Is this agent ripping us off?

[ehschief]

We are booked on Celebrity through a cruise travel agent. It was not my orgainizing another couple found this agent. I find the agent doing stuff I have never encountered. One of my crusiing mates found airfare and asked the agent to book it, he charged them $25.00 per person. I was looking at my Credit Card and found that when the agent gave our final payment to the cruise line he charged my Credit Card $13.98 to do it. I could have done it myself. There are 7 cabins booked together and I would think he would be getting enough money from the booking.

 

I asked him about any discounts and/or upgrades and he said he tried but there are none. My regular travel agent would have found some discounts and/or upgrades, plus she would have given us some on board money.

 

Does this sound out of line?

 

Ehschief- May 25, 2007 Millenium

[jezzdogg]

If it was not a cruise-air( that meaning from the cruiseline) the 25 dollar charge is about right..TA no longer get amy compensation from the airlines, so there is a charge from them for all tickets. The charge for 13.98, i would ask where in the fine print from their agency that charge is detailed

[Host Walt]

While the amounts involved in the OP aren't particularly large, most TA's are being squeezed both by the elimination of any commissions by airlines, by reduced commissions paid by cruise lines and hotel chains and by increased competition by cruise lines that now engage in direct bookings.

 

I'd like to ask CC members to post their experiences with, so-called, "brick-and-mortar" TA's and with on line TA's regarding surcharges and add-on fees.

[cruiselover57]

We are booked on Celebrity through a cruise travel agent. It was not my orgainizing another couple found this agent. I find the agent doing stuff I have never encountered. One of my crusiing mates found airfare and asked the agent to book it, he charged them $25.00 per person. I was looking at my Credit Card and found that when the agent gave our final payment to the cruise line he charged my Credit Card $13.98 to do it. I could have done it myself. There are 7 cabins booked together and I would think he would be getting enough money from the booking.

 

I asked him about any discounts and/or upgrades and he said he tried but there are none. My regular travel agent would have found some discounts and/or upgrades, plus she would have given us some on board money.

 

Does this sound out of line?

 

Ehschief- May 25, 2007 Millenium

 

Best thing to do if you're using a travel agent is to use one from a points-based type credit card (like Carnival M/C or MBNA Visa). I've used T/A's from these 2 cards for some of my past cruises and they will never charge you a fee for booking - in fact, they have to call the cruise line to have THEM book the air for you anyway (i.e., if you're on the cruise line's air/sea package). Before I go on a cruise, I check out all the websites and then compare it to the cruise line to make sure they're all charging the same price. Another note: If you do book directly with a T/A NOT associated with a credit card AND the cost of your cruise goes down, chances are, they are not going to tell you because it will affect their commission - it's totally up to you to check sometimes on a random basis. Case in point: Went on the Summit to Hawaii in 12/05 - the cruise went down twice and I ended up getting back around $2,000. (PS - Even if you're paid in full, they have to honor the lower price - it happened to me, and they honored it)!

 

Laurie

[Char]

I use an internet cruise only agent and she has never added charges over and above the cruise line cost. We have dealt with her for our last 16 cruises and she has very willingly given us price reductions when they were available....some I didn't even know about until I got the email from her with the good news. The main thing is, I trust her!

[tuggers]

I use an agent who has a franchise from a 'big' cruises only ta. She has never charged fees to charge my card because the line does that directly. All my charges say 'Celebrity Cruise Line' or 'Princess', not the name of the ta.

Like Char, I too, have gotten rebates after final payment.

I have used her for 40+ cruises and never had any of these issues.

[ehschief]

Thank you for all the info, like I said, I didn't arrange this cruise otherwise I would have used my regular agent. I am going to call the agent and tell him that anything over the cost of the actual crusie is not authorized.

 

I hate to be so picky on a little bit of money, but since this guy is not offering anything above the crusie, he won't get my money. I think when you have a relationship with an agent they tend to do more, my agent gives us all kinds of things like paassport covers, carry on bags, ribbons to put on our luggage etc. The fact that there are 7 cabins would indicate that he is getting some money, our rate is the same as Celebrity web-site. You know, bottom line, my husband always says I need to always be in control...

 

It is a crusie and we will have a great time.

[Sky Sweet]

While the amounts involved in the OP aren't particularly large, most TA's are being squeezed both by the elimination of any commissions by airlines, by reduced commissions paid by cruise lines and hotel chains and by increased competition by cruise lines that now engage in direct bookings.

 

I'd like to ask CC members to post their experiences with, so-called, "brick-and-mortar" TA's and with on line TA's regarding surcharges and add-on fees.

 

Most of the full service Brick and Mortar Travel Agencies where we live do not charge any fees for a cruise that are over and beyond what the cruise lines do, but there is one local agency that specializes in cruises and we used them a few times because they are one of Celebrity's key accounts. These are the additional fees that this agency charges.

 

$100.00 per cabin cancellation fee no matter when you cancel

 

$ 75.00 for changes to your reservation unless that change is an upgrade or for additional services

 

$ 15.00 to process a cruise line's discount coupon or special promotion

 

This agency also imposes a final payment date that is several weeks earlier than that of the cruise line and this wording pertaining to that final payment appears in their reservation form:

 

"Final payment must be received in our office by date due. Failure will result in cancellation of cruise and forfeiture of payments made"

[hcat]

I would definitely not use the TA that has so many fees. Better to go it alone & work with the cruiseline! Our TA never charges anything extra--not for changes, charges etc...we do book our own air. Our Ta always sends champagne or pays for part of our limo...

[Char]

Most of the full service Brick and Mortar Travel Agencies where we live do not charge any fees for a cruise that are over and beyond what the cruise lines do, but there is one local agency that specializes in cruises and we used them a few times because they are one of Celebrity's key accounts. These are the additional fees that this agency charges.

 

$100.00 per cabin cancellation fee no matter when you cancel

 

$ 75.00 for changes to your reservation unless that change is an upgrade or for additional services

 

$ 15.00 to process a cruise line's discount coupon or special promotion

 

This agency also imposes a final payment date that is several weeks earlier than that of the cruise line and this wording pertaining to that final payment appears in their reservation form:

 

"Final payment must be received in our office by date due. Failure will result in cancellation of cruise and forfeiture of payments made"

That's quite a list of added expenses! :eek:

[Sky Sweet]

That's quite a list of added expenses! :eek:

 

Hi Char :)

 

I agree. However, since that travel agent charged me a $200.00 cancellation fee (for two cabins) a few weeks ago when it was necessary for us to cancel a cruise, I decided to book our Mediterranean Cruise last week directly through the cruise line.

[usavvy2]

A few years back, I was charged $50/cabin to upgrade to a higher-class cabin by a brick & mortar TA. I've since changed TAs.

 

That being said, other major TAs also charge for changes. We booked a trip to a Mexico resort last winter & there was a $50 cancellation charge if we invoked a cancellation. (We didn't but I didn't know about it until after I requested the reservation.)

 

They've gotta make $$ too and changing/cancelling my plans takes time... and time is money so I do understand.

[ocngypz]

$25.00 for air ticketing is the norm.

 

$13.98? That's a strange amount. Was the final payment charged by Celebrity and the $13.98 by the agency?

[c-legs]

$25.00 for air ticketing is the norm.

 

$13.98? That's a strange amount. Was the final payment charged by Celebrity and the $13.98 by the agency?

:( Hi,

I'm a TA as well...and I agree with those comments. The $13.98 is an oddball amount likely linked with a cruise line charge, not the TA's.

Cheers

;)

[ehschief]

Let me back up, I rechecked my bill, it was actually $14.95 to the cruise agent. The $13.98 was to the airlines that I booked myself but was all part of the quoted price. My mix up, however there is still the charge that I did not authorize on my credit card. I will cal the agent today and report back his response.

[kruisecat]

We used an online TA once to book our cruise (before I realized I could do it directly) and they added $14 to the total cost for shipping/handling of the cruise documents. That might be the additional $14.95 here. When you book direct the cruiseline just sends it along. I guess the TA's don't want to "eat" the cost of sending them on to you.

[Char]

We used an online TA once to book our cruise (before I realized I could do it directly) and they added $14 to the total cost for shipping/handling of the cruise documents. That might be the additional $14.95 here. When you book direct the cruiseline just sends it along. I guess the TA's don't want to "eat" the cost of sending them on to you.

You probably hit the nail on the head! I do know of some online agencies that charge for mailing paper docs.

HOWEVER, my online TA does not charge for the paper docs and that is what we get every time. :)

[ccletzgo]

The cruise line does not charge the TA for paper docs. Postage is about $2.50 to send paper docs TA to client.

 

I dont understand charging for them, sense they are sometimes easier for the TA. Explaining on-line doc's, and no luggage tags can get time consuming..

 

 

I still cant get my own mother to understand copy & paste... :D

[rjg41]

The cruise line does not charge the TA for paper docs. Postage is about $2.50 to send paper docs TA to client.

 

I dont understand charging for them, sense they are sometimes easier for the TA. Explaining on-line doc's, and no luggage tags can get time consuming..

 

 

I still cant get my own mother to understand copy & paste... :D

 

Not totally true. Some cruise lines have now converted to 100% e-docs (including luggage tags) and others are soon to follow. They are or will soon charge for paper docs. When the passenger does not have a computer or lacks the knowledge to print e-docs, the agent must do it. If the cruise line does do paper docs and a change like a spelling correction is made, some lines charge to re-issue docs.

 

We are likely headed to 100% e-docs with the passenger or agent doing all the printing unless you pay the cruise line a fee. It is likely that some travel agencies will charge for this printing service as well. This is no different than where we are with airline tickets today.

[jaxon41]

The ticket charge would be appropriate because it was your friend who asked the TA to book it, ie not through the cruise line. We actually had a TA add a similar amount to our charges, and I do believe she booked the flight through the cruise line, but I could be wrong. (The TA bumped us from our original flight time, actually to accomodate her family who she was taking on the cruise, and I don't think that would have happened because of change costs if it hadn't been booked through the cruise line with blocks of seats) I know she itemized $500 for our flight on the pre-paid invoice, but our actual tickets where less than that (this was in 2002, so I am a little vague). Then she charged us for transfers to the ship, even though that would have been included if I was right about the flight being through the ship. The coup de gras, however, was her "rounding up" our pre-paid gratuities. Since this was a large group, we were required to pre-pay gratuities through her agency as part of the grand total. I hadn't cruised for years at that point, so didn't know what the gratuity should be until I was actually on the ship. When I asked her about the "extra" that 80+ of us were charged, she told me it was just convenient to round it up (not to the next $, but the next $10)and the extra would go to our waiter. I had not problem with that, but too much else had not been right; I didn't trust her and went to the purser. Sure enough, she had pocketed the extra, as the gratuity which was paid to the ship was the normal amount. It wasn't much, but times 80?

 

Like you, I had no choice in this since she was the agent for this large seminar group and if you didn't use her, you had to pay quite a bit extra for the seminar, but I haven't used a brick and morter agent since, and reading this thread makes me think that's been a good decision.