and  joined their team! Good service is more important than the absolute  lowest price.

Edited April 11 by CineGraphic

[cantgetin]

4 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

Good service is more important than the absolute  lowest price.

And most of the time, the difference between the great service price and the absolute lowest price is minimal or nothing.  20 years ago, I saw an ad in an AAA magazine for what looked like a great cruise price.  I called my full service TA and asked if they had anything similar.  She replied that they had exactly the same deal except that it could be booked then rather than waiting for the dates in the ad.  That was my lesson in not jumping at what appears to be a "special" deal; it is very rarely exclusive.

 

[ZsaZsa2019]

On 4/10/2024 at 9:02 PM, cantgetin said:

If you aren't getting service from your TA or just don't mesh well with that person, find another.  The TA I use has been in the top 10 agents on VV for 2022 and 2023....and didn't get there by ignoring customers.  Sometimes I get enough reminders that it could be a pain....but how hard is it to delete an email?  She also computer tracks all her bookings, and if there is a price drop will contact her clients with the details (change in perks? whatever  else.) and see whether you want the new deal.  On one cruise, I saved $400 and picked up some bar tab.  I also get basic reminders like booking dinners, etc.  Some are silly, but rather too many than too few.  And then there are those nice notices like "I've achieved 10 cabin booking on your (date) cruise, which means we now constitute a circle.  Each cabin will be seeing a bottle of bubbly to recognize this.  Thank you for trusting me with your booking."   Hey, every little bit helps.

 

And no, we aren't allowed to name agents here.

 

I understand you can't name agents here, but if I were to want to find a good agent like you have, how would I go about finding them?  I feel like there will be a ton online, and not sure all are good choices.

[cantgetin]

3 minutes ago, ZsaZsa2019 said:

 

I understand you can't name agents here, but if I were to want to find a good agent like you have, how would I go about finding them?  I feel like there will be a ton online, and not sure all are good choices.

OK, VV did a celebration cruise for the top 100 agents then a separate ceremony recognizing the top 10 agents.  My agent is one of the top 10...but when I tried to google the celebration, it didn't list the names.  What I would do is go to sites like YouTube or Instagram and some good agents put stuff there.  Ask questions--were they in the top 100?  How much have they cruised VV?  Are they a Gold Tier agent (meaning have completed a bunch of VV training).   
This is a link to my favorite video about VV.  I like to send new people to it because it was accurate as of the time of posting (there have been small changes since then...menus and such...and it is a "let me give you the info," not "LOOK AT ME."  

I lucked into mine--she answered a question on line and sounded experienced so I asked her if she was an agent...and the found out how good she is.  But there are lots of good people out there.  I truly wish I could name her, but that would get me banished from CC, so......

Tootles!

[Gretchendz]

7 hours ago, ZsaZsa2019 said:

 

I understand you can't name agents here, but if I were to want to find a good agent like you have, how would I go about finding them?  I feel like there will be a ton online, and not sure all are good choices.

 

Other online travel forums that focus on Virgin allow recommendations for TAs. Cruise Critic does not.

[ZsaZsa2019]

On 4/19/2024 at 9:52 AM, cantgetin said:

OK, VV did a celebration cruise for the top 100 agents then a separate ceremony recognizing the top 10 agents.  My agent is one of the top 10...but when I tried to google the celebration, it didn't list the names.  What I would do is go to sites like YouTube or Instagram and some good agents put stuff there.  Ask questions--were they in the top 100?  How much have they cruised VV?  Are they a Gold Tier agent (meaning have completed a bunch of VV training).   
This is a link to my favorite video about VV.  I like to send new people to it because it was accurate as of the time of posting (there have been small changes since then...menus and such...and it is a "let me give you the info," not "LOOK AT ME."  

I lucked into mine--she answered a question on line and sounded experienced so I asked her if she was an agent...and the found out how good she is.  But there are lots of good people out there.  I truly wish I could name her, but that would get me banished from CC, so......

Tootles!

I stumbled upon a list of top 10 travel advisors for 2023 so I might be going in the right direction. 
 

Also, watched the YouTube-great info!