Any problems with TA OBC?

[mafig]

Has anyone had any problems receiving your travel agency-provided obc??

 

If so, how was it handled?

[Hlitner]

I will give you a basic rule of cruising (derived from more than 40 years cruising). When you get any kind of amenity from a cruise/travel agent or even a cruise line, make sure you have it in writing and take a print-out along on your cruise. If you OBC does not appear on your onboard account within a couple of days on embarkation, pay a visit to the Guest Relations desk with a copy of your printouts. Having this kind of detail in writing is very helpful to the Guest Relations staff when they try to resolve the missing credits.

 

Hank

[JohnBoy in NC]

Mine didn't show up, guest relations not helpful...TA is sending me a check post cruise.

[thegraminator]

I will give you a basic rule of cruising (derived from more than 40 years cruising). When you get any kind of amenity from a cruise/travel agent or even a cruise line, make sure you have it in writing and take a print-out along on your cruise. If you OBC does not appear on your onboard account within a couple of days on embarkation, pay a visit to the Guest Relations desk with a copy of your printouts. Having this kind of detail in writing is very helpful to the Guest Relations staff when they try to resolve the missing credits.

 

Hank

 

This is so correct ! Bring along printed confirmation of any OBC as well as any thing you have purchased pre cruise , like photo packages , excursions , specialty restaurants , spa treatments , etc. It will make things so much easier if you have to go to guest services . However it won't necessarily solve every problem , but at least you will have "evidence " to provide .

[cruzkitty]

Definitely make copies and document everything!

[Into Cruising]

MSC has nothing to do with the OBC being provided by a TA, in fact most cruiselines are against this for of discounting their product. The TA is basically refunding to you a portion of their commission. For most cruiselines, commissions are paid after the sailing, some pay in advance of sailing, though. Ask a TA about the hassle of having their commission recalled by the cruiseline after they have already received it.

 

Some cruiseline are threatening to lower the commission paid to an agency, if they are caught discounting. The thought is, if you do not need that amount of commission to sell their product, they simply will not give it to you.

 

I know many on here book strictly on lowest price and amount of perks the TA provides. However the practice of rebating back a share of the commission makes for a very unlevel playing field for other agents and agencies. This is especially true of the big box operations who can afford to work on a volume basis of lower commissions. This forces other agents to discount too, just to be competitive. Eventually the cruiselines will get a handle on this.

[mafig]

Mine didn't show up, guest relations not helpful...TA is sending me a check post cruise.

 

 

OK, that was real-life experience that I was looking for, thanks for that.

 

Everyone else. Thank you for the tips. I've been on over 30 cruises and know to bring all the documentation. However, two times I had OBC from my TA (at the time) that didn't appear.

This was on Celebrity, and I have to admit Guest Services was great about getting it resolved. They said they'd check it out. They told me "you're on vacation. Relax. We'll take care of it." And they did.:D

 

 

IntoCruisig. Are you a TA? LOL.

[Into Cruising]

I am. Does that make my input any less valuable or true? I am the first to say take advantage of the discounting whenever you can. I know I can not compete with it the way it is. Lucky for me that my clients are not from the same client pool that does not value the service provided by a good TA. I can back up what I said with documentation from the "trade rags"that confirms that many of the cruiselines are fighting this, and considering taking the actions I mentioned.

 

My only heartburn comes from the people who expect discounting from every agent, and simply "shops" their business to get the lowest price they can. And for those I hope everyone who does business with them, asks for a portion of their income as an enticement to continue doing business with them. You are free to ask for a discount, and I am free to simply say no. But in no way is anyone entitled to a portion of my income.

 

I remember a trip to the Cayman Islands, where I saw a tourist attempt to barter with a sales person. The response was "ma'am, This is not Jamaica!" The cruiseline sets the price for their product, I do not....you want a discount, talk to the cruiseline. It is not my job to subsidize their business. The cruiseline receives full price for your reservation, but many expect me to pay them to do business with a cruiseline.

 

You can disagree with my thinking, but do not flame me. I have no problem with you trying to get the least expensive price you can, while you can.

[mafig]

No, but in the interests of full disclosure, you really should mention your travel agent status. Many on here do.

[Into Cruising]

Why, no one asks what you do for a living? I do not solicit business on here, and depending on the post, I will disclose it. In the old days the admins would penalize you for mentioning it, making the assumption you were trying to drum up business.

[CarrieAP]

2 times on MSC with 2 different TAs had no trouble getting our OBC.

[mafig]

thank you, CarrieAP

[riclop]

None at all.

[Toofarfromthesea]

MSC has nothing to do with the OBC being provided by a TA, in fact most cruiselines are against this for of discounting their product. The TA is basically refunding to you a portion of their commission. For most cruiselines, commissions are paid after the sailing, some pay in advance of sailing, though. Ask a TA about the hassle of having their commission recalled by the cruiseline after they have already received it.

 

Some cruiseline are threatening to lower the commission paid to an agency, if they are caught discounting. The thought is, if you do not need that amount of commission to sell their product, they simply will not give it to you.

 

I know many on here book strictly on lowest price and amount of perks the TA provides. However the practice of rebating back a share of the commission makes for a very unlevel playing field for other agents and agencies. This is especially true of the big box operations who can afford to work on a volume basis of lower commissions. This forces other agents to discount too, just to be competitive. Eventually the cruiselines will get a handle on this.

 

One man's unlevel playing field is another man's healthy economic competition.

[soccer2010]

Mine didn't show up, guest relations not helpful...TA is sending me a check post cruise.

 

Was it avoya?

[soccer2010]

One man's unlevel playing field is another man's healthy economic competition.

I wonder if Into Cruising pays sticker price on a new car ... I do imagine there is some pain for TAs with the online competition. I have found an online TA, that gives superb service and puts any extra OBC into my account within a few days of booking. At first I had some sympathy for Into Cruising but after replying "

Lucky for me that my clients are not from the same client pool that does not value the service provided by a good TA." ,I am glad that I have a TA with a little more class.

[luvabargain]

I had a problem with some TA OBC with Carnival. I noticed the lack of the OBC when we first boarded and so spoke to customer service. They contacted my TA for me, and then we went on to enjoy our cruise. We got a message I think the next day that they spoke with our TA and couldn't do anything, but we noticed later the OBC was put into our account. We found out afterward that our TA had put her own $ in for us b/c that is what was promised, but apparently Carnival wasn't honoring the OBC that the TA's got from them for booking a certain # of passengers on the cruise. We had already decided at the beginning that "what will be will be" and we wouldn't get upset over some small OBC if it turned out we didn't get it.

[graphicguy]

I think those of us who have more than a few cruises under our belt, and are familiar with the main lines, don’t really need a full service TA. We can pretty much book on line with little info required.

 

My online TA offers both the services of a TA, which costs a little more than me just booking everything on line. That gets me OBC that’s fairly generous whenever I book.

 

Never had any problem collecting it, either.