Reserving on the cruise vs. TA??? Perks?

[Bennett'sCruise]

Can you share what types of problems you had or avoided? In all my cruising, I've never had a problem, but I don't want to buy trouble for a little bit of NBC either.

 

For me personally ... one time when I had to cancel (waaay before final payment time) the online giant charged me thru the nose to do so. It seemed at the time to be a percentage of my downpayment. That cancellation fee had been in the small print somewhere, and I admit to not having read it correctly. After that experience, I went to booking directly with the cruise lines.

I've also found it very difficult to get ahold of *my* on-line agent during their published work-times, etc. Seemed to always have an excuse as to why they weren't working.

You also need to be very careful you are comparing apples to apples when the quote comes thru from the on-line TA. Often a client will come to me for a quote after having gotten prices from the internet, and when we sort thru everything they find we can be just as competitive and offer very good personal service as well.

I have heard of rumors of other problems with the large on-line agencies, but can't speak to those as I have not had personal experience with them.

If you should decide to go with an on-line TA, I'd just be very careful and read and understand everything completely.

My experience has proven that those who want personal service and who want someone to just think thru everything for them, will use a brick & mortor TA. Those who can do it for themselves and don't mind a little hassle, do it themselves.

~d

[lvtotrvl1]

Be careful about saying that your TA is giving you OBC's. That is considered discounting and RCCL has strong rules about discounting - they forbid it and can suspend a TA from selling their product if hey find out about it.

 

If you are lucky enough to have a TA that does this, be very careful who you tell about it if yu don't want your TA to get into trouble with RCL.

 

This is not true. RCCL does allow a certain % of the cruise given back in form of OBC etc.

[Bruin Steve]

BRUINSTEVE: I understand completely how it all works ... ;) What I was saying *bingo* to was leprehcan2's comment:

The big discount places can give it to you' date='[b'] but lordy help you if you have a problem.[/b]

TA's earn their commission. Brick & mortors usually earn it much more because they are a front line defense against probs for the client. I have used on-line TA's (in a former life) and found them to be pretty much useless when probs arise. I learned alot ...

BTW: we *love* the Bruin's around here!! :D

 

Dianne,

Perhaps I misunderstood you because you cited leprechaun's entire post--which had more to do with where the discounts or OBCs were coming from...sorry...

 

But, you also only make the distinction between the small "bricks and mortar" TAs and the impersonal internet sites...

 

I actually agree as to the purely internet site folks...With some of them, you can't even speak with a live person--you deal only through blanks on a website...I would never deal with THOSE folks...the little bit of discount isn't worth it...

 

But...the folks I deal with are a whole other story...

 

As I said, I've been using them for about 12 years now...

The agency is actually a LARGE agency based in Atlanta...my personal agent is actually in Toronto...

 

I always speak with her PERSON to PERSON via 800 phone number and send messages by E-Mail or Fax...She does a great job for me--scouting out prices, giving recommendations, dealing with problems with the cruise lines, getting me price drops and so on...She does EVERYTHING any bricks and mortar TA could do...

 

The only thing I don't do is drive over to her office and chat in person...but I have little time for that anyway...

 

AND, in addition, she either gives me OBCs (with RCCL/Celebrity) or substantially discounts my cruises with other lines...For my Oceania cruise in 2006, she reduced my price approximately $800--off an $8000 cruise...There is not a single "local" TA who could have or would have done that...

 

There are no "Cancellation Fees" or hidden charges...

 

Look, I have nothing against local bricks and mortar TAs...They serve a useful purpose and are entirely the right choice for SOME people...Some folks need their hand held through the process and need to be physically shown brochures and posters...and need to see the person they're dealing with in order to trust them...

 

BUT, OTOH, just because one goes to a local TA, doesn't mean they're going to get better service...or a more knowledgeable TA...or help with problems or issues...From my long experience in travel (and, not only personal pleasure travel...I started out in my career in the hotel and restaurant business and throughout my career, I've travelled considerably for business--in fact, I'm leaving shortly for the airport this morning for a business trip), I've learned that there are more BAD or mediocre TAs out there than there are good ones...

 

I'd never tell anyone to pick a TA based on price alone...In fact, look for service and ability and knowledge first...but, if you can find one out there who gives you that AND great deals, that's a "keeper"...and they are out there...

 

And I'm never impressed with a bottle of wine in the cabin...My prior TA used to send a fruit basket or bottle of wine...but screwed up my bookings and was of little help with the cruise line once too often...and she was right down the street from my office...I stopped using her when a booking of mine on the old Viking Serenade got suddenly and mysteriously cancelled...The cruise line claims not to have received the final payment even though I had specifically authorized her to make it on a timely basis...I only found out when we got to two weeks before the cruise (old pre-internet days) and I called her asking where my Docs were...She called RCCL and found out the reservation was cancelled--and the ship sold out...then told me "Sorry, nothing she could do" and suggested I book for a later date (not that easy for me)...I ended up calling RCCL myself, complaining like a mad man--blaming it on them...They told me, no, talk to my TA...Finally, I got lucky and they had a last minute cancellation and 3 days before my sail date, I was back on--through my own efforts...

 

I didn't know in those days that prices could vary...and when we got on the ship, our tablemates told us what they were paying--for a nicer cabin than ours--and it was about half our price...

 

Of course, my then-TA sent a bottle of wine to the room...

[willysgrandma]

This is not true. RCCL does allow a certain % of the cruise given back in form of OBC etc.

 

Most of the OBC give back quotes people mention here are well in excess of that.

[Bennett'sCruise]

AND, in addition, she either gives me OBCs (with RCCL/Celebrity) or substantially discounts my cruises with other lines...For my Oceania cruise in 2006, she reduced my price approximately $800--off an $8000 cruise...There is not a single "local" TA who could have or would have done that...

 

My goodness ... you are certainly correct about that!! Not sure how your TA did it either :confused: ... unless you're talking the *brochure price*, which practically no one pays anyway.

[Bruin Steve]

My goodness ... you are certainly correct about that!! Not sure how your TA did it either :confused: ... unless you're talking the *brochure price*' date=' which practically no one pays anyway.[/font']

 

Nope...That price on Oceania was their "2 for 1 with Free Air" price...which virtually everyone pays (unless they miss the special and pay more)...basically works out to LESS than half the "brochure price"...and she discounted around $800 off THAT!

 

I'm not sure what her commission schedule is with Oceania, but back in the days when RCCL and Celebrity used to allow this kind of discounting, one would typically find discounting agencies offering between 5 and 10% off the current quoted rates offered by the cruise lines and the bulk of TAs...My TA used to give me as much as 11.5%...which still allowed her to make a decent commission...So, you know her agency is getting a bit more than that...Of course it all depends on the specific cruise line and the volume of business they do with them...

 

I don't believe the typical local bricks and mortar guys can afford to discount like that...For one, they're on a much lower commission schedule and, second, they have a very high overhead...

[karena1]

I just called the TA I xferred our Jan cruise to and for our April Liberty cruise, she gave me a $200 OBC for our 'hump" balcony. Yipee!! That was great. She also said they will be getting in some new coupon books and she will send me one of those as soon as they arrive for $ or % off things on the ship. Don't know what they will be, but will see when I get it.

 

I made sure there was no issue with getting my extra $100 balcony discount after our Jan cruise since we make Diamond, and she said no problem, just call her as soon as RCI is showing the Diamond status and she will take care of it.

 

So I am thrilled, with this $200, our $100 for booking onboard and my $100 Shareholder, we have $400 OBC for our Liberty cruise. Can't beat that - sure helps with the bar tab!:) :)