Benefit of Booking Directly with RCCL?

[Netnurse31]

I booked a cruise on the RCCL web site today. Since RCCL doesn't discount their bookings, what would be the benefit of booking thru a TA?

[jebl]

Perks such as free insurance, wine onboard, shore excursion to name a few.

[Scruffy]

So when you book with a TA, you get things like free insurance, free wine or shore excursions at no extra price? Does the TA get a discount so they can pay for these perks?

[rusticfurnituremaker]

Kimberly: Although I have a travel agent I think does a fabulous job, one problem with RCI is that if you book through a travel agent, all phone calls must be between the agent and the cruise line. RCI won't even talk to you directly if you have any problem with your reservation. I tried using an internet service to book a cruise once. The travel agent had some "problems", and I ran into many problems with my reservation (she booked the wrong cabin type, didn't wait list me as promised....). I attempted to contact the agent, but she was out "indefinately" and she worked alone. I tried to correct the errors myself by phone, and was told to have my travel agent call to fix the problems. When I explained my travel agent's "problems" to RCI, they told me that they still could not help me, even though I was the passenger, I was the one who paid them, and I was the paying customer who was very unhappy. So...if you have an agent you have worked with and trust, and you trust them with your $ and your vacation, by all means use one when booking with RCI. If you are booking with a discounter online, RCI will only talk to them if you have problems. This really caused me some headaches. Now all you travel agents out there, please don't flame me for this post. I think that for all other services (and maybe some other cruiselines) a travel agent is the only way to go when making reservations. They take the hassle out of travel planning, and can make problems disappear with their knowledge of the travel industry ins and outs.

 

Amy

[negc]

Please understand that the benefits I will list only apply if you book through a "good" travel agent. There are plenty of horror stories about less than competent or interested agents, just as there are horror stories about the problems of dealing with RCI's customer service representatives.

!) you get the services of someone who is knowledgeable about not only RCI but its competitors- RCI agents know RCI but might not have good, reliable, and objective information about the competition.

2) if you have a cruise-related, problem before, during, or after your cruise, you will have an advocate to argue your case with the cruiseline. Do you expect that a cruiseline employee is going to push hard on your behalf against his or her employer? Do you think that a major cruiseline is as concerned about losing you as a customer, as they might be concerned about antqagonizing or alienating a travel agent or agency that provides them with a steady stream of business year in and year out.

3) you can usually get the answer to your question and know that it is reliable. Call Customer Service with the same question more than once and see how many different answers you get.

4) RCI and other lines on almost a weekly basis, advise travel agents of special discounts on particular sailings. If your travel agent knows that you can leave on short notice or are interested in a specific destination or ship, he or she can call you and let you know. You can arrange for RCI to email you with all of its specials but do you want to wade through all those messages to find one that might meet your needs or desires?

Service,more than savings, is the biggest benefit you get from using a good TA.

[SheltieLady]

I booked our cruise direct with RCCL thru the website. I wanted to have the control, and if I need to make changes I could do it, and not wait for a TA to contact them.

 

Christine

[SAS21]

I Booked My First Cruise Back Which Sailed In November Thru A Travel Agent. I Got No Additional Perks By Doing So. The Price Was The Same As If I Had Booked Directly With Rcl. So For The Next One I Booked Directly With Rcl.

[san4u2]

Kimberly: Although I have a travel agent I think does a fabulous job, one problem with RCI is that if you book through a travel agent, all phone calls must be between the agent and the cruise line. RCI won't even talk to you directly if you have any problem with your reservation. I tried using an internet service to book a cruise once. The travel agent had some "problems", and I ran into many problems with my reservation (she booked the wrong cabin type, didn't wait list me as promised....). I attempted to contact the agent, but she was out "indefinately" and she worked alone. I tried to correct the errors myself by phone, and was told to have my travel agent call to fix the problems. When I explained my travel agent's "problems" to RCI, they told me that they still could not help me, even though I was the passenger, I was the one who paid them, and I was the paying customer who was very unhappy. So...if you have an agent you have worked with and trust, and you trust them with your $ and your vacation, by all means use one when booking with RCI. If you are booking with a discounter online, RCI will only talk to them if you have problems. This really caused me some headaches. Now all you travel agents out there, please don't flame me for this post. I think that for all other services (and maybe some other cruiselines) a travel agent is the only way to go when making reservations. They take the hassle out of travel planning, and can make problems disappear with their knowledge of the travel industry ins and outs.

 

Amy

 

Amy I see you are from NC how did we manage to get the same TA???;)

This is our first cruise and we have had a time. Our TA not only works alone but was hospitalize and coded on the table during which time RCL lost all of our bookings..... He finally made it back to work and corrected our problem. Not his fault. Now he is back in the hospital it,would be so much easier if we could call and handle the problem. I really don't think he needs to worry about us. We would just like him to get well.

[SPGryphon]

Many airlines are able to book cruises for airline miles. We used to book all of our cruises and earn 3 miles/dollar. It allowed us to upgrade to first class by the 3rd. cruise. :D

 

This time we decided to just book with RCCL so we would have control over the bookings. <- had a few problems with the TA on the last cruise. :rolleyes:

[RickT]

1) Who says you can't get a lower price through a TA? I know that is RCCLs policy but I have definitely booked my cruise for less than RCCL was offering. I checked their web site twice and called twice and no one at RCCL could match the price I was offered.

 

2) I'll book with RCCL or a TA, whichever is most convenient at the time. Like others mention, sometimes your TA will do something special for you.

 

3) I do like to have full control over my own reservation which does help if you book direct.

 

At the end of the day, I don't care how I booked as long as I'm booked!

[ssolomon56]

1) Who says you can't get a lower price through a TA? I know that is RCCLs policy but I have definitely booked my cruise for less than RCCL was offering. I checked their web site twice and called twice and no one at RCCL could match the price I was offered.

 

2) I'll book with RCCL or a TA, whichever is most convenient at the time. Like others mention, sometimes your TA will do something special for you.

 

3) I do like to have full control over my own reservation which does help if you book direct.

 

At the end of the day, I don't care how I booked as long as I'm booked!

 

 

Our first cruise was a 10-day Hawaiian - that disembarked in Vancouver in May of 2000. We booked through a TA and it cost us $1700 each for an run-of-house outside cabin. We got no perks...nothing....and airfare was extra. Since then, I book most of our cruises myself and get a much better deal. My goal is $100 per day....and I generally get it, but you have to do some leg work...check out lots of places (Expedia, the cruiselines, TA ads...etc.). My best "find" was $399 each for 7-days on the SS Norway a couple years ago! The ship was built in 1962...and is gone now (I understand) but what a beauty.

[Alnursu]

This is our 4th cruise we are going on and we have always booked direct with RCCL. Have to say we have never had a problem with them and have found that it is nice to be able to call them direct if you want to do any changes.

Al.:)

[Jayme580]

It is all about control. I like having control over my booking.

 

Jamie

[Cruzntime]

Since I do a lot of research and reading I told the TA everything I wanted for my cruise. I don't know what all this TA had to do for us so forgive me if I sound like I am watering-down her duties but it appeared all she had to do is relay the information I gave her to RCI and forward my docs to me when she received them. My cabin was no cheaper than I could have gotten booking directly with RCI. I thought for sure there would at least be a little extra something in my cabin for making things so easy. Nope, nothing.

 

This year I ask another TA why I should book with her instead of directly. Like others on this thread she made a good point. Since they are a large agency they were very instrumental in resolving and aiding those who were delayed due to the fisherman strike in the mediteranian event. Someone else mention having an advocate in case of dispute. But I noticed my travel insurance has a service something like this.

 

This year I have booked with a different person, but the same agency, and brought her additional bookings. She knows I felt somewhat dissappointed about the last agent so we'll see how it goes this year. I have to say though this agent has already done more for me than the last.

[Yvonne]

DH and I booked our 1st cruise (Disney) through a local TA. We were "newbies" and had no idea what we were doing. In hindsight if we would have booked directly with Disney and then booked our 4-night stay at Disney World and the airfare separately, it would have been cheaper.

 

Booked another Disney cruise using Dreams Unlimited and called Dreams with a question about the insurance and rather than the TA calling and finding out for me, she told me to call the insurance company and ask. I thought that was one of the things a TA did, was find things out if they didn't know and then let you know.

 

After that I have booked our cruises myself and will continue to do so. I like being able to call the cruise line directly with a question and getting a prompt answer, and I like being able to make the other arrangements (car rental, air fare, etc.) on my own.

[Cruzntime]

Yvonne,

I think if you were buying the TA's insurance policy she may have been more helpful. If you were buying her insurance and she could'nt answer your question and redirected you to do the research, well, you may want to talk to them about it or look for someone else.