What Does a TA Really Do?

[Keith1010]

Like most professions there are outstanding, excellent, very good, average and poor TA's. The key is to find the one that falls in the excellent/outstanding categories.

 

They can provide you with additional amenities beyond what the cruise line provides. They can also help you avoid making costly mistakes and cut through red tape at the cruise line and also be your advocate should something go wrong with the cruise line.

 

Keith

[ano]

So I am the OP here.

 

Our story only gets more interesting. We sent Princess a letter to remove the travel agent from our booking. We were unhappy with them and paid a $95 fee to start with so certainly they were rewarded enough for their little time. No car rental, no hotel, no flights, just cruise.

 

So the next day the travel agent starts calling asking what the problem was. I was very nice, and told them the reasons. You would not believe what happened next. We received email after email listing all the "work" they did and can't believe we would drop them.

 

So we originally booked in Feb. under the Twice is Nice offer and were to get a $600 OBC. This is a Princess Offer. In March, when the travel agent screwed up our travel insurance costing us $200 extra, I noticed that the price of our cruise dropped about $200, so I asked if the travel agent could get us a $200 refund. I told her I wasn't willing to give up the $600 OBC offer. She came back with the "because I'm a travel agent I pulled some strings for you and got the prices reduce." We were happy but it basically just refunded the cost of her error.

 

Fast forward to today. July, and we want to make full payment. We call Princess and learn we have no OBC, and no extra of any type. The rep. wasn't all that helpful, but she eventually restored the $600 OBC when we booked, but raised the price to the original price we paid at the time, which seems fair.

 

Still yet another example of travel agent incompetence. It worked out in the end, but we learned our lesson. Some travel agents can be scum.

[Magnum60]

I try to do as much research as possible when booking any travel and try to use credit card miles and awards where most feasible but time is a precious commodity that I try not to waste.

I have one of those TAs that knows her 'stuff'. I try to make her job [perhaps] a little easier by presenting her with a fairly detailed and researched sketch (the fun part booking a trip) of what I want for amenities, accommodations and itineraries.

My TA has contacts I don't, telephone numbers stored in speed dial of contacts that perform that I don't and she stays abreast of any changes that might come along due to strikes, cancellations or other calamity's that can sometimes pop up when least expected. It would make sense in thinking that TAs can bring considerable money to ship lines and airlines due to their services so carriers tend to be a bit more accommodating to them once contacted then to us.

The last thing anyone wants when traveling are [unpleasant} surprises. A quality TA will go a long way to keep those surprises positive.

Is it possible to perhaps find a cheaper travel package on your own, maybe, but like I said at the top of this post - time is a precious commodity and a good TA can save me a bunch. I'd rather give up a minute saving I might have dug up for a professionally prepared and free to me itinerary.

[Bbearz]

We have always used a TA- On board credits, wine, constant tracking for a cheaper fare, a contact person to help, knowledgeable about ships/itineraries, jsut to name a few, AND NO FEE... EVER!!!! Guess we have an awesome TA:)

[Warm Breezes]

We've always booked our cruises directly with the cruise line, but we read here how great Travel Agents are, so we booked our current cruise with one.

 

So it started with paying them a $95 fee. O.K. Next we explained to them what we were looking for and they send us these paragraph summaries from their software reservation system. After a few back-and-forths we find what we want, but the process was certainly no easier than if we just looked ourselves on the web site. We could have found the same cruise for the same price in half the time.

 

So after we paid a deposit they sent us info on their third-party travel insurance. It was about 50% of the price of the Princess travel insurance so we got it. Good. Then we come to find out the travel agent incorrectly purchased the insurance for 1/2 the value of our cruise and if we wanted it for the real value, we'd have to pay more. No apologies, nothing.

 

Now we have to make final payment so we call Princess, and they can't take the money, we have to call the travel agent. Just yet another aggravation of using a travel agent.

 

Can someone tell me what I'm missing and what great benefit a TA provides? Are they for people that don't know how to use the Internet? Was I supposed to get some discount somewhere to make up for their $95 charges? I haven't made the final payment yet, can I have Princess rebook this without the travel agent?

 

I know people are going to say they are great, you just got a bad one, but we did research them before booking, and they were high rated. I'm just missing where the value is.

 

You got a bad agent. We have never had to pay a fee to use a travel agent. I usually do all the research myself. By the time I am ready for a TA I know the ship, dates, and room I want. I then find the TA that can give me the best deal (price, perks, OBC) before I book. I call the TA with the best deal, give them the information on the cruise I want and let them book it and pay the cruise line for it. I deny their travel insurance and book my own through insuremytrip . com. I do all the work but it usually nets me a couple hundred in reduced fairs and/or OBC vs booking it myself through the cruise line.

[iancal]

We view cruises as a commodity item. We shop for the best price for the service level that we require (very low). Usually it is just booking the cruise with the cruise line. We buy commodity items like gas based on lowest price/convenience. We treat buying cruises the same way.

 

There is no mystery in it. In my previous business we had a saying..'where there is mystery there is margin'. When the mystery went away (IT), margins began to plummet. Travel agencies are no different. The internet has removed much of the mystery and access to pertinent data. It is why TA margins are down and why so many of the local independent bricks and mortar agencies have folded.

Edited July 19, 2016 by iancal

[Naomigruis]

I have contaced a few TA regarding Moving a cruise i want to book on our next RCI cruise and have had horrible responses.

 

By booking it on our next cruise we get the deposit as OBC on the current cruise so we see it as "free" as its money we would have spent anyway.

 

We are looking at two inside rooms (i know lower category) and the emails i have had back so far have been like I'm asking them to do me a favour by even looking at my booking.

 

The best offer I've had is $80 OBC and when i asked about them keeping on top of price drops i was told forget it they did not do this.

 

Between my sister in laws and us on our last four cruise we have saved over $5000 by ringing the cruise lines directly when prices dropped - either in price reductions, upgrades, OBC or drink packages.

 

So I have to say i am not sold on TA's an will continue to stay in control of our bookings by going direct.

[Flatbush Flyer]

I have contaced a few TA regarding Moving a cruise i want to book on our next RCI cruise and have had horrible responses.

 

 

 

By booking it on our next cruise we get the deposit as OBC on the current cruise so we see it as "free" as its money we would have spent anyway.

 

 

 

We are looking at two inside rooms (i know lower category) and the emails i have had back so far have been like I'm asking them to do me a favour by even looking at my booking.

 

 

 

The best offer I've had is $80 OBC and when i asked about them keeping on top of price drops i was told forget it they did not do this.

 

 

 

Between my sister in laws and us on our last four cruise we have saved over $5000 by ringing the cruise lines directly when prices dropped - either in price reductions, upgrades, OBC or drink packages.

 

 

 

So I have to say i am not sold on TA's an will continue to stay in control of our bookings by going direct.

 

 

Even two inside cabins on a bargain line like RCI doesn't translate to much commission for a TA. If the TA you contacted offered $80, that sounds about low average if your total cabin costs were $2000+\-.

As for TA OBC, it's all relative. Add a "0" to the above cabin cost and your TA OBC might be more like $800-$1000. And that would be on top of everything the cruise line will give you if you book yourself.

I'd venture to say that many of us who prefer TAs, really do most of the initial research and ongoing price vigilance ourselves. We bring the TAs into the picture primarily for their added OBC, ability to secure/pass through cruise line TA incentives and for their connections to handle issues like "gray area" price reductions (e.g., getting us a credit when we find that another TA agency is running a private partner sale with the cruise line - this often means a price break equal to the approx. 5% off you might get on a "book onboard"). After all, you're a single occasional (maybe) customer while a line's top producing TA may book millions of dollars per year with them. Whose phone call will get immediate action first?

There is one other TA value for newer cruisers and/or folks with little distant destination travel experience. Many first time CC posters inquire about "which cruise line." A great TA can/will interview potential clients and help them determine which cruise line best meets their needs, desires and means. In the final analysis, that single added value can mean the difference between a great and terrible vacation.

[ryzmom]

Do you do anything special for your TA from time-to-time? I was wondering if I did something nice for her that she would throw in a free dinner or bottle of wine.