Book with TA or Princess

[chopper825]

I know there have been many threads arguing the benefits of a TA over Princess or vice-a-versa but lately I have been reading about lots of TA problems and it is making me nervous. I am not new to cruising but have always booked direct with Princess. I have a cruise consultant that I deal with directly and she is fabulous. However, I have a friend that uses a TA that seems to always get her good prices so I inquired with her and sure enough the TA has a much better price. I already booked my cabins direct with Princess but the TA is about $400 less. I know I can transfer the booking but this cruise is not until early 2011. Does it make sense for me to hold my booking with Princess and not transfer until we get closer to the date. My CC assures me that the Princess price will drop before sail date and based on past cruises, it probably will. But then the TA's price should also drop. It is a lot easier for me to deal with my CC than it would be to deal with a TA. The TA is already hard to get in touch with. This way I would have the benefit of my Princess CC until final payment but get the lower price from the TA. Anyone ever done this? Maybe I am just being silly, but I find it hard to trust a TA. Any thoughts. Thanks.

[puddytat]

I don't know if anybody noticed this. When you book with an TA, depending which company he work with, they might charge different Fees (tax and port) than the cruise line. The most recent comparison, my TA quoted a cabin rate 100 pp dollar cheaper, but total price 50 dollar more than directly with Princess. Also booking directly you can choose the available cabin instead of waiting for a TA to find it for you. The benefit of a TA, is the on board credit they sometimes kick in, although it was not promised.

I also had this happen with NCL. I am now leaning more towards booking directly with cruise line and transfer it to a TA.

And also did anybody use a cruise line TA. I had one approaching me lately and not sure if there is any benefit with a TA working for the cruise line.

[Desert Cruizers]

I use our local TA and when I am ready to book a cruise, I go to her office, and sit down with either she or an associate. While I am present, she calls the Cruise lines, and I have all the information ready, Room #, dining time etc. There is no misunderstanding as I am sitting there while she is speaking with the Cruise lines agent, so no waiting for her to find a room? You may transfer your booking over to your TA at anytime. There are no hidden fees by my TA, and she has always gotten us great prices. I do understand not all find a good TA, but if you do they can solve any problems faster.

[bogeydi]

You're probably going to get a variety of answers on this one as well. Some will have had only great experiences with a TA - others will have horror stories. I have booked 3 cruises with an on-line TA whose prices have been from $100 to $400 less than the cruise line. They do not charge a fee and the only taxes/fees they pass on to me are the exact amount charged by the cruiseline. Just my two cents - but I LOVE my TA. I have kept an eye on the cruises and when the price went down - I called my TA and she adjusted the price. They are extremely friendly and helpful and bend over backwards to make me happy. I wish I could tell you the name - but of course - that is not allowed on CC.

 

Hope you get some good info and are able to make the appropriate decision for your situation. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

[Pia1913]

I'm going to tell it to you short and sweet. Stay with the cruise line until shortly before final payment. Shop for a TA before that and turn it over to whomever gives you the best price. Compare apples to apples, and be sure the TA is not charging extra fees.

 

You will always get a lower price from a TA than whatever the cruise line is charging. Always.

 

Meanwhile you monitor the pricing and when there is a reduction you ask to be refared. Don't wait for your consultant to contact you. You call him/her.

[rdsqrl]

I totally agree with Pia.

I'd just add that you said the TA you were considering was "already hard to get in touch with." That to me is a dealbreaker from the get-go. S/he doesn't even have your business yet and can't be bothered to be reachable? Ruh-roh. I don't care how good the price is, that sends up red flags to me -- unless you're trying to reach him/her at 3am or on a national holiday, s/he should be more punctilious about responding to a potential new client (i.e., if s/he can't be bothered to woo you now, what happens once you hand over your money?).

[AAAAmerican]

Did your Travel Agency move down to my.. Princeton?

 

 

Is yours a ASTA member? That is very important for me as the one where your from was then recently owned by a MI firm and went Ch 11 but with ASTA everyone was covered. They then took the cream and created another one. That had been Princess's Fourth largest Booking Agency in the World too.

 

So yes getting the best prices was easier than from an agency without as much clout.

 

Talk to one of your agencies principles and discuss your not being able to contact them.. in a NJ NANO second that would be corrected... and people thought a NY Minute was fast eh....:eek:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know there have been many threads arguing the benefits of a TA over Princess or vice-a-versa but lately I have been reading about lots of TA problems and it is making me nervous. I am not new to cruising but have always booked direct with Princess. I have a cruise consultant that I deal with directly and she is fabulous. However, I have a friend that uses a TA that seems to always get her good prices so I inquired with her and sure enough the TA has a much better price. I already booked my cabins direct with Princess but the TA is about $400 less. I know I can transfer the booking but this cruise is not until early 2011. Does it make sense for me to hold my booking with Princess and not transfer until we get closer to the date. My CC assures me that the Princess price will drop before sail date and based on past cruises, it probably will. But then the TA's price should also drop. It is a lot easier for me to deal with my CC than it would be to deal with a TA. The TA is already hard to get in touch with. This way I would have the benefit of my Princess CC until final payment but get the lower price from the TA. Anyone ever done this? Maybe I am just being silly, but I find it hard to trust a TA. Any thoughts. Thanks.

[chopper825]

Thank you everyone for you thoughts. I did not think about the taxes and port fees and honestly, not sure if she included those in her quote but I certainly will make sure before I transfer. When I said hard to get in touch with I meant that email is the best means of communication and it is difficult to get her by phone. My CC at Princess is great and will always call me back before the end of the day. There is no guarantee that will happen with a TA that prefers email. Anyway, I think that I will sit tight and watch my price changes with my CC and as we get closer I will check the prices with the TA. I don't care about a bottle of wine or a small OBC but a $400 difference was a lot. I have to make sure we are comparing apples to apples though. Thanks again for all the good advice.

[paul929207]

I always search the online TA's for the lowest price. My local TA then matches it or beats it.

[grandmato4]

 

You will always get a lower price from a TA than whatever the cruise line is charging. Always.

 

 

Unforunately NOT always for all TA's. TA we used to use used exactly the same prices I could get directly from the cruiseline on the last cruise we booked with them. :( Can't tell you about cruises prior to that one since I hadn't learned my way around Princess's webite back then and didn't know everything that I now know;)

[Pia1913]

Unforunately NOT always for all TA's. TA we used to use used exactly the same prices I could get directly from the cruiseline on the last cruise we booked with them. :( Can't tell you about cruises prior to that one since I hadn't learned my way around Princess's webite back then and didn't know everything that I now know;)

 

Now that you know better, you'll be saving some money in the future. I love those TA's who tell you they provide "service" and then charge the same price you would have gotten from the cruise line itself. I used to use one of those myself.

[TomCruises]

I know there have been many threads arguing the benefits of a TA over Princess or vice-a-versa but lately I have been reading about lots of TA problems and it is making me nervous. I am not new to cruising but have always booked direct with Princess. I have a cruise consultant that I deal with directly and she is fabulous. However, I have a friend that uses a TA that seems to always get her good prices so I inquired with her and sure enough the TA has a much better price. I already booked my cabins direct with Princess but the TA is about $400 less. I know I can transfer the booking but this cruise is not until early 2011. Does it make sense for me to hold my booking with Princess and not transfer until we get closer to the date. My CC assures me that the Princess price will drop before sail date and based on past cruises, it probably will. But then the TA's price should also drop. It is a lot easier for me to deal with my CC than it would be to deal with a TA. The TA is already hard to get in touch with. This way I would have the benefit of my Princess CC until final payment but get the lower price from the TA. Anyone ever done this? Maybe I am just being silly, but I find it hard to trust a TA. Any thoughts. Thanks.

 

 

This is a no brainer! You book with a competant TA and get their discount off the Princess price. Then, when the Princess price drops,notify your TA and they will reconfigure purchase price less their discount! Win Win!

[captainron]

Have done a TA who promised added gifts in stateroom etc...zilch, and he never got my business again.

 

On the other hand I can neither roast nor toast Princess as I have never booked with them directly.

 

I, am extremely happy from my online TA in Florida who has given me excellent service for my last coastal and who has my business again for my 30 day Trans-Pacific on the Star.

 

I'd say best bet is to try them all then make your choice with the one that makes you feel at ease, comfortable and confident with their trade knowledge. Bottom line is...a good TA should be fully conversant and knowledgable with the product they are selling.

 

Ciao for now!!!