Travel Agent Question?

Our travel agent has gifted us with a balcony breakfast on our Royal Princess cruise in November. This is the first time we will be sailing in a suite. We are looking forward to breakfast in Sabatinis and we also can have a full breakfast in our suite.I don't want to seem ungrateful for the gift but I don't think we will use it, would you tell your travel agent or just except the gift and say nothing. Thanks for taking the time to answer.:)

Hmm good question.

Can you swap it on the ship for something else?

Very often our TA gifts us bottle of wine that we swap for a white one.

Last November we were on the Diamond Princess, in a suite, and one of the perks given to us by Princess was one free balcony breakfast. We asked at the desk if we could get a bottle of wine instead - they said no, we then called Room Service and asked the same question - they also said no, but made the offer to switch the certificate to On Board Credit! Maybe that would be possible for you.

Our travel agent has gifted us with a balcony breakfast on our Royal Princess cruise in November. This is the first time we will be sailing in a suite. We are looking forward to breakfast in Sabatinis and we also can have a full breakfast in our suite.I don't want to seem ungrateful for the gift but I don't think we will use it, would you tell your travel agent or just except the gift and say nothing. Thanks for taking the time to answer.:)

You should let your agent know. They should understand.

In 2016 we were given the Balcony Breakfast from our TA and were able to get OBC instead.

Please Note: It was a gift from our TA, not a perk from Princess.

I don’t think it’s offensive to the TA to tell.

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If you can't talk to your travel agent, why are you using a travel agent?

Oh, I totally understand your reluctance to talk to your Travel Agent. It's a looking-a-gift-horse-in-the-mouth thing. It feels rude. I'd opt to talk to someone onboard about swapping for the OBC.

Our travel agent has gifted us with a balcony breakfast on our Royal Princess cruise in November. This is the first time we will be sailing in a suite. We are looking forward to breakfast in Sabatinis and we also can have a full breakfast in our suite.I don't want to seem ungrateful for the gift but I don't think we will use it, would you tell your travel agent or just except the gift and say nothing. Thanks for taking the time to answer.:)

The most important thing for a TA (next to making a profit) would be making you happy. That's why they gave you the gift. Ask them if there are options.

Our travel agent has gifted us with a balcony breakfast on our Royal Princess cruise in November. This is the first time we will be sailing in a suite. We are looking forward to breakfast in Sabatinis and we also can have a full breakfast in our suite.I don't want to seem ungrateful for the gift but I don't think we will use it, would you tell your travel agent or just except the gift and say nothing. Thanks for taking the time to answer.:)

The Balcony Breakfast that you were gifted is probably from Princess not your travel agent. We were given the same gift for our November cruise as well and I checked. I don't think Sabatini's is open for breakfast on the day you disembark and neither is Club Class for breakfast. The Balcony Breakfast might be the substitution for that last morning. Once onboard I am going to try to switch it for OBC.

As suggested above your best bet is to ask for the value in OBC after you board. Will be non-refundable but I'm sure you will put it to good use.

I too was wondering if it was a TA gift or Princess perk. A good TA would know that it is a redundant perk for those already in a full suite. Guess Princess wants you to skip the Suite Breakfast in Sabatini's one morning.

I don't think Sabatini's is open for breakfast on the day you disembark and neither is Club Class for breakfast. The Balcony Breakfast might be the substitution for that last morning.

All reports I have read is that Club Class dining is open for breakfast on disembarkation morning, though Sabatini's is not. And while room service hot breakfast is available in full suites on disembarkation morning, I would question whether the special Balcony Breakfast menu is.

Your T.A. probably does not understand about the suite breakfast benefits. You can mention it to them. You can also wait until you board and see if you can exchange for the balcony dinner. You will have to pay extra.

One of the times my TA sent us a large box of Godiva chocolate candy. I had the front desk switched it out for OBC.

Fishywood... I don't think you are going to get a Balcony Breakfast on disembark morning. They want you the heck out of there. Why then anyway?

OP:

I think the best idea is to request an upgrade to a Balcony Dinner if you like the concept and just pay the difference on board. If you know your TA really well, I would simply explain the Suite benefit and that the Breakfast is redundant and you appreciate the thought and plan to upgrade it to a Dinner. Or ask them to do it and give them the difference.

TA who book groups (you may not even know you are booked as a member of a group). Depending upon the size of the group, the cruise line gives points to the TA. The TA may convert the points to an increase in commission or may give "gifts" to their customers. This breakfast maybe one of those gifts. The TA could easily give you another gift.

I'm sure your TA knows you have the option of breakfast in Sabatini's. Sabatini's is great for breakfast. Your TA might think you would enjoy a balcony breakfast. Haven't done breakfast but dinner is great.

Did you get the balcony breakfast as a result of accepting an upsell to a suite? If so, it will say it is from your TA but it is really from Princess. We accepted suite upsells in May and earlier this month and did not want to get the balcony breakfast.

Both times we checked with passenger services.The first time on the Star they checked into it and called and said we could use it against a specialty dinner which we didn't do because we already had 2 dinners there already. But we got the $45 value as OBC so no loss. Last week on the Emerald I checked with passenger services and they said that we could use it for soft drinks. We already had enough of those since we had two mini bar set-ups so they called back and said we could use it as an offset against a specialty dinner and to let them know after we had dined and they would apply it to our folio. It ended up going to waste as we couldn't fit in one more specialty dinner.

The back of the certificate you get for this also now indicates that it cannot be used for alcohol. Wish they would come up with a different perk since the specialty suite breakfast is already enough and we're not that impressed with what is served for the balcony breakfast!

Our ta always gives us the balcony breakfast and we have been booking suites with her for 15 years. I keep telling her we would rather go to Sabitinis but they keep coming so I have given up saying anything. The customer service desk has always switched it for OBC for us withat no issues. No problem.

I wish I could have read all this advice last year[emoji22]. I took my granddaughter on a cruise for her graduation and my TA gave us a Wine Tasting/pairing for 2 as a gift...she was 18 and I do not drink. Never thought about trying to exchange for OBC, so it went to waste.

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My travel agent gifts us the balcony breakfast whenever we book a mini-suite. The first time I was really excited and called room service to find out what all it included. I couldn't eat the main course, quiche lorraine, as it contains pork. They said they could not substitute another entree. When I stated my reason they were the ones that suggested we turn it in for ship board credit. We've been doing that ever since, using the credit for excursions or gratuities, or whatever. I appreciate the gift and didn't want to bother my travel agent as it was a win-win in my book. She's happy we like the gift, we're happy we can use it elsewhere.

Jackie

If your TA paid for the deluxe balcony breakfast, it's a $45 value. You can definitely ask him/her to give you OBC instead.

I would rather give my clients what they want instead of something they are not going to enjoy. So I usually give them OBC instead of things that I think they want without even asking them. Some clients told me they prefer the coffee card instead, so that's what I am ordering them for their cruises. :)

You should let your agent know. They should understand.

I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth but if the agent had a clue about the suite benefits they wouldn't have used a portion of the commission to purchase a balcony breakfast. Just like cash is the best gift for the cruise staff OBC is the best gift to give to a cruise passenger even if the OBC is worth less than the balcony breakfast.