bonus's from T.A.

[Rancher Dave]

Im glad you think your travel agent should work for free......

 

I'm sure OP would gladly give their boss back part of their pay check for the privilege of working in their job. :D:eek:

 

What's funny are the folks who think the best TAs are the ones who give up the most commission to get the booking...likely they don't end up making enough to actually travel and know the destinations first hand. The best agents can offer more than just cash back to the cruise passenger using the TA for the booking.

[cruiseyesplease!]

We like to book thru the cruise department of one of the major US airlines. We always get between 6 & 8 airline miles added to our frequent flyer account for every dollar we spend on the cruise (not taxes, fees, or gratuities). For a $2000 cruise we get 12k-16k miles. It only takes 20k miles for award tickets within the US with the airline we use, so that gets us there pretty quick.

They usually also have chocolate strawberries or a bottle of wine in our stateroom too (depending on cost of cruise).

The price is the same as the cruise line's price except they add a $25 transaction fee. That's worth the miles in my book!

 

The agents are nice & know their stuff & do the price adjustments if you let them know about lower prices.

 

 

 

I do the same! Book through an airline for the miles ;)

[Selluks]

You are booking the Haven and only getting $100 OBC?? I get that or more by booking an interior with my TA. Something don't sound right. :confused:

 

Really? Interior rooms in my group get $50

[Demonyte]

Really? Interior rooms in my group get $50

 

That sounds like OBC from points generated by the group booking. Getting OBC from the TA is different, we usually get about 10% (total amount of discount and/or OBC) of NCL's list price from our TA.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Demonyte

[mitsugirly]

Really? Interior rooms in my group get $50

 

 

Yes, I normally book an interior and have never gotten anything less than $100 (and have received up to $150 before) OBC for the booking from my TA. For a balcony, I have gotten up to $250 for a booking. :) (Of course they all depend on if there's a "group" booking with the agency for the higher amounts, but none-the-less, never below $100 when there's not a group booking).

Edited March 3, 2015 by mitsugirly

[Selluks]

Yes, I normally book an interior and have never gotten anything less than $100 (and have received up to $150 before) OBC for the booking from my TA. For a balcony, I have gotten up to $250 for a booking. :) (Of course they all depend on if there's a "group" booking with the agency for the higher amounts, but none-the-less, never below $100 when there's not a group booking).

 

He specifically told me $100 was a gift the travel agency was giving me for booking with them.

 

We are also getting 1 person free for having booked our 9th cabin.

[nyc12345]

He specifically told me $100 was a gift the travel agency was giving me for booking with them.

 

We are also getting 1 person free for having booked our 9th cabin.

 

$100 OBC is okay if it's an inside, but if you booking Haven/Spa, that's too little. I get around 10% from my TA. Whether one room or a group...:D

[Selluks]

$100 OBC is okay if it's an inside, but if you booking Haven/Spa, that's too little. I get around 10% from my TA. Whether one room or a group...:D

 

I might have to fire my travel agent. Our cruise is not for another 7 months. I wonder what will happen if I bring that up to him.

[Demonyte]

I might have to fire my travel agent. Our cruise is not for another 7 months. I wonder what will happen if I bring that up to him.

 

 

Unless you cancel everything, you are at the mercy of your TA as they'd have to approve moving the reservations away to another agency and even then it needs to be done within 60 days of the original booking and I'm not sure if one can even move group bookings.

 

Also not nearly all TAs offer bonuses like described before.

[Selluks]

Unless you cancel everything, you are at the mercy of your TA as they'd have to approve moving the reservations away to another agency and even then it needs to be done within 60 days of the original booking and I'm not sure if one can even move group bookings.

 

Also not nearly all TAs offer bonuses like described before.

 

Well we can still cancel and get 100% of our money back. So it would be a little work but we could always cancel and book elsewhere.

[newmexicoNita]

You are booking the Haven and only getting $100 OBC?? I get that or more by booking an interior with my TA. Something don't sound right. :confused:

 

They could be on one of the specials where only the first two in the suite pay full price. The rest pay almost nothing. That makes a huge difference on how much a TA can give, plus if it is a group there are other perks involved. The poster only mentioned the OBC. Usually a TA doesn't tell a client what they are getting, but when they get to the cabin there will be a thank you note. We really can't judge without knowing all the details. Also what you get from your TA may include specials that his/her company is getting from the cruise line. These are hidden from the clients. All you see is what you agent choses to give you; NO one knows where the OBC etc are really coming from. I can guarantee you, if you are getting $100 OBC for an interior cabin, there is something you don't know about where that gift is really coming from. An agent would barely make $100 on an inside cabin unless it is a very long cruise. Remember, that price of say, $699 a person includes port charges that are non commissionable. Then the agentcy has costs as well. Even if they have an agency getting top tear comm. it is unlikely he/she can give $100 OBC unless there is something more to the story.

Edited March 4, 2015 by newmexicoNita

[Demonyte]

They could be on one of the specials where only the first two in the suite pay full price. The rest pay almost nothing. That makes a huge difference on how much a TA can give, plus if it is a group there are other perks involved.

 

Even with 3rd plus sails free or half off, the base price for the first two is still always significantly more in a suite than in an inside.

[mitsugirly]

They could be on one of the specials where only the first two in the suite pay full price. The rest pay almost nothing. That makes a huge difference on how much a TA can give, plus if it is a group there are other perks involved. The poster only mentioned the OBC. Usually a TA doesn't tell a client what they are getting, but when they get to the cabin there will be a thank you note. We really can't judge without knowing all the details. Also what you get from your TA may include specials that his/her company is getting from the cruise line. These are hidden from the clients. All you see is what you agent choses to give you; NO one knows where the OBC etc are really coming from. I can guarantee you, if you are getting $100 OBC for an interior cabin, there is something you don't know about where that gift is really coming from. An agent would barely make $100 on an inside cabin unless it is a very long cruise. Remember, that price of say, $699 a person includes port charges that are non commissionable. Then the agentcy has costs as well. Even if they have an agency getting top tear comm. it is unlikely he/she can give $100 OBC unless there is something more to the story.

 

The poster has came back and said they are getting $100 OBC and the only other thing they are getting for having 9 cabins booked is 1 free person. :eek: I don't know the details of how many are in a cabin and so on, but NCL has been running a special with 3-8th person for either free or 50% off for those people if in the same cabin. Yes, many things go into factor when booking, but if this person was getting more than the $100 OBC and 1 person free in the 9TH CABIN booked, I think they would have mentioned it by now and not be talking about "I might have to fire my travel agent" or "Well we can still cancel and get 100% of our money back. So it would be a little work but we could always cancel and book elsewhere"...just saying. We here on cc look out for each other, which is why several have informed this poster that that is just an unacceptable amount for a HAVEN. :rolleyes:

 

No, no one really "knows" where the money for the OBC is coming from or the special gifts you may receive in your room after boarding...but in reality does this really matter WHERE it comes from? If there's "more to the story"...does that even matter to the consumer? I don't think so. In todays economy everyone wants the most for their hard working money (including the agents of course) so clients are willing to take what they can get for free and could honestly care less where it's coming from. There is no need to actually "know" this information nor would it matter to most. The TA is going to offer what THEY can and it's entirely up to them. That's why people shop around. I'm sure some pull it out of their own pocket to gain a client for all future bookings along with drumming up more service by word of mouth. In the long run, it's worth it to them. I'm talking from experience. My husband owns his own company, gives away freebies, has deals, sponsors events...all to drum up business and get more customers. It's a part of business.

 

I have been cruising steadily for the last 5 years (been cruising since the 80's and now cruise 2-3 times a year with anywhere from 3-9 people in our party) and have had several TA's and can guarantee that I have NEVER had a TA offer me less than $100 for an interior (and even more if I booked a balcony and up) no matter what TA I have used (and have used a few here and there depending on the "deal" they offered). I have also never had a TA not tell me what I'm getting before. :eek: I don't book until I know what I'm getting and which is the best deal. It's called shopping around. :) A "Thank You" note? Really? ...because that will help with my expenses of the cruise. :cool: Just saying...

[Happymemakes3]

I went through a online TA and was offered $100 Amazon gift card, free gratuities 1&2 person and drink packages along with and OBC $50 for booking a balcony room and this was for a $100 less at the time I booked then what NCL was charging. So far the drink package and the $50 has been confirmed by NCL but the $100 gift card is to be email to me 30 days before sailing and the gratuities are to be in the OB account a week before we cruise, so I will let you know if all of it come through for us but if so then we got a great deal [emoji6]

[3XX1XY]

I book online. I've tried TAs a couple of times and they couldn't even get close to the price on the webiste of the cruiseline. It was ridiculous. I'm guessing there are some good ones out there, but I've yet to find them!

[Demonyte]

[quote name='3XX1XY']I book online. I've tried TAs a couple of times and they couldn't even get close to the price on the webiste of the cruiseline. It was ridiculous. I'm guessing there are some good ones out there, but I've yet to find them![/QUOTE]

That doesn't apply to majority of TAs (also) doing business online - I have yet to find a TA that would charge more than the cruiseline! :eek:

For example there are some pretty widely used TAs that have paid to advertise here on CC: [url]http://www.cruisecritic.com/shipshop[/url]

[Pikaia]

[quote name='Demonyte']I have yet to find a TA that would charge more than the cruiseline! :eek:[/quote]
Heh. Yes, I've gotten quotes higher than the NCL website. Sometimes it appears to be some sort of booking fee (e.g. all quotes exactly $60 higher than NCL), and other times it's inexplicable.

Often it has been an error on the TA's part. I've gotten quotes for the wrong category, wrong number of passengers, and wrong sailing date. I decided to part ways with my last travel agent partly because he kept having to revise his quotes, both up and down. I decided to find someone who was paying attention from the beginning and didn't need me to catch his errors every.single.time. :rolleyes: Edited March 4, 2015 by Pikaia

[newmexicoNita]

[quote name='Demonyte']Even with 3rd plus sails free or half off, the base price for the first two is still always significantly more in a suite than in an inside.[/QUOTE]

Of course it is but when you devide it up there isn't as large a difference as you may think.

[Flatbush Flyer]

[quote name='3XX1XY']I book online. I've tried TAs a couple of times and they couldn't even get close to the price on the webiste of the cruiseline. It was ridiculous. I'm guessing there are some good ones out there, but I've yet to find them![/QUOTE]


See my posts #20 and 24. finding a great TA is not that hard.

[Demonyte]

[quote name='newmexicoNita']Of course it is but when you devide it up there isn't as large a difference as you may think.[/QUOTE]

Divide it up by what? If the total for 2 pax in an inside is $799 and total for 2 pax in a suite is at least 2-3 times that (in the case of major price drops just before the cruise, normally a lot more), one should still be able to get at least double OBC from the TA when comparing inside and real suite.

[newmexicoNita]

[quote name='mitsugirly']The poster has came back and said they are getting $100 OBC and the only other thing they are getting for having 9 cabins booked is 1 free person. :eek: I don't know the details of how many are in a cabin and so on, but NCL has been running a special with 3-8th person for either free or 50% off for those people if in the same cabin. Yes, many things go into factor when booking, but if this person was getting more than the $100 OBC and 1 person free in the 9TH CABIN booked, I think they would have mentioned it by now and not be talking about "I might have to fire my travel agent" or "Well we can still cancel and get 100% of our money back. So it would be a little work but we could always cancel and book elsewhere"...just saying. We here on cc look out for each other, which is why several have informed this poster that that is just an unacceptable amount for a HAVEN. :rolleyes:

No, no one really "knows" where the money for the OBC is coming from or the special gifts you may receive in your room after boarding...but in reality does this really matter WHERE it comes from? If there's "more to the story"...does that even matter to the consumer? I don't think so. In todays economy everyone wants the most for their hard working money (including the agents of course) so clients are willing to take what they can get for free and could honestly care less where it's coming from. There is no need to actually "know" this information nor would it matter to most. The TA is going to offer what THEY can and it's entirely up to them. That's why people shop around. I'm sure some pull it out of their own pocket to gain a client for all future bookings along with drumming up more service by word of mouth. In the long run, it's worth it to them. I'm talking from experience. My husband owns his own company, gives away freebies, has deals, sponsors events...all to drum up business and get more customers. It's a part of business.

I have been cruising [U]steadily[/U] for the last 5 years (been cruising since the 80's and now cruise 2-3 times a year with anywhere from 3-9 people in our party) and have had several TA's and can guarantee that I have NEVER had a TA offer me less than $100 for an [I]interior[/I] (and even more if I booked a balcony and up) no matter what TA I have used (and have used a few here and there depending on the "deal" they offered). I have also never had a TA [U]not[/U] tell me what I'm getting before. :eek: I don't book until I know what I'm getting and which is the best deal. It's called shopping around. :) A "Thank You" note? Really? ...because that will help with my expenses of the cruise. :cool: Just saying...[/QUOTE]

and I have done groups, many times; there are points applied and the group leader decides what perks to apply the points too. Normally the cruise line (all cruise lines I might add) have certain perks for group bookings. Whatever the TA offers is in addition to the perks the cruise line gives. I can also assure you many agents do not tell the clients what they will get prior to sailing. That is part of the fun of giving something to the guests. We are not talking promo types of perks. That is different.

[newmexicoNita]

[quote name='Happymemakes3']I went through a online TA and was offered $100 Amazon gift card, free gratuities 1&2 person and drink packages along with and OBC $50 for booking a balcony room and this was for a $100 less at the time I booked then what NCL was charging. So far the drink package and the $50 has been confirmed by NCL but the $100 gift card is to be email to me 30 days before sailing and the gratuities are to be in the OB account a week before we cruise, so I will let you know if all of it come through for us but if so then we got a great deal [emoji6][/QUOTE]

Yes, do let us know: The drink package is a special promo NCL offers from time to time (right now as a matter of fact) the OBC could be the same. The Amazon gift card is probably something the agency is doing.

[FreestyleNovice]

To get some OBC you need to be a smart cruiser..

[Selluks]

Some people mentioned not exactly understanding what we were getting from our group booking.

Each cabin is getting $50 obc in addition to whatever NCL promo is going on. We have 1 interior, 3 windows, and 6 balconies.
We are getting a extra 100 obc for our haven suite. It was described as a gift from the agency.

After we had our 9th cabin booked we are getting the average price of 1 person taken off of our suite price.

Turns out I can't change agents because the prices and have gone up for most of the other people who booked.

[funredhead]

[quote name='newmexicoNita']and I have done groups, many times; there are points applied and the group leader decides what perks to apply the points too. Normally the cruise line (all cruise lines I might add) have certain perks for group bookings. Whatever the TA offers is in addition to the perks the cruise line gives. I can also assure you many agents do not tell the clients what they will get prior to sailing. That is part of the fun of giving something to the guests. We are not talking promo types of perks. That is different.[/QUOTE]



Can you explain more about these points? And what perks cruise lines give to groups?

Thank so much.