Do TA's provide benefits for European cruisers?

[Miss_Confused]

Hi all,

I always read about people saying that using a TA is better, that you get OBC, etc. but most of those posts are made from North American citizens. I have a European passport and have always booked my trips directly but starting to wonder if I am missing a trick here

 

Any tips as a EU person, for getting the best offers or extra OBC?

 

Thank you!!! 

[beatnix]

I book with an TA in Germany. No OBC but 3 % cash back.

[tonyl1956]

We ue a UK TA, who gives a discount, or 'cashback' as they call it.

[blag]

I always refer our onboard bookings to a TA, and on would always choose to use a TA for bookings not made while on board.

A good TA will provide good support if and when problems arise.

Furthermore, in my experience not only can they can procure some great deals (particularly for last-minute bookings), but also can provide insight and support for peripheral matters like transfers.

[Miss_Confused]

Thats really interesting @beatnix @tonyl1956 , how did you find your TAs? Did they have the offer visible online or is it something one needs to ask directly?

 

@blag think Im just not a very trusting person haha, find that usually the person to fight the hardest for myself is me. Would be very different of course if I was looking for planning help, then a TA can be great

[blag]

2 minutes ago, Miss_Confused said:

Thats really interesting @beatnix @tonyl1956 , how did you find your TAs? Did they have the offer visible online or is it something one needs to ask directly?

 

@blag think Im just not a very trusting person haha, find that usually the person to fight the hardest for myself is me. Would be very different of course if I was looking for planning help, then a TA can be great

As I said, a good TA can save you both money and stress. I am not a control freak and am happy to use a cruise specialist rather than deal direct, even after booking on board. I do not have a great deal of confidence in Azamara's onshore staff.

When it comes to flights and hotels, however, these almost always self-booked. 

[Belfastman]

We have used TA's in the past but never now. I found that they didnt offer anything to enhance my booking experience but did have a few negatives. They required the balance paid about a month earlier than if booked direct and if you booked a flight package you could only pick seats a few weeks before departure and the flights were not always the one you would have picked youself.

[Grandma Cruising]

We book onboard then transfer tge booking to out TA, who just happens to be our daughter. She doesn’t give us any discount, but we feel that we are helping her and her family with the commission she gets. She often organises other bits of our holiday and in that case we are covered by ATOL (in the UK ATOL applies if an operator books 2 or more elements from an ATOL member). We also know that if we have any problems, she will sort them out for us.

[beatnix]

42 minutes ago, Miss_Confused said:

Thats really interesting @beatnix @tonyl1956 , how did you find your TAs? Did they have the offer visible online or is it something one needs to ask directly?

It was a recommendation of guys we met on an Azamara cruise. And they have it also on their website.

But I am very happy with them so I book with them because of their performance and not because of the cash back. And they have also cruised with Azamara so they know the product.

[blag]

34 minutes ago, Belfastman said:

They required the balance paid about a month earlier than if booked direct

My experience is that via a TA we pay about 90 days before embarkation, but if cashflow is critical, even that is 'flexible' with a TA!

[tonyl1956]

@Miss_Confused Maybe not the best of reasons but a relative of a good friend worked for our TA, so we started putting business their way! I have no idea whether they constitute 'good', but I do like the extra discount they can offer.

 

Ours requires the balance a week before Azamara's date.

 

We have never booked flights with the TA. I normally ask for a quotation and their prices always seem higher than direct airline bookings.

[Host Jazzbeau]

It's also possible for Europeans to book through US travel agencies (thanks to the internet and email).  You give up the EU or UK consumer protections and you take the risk that currency rates will change against you, but you often get lower prices and the ability to cancel and rebook when prices go down.  Also US travel agents do not take your payments – they simply use your credit card info on the cruise line website to pay directly on your behalf.  And finally, good ones give good service (which can be advice beforehand or a rescue if things go pear shaped) plus cash back.  IMHO the downsides are minimal and the upsides are very worthwhile.

 

But unfortunately Cruise Critic rules mean that none of us can tell you (or hint at) our travel agent's name or contact info.  For that, conversations onboard are your best bet.

[Dynacruiser]

13 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

It's also possible for Europeans to book through US travel agencies (thanks to the internet and email).  You give up the EU or UK consumer protections and you take the risk that currency rates will change against you, but you often get lower prices and the ability to cancel and rebook when prices go down.  Also US travel agents do not take your payments – they simply use your credit card info on the cruise line website to pay directly on your behalf.  And finally, good ones give good service (which can be advice beforehand or a rescue if things go pear shaped) plus cash back.  IMHO the downsides are minimal and the upsides are very worthwhile.

 

But unfortunately Cruise Critic rules mean that none of us can tell you (or hint at) our travel agent's name or contact info.  For that, conversations onboard are your best bet.

 

 

Interesting.

 

If Europeans book through US agencies, do they also enjoy the lower penalty if they cancel the cruise before full payment (is it $75 for US and $500 for UK?), or does that amount depend on the country of origin of the person?

 

And I also wonder, is it worth for US folks to look at booking through travel agencies in other Countries (Canada?) if there are better deals?   I don't think I have read anything about US cruisers booking outside of the US, so probably no better deals available.

[uktog]

15 minutes ago, Dynacruiser said:

 

 

Interesting.

 

If Europeans book through US agencies, do they also enjoy the lower penalty if they cancel the cruise before full payment (is it $75 for US and $500 for UK?), or does that amount depend on the country of origin of the person?

 

And I also wonder, is it worth for US folks to look at booking through travel agencies in other Countries (Canada?) if there are better deals?   I don't think I have read anything about US cruisers booking outside of the US, so probably no better deals available.

They certainly get the lower cancellation charges but lose all the protections and take the currency hit if the exchange rate moves as Jazzbeau highlights so its swings and roundabouts 

[Host Jazzbeau]

15 minutes ago, uktog said:

They certainly get the lower cancellation charges but lose all the protections and take the currency hit if the exchange rate moves as Jazzbeau highlights so its swings and roundabouts 

The savings can be very great though.  I recently booked a land tour of Italy with an Australian tour provider.  They quoted me in USD and when I did the math compared to their website's AUD pricing I saw that I could save a lot – at the time of deposit.  When I made the final payment my savings had shrunk, but I still came out ahead.

[blag]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

but you often get lower prices and the ability to cancel and rebook when prices go down.

As an individual who no longer has the benefit of a good income, I have to be very careful about how I spend my money. Therefore I undertake much research so as to optimise value. Our only luxury is travel. For me price is less important than that nebulous quality: value.

Holidays are important to me, and I want yo ensure that I have booked in an environment that provides me with prompt, effective and efficient support when and where necessary. 

In the past I have sought quotations from numerous US providers, but although their strategy seems to be to offer more OBC than their European counterparts, the overall value (in my experience) offers marginal cost advantage.

And, of course, there are downsides:

1: The time difference between Europe (including UK) and the US can be frustrating if you must speak to an agent (and see 6, below);

2: if your current agent is good (and ours - now retired - was exceptional), maybe the US provider will not meet the standards to which you have become accustomed;

3: exchange rate fluctuations may not work to your advantage;

4: consumer protection is probably significantly less;

5: cancelling and rebooking via an European agent can be more expensive, but, nevertheless, is practicable;

6: astonishingly, some* US agents cannot make telephone calls to overseas numbers, but unless you ask for this information it is not declared;

7: "As the saying goes" You get what you pay for";

8: finally, as a potential client once said to me "Sir, there is always someone cheaper".

 

* I don't recall specifics. 

 

[hamrag]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

They certainly get the lower cancellation charges but lose all the protections and take the currency hit if the exchange rate moves as Jazzbeau highlights so its swings and roundabouts 

I must confess the UK protections are worth very little to us! In the US our payments are made directly to the cruiseline, so loss can only occur if they go belly up. 'Catastrophic' events are covered by insurance. If currency moves adversely in a significant way, you are able to cancel with no or minimal penalty and we never book flights before final payment.

 

I'm with Jazz...the savings often are immense in our experience, and the risks minimal. Any OBC provided by the TA is generally refundable, so no need to spend it on exorbitant mark ups for the sake of using it up.

Edited August 16 by hamrag

[Grandma Cruising]

Booking flights only when final payment is due can be risky, depending on where the cruise starts and finishes.
For us, it it includes a long haul flight, we often use Avios points to upgrade to Business Class. In order to get BA ‘reward’ flights you usually need to book as soon as flights are released (355 days ahead).

For short haul flights we need extra leg room seats. My DH has a spinal problem, so can’t use exit row seats. Therefore there are few seats we can book and these tend to get booked very quickly so we always book our flights as soon as they are released if possible.

[hamrag]

3 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Booking flights only when final payment is due can be risky, depending on where the cruise starts and finishes.
For us, it it includes a long haul flight, we often use Avios points to upgrade to Business Class. In order to get BA ‘reward’ flights you usually need to book as soon as flights are released (355 days ahead).

For short haul flights we need extra leg room seats. My DH has a spinal problem, so can’t use exit row seats. Therefore there are few seats we can book and these tend to get booked very quickly so we always book our flights as soon as they are released if possible.

I can honestly say we've never encountered any problems and, within reason, pricing doesn't increase much on long haul. On occasion, if it's easyjet, ryanair or vueling we do book the basic flight and then sort luggage costs etc. after final payment.

 

We steer clear of BA where possible, certainly long haul and don't collect Avios.

[Catchum]

Normally we would never use TA but did on our last azamara as the package with short haul flights and transfers was cheaper. We booked again on board contacted the TA to see what they would offer and they gave us an extra £400 off the cost so we made the transfer. OBC is not real money so cash off the bottom line is our preferred option. We will be booking our own flights as it is long haul and I have OCD as far as travelling is concerned. 

 

Sign up for promotions from UK cruise travel agents,Google is your friend. You will then get 4 or 5 brochures through your letter box a day. Phone a couple ask questions about something basic like is there a self service laundry on board and make a decision on who you are comfortable with.

[john1970]

I've used the same UK agent for a very long time. The main advantage to me is the time I save in not having to deal with Azamara and their website/back office. I also get consumer protection and my payments are taken directly by Azamara via the UK agent. They do discount slightly and their admin is good. When my Black Sea cruise became a Greece intensive they quickly got me a full refund using their agent contact quoting package travel regulations. Until Azamara get a website and back office that is consumer friendly I would not book direct.

[blag]

4 minutes ago, john1970 said:

Until Azamara get a website and back office that is consumer friendly I would not book direct.

Unless, perhaps, for a booking made on board?

[Grandma Cruising]

11 hours ago, blag said:

Unless, perhaps, for a booking made on board?

Then swiftly transferred to your TA

[blag]

9 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Then swiftly transferred to your TA

Exactly!