knowledge level of typical travel agents

I think that is great...

 

I have another question. For your cruise clients- is is customary for Travel Agents to send something for their clients once they are on the cruise? Like a bottle of wine, chocolates, flowers for the room, dinner or a spa event?

 

I'm talking about a Professional TA experienced in cruises- not a clearing house TA geared for the last minute best priced cruise.

 

~Steve

It totally depends on the agent/agency. Some do, some don't. Also depends on length/price of cruise and a few other factors as to what can be done for any given client!

I think that is great...

 

I have another question. For your cruise clients- is is customary for Travel Agents to send something for their clients once they are on the cruise? Like a bottle of wine, chocolates, flowers for the room, dinner or a spa event?

 

I'm talking about a Professional TA experienced in cruises- not a clearing house TA geared for the last minute best priced cruise.

 

~Steve

My very first cruise, my TA sent a "Gift Basket" to the cabin...Of course, they gave me nothing in the way of a discount on the cruise or OBC...or anything of the like...

Remember, whatever any TA gives you comes out of their commissions...

With what my TA made from that first $5,000 booking, she could easily afford the small gift basket...

Of course, really, no TA has to "give" you anything...

Some do...as a matter of business practice. You want to make your customer happy...and to feel appreciated...

Of course, it is also a competitive business...

Some TAs do a very high volume of business...So they make a lot of money in commission...But, in order to maintain that level of business, and to make their customers very happy--and to keep them coming back, they will slice into their commissions and give away more than a bottle of wine or a small gift basket...

When you see TAs advertising things like additional OBC...or free pre-cruise hotel stay...or free shore excursions--and those are not available booking yourself through the cruise line or through another TA, what those are are promotional items..."gifts"...from the TA...

It is in lieu of the gift basket or bottle of wine...

Personally, I'd rather have the TA give me OBC that I can decide for myself how to spend than to give me an overpriced gift basket...

Yes, your TA should have known unless he/she has not booked many Celebrity cruises. If they didn't know, then they should have checked with Celebrity.

 

Now, having said that, I learned a while back that I knew a few things that my TA did not. That's why I decided to start booking our cruises directly through Celebrity.

Ditto, the agents in this area lack a lot of cruising knowledge. Almost lost me a thousand dollar drop in price last June. I was able to book a Royal Suite for the same price of the Celebrity Suite I had booked. Major snafu!

They tell you they will keep an eye on upgrades, price drops and specials. Once you are booked they feel they have you. This cruise I booked with Celebrity directly. I have the same agent through out and am perfectly happy. My price is still $200.00 p/p lower Than going rate. IMHO it is best to check what is going on with your cruise at least twice a week then you would be up to date.

Gary

........) I happened to be looking around the Celebrity website this morning and lo and behold, there is a statement under the description of benefits for Classic Captains Club which states that a one-category upgrade within a super category is a perk of being a Classic member.

Some people misinterpret it, thinking that they first need to book a lower category cabin and then get it upgraded to the category they really want.

But in fact all you need to do is pick out the cabin you really want in the first place and book it at the lower price (as long as there is an eligible lower sub-category price available).

So there really is no actual cabin upgrading involved.

To put it quite simply:

Pick the cabin you want.

Pay the eligible lower price for it, (if a lower sub-category price is available that qualifies).

For example, book a 2A cabin on board and pay the 2B price,

or book a C2 cabin and pay the C3 price.

(But a C1 cabin is not eligible for the C2 price.)