HELP - Major TA Issue w/ Cancellation

[dms_cruisers04]

And I didn't know you had friends in such high places. ;)

[Bsan1221]

And I didn't know you had friends in such high places. ;)

 

 

Well Mike now you know....

 

 

Why do you think I cruise so often... ;)

 

Friends and Family Discounts, baby!

[cynt]

OK, I spoke w/ the TA today and she still claims because the couple nor the group leader, me cancelled the reservation the cabin was held. I continued to stress how was the room held when only the $25 initial deposit was put down on the room. I told her I know you have to put the full deposit $200 in this case down for them to hold the room. And then I went into how was the room still held after the final payment amount was not paid. She continued to stick by her story that we did not call to cancel. In the end she told me she is working with Carnival to see if she can get the cancellation fee waived. I told her thank you and how does this affect the other members of our group. She didn't know and said she would get back with me once she speaks with Carnival.

 

Big lesson learned...deal w/ a PVP

[Cruising89143]

 

Big lesson learned...deal w/ a PVP

 

Some of the PVP's are not that up to speed either. Many have never taken a cruise and are going by what a computer screen tells them. You just have a bad TA. Not all of them are this way.

 

Why didn't she place you on a three way conference call? It can be done. This would help you understand a little better as to what it going on.

[Wennfred]

I am so frustrated with this. She was a horrible TA. UGH!?!?!? Oh well live and learn.

 

And the List goes on, on why I wouldn't use a TA. :)

[gumdrop38]

I just cannot understand how a booking was continued without final payment.....on due date??

[Bsan1221]

I just cannot understand how a booking was continued without final payment.....on due date??

 

 

I think it was because it was a group travelling.

[folashade]

Question: when a TA reserves a block of rooms as a group, what type of downpayment, if any, is required by the cruiseline? I always thought that they weren't necessarily required to have money down, simply because it was a TA, until the TA had a client actually book. Thus a discounted rate from the TA booked as a group.

 

I can only speak from my experience. When I booked a block of cabins in Nov for my group cruise no immediate payment was required. By Dec xx date a min of $25 per person had to be in to hold the cabins. (We were able to get an extension till the end of the month). After that all remaining cabins with no deposit was released. By march the full deposits had to be in. At that time I sat down with my TA and went over all of the cancellations and ensured all of the payments were in. (some cabins were extended additional time for payment).

 

Most likely with only 7 cabins remaining the amenities offered to the group will be lost if it is based on 8 cabins.

[MrPete]

I may be in the minority, but I'm siding with the TA.Assumptions are being made that lack of payment(balance of deposit in your case) constitutes cancelling a reservation. My TA clearly says if we are planning on cancelling at ANY time, we are to notify them in writing.

 

If you are the group leader, why didn't you or they simply notify the TA that they weren't going? You'd be singing a different tune if the opposite happened, where the balance of the deposit was not made, and these people were cancelled. And now I'm sure they want their $25 pp back!

 

A good TA would have kept on top of these things, but it was wrong not to notify, and make assumptions of how to cancel a booking.

 

I learned years ago, when making work party plans, the deadline is the deadline. I NEVER submitted a head count for anyone not coming up with the cash at the right time. Everyone's in until it's time to fork over.

[dms_cruisers04]

Point taken, there is a little responsibility on the group leader to correspond with the TA, but a reputable TA would have kept on top of the situation at the time of the deposit due date.

 

CYNT, is this an individual group you've setup with this TA or is your group piggybacking on the TA's group?

[folashade]

My TA clearly says if we are planning on cancelling at ANY time, we are to notify them in writing.

 

If you are the group leader, why didn't you or they simply notify the TA that they weren't going? You'd be singing a different tune if the opposite happened, where the balance of the deposit was not made, and these people were cancelled. And now I'm sure they want their $25 pp back!

 

I have to agree with the above poster. When you take on the role of a group leader you have to assume some responsibility. ALWAYS notify verbally and in writing any changes you are making to ensure everyone is on the same page. Simply because someone did not make payment does not automatically mean a reservation will be cancelled.

 

The TA was at fault when she did not alert you to the situation as group leader speaking to other individuals in the group doesn't count since they were not the group leader.

 

For me for a cruise I prefer to use a TA especially for group cruises. My TA's pricing has always come in well in range of other quotes and has beat the PVPs on several occasions. If you get a good one hold on because they are golden.

[dad son team]

It seems to me that there is enough blame to go around. The TA should have sent out a reminder in March, when the full deposit was due, stating that she will cancel any reservations that have not met this requirement. Then, when she did not receive the payment for this couple, she should have sent a letter to the couple and the group leader stating that she will cancel the reservation by x-date if payment is not made. In this letter she should also state what repercusions, if any, this cancellation would have on the group booking.

 

However, I do not think that the group leader is totally off the hook either. She should have confirmed with the couple when the full deposit was not received and advised the TA of the outcome. If she knew that the couple was not going to be going, she should have told the TA in March, or in May when the second letter went out. If they couple was giving the impression that they were still going, then they are responsible for the lost deposit provided that they were advised of the cancellation policy.

[Bsan1221]

The TA did say she contacted the couple who was going who is know cancelling on many occasions. I think you should try to resolve this with the TA and Carnival but if you cant then the couple that cancelled should be responsible for the "cancellation fee"

[Mrsdeedee]

First of all I agree that a PVP is no better than a TA. It's all about the person that holds the title on what type of service the client will receive. I had a PVP and a TA for the cruise I'm planning and I decided to go with the TA. Better attitiude better prices. Anyway with that being said I agree with the others. How the heck did the couple get a room with out a deposit being made? It sounds like the TA assumed that the couple was going to go and shuffled money in order to book them a cabin. The TA clearly states that they never returned any of their phone calls or contacted them. Is it just me or does that sound like a family that wants to cruise.The TA should have canceled them a long time. IMO I think the TA goofed and is trying to come after you for the money they will lose by making a poor choice.

[oriolesfan22]

I may be cynical, but is it possible that the TA didn't want to cancel the couple's cruise because the TA was profitting from a perk of booking this group cruise? For example, maybe this reservation was the 8th booking, or the 16th booking, or whatever, and the TA was planning on getting a free berth out of the deal? When the couple failed to cancel, perhaps that meant that the TA's perk was lost?

 

Or maybe I am way off base......

[Got docs?]

I went through a TA to book a group cruise. My TA sent out letters after receiving the $25 down payment with a notice of when next deposit was due and when final payment was due. She sent out letters 1 month before said payments as a reminder and it stated in large print that if payment was not received on time, she would cancel the cabin-no ifs, ands or buts-period.

 

She was able to hold a cabin incase of someone else wanting one at the last minute, but released it without penalty when it was not booked.

 

I think your TA is not being honest with you.

 

Cindy

[folashade]

I may be cynical, but is it possible that the TA didn't want to cancel the couple's cruise because the TA was profitting from a perk of booking this group cruise? For example, maybe this reservation was the 8th booking, or the 16th booking, or whatever, and the TA was planning on getting a free berth out of the deal? When the couple failed to cancel, perhaps that meant that the TA's perk was lost?

 

Or maybe I am way off base......

 

If you discuss it upfront you are entitled to every 8th cabin/16th booking minus taxes when you are the group leader. It is a matter of knowing what to ask for upfront. rebates/points etc

[oriolesfan22]

folashade - what I meant was that maybe the TA was taking one of the perks for herself. I know that the first time we thought about doing a group cruise (we weren't the organizers and didn't know them personally) we didn't know that there was a free berth involved. Perhaps the TA was trying to dip into the perks for herself!

[folashade]

folashade - what I meant was that maybe the TA was taking one of the perks for herself. I know that the first time we thought about doing a group cruise (we weren't the organizers and didn't know them personally) we didn't know that there was a free berth involved. Perhaps the TA was trying to dip into the perks for herself!

 

I see your point. Thats why I always hope that people educate themselves so they know what to ask for before settling on the first quote. (I have also seen where organizers add hundreds of $$$ to a inital cruise price and insist on checks payable to them etc and inflate the price) as both a consumer/organizer you should know what the ball park figures are.

 

I hope the TA is not dipping into the perks!

[travelgoddes]

And our Agency books alot of cruise groups....And I can tell you that most

groups are started by one person who comes in to get the ball rolling(The Group Leader) and they always know about the free berth. The group leader decides if they want 1 big check for themselves, or if we take the average amount off everyone involved. Usually group leaders take this on because they want the free berth for themselves. If I have someone who is past due on a payment I am on the phone. We always give ourselves some padding on payments(If it's due to Cruise Lines on a certain day, we tell the clients it's due 1 week earlier, every group will have a couple that pays late)

Maybe the TA involved was not on top of things....But it certainly does not

benefit her to have this sticky situation.

 

Most of us that are sell cruise groups are on top of things......

 

Another reason TO book with a real live TA that you can see and touch.

 

I really enjoy this site most of the time.....But it has become very anti-agent,

and most of us...the good ones anyways truly love our profession, and take pride in servicing our clients.

 

Best of luck to you,

Travelgoddess

[sea_u_onboard]

I may be in the minority, but I'm siding with the TA. Assumptions are being made that lack of payment(balance of deposit in your case) constitutes cancelling a reservation.

I'm not making that assumption. What I'm thinking is if I was the TA and I contacted these people that many times and they continued to avoid my calls/letters as shown in her email - then I would have realized they had no intentions of going.

I have called them several times, left messages for to call me. No calls. I also spoke to someone in your group about them and she was going to call them. This is their responsibility not mine. If I would have canceled the cabin, they would have stated "you told you to" You at no time told me to cancel them until recently. That is when I found out the cancellation penalty.

 

I sent both of them invoices out lining the amount due in yellow. Still no answer. I have tried to do my part. They didn't. [/Quote] She really didn't do all she could. I agree that she didn't want to cancel because it would have affected her in some way and it was wishful thinking on her part that the people would all of a sudden - after avoiding her like the plague - decided that they would send her the monies due. After that many attempts I would have written CANCELED on one of the invoices, mailed it registered mail, and then given them a week to call. If I didn't hear from them I would have really canceled it. At least that way if they really wanted to go they would have had time to contact the TA and get it straightened out.

 

Did I miss something here? I understand that group cruises are handled differently but I have to say that the TA handled this horribily. It sounds as if the group leader wasn't aware of the problems. How can she fix something that she doesn't know it is broken and why should she be responsible?

[folashade]

Another reason TO book with a real live TA that you can see and touch.

 

I really enjoy this site most of the time.....But it has become very anti-agent,

and most of us...the good ones anyways truly love our profession, and take pride in servicing our clients.

 

Best of luck to you,

Travelgoddess

I am very PRO- TA. I like having someone to see and talk to and not get the run around. Not a big fan of doing cruises/major trips where everything is via the phone/email. Try getting through to a live person via a 800# when something major happens. I've had my TA call to find out where I am and let me know the alternatives.

[cynt]

Hello everyone, quick update...she's still working on it. LOL!! But that's what she's telling me. She did cancel the reservation for that couple. I really did learn a big lesson out of all of this.

 

First and foremost do not plan a group cruise. Let everyone purchase their own cruise using whatever method that suits them. Just tell them the date and ship and they can choose which PVP, online service, TA or whatever.

 

Second lesson, followup, followup and followup. I assumed the TA would do this. And we all know what assuming means.

 

Third lesson, use a TA that you have used before, don't go w/ someone new because of a better price. Better price doesn't mean better service.

 

I honestly think my TA was NOT in it for the perks because we didn't even book 8 cabins. I decided to do a group cruise so the TA could handle the particulars and it would be less of a headache for me. Go figure!!

 

To sum up the situation...BLOT ~ One big miscommunication.

 

The couple said they would pay half of the $400 if they have to but not the whole amount. If they don't pay the full $400 and it in some way affects the group I'll pay the remaining $200 just to be done with it. I huge $200 lesson learned. But I'm ready for this to be over with so I can finish my cruise shopping and start preparing mentally for my vacation. As you can tell, I'm a laid back kind of person and believe in cutting my losses and moving on quickly so it won't hurt so bad. Thanks again for everyones help. You guys/gals are awesome.

[mencik]

Are travel agents required to hold some sort of license or certification? If so, I'd keep track of all the documentation (emails, phone calls, notes from conversations, etc) and inform the travel agent that if she doesn't settle tis thing to your satisfaction, you will be going to whatever licensing or regulatory agency oversees her.

 

Regulations for travel agents vary by state, however, in the vast majority of states, there is no license or certification required. Florida and California have the most stringent "Sellers of Travel" laws.

 

Having said that, there are various certifications that TAs can obtain, ranging from specific cruise line certifications, to CLIA (ACC & MCC) and Travel Institute (CTA & CTC) certifications. If in the future you feel more comfortable working with a certified agent, you should ask to see an agent's credentials. Agents that do enough business also qualify for an IATAN card. I guess you could always complain to them about a particular agent, though I don't know if that would do any good or not. Certifications, while showing an agent's knowledge, don't show anything about their honesty or ability to do a good job. That would have to come by word of mouth from people that have used them previously.

 

Steve Mencik

The Vacation Stop

[MrPete]

First and foremost do not plan a group cruise. Let everyone purchase their own cruise using whatever method that suits them. Just tell them the date and ship and they can choose which PVP, online service, TA or whatever.

 

Don't be so quick!

 

When I booked a family cruise last year for 21, when I got in my room, there were all kinds of goodies. I thought it was because I had some correspondance with Bob D. himself.

 

This happened daily, and was even visited by the hotel manager during dinner, making sure all was well, and was even invited to a VIP cocltail party.

 

Found out later it was all because I was group leader.