GAP-Group Amenity Points

[AFT_LOVER]

who booked the group cruise that her customers are being rewarded with GAP. Let me tell you the wine & cheese plate is spectacular! Large plate of 5 hucks of cheeses from Blue to a very soft & lucious white creamy cheese sliced like a pie. Then fruits & crackers of 5 types. Took us a week to eat it all. The Merlot went home with us with all the free booze for Diamonds.

 

The dinner for 2 at Chops was great also. Then we got 2 waffle robes too, which I like in summertime. So that was nice points headed our way. But that was #26 with our TA.

 

Who told you you had these GAP points?

[cruiseco]

I just have one question - does RCL actually let you charge an extra $100 if they have given you the space at $699.00? I was under the impression that is not kosher.

 

Group accounting is very different. The cruise line just needs the total payment for the whole combined group to be no less than the net due (total combined fares minus the commission) and no more than the gross due. Not every individual within the group has to meet those same requirements.

 

Many groups have strange accounting. Maybe it's a family reunion and Grandpa is paying $1000 to each person's fare but if someone wants to upgrade it's on their nickel. Grandpa is going to have way more than his own cabin fare charged to his credit card and others in the group are going to have way less than their actual fare charged to their cards. The cruise line doesn't care as long as the total received is somewhere between the gross and net figures. Who actually paid what is not their concern. This leaves lots of room for juggling things around. One person having $100 more than the cabin fare charged on his credit card won't raise any eyebrows.

[Lynnees]

Just for the record, I am a TA in Canada and I find what you are saying sounds extremely unethical but perhaps that's they way it's done in the states. I would not consider charging my client more than the cruiseline charges.

 

It sounds to me that you are playing with the numbers and that the clients are not actually getting truthful information.

 

I am not talking about "group accounting" - I am talking about the issue of charging your clients more than the cruise actually costs. What you are saying is either illegal or unethical. Take your pick.

[lvtotrvl1]

Just for the record, I am a TA in Canada and I find what you are saying sounds extremely unethical but perhaps that's they way it's done in the states. I would not consider charging my client more than the cruiseline charges.

 

It sounds to me that you are playing with the numbers and that the clients are not actually getting truthful information.

 

I am not talking about "group accounting" - I am talking about the issue of charging your clients more than the cruise actually costs. What you are saying is either illegal or unethical. Take your pick.

 

It is not unethical at all. Most large agencies work on this principle. The client is still receiving a lower price than what the cruiseline is offered. Many times the agencies are putting up the deposits to hold the group also. This is how you will see some agencies with lower prices than others.

[Mark42]

My personal experience has been that some Travel Agent/Agencies DO try to keep part of what is available for a particular Group sailing.

I was informed by RCCL's group dept. what was available and told that the TA could pass on the most amenities, IF they chose to pass them on. Also that I was better off booking a group thru a TA rather than direct /RCCL because they have more/better options for the GAP points.

So armed w/this information I went in search of a TA

The 1st one I called told me we couldn't have the $100 OBC PLUS TCC whichis what our sailing qualified for. (BTW this was an agency that is used to book this websites group cruises)

So I called another agency and once she checked what was available from RCCL for our sailing,she was HAPPY to pass on what was due us.

Moral of the story: Be educated, ask question and don't be afraid to move on to an agency that is willing to pass on what you have due your group.

[Lynnees]

It is not unethical at all. Most large agencies work on this principle. The client is still receiving a lower price than what the cruiseline is offered. Many times the agencies are putting up the deposits to hold the group also. This is how you will see some agencies with lower prices than others.

 

sorry, but I do believe it is unethical. Just because some do it doesn't justify it. Putting up the deposits, (which I have done) still does not justify charging someone more than the next "just because you can".

 

I believe it is wrong, wrong, wrong.

[yosh12]

My personal experience has been that some Travel Agent/Agencies DO try to keep part of what is available for a particular Group sailing.

I was informed by RCCL's group dept. what was available and told that the TA could pass on the most amenities, IF they chose to pass them on. Also that I was better off booking a group thru a TA rather than direct /RCCL because they have more/better options for the GAP points.

So armed w/this information I went in search of a TA

The 1st one I called told me we couldn't have the $100 OBC PLUS TCC whichis what our sailing qualified for. (BTW this was an agency that is used to book this websites group cruises)

So I called another agency and once she checked what was available from RCCL for our sailing,she was HAPPY to pass on what was due us.

Moral of the story: Be educated, ask question and don't be afraid to move on to an agency that is willing to pass on what you have due your group.

 

You've missed the point entirely.

 

You're not entitled to or due anything! It's at the TA descretion what they pass on to you. Just at the cruise line stated.

[cruiseco]

sorry, but I do believe it is unethical. Just because some do it doesn't justify it. Putting up the deposits, (which I have done) still does not justify charging someone more than the next "just because you can".

 

I believe it is wrong, wrong, wrong.

 

This brings up an interesting question. Do you agree that, since this hypothetical client was not a "group" member but instead was shopping for a rate on an individual reservation, I would have been perfectly correct in charging him the full individual rate? Would I have been more morally right to charge him $100 more than I did?

 

Also, how does what I did for this client differ from what the cruise line does every day? One week they sell a fare at $699, the next they sell it at $799. Their costs haven't increased. Those paying more receive no services or amenities that the guy paying $699 isn't also getting. The only difference is that the cruise line is seizing an opportunity to make an additional $100/head by maximizing the gross profit from the inventory they control.

 

My aim is to also maximize the profit from the inventory I "control" -- my blocked group space. If I can do so while at the same time offering the client a discount off of what he would pay anywhere else including from the cruise line how is that immoral? At least by doing so I save the client some cash. When the cruise line does the exact same thing there's no discount to the client.

[Lynnees]

This brings up an interesting question. Do you agree that, since this hypothetical client was not a "group" member but instead was shopping for a rate on an individual reservation, I would have been perfectly correct in charging him the full individual rate? Would I have been more morally right to charge him $100 more than I did?

 

Also, how does what I did for this client differ from what the cruise line does every day? One week they sell a fare at $699, the next they sell it at $799. Their costs haven't increased. Those paying more receive no services or amenities that the guy paying $699 isn't also getting. The only difference is that the cruise line is seizing an opportunity to make an additional $100/head by maximizing the gross profit from the inventory they control.

 

My aim is to also maximize the profit from the inventory I "control" -- my blocked group space. If I can do so while at the same time offering the client a discount off of what he would pay anywhere else including from the cruise line how is that immoral? At least by doing so I save the client some cash. When the cruise line does the exact same thing there's no discount to the client.

 

Let me ask you something - when you put someone in one of your groups do you tell them? Just because a client doesn't know doesn't mean you have the right to hold that information back.

 

You are justifying fiddling the client - don't expect me to add to your justification.

 

Yes, I realize that some TA's hold the imenities for themselves to make more of a profit. That is their choice - it is also my choise to say I believe it's wrong.

 

As for charging the client more than others in your group that is completely unethical as far as I'm concerned and you can't justify that one to me.

[cruiseco]

Let me ask you something - when you put someone in one of your groups do you tell them? Just because a client doesn't know doesn't mean you have the right to hold that information back.

 

 

Sure, always. Why wouldn't I? I just tell them that the rate to be booked through the individual res department will be $XXX but if I can book them into some group space I have it will be $100 less. No one has ever said no. In fact it's a great sales technique -- everybody loves a deal. And if they did I'd be happy to book them at the full ind res rate if that makes them happy.

 

As for charging the client more than others in your group that is completely unethical as far as I'm concerned and you can't justify that one to me.[/QOUTE]

 

I'm certainly not looking for your approval.

[Lynnees]

Sure, always. Why wouldn't I? I just tell them that the rate to be booked through the individual res department will be $XXX but if I can book them into some group space I have it will be $100 less. No one has ever said no. In fact it's a great sales technique -- everybody loves a deal. And if they did I'd be happy to book them at the full ind res rate if that makes them happy.

 

Personally I don't agree that its a great sales technique.

 

As for charging the client more than others in your group that is completely unethical as far as I'm concerned and you can't justify that one to me.[/QOUTE]

 

I'm certainly not looking for your approval.

 

I know you're not looking for my approval. I have a question for you - do you call your client's cc # directly to the cruiseline or do you charge it to your agency and then your agency pays the charge?

[yosh12]

I'm confused? Aren't you a TA? I've worked closely with my TA on some of our groups and if I remember correctly, what this other person is describing really doesn't matter to the cruise line. They give you the bottom price that is due to them, and you give them the customer's credit card numbers and how much to charge on each. There's hardly anything unethical about that.

 

And what customer would be unhappy to be put into a a group unexpectedly and get a better rate and possibly some extra amenities.

 

This happens in the retail world all the time. I don't understand what all the fuss is about. Do you really think the store is selling you that bottle of aspirin for exactly $1 over their net price? And if they can get a case at a discount due to some incentive or manf discount, do you really think they pass that extra savings on to you? I doubt it very much! You pay $4 a bottle regardless of what the store gets it for.

[cruiseco]

 

 

I know you're not looking for my approval. I have a question for you - do you call your client's cc # directly to the cruiseline or do you charge it to your agency and then your agency pays the charge?

 

Our agency never even had a merchant account. Never saw a need for one.

 

Listen, all I know is that if this client walked into your agency he'd pay the $899 or whatever and, I'm sure, walk out happy.

 

The same guy walks into our agency and he also walks out happy but with an extra $100 in his pocket. If that's immoral I can live with it.

[Lynnees]

Whaever cranks your chain. To me, that's unethical but hey who am I to tell you what to do.

[Mark42]

You've missed the point entirely.

 

You're not entitled to or due anything! It's at the TA descretion what they pass on to you. Just at the cruise line stated.

 

Excuse me!

I don't feel I missed the point at all.

I, as the customer have the "right" to book with whom I feel is treating me the best regarding amenities for my group.

So you see the "educated" customer has the final say in the matter.

Which is what is so nice about these boards. We can all become more savvy shoppers.