RCCL or Travel Agent

[bygoner]

I have only used a travel agent onc e for my first cruise. Didn,t receive any special goodies and also assumed I was getting a fair price. Have no idea whether I did or not. The next 2 cruises I booked direct with RCCL and on the cruise coming up in October I received a $100 off the cabin price because I called on a special day. I would be interested to find out how most people book. TA,s because they might give extra goodies (so I have read on this board) or direct with RCCL.

[cb at sea]

I think most people book their 1st cruise with TA--just because they don't know how to go about the whole thing! (That was my case, anyway!!) After that--I book everything myself--not only cruises, but land trips, as well. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes a part of the excitement! We do Vegas alot, and booking shows, flights, rooms, etc... is what gets my blood moving!

Most of the time, the "goodies" a TA may include are simply "feel-good" things--with no real value to me. (I mean, a bottle of Champagne isn't worth it, to me!)

I enjoy being able to call RCI and make changes, ask questions, get confirmations, etc... without having to go through someone else.

[packandgo]

After many cruises I tend to still use a TA not only for the goodies such as wine and champagne, flowers, shipboard credits, and casino credits but they are also very useful if you have any problems on your cruise. For example, on one cruise I had fallen from a chair that was broken that should had been removed from the Lido deck and had scrathed my leg badly. I had to go to their doctor who charged me a fee for treatment on board. After I returned home I told my TA about it and she immediately took care of the problem by getting me a refund on the doctor's fee, and they also gave me a free cruise! Having a TA is very useful when you have a problematic situation.

[mercedesmom2002]

We have a cruise booked on the Navigator 11/24/07 with a group of at least 24 people. I called our TA Weds. to get it transferred. She called me yesterday to say she called RCI 4 times and kept getting transferred around and they finally told her it had to be someone from our group call to get it transferred to her. Now I'm a little leery, am I making the right choice? I feel better having a TA since it's a group, so that if anything goes wrong they can't all blame me. We've used her twice before and she's always done right by us so I'm hoping it'll be ok. I also went direct through RCI before and had no trouble, but that was just a few of us, not this many.

 

Also, can anyone tell me if we book with a TA, can we still see our stuff on the RCI website. Can we still make direct payments by calling RCI and/or doing it through the website or does everything have to go through the TA then?

 

What do you think? I haven't made the call yet...

 

Sue

[LizC]

I use my US Airway (America West) Travel Agent they get me great Air miles there are often deals . So I can travel more !:D

[negc]

We have a cruise booked on the Navigator 11/24/07 with a group of at least 24 people. I called our TA Weds. to get it transferred. She called me yesterday to say she called RCI 4 times and kept getting transferred around and they finally told her it had to be someone from our group call to get it transferred to her. Now I'm a little leery, am I making the right choice? I feel better having a TA since it's a group, so that if anything goes wrong they can't all blame me. We've used her twice before and she's always done right by us so I'm hoping it'll be ok. I also went direct through RCI before and had no trouble, but that was just a few of us, not this many.

 

Also, can anyone tell me if we book with a TA, can we still see our stuff on the RCI website. Can we still make direct payments by calling RCI and/or doing it through the website or does everything have to go through the TA then?

 

What do you think? I haven't made the call yet...

 

Sue

 

RCI now requires you to fill out and submit a form to them if you wish to transfer your booking to a travel agent. I think that this is meant to protect all parties from any misunderstanding of what is being requested.

Once you have submitted the form to RCI (fax number or mailing address should be on the form), you can still look at your booking online, and you can fill out your boarding documents, book shore excursions, and print out your SetSail pass, all on your own. You will, however, have to direct all of your payments through your TA which should not be a major problem, and if you wish to make any changes to your reservation, your TA will have to do it for you. If any problems do arise with your booking you have an advocate in your corner to deal with them and to resolve any issues that might occur.:) Your TA may also be a better source of information regarding your cruise than some of the customer service representatives you can encounter on the phone.

 

If you feel more comfortable having a TA take responsibility for your group's reservation, there is no reason to hesitate. Get the form, fill it out, and submit it.

[KillaFee]

I prefer to book through my TA because If anything goes wrong I can always turn to her for help! I could book everything myself if I really wanted to...I usually am the one who does the research. I will seach the internet and find a good deal and give her a call to see if she can match it. She always has, without fail!! Having a TA is good for peace of mind and hey....she's free!

LaUrA

[CGTNORMANDIE]

ALWAYS WITH MY TA...AND NOT AN ONLINE AGENCY EITHER.

 

A great TA can do things no one else can do. I have gotten price reductions, upgrades, cruise credits and I always get cabin credits, complimentary dinners and wine, that are way better than anything RCI gives me. :D