What is the right thing to do?

[Red Hat Cruise Cat]

The difference is a savings of $350.00 pp. Significant enough but not enormous amt. This was my first time dealing with this travel agent and I have been very impressed with his personal service etc. I have decided to be upfront with him and tell what this other offer is and see if he can offer a little more but I don't feel right about cancelling with him. Will let you know how it turns out.

 

Take the $350 savings, give the original small TA $50 for all their work, and still save $300.

[caribill]

Take the $350 savings, give the original small TA $50 for all their work, and still save $300.

 

Good advice.

 

Then the TA may be willing to work with the OP in the future.

[lovevacadays]

I agree with the majority here. Give the small TA a chance to come close to the price of the large agency. Kind of doubtful that they will. If it were me and they could not come close I would go with the large agency. It sounds like that in addition to the $700 savings you might also get some added OBC or perks. It's a business transaction so I don't mind doing what is best for me in this kind of instance. Unless, I had a strong loyalty to someone I had used for a long time and then I would hope they understood and wished me well as Pam stated in her post.

 

I would check and make sure you are getting a price from both on the exact same cabin. Also, be sure and check if there are any cancellation fees. I would never book with an agency who charged cancellation fees but I have heard that there are those that do.

 

All in all, it is up to you and what your mind tells you is right for you.:)

[MauiLvrs]

It seems that the large agencies will get you the booking and a lower price, but if something goes wrong or you need to make changes, you're kind of on your own...

Not quite ... generally you are at the mercy of the agency holding the booking to deal with anything.

[YourNameHere]

I routinely deal with people that don't seem to understand that cost and value are not the same thing and that in many cases it is the value that is more important than the cost. So you might want to consider if you are comparing value or simply cost.

 

I agree with giving the small agency a chance to respond to the other offer. I would also try to verify as much as possible about the other offer, it may be a good deal, however many 'too good to be true' offers are just that. In fact if you make them aware of the other offer your current TA may take the initiative to explain any differences from what they are offering.

[Times Prince]

I have booked a cruise for next spring with a small travel agency. Have been very pleased with the personal service etc. Very prompt in answering questions etc. However on this particular cruise they do not have group space and the agent at this point in time could only offer a small OBC. Today I got an email from one of the giant online agencies who are having a sale which includes my cruise. They are offering prepaid, gratuities, a substantial ship board credit and internet minutes. I obviously would like to take advantage of these perks but feel after the time and effort the original agent put in, it would not be right to pull the booking from him. What should I do?

If you are doing a significant amount of shopping around to verify the savings and benefits ($350 pp) then you are doing the job of a good TA. As you mentioned, give the TA a call and determine whether they can sweeten the deal for you (and your group, if you have one). Then it will be your decision whether to move on or not.

 

Be careful of the rates being quoted. I have seen way too many lower rates turn out to not be the complete package, the "bottom line" cost for the cruise. Compare only the complete costs, including taxes, fees, etc.

 

Also be careful of the transfer, should you decide to do so. Posts on Cruise Critic have mentioned the original TA can cancel the booking rather than transferring, losing any cabin reservation you might have. Also if you are Platinum, those internet credits may not combine with the Platinum benefits.

[Soccer Mom 96]

To the OP...what did you find out when talking to the original TA? What did you decide to do?

 

Soccer Mom

[Maddle]

I would never book with an agency who charged cancellation fees but I have heard that there are those that do.

 

All in all, it is up to you and what your mind tells you is right for you.:)

 

What happened to "business is business?"

 

You won't pay a cancellation fee. You won't allow the agent to protect him/herself - but you don't have any qualms about picking up and walking away with his/her commission if it behooves you - AFTER he/she has made the sale.

 

How do you think small agents make any money? Do you think the small agent's time and effort has any value at all? Time spent on YOUR booking was time not spent chasing down other leads and helping clients, or furthering his/her professional education...or just living his/her life.

 

To the OP, at a minimum you should discuss the offer that the big agency has sent you with your current agent and see if she can compete.

 

Maddle

[OC SeaPA]

I have used the large on-lines many times, but never again. Once I booked, they would not reduce fares, check upgrades, etc. Always saying "for new bookings only". I booked thru other cruise lines (NCL & X) and have gotten fare reductions, upgrades, etc. by watching and thru cc notices from others. Is Princess good to book direct? Most of what I see is TA bookings.

[caribill]

I have used the large on-lines many times, but never again. Once I booked, they would not reduce fares, check upgrades, etc. Always saying "for new bookings only". I booked thru other cruise lines (NCL & X) and have gotten fare reductions, upgrades, etc. by watching and thru cc notices from others. Is Princess good to book direct? Most of what I see is TA bookings.

 

a) If a cruiseline promotion is "for new bookings only," then a TA (online or B&M) needs to follow the cruiseline rules.

 

b) If the lower pricing from a cruise line is not "for new bookings only" and your online TA will not get you the lower price, you are simply using the wrong online TA.

 

c) I have never had any problem getting price reductions from a large online TA when the reduction does apply to existing bookings.

 

You ask "Is Princess good to book direct?" If you mean will they book at the current pricing for the cruise (and any current restrictions) and offer any future applicable price reductions if you call and ask for them, then the answer is "yes."

[Pam in CA]

What happened to "business is business?"

 

You won't pay a cancellation fee. You won't allow the agent to protect him/herself - but you don't have any qualms about picking up and walking away with his/her commission if it behooves you - AFTER he/she has made the sale.

 

How do you think small agents make any money? Do you think the small agent's time and effort has any value at all? Time spent on YOUR booking was time not spent chasing down other leads and helping clients, or furthering his/her professional education...or just living his/her life.

You are making some incorrect assumptions. One is that a small agency books only a few cruises and thus depends upon your business. Perhaps true in some cases but I know of very small agencies that do huge volumes of Princess bookings, some as many as 40/day.

 

Second, you're assuming that people price comparison shop after booking with an agency. I'm sure there are some out there that do but I request quotes before booking and don't change agencies afterwards.

 

Third, you're assuming that a change fee is applied only if you switch agencies. Years ago, I booked through a large online agency and when I got the confirmation, I discovered that they had made a mistake and requested Anytime rather than late Traditional dining. That took a $25 change fee to correct. Then, I wanted the booking to be linked with a friend's booking. $25 change fee. Fare reduction: $25 change fee. I never used them again. :(

[Maddle]

You are making some incorrect assumptions. One is that a small agency books only a few cruises and thus depends upon your business. Perhaps true in some cases but I know of very small agencies that do huge volumes of Princess bookings, some as many as 40/day.

 

Second, you're assuming that people price comparison shop after booking with an agency. I'm sure there are some out there that do but I request quotes before booking and don't change agencies afterwards.

 

Third, you're assuming that a change fee is applied only if you switch agencies. Years ago, I booked through a large online agency and when I got the confirmation, I discovered that they had made a mistake and requested Anytime rather than late Traditional dining. That took a $25 change fee to correct. Then, I wanted the booking to be linked with a friend's booking. $25 change fee. Fare reduction: $25 change fee. I never used them again. :(

 

Thank you Pam - you have brought up some excellent points - I am in agreement with you in principle, but there are nuances I would like to address:

 

First - As for volume and commission structure - so much depends on the agent's own contract with the agency (if she is an independent contractor) and how large the agency itself is. While the agency may do lots of business, the individual agents may be working independently. They may benefit from the economies of scale - but still work hard on every sale and only get paid for what they actually sell. In this OP case, we don't know what that business conditions are for the agent or agency except that it is "small." One lost sale may not sink the agency - but it could be a day's pay for the agent.

 

Second - comparison shopping - in effect this is what the OP did - booked a cruise, then found a better price, albeit the Large Agency sent them an offer. (and that really stinks.) Now our fellow CC members advise him to move because "business is business" and while some said, "give the little guy an opportunity to match" most responses in this thread were, "I would move in a heartbeat."

 

Third - I was not making the assumption that the change fee was the only fee - but that is the fee I was addressing in the specific post from 'Michelle in OC' that said in essence, "I won't book if there's a cancellation fee." I can't say I blame her at all for protecting herself - but is it fair - at the same time - to leave the small agent vulnerable to a client moving their business after the sale, when that is the sentiment that is running through this thread? AND - No compensation for the time and effort he/she put into the booking? (For instance: advice, expertise, guidance and contacting the cruiseline for specific needs of the client.)

 

Finally - yes there can be many fees associated with large agencies. This is how they make up for the smaller commission that they net for each individual sale (by group pricing and benefits such as OBC and internet credit etc) - mostly in volume, but some in fees. (Everybody has to make a buck somehow - "pay me now or pay me later.")

 

My real issue is the lack of concern expressed in many of the responses - "pull your business" when the OP said he was very satisfied with the service he had received.

 

Thanks for an important discussion.

 

Maddle

[Pam in CA]

Maddie, knowing Michelle (which I do), I know she does her research first and then books. She "shops" pricing first, as I do. :)

 

Something not mentioned is that some agencies (or independent contractors) have low or practically no overhead. Their cost of doing business is lower.

 

I'm a huge proponent of using a TA and appreciate all the work they do. It's a challenging business with anyone being able to act as their own agent by researching and booking on the Internet. Often, TAs clean up a mess :( So, I think we're on the same page.

[Maddle]

Pam - yes, we are on the same page.

 

A customer should shop for the best pricing and contingencies they can find - but they should respect the efforts of the travel agent and agency that they eventually book with.

 

Generally, people expect the cruiseline to pay the agent for their effort with no cost to the client - but the cruiseline pays the agent that has the booking when it's all said and done...not the one who held your hand, and then lost the booking to the Large Agency that undercut the sale.

 

The OP has a booking with an agent that has clearly made an effort on his behalf ("personal service...prompt in answering questions.) He seems to like the agent. It would be a shame to leave this agent without a paycheck, and no chance to work something out.

 

Maddle

[Genessa]

we were faced with a similar decision when we booked a 17 day through transit of Panama Canal from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco.

 

We were booking with friends who were only doing the Mexican Riviera portion from Acapulco to SF.

 

we had always used a small travel agency that had been recommended by a friend. Satisfied with her service.

DH comparison shopped before we booked, got a price from a small but high Princess volume agent he found on-line.

When the local agent gave us her price, dh told her what price he had gotten from the other agent. She told us to go with the cheaper - that she couldn't come close to touching the lower price. The other 4 people were only getting about $25 off pp, so they decided to stick with the local agent.

 

This was 2002 and we have stayed with the same, high Princess volume agency. Service is not quite as superb as it was, but the prices are unbeatable.

We have used the local agent for the occasional non-cruise vacation.

[KruzPrincess]

I use a smaller travel agency because I have good relationship with my TA. Sometimes the price is a little more, but I can just call her or email her anytime and she's on top of everything. I choose to continue to use her because I get great service all the time. Once I found a better deal on a large cruise dealer website. She said she couldn't match it and told me to go ahead and book it. I chose to stick with her since she'd spent so much time for me already on this particular cruise. The difference wasn't $700, though. I'm not sure what I would have done with that. Like everyone else, I'd see if my TA can match or come close to the advertised price. Sometimes when I read those offers, though, the price and offer isn't always as attractive once I actually try to book it. Be careful.

[DrivesLikeMario]

never mind!

[thyme2go]

I'd say be very careful. I've booked through a mega online agency with very low prices. After the booking they basically said.......nothing will change on this booking so don't call, don't ask questions, we are not going to hold your hand. Rather rude comments considering that the cruise I was talking about wasn't cheap.........I didn't go with them. Buyer beware.....a bird in the hand.......measure twice (research thrice)...cut once.....decide and stick with it. A good TA relationship is valuable through out the trip..not just buying the cruise.

[atlantic cruiser]

Thanks everyone for all the imput. This has been a huge learning curve. While I try to research prices and possible perks on cruises I book, this particular email from a huge online agency caught me by surprise. As previously stated I had enjoyed the communications I had had with the agent I had put a deposit on this cruise with,however I had never dealt with him before. Nevertheless he was courteous and always available. I knew what cabin etc.I wanted to book so did not need his assistance in that. I had only booked this cruise with him a few weeks prior. Anyway fast forward to getting this email offer. On checking it out, it meant we would receive prepaid gratuities and an OBC of $950.00. This was certainly more than I initially had thought would be offered. I called the TA I had booked with and told could he do something to offset these amenities. I would be happy with even prepaid gratuities. He stated that the best he could do was $100.00 OBC. At this point in time I felt that I could not afford to keep the booking with him and therefore cancelled. He had not done a ton of work for us, simply took the booking and asked for the cabin we desired. We had not put him to a lot of work or effort at this point and as much as I would have liked him to have the booking an over a $1000.00 saving was too much to pass up. We left it on good terms, and I hope I can do business with him in the future, but I fear for most small agencies they just cannot compete with the giant online agencies. That is unfortunately a result of the internet age. I know this online agency that I have dealt with has a good consumer record, albeit not great customer relation skills. We have however cruised enough that we can manage most cruise details ourselves. Just thought I would let you know how things turned out. Wish we could afford to turn away from the perks but that is not the case. Hope people understand this was not any easy decision but the financial difference was huge. Thanks for all your imput

[Pam in CA]

...but I fear for most small agencies they just cannot compete with the giant online agencies. That is unfortunately a result of the internet age.

The size of the agency does not mean they get the best pricing. What matters most is volume, i.e., the number of Princess cruises booked. There are some small (personnel-wise) agencies who book as many or more than the large online agencies.

[chamima]

Thanks everyone for all the imput. This has been a huge learning curve. While I try to research prices and possible perks on cruises I book, this particular email from a huge online agency caught me by surprise. As previously stated I had enjoyed the communications I had had with the agent I had put a deposit on this cruise with,however I had never dealt with him before. Nevertheless he was courteous and always available. I knew what cabin etc.I wanted to book so did not need his assistance in that. I had only booked this cruise with him a few weeks prior. Anyway fast forward to getting this email offer. On checking it out, it meant we would receive prepaid gratuities and an OBC of $950.00. This was certainly more than I initially had thought would be offered. I called the TA I had booked with and told could he do something to offset these amenities. I would be happy with even prepaid gratuities. He stated that the best he could do was $100.00 OBC. At this point in time I felt that I could not afford to keep the booking with him and therefore cancelled. He had not done a ton of work for us, simply took the booking and asked for the cabin we desired. We had not put him to a lot of work or effort at this point and as much as I would have liked him to have the booking an over a $1000.00 saving was too much to pass up. We left it on good terms, and I hope I can do business with him in the future, but I fear for most small agencies they just cannot compete with the giant online agencies. That is unfortunately a result of the internet age. I know this online agency that I have dealt with has a good consumer record, albeit not great customer relation skills. We have however cruised enough that we can manage most cruise details ourselves. Just thought I would let you know how things turned out. Wish we could afford to turn away from the perks but that is not the case. Hope people understand this was not any easy decision but the financial difference was huge. Thanks for all your imput

 

I don't think anyone could blame you for the change. $1000 is a LOT of money!

Just make sure about all of the new agencie's policies. Do they have change fees, cancellation fees, can you choose your cabin or just the category?

We took an Australian cruise last year and after booking with our usual agent also received an email for the cruise from a large agency (one that CC "endorses") offering airfare ,OBC and free gratuities. It looked to be a large saving from what we had paid. We had already booked our airfare so didn't take advantage of it. Several people on our Roll Call must have, however, because as the cruise got closer the complaints started to come in about really inconvenient air times and connections and no assigned cabins until just before we cruised and then unhappiness with cabin assignments. I concluded that I'm a lot more comfortable being able to control my cabin assignment and air arrangements myself. It wasn't worth it to me to save the money. Only you can decide what is your comfort level.

[LovesCruising]

Thanks everyone for all the imput. This has been a huge learning curve. While I try to research prices and possible perks on cruises I book, this particular email from a huge online agency caught me by surprise. As previously stated I had enjoyed the communications I had had with the agent I had put a deposit on this cruise with,however I had never dealt with him before. Nevertheless he was courteous and always available. I knew what cabin etc.I wanted to book so did not need his assistance in that. I had only booked this cruise with him a few weeks prior. Anyway fast forward to getting this email offer. On checking it out, it meant we would receive prepaid gratuities and an OBC of $950.00. This was certainly more than I initially had thought would be offered. I called the TA I had booked with and told could he do something to offset these amenities. I would be happy with even prepaid gratuities. He stated that the best he could do was $100.00 OBC. At this point in time I felt that I could not afford to keep the booking with him and therefore cancelled. He had not done a ton of work for us, simply took the booking and asked for the cabin we desired. We had not put him to a lot of work or effort at this point and as much as I would have liked him to have the booking an over a $1000.00 saving was too much to pass up. We left it on good terms, and I hope I can do business with him in the future, but I fear for most small agencies they just cannot compete with the giant online agencies. That is unfortunately a result of the internet age. I know this online agency that I have dealt with has a good consumer record, albeit not great customer relation skills. We have however cruised enough that we can manage most cruise details ourselves. Just thought I would let you know how things turned out. Wish we could afford to turn away from the perks but that is not the case. Hope people understand this was not any easy decision but the financial difference was huge. Thanks for all your imput

 

what you say about the small agencies being unable to compete is true - its a shame but it is what it is

[Pam in CA]

what you say about the small agencies being unable to compete is true - its a shame but it is what it is

Absolutely not true. They are out there. Don't assume that only the big agencies get the best pricing.

[Blue Line]

Atlantic cruiser- wise decision! Enjoy your cruise and your $950 dollars... Anyone who would have turned that down likely has more money than brains!

 

You went above and beyond what others thought you should do before canceling with the other TA... I wouldn't feel bad about a thing, you are paying for a service; it only makes sense you get the best deal. At the end of the day, businesses are supposed to work for customers, not the other way around. Congrats on the deal and enjoy your cruise!!!

[LovesCruising]

Absolutely not true. They are out there. Don't assume that only the big agencies get the best pricing.

 

Not talking about the best pricing. You can get the same price from a small agency as you can from a big one. The problem comes in when the big on line agency offers very high OBC, prepaid grats, specialty dinner, free parking at the pier etc etc.

 

Most small agencies cannot compete with this. If they started giving all this away - they would have 0 commission and they simply cannot do it.