TA rate more than cruise line question

PLEASE don't flog me for asking this question, but I'd like insight from my CC friends: According to the HAL website, our cruise rate has dropped for our May cruise ($340 total). I booked through a large and well-known online agency. The agent I used at this agency has apparently dropped off the face of the earth, probably because she knows we have already made our final payment. I'm unable to reach her, and she no longer returns messages. So I used their generic on-line form to find out if we could upgrade to another cabin to make up the difference, if there would be any penalties, etc. Honest questions. A nice man left a voice mail for me that said our rate had not dropped at all. I was under the impression from his message if it had that they could work something out. He was obviously going by the agency's current advertised price and not the current price on the HAL site - I checked both. Are cruise agencies not required to go by the current rate of the cruise line, in this case HAL, and honor the lower rate if possible? i.e., can agencies just name their own prices? I'm not referring to TA fees - only the cruise rates. Let's say I hadn't made the final payment yet - this agency is apparently ignoring what the cruise line rate is and only using their rate. Hope this makes sense. We've cruised many times, but we've never run into this before. (My question is geared more toward the cruise agencies naming their own price than it is toward the timing of the price drop/final payment. I know cruise lines have policies re: price drops.)

We have had dozens of price adjustments to our cruise fare over the years, sometimes multiple drops on the same cruise. Repricing has always been before final payment date. I think that after final payment it is almost impossible to get a price adjustment from the cruise line or from a TA. happy cruising

We have had dozens of price adjustments to our cruise fare over the years, sometimes multiple drops on the same cruise. Repricing has always been before final payment date. I think that after final payment it is almost impossible to get a price adjustment from the cruise line or from a TA. happy cruising

Agreed - same here. Just had a price adjustment for another cruise yesterday. :) But I was wondering if agencies are supposed to honor the cruise line's current rate or can they just name their own prices? That was my main question.

HAL will sometimes give you shipboard credit for the difference once final payment has been made.

You need a really good TA to handle this for you.

It's quite possible that you are booked into a group rate.

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You need a really good TA to handle this for you.

AMEN. I won't be using this one again. Not sure who I'll use, but it won't be this one.

AMEN. I won't be using this one again. Not sure who I'll use, but it won't be this one.

Same situation of a non-responsive agent with major online agency. Received mail from their President, Mr. "P", so let him know I wouldn't be using the referral business cards, won't be back and how many future sales his "Travel" company has already lost. Haven't heard back. ... Don't really care if he responds but wanted him to know as its harder to keep finding new customers vs satisfying existing & this agent's lack of customer focus was unacceptable.

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After Final , rates become "for new bookings only " on all cruise lines with few exceptions like CCL Early Saver Rate .

At times a good TA with "top producer connections " can plead your case and get the squeaky wheel greased .

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I understand the "after final payment" policy for various cruise lines - my main question was can the agencies charge what they want as far as the cruise rate goes.

And as far as my agent's customer service goes, she could at least respond to my questions, even if it's with a "sorry - not able to reduce your rate" - and even if it IS after final payment. She doesn't even acknowledge me. Pitiful.

Thanks, fellow cruisers!

Yes, of course, your agent should respond to your inquiries! I think the problem is that the HAL rates you are seeing post final payment are, as another poster said, only for new fares. You aren't eligible for those fares. You could only compare apples to apples if anytime up to the day of final payment you checked the HAL price and the TA price and saw a difference. Even at that time, the TA price may have been greater. That's why you the consumer have to do the checking yourself. I don't know of any TA's that keep track of the cruise prices and notify you when they drop. You have to contact them and ask for the price drop. Again, I'm talking before final payment. And sometimes you are booked into a reservation that came with perks or bonuses and if you go for the price drop you might lose the perks.

So, find another agent, and stop looking at the HAL prices unless you are interested in seeing if, in the future, you might book a cruise after final payment as sometimes, not always though, prices drop after final payment. Of course, the trade-off then is if you are very picky about exactly what type of cabin and location you must have.

Again, I understand about the after final payment policies. As for the agent, I'll definitely be looking for another. Thanks for the replies.

After Final , rates become "for new bookings only " on all cruise lines with few exceptions like CCL Early Saver Rate .

 

At times a good TA with "top producer connections " can plead your case and get the squeaky wheel greased .

 

 

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Actually, after the final payment date many cruise lines allow you to switch your reservation to another cabin category as long as the fare for your new cabin is greater that the fare that you paid for your existing cabin. Thus if there is a substantial price drop after final payment date, then you may be able to upgrade your cabin for only a small additional cost.