Pros/Cons of using TA

[xmasteach]

:(I used to use an agent, until they forgot to send in a payment and my cruise was dropped. (along with all my dinner reservations, show reservations, excursions)

RCI and agent both pointed fingers at each other. The agent made a big deal over getting "me back on the ship for the same price" but not in the same cabin and lost all my previously booked plans. The payment even appeared on my credit card but never got to RCI.

:DAdvantage of using direct book.

#1 PRICE, it seems most price drops are on Saturday, and my agent was not available. Also I keep up on current prices, one thing my agent did not due. I am willing to give up a specialty dinner, and a little OBC for a better price.

#2 RCI agents are very good, have never had a rude or one that has not gone beyond what I ask.

#3 On international cruises I use the cruise lines air price. They really do have good rates, and I can control my seats on the plane.

#4 Since you print your own set sail pass and luggage tags....the little holders and plastic folders I don't need.

#5 On board issues....at sea when i discover my OBC or something is wrong do not want to have to call agent. RCI handles it

#6 I'm a control freak, and like to control my own destiny!

#7 I read up before I travel, (thanks Rick Steves) and do not need their special information.

 

To each there own........but this works for me.

[Desert Cruizers]

I have used a TA for years and while we may not get a lot of perks etc, the honesty we receive from she & her associates outweighs any perks. The important thing is finding the excellent one who will work with you on any changes, has no fees and will help you out with any problems that occur with your booking. Many of had problems with TA's as stated so fully understand their booking directly. The bottom line, if you are happy with the price, are able to make changes easily then stick with what works for you. I use a local TA so she knows what we like, I call her and tell her the Cruise, cabin # and she takes care of the rest. I receive a copy of our booking soon after she has booked the cruise for us and any of her associates will handle it if she is out of the office.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Desert Cruizers

[John&LaLa]

I think if you are experienced cruiser it is better to deal with the cruise line directly, but that is my opinion

 

I'm kind of experienced and I use a TA. ;)

Generally pays my tips

Often added discounts

Generally added OBC, but it's always a surprise.

Spa treatments occasionally

She waits on hold with Royal

If she is unavailable, I can contact their customer service desk and they deal with whatever.

[Clarea]

I'm kind of experienced and I use a TA. ;)

Generally pays my tips

Often added discounts

Generally added OBC, but it's always a surprise.

Spa treatments occasionally

She waits on hold with Royal

If she is unavailable, I can contact their customer service desk and they deal with whatever.

Add: she deals with Royal's website so I don't have to.:)

[foxgoodrich]

I'm kind of experienced and I use a TA. ;)

Generally pays my tips

Often added discounts

Generally added OBC, but it's always a surprise.

Spa treatments occasionally

She waits on hold with Royal

If she is unavailable, I can contact their customer service desk and they deal with whatever.

 

Hmmm....You're in Florida and I'm in OKC, but I swear it looks like you're using MY TA!

(And I have her cell number for weekends - do you?:D)

Judy

Edited April 20, 2016 by foxgoodrich

[marci22]

I transferred my last booking to a TA. Downside, there is a per person cancellation fee, even if I cancel before RC's final payment date. Upside, they are giving me lots of obc.

 

When I initially booked this itinerary with a Royal cruise planner, they threw in a bottle of wine. Probably worth about $6. Then, when I didn't see it on my booking, they told me they couldn't find it. And they wouldn't replace it. They did finally find a notation for a free bottle of wine, but I thought it was so petty of them to argue in the first place.

[johnjen]

Our first cruise we went through an online TA. It was crazy. Noticed a price cut and called them. No answer. Then I left a message, she never got back to me and we missed it.

 

Since it was our first cruise we had questions....left messages again, had to keep calling to get answers.

 

Since then we just go direct through the cruise line. It isn't worth the free excursion and whatever else they give you - best to book direct.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I have used a TA the last couple times because the price difference ($300 pp) was huge, due to them getting blocks of cabins. IF there was not such a price difference, I would have booked on my own. I know it depends on if you can find a great TA but so far mine has caused me more headache, than doing it myself. I am currently waiting to get our two cabins linked, so they will seat us together for dining, changing to earlier dining and bed arrangements. Yes, I could just do all this on board but in the past, I had this all squared away before getting on the ship.

 

I have used several different TA's over the years, but I think I have found a great one now. For me, it is more than price. It is also service. I love that the TA I have found gets back to me so quickly. That is very important to me. That and the perks that she offers that I cannot get through the cruiseline.

[sjb317]

We book both ways, depending on who has the best price. Often the perks from the TA make them too good to pass up. Yes, there is a cancellation fee but we've never had to cancel.

 

This may just be a coincidence but the only times we've been upgraded were when I booked direct with Royal.:D

 

Sherri:)

[BLAMBKY]

I have used several different TA's over the years, but I think I have found a great one now. For me, it is more than price. It is also service. I love that the TA I have found gets back to me so quickly. That is very important to me. That and the perks that she offers that I cannot get through the cruiseline.

 

 

 

That is my main complaint. I send text, email & phone calls....if it was left up to her, I would never hear from her. So I really would like to compliment her on her service but I think her life outside of the office is effecting her business. So for right now, better pricing is the ONLY thing keeping me with her. Next cruise.....most likely I will book last minute & will not be using her.

Edited April 20, 2016 by BLAMBKY

[John&LaLa]

Hmmm....You're in Florida and I'm in OKC, but I swear it looks like you're using MY TA!

(And I have her cell number for weekends - do you?:D)

Judy

 

No cell. I'm fine with that. Mine works 4 - midnight.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

It is a matter of personal choice, but I have been booking directly with the cruise line. This works out better for me. I like having more control over my reservation.

 

Chuck

[firegal2539]

I do not book any travel without my TA. She is my friend but also my TA. She knows me like she is family, my likes/dislikes, etc. Although she doesn't work Saturday or Sunday and I too, have missed two deals because of this, her service, knowledge about the cruise industry, flight industry, travel insurance far outweighs me getting $50 off of one cruise and $75 off of another. She has actually dropped her commission so I could get the price break I found on a cruise. I have one cruise booked through the cruise line and it is the worst service ever. I am on hold for at least 15 to 30 minutes before I can get a rep to speak to me and they know nothing about the industry, just what they find on their computers. I want personal service and you don't get that from Expedia or the cruise lines.

[Baowen]

I am starting to plan our next cruise but considering using a Travel agent for the first time. Can anyone offer some pros/cons of doing so vs booking online? I'm open to any opinions. Thank you for your time! I appreciate it.

 

 

I have a great travel agent that I trust completely. She always gives me onboard credit and other freebies! Last cruise I even saw a better deal and she matched it. When prices drop she gets the lower rate no problem. I always know what I want and basically just tell her what I want to book.

If you use a travel agent find one that does not charge a cancellation fees.

[plane2port]

I've known for some time that some agencies charge extra fees, but it's only recently that I've learned how widespread it is.

 

I recently looked into the added "processing" or "service" fee. I wish these fees were disclosed a little easier, and a little sooner in the booking process.

 

Details here:

http://www.plane2port.com/sneaky-hidden-fees-online-travel-agencies/

 

The next thing on my list to investigate is the cancellation fee that some agencies charge, even on bookings cancelled before final payment date. I have noticed this fee for the first time in my latest booking. Was the disclosure there in fine print the whole time and I just didn't notice it? Hmm.....

[Sunny AZ Girl]

That is my main complaint. I send text, email & phone calls....if it was left up to her, I would never hear from her. So I really would like to compliment her on her service but I think her life outside of the office is effecting her business. So for right now, better pricing is the ONLY thing keeping me with her. Next cruise.....most likely I will book last minute & will not be using her.

I would not use her. Getting back to me promptly is one of my main criteria for a good TA.

 

Also, if they charge a change or cancellation fee I will not use them. They must also charge my CC directly with the cruise line.

 

Good ones are out there. You just have to shop around. I don't like to deal with the cruise lines. I know more about what is going on with the ships than most of them. I don't like sitting on hold, either. A good TA can be invaluable with travel knowledge and are helpful when problems occur.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Edited April 20, 2016 by Sunny AZ Girl

[atnolan94]

Honestly, as a "millennial" I see TA's as a dying breed. Its just not something anyone in my generation is interested in. I like to be hands on with my reservation. I don't mind calling, I don't mind having to work representative to get my dinner reservations correct, and I like being able to review my own plans. I just like being hands on with it. I don't feel the need to pay someone else to save me a couple hundred bucks. Then everything becomes phone tag and its just more steps in the process. i have never had a bad experience with RCI on the phone and I'm one of those people that calls every couple of weeks when I have a booking.

 

Just my .02. Cruising may be one of the few industries that I see heavy use of TA's as is. I think thats just interesting, maybe a generational thing. Maybe just me, I'm not sure.

[Paul65]

I don't feel the need to pay someone else to save me a couple hundred bucks.

 

Nor do I. But I do like it when a TA pays me for letting them have the booking. On my last cruise, I was "paid" an extra $525 OBC for letting them handle everything. Not a bad gig. :cool:

 

Maybe it is a generational thing, and I'm just not hip to you millennials wanting to be on the phone chasing down dinner reservations.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Paul65

[knittinggirl]

I've used a small one person TA, a clearing house TA and booked direct a few times. The small TA is best, though I do miss a few price drops since price drops often appear after regular business hours and sometimes they sell out before she returns to work.

 

But what happens when bad things happen. With the clearing house TA, we had a cancelled flight, lost luggage, and we couldn't get anyone to help us. Also, name misspelling that plagued us all the way though the trip. With the small business person TA, we lost our luggage, I got sick and had to cancel all on the same trip. Sitting in a hotel room, trying to get things done. She managed to get the cruise cancelled, and hassled w/ the cruise line over our luggage. Local TA has all our information, so it's just a matter of having her book things. Sometimes, it takes a few reminders, but that's what boomerang helps us with.

 

Very few discounts and perks. But for us w/ OBC, sometimes we're stressing out using them, since we pre-buy our shore ex, and don't buy much wine by most people's standards. OBC came in real handy when we had a $180 medical bill.

Edited April 20, 2016 by knittinggirl

[playingpossum]

While it is a personal preference for most there are definite pros and cons to either way.

 

Here are the pros and cons I have found for each:

 

TA -

Pros - talk to the same person who is very knowlegable

- book a room from a block so price is discounted further

- obc(usually $50 -$100 for us)

- their website allows me to check prices in less then 30 seconds

- they know the details of the so called sales

 

Cons - still have the possibility to miss out on a reduced rate

- not being able to call royal will bother some people

- some obc can be lost if the price decreases due to rebooking rules

 

Royal-

Pros - booking direct can save you money in certain instances

- you can call at anytime to talk to someone for adjustments

- you can use their website to book

 

Cons- loss of TA incentives

- staff that do not know the details of Royals so called "Sales"

- you can use their web site to book

 

With that being said I now prefer to use the same TA from a popular online agency to book our cruises. I monitor the prices for each one and since we know what we are looking for we also know the rough price we will have to pay for it. I have had 2 bad experiences with dealing with Royal directly so this is a factor as well. The constant smoke and mirrors sales that shuffle every other week may entice others but infuriates many experienced travelers. By using a simple website based company it is really easy to see true prices and reduce confusion.

[Cedricandsophie]

We hsve used the same TA for about 20 years. For cruises and land trips. She has been invaluable.

[mollyeilis]

I think if you are experienced cruiser it is better to deal with the cruise line directly, but that is my opinion

 

Ah, I feel the opposite. I have never used a TA for any sort of hand-holding needs, but so that I can get a better deal or the same deal but extra perks.

 

The more I know about cruising, the more solid I am in what I want/need, and the easier it is to go through a TA that's going to get me perks.

 

 

I use a warehouse store TA that gives me lovely OBC. On our last cruise when I went to pay it off, it turned out that they had added my room to a block of rooms that then qualified for MORE OBC. Totally not painful at all. :)

 

 

I don't feel the need to pay someone else to save me a couple hundred bucks.

 

If you're paying extra to a TA, you're doing it wrong.

 

I pay exactly the same through the TA as I would to Royal, AND they get some money AND I get some money back. There is no downside to me. :)

 

I call with a need, if they need to call the cruiseline they do so while I'm on the phone, it's all very simple.

 

 

The ONLY con is that you have to go through the TA for anything involving money.

 

For other things, and this is what Disney and Royal, I can call directly. If I need to make sure distilled water and a cord for the CPAP are in the room, I call directly and tell them what I need BEFORE I give them the reservation number. (I did it opposite the first time and they didn't want to talk to me b/c they didn't know my question...do it the other way and they know they can do that)

 

Dinner reservations, etc etc etc, those don't have to go through the TA in my experience.

 

The only time I've been near a disadvantage was our first DCL cruise and I saw a concierge room open up. I called my mom&pop TA and I was very stressed I was going ot miss it! There's an issue with DCL where if you are looking at a room you tie it up, so when she went to get it it was tied up by me. So she had to get the Disney reps involved to untie it and finally snag it for me. I'm not sure I would have worked that out and known what to say to them.

 

I got it, I got an incredible deal in that room, and I got a little perk back, while paying the EXACT same price to DCL that I would have done anyway. (and she got some money, too)

[suzyluvs2cruise]

I'm kind of experienced and I use a TA. ;)

Generally pays my tips

Often added discounts

Generally added OBC, but it's always a surprise.

Spa treatments occasionally

She waits on hold with Royal

If she is unavailable, I can contact their customer service desk and they deal with whatever.

 

Have you ever had to cancel a cruise with this company?

If so, did they charge you?

Online company?

Is it easy to get a cabin change and/or price drop?

Can you do it via email if you're cruising?

 

We used to book with a major online company that offers the perks you describe above. We booked several cruises with them and all was good for the simple bookings that didn't need much service.

 

Problem 1. I missed an upgrade when the agent wasn't available and customer service said I had to deal with her.

Problem 2. While on a b2b cruise my father passed away on cruise 1. We were on our way from Sydney to Honolulu and needed to cancel cruise 2 and fly home. What a hassle dealing with them via email. Then they wanted to charge me a cancellation fee that was more than was in their terms/conditions. They also didn't refund the taxes/fees after we cancelled cruise 2 without a major hassle and me having to contact RCI and Supervisors at the agency.

 

There are many good TAs out there but it's important to ask the right questions when you're looking for one. Happy with the one we have now. He monitors for price drops and I have his cell #. :rolleyes:

Edited April 20, 2016 by suzyluvs2cruise

[John&LaLa]

Have you ever had to cancel a cruise with this company?

If so, did they charge you?

Online company?

Is it easy to get a cabin change and/or price drop?

Can you do it via email if you're cruising?

 

We used to book with a major online company that offers the perks you describe above. We booked several cruises with them and all was good for the simple bookings that didn't need much service.

 

Problem 1. I missed an upgrade when the agent wasn't available and customer service said I had to deal with her.

Problem 2. While on a b2b cruise my father passed away on cruise 1. We were on our way from Sydney to Honolulu and needed to cancel cruise 2 and fly home. What a hassle dealing with them via email. Then they wanted to charge me a cancellation fee that was more than was in their terms/conditions. They also didn't refund the taxes/fees after we cancelled cruise 2 without a major hassle and me having to contact RCI and Supervisors at the agency.

 

There are many good TAs out there but it's important to ask the right questions when you're looking for one. Happy with the one we have now......and I have his cell #. :rolleyes:

 

I don't believe we've ever cancelled one. I've moved a couple and had to work through some cancellations. We've been with blank.com forever. This is our third rep and I like her a lot. We had first one several years, but we didn't cruise as much. Don't remember the one in the middle. The current one tells me I help her win a lot of contests. :D

[suzyluvs2cruise]

I don't believe we've ever cancelled one. I've moved a couple and had to work through some cancellations. We've been with blank.com forever. This is our third rep and I like her a lot. We had first one several years, but we didn't cruise as much. Don't remember the one in the middle. The current one tells me I help her win a lot of contests. :D

 

I'm sure you do help her....with all the cruises you have booked. ;)

 

Hope you continue to have a great experience and don't run into any problems. Sounds like you might have a different agency than I did.