What does your TA do for you?

[ECCruise]

41 minutes ago, mtrancher said:

I think the daunting part... .is finding that good TA. Hence why I have always booked directly with NCL, at least I felt in direct control. After reading enough posts it makes sense to me a good TA can bring extra discounts or perks, good advice, service and perhaps some clout to solve problems.    So how do you find a good TA prior to booking with them?

There are sites where TAs compete for your business.  And reviews are posted there, so you can get an overall feel for the customer service that a TA has been providing.

[Sailing12Away]

I've never had good experiences with TA's, and my family jokes that I should give up on this whole science thing I do and just become a TA myself.

 

They don't charge - so they have to be making their money somehow or another. Hence why they tend to push one hotel or cruise line over another. I have yet to find one that offers a good, better, best option when planning out a vacation - so I end up doing all the research myself to see what is really the best option for me.

 

My parents used a TA to book their Bliss cruise after I told them NOT to, and the TA didn't even get them all of the available perks that were offered from the NCL website directly. They were also told that gratuities were included, when they weren't. I had to call and scream at the TA for taking advantage of them (as they also suckered them into paying full price up front), and the best they offered was to give them $100 total in OBC as compensation. TA refused to allow a refund so I could rebook directly myself. Never again...

[Travelling2Some]

I tried to use a TA twice and quickly realized that I already knew FAR more about the trips I was intending to take than they did.  (Never understand why people want to go to places they know nothing about?)   I also like to be able to call the cruise line and switch cabin locations or get price reductions without having to wait for a third party to (maybe) handle it.  I also usually have no use for OBC.  But all of those things are just me and YMMV depending on your habits.

[hamrag]

6 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

.....There is absolutely nothing that a TA does that I cannot do for myself and do better without having a third party stuck between me and the cruise line....

 Not quite true, the TA which we use gives a discount from cruiseline booked fare between 8-11% dependent on itinerary, cabin type etc. Now that, I definitely cannot do for myself! 😉

[oteixeira]

OK, let me tell you the way I do it for those saying TAs leave things off.  Here is my secret.  I do all the research, and book the cruise exactly how I want through the cruise line.  That's right, DIRECT!  Pay the down payment and all.  Then I reach out and ask my favorite (and sometimes other) TAs what they would give me to take over the reservation.  They love this, all the work is done for them.  I think you have 30 days after booking to do it.  They basically offer you what they can do (OBC, etc) and you take it or not.  There it is.  All the control you want, plus the 10% or so in credit/OBC/perks.

I hope this helps some of you.

Edited December 29, 2020 by oteixeira

[mtrancher]

14 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

OK, let me tell you the way I do it for those saying TAs leave things off.  Here is my secret.  I do all the research, and book the cruise exactly how I want through the cruise line.  That's right, DIRECT!  Pay the down payment and all.  Then I reach out and ask my favorite (and sometimes other) TAs what they would give me to take over the reservation.  They love this, all the work is done for them.  I think you have 30 days after booking to do it.  They basically offer you what they can do (OBC, etc) and you take it or not.  There it is.  All the control you want, plus the 10% or so in credit/OBC/perks.

I hope this helps some of you.

That's exactly what I'm trying to do... and I agree it's the best way! It looks like now transferring to a TA I'll get somewhere in the neighborhood of $900 in on board credits. Hard to leave that kind of money on the table as long as it doesn't jeopardize anything I've done already. For a couple hundred bucks I won't bother but it's hard to leave 900 on the table.

[ECCruise]

2 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

 I also usually have no use for OBC.  

You don't need to have a "use."  It goes right back as a credit on your CC if you don't use it.

My fiscal common sense simply will not allow me to leave dough on the table.

[Travelling2Some]

38 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

You don't need to have a "use."  It goes right back as a credit on your CC if you don't use it.

My fiscal common sense simply will not allow me to leave dough on the table.

Good to know.  I did think OBC was usually non-refundable and can't be used towards gratuities.  I would also imagine the amount is going to vary markedly by cabin category and I usually book inside cabins, so that's another individual factor when considering how much something is worth doing.

[oteixeira]

17 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

Good to know.  I did think OBC was usually non-refundable and can't be used towards gratuities.  I would also imagine the amount is going to vary markedly by cabin category and I usually book inside cabins, so that's another individual factor when considering how much something is worth doing.

Again, look at what we wrote.  100 per every 1000 you spend.  So you are correct, if you are booking inside cabins that cost you 699 for a seven day cruise, you won't get enough to make it worth your time.  For folks that book higher categories however, we are always looking for ways to help make are cruise prices more affordable.  In my case, it comes in having OBC instead of spending on the cruise out of my pocket.  In my case, I do spend, since I feel it's vacation and I want to enjoy and not think about saving every penny.  I know it is different for everyone, that is just how I do it.  

 

[GonzoWCS]

23 hours ago, Gretchendz said:

So TAs really proved their value this past spring.  They spent HOURS on hold to process cancellations and get refunds issued so their clients did not have to.  Many now keep a list of which travel companies treated their clients well and which did not.  They can do your research for you on travel insurance, if you want it. The cruise line insurance may be the best choice for you but it may not be.  They can research for if it is better to buy air through the cruise company or separately. If you want a pre or post cruise hotel, most can get you a much better deal than those offered by the cruise line.  The best ones give you their cell phone numbers and are available any time to help you if things go amiss during your trip.  Many associated with large consortiums can give you extras like a bit more OBC.  All this for the same cost as booking directly.

 

Good ones will keep an eye for you for fare reductions and help get it processed.

This!

[Gretchendz]

So for the many of you who think you know more than TAs (and you might), go ahead and book yourself. But go ahead immediately after and contact three TAs (there are threads on how to find them) and give them your specific booking and see what, if anything, they can offer for you to transfer the booking to them.  You may be surprised.

[boatseller]

16 hours ago, mtrancher said:

So how do you find a good TA prior to booking with them?

The 64,000 gross ton question.  Friends, co-workers.  People on a cruise will be more than happy to talk about thier TA.

 

I met my TA on a cruise.

[MsTabbyKats]

13 hours ago, GonzoWCS said:

This!

You do realize that all those hours the TAs spent on the phone were hours that they weren't compensated for....unless they charged cancellation fees (which are minimal anyway).

 

 

[Gretchendz]

6 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

You do realize that all those hours the TAs spent on the phone were hours that they weren't compensated for....unless they charged cancellation fees (which are minimal anyway).

 

 

 

Very true!  And the pandemic has put many out of business.  However, many surveys show that more travelers than ever now see the value and plan to use them.

[Gretchendz]

As to finding a TA, here are some things people do. Bottom line, try one and if you didn't like them, go to another for your next cruise until you find one that you like.

 

1) There are places where you can read reviews of TAs. I would list some but not sure if that violates CC terms.

2) If you like to "shop local" check your local business directories.  Many people like having a TA who is a human being near them they can talk to, get to know them, meet for coffee (pre-pandemic); others don't care if their TA is 3,000 miles away 🙂

3) Often the cruise line will have a "find a TA" button on it's webpage.  They list TAs who have successfully completed that cruise line's TA training. There's a button on the NCL home page at the very bottom.

4) As for some on this thread, if value is more important to you than service, just find a few TAs and ask what they can do for you.  Most cruise lines frown deeply on TAs refunding commission to clients, but a little extra OBC or an extra perk or two is not uncommon.

Edited December 30, 2020 by Gretchendz

[sanger727]

We don’t always use a TA but when we have it’s been to get a better price. I also used a TA for a land trip once due to 1. A slightly better price than online and 2. The company she booked through offered an excellent deal on cancel for any reason insurance on the entire package (which we needed for that trip)

 

I don’t typically find better deals for Norwegian so usually book direct (we book lower end rooms so the idea of getting 100 back per 1,000 spent isn’t a huge draw). But when we book celebrity we consistently get better deals through a large online TA than we can get through booking direct. We had a nice success story with them. I was using a price monitoring website and at the time was working night shift. An alert came through for a large price drop around midnight so sent a screenshot to the TA. It was gone in the morning but the TA was able to get us the drop still. 

[goldmom]

We don't use a TA for NCL as we book through Casinos at Sea and they basically are our TA.      However when we book other lines we do use a TA.  They usually give us some extra onboard credit and maybe a bottle of wine.  They also take care of getting our OBC for our Carnival stock and answer any questions we have and take care of any issues.

With the pandemic, she was great as she took care of all the aggravation with getting a refund.

Our family has used the same TA for many years now.  If she retires I'm not sure if I would use another TA or just book myself.

In our case it's probably more that particular person rather than a TA in general.

[GonzoWCS]

2 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

You do realize that all those hours the TAs spent on the phone were hours that they weren't compensated for....unless they charged cancellation fees (which are minimal anyway).

 

 

And this is what i hire them for....

[reeinaz]

I rarely use a TA. I would sometimes book through a general travel website when they had OBC specials and I would get cash back through Rakuten. That was the closest thing to using a TA that I had come. Recently a call to that website cruise assistance phone number to book a cruise was routed to a brick and mortar agent. That agent was able to negotiate my not having to put out any additional cash while waiting for my cruise credits from a cancelled cruise to be processed. I hadn’t even mentioned a lack of desire to pay a deposit. I was intending to put out the cash.  They also repeatedly called to extend the courtesy hold period each time  it was about to expire until the cruise credits were applied for the deposit. When that sailing was moved to an entirely different ship, I called the agent to see if they could get a room in the same location as the previous cruise (center of the hump) and she was able to do that. The cruise line was telling passengers booked directly with them that they had to wait until they actually received their room assignment to try and change it. 
 

Otherwise I enjoy having more control of my reservation and prefer to book direct. 

[Capitan Obvious]

"What does your TA do for you?"

 

~In short, a good TA would provide you with all of the information you would need in relation to your vacation. You wouldn't need to seek answers to your questions from strangers on an Internet forum.

[mtrancher]

2 hours ago, Capitan Obvious said:

"What does your TA do for you?"

 

~In short, a good TA would provide you with all of the information you would need in relation to your vacation. You wouldn't need to seek answers to your questions from strangers on an Internet forum.

1. Since we are strangers on an internet board, by your definition your answer is suspect.

2. Since I don't have a TA, any TA I hire will at 1st be a stranger.

3. I truly enjoy researching an exploring all aspects of my vacation as, for me, it begins the vacation. Furthermore I enjoy conversing with all the kind an polite people who take time out of their day to provide me with insights to my questions. To all of you... Thank you.

[Capitan Obvious]

1 hour ago, mtrancher said:

1. Since we are strangers on an internet board, by your definition your answer is suspect.

2. Since I don't have a TA, any TA I hire will at 1st be a stranger.

3. I truly enjoy researching an exploring all aspects of my vacation as, for me, it begins the vacation. Furthermore I enjoy conversing with all the kind an polite people who take time out of their day to provide me with insights to my questions. To all of you... Thank you.

 

It is suspect that you see definition where none was given.

 

If I don't have a doctor, any doctor I hire will at first be a stranger. However, that doctor's training makes him much more valuable to me than the opinions of random anonymous people on an Internet forum. And the doctor's value rises as we move from just-met strangers to a congenial working relationship.

 

Happy that you enjoy research. As a result, I'm certain that you appreciate the value of a the knowledge of a trained professional when conducting that research. Much better to seek answers from one who "knows" rather than one who gives their best "guess".

 

 

Consider a TA, who is my legal agent, who tells me I only need A, B, and C to board the ship. I'm denied boarding because the TA gave me bad info. It sucks, but I do have legal recourse against that TA. In the same vein, some anonymous screen name tells me I only need A, B, and C to board the ship and the same thing happens...well, I have no recourse against some poster on the Internet. It can be dangerous considering that some people might think it funny to give bad information on purpose. Especially when their anonymous and don't have to answer for it.

 

You get what you pay for, right?

 

 

[ECCruise]

For those that insist that there is little difference between what can be done with NCL direct ("I can CONTROL my booking!!) and a TA, here is a real life experience from about 30 minutes ago.

 

NCL Sun, 11 day sailing, CAT BA, all perks included, plus new $200 OBC:  $6112.00 Book direct.

NCL Sun, 11 day sailing, CAT BA, all perks included, plus new $200 OBC.  $4930.00 Book TA

 

Trying to decide which way to go.....

 

[mainelycruising]

Depending upon their booking agency, TAs have all the figures before them. Often these are the same up to date figures within the CL's own booking tool.   Try a TA first; then ask direct with the cruise line. See which is better.  

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by mainelycruising
Added info,

[MoCruiseFan]

I would never use a TA.  In today's world they are all but useless.  With a little bit of leg work you can almost always match or beat any price or deal they can give you plus you do not have a 3rd party stuck in between the cruise line and you.  Not worth the hassle at all.

6 hours ago, mainelycruising said:

Depending upon their booking agency, TAs have all the figures before them. Often these are the same up to date figures within the CL's own booking tool.   Try a TA first; then ask direct with the cruise line. See which is better.  

 

 

 

You are making a false assumption, that being that the only two options are using a TA or booking directly with the cruise line.  A bit of keyboard time (you can get all those same figures yourself) and a little creativity can almost always match or beat any 'deal' a TA can get you.  For example find a TA that can get a 12-day Hawaii cruise for four (two balcony cabins) including all cruise costs, 1st class R/T air from SC, a week pre-cruise in a Hotel right on Waikiki beach, a rental car for the entire time in Honolulu, shuttles, air port parking for the entire cruise length, and specialty dining for 6 nights for a grand total combined of well under $6,000 (total not per person).  Go ahead, I'll wait!