loz527 Posted July 15 #1 Share Posted July 15 I am currently on a HOLLAND American line cruise. They offer an OBC credit if you book a future cruise before the current cruise is over. I would like to know if this OBC can still be obtained even if I use my personal agent for my booking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare richwmn Posted July 15 #2 Share Posted July 15 11 minutes ago, loz527 said: I am currently on a HOLLAND American line cruise. They offer an OBC credit if you book a future cruise before the current cruise is over. I would like to know if this OBC can still be obtained even if I use my personal agent for my booking? You have to book with the onboard Cruise Consultant, but the future booking will be assigned to the agent on file for the cruise you are on unless you request otherwise 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellencruise Posted July 15 #3 Share Posted July 15 I book onboard almost every time, receive the extra OBC, and within days my TA sends over an email with all the cruise info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 15 #4 Share Posted July 15 Be sure you write down or get a printout of the booking and benefits details from the Future Cruise Consultant and compare with the confirmation you receive from your Travel Agent. You also can select "no travel agent" at time of booking, get a HAL confirm, then complete the one form booking transfer form within 60 days if you want to shop around for a travel agency and see who might be able to give you an even better deal than onboard. We have now found the agency that does best by us, but we found them through "shopping" the onboard booking and then transferring it (getting the great cash back discount our travel agency offers and keeping all the onboard benefits attached to the booking with the Future Cruise Consultant). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz527 Posted July 15 Author #5 Share Posted July 15 Then If I book with the FCC (future cruise consultant) on the cruise, (future cruise OBC is $350.) If I then get a better deal thru a TA, do they transfer the booking to the TA and would I still get the $350 OBC and the same cabin if I want it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 15 #6 Share Posted July 15 12 minutes ago, loz527 said: Then If I book with the FCC (future cruise consultant) on the cruise, (future cruise OBC is $350.) If I then get a better deal thru a TA, do they transfer the booking to the TA and would I still get the $350 OBC and the same cabin if I want it? Yes. That has been my recent experience. When you book onboard tell them to keep the booking direct with HAL if you don’t know which agent you want to use. If your current sailing has an agent assigned and you want to change, be sure to tell the Future Cruise Consultant to make the booking direct with HAL. Once you are ready to transfer the booking to the travel agency of your choice, you fill out the transfer form, email it to HAL and they will process the transfer, which will come over to the selected agency with all details of the onboard deposit, OBC from HAL, and the details of cabin etc. as chosen onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Haljo1935 Posted July 15 #7 Share Posted July 15 1 hour ago, loz527 said: Then If I book with the FCC (future cruise consultant) on the cruise, (future cruise OBC is $350.) If I then get a better deal thru a TA, do they transfer the booking to the TA and would I still get the $350 OBC and the same cabin if I want it? Yes, terms of the booking stays intact unless your TA changes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz527 Posted July 15 Author #8 Share Posted July 15 Right, but Agent has lower price for the same category. HAL will still honor their OBC,etc?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 15 #9 Share Posted July 15 3 minutes ago, loz527 said: Right, but Agent has lower price for the same category. HAL will still honor their OBC,etc?? Yes. The lower price will simply be the agency taking some of its commission and passing it to their end consumer, you. HAL’s financial interest remains the same as does whatever they offered as benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz527 Posted July 16 Author #10 Share Posted July 16 How can I find a good TA? My last TA does NOTHING for me after he gets the deal, and is Always on vacation when I call! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted July 16 #11 Share Posted July 16 What we have done, several times with various cruise lines including HAL, is to e-mail (for the ship) our two favorite cruise agencies/agents; given them the details of the potential onboard booking deal, and ask "how will they enhance the booking if we have it assigned to that agency." Our favored agencies do get back to us within hours. On one HAL cruise, I actually called my favorite cruise agent and asked her how much OBC she could add to an onboard reservation (we were considering) and her answer (several thousand dollars and go ahead and take the onboard deal). If your TA "does nothing" you should be doing nothing with that TA! I am often amazed at how many cruisers tell me about their awful TAs, but then continue to use those TAs because of some silly loyalty thing. I sometimes tease (but it is serious) our favorite TAs that our loyalty is only as good as the current booking. With HAL bookings, we generally expect to get at least 7% (of the cruise price) back in OBC...and often can negotiate 10%. Our best deal, ever, was when we booked a Grand Cruise on the Prinsendam and got over $2500 in OBC plus pre-paid gratuities. The deals are out there (with good agencies) for those that seek them out. Hank 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaMatesNYC Posted July 16 #12 Share Posted July 16 7 minutes ago, Hlitner said: With HAL bookings, we generally expect to get at least 7% (of the cruise price) back in OBC...and often can negotiate 10%. Agree. On longer voyage (14+ days) fares that HAL is not yet discounting, our current TA is averaging 11% rebate (price reduction, not OBC) on the commissionable revenue (fare), not including the taxes/fees/insurance. Look for a TA that meets your needs. And no, I can’t tell you who my TA is in this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted July 17 #13 Share Posted July 17 On 7/16/2024 at 9:58 AM, SeaMatesNYC said: Agree. On longer voyage (14+ days) fares that HAL is not yet discounting, our current TA is averaging 11% rebate (price reduction, not OBC) on the commissionable revenue (fare), not including the taxes/fees/insurance. Look for a TA that meets your needs. And no, I can’t tell you who my TA is in this forum. This does beg the question (I have asked for decades) why on earth anyone would book directly with a cruise line. In a sense, they are paying as much as 10% more...for that action. I have sometimes compared it to a person paying the sticker price for a car...simply because they like the salesperson. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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