Are shipboard gifts from TA normal?

[Poohb]

On our first 2 cruises, our TA gave us a little gift in our room. Once was a bottle of wine, the 2nd was shipboard credit. The 3rd time, a 2 week cruise thru the Panama Canal, we received nothing. We were a little disappointed. Were these gifts an unusual occurence or should we expect something every trip. We cruise 2x a year now, last one booked directly w/RC on ship w/out credit to our TA since we didn't get a 'gift'. Other than original booking, she did nothing. I arranged the airfair. Were we wrong? Thanx

[Cruise_Couple]

On our first cruise we received a bottle of champagne from our travel agent. On our second cruise ( we used a different agent) we received nothing. I guess it is nice if you get it but I wouldn't use or not use a particular agent because of the "gift". Good service is far more important to us and we would choose an agent based on that. We are now experienced travellers (business and pleasure) and do all our own booking without an agent.

[MadDog Cruiser]

For all bookings made through our TA, we have received wine, flowers, or on-board credit. I really believe though, that it depends on your TA. We've done business with ours for over 10 years... Do we expect it? No, but are always surprised when our TA goes the extra mile to make our cruise rewarding.

[anniev3]

Being a former travel agent myself....I can tell you from experience that quite OFTEN the TA orders a gift and the cruise line FAILS to deliver it.

This happens more often then you can imagine. :(

 

Now that I have retired from travel we have been using the same TA for 5 years and she always sends a gift. However, she does pay this out of her own pocket as the agency no longer carries a budget for cruise gifts. She also mentions it to us before we leave so we can be sure to look into it if nothing is delivered.

 

Always call and thank your travel agent for a gift if they send one or it is a really nice touch to send him-her a postcard from the cruise!

[Retired LEO]

I've never received anything. I never expected anything so I never missed anything.

[Murphy]

My TA used to send something for every booking. We got champagne in cabin, wine at dinner, and once she ordered the anniversary decoration package. She still sends us something as I was her first actual booking (Gosh, if I'd know that at the time, I would have run away!), but she tells me they can't afford to do this any longer with the change of commissions and not getting any commission for airline bookings etc. So they don't start the option with any new clients. I will say even if she stopped sending us something, I'd stick with her. They honor every price drop, every coupon, and every change I make without a bat of the eye and without a cancellation/change fee. That's what I pay her for, not for token bottle of wine.

[1luv2cruz]

We have used 2 different travel agents, and both cruises received nothing :confused:

[Cruising89143]

It can vary from TA to TA. I have had some that sent a bottle of wine and others nothing. I do not expect anything. My TA also does not charge any kind of fees for changes or cancellations. I would much rather have all of the things mentioned above over a gift.

[anniev3]

My TA used to send something for every booking. We got champagne in cabin, wine at dinner, and once she ordered the anniversary decoration package. She still sends us something as I was her first actual booking (Gosh, if I'd know that at the time, I would have run away!), but she tells me they can't afford to do this any longer with the change of commissions and not getting any commission for airline bookings etc. So they don't start the option with any new clients. I will say even if she stopped sending us something, I'd stick with her. They honor every price drop, every coupon, and every change I make without a bat of the eye and without a cancellation/change fee. That's what I pay her for, not for token bottle of wine.

 

 

You sound like a lovely customer Murphy!;)

[rucruisn2]

I used the same TA for 4 cruises, plus referred friends to her. never got anything, not even a "Thank you" I am now using another TA. Don't expect a gift. but common curtesy would be nice.

[CruiseDreaming]

On all of our cruises our TA has always sent a gift, It's very thoughtful of her. But on our last 2 cruises, the "gift card" was blank. I know she sent them but it was not marked. This also happened with gifts I sent to other rooms that I ordered in advance. Each stateroom received my gift but they didn't know who it was from. I wonder how often this occurs.

 

Kerrie:)

[Janice M]

Our TA always has a bottle of wine delivered to our room. On one cruise it never got there, so when we got home we told her and she made arrangements to have it delivered to our house. She did tell us before hand to expect a bottle of wine in the room.

 

Jan

[BPWJR]

2 cruises taken with current TA and something in room both times & she let me know to expect 'something' before we left.

 

When I get back for cruise, follow-up with Thank You and confirmation of next booking (I book on-board and then work through her - easier for me than RC customer service) and give her review of the gift. Have kids with us & not wine drinkers, so some other type gift usually. She tells me she appreciates the feedback as to what to & not to give to others.

 

Last trip, the little raspberry cake was just too sweet & frosting covered; came to find out not the one she ordered & she knows not that route again.

[Browezilla]

After 13 cruises with multiple TAs, I haven't received a gift. In general I believe it is because I use discount TAs that cut the price as thin as possible (from their commission). Now that cruiselines are making that harder and harder for them to do, some are now offering bonus gifts to book with them, e.g. wine packages, mastercard gift cards, etc. It is a way they can "discount" the cruise w/o really changing the price.

 

I prefer a better price over a gift any day. I get "repeater" type gifts from the cruise line that I usually donate to an "islander" or give to a charity at home.

[beachrus4]

When you have a received bottle of wine as a gift in your stateroom, does it come with a wine opener? Or, do you have to take it to the dining room then pay a corkage fee?

 

Thanks.

[Cruise_Couple]

A RCCL logo corkscrew was very nicely provided to us by the cruiseline. They placed it right alongside our bottle in our stateroom! I seriously came away from that 7 day cruise without finding one single thing to complain about!

[cruisin' 4 fun]

We have lucked out wwith our TA as well. We usually get a small gift, and on one trip, we not only got their gift, we got a treat from the abr manager one night, and a different service manager the next night. I actualy went and checked our on-board account, not for a charge for these things, but to see if we suddenly had bought a round for the ship or something. Nope. They just liked us, and definately helped make it nicer that it already was.

 

Also, some underhanded people may try to get a free gft from their T/As by telling them when they are booking that it's for their anniversary/birthday/other special celebration. A good T/A will pick up on that and send a gift. Most probably don't care too much if it's true or not either. It adds up, but also can reinforce the sale and "keep 'em coming back".

[karessamom]

For our first cruise, our TA gave us a large duffle bag and a carry bag, (both had TA's company logo on it.) plus i think some other little "goodies" not quite sure. didn't expect anything so it was a nice surprise--got this when we picked up our docs. Don't know what if anything we'll get this time--again don't expect anything.

[Jeanie821]

Gee, and I thought it was just my TA. I walked into my stateroom and found a "Chocolate Delight" (a plate of gourmet, handmade chocolates) and a bottle of sparkling cider (no champagne; most born-again Christians don't drink alcohol), compliments of the travel agent who set up the group cruise! It was so nice of her, considering she busted her tail helping our group leader put this together!

[deltachi96]

We got a honeymoon package from our TA on our honeymoon cruise. When we got to our room, there was 2 bottles of champaign and 2 plates of chocolat covered strawberries as well as 2 honeymoon cards. Neither of which said who they were from. It took us 2 weeks after the cruise to find out one was from the TA and the other was from my wife's parents.

On our group cruises, the TA usually throws a party for us on the ship with one hour of open bar. That is a good time!!!!!

 

We do not look for the gift but it is a nice touch.

[wolfganghowell]

9 cruises we have gotten a bottle of wine as a nice token except for the cruise we took in October 2001. Instead when we received our cruise package they had a note that because of "current circumstances" they apologized that they could not provide a gift but that they thanked us for the business. I thought it was very smart that they acknowledged the reason for it, we knew not to expect it and certainly at that sad moment in time we all know that every small business was struggling to keep moving forward. We also booked with them for New Years 99-00 when the prices were OUTRAGEOUS so we are the "favorite" client since we were the only Y2K client (hey- we're not stupid, it was our honeymoon and the extras on that cruise were unbelievable). We appreciate the bottle of wine and either drink it ourselves, bring it home to drink or regift it if it's not a vintage we like. Best of all we love the service and personal attention - she too will look for price drops, always get our preferences on room and dining table and fill us in on anything we need to know about the ship or the itinerary.