TA booked but have not gotten info yet???

[MNFreeze]

We booked with a local well known TA - NOT a fly by night kind of agency at all. We booked our cruise in June and they still can not tell us what our room number will be or our reservation number.

 

The cruise is part of a block of rooms they booked on the ship but I do not see why that should matter. I would like to have the reservation number atleast so I can do some preordering of items on the cruise.

 

Should I be concerned? When I call the TA they just say "yes you should have it in a week or two". Well I started hearing that 6 weeks ago.

 

Should I be worried?

[martinimadam]

When are you cruising. That can make a real difference. Shouldn't expect your cruise docs (and cabin #) until about 4 weeks out. Now, the reservation number is another issue.

[MNFreeze]

We do not cruise until March 08.

 

I agree about the reservation number. I just do not like the idea of things not being how I am used to them.

[Traveler Nina]

Your TA should be able to provide a reservation number to you right over the phone even if you are booked into group space. Not having a cabin number is not as much of a concern especially with group space. I know when I hold groups I do not issue the cabin number because they often change due to upgrades or better locations being available. On one group the cabins changed 6 times before sailing! But all for the better. Call your TA and get the reservation number.

[cherylandtk]

Ask your TA to better explain your booking to you; it sounds as if the 'block of rooms' is a group booking that your TA put together with you and perhaps several other clients. If that is the case, you may not have an individual booking number, but your TA should take the time to explain it so your worries are soothed.

[cruiseco]

We booked with a local well known TA - NOT a fly by night kind of agency at all. We booked our cruise in June and they still can not tell us what our room number will be or our reservation number.

 

The cruise is part of a block of rooms they booked on the ship but I do not see why that should matter. I would like to have the reservation number atleast so I can do some preordering of items on the cruise.

 

Should I be concerned? When I call the TA they just say "yes you should have it in a week or two". Well I started hearing that 6 weeks ago.

 

Should I be worried?

 

Did you pay by credit card or check? If by credit card does your statement show the charge being made by the TA or by the cruise line?

 

The reason I ask is that the cruise lines usually don't like to issue a booking number until it has names and payment for that cabin (either assigned or under guarantee status). If your money has been paid to the TA but not yet forwarded to the cruise line (for whatever reason) then you would probably not have a booking number.

[MNFreeze]

Yes we made the deposit and on the credit card statement it shows that it went to the TA. Like I said I do not think this company is scamming us because it is a pretty large travel agency here in the twin cities. They have been around a long time just this is not what I am used to.

 

I will probably call my TA today to see what she says this time and ask for a more intensive explanation.

[mncruiser66]

we just booked ours for Feb 08 with a Twin Cities TA too -

we already have the room # and the reservation # -

and we are part of a group booking - that is why we get such a good price with them -

 

good luck - hope it all works out for you!

[Jenner9]

I booked my cruise through my travel agent about 9 months ahead of time and got my room number and reservation number right away.

[sarah_in_townsville]

Im cruising in Feb 08... they dont have my room number yet and when i first asked for my reservation number they did not want me to have it. Turns out they were worried i was trying to take my business to another travel agent and they would lose their commission.

 

Make it clear you only want it for your own personal peace of mind and if they wont give it to you tell them you will call the Cruise line personally to get it.

 

See if that helps. I got my res number straight away then

[seawyllow]

Group or not, as soon as you put down a deposit, you should have a booking/reservation number. And unless you booked a guarantee, you should have a cabin number right away. Tell you TA that you want the booking number or you will cancel. Group space can be held by a travel agency for a certain amount of time without deposit. Even if they bought out rooms and are re-selling them, a res # should have been issued immediately. Even an option/courtesy hold has a booking number. With the number, you are able to access your booking on line and can see what you have.

[glgolfer]

As far as I know, payment should never go to the travel agent. In 25 cruises, our credit card statement has always shown the payment went to Royal Caribbean.

As soon as RCI gets the deposit, they issue a confirmation number and fax a copy to the TA or email it to me if I made the reservation directly with RCI. This is why I tend to book directly with RCI anymore.

 

For some reason, it looks like the TA has not sent any deposit payments to RCI and don't have a cabin or reservation number. Since the TA is local, I would go talk to them face to face. If the TA you're working with can't/won't tell you what's going on, I would keep going up the ladder to the manager/owner of the agency. I wouldn't leave until I had an explanation of what's going on.

 

The previous poster made a good point about telling them you would cancel and book with someone else. If the price hasn't gone up too much or the agency has a high cancellation fee, that's a viable option.

[Jenner9]

I booked through my TA and made all of my payments through her. I didn't have any trouble and got my room # and confirmation # the day I paid the deposit to her.

[KAWS]

I booked my March 2009 cruise and got the booking number right away. I agree that your TA probably thought you wanted to take the business elsewhere, but just assure them that you just want to go to the cruise site and fill in your documents and SEE it.

 

You should also have received a copy of your deposit receipt and that booking number should be on there.

 

Stand firm and insist on it - no way they DON'T have it.

[mikedw]

We usually sent out invoices with that information on it within a day or two of booking. The previous poster had it wrong, even if the passenger has the reservation number they can't transfer it to another agency unless we release since we own the booking.