anyone done a late arrival to Anchorage?

[vbmom87]

He actually didn't have any recommendation, aside from trying to sway us from using Princess, to going with Celebrity. When I told him which cruise and land tour for Princess I wanted to book and why, he handed me the Celebrity brochure and told me I should look for something similar and he would give us a price quote. I was surprised he wasn't more knowledgable about the different itineraries. (The first TA we met with did the exact same thing.)

 

I'm just grateful that I at least researched the itineraries before meeting with him.

 

Purely speculation, but sounds to me like Celebrity was offering some kind of "bonus" to travel agents during the time you were booking. I know in most areas of sales, there are often special perks offered to the salepeople if they can sell "x" number of the product in a specific time frame.

 

We know an insurance broker who helps seniors pick out their Medicare supplement plans. He was offered a $10,000 bonus if he sold a certain number of a particular plan within a certain time frame. He didn't like the plan, did not think it was a good option for his clients, so did not go after the $10,000 bonus. This kind of thing goes on for many products. However, not all agents work for their clients.

[fireflymd]

Purely speculation, but sounds to me like Celebrity was offering some kind of "bonus" to travel agents during the time you were booking. I know in most areas of sales, there are often special perks offered to the salepeople if they can sell "x" number of the product in a specific time frame.

 

We know an insurance broker who helps seniors pick out their Medicare supplement plans. He was offered a $10,000 bonus if he sold a certain number of a particular plan within a certain time frame. He didn't like the plan, did not think it was a good option for his clients, so did not go after the $10,000 bonus. This kind of thing goes on for many products. However, not all agents work for their clients.

 

I believe this was the case--even one of the travel books (Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call) mentions this as a possiblity whenever there is a "snap recommendation" of a cruise line.

 

In the future, it is unlikely we will use a TA again, especially after learning his booking offered no benefit over doing it on our own (cost of cruise and airfare works out the same). If we do opt to use a TA again, we will certainly scope out prices and airlines on the internet, and go armed with this information. Lesson learned.

[shofer]

In the future, it is unlikely we will use a TA again, especially after learning his booking offered no benefit over doing it on our own (cost of cruise and airfare works out the same). If we do opt to use a TA again, we will certainly scope out prices and airlines on the internet, and go armed with this information. Lesson learned.

 

We must be very fortunate in that we have had the same TA since 1993 and she has proved to be a treasure indeed! Time and again she has not only saved us money and time but on one occasion, our cruise itself.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=711800

 

Sue

[fireflymd]

We must be very fortunate in that we have had the same TA since 1993 and she has proved to be a treasure indeed! Time and again she has not only saved us money and time but on one occasion, our cruise itself.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=711800

 

Sue

 

You are very fortunate, indeed.

[vbmom87]

We must be very fortunate in that we have had the same TA since 1993 and she has proved to be a treasure indeed! Time and again she has not only saved us money and time but on one occasion, our cruise itself.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=711800

 

Sue

 

In every profession I can think of, there are outstanding, medicocre and incompentent members. You obviously found a travel agent that fits the outstanding category. You are fortunate.

[PennyAgain]

Many lines of work have commission bonuses, 'spifs' or prizes for people who achieve certain levels of selling. I have a supurb TA but have had lessor ones over the years.

 

I do most of my research well ahead of booking personal travel, especially on Cruise Critic and FlyerTalk.

 

The best cruise advice I've ever gotten has been from some of the folks on Cruise Critic.

 

I live in an area where walk-in travel agencies no longer exist. I miss having a relationship with a local TA (especially as she was in our building!) but those days are long gone.

 

I book most of my business travel but it is generally the same sort of stuff repeated.

[fireflymd]

Many lines of work have commission bonuses, 'spifs' or prizes for people who achieve certain levels of selling. I have a supurb TA but have had lessor ones over the years.

 

I do most of my research well ahead of booking personal travel, especially on Cruise Critic and FlyerTalk.

 

The best cruise advice I've ever gotten has been from some of the folks on Cruise Critic.

 

I live in an area where walk-in travel agencies no longer exist. I miss having a relationship with a local TA (especially as she was in our building!) but those days are long gone.

 

I book most of my business travel but it is generally the same sort of stuff repeated.

 

The only thing I would change, since I researched our trip as much as possible before booking, is to look up the flights myself before going to a travel agent. Even if we wanted to arrive a day earlier, he would have still steered us to the same airline that had only one flight--the one that arrives at 12:30 am. (I had hoped we would arrive in the afternoon on the day before our motor coach trip. We really did not expect him to be dishonest.)

 

I hope my post helps others--to be prepared, down to the times of the flights. You may not be able to trust everything your TA tells you. Caveat emptor!

[1025cruise]

Just something to throw in, but your TA actually arranged your flights? My TA tells me to do it on my own. She would do it for me, but she would then charge me for doing so.

[vbmom87]

Just something to throw in, but your TA actually arranged your flights? My TA tells me to do it on my own. She would do it for me, but she would then charge me for doing so.

 

Exactly. At one time TAs could book flights for no fees. That is no longer the case. The TA I used for my first AK trip, also suggested I book my own flights, but did tell me that if I preferred, she would book it for me, but she would have to charge me a fee.

[fireflymd]

Just something to throw in, but your TA actually arranged your flights? My TA tells me to do it on my own. She would do it for me, but she would then charge me for doing so.

 

Exactly. At one time TAs could book flights for no fees. That is no longer the case. The TA I used for my first AK trip, also suggested I book my own flights, but did tell me that if I preferred, she would book it for me, but she would have to charge me a fee.

 

This TA never informed us that there is a fee for booking flights. We were looking for guidance from him on the best time to travel, and thought perhaps he could find us a better deal on the flights. Neither of these happened. Thanks for the heads up.

[frugaltravel]

Exactly. At one time TAs could book flights for no fees. That is no longer the case. The TA I used for my first AK trip, also suggested I book my own flights, but did tell me that if I preferred, she would book it for me, but she would have to charge me a fee.

 

that is true for domestic flights but there are some agents who don't charge a fee for booking international flights. and sometimes even with a fee the price can be cheaper than one finds online. it just depends

[vbmom87]

that is true for domestic flights but there are some agents who don't charge a fee for booking international flights. and sometimes even with a fee the price can be cheaper than one finds online. it just depends

 

 

Thanks for the info on international flights. I have only flown internationally once (besides my one flight to Vancouver), many years ago and did not realize there could be a difference in fee charges depending on destination. Thanks!!

[vbmom87]

This TA never informed us that there is a fee for booking flights. We were looking for guidance from him on the best time to travel, and thought perhaps he could find us a better deal on the flights. Neither of these happened. Thanks for the heads up.

 

It is possible I suppose, that with the commission your TA earned on your trip, he "ate" the cost of the airline booking fee. I just made my post to make people aware of this for their future bookings if they were not aware.

[PennyAgain]

My TA does not charge me a fee for major air tickets if there is other travel booked.

 

Most of the time I book my own flights as I am usually trying to use up some airline miles.

 

In our situation a long term relationship with a fine travel agent has benefitted us over the years.

[fireflymd]

It is possible I suppose, that with the commission your TA earned on your trip, he "ate" the cost of the airline booking fee. I just made my post to make people aware of this for their future bookings if they were not aware.

 

I am actually glad you and 1025cruise brought this up. Thank you vbmom87 and 1025cruise!!!

 

I called the airlines, and was able to change the flights myself. The price he quoted to do the same thing was exactly $400 more than the cost of doing it myself.

 

I'm so glad I called the airlines myself!

 

If you and 1025cruise hadn't mentioned this, I might have thought we had to use the TA (thinking it was the same as when I called Princess).

 

I also called the hotel to book a room for the extra night, and they were very understanding. The gentleman at the front desk told me that when he receives the manifest from Princess, he will try to arrange that we stay in the same room. When DH told the TA that there was no issue in booking the room, he had nothing to say.

 

This TA's error cost me quite a bit with the charges for changing the flights, but that's the price we paid for our education.

 

I greatly appreciate your kindness in helping me deal with our own inexperience combined with our TA's incompetence.

 

Although we are still arriving at 12:30 in the morning, at least we have a day to rest before we start our bus tour.

[vbmom87]

I greatly appreciate your kindness in helping me deal with our own inexperience combined with our TA's incompetence.

 

In some cases it is incompetence, in other cases it is simply greed.

 

We all have to learn sometime. The thing is we don't always know it is that we need to learn. When you go to a professional, you assume they will work for you. Sometimes, unfortunately, they only work for themselves. Overtime this TA will continue to lose customers like yourselves and will be looking for a new profession.

[fireflymd]

Every reason we decided upon to use a TA has now completely been erased, including having personalized service--someone face-to-face to review things with us--we received an e-mail from him yesterday that he has moved to another office this travel agency has in another county!

 

You just can't make this stuff up!

[vbmom87]

Every reason we decided upon to use a TA has now completely been erased, including having personalized service--someone face-to-face to review things with us--we received an e-mail from him yesterday that he has moved to another office this travel agency has in another county!

 

You just can't make this stuff up!

 

Will someone in the office you booked through be able to take care of your needs, or does your reservation travel with him to his new office.

 

You have surely had some bad luck! I hope your vacation in AK makes up for it all!!

[fireflymd]

Will someone in the office you booked through be able to take care of your needs, or does your reservation travel with him to his new office.

 

You have surely had some bad luck! I hope your vacation in AK makes up for it all!!

 

This one goes down to bizarro experience, right along with the response of a poster on this thread.

 

I'm hoping we won't need to deal with the agent or the agency at all--I was relieved to hear we print out our cruise passes and we can obtain boarding passes for the plane online, so hopefully we won't need their services any more at all.

[vbmom87]

This one goes down to bizarro experience, right along with the response of a poster on this thread.

 

I'm hoping we won't need to deal with the agent or the agency at all--I was relieved to hear we print out our cruise passes and we can obtain boarding passes for the plane online, so hopefully we won't need their services any more at all.

 

I hope you do not have to deal with them any further either. You do know that you need to check in online? This can pretty much be done at any time, but does need to be done before you sail.

 

The main thing to stay on top of with travel agencies, any travel agency, is to make sure any moneys you give them get processed directly through the cruise line and not through the agency itself. Way too many sad stories out there where people paid an agency for a trip only to find that the money never went to the tour provider. :(

[UPGrandma]

We must be very fortunate in that we have had the same TA since 1993 and she has proved to be a treasure indeed! Time and again she has not only saved us money and time but on one occasion, our cruise itself.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=711800

 

Sue

 

 

We too are very happy with our TA. Her agency has taken quite a few group cruise & land tours to Alaska (and other cruises) so has experience. I think that's the hardest thing to find. Don't give up on all TA's, ask those neighbors, friends, co-workers who have traveled ........... and those you meet on the cruise!