OBC from your TA

Hi Everyone- I wanted to see what people were getting from their TA for booking with them. We booked a group of 8 for a Med cruise (13nights) through a TA and it seems like we are not getting a lot in return-so I wanted to check and see what others were getting.

Thanks

We usually do not get anything. Sometimes a OBC for about $50.00. We use the TA for her services, not to get an OBC. I am sure others use one to get the OBC, but we do not

Hi Everyone- I wanted to see what people were getting from their TA for booking with them. We booked a group of 8 for a Med cruise (13nights) through a TA and it seems like we are not getting a lot in return-so I wanted to check and see what others were getting.

 

Thanks

2 x 14 night cruises this year on Eclipse. 123 Promo on both plus $300 per cabin OBC on the first and $400 OBC on the second. Rate was also way lower than anywhere else. I dont need anything from a TA other than to book my cruise that I have already planned.

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We got a dinner for two at Quinsine and very responsive to all my questions and requests, even booked it on a Sunday!

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Our TA usually pays our gratuities and gives us $100 OBC. Our next cruise we get gratuities and $200 OBC. We have never expected our TA to do anything more than to provide the great service we've always had. Been with our TA for 10 years.

Hi Everyone- I wanted to see what people were getting from their TA for booking with them. We booked a group of 8 for a Med cruise (13nights) through a TA and it seems like we are not getting a lot in return-so I wanted to check and see what others were getting.

 

Thanks

$200-$400 per cabin depending on the Category booked/price of cruise, but I never book less than a balcony. I also do not need much support and always pick out my own cruises and cabins.

I've booked ten cruises through my TA. The only thing I've ever gotten is a bottle of wine. I'm done booking through him.

On a cruise fare of $5,000 we get is generally receive $350-400. In OBC.

Hi Everyone- I wanted to see what people were getting from their TA for booking with them. We booked a group of 8 for a Med cruise (13nights) through a TA and it seems like we are not getting a lot in return-so I wanted to check and see what others were getting.

 

Thanks

If we book an expensive suite, we expect to receive a lot more from a TA than when we book a regular cabin at a discounted closeout price.

Many times a TA will claim to be offering perks that are really coming from the cruise line and that you can get anyway, even if you don't bother to use a TA.

Most of the time, for a regular cabin a TA will at least toss in prepaid gratuities and an extra free dinner at a specialty restaurant in addition to whatever perks the cruise line is offering.

We find it is almost always worthwhile to use a TA when booking an expensive suite, or one of the higher level balcony cabins, or when taking a long cruise.

But for a short cruise at rock bottom price where they offer nothing additional, it is usually not worth bothering with a TA at all.

If you need a lot of hand holding from a TA, then that is a different matter.

But most cruise passengers we know are experienced travelers who pick their own cruises and cabins, check prices, know exactly what they want and only give their booking to a TA for additional perks.

But for a short cruise at rock bottom price where they offer nothing additional, it is usually not worth bothering with a TA at all.

But even on a cruise like that, it's possible that they could have a group booked that can get you a nominal OBC. We were on Explorer OTS last January and paid around $500 PP and still got a $100 per cabin OBC. That was the last cruise I booked with that agent (who I've used for several years), since he was now only doing it part time and not generating the numbers needed to be able to get good commissions and give decent OBC.

For our upcoming Bermuda cruise, we booked 2 cabins @ $1069 PP (plus taxes/port fees). We got $500 OBC from the TA. Also got $500 OBC from Celebrity, $300 (2x150) for booking on board our last cruise, and $200 from 1-2-3go, for a total of $1000. I could have done a little better with one of the well known online agencies, but I like having someone I can speak to at night and on the weekend, and this person has her own agency and is very responsive.

On our previous cruise, I had $450 OBC, $350 of which was from the TA, on a $949 fare in Concierge. The aforementioned agent couldn't come close to that so we booked elsewhere. But I wasn't thrilled with their only being available M-F and they messed up a couple of things on my reservation.

When my father wanted to book a cruise recently, I checked with the woman I booked Bermuda with and sent my father to her. She was able to give him the hand-holding he needed (he had not sailed in 20 years) while still giving decent OBC. I would not have felt comfortable sending him to the large agency.

The guideline I use is to check the website of a large membership club and see what they are offering, and try to beat that.

I do all of my own research and make my own decisions so I only use the TA for making the booking. I usually get OBC of around 10% (we book upper end suites). The good thing is with the TA's OBC, if we don't use it, it gets credited back to our credit card.

But for a short cruise at rock bottom price where they offer nothing additional, it is usually not worth bothering with a TA at all.

But even on a cruise like that, it's possible that they could have a group booked that can get you a nominal OBC. We were on Explorer OTS last January and paid around $500 PP and still got a $100 per cabin OBC.

We are in total agreement. :D

In the case you cited, you did get additional benefits from the TA that made it worthwhile.

I actually had in mind those last minute closeouts (like the $229 ocean view guarantee on the 5 night Constellation they are showing right now, or even the $319 veranda, or $379 concierge), but if a TA is offering additional OBC on prices like those, certainly, no reason not to go for it.

They are almost paying you to take the cruise. :)

We are booked on the Equinox, in October on a B2B, starting out with a 13 day Med cruise, followed by the transatlantic. Since our online travel agent had group space, we paid over $700 p.p. less than booking directly through Celebrity, for both cruises. We are getting a total of $1,000 obc from the travel agent.

I don't need an agent to do anything but the paperwork and execute my request of a price reduction, or cabin change if I request it.

We use our TA as a booking source and not for advice. We already know the itinerary, ship, sail date and cabin that we want.

For our upcoming Alaska cruise we were able to get a group rate in a CC cabin, 2 specialty restaurant dinners, $150 OBC, pre-paid gratuities, free classic drink pkg for 2 and a TA loyalty $25 OBC.

Since we are seasoned cruisers We can plan our own trip through our TA and get TA amenities that are far better than Celebrity or other cruise lines can offer.

We get 7-8% of the base fare (excludes taxes, fees & air) in OBC.

An OBC between 8 and 8.5%.

We are booked on the Equinox, in October on a B2B, starting out with a 13 day Med cruise, followed by the transatlantic. Since our online travel agent had group space, we paid over $700 p.p. less than booking directly through Celebrity, for both cruises. We are getting a total of $1,000 obc from the travel agent.

I don't need an agent to do anything but the paperwork and execute my request of a price reduction, or cabin change if I request it.

Now THAT looks like a pretty nice deal! :)

Are you a shareholder of RCCL stock? If you are getting all your perks from your T/A and none from X, you CAN get ANOTHER $400 OBC for your cruise from X, if you own 100 shares. ;)

Now THAT looks like a pretty nice deal! :)

 

Are you a shareholder of RCCL stock? If you are getting all your perks from your T/A and none from X, you CAN get ANOTHER $400 OBC for your cruise from X, if you own 100 shares. ;)

That's just from the travel agent. From Celebrity, for the Med cruise, I got to pick two from the 1-2-3 Promo. I took the $300 obc and the prepaid gratuities. On the transatlantic I got $75 obc, because it was a B2B and $300 obc for a future cruise credit I bought last spring before they changed the amount for transatlantics. I expect to take home almost all of the $1,000 I'm getting from the travel agent.

The $1,000 isn't normal as I got $400 extra because of special promotions.

That's just from the travel agent. From Celebrity, for the Med cruise, I got to pick two from the 1-2-3 Promo. I took the $300 obc and the prepaid gratuities. On the transatlantic I got $75 obc, because it was a B2B and $300 obc for a future cruise credit I bought last spring before they changed the amount for transatlantics. I expect to take home almost all of the $1,000 I'm getting from the travel agent.

The $1,000 isn't normal as I got $400 extra because of special promotions.

NICELY DONE!!! (Ya gotta LOVE those "special promotions!")

I got the 15 night Reflection transatlantic last November for only $449pp w/ the $250 shareholder OBC. Can't live at home that cheaply!

Happy cruising!

We usually book least expensive cabin through online TA. We then get $200-$250 onboard credit. We have the stock credit and get $250 for that on a 2 week cruise.

How much is the TA making on the booking that he can afford to give away hundreds of dollars in OBC? I assume that comes out of the TA's cut for booking the trip?

just curious.

Personally, I've never had more than $25 to $50 from the TA. I thin the most I've ever had is $100 or $200 but it was part of the promotion from the cruiseline.

I generally get 8-9% OBC when I go through my "TA". I essentially book myself but I go through my warehouse membership store's travel division website. (I'm new here and I'm not sure if I can post the name of the travel company or not.)

The agency that I use does not take commission so that commission is rebated back to the client.

How much is the TA making on the booking that he can afford to give away hundreds of dollars in OBC? I assume that comes out of the TA's cut for booking the trip?

 

just curious.

 

Personally, I've never had more than $25 to $50 from the TA. I thin the most I've ever had is $100 or $200 but it was part of the promotion from the cruiseline.

For all of you that think your travel agent should give up part of his/her commission is really funny! Do you give up part of your salary just because someone works with you? I would never expect my travel agent to give up part of her hard earned commission. That is how they are paid and for the most part it is not very much!

I also understand that the large travel agents that sell lots of bookings also get a volume rebate - so the more they sell - the more they make from the cruise line. This is over and above their regular commission.