Ditching our TA for a lower quote

[Lovely_Star]

Alright I need some honest opinions please :D

We just booked a cruise for our anniversary with a TA that we were going to use for our 1st cruise, only she didn't offer us the lowest quote, so we went with another TA (who was horrible BTW). This time around she did offer the lowest quote so we booked with her. Now I am trying to plan a group cruise for 2009 and am "interviewing" potential TA's. I've received several quotes so far, hers is not the lowest by far, so I doubt that we'll go with her for this sailing. Recently I was contacted by one of the TA's who I requested a quote from for our anniversary cruise asking me if I booked already. I told him that I did in fact book, but I am planning a group cruise for 2009 so maybe we could still work with him. He told me that he would have quotes for me on Monday, but then asked me if he could beat the anniversary cruise significantly would I consider re-booking or transfering the booking over to him. Is it wrong for me to feel guilty about considering this and ditching my current TA? She has been really nice and helpful and I don't want to burn any bridges. I don't know what to do about this anyone ever been in a similar situation?

[wieslaw]

Hi,

 

I have never done this even that I was in a similar situation ....... one thing to consider would be:

does the present TA that you made the booking with has a cancellation fee ? The booking belongs to the TA - you have chosen that TA to be your agent with the cruise line, so the TA has to be willing to release 'your booking' to someone else ...... they might want to recover some money from that booking and they might want to charge you some fee.

 

Wes

[newbiecruiser09]

Do you know anything about your current TA or the guy who offered to beat her price? I am always leary of someone offering too much (with no track record of service or knowledge) and would probably try to check it out with as many sources as possible before. If cost is the only issue then maybe going with the lowest bidder works. For me, I want to work with a TA who 1) really knows her stuff about options, what deals are out there etc 2) who will go to bat for me if a problem arises before, during or after my trip 3) who can give me a competative (even if not the lowest) price. For example: even though you can buy something at the dollar store, for some things, paying a bit more for quality, security etc is worth it (I actually saw a dollar store pregnancy test!) Good Luck deciding and planning!!!

[Lovely_Star]

Yeah, I know I hear you. Something about it didn't sit to well in my spirit which is why I wanted to come to the boards 1st and ask for opinions before I even entertained this other TA. Should I still consider him in the running for our group or should I write him off altogether because of his business ethics?

[Grandpaul]

The second TA that called you seems like someone that follows up on his work. That was how I found the best one I have ever had until she retired. I would probably go with the reservation you have now since you're already booked. But I would then do some research as far as the second one is concerned as previously noted. Newbie, I always wanted to go into a Dollar Store and ask for a price check.

[jlp20]

...We just booked a cruise for our anniversary with a TA...she didn't offer us the lowest quote...I am trying to plan a group cruise for 2009 and am "interviewing" potential TA's...

 

Be aware that a travel agency can be a multimillion dollar corporation with hundreds of brick and mortar offices around the world or some guy sitting in his bedroom with a laptop.

 

Several years ago the cruise lines came down on T/A’s who were discounting cruises. By industry rules, T/A’s have very little wiggle room. When you encounter large differences in quotes, the cruise line has just increased or decreased the cost or the T/A is aware of some promotion.

 

In your case, you state you are planning a “group” tour. 5 or 500, if they can’t contact the T/A or are unsatisfied with service, they’re going to call you. While price is a consideration, it by far not the only thing you should consider.

[satchiesmom]

The second TA is unethical IMO. I would be very leary of booking with this person.

[ssantow]

As I see it you have a TA who is good to you and has provided great service. They handle everything well and keep you informed and are there for you when you need them.

 

The question is do you trade a bird in the hand for two in the bush. Best to make sure you will be getting the same level of service you are used to.

[Cruise Junky]

Several years ago the cruise lines came down on T/A’s who were discounting cruises. By industry rules, T/A’s have very little wiggle room. When you encounter large differences in quotes, the cruise line has just increased or decreased the cost or the T/A is aware of some promotion.

 

 

Anything under Carnival...ie, HAL, Princess, Carnival, etc. and Oceania can still be discounted by a TA. RCI and Celebrity came down on the TAs but the TAs found a way around it, they now just offer big onboard credits instead.

[bob brown]

I would go back to the first TA and show her that you got a better offer. I would tell her that I would prefer to keep her as your agent, but could she possibly match that better offer. I would tell her that she would keep this sale but that her action could possibly influence your decision on future bookings.

[grandmato4]

What looks like the best price on a quote is not always the best deal in the long run. Checking out different quotes is a good thing, but more than just the price needs to be taken into consideration when actually deciding who to go with as you found out on your first cruise. IMO a good TA is more than worth a few dollars but unfortunately that usually only gets learned when there is a problem somewhere along the line.

[Lovely_Star]

How do I research a potential TA and their agency for reviews, complaints, etc . . . do I check them out with the BBB?

[blindrid]

IMO, BBB ia pretty much worthless.

 

I would never switch TA's to save a few bucks. I would probably think that I would NOT use him for the group. I don't like any form of price matches as that's the easy part - give me a fair price upfront and we'll get along. If you want to steal a deal, I probably will not use you in the future. All I want is a fair price, reservations the way I want them, in a timely manner. Don't offer to beat someone elses deal.

[AmoMondo]

I think that you need to weigh up the service/reliability of a known TA 9especially one that has a bricks and mortar premise near you, so that in the event tickets don't turn up in time or whatever, you can get a hold of someone. Sometimes Internet/Phone only operations man their sales line very well but you can be in queues for ages with some if its an after sales question you have). So in my view, if you are only saving a small amount of money, stick to who you know and trust. Hoewever, I've been cruising for a few years and tended to use 1 of 2 well known UK cruise specialists. When onboard, I usually found what I paid compared favourably with what other Europeans had paid for similar cabin category. i was on the point of booking the MSC Lirica repositioning cruise on 29th march from fort lauderdale to England, 8 weeks ago. My usual TA told me that MSC would not do the airfare and hotel stay in Ft lauderdale as it was a late booking. They offered to sort it all out for me, total cost £4575 (highest grade of cabin). Tried a different Internet TA based in the UK just out of interest as I felt this price was very expensive, especially as i was travelling on my own. the new TA phoned MSC and negotiated a price of just under £2400 for the same cruise/cabin category and MSC paying for my flight to the US and my overnight stay. When I mentioned that I had a loyalty card with MSC, for onboard spending, he phoned MSC and got me a further discount of £187, despite all previous TAs telling me that loyalty discounts are not available on heavily discounted or promotional pricing. My tickets arrived more than 2 weeks ago, with all arrangements exactly as the new TA had promised. So given that I paid less than half by not being loyal and using a tried and tested TA, I'd say it pays to shop around. if you are worried about trying a new TA, you can always do some independent rersearch on what other travellers think of them through forums such as this.

[NAS-KARR]

The last I heard this was still a free country.

Do what you want~ ~ ~ it's called free enterprise.

[hammybee]

 

Now I am trying to plan a group cruise for 2009 and am "interviewing" potential TA's.

 

You are not interviewing travel agents. You are shopping for the best price. Getting the best price usually means that you are going to compromise service.

[M&M Mousers]

Since you're an experienced cruiser, why not go directly to the cruise line? I've found my best prices through the lines. Also, my experience has been that if the fare is lowered before cruise date the cruise line will drop your price, refund overpaid amounts if possible or give you onboard credit if a refund isn't possible. I used a TA that did not or was not able to provide the same service, so my children who booked with the line months after I booked paid less than I did. That's irritating. I've also used web sites that put your cruise request out for bid. That might help you get a lower price. My old TA was not able to get a military discount for me that is standard with some of the cruise lines. I think shopping around, checking CC member comments, and contacting the lines directly will yield the results you're looking for.