Book with TA or Direct?

I am booking a cruise with RCI tomorrow and was wondering how the majority of seasoned RCI cruisers book. With Carnival, the price doesn't matter whether I book with a travel agent or through Carnival directly. They have a price match. To be honest, I never even thought about how it works with Disney, I've just always booked directly with them as well.

But now I'm curious, before I pull the trigger with booking the Navigator tomorrow, can I get a better price going through a TA? If so, do you have a recommendation of who to use?

Thanks!

Once I have seleced a cruise I'll check the prices at both TA and at the cruise line web. Book where you get the best deal - might include on board credits and more

TAs cannot offer better prices. The prices are set by Royal Caribbean. However, the TA can offer incentives like onboard credit, free gifts, etc.

So, the decision is up to you. If you find a good incentive through a TA, book it. They take care of all the leg work. However, they sometimes can charge for changes.

If you book through RCI, no fees.

Wait for a WOW sale and you can get OBC and other incentives directly through RCI.

There's a very large TA that has a RCCL promo going on thru tomorrow. I believe for a balcony or higher they're giving $100 OBC, prepaid gratuities and specialty dinner for 2. However, beware that certain agencies charge a fee if you cancel, even if it's before final payment. Do your homework.

TAs cannot offer better prices. The prices are set by Royal Caribbean. However, the TA can offer incentives like onboard credit, free gifts, etc.

 

So, the decision is up to you. If you find a good incentive through a TA, book it. They take care of all the leg work. However, they sometimes can charge for changes.

 

If you book through RCI, no fees.

 

Wait for a WOW sale and you can get OBC and other incentives directly through RCI.

Very good to know! Once I read your post I did some googling. It appears the WOW sales are typically done once a quarter and geared towards first time RCI cruisers (ie me!); do you happen to know about when the next one will be? I want to book the ONLY 4 day cruise out of Galveston, and don't know how popular it is or isn't, I'd hate for it to sell out. But I also would like free OBC or upgrade!!!

Very good to know! Once I read your post I did some googling. It appears the WOW sales are typically done once a quarter and geared towards first time RCI cruisers (ie me!); do you happen to know about when the next one will be? I want to book the ONLY 4 day cruise out of Galveston, and don't know how popular it is or isn't, I'd hate for it to sell out. But I also would like free OBC or upgrade!!!

There is a third option that hasn't been mentioned. You can book with Royal and then transfer to a TA. There is now a time limit on how long you can wait to transfer. I don't remember how long, but it's several weeks. As a rule, some TA's give better deals, but as others have said, check out their policies first for penalties for cancellations or price drops. A really good TA will give you extras, check for and give price drops at no additional charge and not charge extra fees or fees for canceling. Sorry, but CC rules prohibit our telling you any names while here on CC boards. Good luck hunting. I would not trade my TA for anything. He has gotten me two price drops in the last two weeks.

You should talk to any friends and family and ask them to recommend a good TA if you choose to go that way. I love my TA and she gives me the same price as Royal but usually gives me either Pre Paid gratuities or OBC. No charges for changes and I always cruise happy!!

I book all my cruises through a TA and I get a good OBC each and every time...seems like the best way to go...and no cancel/change fee...

Very good to know! Once I read your post I did some googling. It appears the WOW sales are typically done once a quarter and geared towards first time RCI cruisers (ie me!); do you happen to know about when the next one will be? I want to book the ONLY 4 day cruise out of Galveston, and don't know how popular it is or isn't, I'd hate for it to sell out. But I also would like free OBC or upgrade!!!

Got an email from my TA that the WOW sale is going to be 2/25-2/27 and it's only valid for cruises sailing on/after 5/1/13. For a short cruise, you get $50 OBC from Royal plus $50 from the agency (if your room price is above a certain price)...with reduced deposit. Too bad I booked my March Explorer cruise already, but glad that it is not covered under the WOW sale :)...

Got an email from my TA that the WOW sale is going to be 2/25-2/27 and it's only valid for cruises sailing on/after 5/1/13. For a short cruise, you get $50 OBC from Royal plus $50 from the agency (if your room price is above a certain price)...with reduced deposit. Too bad I booked my March Explorer cruise already, but glad that it is not covered under the WOW sale :)...

Thank you!!!! :)

We book directly with the cruiseline. We prefer to be able to control our destiny. We do next cruise bookings while onboard so we do get an OBC. If there is a price drop on the weekend, we can immediately call and get the price honored.

We decided on this method after on TA refused to book a Guarantee for us. TA claimed that people are never happy when they get assignments. An upgrade would have been to a GS and the locations were all pretty much the same. Yeah...we missed out on a GS as our friend was able to do the guarantee and got the GS.

My TA has "never" offered me any perks since I started using him in 2005. So unless I am doing a group cruise that the agency he works for is in charge of I will always book through the cruiseline.

I feel I have better control over my own booking because if my 'former" TA is on yet another group cruise and there is a price drop I stand to lose out on the savings since he is unavailable.

My TA has "never" offered me any perks since I started using him in 2005. So unless I am doing a group cruise that the agency he works for is in charge of I will always book through the cruiseline.

 

I feel I have better control over my own booking because if my 'former" TA is on yet another group cruise and there is a price drop I stand to lose out on the savings since he is unavailable.

The TA you have been using doesn't show appreciation

for your business.

Fire him/her , move on . There are many good TA's hungry

for your business , that will offer you something better than Retail

Price that is offered booking direct.

We book directly with the cruiseline. We prefer to be able to control our destiny. We do next cruise bookings while onboard so we do get an OBC. If there is a price drop on the weekend, we can immediately call and get the price honored.

Same here. I always book directly with the cruiseline.

there is a WOW sale starting Monday, for 3 days...sailings AFTER May 1, 2013.

Reduced deposits and OBC...., can't be combined with Next Cruise or C&A coupons, as usual......

I was just told by a RCCL rep that you have 60 days from booking to transfer to a TA.

We booked our Allure cruise in May during a WOW sale. RC was offering 100 obc (oceanview) and our TA threw in 200. :)

We book directly with each line we cruise with. We have a direct contact person to take care of specific needs, then change to ships personnel when the cruise is close enough.

Always find out who is over needed departments. Usually everything works very smoothly at the company contact level. If there is a concierge for that cruise everything goes through them.

I have no problem with the company keeping a travel agents commission. We can get more done than they ever will because we have our best interest in mind on all items.

You folks that said you use a TA, do you use one online or go to an office local to you? I have a timeshare and booked thru the exchange company. I got a $200 credit for giving up some of my timeshare in exchange, but they didn't offer me any other extras. I might be better off going with a TA not affiliated with my timeshare and save my week of timeshare.

There is a third option that hasn't been mentioned. You can book with Royal and then transfer to a TA. There is now a time limit on how long you can wait to transfer. I don't remember how long, but it's several weeks. As a rule, some TA's give better deals, but as others have said, check out their policies first for penalties for cancellations or price drops. A really good TA will give you extras, check for and give price drops at no additional charge and not charge extra fees or fees for canceling. ....

Also, in the meantime if you find a price drop or want to make a cabin change or name change, you can still contact Royal directly to have it done immediately without the hassle of needing to go through a middle-man/woman.

It used to be a lot better back in the days when they would let us have until final payment date to transfer the booking to a travel agent, but that is no longer the case (unless you book your cruise within 60 days of final payment).

I book with a TA only because they give me a much better price. True, I would prefer to book directly with Royal but for example, I booked a crown loft suite with my TA and the price was $5154.00 for 2 people as compared to Royal with was and still is over $8,000.00 for 2 people. No, I did not get any OBC and I am not in control over my booking, but who cares? I think that it is a substantial savings and it was worth it to go with the TA. Bottom line, book the best deal. My TA also has me waitlisted for a Royal Loft Suite and I called Royal and they confirmed this for me. Who knows, by the time the cruise rolls around, I might get a sweet upsell deal.

You folks that said you use a TA, do you use one online or go to an office local to you? I have a timeshare and booked thru the exchange company. I got a $200 credit for giving up some of my timeshare in exchange, but they didn't offer me any other extras. I might be better off going with a TA not affiliated with my timeshare and save my week of timeshare.

I use email mostly, and phone occasionally to communicate with our TA.

I use email mostly, and phone occasionally to communicate with our TA.

We use email and chat ... I call her if I need to talk to her and am too lazy to chat. She is wonderful AND she works for one of the big online agencies. I feel like I have the best of both worlds.

My last trip was a b2b on Silhouette. My TA gave me a lower cabin price than RC was offering ($50 per person per week ($200)), pre-paid gratuities ($12 pp in Aqua Class per day ($336)), and $300 OBC each week ($600), for a total of $1,136 in savings for the two weeks. That's with no previous cruises on Celebrity, and therefore no additional savings such as additional OBC or savings from the cruise line. Even with a cancellation fee of $100 per person, I could cancel the next 5 cruises and still be ahead compared to booking directly with the cruise line.

I can't imagine a situation where not "having control" of my booking would be a factor. Maybe it's possible, but I haven't figured out where that would come into play. I can still book my own excursions, dining reservations, and shows. I've called the TA every time there's been a price drop and secured the new price. Maybe I'm easy going to the point where once I've booked my cruise, I rarely call back to make any changes.

I am booking a cruise with RCI tomorrow and was wondering how the majority of seasoned RCI cruisers book. With Carnival, the price doesn't matter whether I book with a travel agent or through Carnival directly. They have a price match. To be honest, I never even thought about how it works with Disney, I've just always booked directly with them as well.

 

But now I'm curious, before I pull the trigger with booking the Navigator tomorrow, can I get a better price going through a TA? If so, do you have a recommendation of who to use?

 

Thanks!

Hi,

I really hope I caught you in time before you booked. I would strongly advise that you read my thread: http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1793501 before you make any choice about booking direct with RCI.

If you decide to book with them anyway please please please make sure the agent you book with has hit experience and that you absolutely ensure that they double check any offers that they offer you to make your booking.

Please read my thread before you make your decision.

Regards