Comparison shopping for OBC - right or wrong?

[Leejnd4]

In a recent discussion about OBC’s, someone suggested booking a cabin initially through Celebrity, then just before final payment switching to a TA who will give an OBC (since Celebrity doesn’t). Another member posted that they felt this was “insulting” to the TA, and said that you should either use the TA to “take care of everything for you (that's their job!)” or do it yourself and leave the agent out of it.

 

I found this surprising, as I am the type of cruiser who does all my own research, down to exactly what cabin I want, and all I need from a TA is the booking. Hence, I tend to shop around, getting quotes from multiple TA’s, and book through the one that will give me the biggest OBC.

 

I was subsequently informed that this is “insulting,” and that by doing this I am “using” the TA, and attempting to “profit off them”. I made quite an effort to defend my position, explaining how I simply do not require any services from a TA other than the booking. I do my own research, and by the time I’m ready to book a cruise I already know exactly what cruise line, itinerary, ship, category, cabin, excursions, pre- and post-cruise plans, transfers, etc. that I want. I can’t even imagine allowing a TA to “take care of everything,” as I prefer to make all of my own choices, and do not need the advice or assistance of a TA. But evidently this is considered disrespectful and insulting to TA’s, at least according to the posts in that thread.

 

This concept has caused me some distress, as I would never wish to be insulting to anyone – certainly not to someone with whom I do business costing thousands of dollars. I was a bit troubled by the fact that no other members joined the conversation to say that they, too, are comparison-shoppers and independent cruise consumers – which is how I see my method of cruise shopping.

 

So I wish to pose the question (in a new thread, so as to stop hijacking that one). Am I, in fact, being “insulting” and “using” by comparison-shopping, and going with the TA who gives me the best deal? Should I feel guilty for not asking my TA any questions, expecting any service, and wanting only to book the cabin through them? One person (although not a TA, but evidently speaking for them) said that she would rather have repeat customers that require lots of work and come back to her because she did a good job, and would feel “useless” with a client like me; another said if a client didn’t trust her to make their reservation, she really doesn’t need their money!

 

Now I want to make it clear that I have absolutely no problem with those who prefer to use a full-service TA. I do a massive amount of research on all of my travel, and this can be very tedious and time-consuming. Not everyone has the time, or the inclination, to do what I do…so it’s wonderful that there are full-service TA’s out there who will do all of that legwork for their clients. I, however, do not NEED this legwork, preferring to do it on my own. And for that, I expect to get a better deal (translation: bigger OBC) since my TA has to do nothing for me but process the booking.

 

So what am I to do? Should I stop doing all my research, call up a full-service TA and ask them to do all the work for me – and just trust that they’ll get it right? Is there really anything so wrong with shopping around for the best deal, and asking nothing more of the TA than to book it?

 

I am truly perplexed!

[SandbanksFerry]

Carry on exactly as you are LeeAnne! Your booking with a travel agent is purely and simply a business transaction, nothing more nothing less. If you've done all the hard work already then there is no reason why you shouldn't negotiate the best deal you can possibly find (in this case in the form of OBC).

 

The advent of the internet has completely changed the world of travel planning and booking and enabled the consumer to be their own TA.

 

Any good Travel Agent should be more than happy to negotiate a mutually agreeable deal that benefits both of you. "Insulting" them by doing all the hard work yourself just doesn't come into it.

 

As a UK cruiser we find getting a good deal hard work but I have now booked our last 3 cruises through US travel agents and negotiated for the best deal (including OBC) as hard as I could. Something I never could have done before the internet.

 

I'm definitely with you on this one :)

[Conrycol]

I completely agree with you LeeAnn. I do all my own research and booking. That's half the fun of the trip, the planning stage. I also book all my families cabins, I have the time and energy to do it. Why wouldn't a travel agent want to take your booking, you've done all the work and you're giving the agent free money. Don't listen to them and keep booking vacations the way you enjoy. If you can get some OBC out of it, all the better for you;) .

[Leejnd4]

THANK YOU! I was beginning to think I was losing my mind! (Where were you in that other thread?? :o )

[FinelyCruising]

Its a win-win for both you and the TA the booking was transferred to. But, there is a need IMHO to access the caliber of TA in the event you need some help down the road, or even once you board and find there is no OBC credit posted to your account, and that does happen.

 

So a transfer decision should be tempered with that kind of uncertainty in mind, and long term relationships forged are the best ones, I feel. That same hit and run approach to booking for a sole purpose of an OBC can backfire if the TA then takes the same approach with you and suggests it's just a quick discounted commission and leaves you left in the lurch with no one to back you if you ever need some help.

[Cruise Junky]

How could you possibly be insulting them when they're basically earning a comission for doing nothing? Continue with what you're doing. I'd love someone to pay me for doing nothing :)

[TNhome]

I have to agree, you have every right to shop around! It's your money and you are doing all the work. I would think a TA would be happy to provide you with such easy service. In these times we have to make sure we all get the best deal!!!

[grannybee]

Carry on exactly as you are LeeAnne! Your booking with a travel agent is purely and simply a business transaction, nothing more nothing less. If you've done all the hard work already then there is no reason why you shouldn't negotiate the best deal you can possibly find (in this case in the form of OBC).

 

The advent of the internet has completely changed the world of travel planning and booking and enabled the consumer to be their own TA.

 

Any good Travel Agent should be more than happy to negotiate a mutually agreeable deal that benefits both of you. "Insulting" them by doing all the hard work yourself just doesn't come into it.

 

As a UK cruiser we find getting a good deal hard work but I have now booked our last 3 cruises through US travel agents and negotiated for the best deal (including OBC) as hard as I could. Something I never could have done before the internet.

 

I'm definitely with you on this one :)

 

 

Hi Sandbanksferry

 

How do you choose and book with an American TA. I usually book with one that awards miles via one of the big 4 supermarkets and usually get a good deal but I was wondering if I could do better! We are on an Alaskan B2B but looking to the caribbean next Feb so would be intersted in the best deal. Thanks

[bjksgk]

I personally have never transferred my bookings to an TA only because I didn't think the $100OBC or bottle of wine etc I was offered was worth giving up the control of my reservation. I am just like you in that I do all my own research etc. In my opinion, you are a TA's dream client! They are getting a commission from the cruise line and have to do NO LEG WORK for you! In exchange they are giving you a token OBC. It is win-win situation!! I cannot imagine any TA being insulted by this - rather I would think they would be thrilled to have such an easy transaction.

[Leejnd4]

Its a win-win for both you and the TA the booking was transferred to. But, there is a need IMHO to access the caliber of TA in the event you need some help down the road, or even once you board and find there is no OBC credit posted to your account, and that does happen.

 

So a transfer decision should be tempered with that kind of uncertainty in mind, and long term relationships forged are the best ones, I feel. That same hit and run approach to booking for a sole purpose of an OBC can backfire if the TA then takes the same approach with you and suggests it's just a quick discounted commission and leaves you left in the lurch with no one to back you if you ever need some help.

 

You make an excellent point. I acknowledge that this is a risk I take by choosing to shop around as I do. I'm fortunate that this has not happened to me - yet. But I'm sure the risk is higher that it will happen to me than to those who build a long-term relationship with a full-service TA.

 

But then I tend to be a bit of a risk-taker. I do try to mitigate and minimize risks, and so far in life I believe that I have benefited from my risk-taking way more often than not.

 

So, the question becomes...how DO we mitigate this risk? One way would be to wisely choose the TA's you get your quotes from - do your research. Try to only use those TA's about which you have some information, some background, some good reviews. I actually once turned down a deal with a TA who was offering me the best price (this was before the days of set pricing and OBC's) because I just...had a bad feeling about him! To this day I have no idea if he really was a slimeball, but he just sounded like one to me. ;) I paid a slightly higher price for my cabin with a TA that just seemed a bit more professional and on top of things.

 

What I'm hoping to do right now is actually forge a long term relationship with the TA I used for this last booking, knowing that I will always get the best deal from them. They are in fact an online-only TA - they ONLY want to work with clients like me! They have no phones, no office, they respond only through email. They openly state that they do NOT provide "full service" - and if you require such, they encourage you to go elsewhere. In order to book with them you need to know everything already, and they will then provide you a quote with an OBC. This suits me perfectly. I've used them twice now, and in each case they were substantially less than any other quote that I received. And so far, no problems. If they continue to give me the best deal with no problems, they'll continue to win my business.

[FinelyCruising]

You make an excellent point. I acknowledge that this is a risk I take by choosing to shop around as I do. I'm fortunate that this has not happened to me - yet. But I'm sure the risk is higher that it will happen to me than to those who build a long-term relationship with a full-service TA.

 

But then I tend to be a bit of a risk-taker. I do try to mitigate and minimize risks, and so far in life I believe that I have benefited from my risk-taking way more often than not.

 

So, the question becomes...how DO we mitigate this risk? One way would be to wisely choose the TA's you get your quotes from - do your research. Try to only use those TA's about which you have some information, some background, some good reviews. I actually once turned down a deal with a TA who was offering me the best price (this was before the days of set pricing and OBC's) because I just...had a bad feeling about him! To this day I have no idea if he really was a slimeball, but he just sounded like one to me. ;) I paid a slightly higher price for my cabin with a TA that just seemed a bit more professional and on top of things.

 

What I'm hoping to do right now is actually forge a long term relationship with the TA I used for this last booking, knowing that I will always get the best deal from them. They are in fact an online-only TA - they ONLY want to work with clients like me! They have no phones, no office, they respond only through email. They openly state that they do NOT provide "full service" - and if you require such, they encourage you to go elsewhere. In order to book with them you need to know everything already, and they will then provide you a quote with an OBC. This suits me perfectly. I've used them twice now, and in each case they were substantially less than any other quote that I received. And so far, no problems. If they continue to give me the best deal with no problems, they'll continue to win my business.

 

LeeAnn - My take is that you are in good shape given the most you will be out monetarily is the value of the perk from the TA rhat ever that is, and while that is something we all like to have in pocket, it won't ruin it for many of us if somehting goes sideways. Since you are an experienced enough traveler, you know where to go and what to do.

 

It is for some others that do not though, and then the my TA has screwed me stuff comes often times as a result of the dangling carrot or the not enough research.

[halbfl2]

Lee Anne-I could have written your first comments. I, too, do all of the research myself, and basically call the TA and tell her the ship, the cabin, etc. so she has very little to do. Why do I use her? There is no cost to use a TA for a cruise (not like an airline ticket w/a fee), I will most likely get a voucher or OBC, and if something should go wrong, I have someone to straighten it out on my behalf. I also do all the research for the ports, and rarely use the ship's excursions preferring to do things on our own. Occasionally, if time is tight, or if I feel that getting off the ship and trying to fend for ourselves may become a stressful situation, I will pick a ship's excursion. I have the time, and love doing all of this.

[hugger]

back before so much info was available on the internet. I took pleasure in customer's who did the research and knew what they wanted as well as the one's who needed advise. You would be a dream client in my mind. Keep doing what you are comfortable with as you won't feel that you're getting the best deal for your money otherwise. And, you also won't have the fun of doing the research and being well informed.

 

ENJOY your future cruises!

[Lsimon]

I don't see anything wrong in your approach. If the TA is insulted they can choose not to do business with you. Although I see no reason why they would be.

 

Personally, I stick with one TA from beginning to end. They do give a reasonable amount of OBC - I have no idea if it is the best available or not. I stick with them and give them my business as they've helped me out a few times with a few requests, and I think that has created what I hope is a mutual loyalty situation: I give them my business and they do what they can to take care of unusual requests.

 

OTOH, I see nothing at all wrong with your choice to shop around to minimize your cruise cost.

[Jade13]

I book direct and transfer before final payment. Celebrity is the one line where I will stay direct next time if I decide to do one of the cheaper Carribean sailings. The small OBC is not worth it when Celebrity direct will refund money after final. I had one cabin direct and the $100.00 difference was back on my credit card the next day. With the cruise through the TA, my $300 refund has finally been sent to me after over 3 months (the cruise line sent the refund to the TA vs me). It was not worth it to save $80.00. (pre-paid gratuity minus agent booking fee). On the other hand on a HAL cruise I am saving $1,600 by using the same TA group booking plus a free full day excursion with lunch.

 

I also had to negotiate with the TA not to charge me a change fee to return the money and get me the lower Celebrity fare.

[Leejnd4]

Thanks to everyone who confirmed for me that I am NOT, in fact, insulting TA's by doing all my own legwork and shopping around for the best deal. Interestingly enough, none of the folks who suggested that in the other thread bothered to come in here and explain their point of view. But that's fine - I just wanted to make sure I wasn't somehow offending the travel industry with my cruise-purchasing practices! :rolleyes: And I feel much better now! :D

 

Back to my massive amounts of research!

[forensic]

In a recent discussion about OBC’s, someone suggested booking a cabin initially through Celebrity, then just before final payment switching to a TA who will give an OBC (since Celebrity doesn’t). Another member posted that they felt this was “insulting” to the TA, and said that you should either use the TA to “take care of everything for you (that's their job!)” or do it yourself and leave the agent out of it.

 

I found this surprising, as I am the type of cruiser who does all my own research, down to exactly what cabin I want, and all I need from a TA is the booking. Hence, I tend to shop around, getting quotes from multiple TA’s, and book through the one that will give me the biggest OBC.

 

I was subsequently informed that this is “insulting,” and that by doing this I am “using” the TA, and attempting to “profit off them”. I made quite an effort to defend my position, explaining how I simply do not require any services from a TA other than the booking. I do my own research, and by the time I’m ready to book a cruise I already know exactly what cruise line, itinerary, ship, category, cabin, excursions, pre- and post-cruise plans, transfers, etc. that I want. I can’t even imagine allowing a TA to “take care of everything,” as I prefer to make all of my own choices, and do not need the advice or assistance of a TA. But evidently this is considered disrespectful and insulting to TA’s, at least according to the posts in that thread.

 

This concept has caused me some distress, as I would never wish to be insulting to anyone – certainly not to someone with whom I do business costing thousands of dollars. I was a bit troubled by the fact that no other members joined the conversation to say that they, too, are comparison-shoppers and independent cruise consumers – which is how I see my method of cruise shopping.

 

So I wish to pose the question (in a new thread, so as to stop hijacking that one). Am I, in fact, being “insulting” and “using” by comparison-shopping, and going with the TA who gives me the best deal? Should I feel guilty for not asking my TA any questions, expecting any service, and wanting only to book the cabin through them? One person (although not a TA, but evidently speaking for them) said that she would rather have repeat customers that require lots of work and come back to her because she did a good job, and would feel “useless” with a client like me; another said if a client didn’t trust her to make their reservation, she really doesn’t need their money!

 

Now I want to make it clear that I have absolutely no problem with those who prefer to use a full-service TA. I do a massive amount of research on all of my travel, and this can be very tedious and time-consuming. Not everyone has the time, or the inclination, to do what I do…so it’s wonderful that there are full-service TA’s out there who will do all of that legwork for their clients. I, however, do not NEED this legwork, preferring to do it on my own. And for that, I expect to get a better deal (translation: bigger OBC) since my TA has to do nothing for me but process the booking.

 

So what am I to do? Should I stop doing all my research, call up a full-service TA and ask them to do all the work for me – and just trust that they’ll get it right? Is there really anything so wrong with shopping around for the best deal, and asking nothing more of the TA than to book it?

 

I am truly perplexed!

 

 

You will not insult me - Just tell me right up what OBC you want and I will tell you if I will give you that much or not. The only thing I ask is loyalty. I will give you what you want - if I can, and you be loyal. If you are going to use me for 1 cruise but then for the next cruise someone will give you the same OBC but maybe a cheap bottle of wine with it. That would be using me. You be honest and open and I will be honest and open. Most of the TA's I have ever met and know work the same way. BUT I do not know any TA's from card mills or from any of the 'huge on-line' agencies. I know mostly home based, one person TA's that have their own agencies.

 

NOW, I cannot tell you who I am, or how to contact me as that violates the rules of this board.

 

I am just telling you how I feel as an agent. And how many of the TA's I know feel. There is a big difference between a TA from their own agency and one from a huge agency that cannot make their own rules. The TA's I know also never charge a service charge or a cancellation fee.

 

Good luck and whatever you do I hope it works for you.

[Leejnd4]

You will not insult me - Just tell me right up what OBC you want and I will tell you if I will give you that much or not. The only thing I ask is loyalty. I will give you what you want - if I can, and you be loyal. If you are going to use me for 1 cruise but then for the next cruise someone will give you the same OBC but maybe a cheap bottle of wine with it. That would be using me.

Well the cheap bottle of wine would definitely not steal my business away, as I'm pretty picky about my wine! :D Hey, life's too short to drink cheap wine. :p

 

I appreciate your feedback. It's actually great to hear the perspective of an actual TA. I kinda figured most TA's would not thumb their noses at someone handing them a commission that required virtually no effort - but it's good to hear from one directly!

 

I respect your opinion about openness and honesty between you and your client. I am very straightforward when I deal with a TA - I tell them clearly that I am a comparison shopper, and they can be confident that I will require very little actual work on their part...and for that, I expect the best deal possible. And if they can't meet or beat other prices I'm finding, I'm going to go elsewhere. For me it's no different than buying any other product - if I know exactly what I want, and where to buy it, I'm going to hunt around until I find it for the lowest cost, and that's where I'm going to get it.

 

My approach probably doesn't work well for TA's who pride themselves on their comprehensive knowledge, expertise, and service. And I know several TA's who are extremely successful in that niche. One in particular I can think of, knows more about one of the luxury cruise lines than probably the cruise line executives themselves, and she has many fans who wouldn't dream of going elsewhere. They know they can ask her just about anything, from which shore excursion might run late to which entertainer on the ship might be worth skipping...and she'll know the answer, and more. Her customers don't mind paying a premium for her, and feel that her amazing service is worth the extra cost. (I did too - I used her myself before I got so dang independent!) And in a way I kinda wish I could still give her my business. But she simply can't meet the deals I can get through the online TA's that offer no additinional services. That's not the kind of business she operates - and I respect that.

[DHux]

Well said, as in any kind of service business there are good people and also people whom you would not use again. TA are not any different good ones and bad ones or they there are card mills and internet only ......

Some times you come across a very good TA that takes the time learn there guests and know what they like and don't and make sure that when the guest calls and says I want this type of cruise or trip they know what there guest wants and where they want to be placed on the ship and give them a OBC, and sometimes rates go down even after final payment, TA work to make sure there guests get the new rate and refund on there card. Also the week of sailing if there is a suite or a higher stateroom, they can put them in for a upgrade, and sometimes someone gets more they what they paid for..............so this is why we live in the USA where we are free to choose many things in our lives. Travel is no different Choose wisely

Happy Cruising

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will not insult me - Just tell me right up what OBC you want and I will tell you if I will give you that much or not. The only thing I ask is loyalty. I will give you what you want - if I can, and you be loyal. If you are going to use me for 1 cruise but then for the next cruise someone will give you the same OBC but maybe a cheap bottle of wine with it. That would be using me. You be honest and open and I will be honest and open. Most of the TA's I have ever met and know work the same way. BUT I do not know any TA's from card mills or from any of the 'huge on-line' agencies. I know mostly home based, one person TA's that have their own agencies.

 

NOW, I cannot tell you who I am, or how to contact me as that violates the rules of this board.

 

I am just telling you how I feel as an agent. And how many of the TA's I know feel. There is a big difference between a TA from their own agency and one from a huge agency that cannot make their own rules. The TA's I know also never charge a service charge or a cancellation fee.

 

Good luck and whatever you do I hope it works for you.

[land lover]

Quite Frankly, if I booked with a TA first, they would ask me to transfer back to the cruise line with my continuious changes.....;) why wait for a TA's call back when I call X until late into the evening and have my request fulfilled.

 

I think it is not insulting to the TA I think you are saving them time and effort. I just transferred an 8 month out booking for the Xpedition to my T.A. because I know I have the best cabin possible and will be using FF miles. However each time I tranfer my booking I still confirm with her that her perks are still the same. Business is Business.

 

I have 3 other cruises booked I will not transfer to her till I know for sure I am going......why have her do all the work and then have me cancel....

 

She knows I transfer just for the perks and on expensive cruises, several 100 dollars comes in handy.

 

I do not shop around any longer as this TA discounts or rebates me on all Land, AIL and cruise vacations. However , I deal with another TA for Princess cruises.

 

I don't like to play the waiting game I like things handled right away and if I have access to the same info as a TA has why not do it myself.

[leoandhugh]

We, like you, really enjoy doing all the research which has become quite easy with access to internet. As a matter of fact, we have been planning our own cruises and booking directly with the cruise line for such a long time now, that I feel we are as adept as most TAs. The one thing they have that we don't is a special phone number that TAs alone have access to. Fortunately we have never run into one of those situations that I see others post about - where they say only a good TA can solve the problems. And of late, I dont even shop around for the best OBC because our repeat status with several cruise lines does pretty well in that respect. So, to cut a long story short, we book directly with the cruise lines and stay with them. Since we are handicapped and require accessible cabins, we have learned to deal directly with the Special Needs desks and have developed some great personal service.:)

[cruisequeen10]

OK, now I am very confused. You say if you book with a TA you get an OBC. In the 20 something cruises I have been on, I have never received an OBC from my TA. If they do give you one, they more than likely take it from their commission. These days, because you can book directly with the cruise line (this was never done when I first started cruising back in 1980), they have scaled back their commissions to TA's by quite a lot. My BIL is now a TA and you should see the amount of work that he does and if you decide to actually cruise, the commission is next to nothing.

[Cruise Junky]

OK, now I am very confused. You say if you book with a TA you get an OBC. In the 20 something cruises I have been on, I have never received an OBC from my TA. If they do give you one, they more than likely take it from their commission. These days, because you can book directly with the cruise line (this was never done when I first started cruising back in 1980), they have scaled back their commissions to TA's by quite a lot. My BIL is now a TA and you should see the amount of work that he does and if you decide to actually cruise, the commission is next to nothing.

 

 

Cruise lines pay a very healthy commission, that's why there are so many discount agencies out there that rebate a large part of their commission back to the client. It's pretty standard that we can save minimum 10% off any Princess fare by going to an online agency, sometimes it's higher. Does your brother work for himself or a bricks and morter agency? because the cruiselines are paying it somewhere so his agency might be taking their cut before passing anything off to him, I'm sure volumes enter into it too.

[Leejnd4]

OK, now I am very confused. You say if you book with a TA you get an OBC. In the 20 something cruises I have been on, I have never received an OBC from my TA. If they do give you one, they more than likely take it from their commission. These days, because you can book directly with the cruise line (this was never done when I first started cruising back in 1980), they have scaled back their commissions to TA's by quite a lot. My BIL is now a TA and you should see the amount of work that he does and if you decide to actually cruise, the commission is next to nothing.

 

Cruisequeen, I'll try to explain for you. A few years ago, several of the mass-market cruise lines (including Celebrity) changed their policies so that TA's were no longer allowed to "discount" cruises. They could not advertise, or sell the cruises, and any price different from what was on the cruise line's website. So if you go shopping for a cruise online, you will see that EVERY SINGLE WEBSITE quotes identical prices, down to the penny, to what Celebrity quotes on its own website.

 

TA's also were barred from "kicking back" their commissions to their clients. Some still did this, but if they were caught by the cruise line there would be repercussions.

 

The result of this new no-discount policy, at least initially, was that TA's were unable to differentiate themselves by price. They all had to sell for the same price. This made many people, TA's and passengers, very unhappy!

 

Shortly thereafter, TA's started offering OBC's as a sales incentive. It's not a discount per se, but it IS a way to sell the cruise to the client at a cheaper price. The OBC comes straight out of the TA's profit, so even though it's not a commission kick-back, it operates effectively as such.

 

So now, TA's are again able to differentiate themselves by price. Some TA's focus on their in-depth knowledge, service and support, and usually give less of an OBC, while other TA's focus on volume and price, offering less service but a bigger OBC.

 

Which brings us back to a normal capitalist market. We as consumers now can choose to shop around for the cheapest deal, knowing that with the bigger "discount" (read: OBC) comes less service; or we can chose to pay a premium to get the service that we want or need. Meanwhile, Celebrity (RCI) gets to keep these "discounts" because the entire OBC is going to get spent on the ship anyway! :D

 

Does this help? Or is your confusion about something else?

[Cruise Junky]

Here's the wording from a discounters site...

 

Discounting:

 

At the current time seven cruise lines no longer allow discounting or advertising of any prices below the currently available lowest price. This prevents agencies who own space (group or block space) to offer this space at a lower selling price. Effective December 27, 2007 BLANK will offer Value Added shipboard credit on

 

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