Price drop using a ta

[mark22mac]

I always book my own cruises and do periodic mock bookings to see if there was a price drop and if there was I would call and get it reduced. Does a TA monitor your cruises and call if the price drops or do they just check before final payment?i just can't see them keeping track of everybody's cruises.

[Clarea]

I always book my own cruises and do periodic mock bookings to see if there was a price drop and if there was I would call and get it reduced. Does a TA monitor your cruises and call if the price drops or do they just check before final payment?i just can't see them keeping track of everybody's cruises.

There may be some TAs that monitor prices, but ours only checks before final payment. I monitor myself and email the TA when I see a price drop.

[kandj05]

There may be some TAs that monitor prices, but ours only checks before final payment. I monitor myself and email the TA when I see a price drop.

 

Bob, how often have they changed their amenities when you found a price drop?

[dplusd]

Bob, how often have they changed their amenities when you found a price drop?

 

I know you asked Bob, but every price drop through a TA has resulted in a decrease in amenities provided. Still a net savings though...

[mark22mac]

Thanks bob I just emailed her.Im beginning to wonder if it's worth the little extra's and obc you get for a group booking and not having control of your reservation.

[Clarea]

Bob, how often have they changed their amenities when you found a price drop?

Our TA gives specific OBC when the cruise fare is within certain ranges. So if our fare passes into a lower range, we lose $25 OBC. It does not happen often, mostly because we don't get that many price drops anymore. But it has happened 3 or 4 times in the last 50 cruises or so.

[mark22mac]

2 of my 3 cruises dropped over $200 today.

[FUN33]

We have had many price drops without losing amenities - sometimes you do sometimes you don't. We use a monitoring service that charges $1 a cruise to continuously check form price drops; when a drop occurs the service emails us and I just forward the email to our TA. Our TA always advises me if accepting the new lower price will result in losing any amenities - then we just decide is we want the price drop or not.

[trev71]

I know my TA's never checked and unti lthe last few cruises I didn't even know that excited thanks to cruise critic I do.

 

When I called mind they gave me a lecture about that and I had to press for them to do it almost beg. I mean we are talking about 400$. Lets just say I never used them again and book everything myself now. I like being in control of my own reservation

[mark22mac]

I know my TA's never checked and unti lthe last few cruises I didn't even know that excited thanks to cruise critic I do.

 

 

 

When I called mind they gave me a lecture about that and I had to press for them to do it almost beg. I mean we are talking about 400$. Lets just say I never used them again and book everything myself now. I like being in control of my own reservation

 

 

I also like controlling my own reservation. It's not worth the little extra obc you get. I can't immediately call for a price drop I had to email my TA on a Sunday which is probably her day off and who knows the price could go up on Monday morning. Also I make monthly payments and I was able to do it right on the website now I have to email my TA to let her know when and how much to pay. I know it's their job but I just feel like I'm bothering her and being a pita.

[mark22mac]

Just received an email from my TA my cruises were adjusted to the lower price and i didn't lose any amenities. So that worked out fine. She also informed me she will have a tool available soon to track prices on her own. So maybe I'll stick it out and see how it goes.

[RocketMan275]

Thanks bob I just emailed her.Im beginning to wonder if it's worth the little extra's and obc you get for a group booking and not having control of your reservation.

 

Mark,

 

Whether using a TA is worth it depends upon the TA and the cruise you are booking. The amount of savings from using a TA depends on the TA and the cost of the cruise. I've seen many TA who offer no benefits. I can't understand why anyone would use one of those.

 

There are other TA who offer significant discounts or OBC or both. Suppose you're booking a $500 inside, you might get something less than $50 in OBC. If you're booking a $5000 Crown Loft Suite, you might get $400 or $500 OBC.

 

Personally, I've booked direct and I've booked through TAs. I find having 'control of reservations' to be over-rated.

[mark22mac]

Mark,

 

 

 

Whether using a TA is worth it depends upon the TA and the cruise you are booking. The amount of savings from using a TA depends on the TA and the cost of the cruise. I've seen many TA who offer no benefits. I can't understand why anyone would use one of those.

 

 

 

There are other TA who offer significant discounts or OBC or both. Suppose you're booking a $500 inside, you might get something less than $50 in OBC. If you're booking a $5000 Crown Loft Suite, you might get $400 or $500 OBC.

 

 

 

Personally, I've booked direct and I've booked through TAs. I find having 'control of reservations' to be over-rated.

 

 

I always book myself on board and get the obc royal gives you then I transfer it to her when I get back and she'll give me a little extra obc. the amount of the obc depends on if she has a group booking for that sailing or not.

[silentbob007]

I've never not received a price drop because of being booked with a TA (though yes, I have worried about it). However, over the years, we have probably gotten $3,000+ in OBC and amenities (free dinner, free gratuities, etc) just for handing a booking off to someone else (not counting C&A, etc). So even if we miss a price drop in the future, we are still way ahead.