Suggestions Appreciated- Finding A Good TA

[muffydawg]

DH and I have been on 4 Princess cruises. We've booked 1 through what I believe to be a well known, Internet/ phone TA located in the Northeast that also advertises on Cruise Critic. The other 3 cruises were booked directly through Princess. The TA we used gave us a good price for our most recent voyage on the Crown this past September.

 

I know we cannot discuss/ share specific TA names on this site. DH and I would like to establish/ develop a long term relationship with a good TA. Everyone who posts on this site has always provided great feedback to other posters. Here is my question:

 

1. We have a very well known brand charge card. The card comes with access to the cards "travel service". For those of you with experience booking with this TA "service" how would you compare the cruise fare (incl taxes & fees) through this TA to booking directly with Princess? This well known charge card company also has brick and mortar locations we could visit in person. Any experience you have, whether you booked a Caribbean, European or other cruise would be invaluable to us.

 

2. As we are looking for a TA, what type of accreditation (sp?) should we look for when performing a Yahoo or Google search as part of our research? I've heard of the "Princess Commodore" and wonder if this credential is an advantage or disadvantage to us in locating a good TA. Should we also be looking for an agent with an IATA or IATAN credential?

 

3. Lastly, with the rising cost of airfares, especially international, should we also be asking the TA about their access to consolidator fares (business class)? We are at the point where we do not need to restrict ourselves to flying a specific airline, but we would want to stay with one alliance.

 

Thanks for your advice.

[pedirn]

I can only hope the TA you are using in the northeast isn't the one that moved from Ma to NH. We had used them for many years but the last year was terrible. So bad for service....I did let them know and they called me and emailed me saying I was a valuable customer. They were assigning a personal specialist to us for our future needs. This specialist was to contact us within a week. Well it has been almost a year and the specialist has not contacted me to this date. So we have booked out next big cruise (31 days) with someone else.

 

It is such a shame that when you find a great TA...they move on and then the service is not that great with the replacements.

 

Chris

[janetz]

I can only hope the TA you are using in the northeast isn't the one that moved from Ma to NH. We had used them for many years but the last year was terrible. So bad for service....I did let them know and they called me and emailed me saying I was a valuable customer. They were assigning a personal specialist to us for our future needs. This specialist was to contact us within a week. Well it has been almost a year and the specialist has not contacted me to this date. So we have booked out next big cruise (31 days) with someone else.

 

It is such a shame that when you find a great TA...they move on and then the service is not that great with the replacements.

 

Chris

 

 

The op stated she used the TA for her "last" cruise in September. I did not see the op state any problems so I have to wonder why the op is not using the same TA again. :)

[chasinraynbowz]

Do you have friends who use local TAs? A friend of mine recommended the same one I use now. I would not trade her for the world. She has gone above and beyond what was expected. I think the difference with her is, she is here... I can go see her, call her, etc.

 

On our upcoming Ruby Princess cruise, my mom and sister booked the same day I did. They booked with their well known (across the country) TA and I used mine. We both got the same price.

 

I think its just personal preference. I prefer to be able to look mine in the face.

[Host Caroline]

Please don't post veiled references to email addys asking people to email you for TA information... or I will have to pull this thread:( .. it's the rules, folks.. sorry... :rolleyes:

[Times Prince]

The big question is whether the TA is asking your preferences, and what you would like to do on vacation vs. telling you about the deal of the week that you "can't afford to pass".

 

We have had our best experiences with TA's who listen to our needs and match the vacation product to our need. When they try to sell what they have (e.g. I know you had a great cruise on Princess, but you'll really enjoy the Shipwreck cruise line because we've got a group rate) it turns out poorly in our experience.

 

We've had good/bad experiences with different TAs of the same style (e.g. brick & mortor) and the real difference is how well they listen. So try one, and if they start to just sell, then RUN !

 

We've also had good luck with older TA's who've actually been on ships.:rolleyes:

[ssantow]

If you like to cruise with Princess and want an expert on Princess I suggest you ask if they have attained Commodore status with Princess Academy.

[Sandytoes]

We've booked 1 through what I believe to be a well known, Internet/ phone TA located in the Northeast that also advertises on Cruise Critic. The other 3 cruises were booked directly through Princess. The TA we used gave us a good price for our most recent voyage on the Crown this past September.

 

Being you booked with a well known TA, that gave you a decent price already, how come you're not asking your TA these questions? :cool:

I am sure they will be more than happy to answer your questions.

If not, that's the time to switch.

[beauxdammit]

We have had the same TA for about ten years. She has always worked hard to find the vacation (not just cruises) that fits our needs, wants, and budget. How did we do this? Just lucky, I guess. She was a personal acquaintence before she was our TA.

 

The best advice I have would be to get to know the individual before making any committment; talk to others who have used this particular individuals services; and most of all, be ready to describe in detail what you are looking for, timing, price, location, experience, etc. If the TA attempts to sell something outside your desires, RUN, DON't WALK to the nearest door.

[Guest arowe6]

1. We have a very well known brand charge card. The card comes with access to the cards "travel service".

 

Hi there...

 

I also have this same card. I've found that just calling them and asking for a list of approved TA's have been my best bet. While this may not narrow down the list of what to look for in a "good TA" I have personally found anything that this card company recommends to be of excellent quality.

 

With that said, I have a friend who has a wonderful TA who I've since started using and she happens to also be affiliated with this card. :D

 

Hope this helps.

-Andrew

[Princess Chatterer]

I want a T.A. who I can reach on the phone easily in the middle of the night who also owns their own agency. Somebody who will be there next week, next month, and next year. And I want my T.A. to have the lowest Princess prices and best service. Do such T.A.'s actually exist? I'm not allowed to say on this board.

[englishharbours]

I want a T.A. who I can reach on the phone easily in the middle of the night who also owns their own agency. Somebody who will be there next week, next month, and next year. And I want my T.A. to have the lowest Princess prices and best service. Do such T.A.'s actually exist? I'm not allowed to say on this board.

 

 

Plus you want her to work for free, right? :p

[bthorn1108]

IMHO, a good cruise TA will have the following:

 

At a minimum, ACC (Accredited Cruise Counselor) accreditation with CLIA (Cruise Line Industry of America).

 

Personal experience in cruising

 

Immediate access via phone or e-mail

 

No cancellation/service fees

 

Prices comparable to what the cruise lines charge, if not better

 

There are good ones out there, you just need to find them. Once you do, stay with them, as a TA will usually go "above and beyond" for a loyal customer.

[Boiler Cruiser]

My wife and I booked our first cruise (also our first Princess Cruise) last October.

 

First question I asked was "Have you ever been on a cruise yourself?"

 

Second question: "Which cruise line(s) have you been on?"

 

If the TA has not been on a number of cruises him(her)self, I'd find someone who has...experience, in this case, is the only base of authority and knowledge, in my humble opinion.

[mtaylor04]

We love our TA. SHe is readily available, is a member of CC, and she frequently cruises herself. When prices have dropped, she has gotten us the price drop and she is great about answer the million questions I usually have.