Price drops & OBC questions PLUS T.A. question

[JuniorCruiser]

I don't know how or where to start so here goes. It seems that everytime there is a price drop i call my travel agent and tell her about it and the first thing that comes out her mouth is well if we give you the lower price then you will lose your obc. WHY? I don't understand it at all :eek: What gives? Then the other thing is she never calls me about price drops. It seems as though i'm the one always looking. I'm very frustrated. Then to top it all off is the last time i called her about a lower price and asked if she could match it she said that they were going to start charging me a $29.00 fee because of getting the lower price from another online travel agent. Does this sound normal to everyone else or am i getting screwed here? I've been using them since 2003 and she is good when i need something BUT i wish she would do a little more for me since i have been loyal to them. I also read on here that some travel agents send gifts. Not mine. Never, Nothing :(

 

Sorry for the ranting but i would really appreciate some input from my buddies here :) :)

 

~~Debbie~~

[fractoyle]

I don't know about anyone else's experiences but on our Jewel cruise in Nov 06 we were surprised with $100 obc in addition to a bottle of wine. Our TA has gone beyond the call for us but it still makes sense for us to look for additional deals. Cause she can't see everything out there... ;)

 

I would think about looking around if I were you. There is no point in being loyal if it is not appreciated. There are way too many other TA's who will work hard for your $.

[Arwenmark]

Obviously whether you have been using them a long time or not they are not the TA for you.

 

There are plenty of excellant agents out there that do not charge extra and offer incentives.

Not all agencies have programs that search for lower fares and deals etc. Some offer this service some don't, Your's doesn't.

There is basically nothing you can do at this point but don't use them in the future.

Also looking for a lower fare means with the cruiseline, not with some other agency and then ask your's to comply. So they are quite right there.

It is also normal is the fare drops that it may well affect your OBC, especially if that OBC is from the agent not the cruiseline. If it is a cruiseline special then "normally" it would not be reduced UNLESS you were changing cabin class in which case you would likely lose it all.

IF however it was a TA offer to begin with, well it is based on the commision the TA is getting and if you lower your fare you lower their commission and they have to lower the OBC.

[daffodiliaz]

It seems that everytime there is a price drop i call my travel agent and tell her about it and the first thing that comes out her mouth is well if we give you the lower price then you will lose your obc. WHY? I don't understand it at all :eek: What gives?

 

Similar thing happened to us when I paid to upgrade from OV to balcony. We lost our OBC from NCL. The TA was nice enough to honor the additional OBC from OV to balcony from the promo they offered when we originally booked. NCL would not budge. A week post cruise I still don't understand it. I called NCL, the TA called NCL. Finally I wrote a letter to NCL and got no response, but was surprised to see $25 OBC from NCL when we boarded. In the end we were only down $25 total ($150 vs $175). Probably too late for you to write a letter, but you could try. I only assume the OBC resulted from the letter I wrote, but maybe there was a kind soul out there that didn't want to tell me over the phone.

 

Don't be surprised if you get reamed on this board for expecting to keep your OBC. OBC is part of the price, yadda yadda yadda. It all comes out the same in the end, yadda yadda yadda.

[terrymtex01]

Yep.. and I am one of those that see no reason why you should expect to keep your OBC. The OBC you were given was in association with the price you paid for your cruise. It blows my mind that someone would expect the price drop difference credited to their final billing AND be able to keep the OBC. The OBC you were given was for the price you booked the cruise. If you want the lower fare, then you have to take the offer as it currently is. If it has OBC, then you get the currently offered OBC. If there is no OBC, then you get the price drop and nothing more. I don't understand how anyone could expect anything different. Are there people out there who really do not understand that the OBC is calculated in the price offered by the cruiseline?

 

As far as your TA, I can't say that I blame them if you are making a lot of changes to your booking. Every change you make cost them money. Their time and effort has a value. The commission they make off of you is not a huge commission. And every change you are requesting is taking away from that commission, not just because it is a lower fare, but because of what it cost them in man power to make those changes for you. From reading your posting, it does seem you have requested quite a few changes, so I do not blame them for beginning to charge you for those changes. I am sure your loyality to them is appreciated, however if booking a trip for you ends up costing them money rather than making money, what good have you really brought them?

 

I do have to say that we have only gone through one TA and that was for our first cruise. It never entered my mind that the TA would keep checking for us to see if the price has dropped. Is that standard practice? How do they keep up with the hundres or thousands of customers bookings and check the prices for all of those bookings?

 

I realize I am seeing things a lot differently than those who have already posted and I am sure I will get flamed for my thoughts on the subject, but it is at least a honest opinion of how I see it.

[Giantfan13]

Very well stated terry

[Luckyroot]

in my opinion, a TA who is "good when you need something" isn't all that good. My guy has always tried to keep an eye on pricing and has on more than one occasion let me know that he obtained lower pricing for us. We have almost always received a gift (although we also refer a lot of people to him) so it could also be a thank you for the referrals.

 

Either way, if you have to do all the work, seriously I think it's time to shop for someone new.

 

Oh and I am the QUEEN of changing things on my reservations and have NEVER paid a change fee. EVER

[KBG]

Just to clarify pricing...

 

There are many different price "codes" for a specific sailing. The exact same category, cabin, etc. can have many different codes with different prices and incentives to go along with them.

 

For instance, you could originally book with a pricing code that includes on-board credit. After you book, the cruise line may offer a new pricing code that offers a lower fare, but does not include on board credit. I believe this is what the TA meant. If you switch from one price to another and the new pricing code does not include the obc, you will lose it.

 

TAs can also give you an obc as a complementary incentive to book with them. However, from what you say, I don't believe this was the case with your original booking. It sounds like your obc was tied to your price code with the cruise line.

 

Hope this helps. It can be confusing when you're new to the process.

 

KBG

[Luckyroot]

I do have to say that we have only gone through one TA and that was for our first cruise. It never entered my mind that the TA would keep checking for us to see if the price has dropped. Is that standard practice? How do they keep up with the hundres or thousands of customers bookings and check the prices for all of those bookings?

 

Maybe I'm naive in thinking that the numbers aren't that high but I SERIOUSLY doubt that "hundreds or thousands" of bookings would be active at any given time for a TA (agent, not agency that is). And while I wouldn't expect my TA to check pricing daily........checking once in a while isn't too much to ask. And apparently he does, he's gotten me at least 2 price reductions in the past.

 

Just my opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it :D

[JuniorCruiser]

Thank You for all who responded. I appreciate all of your help.

 

Terry... I have to clarify a few things in regards to your post. When i said "everytime" i only meant twice. My last 2 cruises we booked which was the 1 in May and the other my upcoming in Oct are the ones in which i called and asked about the price reductions. It seems as if a lot of people on the boards get their prices adjusted when there is a drop in price and get to keep their onboard credit as well. Believe it or not i'm one of the people that help my travel agent as much as possible. As far as charging me a $29.00 fee i don't think that it is fair. She told me when i booked my last 2 cruises that she could match the price from the other online agency but would have to charge me the $29.00. It is NOT because of ALL the paperwork i make her do. As a matter of fact it only took 2 minutes of her time on the phone to tell me this. And i don't expect her to call me everytime the price drops but i have talked to a lot of other people who's travel agents call them and let them know when they have a drop in price. As far as the gifts go i just thought it would be a nice thing as we always sail with the whole family and i give her a lot of our business.

 

I don't mean to start any trouble, I just wanted a little help with my questions.

 

Thanks,

 

~~Debbie~~

[tiyana4]

Thank You for all who responded. I appreciate all of your help.

 

Terry... I have to clarify a few things in regards to your post. When i said "everytime" i only meant twice. My last 2 cruises we booked which was the 1 in May and the other my upcoming in Oct are the ones in which i called and asked about the price reductions. It seems as if a lot of people on the boards get their prices adjusted when there is a drop in price and get to keep their onboard credit as well. Believe it or not i'm one of the people that help my travel agent as much as possible. As far as charging me a $29.00 fee i don't think that it is fair. She told me when i booked my last 2 cruises that she could match the price from the other online agency but would have to charge me the $29.00. It is NOT because of ALL the paperwork i make her do. As a matter of fact it only took 2 minutes of her time on the phone to tell me this. And i don't expect her to call me everytime the price drops but i have talked to a lot of other people who's travel agents call them and let them know when they have a drop in price. As far as the gifts go i just thought it would be a nice thing as we always sail with the whole family and i give her a lot of our business.

 

I don't mean to start any trouble, I just wanted a little help with my questions.

 

Thanks,

 

~~Debbie~~

 

Debbie,

 

It sounds as if on at least 2 occasions, you did the research on pricing elsewhere and expected your TA to match it. If your TA's pricing is higher and she has to cut commission to get to your pricing, perhaps it would be more fair to book initially with the company whose pricing is lower in the first place. I think that may be the beef your TA has with you. It would be different if you were using cruise competing to book with the most reasonably priced agency where the playing field is level.

 

TA's don't make a lot on cruises by way of commission, so when they have to make exceptions (loss of revenue) over and over, I can see why they would be annoyed. Just keep that in mind.

[suzyed]

The online TA I used, stated that they may charge a fee to make changes

 

I was thinking of changing to a higher catagory (AE to AD) but decided not to because I didn't want to lose my $500 obc. I just checked again and the price for the AD is now $100 less(even with my TA) than my AE was...kinda annoying, I admit, but I feel like I got a good deal (to begin with, TA price was over $600 less than NCL + the $500obc offered at the time + the $100 AmEx obc) so I am happy with what I have.

 

I guess the chance we take booking earlier rather than later is worth it...you get your pick of cabins and frequently can take advantage of specials/obc offers, etc.

Hey, in a perfect world, we would be able to keep getting refunds, keep our on board credits, give yummy gifts, etc. ,I guess it just doesn't work that way.;)

[dtracker]

The better ones seem to be those that only book cruises. They know the system, and seem to have the better prices up front. My cruise to Canada this September, a case in point: the fare now quoted on the NCL website is $275 pp more than I paid in February for an I/C, plus I got some OBC also. I couldn't be happier. :D

 

DT

[Lubbock2006]

What's wrong with finding another TA? I treat shopping for a cruise like buying a car. Know what you are looking for. Compare pricing. Don't rush to make a purchase. A good TA (or PCC) will call you back. Try it on a car or any significant purchase. A good salesman will call you back. :):)

[R.K.Himura]

Hi all. I was researching my coming cruise and found this wonderful forum. Has been reading it non-stop for the past few days. Now I have a question similar to the OP and I hope some of you can help me.

 

I've book a Jun 15 cruise last week. I have done research in regards to pricing and I ended up with my TA. Due to the excitement, i found myself browsing here and ncl's website quite a lot :p, and today i see that the pricing for my exact category on ncl's website has dropped quite a bit (from US$1200 to $850). Now, I haven't got my reservation number from my TA yet. My question is, should I call my TA tomorrow to ask them for an adjestment? Thanks in advance ;)

[maggiecatenjay]

If you use a TA I strongly suggest that you check whether your credit card charges on your bill are from the TA or from NCL. If the charges are made by the TA MAKE SURE YOU ASK FOR THE NCL GUEST INVOICE.

 

A quick note about the NCL GUEST INVOICE: the accounting may have not 'caught up' and may still show a 'balance due' though it is not (mine was a few days behind). It does, however detail the actual fare the TA paid for your fare.

 

I understand that reputable TA's process the credit card transactions directly via NCL so NCL shows up on you bill and not the travel agency.

[tiyana4]

Hi all. I was researching my coming cruise and found this wonderful forum. Has been reading it non-stop for the past few days. Now I have a question similar to the OP and I hope some of you can help me. I've book a Jun 15 cruise last week. I have done research in regards to pricing and I ended up with my TA. Due to the excitement, i found myself browsing here and ncl's website quite a lot :p, and today i see that the pricing for my exact category on ncl's website has dropped quite a bit (from US$1200 to $850). Now, I haven't got my reservation number from my TA yet. My question is, should I call my TA tomorrow to ask them for an adjestment? Thanks in advance ;)

 

I would definitely call the TA to see if you qualify for a pricedrop. I think it may depend on a couple of things:

1. Is this June 15, 2009? If so, you are probably paid in full
   
2. Is the price drop for new bookings only or a special promo?
   
3. Does your TA charge change fees?
   

If you are beyond final payment, you may only qualify for OBC. Good luck and have fun on your cruise.

[garycarla]

As Terry/Doug mentioned, OBC is part of the pricing.

 

Sometimes they give out $200 OBC - later they might lower the price by $200. In the end, it is the SAME price. Just different ways to package the product.

 

OBC is real money. Some people think it is not since you use it to buy things on the ship, and they have markup, etc etc.

 

If a TA gives somebody a $100 OBC - it comes out of their pocket. Unless, it was a pass through from NCL and in that case NCL paid it.

 

It is MONEY - plain and simple.

[terrymtex01]

Thank You for all who responded. I appreciate all of your help.

 

Terry... I have to clarify a few things in regards to your post. When i said "everytime" i only meant twice. My last 2 cruises we booked which was the 1 in May and the other my upcoming in Oct are the ones in which i called and asked about the price reductions. It seems as if a lot of people on the boards get their prices adjusted when there is a drop in price and get to keep their onboard credit as well. Believe it or not i'm one of the people that help my travel agent as much as possible. As far as charging me a $29.00 fee i don't think that it is fair. She told me when i booked my last 2 cruises that she could match the price from the other online agency but would have to charge me the $29.00. It is NOT because of ALL the paperwork i make her do. As a matter of fact it only took 2 minutes of her time on the phone to tell me this. And i don't expect her to call me everytime the price drops but i have talked to a lot of other people who's travel agents call them and let them know when they have a drop in price. As far as the gifts go i just thought it would be a nice thing as we always sail with the whole family and i give her a lot of our business.

 

I don't mean to start any trouble, I just wanted a little help with my questions.

 

Thanks,

 

~~Debbie~~

 

Well.. based on this info, I am with every one else that says it might be time to try a new TA. I still understand if they charge a fee for making changes, but from this posting it doesn't sound like you have made excessive requests. I still stand by my belief that OBC is a part of the pricing and if you change and get the lower fare you should not be able to keep the OBC, again unless it is a current offer.

 

I hope you didn't take my posting as you being any "trouble". I felt your posting was a legit question and I wasn't trying to bash you or anything like that. I was just expressing my opinion on what I understood from your posting at that time.

[1greencar]

As Terry/Doug mentioned, OBC is part of the pricing.

 

Sometimes they give out $200 OBC - later they might lower the price by $200. In the end, it is the SAME price. Just different ways to package the product.

 

OBC is real money. Some people think it is not since you use it to buy things on the ship, and they have markup, etc etc.

 

If a TA gives somebody a $100 OBC - it comes out of their pocket. Unless, it was a pass through from NCL and in that case NCL paid it.

 

It is MONEY - plain and simple.

 

The OBC that I was given as a bonus due to my using an AMEX card for booking. I see no reason for that to be taken back if I make a change to my reservation.

[1greencar]

If you use a TA I strongly suggest that you check whether your credit card charges on your bill are from the TA or from NCL. If the charges are made by the TA MAKE SURE YOU ASK FOR THE NCL GUEST INVOICE.

 

A quick note about the NCL GUEST INVOICE: the accounting may have not 'caught up' and may still show a 'balance due' though it is not (mine was a few days behind). It does, however detail the actual fare the TA paid for your fare.

 

I understand that reputable TA's process the credit card transactions directly via NCL so NCL shows up on you bill and not the travel agency.

 

I have only paid the deposit so far through a TA. My credit card bill does show it went to NCL. I would request a Guest Invoice AFTER I make my final payment, correct?

[R.K.Himura]

I would definitely call the TA to see if you qualify for a pricedrop. I think it may depend on a couple of things:

1. Is this June 15, 2009? If so, you are probably paid in full
   
2. Is the price drop for new bookings only or a special promo?
   
3. Does your TA charge change fees?
   

If you are beyond final payment, you may only qualify for OBC. Good luck and have fun on your cruise.

 

Yep, it's 2 weeks away :). It's posted on the ncl's website for new booking. For everyone's benefit, the following is what happened this morning: (LONG READ WARNING)

 

I called my TA this morning with my new finding. He said he'd call back after contacting NCL. after about 45 mins. He told me that the only thing that's offered is an upgrade. (from BE to BC). Now, since there's only 4 BE cabin on the Sky, i'm pretty sure that i'll got upgraded either way (mind you, BE, BD, and BC are all on the same deck) but i'm happy with those BE cabin as well. TA asked me to contact NCL directly since it seems that NCL has no interest in helping him. I contacted NCL. After the agent got my confirmation number (which i got this morning), the first thing he said was, "Sir, since you booked through a TA, you have to contact your TA in regards to this matter. There is no way we can make any changes to your account at this time." :mad: I told him how I felt, "Why i have a feeling that you're just brushing me off back to my TA? I've contacted my TA, and I'm not satisfied with the resolution. That's why I called." He then goes on about the company's policy that, unlike some other company, they don't do refund or OBC on price change after final payment. I then asked to speak with a supervisor. She came online, and I question their policy. " If there's a refund and my TA didn't past it back to me, then of cause i'll go after them; but how can you direct me to my TA if your company doesn't offer my TA anything to begin with? Also, I'm not asking for a full refund of the different nor upgrade to a suite, all I'm asking is a reasonable compensation. Moving 10 cabin aft of the ship on the same floor is not considered reasonable since you're looking at a $300 different on a $1200 bill. That's 25% off!" She replied again with the official script, that they can't touch my account, that it's all they can do and directed me back to my TA to escalate the issue. Seeing that it's not going anywhere, I just told her my disappointment of the company, how the issue is resolved, and ended the call. (no, not hanging up, that's RUDE!)

 

Now, the whole call is done in a very professional tone and I'm treated with respect. Just that they're sticking with their "policy" and not willing to go beyond. But of cause I still treat them like how I'd like to be treated . You earn your respect and it goes both way, always!

 

I then headed to my TA, and he called NCL back. After a lot of debate about custom service between the TA and the supervisor (the same one I spoke to) and very lengthy holds in between, they offered me a total of $100 OBC but will assign me back to a BE cabin (which i'm fine and expected to begin with). I know that it's not a full refund, but I find it to be reasonable. At least it shows that they still care about their customer (although it costed me the whole morning). I accepted the offer.

 

I understand that my experience is a very special case with a big exception, and shell not be viewed as a normal NCL procedure. I'm writing here to prove that if you have a reasonable complaint, contact NCL directly, tell them very calmly but firmly your concern (please don't shout and sware, the person on the other end didn't cause the issue, and it won't get you anywhere), and chances are, in the end they're willing to go the extra mile to make you a happy customer. ;)

 

P.S. Kudos to my TA. He definitely share my frustration and helped me through this. The poor guy can't get any of his work done this morning and was on the phone for almost 2 hours in total just because of me.

[maggiecatenjay]

I have only paid the deposit so far through a TA. My credit card bill does show it went to NCL. I would request a Guest Invoice AFTER I make my final payment, correct?

 

The hocus pocus happened to my group's fares 34 days out. Therefore I suggest asking for the NCL GUEST INVOICE two to three weeks out.

 

The NCL GUEST INVOICE comes as a PDF file. NCL told me that you should have the NCL GUEST INVOICE very shortly after the request.

[sparks1093]

The OBC that I was given as a bonus due to my using an AMEX card for booking. I see no reason for that to be taken back if I make a change to my reservation.

 

The other consideration is sometimes OBC is given as a special for a limited time. If you change to a lower priced room or upgrade or whatever you are cancelling your old reservation and starting a new one. If the time for the special has passed then you aren't entitled to the OBC.

 

A case in point- I just reserved next year's cruise during the 50% off deposit special. If I called NCL and changed cabins I would be on the hook for the entire deposit at that time, the money that I've all ready paid would no longer be sufficient to hold the reservation.

 

What it all boils down to is who gave you the OBC for what purpose with what limitations. It does not automatically stay with you under all circumstances.

[garycarla]

Hi all. ... Now I have a question similar to the OP and I hope some of you can help me.

 

I've book a Jun 15 cruise last week. I have done research in regards to pricing and I ended up with my TA. Due to the excitement, i found myself browsing here and ncl's website quite a lot :p, and today i see that the pricing for my exact category on ncl's website has dropped quite a bit (from US$1200 to $850). Now, I haven't got my reservation number from my TA yet. My question is, should I call my TA tomorrow to ask them for an adjestment? Thanks in advance ;)

 

The above poster has also posted another reply above.

 

But, to answer the original question, I would say it is worth a call. I would also say you are not owed ANYTHING. You made a valid reservation and a valid contract with NCL, via your TA.

 

Later, after you booked, NCL realized it had some cabins left and decided to have a sale to try to fill them. They did not lower the price for the entire ship, just those last few cabins. They wanted to fill them at any price.

 

Your original contract and agreement still stands.

 

In the second posting, it appears you did get some beenfit and should feel lucky. There are hundreds of other cruisers that are not getting that benefit.