For all those who think TAs are going away

[CoachT]

Not as far as RCI is concerned:

 

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/leisure?articleID=5919&LP=1

 

I loved this quote and it is so true

 

If any travel agent thinks a supplier can fill 100% of their inventory direct, I think it’s stinkin’ thinking. We need travel agents.

[Lynnees]

While I agree with basically what you are saying, we are finding we are in competition with the cruiselines as certain ones try to contact our clients directly after they've cruised. Annoys the hell out of me.

[marci22]

Well she says they don't pay them a salary or have overhead for them, so it's worth it when the TA makes a sale for them :rolleyes: And they like to have them for group bookings because that's such a PITA. And they can't fill 100% of inventory direct. That whole article makes me yawn.

[nycruiser80]

While I agree with basically what you are saying, we are finding we are in competition with the cruiselines as certain ones try to contact our clients directly after they've cruised. Annoys the hell out of me.

 

 

So true! I was a TA for about 10 years. Even though I left the industry, when I book my trips I book it through my old office. I recently received a call from NCL telling me I was assigned a personal vacation planner. This is the 3rd time this has happend to me with NCL and I told the man I book through an agency please stop assigning me someone. In addition, year back when I worked as a travel agent NCL called my parents whom I booked on a cruise and they were assigned a personal planner after they cruised with NCL. And NCL knows very well that the bookings were made by a travel agency. I personally feel these are sneaky business tactics.

 

I personally feel that the cruise lines eventually will do away with agents. Maybe in 10-15 years time they will. I know I over anylize everything but I beleive the cruise industry executives make travel agents feel like they would never break the bond they have but I beleive behind closed doors the top brass at all the big cruise lines are trying to acheive a system in which travel agents (especially mom and pop agencies) will not be paid. But I do beleive they would keep working with big travel agencies like Orbitz and Expedia because of their name and their production. Otherwise, cruise lines are slowly changing their distribution model. One thing I notice is even how they word everything. For instance in the Royal Caribbean brochure it describes how you can book your cruise. The options are visiting their site, or call their toll free number and lastly you can call your travel agent. Years back the "call your travel agent" tag line was much more prominent. Again, I know I look at things too closely. Just my 2 cents!

[Calico Jack Sparrow]

TA's are human, and they are in business. Two bad combinations from my standpoint. Humans are subject to error without notice,, and a business person is gonna do what's best for their business(usually).

 

If my vacation is gonna be screwed up let it be because I did that. I love to tell the story about my last encounter with a TA, 1996. I waited 4 days for a return phone call. I got antsy and made a few calls myself.

I beat the TA on the airfare and negotiated a much more lucrative package from the resort. Today with the internet being what it is the only reason for using a TA is because you're too lazy to do a little work yourself. In all those 15 years, I've taken two vacations a year and the worst thing that happened was a not so great hotel room. It wasn't that bad, just not up to my usual standards.

 

No offense to any TA's out there, just that this was a friend's co-worker.

She was supposed to be the "vacation" expert. My friend's area was corporate. It took me less then an hour to get better prices/deals then a professional. Why did it take 4 days to get back to me? Why did I find better deals?

 

RCL is willing to support the TA's, but you know they don't like it. I agree it is just a matter of time before you only have the online sellers and direct booking for your options.

[seaofwonder]

I prefer a large online agency. I do all the research and then just call them to book. I book with them because they offer discounts that RCL never does when booking direct.

 

If I have a problem they are open better hours than RCL and I can have them put me on a 3-way with RCL.

 

So in essence, I'm booking direct but getting better perks.

[CoachT]

Today with the internet being what it is the only reason for using a TA is because you're too lazy to do a little work yourself.

Sorry but you couldn't be more mistaken for the majority of people. At least the ones that book cruises!

[ZoeyVictoria]

So true! I was a TA for about 10 years. Even though I left the industry, when I book my trips I book it through my old office. I recently received a call from NCL telling me I was assigned a personal vacation planner. This is the 3rd time this has happend to me with NCL and I told the man I book through an agency please stop assigning me someone. In addition, year back when I worked as a travel agent NCL called my parents whom I booked on a cruise and they were assigned a personal planner after they cruised with NCL. And NCL knows very well that the bookings were made by a travel agency. I personally feel these are sneaky business tactics.

 

I personally feel that the cruise lines eventually will do away with agents. Maybe in 10-15 years time they will. I know I over anylize everything but I beleive the cruise industry executives make travel agents feel like they would never break the bond they have but I beleive behind closed doors the top brass at all the big cruise lines are trying to acheive a system in which travel agents (especially mom and pop agencies) will not be paid. But I do beleive they would keep working with big travel agencies like Orbitz and Expedia because of their name and their production. Otherwise, cruise lines are slowly changing their distribution model. One thing I notice is even how they word everything. For instance in the Royal Caribbean brochure it describes how you can book your cruise. The options are visiting their site, or call their toll free number and lastly you can call your travel agent. Years back the "call your travel agent" tag line was much more prominent. Again, I know I look at things too closely. Just my 2 cents!

 

The same thing has happened to me. I talked to somebody at NCL about the Epic over a year ago, but chose the Oasis. I went onto their site this weekend, very casually looking at cruises, and received a call from my "assigned" vacation planner today. When she asked me if I had any cruises booked, I told her that I have five booked, none with NCL. Hopefully, that will discourage her from calling me again. I know I have been discouraged from looking at NCL cruises.

[worldspan]

Ask some airlines now how important travel agents are to them, very important! What goes around, well comes around!

 

Worldspan

129 cruises strong

[TEXASMUNK]

Have a screw-up....You are one booking....Using a TA and have a problem, they often times represent thousands of bookings.

 

We on CC are no more than 2 or even 3 % of the cruising public....so our opinions do not cover the marketplace.

 

When you use a quality TA, you know you have an advocate for any problem resolution or difficulty.

 

And when you complain that you are Diamond or Diamond Plus, you are still only one booking at a time, not hundreds every month. Look down you nose at TA's but they are professionals that know their business...With the economic decline in recent years, the "herd" has been thinned, the strong have survived.

[Stags14]

I don't use a TA for anything that I am familiar enough with to book myself. Booking a cruise is really, really simple to do myself - I know the area in Florida, I know the ships... I don't have any questions. So it's actually more of an inconvenience for me to have to go to the agency and book than it is to just pick up the phone, and book or make changes, etc.

 

Now, I'm planning a trip to Italy next year and I will without a doubt need the help of a TA - a good one. One who has been there and will know what I'm looing for when I describe it.

 

As far as the cruiseline agents - it's basically a sales department. Someone dedicated to the cruiseline. They are a business trying to sell a product, they will never get rid of that department nor should anyone expect them to.

[CoachT]

We on CC are no more than 2 or even 3 % of the cruising public....so our opinions do not cover the marketplace.

Cruise Critic is the minority, but a very passionate one. The cruise lines do take that posters say to heart, but the vast majority of cruisers have never heard of Cruise Critic. Heck the vast majority of North Americans have never even cruised and the cruise lines still need a sales force beyond their own payroll.

[sherilyn70]

Today with the internet being what it is the only reason for using a TA is because you're too lazy to do a little work yourself. In all those 15 years, I've taken two vacations a year and the worst thing that happened was a not so great hotel room. It wasn't that bad, just not up to my usual standards.

 

So... you can talk RCI into giving you a $100 on board credit, free pre-paid gratuities, a free specialty dinner for two and a spa treatement along with your balcony booking? I don't think so. This is why I went with a TA. I am a frist time RCI customer and got all of that without any of the "I'm special" code words people like to throw around here on the boards. :)

[Nanatopiper]

So... you can talk RCI into giving you a $100 on board credit, free pre-paid gratuities, a free specialty dinner for two and a spa treatement along with your balcony booking? I don't think so. This is why I went with a TA. I am a frist time RCI customer and got all of that without any of the "I'm special" code words people like to throw around here on the boards. :)

 

Wow! Wished I would have used your travel agent. Ours gave us a $100.00 onboard credit though, for booking with them again. Better than nothing. :)

Enjoy your cruise!

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

When the Internet as we know it first started developing in about 1995 or 1996 (and I am not referring to its prior forms of Compuserve, etc.), it was thought that it was nearly impossible to book cruises over the Internet because of the vast information, pictures, deck plans, etc., required. Even when it first became possible to book airline tickets over the Internet, it didn't catch on right away.

 

Well we all know what happened with airline tickets, and personally, I think cruises are right around the corner.

 

People still seem a little shy about booking cruises over the Internet, especially first time cruisers. That is rapidly changing with the modern capabilities of graphics, pictures, live chats, etc.

 

And don't forget a very major percentage of cruise passengers are senior citizens who were not raised in the Internet age.

 

The next generation of senior citizens will be quite familiar and comfortable with our current way of life over the Internet.

 

And as for changing the commission structure they pay to travel agents, as soon as the Carnival mega-monopoly dares to do this, every other line will have no choice but to follow suit.

 

Travel agencies, for the most part, have survived the Internet age when it comes to cruises, not so for airline tickets. However, my own personal opinion is that this survival also has its days numbered.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[CoachT]

Travel agencies, for the most part, have survived the Internet age when it comes to cruises, not so for airline tickets.

Another common misconception. There are still airlines that pay commission and for corporate travel there are agencies who do nothing BUT airline tickets.

 

The TAs that will survive cruise line commission cuts are the ones that are already charge fees from everything to booking to the initial consultation to changes to cancellation. They may not be on cruise critic, but that there is a huge amoung of the cruising public that is already paying those fees now.

[Stags14]

So... you can talk RCI into giving you a $100 on board credit, free pre-paid gratuities, a free specialty dinner for two and a spa treatement along with your balcony booking? I don't think so. This is why I went with a TA. I am a frist time RCI customer and got all of that without any of the "I'm special" code words people like to throw around here on the boards. :)

 

That's not the norm - that's actually hard to believe so I would have taken that deal also. But I've saved thousands of dollars by calling the cruiseline when TA offices are closed to get price drops.

[Baatman]

I prefer a large online agency. I do all the research and then just call them to book. I book with them because they offer discounts that RCL never does when booking direct.

 

If I have a problem they are open better hours than RCL and I can have them put me on a 3-way with RCL.

 

So in essence, I'm booking direct but getting better perks.

 

Exactly.

[Paulxyz2004]

I prefer a large online agency. I do all the research and then just call them to book. I book with them because they offer discounts that RCL never does when booking direct.

 

If I have a problem they are open better hours than RCL and I can have them put me on a 3-way with RCL.

 

So in essence, I'm booking direct but getting better perks.

 

 

Don´t get me wrong I´m all for TA´s, but the highlighted statement makes me curious as to what times can be better than 24/7?:confused:

[seaofwonder]

I am getting that same offer someone else posted about for an upcoming cruise. So it's not a rarity. Why leave all the freebies and money on the table?

 

Paul: My apologies....I didn't realize Royal was open 24/7, but that's only for booking, right? Is that also for calling for price drops, etc.?

 

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Now, I won't pay a TA extra charges for bookings, etc. That's why I book my airfare myself! I also planned my last two land vacations in Europe. I'm a control freak though, so I like to do it myself.

[funfamilyfun]

That's not the norm - that's actually hard to believe so I would have taken that deal also. But I've saved thousands of dollars by calling the cruiseline when TA offices are closed to get price drops.

 

I've gotten deals like this too...free gratuities, on board credits, etc. If you shop around you can find them. I agree, booking with Royal, I don't get these perks.

[CoachT]

Believe it or not the majority of people are not using a TA for perks.

[Sue L]

I always get a kick out of these kinds of threads. No.... TA's are not going away, many companies are expanding with more locations. Biggest trend is people coming back to face to face transactions because people don't like the anonymity of the internet. No customer service on the internet. Heck most of the internet order takers have never been on the vacation/cruise they are trying to sell you. They are likely reading a script not talking from experience.

 

Biggest misinformation, yes airlines STILL do pay commission, not all but way more then people think.

 

Another one, yes this current young generation was raised on the internet but while they may know HOW to book a trip they need a TA to help them decide the location for that trip and their expertise in planning it, especially when it comes to an important trip like their honeymoon or such. And I will give you a clue many seniors are way more proficient on the computers.

 

Cruise lines are adding features, sites, webinars to help the TA's and raising commissions/bonuses/incentives because with the sheer number of berths to fill in any given week they could not do it without TA support and believe me they know it.

[CruisinGerman]

........that is, a thread posting an article written by travel agents, promoting travel agents, and being responded to by a majority of travel agents.

 

Answering the above post, in my generation we went to the local travel agency to get a wealth of information and advice about destinations, operators, etc.

 

Nowadays, I don't think young people do that. They go on the Internet and read trip advisor, lonely planet, fodors, cruise critic, expedia and a wealth of websites to obtain the same information that we used to obtain face to face at a travel agency.

 

Just my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[wwcruisers]

Well, I think that most of us who are experienced cruisers are perfectly capable of booking our own travel arrangements -- soup to nuts. :cool:

 

So, it mostly comes down to personal preferences. We have friends who just don't want to have to sweat the details -- and they love their TA because she takes care of everything for them. We are detail-oriented folks who prefer to do things ourselves. Also, we want to have the control factor of being able to deal directly with the cruise line -- which you give up when you book through a TA.