What to do???

[Los_Lobos]

Hello everyone, my son will be getting married during a cruise next May. I have cruised a couple times and always taken care of all the travel arrangements for myself and wife. I book directly with the cruise line and book my air and transfers right thru the airline, I do a lot of research on the net to get the best prices. My sons fiance had a TA recomended to her so they booked their cruise thru this agent. It is the complete package, includes roundtrip air from Minneapolis to Miami, transfers and on board gratuities. This cruise will be on the Triumph the week of May 17 2009. Prices quoted were 1301.30 Inside Stateroom, 1401.30 Ocean view and 1551.30 Balcony. She will also do a one night precruise stay for about 120.00 per person she thought. I felt I should also use this TA because I don't want my son to feel I did not like their choices. I did call and talk with the TA because I thought those prices were a little more than what I could get the same trip for. She said because we were booking so far out she was just using Carnivals prices for the cruise and air?? She felt with the recent fuel issues and all the airline cancellations it would be safer to just book it all thru them. So, what has she done for us that I could not have done?? I did some airfare checking today and could fly Delta for 267.00 per person round trip, Carnivals airfare is 489.00 per person, thats 200.00 savings alone!! What should I do?

Do I cancel with this TA and book my own, I did put down 500.00 to the TA because she said the sooner she got that downpayment the better room we would get. Sorry this got so long.

 

Thanks, Les

[mom2girls]

I would cancel as soon as possible. If she wanted your business she would have shopped around for you. That's ridiculous for you to have to pay $200 more for air than what you could get on your own. A hotel for $120/night/person also sounds very high! I got a 4 star in Miami for $60/night. 3 of us stayed in it.

[Guest carlogesualdo]

Why not allow her to do your cruise and you book your own air? If she's just booking cruise air, you're probably safer booking your own air anyway. But actually, I think mom2girls is probably right. Your TA doesn't inspire a lot of confidence that she really knows what she's doing.

[Los_Lobos]

Thanks for the quick replys, if I cancel will I lose the 500.00, it was billed to my credit card to Carnival Tkts??

 

thanks,Les

[mom2girls]

You should be reimbursed your deposit since you are still 10 months away from your cruise. Some TA's have a fee for cancelling, but it shouldn't be much.

[Kurbanfan]

I agree with the previous poster.....book the cruise thru her and do your own airfare. That way you will still be linked with the wedding party on the cruise. Our son was married on a cruise and it makes it alot easier if everyone is booked together......also eases the nerves of the bride;)

Most TA's charge a fee for airfare. We always use a TA for our cruises but book our own airfare.

Good luck!!!

[zqvol]

Hello everyone, my son will be getting married during a cruise next May. I have cruised a couple times and always taken care of all the travel arrangements for myself and wife. I book directly with the cruise line and book my air and transfers right thru the airline, I do a lot of research on the net to get the best prices. My sons fiance had a TA recomended to her so they booked their cruise thru this agent. It is the complete package, includes roundtrip air from Minneapolis to Miami, transfers and on board gratuities. This cruise will be on the Triumph the week of May 17 2009. Prices quoted were 1301.30 Inside Stateroom, 1401.30 Ocean view and 1551.30 Balcony. She will also do a one night precruise stay for about 120.00 per person she thought. I felt I should also use this TA because I don't want my son to feel I did not like their choices. I did call and talk with the TA because I thought those prices were a little more than what I could get the same trip for. She said because we were booking so far out she was just using Carnivals prices for the cruise and air?? She felt with the recent fuel issues and all the airline cancellations it would be safer to just book it all thru them. So, what has she done for us that I could not have done?? I did some airfare checking today and could fly Delta for 267.00 per person round trip, Carnivals airfare is 489.00 per person, thats 200.00 savings alone!! What should I do?

Do I cancel with this TA and book my own, I did put down 500.00 to the TA because she said the sooner she got that downpayment the better room we would get. Sorry this got so long.

 

Thanks, Les

 

Go to the TA, and tell her what you have found and give her a chance to match it. If she can't or won't then cancel, and have her match it for your son and his fiancee too. This far out you have too many options for her to not take care of you.

[buddyjo143]

Hello everyone, my son will be getting married during a cruise next May. I have cruised a couple times and always taken care of all the travel arrangements for myself and wife. I book directly with the cruise line and book my air and transfers right thru the airline, I do a lot of research on the net to get the best prices. My sons fiance had a TA recomended to her so they booked their cruise thru this agent. It is the complete package, includes roundtrip air from Minneapolis to Miami, transfers and on board gratuities. This cruise will be on the Triumph the week of May 17 2009. Prices quoted were 1301.30 Inside Stateroom, 1401.30 Ocean view and 1551.30 Balcony. She will also do a one night precruise stay for about 120.00 per person she thought. I felt I should also use this TA because I don't want my son to feel I did not like their choices. I did call and talk with the TA because I thought those prices were a little more than what I could get the same trip for. She said because we were booking so far out she was just using Carnivals prices for the cruise and air?? She felt with the recent fuel issues and all the airline cancellations it would be safer to just book it all thru them. So, what has she done for us that I could not have done?? I did some airfare checking today and could fly Delta for 267.00 per person round trip, Carnivals airfare is 489.00 per person, thats 200.00 savings alone!! What should I do?

Do I cancel with this TA and book my own, I did put down 500.00 to the TA because she said the sooner she got that downpayment the better room we would get. Sorry this got so long.

 

Thanks, Les

 

If you check the prices on the Carnival website for that date, a balcony starts at $849. Subtracting the Carnival quoted airfare, she is charging you $1062 for a balcony. Possible, but still high.

 

Did your son and his fiance have to guarantee her a number of rooms to get this rate? What is she giving them if they book a large number of rooms?

 

Touchy questions but you might want to ask so you know you aren't being totally ripped off.

[zqvol]

If you check the prices on the Carnival website for that date, a balcony starts at $849. Subtracting the Carnival quoted airfare, she is charging you $1062 for a balcony. Possible, but still high.

 

Did your son and his fiance have to guarantee her a number of rooms to get this rate? What is she giving them if they book a large number of rooms?

 

Touchy questions but you might want to ask so you know you aren't being totally ripped off.

 

Don't forget that the price she has quoted includes prepaid gratuities, taxes, and fuel surcharges, that price was total out the door. It lloks like it is the standard price for an 8A balcony.

[cruisetmc]

Is this a group booking? If so, are there group amenities?

 

There are only a certain number of weddings on board per sailing. Did the agent research that for the bride? Just wondering, since you asked what did the agent do that you couldn't have done for yourself. Yourself being the wedding couple.

 

We've used the cruise lines air and booked our own. Hopefully, the gas prices will settle down and you don't have to worry about cancelled flights.

 

We attended a wedding aboard the Triumph several years ago. I think the family will be pleased with the wedding.

[Wennfred]

It is the complete package, includes roundtrip air from Minneapolis to Miami, transfers and on board gratuities. Prices quoted were 1301.30 Inside Stateroom, 1401.30 Ocean view and 1551.30 Balcony.

 

I did some of my own investigating for the ship and date and I found that you will probably save around 361.00 on the inside cabin, 461.00 on the OV and 611.00 for the balcony cabin if you book this trip on your own.

 

But then I read that it also include the Transfers, Gratuities, Taxes and Port Charges and then I added your 267.00 airfare to the quote that I found and it came out to around 1327.00 for the inside total package. So actually you are getting a good deal. I found no problems with the T/A's quote. And I feel that you are in good hands.

 

The only way you can break this 1327.00 or 1301.00 deal is if you were in the Military longer then 2 years and with a Honorable Discharge. You would also need a copy of your DD-214, This is the best discount carnival has and it would save you around 300.00 per person.

 

 

 

 

Fred