Bummed at TA

[tandrsmom]

I booked my Glory cruise back in Feb under Early Saver rates, through a giant online TRAVEL service. I noticed last week that the rates on my cabins had gone down, so I called the 877 number and spoke with a representative (just like I knew I needed to do, since I knew from reading these boards that CCL wouldn't deal directly with me.) Told agent about rate reduction and agent confirmed that rate was reduced and I would be eligible for fare reduction totalling $300 for the two cabins. Woohoo! So she put me on hold while she was talking to CCL and came back on and told me it was taken care of and I'd receive an email confirmation in a few days.

This was on Friday. Well, Sunday morning I got an email from Carnival that my TA needed to submit the request for rate adjustment; that I couldn't do it myself. I KNEW that; that's why I called the agency to begin with. I immediately emailed CCL and told them I did go through my TA and also emailed a copy of the correspondence to the travel web site's email address. CCL emailed me back that the TA needed to put their email address on the form for it to be processed. I forwarded THIS email to the TA as well. I waited to hear back from TA, who emailed me back this morning with the response that my request could be better handled by phoning them. So I did. Don't you know the rate went up on one of the cabins - I booked an inside and a balcony, and the TA (not same one I spoke with Friday - I didn't get the first one's name, since she assured me the matter had been taken care of) said he needed to resubmit the request the "proper" way - with TA's email address and not mine, and since the rate went up, this is the one I should expect to have to pay.

Needless to say, I'm pretty frustrated by this news, since I did everything I was supposed to do the right way, and through the fault of the TA I may now have to pay a higher rate than was offered on Friday. I asked the agent if there was anything he could do to make it right if CCL didn't honor lower rate, even though I have a paper trail, and he said he does not have the ability to change what the cruise line decides to charge. Well, I KNOW that, but is there anything TRAVEL agency can do for me? He replied there's nothing he can do if Carnival does not honor lower rate; all I can do is speak to a supervisor in his dept. I have a feeling this will be an exercise in futility. I'll wait to hear back about the fare reduction before I call and ask to speak to a supervisor, but I'm pretty frustrated. It was their screw-up, you'd think the least they could do is offer an OBC or bottle of wine (not that I drink, but the gesture would be nice...)

 

Thanks for letting me vent.

[*Mach*]

Bummer...

Ya' know, I work with a great TA but I sure can understand the frustration of not being able to deal directly with Carnival...

:(

[firefly333]

Well, you could have taken a screen print of the price, but Carnival is honoring them if you tell them on the form the date and time when you saw the lower price.

 

I missed a $60 price drop thru a TA who discounts, and decided after that to book thru a PVP, that the discount wasnt worth as much as probably price drops. I book pretty far in advance.

[RAE6]

Sorry to hear that...hopefully you have time for it to go down again.

[tandrsmom]

Well, you could have taken a screen print of the price, but Carnival is honoring them if you tell them on the form the date and time when you saw the lower price.

 

Well, I do have a paper trail (okay, email trail) that shows TA submitted the request to Carnival on Friday, and the price that the cabin was supposed to be on that date. I wonder if that will help...

[ivycruise]

Well, you could have taken a screen print of the price, but Carnival is honoring them if you tell them on the form the date and time when you saw the lower price.

 

Well, I do have a paper trail (okay, email trail) that shows TA submitted the request to Carnival on Friday, and the price that the cabin was supposed to be on that date. I wonder if that will help...

 

I would think that you should take the chance and followup with the supervisor, showing /sending the email chain. They need to step up and if they don't well, you should deal with another TA or just deal directly with carnival in the future. I would not be inclined to use a TA that messed up the process, they should be aware and be the experts, thats why people go thru them.

[firefly333]

Well, you could have taken a screen print of the price, but Carnival is honoring them if you tell them on the form the date and time when you saw the lower price.

 

Well, I do have a paper trail (okay, email trail) that shows TA submitted the request to Carnival on Friday, and the price that the cabin was supposed to be on that date. I wonder if that will help...

 

It SHOULD help, if only you can get your TA to put the date and time of the price on the form. It sounds like the TA doesnt really want you to get that price drop to me and cut into their commission.

[richfret]

I can see why Carnival has you go through the agent and not deal directly with them. If they reduced the price of a cruise, they are probably also reducing the commission of the agent. It would be tough to send a reduced check to the TA and then say that they had dealt directly with you instead.

 

On the other hand, I understand your plight. The only consulation is that it sounds like the one reduction in price was only for a very short time period and I doubt many cruisers could take advantage of it.

 

I have come to the conclusion that no matter what price I settle for, some one is going to get a better price than I do. Most of the time, I think it is the result of apples and oranges comparisons but sure as heck, it does happen.

 

When buying a cruise, I think the best way to go is to come up with a number that makes you happy. Say $125 a day per peron. When you settle for a price and it meets that goal, "Be Happy". If it doesn't, keep trying.

 

This probably didn't make the pain go away but you are on the road to recovery. Once you are on the cruise, you will be all smiles and you won't give a darn about the price. Been there and done that!

[Celandine]

personally, this is why I prefer to have an agent (who I can see and talk too) and not just a phone number where I speak to whomever is available.

 

That is frustrating though. I hope it works out.