Booking MSC - agent or direct?

[seapad]

Hi

I'm new to MSC and am planning my 1st cruise with them. I cruised mostly with RCCL, Celebrity, Princess. I usually book my cruises through travel agents, but they do not handle MSC kine. Just wondering if there is any difference - in terms of pricing and promo - to book through agency or direct with MSC?

In my experience, pricing is generally same but agents can sometimes offer extra OBC or other amenities. Being new to MSC, I don't know what their policy is, and whether it makes sense to book directly with them....

 

Thanks for any advice/tip.

[deliver42]

I've booked direct twice. However, I only use their website to pick a cabin, not to book. I call and talk to a PCC to book. The only thing a TA usually does in addition to MSC is OBC.

[riclop]

A TA will give you OBC.

[Shippy]

We always stay in the Yacht Club

We use an internet travel agent and always saved money that way.

I find that to be true with all cruiselines...even the ones that say they have fixed prices.

[Beamafar]

Depends on where you're booking from. TAs in the US seem to give OBC as an incentive to book with them.

[Fred&Lily]

I usually book on-line after comparing prices and itineraries on vacations to go and cruise.com.

Same with hotels and flights. OBC's and freebies are very overrated. A bit like paying hundreds too much for a product just to get the free tote-bag.

 

Booked my current MSC cruise for next month at rock bottom inside guarantee cabin on the MSC USA site, paid it in full with the booking and was quite surprised to receive a balcony suite. No TA and no calls.

[Beamafar]

Booked my current MSC cruise for next month at rock bottom inside guarantee cabin on the MSC USA site, paid it in full with the booking and was quite surprised to receive a balcony suite. No TA and no calls.

 

NIce one! :cool:

[RosieRoo]

 

Booked my current MSC cruise for next month at rock bottom inside guarantee cabin on the MSC USA site, paid it in full with the booking and was quite surprised to receive a balcony suite. No TA and no calls.

 

You must be the lucky one. I booked once with MSC directly and once with a TA and both times got bumped out of my cabin (which was not a guarantee) and moved to a less desirable one, without even being notified. On the MSC direct booking I got my cabin back after much back and forth, but on the TA booking they pretty much said tough luck. So for me it's a tough call because I've gotten better service on my direct booking, but better pricing thru a TA.

[Travel Mom]

I (in the US) always use my TA. She is the best. Will call when there is a price reduction, OBC, gratuity increase. I don't watch for those things. She can call and get my list of things answered and I don't waste my time.

 

MY QUESTION...I want my British friends to join me can they book through my lady? Has anyone done this? pros/cons? allowable?

[8420PR]

Just as a datapoint to explain the OBC offered by some TA's, when booking a future cruise for $1900 total price, the commission to the TA was around $350.

 

I was personally surprised the commission was so high, and cruise lines don't make more of an effort to get people to book direct (as you see now from airlines and hotels).

[Beamafar]

Just as a datapoint to explain the OBC offered by some TA's, when booking a future cruise for $1900 total price, the commission to the TA was around $350.

 

I was personally surprised the commission was so high, and cruise lines don't make more of an effort to get people to book direct (as you see now from airlines and hotels).

 

When I asked a Cruise Consultant why there weren't better offers for booking future cruises onboard, he told me that travel agents would refuse to sell MSC cruises if they couldn't compete with prices direct from MSC.

[RosieRoo]

When I asked a Cruise Consultant why there weren't better offers for booking future cruises onboard, he told me that travel agents would refuse to sell MSC cruises if they couldn't compete with prices direct from MSC.

 

Some travel agents don't want to book them because of all the issues they encounter when dealing with them.

[Into Cruising]

Just as a datapoint to explain the OBC offered by some TA's, when booking a future cruise for $1900 total price, the commission to the TA was around $350.

 

I was personally surprised the commission was so high, and cruise lines don't make more of an effort to get people to book direct (as you see now from airlines and hotels).

 

I have my doubts as to the validity of that commission rate.....Even as such, most agents and agencies split the commission, with the vast majority doing a 50-50 split. Most agencies will allow the agent to "rebate" any part of their share of the commission in the form of OBC or perks. Most agencies will not rebate from their portion.

 

Most of the mainstream cruise lines would never undercut their travel agency partners....Even with the In house sales teams the vast majority of cruises are sold by travel agencies. The lines are very protective of the outside agencies and agents. Smart ones have identical pricing so no one can truly undercut someone else. Agency commission rates are set based on the volume of sales they have, but typically run from 10-16 % of the commissionable fare. They are not paid commission on the total price you paid for the cruise. I just checked on a client whose total cost was Just at $2800.00 The total commission to our agency is $228. We split 50-50. So basically I have $114 to make a living on and to incent clients to book with me. Would I give away $100 of that in OBC and make my living on the $14 for the booking? I disagree with those that say some money is better than none.

 

There is a slight difference if you have acquired group space to sell...then you can take the GAP points and TC Credit and use4 that as additional commission...that can allow you to discount more..but you must sell into the group, and not have a client that wants to set up a group and make use of those incentives themselves...

 

Any agency should be able to beat the price the cruiselines give you if they want to...But I would probsably shop for a better TA, if I had a poor one, before I would book direct....Their are plenty of hungry TA's out here...But plenty will take your call and take your money and provide the absolute minimum in service also.

[seapad]

Thank you all for all the great information. my TA does not sell any MSC cruises, so I'm shopping for a good one right now. Like you all say, lots of TA around, but not all of them are the same. Searching.......:)

[Shippy]

Hate to burst the bubble....

...for those that book directly with cruise lines and are told they will never see a lower advertised price anywhere else because they are price fixed.

The magic word is 'advertised'.

Get passwords & on email lists for some internet agencies and you will be amazed at the prices you will find......they are not 'advertised'

And for those that think OBC & other perks are not worth the time...

At the rare times where the prices are the same , with things like $200. OBC and free gratuities thrown in, that makes quite a difference.

Been cruising over 30 years and NEVER booked through a cruise line.

[Fred&Lily]

If you're okay with using Amazon, Uber, Priceline and TripAdvisor and can do your own research and booking for flights and hotels, then I suggest NOT using a TA. Planning and executing that plan is part of the travel adventure.

 

I've come across TA's that are so clueless they can't find half the islands in the Caribbean on a map!

[touringbee]

I use TA. He gets better perks & if rate changes, he's on top of it.

 

 

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[1trainer1]

I always wait for sales, usually I have to book in advance to get a really good deal but I regularly get European cruises for under £400 for a week or under £700 for 10 nights.

 

Going in September on MSC Preziosa and booked for £369pp on an inside cabin

[tangled1010]

Hate to burst the bubble....

...for those that book directly with cruise lines and are told they will never see a lower advertised price anywhere else because they are price fixed.

The magic word is 'advertised'.

Get passwords & on email lists for some internet agencies and you will be amazed at the prices you will find......they are not 'advertised'

And for those that think OBC & other perks are not worth the time...

At the rare times where the prices are the same , with things like $200. OBC and free gratuities thrown in, that makes quite a difference.

Been cruising over 30 years and NEVER booked through a cruise line.

 

 

Agreed. Just booked with a TA for the first time as I normally book direct with the cruise line. This agency offered a lower rate , we have 2 cabins booked, along w/$150 OBC per cabin, prepaid gratuities and lower insurance due to my youngest is free. Saved almost 900.00. Additionally the customer service lately direct with the cruise line has been off. So we are trying this approach with the TA and so far seem like a no brainer

 

 

 

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[nikkiw60]

We have just booked with UK TA and got fantastica balcony on Divina for £799 each cruise only 10 nights in Feb 2018. Almost half the price of if we had booked with MSC direct.

 

 

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[jacksonx]

I strongly recommend using a service like cruise compete to let private agents compete and get you the best price.

For our upcoming YC Divina cruise, the cheapest TA we found was over $500 less expensive than getting from MSC directly.

[Travel Mom]

I do my research and let my TA book for me. She answers all my questions and calls them directly when needed. I'd pay the same rate or lower because she knows all the sales. It is her part time job. About 10 families I know use her now. I don't have time to sit on phone with cruise lines to get best rates and compare.

[lauren2306]

would any of you be able to DM your TA info? i want to take a cruise on MSC next year and i'm looking for the best deal!

[LadyVol1]

lauren2306 - I use what jacksonx uses in two posts before yours for all of my cruises, MSC or other lines, to find the best deal.

[hbe]

would any of you be able to DM your TA info? i want to take a cruise on MSC next year and i'm looking for the best deal!

send me an email at labelleprovince719@gmail.com and I' ll give you my agent. She always beats MSC plus I get a refundable OBC.