What's the point of a using travel agent?

[hirobmay]

Last October I booked my forthcoming Eastern Med Cruise (Aug 2014) direct with 'X'. I Booked Flights via them too. I Booked my own accom for the additional night in Rome.

By saving my cruise to 'favorites' I was able to check the price movements and pounced when balcony cabin price dropped below my original 'inside'.

 

I feel that booking direct with Celeb was pretty painless, their support was fine when I called them, and i'm pretty much ready to go..

 

So what benefits does a travel agent give the consumer in 2014? :confused:

[WestLakeGirl]

Because you are in the UK watch out for answers from cruisers in US or elsewhere. There are certain things we can do you can't and vi e versa, and our travel agents can do some things yours can't and vice versa

[neotope]

So what benefits does a travel agent give the consumer in 2014? :confused:

 

US based here. I was looking to cruise in November with Celebrity. I found the best price from Celebrity direct and then I located a TA that was able to give me a slightly better price than Celebrity along with added on-board credit.

 

Normally I always prefer to book direct but I would have felt silly paying a slightly higher price and not receiving the credit.

[BEAV]

So what benefits does a travel agent give the consumer in 2014? :confused:

 

I don't know how it works in the UK, but here in the States I just turned over a booking today to a TA that I originally had booked directly with Celebrity.

Because the Agency had group-negotiated pricing available for my sailing, I was able to save just over $500 on the cruise fare in the category I had booked. I was also able to retain my 123GO promotion as well as a $150 "deployment" promotion OBC in the transfer process.

Edited June 27, 2014 by BEAV

[WestLakeGirl]

Your lower price probably means you got into a group rate, which you should keep in mind

[ghstudio]

Your lower price probably means you got into a group rate, which you should keep in mind

 

ummm....I think the poster said that :)

[WestLakeGirl]

Was responding to Neotope, who may not be aware of why the TAs price was lower than Celebrity.

[C 2 C]

We transfer our bookings to a travel agent in the US. The large internet agency frequently has group rates for real savings on most cruises and offer the equivalent of gratuities as an OBC.

As a reward for sailing they also offer a gift certificate of $25 or more when you book another cruise with them.

[bighairtexan]

BEAV mentioned it was part of a group negotiated rate. MOST (not all) of my Celebrity cruises and Royal Caribbean cruises are part of a "group booking" and I usually get OBC's as well as other perks such as prepaid gratuities and preferential pricing.

 

I booked a cruise on RCI a few days before they started their "BOGO half off" promo. Even considering the BOGO "sale price" my cabin was almost to the penny HALF of what the cruise line was charging and I got dinner for 2 as well as an OBC.

 

My upcoming Summit to Bermuda, my TA upgraded my 123 "free" beverage package to a Premium package and paid my gratuities (as well as being $100pp cheaper than Celebrity direct).

 

I do give up absolute control over my reservation and have to go through the agency for cabin changes etc, but for the amount I've saved over the 20 or 30 cruises I've booked with them since 2008, I'm fine w/ that.

 

And being part of a group is ALMOST meaningless. I get to select my cabin from all available cabins and I never know or see who is in the "group." Because of being in a group, I was unable go get the $25 OBC that RCI gives under their "refer a friend" program. But that was inconsequential compared to the perks and pricing under the "group."

[ghstudio]

ahh....

 

In any case, there are a few reasons to use a TA rather than celebrity. The most important in most cases is that many TA's will add their own perks to whatever Celebrity is offering. Some do offer lower rates (group fares) with or without celebrity's perks....you sort of get to choose which deal you want.

 

The other area where they can help is to be an intermediary between you and Celebrity....in some cases they can get things done because of who they know in Celebrity or they can save you from having to sit for 30 minutes or more waiting for a celebrity rep.

 

I can't see any advantage to booking directly with celebrity except when booking on a ship but then there's no reason not to transfer the booking to a TA for additiional perks.

[Wendylet]

I have used a TA for the first 5 cruises I have taken, not most recently. However I was on a Celebrity cruise a few years ago and I had an issue with my cabin. Specifically that there was window washing equipment permanently hanging right in front of our balcony. I tried my complaints onboard but could only generate a free dinner in one of the restaurants there and not much else. They could not move us. While I was on board I was emailing my TA about the issue and she negotiated on my behalf while I was onboard and managed to get me a sizable credit for a future cruise. Also if you use them for air bookings and you run into problems it's great to be able to call them up and have them straighten it out for you.

 

I guess it's just someone else in your corner when you need them!:)

[C 2 C]

 

I can't see any advantage to booking directly with celebrity except when booking on a ship but then there's no reason not to transfer the booking to a TA for additional perks.

 

I do miss weekend access and the ability to talk to someone directly over even the smallest of issues with a booking. Celebrity is totally hands off when the booking is transferred.

 

Two weeks ago I called X about a coding that I had never seen before on a booking. X refused to look it up and told me to call our TA. It turned out to be a specific code for grats from a 1,2,3.

[hirobmay]

Because you are in the UK watch out for answers from cruisers in US or elsewhere. There are certain things we can do you can't and vi e versa, and our travel agents can do some things yours can't and vice versa

 

So it seems...I think UK T.A's could learn a lot from their U.S counterparts..

[ghstudio]

So it seems...I think UK T.A's could learn a lot from their U.S counterparts..

 

Apparently, some Brits (and likely others) book through US TA's. Not sure how that works, but it may be worth exploring that path.

[CathyCruises]

I have used a TA for the first 5 cruises I have taken, not most recently. However I was on a Celebrity cruise a few years ago and I had an issue with my cabin. Specifically that there was window washing equipment permanently hanging right in front of our balcony. I tried my complaints onboard but could only generate a free dinner in one of the restaurants there and not much else. They could not move us. While I was on board I was emailing my TA about the issue and she negotiated on my behalf while I was onboard and managed to get me a sizable credit for a future cruise. Also if you use them for air bookings and you run into problems it's great to be able to call them up and have them straighten it out for you.

 

I guess it's just someone else in your corner when you need them!:)

 

Were you not advised of the obstruction prior to selecting your cabin? I know on S class, I have seen/read that those cabins are listed as having a 10% obstruction. I booked a cabin like that but due to my research here, knew it had the obstruction--can't remember if X mentioned it or not. But after the first day I never even noticed it anymore. I did enjoy the extra large balcony that it came with! I think you were very lucky to get the free dinner AND the credit!!

Edited June 27, 2014 by CathyCruises

[gisnered]

I guess it's just someone else in your corner when you need them!:)

 

My sentiments exactly. Especially if the trip involves airplanes.

 

Last February, we were sick of the lousy weather here on the east coast of the U. S., so we had our agent book a veranda guarantee for us on a Caribbean getaway on Reflection. We were booked to fly to Miami on Friday, a day early, in case of more bad weather. On Thursday, weather advisories predicted another snow/ice storm for early Friday morning through the mid afternoon. :eek:

 

Our Friday flight was cancelled before noon on Thursday. Within twenty minutes of a phone conversation with our agent we were re-booked on a flight (connecting through Atlanta) to Fort Lauderdale leaving early Thursday evening, an additional night in our hotel in Miami (guaranteed late arrival), and confirmation of transfers to the Reflection set up with the hotel. All we had to do was finish packing and get to the airport. :)

 

The Agency has had all of our travel business for several years and, after their performance last February, will continue to have it for the foreseeable future.

[budisal]

I'm a bit of a do-it-yourselfer, having booked everything to be done on my last two cruises. I thought I'd try that again this year for our March 2015 cruise, so I started working on it. Boy, the prices seemed high. So I thought, what the heck... it's not going to cost me anything to try a TA. So I did. She saved me $100pp on the cruise, got me the 123 (that Celebrity didn't mention to me), got me a $75 Expedia credit, then saved me another $20 on the overnight hotel in Miami. Not bad for a simple telephone call. I'll be using a TA in the future (not saying that I won't be doing my own checking as well).

 

 

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[Hlitner]

In the US we can always get a better overall deal (which includes on board credits and other amenities) from certain Cruise Agencies. But we think the situation in the UK is a bit different (which is why some Europeans do their booking through US or Canadian agencies (when it is permitted).

 

Hank

[Suzy Smith]

So what benefits does a travel agent give the consumer in 2014? :confused:

We used to book with a TA in the days when they would give a discount on the published fare, but they are no longer allowed to do this and, in addition, we have not found them helpful about obtaining price drops. By booking direct with Celebrity, there is no problem getting price drops (as you have found), you can contact them seven days a week and they are very knowledgeable about the product, as they are only dealing with their own cruises.

 

Some UK cruisers do use US TA's to get extra perks, but if you have booked your flights with Celebrity UK, it becomes a "package holiday" under the EU travel directive and Celebrity becomes responsible for your entire holiday (cruise and flights). For those of us who prefer to book in the UK, I can't think of a single reason to use a TA now.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Suzy Smith

[cruisead]

We get perks from our TA that you don't get when booking direct with Celebrity. We also like having a person to assist with any issues that might come up.

[thebutlerdidit]

The first cruise we booked I used a local brick and mortar travel agency for the sole purpose of supporting my local community. Once was enough. Thanks to Cruise Critic, I expected a bottle of wine, flowers...some little token of appreciation from our agent. We got nothing, not even a Thank You note.

 

Now I book through large online companies. I'd say it's all about the perks they include (most recently upgrading our 1,2,3 classic drink package to the premium package plus free gratuities and some OBC), but that's not entirely true. When I want to make a change or have a question, the agency deals directly with Celebrity. I've never encountered the nightmare hold times that I read about here.

[ozark74]

The only reason I use a t/a is for more OBC and that is an online agent not a full service agent. If you feel comfortable and have the knowledge to do it yourself you do not need a travel agent. It is easier to deal with the cruise line directly. I used a full service t/a once and would never do it again.

Edited June 28, 2014 by ozark74

[HappyTvlr]

I've lived in the US, UK, and AUS, and have travelled extensively (mostly land) and never used a TA. I probably miss out a bit on OBC on cruises or other similar perk, but have never had any trouble with booking directly w/Celebrity. I actually took a job here in Aus as a travel agent thinking I could use some of my travel knowledge, but soon quit because I was limited to "sell" from brochures. Boring! My husband's TA is a rock star for her assistance with business travel, but I am a researcher and I love digging through websites and books to find cool out of the way places and deals.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I switched my booking to a travel agent, got a modest amount of OBC for my cabin and my son's, but due to the booking being put under a group code I'm told Celebrity won't honor my shareholder credit. Still ahead slightly over what the shareholder credit alone would be - but I did expect to be able to combine it. I got no discount on the fare at all so I'm disappointed it worked out this way.

 

The only advantage I can see is in the event of something going wrong on or before the cruise, maybe the TA would be able to help in dealing with a change in plans. Have read of cruises involving mechanical difficulties, where people had to scramble to change their flights etc & internet on board the ship was completely overloaded. But that's a rare event, and giving up control of my booking has been a nuisance & the shareholder credit denial is the topper. I don't think it's likely I'll use a TA again.

[Project_gal]

Last October I booked my forthcoming Eastern Med Cruise (Aug 2014) direct with 'X'. I Booked Flights via them too. I Booked my own accom for the additional night in Rome.

By saving my cruise to 'favorites' I was able to check the price movements and pounced when balcony cabin price dropped below my original 'inside'.

 

I feel that booking direct with Celeb was pretty painless, their support was fine when I called them, and i'm pretty much ready to go..

 

So what benefits does a travel agent give the consumer in 2014? :confused:

 

As has been pointed out, there are differences between the US and the UK. From what I have read on Cruise Critic, US TAs work very differently and, unlike most in the UK, often add value.

 

However, in the UK, we have ATOL and ABTA and EU regulations providing a different form of added value. Booking a "package" through Celebrity [as you have done by booking both a cruise and flights through Celebrity] gives you ATOL [or is it ABTA - I have difficulty understanding the differences] protection which does not include your separately booked hotel accommodation. Had you booked flights from company A, hotels from company B and cruise from company C separately you would forego that protection. Booking those same flights from company A, hotels from company B and cruise from company C but through a single TA would provide the protection because your TA had supplied a "package".

 

Personally, I dislike having a third party between me and the supplier but I understand what I give up by not choosing to use that third party and, therefore, prefer to purchase everything through Celebrity even if this costs me a little more.