Price drop and TA out of touch?

[Clarea]

2 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You’re not interested in any of the group rates that many TA’s have access to that can save hundreds of $ on a cruise?  That’s quire a bit more substances like than a bottle of wine.

 

Plus the ability of a good TA to act as an advocate for the passenger.  This has helped us several times.

[grneyes]

I understand But............ Always get a good price book early and always get a great price, also get casino discounts too!

So for us we are happy !!! Everyone does want they think is good for them

 

 

[grneyes]

Don't want to wait for a TA to get back to me if there's a price drop etc And we don't need an advocate can deal with RC

If need be. Like I said everyone does what's good for them. Just read too many stories of TA not available when needed.

Hope  it works out for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, grneyes said:

Always book our own cruise with RC. This way I control my cruise .

Not interested in a bottle of wine or want ever TA  would give us. But that's us like to have control LOL!

 

You are looking at the wrong travel agents. Mine gets us refundable deposits, in a group rate that’s usually so good we don’t even qualify for a price drop. Add on the extras (drink package, gratuities et.al) and it’s a no brainer. 

I have as much control of my booking as I need. 

[grneyes]

Sounds great! 

 

[dsvd79]

Granted  yes someone else should be able to help you, but don't you think sometimes TA's need vacations too?  I mean how else are they to sell you trips if they cannot experience too.  One of the top questions I would ask a TA's is have they been there?  What did they do?  Have you sent others?

 

Give your TA a break!

[cruisinfanatic]

4 hours ago, Snit13 said:

That is why I refuse to book with a TA.  First time I booked with TA each time I called she was not in and no one in the office would help me.  Insisted I leave a message for her to call me back.  We actually had to report to the cruise with just the original paperwork as she could not get our tickets to us for the cruise.  Fired.  Second time on a Celebrity cruise big price drop, called agent and got voicemail she was in Europe.  I sent an email and she did get me the price drop.  I am not game for a third try.

Hope you get a reply from your agent before price drop goes away.

Unless you need a lot of hand holding, TA's do not send you tickets

[tomservo]

33 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

You are looking at the wrong travel agents. Mine gets us refundable deposits, in a group rate that’s usually so good we don’t even qualify for a price drop. Add on the extras (drink package, gratuities et.al) and it’s a no brainer. 

I have as much control of my booking as I need. 

 

Where did you find your TA? Mine gives me roughly 10% of the cruise fare as OBC, but your group rate sounds like a better deal!

[smplybcause]

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You’re not interested in any of the group rates that many TA’s have access to that can save hundreds of $ on a cruise?  That’s quire a bit more substances like than a bottle of wine.

 

Wish I could more easily find TAs & their group bookings. So far I've only found a warehouse TA that makes their group cruises obvious to find or the solo groups I cruise with (but at least on the cruise line I've gone on them with give good perks but no price break). My job is flexible so I'm way more price sensitive as a solo - I did find one website that's not groups but lists sailings with less than 200% supplement. 

 

Or I just suck at finding them lol

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Wish I could more easily find TAs & their group bookings. So far I've only found a warehouse TA that makes their group cruises obvious to find or the solo groups I cruise with (but at least on the cruise line I've gone on them with give good perks but no price break). My job is flexible so I'm way more price sensitive as a solo - I did find one website that's not groups but lists sailings with less than 200% supplement. 

 

Or I just suck at finding them lol

The larger the agency the more group space they will hold

[grandgeezer]

4 hours ago, grneyes said:

Always book our own cruise with RC. This way I control my cruise .

Not interested in a bottle of wine or want ever TA  would give us. But that's us like to have control LOL!

 

Last week I booked a B2B cruise, in a suite, through an online travel agency. I paid $8,400, total for the two of us, the exact same amount that I would have paid through the cruise line. We received $1,150 refundable obc total, for the two of us. That's a pretty expensive bottle of wine. I have total control of my reservation. I've never missed out on a known price drop, I just e-mail them and it's done. If I want to change cabins, another e-mail. I don't need anybody to hold my hand or answer questions. I always call to book, just to verify what I'm getting, but besides that, I've booked 46 cruises and the number of times I called the travel agency, besides the actual booking, could be counted on one hand and have fingers left over.

[travelplus]

Can revenue do a historical price drop via a petition? 

[NewlyMrs.Kilday]

Update: I heard back this morning. She said she had already “got us” the price drop (??) and it will show when we make final payment. All things considered, I will still be looking for a new TA. Thanks everyone for the input 

[Robinhill]

so glad that she finally got back to you and you got the price drop but yeah, its totally unacceptable that you had to wait so long.  Have a great cruise

[cruiseguy1016]

28 minutes ago, NewlyMrs.Kilday said:

Update: I heard back this morning. She said she had already “got us” the price drop (??) and it will show when we make final payment. All things considered, I will still be looking for a new TA. Thanks everyone for the input 

 

I use a TA to book all of our cruises. I also check pricing on a regular basis to see if there is a price drop. Sometimes I find a price drop, sometimes my TA finds them. A few years ago when final payment was due I called my TA to make the payment and the amount owed was less than what I though it should be. When I asked why, she said "Oh, I found a price drop on such and such date and applied it to your cruise." This was a price drop that only lasted a very short time, I never saw it. But, due to the diligence of my TA, I ended up paying less. RCI will not automatically apply a price drop. Without my TA, I never would have gotten the reduction.

[Snit13]

13 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Sorry that happened to you  but a few misses is hardly a reason to only book direct. In your 30 + cruises a good TA would of showered you with 6 - 8  thousand in perks, much more if you book suites.   Well worth the occasional hiccup. 

Actually don't need their perks. I can buy my own specialty dinners and OBC.  What else can they offer me?  I need access to my booked cruises 24/7.  That is just me, guess a control freak.

[Snit13]

11 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You’re not interested in any of the group rates that many TA’s have access to that can save hundreds of $ on a cruise?  That’s quire a bit more substances like than a bottle of wine.

Not a groupie.  I book at a price that I am comfortable with and live with it.  If I don't like the price I search for an alternative.  I refuse to he held captive again by a TA.

[Snit13]

9 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

Unless you need a lot of hand holding, TA's do not send you tickets

At that time we were doing 2 month in Alaska on our own and then sailing back to Vancouver.  It was a bus, train across Canada and up the Rockies then Alaska ferries, Alaska train, rental car and staying in B&B's.  There was no way to get paperwork, seapass, tickets, whatever so we just showed up at Princess terminal.  Fortunately we were on manifest.

 

DO NOT need hand holding.  DH was with a major airline and we traveled all over the world pass riding with one carry on.  I made all of our arrangements and at no time did I use a TA.  Only after he retired did I try a TA.  Not for me.

[Judyrem]

To each his/her own I always say.  However my big box TA has saved my some big bucks on my next three cruises.

They are very customer oriented and I will stay with them.   

[blackshirt]

21 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

FWIW I find it irresponsible that your TA doesn’t have their emails and phone line auto forwarded to someone to assist you when they are out of town. 

Not necessarily. It depends on the TA. I deal with a specific person at my TA, when she is out of the office, her automatic email replies and voicemail message tell you how to contact someone else, they aren’t automatically forwarded. I find that acceptable.

[blackshirt]

12 hours ago, grneyes said:

Always book our own cruise with RC. This way I control my cruise .

Not interested in a bottle of wine or want ever TA  would give us. But that's us like to have control LOL!

 

To each his own but all my cruises have been either through or transferred to a TA and they have always been great. Just a few weeks ago, I emailed my TA about a price drop, I was in Europe at the time and a call to Royal would have been difficult. She got me an even lower price.

[legaljen1969]

21 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

FWIW I find it irresponsible that your TA doesn’t have their emails and phone line auto forwarded to someone to assist you when they are out of town. 

I agree.   Either they need to have everything forwarded to someone else who can help,  leave instructions on how to contact someone else who can help, OR have their calls and emails forwarded to an email address and phone number where they can be reached and reply in short order.

[not-enough-cruising]

15 minutes ago, blackshirt said:

Not necessarily. It depends on the TA. I deal with a specific person at my TA, when she is out of the office, her automatic email replies and voicemail message tell you how to contact someone else, they aren’t automatically forwarded. I find that acceptable.

I agree, that’s what I meant but you stated it better than I 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, Snit13 said:

Actually don't need their perks. I can buy my own specialty dinners and OBC.  What else can they offer me?  I need access to my booked cruises 24/7.  That is just me, guess a control freak.

I have 24/7 access to my bookings. Only thing I can’t do on my own is make payment or request  price drop adjustment (I can’t think of anything else I would need that I can’t do on my own) 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, Snit13 said:

Not a groupie.  I book at a price that I am comfortable with and live with it.  If I don't like the price I search for an alternative.  I refuse to he held captive again by a TA.

So if a travel agent company could give you the exact same cruise for $975 less (that’s the price difference between my upcoming FOTS when comparing RCI direct and my TA) you wouldn’t be interested?