dealing directly with princess cost $$ you

[yags]

Although I cannot speak to booking with a TA or Princess I can speak to booking with Carnival (Princess parent company) and a travel agent. If I had not checked everything our TA said through Carnival we would have ended up paying hundreds extra. It has been my experience with this travel agent (in particular) and other TA's (in general) the promotions they push and brow beat you into accepting is what works for them. After my experience with the TA when booking my Carnival cruise I vowed never to use a TA again when booking a cruise. Just do your homework. Besides that half the fun. The venue being Princess, Carnival, etc. will always give you the best deal. The travel agent gets the deal from the cruise line and you have to remember that the TA gets paid a commission that has to come from somewhere. Many on cruise critic swear by their TA. I am one that would rather do it my self when it comes to a cruise. Thanks for listening to my rant.

[myfuzzy]

Each person has his/her level of comfort when booking cruises. To me some use a TA just to evade any decisions, just book and go, while others take full control of what where when and how their vacation will take place. For me it depends, the last time I used an online broker, which offered me more OBC and perks. However, this one charges a $25 processing FEE and a $100 cancellation penalty....which means....if you book and change your mind, and want to either change for date, cruise line, or just postphone, they will charge you $100...thats $125 of my money used for nothing. When you book through the cruise line, you can pretty much do what you need to do BEFORE final payment, This time we were close to sailing so we went with the cruise line.

[dickinson]

Each person has his/her level of comfort when booking cruises. To me some use a TA just to evade any decisions, just book and go, while others take full control of what where when and how their vacation will take place. For me it depends, the last time I used an online broker, which offered me more OBC and perks. However, this one charges a $25 processing FEE and a $100 cancellation penalty....which means....if you book and change your mind, and want to either change for date, cruise line, or just postphone, they will charge you $100...thats $125 of my money used for nothing. When you book through the cruise line, you can pretty much do what you need to do BEFORE final payment, This time we were close to sailing so we went with the cruise line.

 

There are TAs out there that give perks and OBC and DON'T charge fees. Always ask up front.

[Jase0581]

You just have to do your research when booking. I check both with TA's and through Princess directly, then will chose which to book with. One thing that we need to remember is that since Princess allows TA's to discount the cruise fare, that Princess will never do a fare match to a TA's pricing. Of course, Princess has never said they would do a fare match and the OP should have named this thread "Failing to do my own research cost me $$."

[denims]

We usually book with the cruise line then we transfer it over to our TA at HER price. (Princess and other cruise lines know this is done)

[easyboy]

First post and it's a rant. Yeah, right. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Agree.

[anthonyy7]

Sounds like this is the same person that posted a rant on the FB page. Poster is past final payment but got email sales promos from TA advertising same cruise for less and more OBC. She'll prob still be fuming on her cruise to not even enjoy it. :rolleyes:

[Astro Flyer]

Sounds like this is the same person that posted a rant on the FB page. Poster is past final payment but got email sales promos from TA advertising same cruise for less and more OBC. She'll prob still be fuming on her cruise to not even enjoy it. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the update & apparently that's why the OP never returned with the details...she wasn't eligible for a price reduction & more OBC and now she has an axe to grind against Princess. :rolleyes:

 

A recent thread about customer service had information from career CS managers (not Princess) saying that companies won't give in to customers who are wrong & they're glad when they take their business elsewhere.

 

And I agree with Thrak when he says...

 

First post and it's a rant. Yeah, right. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[myfuzzy]

I just love these first posts when they start with "I WAS WRONGED" and they won't do anything about it!!

 

The others come forward and tell the OP that's the way it is. Can you imagine booking a cruise, finding out after final payment its FREE so if you cancel you will lose all your money.......

 

Grass isn't always greener on the other side of final payment!!

[CRUISER144NJ]

Although I cannot speak to booking with a TA or Princess I can speak to booking with Carnival (Princess parent company) and a travel agent. If I had not checked everything our TA said through Carnival we would have ended up paying hundreds extra. It has been my experience with this travel agent (in particular) and other TA's (in general) the promotions they push and brow beat you into accepting is what works for them. After my experience with the TA when booking my Carnival cruise I vowed never to use a TA again when booking a cruise. Just do your homework. Besides that half the fun. The venue being Princess, Carnival, etc. will always give you the best deal. The travel agent gets the deal from the cruise line and you have to remember that the TA gets paid a commission that has to come from somewhere. Many on cruise critic swear by their TA. I am one that would rather do it my self when it comes to a cruise. Thanks for listening to my rant.

 

I use to use my friend that is a t/a...now I don't live in the same state so I do it myself...I want to "pick" my cabin when booking, important to me...Our 54th cruise is in 12 days,a t/a leaving from FLL. We have done this a few times before...I find my cabin, then call Princess...I don't use the agent that is assigned to me as I use to call and have to leave a message. Not good for me as the cabin I want would be taken before I received a call back..After I pick my cabin and call Princess...I constantly check if there had been a cabin I wanted and it was booked already..and sometimes. (and on this cruise) someone has cancelled and I immediately hold it and call Princess and change the cabin. They work with you...have to say...we are Platinum on other lines and Princess so far has the best perks for their loyal travelers. Just wish they would also count other points on cruises we have taken in their corporation. We traveled MSC THE DIVINA, last month and to my surprise...the upgraded our status because of Princess...that I was impressed. They are still new here in the USA so they are trying to entice some cruisers..However...a beautiful ship but they need to improve on many things...especially the food...awful to say the least! Very international cruise line out of Miami and a new ship on it's way this year to Miami...Be careful when booking their cabins...not too informative.

[jagoffee]

I got a better deal through Princess direct than my discount travel agent. Princess said they will re-price if fares go down.

I suggest you look for a different discount Travel Agent.

 

If it is not past the final payment date it is not too late.

[DavenJo67]

We're booked direct with Princess for an Alaska cruise tour in Aug. Final payment due May 29. Will Princess offer lower price or do you have to search to see if there is a drop and then ask them to match?

[geoherb]

It's a first post but one from someone who has been registered on Cruise Critic for four years. So I doubt someone thought about registering four years ago thinking they'd lay low until now to try to stir the pot. But as others have said, additional details would be great. We've always been able to get the lower price before final payment date. We usually book with a TA. I check the prices on the Princess website. If our cabin category lowers in price, I'll contact my TA to see if there's a comparable lower price they can offer.

[shepp]

Maybe I'm just wildly lucky, but in the last ten or so bookings with the same TA, she has always matched any price drops I find, always shaves about 8% off the base fare, often has an additional OBC based on a group booking, and doesn't charge any additional fees. Plus she's gone the extra mile: when I spotted a last-minute bargain right before I left the country, an email to her got me booked, and when the fare dropped a lot on my Japan cruise post-final she used my PVP to cancel and rebook at the lower fare and got my the difference in cash back. She's ore than earned her commission by keeping me happy. Princess agents don't work on commission and I'd imagine have less personal motivation to keep me as a client.

[caribill]

We're booked direct with Princess for an Alaska cruise tour in Aug. Final payment due May 29. Will Princess offer lower price or do you have to search to see if there is a drop and then ask them to match?

 

Princess will never automatically notify you of a price drop. You need to check yourself.

 

However, chances are for an Alaska cruise tour you will not see a price drop, even if the type cabin you have for the cruise portion has a price drop.

[GUT2407]

A one and done stirrer

[azteachergal]

In my limited experiences (two Princess cruises) one was booked directly through Princess the other via a TA. The TA came at the urging of my dad who ended up using a TA for a Panama Canal ocean to ocean last October. He was pleased with the TA because she got him an additional credit for being a veteran and she gave he and my mom dinner at a specialty restaurant. So, on this last cruise we used the TA. She did give us (there were three of us traveling) dinner at a specialty restaurant and she found a discount for Arizona residents that we were not aware of.

 

For me, a 5th grade classroom teacher, the biggest issue with using a TA is the ability to communicate with them. I can't just pick up the phone and call when I think of it because I'm in the classroom. I like being in control and being able to manage everything via the internet. But to be fair, the only things I couldn't manage via the internet were transfers and payments.

 

I will probably use the TA again as my ability to cruise is tied to the school calendar which is also when fares are higher (holiday times). Also, as one who will likely be cruising solo, I want someone who is seeing the deals daily to be watching for me.

[Pierlesscruisers]

He was pleased with the TA because she got him an additional credit for being a veteran and she gave he and my mom dinner at a specialty restaurant. So, on this last cruise we used the TA. She did give us (there were three of us traveling) dinner at a specialty restaurant and she found a discount for Arizona residents that we were not aware of.

 

I hope that she got him the veteran's OBC that Princess offers as it would have been $250 (refundable) if it was 14 days or longer!

 

Tom

[GailnBrad]

OP,

 

Without providing any details of what happened, it is difficult for anyone to offer appropriate comments or help.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We are planning on the British Isles June 2018 also....we did not book yet....did you already book it?

[SoCalTraveler]

We have always used a TA, who has been invaluable. On Princess, we have benefitted from three price cuts. Oh, to be sure, one time we had to move from a balcony to a mini-suite, but the cost was low and we got the beverage package. Our TA also helped us with a problem cruise, using her agency's clout (and the 4 guests it had on that cruise) to secure an appropriate refund.

 

I have found dealing direct with RCI to be a total waste of time.

[azteachergal]

Pierlesscruiser: Yes indeed! That's exactly what she got him! All their other cruises had been booked directly through Princess. Now I will say that I found the information about the veteran's benefit on their website but only because I was poking around. My elderly dad wouldn't not have found it.

[Pierlesscruisers]

Pierlesscruiser: Yes indeed! That's exactly what she got him! All their other cruises had been booked directly through Princess. Now I will say that I found the information about the veteran's benefit on their website but only because I was poking around. My elderly dad wouldn't not have found it.

 

One nice thing, other than the money itself, is that he will automatically get that OBC every time he sails on a Princess ship without him having to send in another application, etc. One thing he does need to remember, however, is that if he books a Princess cruise through a non-Princess.com location (e.g. through a TA or as part of a group going through a TA) he will need to make sure that the TA knows and uses his Captain's Circle number when entering his data into the computer. Otherwise, Princess will not know that he has already submitted the veteran's OBC paperwork!

 

Tom

[AE_Collector]

Pierlesscruiser: Yes indeed! That's exactly what she got him! All their other cruises had been booked directly through Princess. Now I will say that I found the information about the veteran's benefit on their website but only because I was poking around. My elderly dad wouldn't not have found it.

 

I don't think it has been around for all that many years. So it could be that it didn't exist when they previously booked directly with Princess. I just heard a blurb about it on the Princess Call Center "Music On Hold" when calling in the other day so, they don't try to hide it.

 

AE_Collector

[azteachergal]

One nice thing, other than the money itself, is that he will automatically get that OBC every time he sails on a Princess ship without him having to send in another application, etc. One thing he does need to remember, however, is that if he books a Princess cruise through a non-Princess.com location (e.g. through a TA or as part of a group going through a TA) he will need to make sure that the TA knows and uses his Captain's Circle number when entering his data into the computer. Otherwise, Princess will not know that he has already submitted the veteran's OBC paperwork!

 

Tom

 

Absolutely! He and my mom are platinum members so they always use their Captain's Circle number even when working with a TA. Both times I've cruised it has been with them so I've also been able to take advantage of some of the platinum perks such as priority boarding and the like. Slowly working my way up the CC ladder. ;)

[azteachergal]

I don't think it has been around for all that many years. So it could be that it didn't exist when they previously booked directly with Princess. I just heard a blurb about it on the Princess Call Center "Music On Hold" when calling in the other day so, they don't try to hide it.

 

AE_Collector

 

Could be. Sure didn't mean anything negative regarding booking directly with Princess. All of my interactions with Princess of been positive.