What does your TA give you for booking?

[TucsonRick]

Only used a TA a few times - once we got a free 8x10 photo, the other times we got nothing. Prices weren't any better than going thru Princess directly, though you will hear lots of people here saying you can save lots of $$$. I have tried to find significant savings online with TA's, but so far have had no luck. I like the security of booking with Princess directly, and being able to call and talk to a Princess rep if necessary (and I don't feel the need to do that often, either!).

I once called Princess for a price and the cuistomer service rep said "You don't want to book directly with us; you can get a better rate almost anywhere else". This really is true. I don't understand how you are not finding "significant savings". You are doing yourself a disservice by booking direct.

[BruceMuzz]

Like most businesses, TAs "take care" of their best customers.

If you are spending lots of money with one TA over a long period of time, you can usually expect them to reciprocate with discounts and perks.

 

If you are booking the cheapest cabins and the cheapest flights, the TA isn't making much money from you, and has little reason to encourage you to come back.

[1 HappyCruiser]

We book with an on line TA who also has a local office here in Florida and they usually have the cheapest prices around. From what I can gather she does very little that's obvious for my booking unless there something I don't see from my end of things. We select our cabin, we know what DR seating we want and we never have any special requests that involve her. Other than some accounting for payments she's collecting some sort of payment from Princess for doing very little. I don't need or expect anything except a decent price & if they offer OBC, all the better.

[grand isle joe]

While reading another thread a poster mentioned that their TA throws in some type of insurance. Just curious what most TAs do. We won't cruise until July. Should we hope for something nice in our cabin or would we know now.

Gives me "squat"....:mad:

[commodoredave]

Gives me "squat"....:mad:

 

Sounds like it's time you changed agents!:eek:

[compozer]

I recently found a great TA. She gave us an OBC of $100 and a balcony breakfast but the best was that she got us upgraded from a AA to a full Suite. Then on a two week cruise, she gave us $100 obc, balcony breakfast, bottle of wine and when we got to our cabin, there was another $100 obc. We booked a suite - I'm sure that had something to do with it. I have two more cruises booked with her. She also sends interesting articles on each port to our home about three weeks before the cruise. She knows the answer to every question I have. She's traveled all over and is a wealth of information. I wouldn't use anyone else.

[smurf1635]

AgreedI am going to start a new thread with this question.

 

 

Did you start a new thread about this?

[sjcruiser]

$100 onboard credit (although I think it was from the cruiseline during a sale), three free hotel nights, and dinner for two in a specialty restaurant.

[firefly333]

Did you start a new thread about this?

 

yes, they did and it basically went no where, since we cannot name TAs on CC.

 

Iv now found a interesting TA, huge discounts .. my kind of deals!!!! Up to 50% off advertised prices, which supposedly cant be discounted, but there are ways to hide the actual prices. They just cannot advertise the actual prices in public on some cruiselines that are discounted.. (RCL and Carnival).. but they can privately give you deals.

[barante]

smurf -- I would be very hesitant to change travel agents in midstream. The only exception would be future cruises booked onboard. Cruise lines expect that you transfer a specific cruise to a TA which offers a better price and possibly some other sweeteners. In fact, on our recent HAL Veendam cruise, the future cruise agent (without our knowledge) automatically transferred the booking to the agent we had used for the cruise. I wasn't happy about it because I feel strongly that a transfer must be at the customer's sole discretion.

I have canceled bookings and rebooked cruises but I have never transferred an existing booking from one agent to another. The reason I am not wild about the idea is because of the potential pitfalls. Unless you know how you booked, you may be liable for a cancellation fee or penalty in canceling. You will also lose whatever OBC or bonuses you had negotiated with your initial TA. And if you booked a favorite cabin, you mayl lose that too because it is quite unlikely that you can simply transfer a specific cabin from one agent to the next.

There may be good reasons for transferring a booking, but be sure you know what you are getting into.

[barante]

Someone else pointed out that some cruise lines gladly transfer existing bookings to TAs. Go for it if that improves your circumstances. But I have never heard anyone from being able to transfer from agency to another without first having to cancel the cruise.

[MissRabbit]

on our 1st cruise, we got a bottle of wine and a fruit basket. i thought it was just cause it was our honeymoon.

 

cruise 2 and 3... bupkus.

 

i do all the work, anyway. when i walk in to the TA's office, i know what cruise i want, what cabin, what seating, what flights etc. The only thing she actually does is the official booking of the cruise and flights.

 

for our 4th cruise, we're booking it ourselves. I did talk to a new TA to see what kind of things her company could offer but all she had were "group" prices which didn't appear to be much less than what i could get on my own. AND, if i went with the group price, i would be ineligible for any price reductions through Early Saver as the small print precludes price reductions on group bookings through a TA.

 

I really wish i knew how to find these wonderful TAs that people rave about.

[janetz]

Onboard credit

Free Insurance

1 Bottle Of Wine

 

I'm good. :)

[ready2travel54]

Onboard credit

Free Insurance

1 Bottle Of Wine

 

I'm good. :)

Lucky you.

 

 

 

Last night I realized I am paying the price Princess has on their web site. so I goggled on line cruise TAs and couldn't find any lower prices. Is that because I only have 40 days until my cruise. I wish I could find the great on line discount TAs that you all use.

[smurf1635]

smurf -- I would be very hesitant to change travel agents in midstream. The only exception would be future cruises booked onboard. Cruise lines expect that you transfer a specific cruise to a TA which offers a better price and possibly some other sweeteners. In fact, on our recent HAL Veendam cruise, the future cruise agent (without our knowledge) automatically transferred the booking to the agent we had used for the cruise. I wasn't happy about it because I feel strongly that a transfer must be at the customer's sole discretion.

I have canceled bookings and rebooked cruises but I have never transferred an existing booking from one agent to another. The reason I am not wild about the idea is because of the potential pitfalls. Unless you know how you booked, you may be liable for a cancellation fee or penalty in canceling. You will also lose whatever OBC or bonuses you had negotiated with your initial TA. And if you booked a favorite cabin, you mayl lose that too because it is quite unlikely that you can simply transfer a specific cabin from one agent to the next.

There may be good reasons for transferring a booking, but be sure you know what you are getting into.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. I've booked directly with the cruise line and so far, I cant find a price that even comes close to what I paid. We got a good deal, no perks, no credit, nothing extra, just a good price. I am not complaining at all, because I've seen nothing that I wish I had done instead.

[Whoo]

Thank you for your thoughts. I've booked directly with the cruise line and so far, I cant find a price that even comes close to what I paid. We got a good deal, no perks, no credit, nothing extra, just a good price. I am not complaining at all, because I've seen nothing that I wish I had done instead.

 

This has been my experience, as well. I did find an online agent once who could beat a price by $50 per person, but I didn't think it was worth it - having never heard of the agency. Which brings up another question, how do you know the online agency is reputable?

[GlendaleCruiser]

I usually get OBC, this last month $100 each passenger and usually a bottle of wine.

[Cuizer2]

While reading another thread a poster mentioned that their TA throws in some type of insurance. Just curious what most TAs do. We won't cruise until July. Should we hope for something nice in our cabin or would we know now.

 

My TA gives me great service, which is all I really want.

[vowsatsea]

This has been my experience, as well. I did find an online agent once who could beat a price by $50 per person, but I didn't think it was worth it - having never heard of the agency. Which brings up another question, how do you know the online agency is reputable?

 

I've booked all my cruises with an online agency. I used them back in 2003. I didn't know if they were reputable, I just took my chances. Since then, I have booked with the same person through that agency and everything has went smoothly. I've always gotten a great price, and onboard credit of some amount. Unfortunately, the only way to know is through reviews and word of mouth...which we can't do on here :(

[texkan]

Nice OBC which is based on the cabin you book and the number of nights you cruise.

[mitsugirly]

My TA gave me $200 OBC last year for booking 2 studios on the Epic. This year my TA gave me $175 OBC for an interior on the Spirit (and I got the "kids" sail free deal when I had already booked months prior). Then the cruise line gives you OBC for being a loyal customer as well depending on your latitudes. :D

[Lovincruisin1321]

Would love you to recommend! Please e-mail rmartinez1321@hotmail.com

 

Thanks!

 

Loyalty to a TA will go a long way. You keep booking with the same person and they will show their appreciation in one way or another.

 

We get a good price and fast, efficient service. That is great itself. If she also sends us a gift or two, so much the better. We never expect anything. If we get something beyond a fair price and good service, then Wow!

 

We have gotten OBC, strawberries to unpack by, wine, photo credits, etc. I always tell my TA about our experience so that she can pass that word along to other clients. I also recommend her to others. She knows!

 

Jim

[STARFISH*4]

use to be the BEST deal, but since the cruiseline cracked down on discounting i have been booking directly with the cruiseline.

have gotten champagne and OBC before too and GREAT service--before i book tho i always see who offers the BETTER deal.

[mitsugirly]

Don't forget, you can always book with the cruise line if there is a good deal and then switch to a TA later if you find one that you like with great options.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Loyalty to a TA will go a long way. You keep booking with the same person and they will show their appreciation in one way or another.

 

We get a good price and fast, efficient service. That is great itself. If she also sends us a gift or two, so much the better. We never expect anything. If we get something beyond a fair price and good service, then Wow!

 

We have gotten OBC, strawberries to unpack by, wine, photo credits, etc. I always tell my TA about our experience so that she can pass that word along to other clients. I also recommend her to others. She knows!

 

Jim

You are RIGHT