Completely Out Of Control!

[temple1]

I recently booked my very first cruise using a travel agent. It is a 3 nighter on Enchantment that was arranged by a group I belong to. So to get the really great rate I went through the agency that is organizing the trip.

 

I have never felt so out of control in arranging a cruise since our first cruise. I never realized I had such control issues until now. :eek:

 

How do you manage to let go? (Guess I never would have succeeded at AA ;) )

[leaveitallbehind]

To me its not a matter of "letting go", its more a matter of letting my TA take care of doing the work and managing the details. She is in control of that and we don't worry. We have been using the some TA for over a decade and she knows us well and understands our preferences. We tell her what we want and the stateroom category and location we are interested in, and that's it until we board.

 

She handles the bookings, takes care of the deposits and payments via a card on file, checks for weekly price drops or upgrade specials and takes care of them automatically, handles all our preboard docs and check-in including luggage tags, and sends us everything needed to check in a few weeks before the cruise. If we make changes along the way, all we do is tell her the new plans and she takes it from there. If problems arise she handles them for us. We do nothing other than start her off and then board the ship.

 

We have also booked cruises ourselves and certainly understand the process - just prefer to have someone else handle the details.

 

To me that is peace of mind and simplicity - and that is why we use her. BTW we do not look for perks from her either - her service level is enough for us.

[cb at sea]

Hey.....just let go...it's only a 3 nighter! All will be fine, and if something isn't quite right, you'll fix it or learn to live with it!

 

You still get to plan your own time on the ship and excursions!

[JohnSnowGOT]

wow your very brave. I couldn't do it

[hazeleyez3]

Even w/o a TA, we never did anything more with the booking once it was reserved.

[PattyG12]

I also love letting my TA take care of all the stupidity that people deal with. I always get my preferred dining time and I know she'll fix things. I do get perks but I use her because she's wonderful!

[Merion_Mom]

I recently booked my very first cruise using a travel agent. It is a 3 nighter on Enchantment that was arranged by a group I belong to. So to get the really great rate I went through the agency that is organizing the trip.

 

I have never felt so out of control in arranging a cruise since our first cruise. I never realized I had such control issues until now. :eek:

 

How do you manage to let go? (Guess I never would have succeeded at AA ;) )

 

Believe me, I know EXACTLY how you feel.

 

The ONLY time that I use a TA, it is a good friend. And I can call her ANY TIME. Really, ANY TIME.

 

And I STILL feel that lack of control. It eats away at me. Ok, not really, but I don't like the feeling!

[JohnSnowGOT]

Patty you are blessed.

I feel that way about my Lawyer and my doctor.....Cant seem to trust a TA.........LOL

[Paulxyz2004]

I gotta ask what the heck are you Folks doing to your booking :confused:

 

I always use a TA and never felt any loss of controll. Actually there´s nothing I can think about I can´t do:confused:

[Merion_Mom]

I gotta ask what the heck are you Folks doing to your booking :confused:

 

I always use a TA and never felt any loss of controll. Actually there´s nothing I can think about I can´t do:confused:

 

It's not that you can't, eventually, have things taken care of, but you can't just do what you want.

 

Example 1: in the middle of the night, look at "My Cruises" and see the amount paid and still owed.

 

Example 2: it's 11 P.M. on a Saturday, and your TA is not available. By some miracle, RC's website is working, and cabin 1700 on Liberty just became available. If there's no TA involved, you can change on the spot.

 

:)

[temple1]

If traveling with my sister I'm not doing much at all, especially with a 3 nighter. But as Merion Mom posted if I want to change cabins I have to wait. The other problem with the TA they are using there is a fee for changes!

 

I do watch for rate reductions but usually I booked at the best price. That is why I went ahead and booked this cruise using the TA - it was much better price than I saw the week before when looking for a short cruise with my Sister and niece.

[Norwegianlatvian]

I booked through a TA for the first time, and I will never do that mistake again. Today I got the nice surprise to find out that the price they gave me was without prepaid tipping... Not a biggie, but REALLY annoying.

[JohnSnowGOT]

If traveling with my sister I'm not doing much at all, especially with a 3 nighter. But as Merion Mom posted if I want to change cabins I have to wait. The other problem with the TA they are using there is a fee for changes!

 

I do watch for rate reductions but usually I booked at the best price. That is why I went ahead and booked this cruise using the TA - it was much better price than I saw the week before when looking for a short cruise with my Sister and niece.

 

 

Yep and they can screw things up royally taking no responsibility.

[mein18]

I am told that I am the ultimate control freak. Could never use a TA.

 

The thought of having to rely on someone else to get it right and at the right time is not an option.

 

If I mess something up, my DW can get me for what I did wrong, not for something that I let someone else mess up. Actually, I would be the one kicking myself for giving someone else the opportunity to get it wrong. Fortunately I haven't had to kick myself on a cruise yet but I am sure there will be a first at some point.

[leaveitallbehind]

If traveling with my sister I'm not doing much at all, especially with a 3 nighter. But as Merion Mom posted if I want to change cabins I have to wait. The other problem with the TA they are using there is a fee for changes!

 

I do watch for rate reductions but usually I booked at the best price. That is why I went ahead and booked this cruise using the TA - it was much better price than I saw the week before when looking for a short cruise with my Sister and niece.

 

Never a fee with my TA for any changes or cancellations (just those that would apply to RCI) - and I have a weekend number to reach her if need be. This is why we have been with her for the past 10 years+. Some may charge fees, etc., but I guess we are fortunate.

[Tytus]

Never a fee with my TA for any changes or cancellations (just those that would apply to RCI) - and I have a weekend number to reach her if need be. This is why we have been with her for the past 10 years+. Some may charge fees, etc., but I guess we are fortunate.

 

I'm curious how your TA is still in business. Assuming she really doesn't charge you any fees. :confused:

 

I too would fall into the control freak category. I used a TA one time, and will not do it again. I still spent time watching plane ticket prices. Finally found something that was reasonable for $325/pp, called the TA and the final price was $400/pp. So basically it was a $75 fee/pp to the TA, and I did all the work. (as a side note, the fees/taxes were included in the above prices, same flight numbers, only difference was her booking it versus me booking it online)

 

Technology has enabled users to set email or text alerts to watch for these types of price changes. Setting up accounts is as easy as creating a CC username. Using single clicks to book just about anything from flights to hotels to cruises is pretty simple. I personally can't justify paying someone else just to click a few buttons and enter my credit card information.

[RevSmith]

I recently booked my very first cruise using a travel agent. It is a 3 nighter on Enchantment that was arranged by a group I belong to. So to get the really great rate I went through the agency that is organizing the trip.

 

I have never felt so out of control in arranging a cruise since our first cruise. I never realized I had such control issues until now. :eek:

 

How do you manage to let go? (Guess I never would have succeeded at AA ;) )

I book with a TA who is available 24/7 and I love, love, love it. She is always there for me and I am a very much in charge person. You just don't have the right TA, and I also wonder if the group has something to do with it.

[leaveitallbehind]

I'm curious how your TA is still in business. Assuming she really doesn't charge you any fees. :confused:

 

Not sure how to answer that other than to say that she does not charge any separate fee to us for changing or modifying our reservation prior to final payment. Of course after that we would be subject to RCI's penalties. Her compensation comes completely from the commissions paid by the cruise line - nothing additional from us. Some TA's may do it differently and charge fees for changes, but ours does not.

 

She has been in business for many years and has worked with us as indicated for more than 10 years. Perhaps part of this is - also as indicated - that she does not offer perks from her commission (which I feel she completely earns) other than an occasional bottle of wine in our stateroom for a special occasion cruise. Nor do we expect any.

 

You can choose to believe what you wish - but I am telling you the facts and have no reason or motive to do otherwise.

[hazeleyez3]

There are no added fees with our TA. The price she quotes us is exactly what the RC website is, and there is not a charge for changes or cancellations. I can get in touch with her day/night/weekends.

 

My guess is that her commission comes from the actual companies such as Sandals, RC, Celebrity, hotels, etc.

[Debbdo]

I admit I am a control freak and have used a TA twice. Even though I had no problems either time, I now book it myself...after weeks, months of research.

[It's a Ship!!!]

I'm curious how your TA is still in business. Assuming she really doesn't charge you any fees. :confused:

 

I too would fall into the control freak category. I used a TA one time, and will not do it again. I still spent time watching plane ticket prices. Finally found something that was reasonable for $325/pp, called the TA and the final price was $400/pp. So basically it was a $75 fee/pp to the TA, and I did all the work. (as a side note, the fees/taxes were included in the above prices, same flight numbers, only difference was her booking it versus me booking it online)

 

Technology has enabled users to set email or text alerts to watch for these types of price changes. Setting up accounts is as easy as creating a CC username. Using single clicks to book just about anything from flights to hotels to cruises is pretty simple. I personally can't justify paying someone else just to click a few buttons and enter my credit card information.

Travel agents get their commission through the cruise lines, so most will not charge any kind of fee. Airlines pay travel agents absolutely nothing, so most will charge a service fee. If all you are doing is looking up an airfare online, then it's much easier and cheaper to do it yourself, but if you are doing something complicated with multiple stops and multiple countries, then paying a service fee so you don't have to do hours of research sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

[Tytus]

You can choose to believe what you wish - but I am telling you the facts and have no reason or motive to do otherwise.

 

I meant no offense, I was simply curious/confused how she would make money if she is charging you the same price that I am paying through the RCI website.

 

My first and only experience with a TA did not work the way you described regarding fees. Oh well. :(

[leaveitallbehind]

I meant no offense, I was simply curious/confused how she would make money if she is charging you the same price that I am paying through the RCI website.

 

My first and only experience with a TA did not work the way you described regarding fees. Oh well. :(

 

Because RCI (and all cruise lines, airlines, hotels, etc.) pay a sales commission to TA's based on the base per person stateroom rates for the cruises they book for their customers. (from what I understand that is typically 10 - 15% of the base stateroom rate charged).

 

The stateroom rate charged by both RCI and through TA's is the same, but out of that rate the commission is paid, so RCI essentially receives less revenue when working through TA's. But that difference is the cost they are not paying an RCI employee for doing the booking - essentially the cost of processing the booking. (Even if it is done online - the rate is the same. IT people need to be paid too :)). But this is a valuable relationship for RCI as it is reported that approximately 75% of all cruise bookings are done through TA's.

 

Some TA's also charge change fees on top of that - and when they do that it is additional revenue on top of their commission. So you end up paying more as a result. And some TA's give back some of their commissions in the form of perks to entice you to do business with them. It all depends on who you are doing business with. The method I described is how my TA operates.

 

Thanks for your explanation - no offense taken.

[Hlitner]

My goodness....I just have no idea about any of this "control" stuff. We book an awful lot of cruises (101 days on ships in 2012) and shop around among several large online agencies and also check the pricing on the cruise lines sites (we go on many different lines). Nearly all our booking work is done online and we simply book with whoever has the best deal. It normally takes us about a half hour to do all of our research (and some of our cruises are over 60 days long) and then its a few clicks of the mouse and done. Most times we have no need to even talk to our TA (of the cruise line) unless we spot a price drop (we then quickly have our booking repriced).

 

But here it why we queston all this control stuff. All the TAs we use have their computers linked to the cruise lines. When we book on a TA web site, the booking immediately flows through to the cruise line and we can quickly go on the cruise line site and check our booking. Essentially, the only difference between using a TA vs directly booking with a line is that we save money (sometimes thousands of dollars on a single cruise) by using the TA sites. On more then 80 bookings we have only encountered a single instance when the cruise line site offered a better deal then any of the TAs (this was a last minute booking with Celebrity).

 

Hank

[Elaine5715]

I do my research and trust my ability to hire the right person for a job. Course,since the world does not revolve around me, I have no need to control it.