Booking directly with Princess vs TA

[cruzeluvr]

We have always booked our cruises through a cruise only agent that we are comfortable with. My son and a friend want to book a cruise to celebrate their college graduation, and his friend insists on booking directly with Princess because he has a coupon or something from an entertainment book. All things considered,it seems that booking directly with Princess would come out about $25pp cheaper. My advice was that for a difference of $25pp I would stick with the TA we know and trust. His friend insists on bypassing the TA. I'd like to hear other opinions and/or experiences regarding booking directly with Princess.

Charlie
Holiday - December 1993
Song of America - August 1996
Song of America - August 1997
Norwegian Crown - August 1998
Grandeur of the Seas - July 1999
Carnival Destiny - July 2000
Oceanic - December 2000
Mercury - July 2001
Sovereign of the Seas - November 2001
Zenith - August 2002
Carnival Legend - August 2003
Voyager of the Seas - July 2004
Staten Island Ferry - many times

[Toto2Kansas]

Remember, some TA's also have group space and can offer a shipboard credit as well as discounted pricing.
Everyone I have known that booked direct with the cruise line, except when there is a special running and a fixed price on it, has always gotten cheaper rates from a good travel agency.

http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/tier/smilie_hund1.gif
Tahitian October 14th,2004

[Princess Di]

Hi Cruzluver,

I am just wondering how old these boys are and how experienced they are in traveling. In my experience, these coupons are really pretty worthless and act more like an advertisement to entice you to make a booking.

If they know their category, or even inside, outside, or balcony, the friend (or you) should call Princess directly and ask if there are any Regional Promotions going and on which categories. When you ask if you may use the coupon on these promotional rates, you will be told: "The coupon is only applicable to Love Boat Savers rates." You will save more with any other type of promotion. Ask your T.A. She has had enough experience to know this. If the coupons were to apply, they will still apply when using a travel agent; therefore, your son's friend is truly misinformed and calling Princess will certainly prove this. Hope the boys can go with you as they will love it.

A Smile is just a little curve that sets a lot of things Straight.
Fair Winds and Following Seas!

[srphnx]

Not to worry, you can book with Princess and have the booking transfered to a TA. People do that with on ship bookings all the time. Look into it, but I believe it must be done prior to final payment, ask this TA you like so much.

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[wwinfl91]

We have always booked with TA's and have been happy with our cruises. We got a special in the mail from Princess recently and our TA was able to match the price that Princess listed as well including some shipboard credit for the cruise. As another poster mentioned you can also work both with Princess and your TA and hope to get the best of both.

Happy cruising.

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[MQU]

We have booked with a TA before but, this time we were able to get a cheaper price booking directly with Princess. Maybe the price was cheaper because we booked last minute.

[Coral]

All travel agents have the same prices that Princess quotes (even last minute specials). What some travel agents can do - is lower their commission (Princess charges the full commission) and provide a lower price to the customer.

I would get your best price from Princess and hold the cabin and then call your travel agent and see what they can do. They will either match it or can beat it (if they discount their commission or if have group space on the sailing).

I also have found the Entertainment Coupons useless for Princess cruises as they are based on booking a higher rate then most people pay (Love Boat Saver fares).

Good luck!

[ginak1112]

I just got off the Grand and really lucked out. I normally book through the internet, there are a few cruise sites I use. They are always less than the cruise line and I have even mentioned this to the lines who are never willing to meet them. This time when I called Princess they asked me if I was a captain's circle member and I was. They were offering a special and it saved my family (4 of us) $1200 total. I think you should always shop around a bit. Of course, waiting as late as possible in booking will help since they want to fill the ships in the end.

[Coral]

Gina - did you ask any of the agents you received prices from if they were quoting you Capt Circle rates?

I always find out the price from Princess and my TA always honors all the regional rates, captain circle rates, last minute rates, etc. .(and then lowers the price a little more) This kind of info often can't be found on a website but you just need to call the agents.

Glad you had a good cruise! The Grand is a great ship.

[Vacation Nut]

I never use a travel agent I like to book directly with Princess - monitor prices (often through this board) and know when my documents arrive because they are sent straight to me. I can call direct and make changes.
I also had a coupon from an entertainment book but it was for Loveboat fare which is much higher than regular booking.

[Commodore Suzy]

Everything Coral says is absolutely correct.

In addition, you need to be sure you are giving your Captian's Circle number when requesting a quote from anyone. They "select mail" the circle promotions, so unless the agent / Princess puts in YOUR actual number, you might not get the lowest rate available to YOU.

Cheers!

Suzy

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[srphnx]

As was said well above by Coral, TA's can always beat a Princess rate if they chose to.

You can dice, slice and sautee it anyway you want direct fans but bottom line, as stated, Princess does not discount the TA's commission percentage.

If you are getting a better deal at Princess, it is only because you haven't found a TA that does serious cruise business and discounts accordingly.

You get all the same discounts all the same everything and sometimes group space cabin credits, but you have a commissioned person working for you that has a direct connection to your happiness in his or her paycheck.

If you book direct great, but you did NOT get a better price than was available through a (good) TA.

As Scotty used to tell Kirk "I can't change the laws of physics Captain."

<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04
Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98
Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02
Vision o.t. Seas 04/02
Star Princess 12/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
Vision o.t. Seas 10/02
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[jmike]

In the past, I have always booked through my travel agent. I booked my up coming cruise on the Tahitian Princess directly through Princess and have had a very good experience. The main advantage to me is that I can call Princess directly and make changes without having to call my travel agent and hope that the changes get made and get made correctly.

Using Princess, I can log on to their web site and see my changes get made while I am on the phone. My travel agent in the past has made some mistakes that I didn't catch until I got my cruise docs. Dealing with the Princess reps on the phone has been a pleasure.

Mike

[woodspines]

I have done it both ways. For my current cruise, I went directly through Princess. I checked, and checked, and have yet to find a TA that could beat the price, even with my Circle #. I suggest they check around to find the best deal. Like others said, they could book through Princess, then transfer the booking if they find a better deal.

[mschnackel]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jmike:
In the past, I have always booked through my travel agent. I booked my up coming cruise on the Tahitian Princess directly through Princess and have had a very good experience. The main advantage to me is that I can call Princess directly and make changes without having to call my travel agent and hope that the changes get made and get made correctly.

Do you monitor the rates (as good travel agents do) to see if they go down and call the C/L to have them adjusted or get an upgrade? Princess, or any cruise line for that matter, will not notify you if the rates lower..... just a thought.

[KAJOKG]

I prefer booking directly with the cruise line. If you need to make a change or have a question, they are available 24/7. If you book with a TA and need to change or have a question, they make you go back to your TA who is usually available only during the day and not on Sunday. BUT, you do have to keep checking for reduced fares. I'm booked on an Oct. cruise and have already gotten my fare reduced, but you have to be diligent about it.

KB

NCL NORWAY - 2000
GOLDEN PRINCESS - 2001
GOLDEN PRINCESS - 2002
HAL NOORDAM - 2002
HAL VOLENDAM - 2003
ISLAND PRINCESS - NOV. 2003
HAL VOLENDAM - JAN. 2004
CORAL PRINCESS - OCT. 2004

[mschnackel]

My agent is open from 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. and open from 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sundays, closed Saturdays.

One more thought...the cruise line may be "sold out", but you can find group space from a travel agent. So even if you go on line, and find your perfect cruise vacation is "sold out" be persistant and shop around. Travel companies may have space available.

[cruzeluvr]

Thanks to all for your input. I'm going to send my son a link to this thread and let him make his own decision. At the ripe old age of 22 he is a veteran of 11 cruises, 10 with us and 1 on his own.

Charlie
Holiday - December 1993
Song of America - August 1996
Song of America - August 1997
Norwegian Crown - August 1998
Grandeur of the Seas - July 1999
Carnival Destiny - July 2000
Oceanic - December 2000
Mercury - July 2001
Sovereign of the Seas - November 2001
Zenith - August 2002
Carnival Legend - August 2003
Voyager of the Seas - July 2004
Staten Island Ferry - many times

[jhannah]

I have always used a TA ... the same agency except for our first cruise (when the TA's service was far less than I expected.) I have been fortunate in that my TA has gone to bat for me and gotten what I feel are good deals.

I'm booked for a September cruise and had noted to my TA that I saw an online fare that was around $350 PP cheaper than what she quoted. Well, I got a call yesterday from my TA saying she had been working on it and found a fare that reduced our cost by $836 PP for a 13-day cruise. That's real money, IMO. As long as I get that kind of service, I'm sticking with my TA!

'Vegas Jim